Archive for the ‘Guest Blogger’ Category
May 9, 2007 By Hook
Posted in Guest Blogger
FROM THE FRONT, Moderator: Matt of Blackfive.
I had the honor of being asked to participate in the Milblog Conference 2007 Panel #1, From the Front. I of course jumped at the opportunity. Sitting on the panel with me were Bill Ardolino of InDCJournal, Bill Roggio of The Fourth Rail, yours truly of Sgt Hook, and last but certainly not least, Sean of Doc in the Box.
The panel was able to provide insight on milblogging while deployed. This unique perspective raised several questions regarding limitations on content and access and a discussion ensued regarding the new Army regulations concerning OPSEC.
Bill Roggio did a good job of answering questions comparing, actually contrasting, Milblogs and the Main Stream Media as they report from the field. The consensus from the panel seemed to be that Milbloggers on whole do not resent the MSM, nor try to compete with them, but recognize that Milbloggers don’t feel the need to have explosions and casualties to publish a post, and are quite content with that. Most of the panel was hopeful that they are able to fill in the gaps that are missed by the MSM.
As the first panel was wrapping up, an audience member approached the microphone and shared a story of how while on his way to the conference he had met a young soldier (in uniform) in the airport and stopped to thank him for his service. A moment later he noticed a lady hugging the same soldier and saying loudly to him that she was doing everything she could to bring him home. The audience member asked our panel how he should respond to such comments. Feeling my blood temperature rising I quickly answered, “that’s an easy one, I’d tell her that we don’t want to come home until we’ve won.”
Next up, Panel #2, All in the Family.
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By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger
The United Services Organization (USO) has been around since 1941. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized that civilian organizations could best handle recreation for the troops fighting a worldwide war.
From 1941 to 1947, USO Camp Shows presented an amazing 428,521 performances. In 1945, curtains were rising 700 times a day to audiences as large as 15,000 and as small as 25 on some outposts all over the world. More than 7,000 entertainers traveled overseas. During World War II, Americans had come together as never before. By war’s end, the USO could claim that more than 1.5 million volunteers had worked on its behalf.
In September 1963 the USO opened its first location in a combat zone in Saigon, Vietnam. Throughout the next nine years, 17 more locations would be added to the Vietnam combat zone to provide troops with a place to relax and leave behind the stresses of war.
Today, troops are again called to deploy to locations around the round to fight terrorism and bring stability to the Middle East. Yet, for some reason, the USO has not adjusted to the stress and rigor still placed on our troops. The war against terrorism is one of the most unique battles we’ve ever have to face. Troops are facing multiple deployments and have no way of winding down in Iraq while waiting their ONE R&R given throughout their deployment.
To date, the closest USO’s are located in Kuwait, Qatar, and one in Afghanistan. In Iraq, troops have no way to really relax and unwind. The gyms that are available are overcrowded and underequipped. Only the bigger camps, like Liberty, have places to borrow books or watch movies. Hollywood and the recording industry has largely shunned our troops with few notable exceptions. Absent are the “amazing 428,521 performances” by more than “7,000 entertainers” that would travel overseas. This country is worried about PTSD and everyone thinks they know what is best for dealing with the issue WHEN THEY GET HOME. But what about in the combat zone? Where are all those entertainers who “support the troops?” Toby Keith can only do so much.
There is not a USO in largest city with a concentrated US troop presence - Baghdad. Why not put one there? Why isn’t there one down south at Camp Bucca? Why not Camp Liberty? Why not start putting MWR type amenities for servicemembers in these higher-population camps? Many of these camps are not going anywhere for a LONG time. There’s not much doubt that there will at least be a minimal presence of US troops in Iraq even after complete success is announced. Some people want to fight a permanent US presence in the country, but the reality is that there will probably be one for some time.
One of the problems with the minimal amenities available currently at some of these locations is that they have ‘hours of operation’ attached to them. Detainee operations are 24/7, so why aren’t there 24/7 MWR huts or USOs? This is more important now with the surge populating camps beyond their already overstretched capacities. Troops are increasingly finding it more difficult to “get away” from it all.
According to Patriotwatch.com, “OIF presents serious challenges to even the best and most respected organizations. The USO is no exception. PDN and active duty OIF soldiers will be seeking information on how best to bring more USO presence to underserved military facilities in Iraq. What must we, as the supporters on the homefront, do to help the USO reach those troops?”
