8th Battalion 40th Armor Regiment, Desert Dragons Reunion Marks 30 Years Since Deactivation

On the afternoon of September 27, 2025, Veterans of the 8th Battalion, 40th Armor Regiment gathered at Ramada 22 in Reid Park, Tucson, Arizona, to commemorate thirty years since the unit’s deactivation in 1995. The “Desert Dragons” came together to reflect on their shared history, recall moments of training and camaraderie, and honor the legacy of their battalion.

SGM (Ret.) William Flickinger, the battalion’s former Headquarters Company Motor Sergeant and longtime organizer of the group, proudly noted that this year’s event was the largest reunion in their history, drawing 105 Veterans of the 8/40th Armor.

During the gathering, MAJ (Ret.) Daniel C. Valle, the battalion’s former operations officer, briefed the attendees on the recent shuttering of several Army museums, including the installation and military intelligence museums at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. While the museums’ collections would be transferred to the Army Museums Directorate, the 8/40th Armor display housed at Fort Huachuca required a new home. COL (Ret.) Clea McCaa—now the Mayor of Sierra Vista, Arizona, and once a lieutenant with the battalion—has been working alongside Valle to transfer the display to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. Valle urged his fellow Veterans to contribute memorabilia for preservation:

“If you guys got stuff that we could put in that museum, it would be very valuable and we can have it there forever. Because what’s going to happen otherwise is it’s going to get deteriorated in your garages. It’s going to be thrown away and nobody’s ever going to know about this unit. So, we want this unit and its lineage to be preserved in this military vehicle museum at Pima Air & Space Museum, okay!” — MAJ (Ret.) Valle

Even Mother Nature took part in the event. A brief but fierce thunderstorm swept through the park, toppling canopies and soaking every Veteran, family member, and even the caterers. As one attendee quipped, “I thought I wouldn’t have to get drenched in the rain after I left the Army!” True to Arizona weather, the skies cleared within ten minutes, and the group carried on in good spirits.

Following a collective photo, former battalion commanders COL (Ret.) John W. Dickinson (1983–1986) and MG (Ret.) John L. Scott (1986–1989) addressed the assembly. MG (Ret.) Scott, who later served as the commanding general of the 63rd Regional Support Command (RSC) (1995–1998), lightened the mood with a humorous appeal to find the unit’s old grog bowl:

“Any of you know the Roberts’ Bowl—the urinal that we used? Somebody has that. Now, who stole it? You send me an email, and I won’t send anybody out to get it. But we need to find the Roberts’ Bowl. We need to find it. And we can all drink a toast to the 63rd.” — MG (Ret.) Scott

The 8/40th Armor’s story is woven into the broader history of the 63rd Readiness Division. From 1968 until its deactivation in 1995, the battalion served as an independent tank battalion within the 63rd Army Reserve Command (ARCOM). At the time of their inactivation, the 63rd ARCOM was itself transitioning into the 63rd RSC under MG Scott’s leadership.

Thirty years later, the “Desert Dragons” continue to prove that while units may be deactivated, their spirit, history, and brotherhood endure.