So, what can we do? For one, we can write letters to our representatives demanding that today’s fighters get the same benefits and treatment of our previous warriors. By placing USOs in the combat zone our troops will be less likely to return stressed beyond belief and able to better focus on their missions in Iraq. At Camp Bucca, where there are thousands of troops, there are only two pool tables. If every machine in the workout room were full, there would be 100-150 people able to use equipment that supports thousands of troops. Bucca isn’t the only camp with this problem.
The second thing we can do is write the USO itself. You can contact the USO by phone, at 703-908-6400. Or you can send them an email through THIS link. If Congress wants to put their money where their mouth is, they’ll support calls for USOs in Iraq.
Finally, spread this post and its message as far and wide as possible. Add it your blogs and send it to your mailing lists.
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May 7, 2007 By Hook
Posted in Guest Blogger
Andi stood at the podium speaking into the microphone introducing the guest speaker with a simple statement along the lines that he needed no introduction and that though she had made the request months ago, never really thought he’d accept and she’d introduce the President of the United States, George W. Bush.
There were a few chuckles, undoubtedly from those thinking that she was kidding. She wasn’t. The two large video screens on stage came to life and the Commander in Chief of the United States of America opened the conference with a short videotaped speech. I probably wasn’t the only one, but I was floored. Here is some of what the president had to say…
“America’s military bloggers are also an important voice for the cause of freedom,” Bush said in the taped message to the group, which was gathered in Northern Virginia for the 2007 MilBlog Conference. “You understand that defeating the terrorists requires us to defeat their ideology of hatred and of death with a more powerful vision, a vision of human liberty.”
Following President Bush was a live feed from Iraq with MNFI Commander Admiral Fox and then Matt of Blackfive read a note he had received from General David H. Petraeus via email…
…I wanted to offer my thanks to you for what you’ve done and also to thank, via you, the bloggers who have worked to provide accurate descriptions of the situation on the ground here in Iraq and elsewhere. Milbloggers have become increasingly important, of course, given the enormous growth in individuals who get their news online in the virtual world instead of through newspapers and television. So please extend my appreciation to them for performing this task — and, of course, for doing it in ways that does not violate legitimate operational security guidelines. Best from Baghdad — General Dave Petraeus.
The conference certainly got a lot of attention from some very senior and respected people. Next up… Panel #1, From the Front.
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By Hook
Posted in Guest Blogger
Sgt Hook here, just returned from Arlington, VA where I attended the 2007 Milblog Conference. I’ll be posting about the conference and sharing some thoughts here at You Served throughout the week.
The first official event was a social held on Friday evening at the Westin Hotel in Arlington. There were quite a few big names in the blogosphere in attendance. I was honored to meet many of them and impressed by the conversations we had. I came away with a sense of awe for the attendees as each has been a part of something fundamentally good, whether blogging themselves or supporting the troops through various groups like Soldiers Angels. The room was filled with some amazing people and I found myself humbled to be among them.
The evening closed with an award ceremony sponsored by Milblogging.com, recognizing the best of the milblogs, otherwise known as the Milbloggies. Next up… The Conference Begins.
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April 28, 2007 By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger, Military News
The following letter was written to the brave Soldiers of the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment from Fort Hood, TX by the Mayor of Tal’ Afar Najim Abdullah Abid Al-Jibouri:
To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life. To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.
To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.
Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young. This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally destroyed them.
I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.
The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom. Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was lean, with little collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.
God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.
Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.
Also, check out the letter from an Iraqi General to these very same Soldiers over at A Soldier’s Perspective.
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April 9, 2007 By DougT
Posted in Guest Blogger
[Here is another great guest blogger post from Capt Doug Traversa from A*W*A*C]
I’ve been interested in the military since a young age. I used to devour books on WWII, build models, watch war movies, and generally submerse myself in the topic every chance possible. My best friend in junior high school was much the same. We argued the merits of the Russian T-34 tank against the German Panzerkampfwagon III. We knew the gun sizes on virtually every battleship in the war. Yes, we were geeks, WWII geeks.
Ending up in the military seemed inevitable. Yet one of the more fascinating aspects of warfare escaped us. Yes, we knew the hardware inside and out, we knew the dates, locations, and tactics of most battles. We laughed at war movies that tried to pass off modern, angle-decked aircraft carries as authentic WWII versions. You couldn’t slip much past us. But one thing that didn’t come up much was how war forms friendships and bonds that civilian life seldom does.
Coming to Afghanistan last summer would introduce me to a new world in many ways. Never mind the completely alien culture of the place, the primitive living conditions, and the suicide bombers. I would learn about a new form of friendship, one forged by imminent danger and hardships.
I have always been a loner, not forming many close friendships. Yes, I have friends, just not many close friends. My family has been the focus of my attention for the last 22 years. So when I arrived in Kabul, the people most important to me would be absent from my life for the next year. I settled into my old habits. When going to meals, I went alone and read a book while eating. I was not being unfriendly, it’s just what I enjoyed doing. I wasn’t concerned with making friends; I’d just get through the year and move on.
Originally our hut had six people in it, a lieutenant colonel, a major, and four captains including me. However, after a couple of months, we had a new major move in, and at this time the boss decided to divide the hut in half, which angered us captains. Yet being walled off into one half of the hut was a catalyst that drove us to form a closer friendship. I started joining the other three for meals, and slowly we became closer friends.
Living in the plywood huts known as “B-Huts” can be a miserable experience if you are living with a jerk. In our case, we each had a small section about 8 feet by 12 feet in size. We could build plywood walls for privacy, but even with that, if someone played their music loud, banged around early in the morning, snored loudly, or any of a number of other unpleasant things, life could become miserable quickly. Indeed, this happened in some other huts.
I have been very fortunate to have three great hut mates. Doug Templeton, Mike Toomer, Drew Morton, and I have spent most of the last year in Hut R5 (East Side). We’ve shared experiences like having the front gate of Camp Phoenix (where we live) destroyed by a car bomb or having another one go off just outside the wall, shaking our hut and sending up a huge black cloud of smoke. We all head off to work each morning in full body armor, lugging two weapons. When we return we say things like “Lucy, I’m home,” or “How was the office today?”
We’ve shared each other’s pain and joy on more than one occasion. Doug’s father died, Drew got engaged, Mike debated at length about applying for active duty status as a lawyer with the Air Force (he’s in the Guard now), while Drew agonized over whether to leave the Air Force since there is a massive draw-down occurring this year. I missed the graduation from college of my oldest son, and my youngest son played his first season of football ever for his high school, and I missed all of that. I am hopeful that I can see my daughter graduate from college in May. It will be close.
We have had to deal with inadequate equipment, dangerous conditions, and genuine fear for our lives on many occasions. Yet somehow we manage to turn our anger into humor. If you’ve ever watched M*A*S*H (and who hasn’t), you may wonder if all the witty banter that went on in that show was realistic. Yes, it is. I have laughed harder and longer here over the last year than most people ever do. The stress and Spartan conditions seems to have sharpened our wits nicely, and now Mike is actually producing humorous videos during our remaining time here, and naturally we give him inputs all the time.
The truly amazing thing about this is that we are all very different. We’d probably never have met each other back home, even assuming we were all stationed at the same base. We all have very different interests and hobbies, and would certainly have run in different circles. Yet here we truly have become as close as brothers. I finally understand what camaraderie is all about. You can read about it in books, watch it on movies, even hear about it from people who have experienced it, but until you go through something like this, you won’t fully grasp it. Although the price was steep, being away from my family for a year, it was a wonderful lesson to learn, and I am a much better person for having learned it.
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March 13, 2007 By DougT
Posted in Guest Blogger
[Here is another fantastic post from guest blogger Capt Doug Traversa].
I’m not the same man I was a year ago. Not even close. I have been through the wringer of life, survived, and come out very different. Afghanistan does that to you.
One year ago I was sitting at my desk at Arnold AFB, and going to Afghanistan was the farthest thing from my mind. Iraq was very possible, but I never really gave Afghanistan a thought. Yet I was suddenly tasked for a year-long tour in Kabul, and not only that, I’d be embedded with the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) as a mentor and trainer. So I wouldn’t only be out at an American base in a foreign country at war, I’d be traveling around daily, working closely with the Afghans.
I certainly had mixed feelings about this. First of all, it would clearly be dangerous, as I would be filling an Army position, not exactly what I signed up for when I joined the Air Force. I’d get to go to Army combat skills training, I’d be wearing body armor and carrying a weapon every day. I was 44 years old, and the thought of going through combat training was scary enough, never mind then going into a war zone. I was also not happy about leaving my family for a year, but I knew that was part of being in the military.
On the plus side, I would be doing something very few Air Force personnel had ever done. The sheer uniqueness of this was fascinating, and I was eager to see Afghanistan. If I survived, I’d certainly have some good stories to tell.
Step one was getting through a month of training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The training was nothing like boot camp, so my worst fears were not realized. However, the heat was staggering, with many days well over 100 degrees. We often joked about how we couldn’t wait to get to Afghanistan or Iraq. It had to be better than this. One month later I was deemed fit to go into combat, though I would beg to differ. However, it was over, and we went our separate ways.
Once I got to Afghanistan, my world was turned upside down. As we drove through villages and towns crumbling from 25 years of war, my jaw hung open. Intellectually I knew such places existed, but seeing them with my own eyes was still pretty amazing.
The fact that I was viewing them through the bullet-proof window of a Humvee while wearing body armor and holding my loaded weapon just made the experience that much more intense.
My home for the next year would be Camp Phoenix, a series of plywood huts on a former Russian transport base. My “room”
would be an 8′ by 12′ corner of the hut, and ultimately seven officers would share this modest abode. Showers and latrines were 30 yards away in a trailer, and the chow hall was a couple of hundred away, at least. And that was about it. Things would be pretty spartan over the next year.
I work at Central Movements Agency (CMA), an ANA transportation base in Kabul. I am part of an Embedded Training Team, assigned to help CMA evolve into the main transportation unit for the ANA. Our job would include training, mentoring, and advising CMA personnel on a day-to-day basis, working closely with them without actually running things. For an Air Force officer like me, it was a unique and amazing experience.
In order to explain how I’ve changed, I needed to provide the history first. Now let me tell you why this experience, while certainly trying and exhausting at times, has had a significant impact on who I am.
First of all, I have lived for a year in the poorest country outside of sub-Saharan Africa. I have befriended many people who live a life of such poverty it boggles the mind. Each day I hear about their lives, and the struggles they go through. My main interpreter lives in a two-room house with five other people. They have no plumbing other than a single water faucet. If they are lucky, they have three hours of electricity a night. He eats the same meal almost every day. He has no car of his own, no refrigerator, no bed (just a mat), no computer, no luxuries of any sort, and little hope of a better life. He assures me that they are middle class citizens. At least they have a water faucet.
Medical care is poor, if you get it at all. You visit the dentist when you can’t stand the pain anymore. My interpreter had to have two crowns put on his teeth. His teeth were ground down with no Novocain or other painkillers. Then I watched him suffer for a week waiting for the crowns to be made and put on what remained of his teeth.
When you spend a year of your life listening to the stories of the local people, problems back in the states start to seem very small indeed. My perspective on what constitutes a major problem has changed dramatically, and I think when I get back home I will be able to face life’s little challenges with much greater equanimity.
The other thing I’ve been forced to do is think about dying, each and every day. When I first got here, the threat seemed low. But last fall suicide bombings started occurring with great frequency. A massive car bomb exploded near our base, and I felt the ground shake and saw the huge cloud of smoke climbing into the sky. I assure you, that is a significant emotional event. We all started thinking more and more about how much risk we faced each day as we went outside the wire. Some even wrote death letters, to be delivered to their families if they died. I remember one night vividly. It was the night before the anniversary of 9/11. We assumed that there would be an attack the next day (we were wrong), and that night I was sure I would die the next day. It was a night unlike any other I’ve ever had.
However, as time went on, I made my peace with the universe. I had lived a happy life, and if I were to die here, there wasn’t much I could do about it. Slowly I was able to overcome my fears, so much so that even when a suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into our front gate at Camp Phoenix, it didn’t really faze me. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t want to die here.
I want very much to go home to my family and life for many more years. But I’ve faced the possibility of imminent death so often, and thought about it so much, that the terror is gone.
My year here is almost up. Soon I will head home, a very different person, and in my opinion, a better one. The cost was high. I spent a year away from my family. I missed the college graduation of two of my children. I missed my son’s first season of high school football. I lived in a plywood box for a year. Yet, if I manage to get through it alive, I’ll have had a part in rebuilding Afghanistan, made many friends with people I would never have had a chance to meet, and most importantly, literally have become a changed man.
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March 2, 2007 By Troy
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
[This is the next installment of our “Why We Serve” series. The post is from Troy who writes the Bouhammer’s Afghanistan Blog.]
The reason why I serve has changed several times over the last 19+ years I have been in the Army. Actually my career probably started long before I ever raised my hand for the first time. It probably started on the day I was born in 1969. I was born at Ft. Bragg to the father who was a Green Beret at the time, home on leave from one of his multiple tours in Vietnam, for my birth. This was the life I was raised in my whole life, Ft. Bragg NC, Ft. Devens MA, Presidio CA, Panama, and then to Mesa AZ where my dad finished up his career being an ROTC instructor at ASU.
Growing up I could not stand the military, in fact I hated it with a passion. Why was my dad so strict? Why was I restricted, while other kids were “grounded”? I remember having to explain the term restricted, because non-military types had never used that term. I grew up hearing “I am the SGT, you are the private so you will do what I say”. A Special Forces house is a tough one to be raised in, but I am so glad that I was. Not that I wasn’t a trouble-maker or got out of line, but it was rare and when I did I knew the dire consequences. Somewhere along the way I became very independent and wanted to do everything myself. I know now it was because I did not want stuff held over me. It was this resentment towards my Dad’s child-raising style that led me to the same career that I hated while growing up. Once I matured up in high-school and realized all the things he had done in his career I got a lot closer to him. I was a photographer growing up and in high-school he converted a room in our house to a dark room for me. As I reprinted a lot of photos for him from negatives he had left over from his tours in Vietnam I think I realized that was the life I wanted. When I saw him and a few green beenies standing around a group of Laotians or some other local people, I think this is what planted the seed.
I did not want to place the burden of higher education on my parents, as they could not afford a lot or at least the schools I wanted. I wanted to be a photo-journalist and wanted to attend some pretty nice schools. The Army was the answer, and it had been the whole time. I could do a 3 year stint, pick up some nice college money and then get out and go to school where I wanted to. I wanted to be a freelance photo-journalist so I figured the Army experience and training would be a benefit. So I came home one day my junior year, sat my parents down and told them I was joining, what I wanted to do and what I would get for it. I don’t remember my parents’ expression or comments, but I am sure it was one of surprise. Many of my friends thought my Dad pushed me that way, but I was always happy to tell them, no I made this decision on my own. I could have been a lot of things in the Army based on my ASVAB scores, but I wanted to be a grunt. I wanted to jump out of planes, like I grew up watching my Dad do, and I wanted to be infantry. I remember the recruiters trying to push me into more technical specialties, but I would not budge…Infantry or nothing.
So I joined, did my 3 years and then ended up re-enlisting while I was in Korea. The dreams and thoughts of a life as a photo-journalist had pretty much vanished. I was very good at what I did in the Army and I really liked it. I grew up bouncing from place to place as Dad was transferred, so it was not a new concept for me. I loved leading soldiers and training them too. I was on the fast-track and moved very fast in rank. I gave 110% at everything I did, and always shot to be #1. This is evident by the number of military schools I graduated as Honor Graduate or Distinguished Honor Graduate. I lived by the mantra of “either you are first place or you are last”, there was no in-between.
After I got back from the first Gulf War, I had seen enough, or so I thought. I had moved so fast through the ranks and had worked at positions so far above what I was supposed to that I was not challenged anymore. I was starting to get bored. I was losing the spark that made me love the Army. Not long after returning from the Gulf, I was married to the light of my life and spending time raising a family and not deploying anymore was starting to be more attractive. However after only a few months of being married, I got the orders to PCS to Alaska. Since my wife was raised in Florida her whole life, this was a big decision. We decided, lets try it. We would probably never get up there again and here was a chance to see some awesome country and make it more of a 3 year vacation.
This duty assignment was a challenge and re-lit the fire on why I loved the Army. I was back on jump status, and I got to work in a variety of assignments. I established a good reputation in the battalion with everyone and had a lot of pull. I was even able to swing a 1 year extension in Alaska thanks to by BC going to bat for me. However, at the end of 4 years there I was starting to get burned out again. I also went from having the best 1SG I had ever had in my career to having the worst I had ever had. The last 1SG I had was the worst example of leadership and what it means to be an NCO, and quite frankly he burned me out. I was not alone, as many NCOs called it quits after working for him and just up and left the Army. I had been working with computers for the last couple of years and had a real interest in doing that full-time. I found myself fixing a lot of them at the BN HQ and it was my BC at the time that encouraged me to get out and do that full time. He said I had a talent there and he could see I was passionate about it. So I decided to end my time with the Active Army, but not with the military. I loved soldiers, working with them and the military life in general. I was just burned out of doing it every single day. So I joined a NG unit and stayed on jump status. This was a nice transition since it was not the stereo-typical NG unit and kept higher standards which offset the slow-down in optempo.
I ended up moving to NY and joining the NG there. I served in several positions, but always in charge of soldiers. This is the passion I have and I why I still serve today. These are my boys and there is nothing I would not do for them. NG soldiers are some of the most motivated I have ever seen and they bring a unique set of challenges to dealing with them that is not existent in active duty soldiers. When I stand in front of my company and look at those faces I see the faces of my sons. In fact my own son serves in my unit, but when I see those 100+ faces staring back at me, regardless of age, race, or anything else, I see the boys that I have been entrusted to look over. I use the leaders that I looked up to as the guides and examples of how I deal with soldiers. I also look at the terrible leaders I have had as an example of how not to act.
I remember thinking in the rental car racing back from Boston to Buffalo on 9/12/01 that I was very happy that I was still serving. Little did I know that the days of 9/11 would transform the NG overnight into an optempo that resembled being back on Active Duty.
Currently I am the team 1SG of an Embedded Training Team serving in Afghanistan, which advises, mentors and fights alongside the Afghanistan National Army. Even though my team is small and all senior ranking officers and NCOs, they are still my soldiers. Many are older than me and they all have years of experience, but I am their 1SG and it is my job to look out after them, their welfare, safety and training. The Team Chief and I have made it our sole mission to bring all these guys back alive. Regardless of what happens over here and what good we do with the ANA, as long as we bring these boys back then this mission will have been a success.
I am not sure how much longer I will serve after this tour, as my 20 year date is coming up in a few months. I may call it quits and turn the reins over to someone else or maybe hang around a little while longer. Either way, it has been a good ride and something I will never regret. I have been blessed with a great up-bringing, great family, lovely wife and kids, awesome friends all over the world and some of the best damn soldiers I could have ever served with. Regardless of what path I take after this tour is over, my military career has been a fruitful and successful one as far as I am concerned. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without out, except to know it would not have been as fulfilling.
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February 9, 2007 By Cpl M
Posted in Guest Blogger
[Guest Blogger Cpl M from soldiersperspective.us taks about the “Gathering of Eagles”]
The anti-war movement became the norm in America during the Vietnam War. Protests literally changed the public’s view of the war and brought subversive behavior into the mainstream. Fast-forward to now and we are once again faced with an anti-war movement that is just as subversive, and perhaps more dangerous, than the movement of the Vietnam War.
There seems to be a lack of effort to let our fellow Americans know that support is still the majority opinion. Just as the anti-war movement is mobilizing to protest the war, the supporters need to mobilize to combat the protests. Anti-war protesters think they can change our foreign policy as they did in the 60s and 70s, but they need to know that there is still a majority of Americans that do not want any change.
One such effort to counter the protesters is currently underway. Protesters plan to march from the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the Pentagon. It is widely assumed that some of the protesters will attempt to deface the Wall as they defaced the Capitol building back in January. A group calling themselves the Gathering of Eagles plans to protect the Wall from any harm at any cost.
“We’ll be there to act as a countervailing force against the Cindy Sheehan-Jane Fonda march from the Vietnam Memorial to the Pentagon,” retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey said. “We will protect the Vietnam Memorial. If they try to deface it, there will be some violence, I guarantee you.”
This is the message that needs to be going out to the anti-war movement. Patriotic Americans will not stand by and let you use something as sacred as the Vietnam Memorial Wall for your own political gain. Patriotic Americans will not let you use the name of our finest warriors to further your own self-serving goals. Our veterans will not stand by and let anyone bring dishonor to our country.
I salute the Gathering of Eagles for their efforts and pray that they will continue to counter the anti-war protesters.
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February 8, 2007 By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger
[Here is another Guest Blog post from CJ at soldiersperspective.us]
One of the downsides to military service is the microscope that Soldiers operate under. Many times our successes are forgotten but our failures amplified and oft-discussed.
For example, many Americans think that we lost the Vietnam War because we were forced to pull out. What they forget is that from 1969 through 1971 the RVN and US were making great strides in the defeating the North Vietnamese. By 1972, we HAD won militarily even though were in the middle of a phased withdrawal from the country. Most studies of the Vietnam War focus on the years up until 1968 when progress was slow and casualties high. But this isn’t a post about the Vietnam War.
We have had our share of problems in Iraq. The most famous being the Abu Ghraib disgrace. I was one of the first Soldiers to speak out publicly about the treatment of detainees at the prison. The actions of a few rogue Soldiers has blackened the eye of every military member - and even gotten a few killed. The first people to complain should have been those NCOs on the ground the moment they saw illegal behavior.
As Soldiers, we must remember that we honor a code and fight for a reason. War is admittedly ugly and does horrible things to a person’s psyche. One of the reasons we train so hard is to combat the natural man (and woman) in each of us as we prosecute the enemy with direct fire engagements. It’s easy to see them as something less than human. The purpose of us as leaders is to constantly evaluate those placed in our care to ensure they understand their limitations while keeping the legalities of combat action foremost in our minds.
An important part of the Soldier’s Creed reads:
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I’ve highlighted a few key words here. The bottom line is that if we are disciplined, mentally tough, and professional we will always do the right thing and winning any conflict will come naturally. The world may not take notice of our successes, but those lives that are saved through our actions will be worth the energy expended in maintaining our dignity and respect. We must always be professional. Ours is a profession of arms. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed in Gallup’s 2005 confidence poll said they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the military. That’s more than any other institution, to include religious, economic, medical, business and news organizations. We should be proud of that fact and live up to the expectations of those who have so much confidence in us.
As we deploy, we need to be aware of our brothers and sisters to our right and left. We need to lean on each other and ensure that they are doing the right thing. The biggest problems start as small words. Though the Code of Conduct was written primarily for situations in which we find ourselves as prisoners of war, there are still lessons to be learned in abiding by its principles. Article VI of the Code of Conduct states:
I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free.
Some could argue that being in a war zone is sort of like being a prisoner of war. Or more like a prisoner TO war. The enemy we face in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and future wars will not fight clean. They will use degrading and inhuman tactics to win. As they do, their support will wain as it did after the desecrated bodies of four American contractors were hung from a bridge in Fallujah. Our actions in response to these sick episodes will speak volumes about who we are as Soldiers and Americans. It is important to avenge the deaths of our comrades, but not at the expense of our credibility.
The inhumane and illegal treatment of prisoners puts us on the fast road to disrespect and dishonor. The actions of just one Soldier on the battlefield can affect the lives of hundreds of Soldiers. All it takes is one of us to snap and make a wrong decision. There is a difference between mistakes and choices. Abu Ghraib was a choice. Shooting on a vehicle that ran a checkpoint and killing innocent people inside is a mistake. Mistakes are forgivable, choices are not. Bad choices get Soldiers and innocents killed. Soldiers need to KNOW they will not be treated lightly for violating their responsibilities in protecting detainees.
About a year ago, I wrote on my site, A Soldier’s Perspective:
As an NCO in the Army, I live by a creed. This creed is well defined and has been around for about 3 decades. When I was young Specialist, I memorized and recited the entire creed to the board of First Sergeants and a Command Sergeant Major with pride in order to become a Sergeant. Our mission is quite simple, while complex at the same time. Our focus is on the mission and soldiers. As a matter of fact, there’s a line in the creed that reads: “My two basic responsibilities will always remain uppermost in my mind - accomplishment of my mission and THE WELFARE OF MY SOLDIERS?” The line that always sticks out to me says, “I know my soldiers, and will ALWAYS place their needs above my own.”
Unfortunately, we seem to be losing this in the NCO Corps today. Taking care of soldiers doesn’t seem to be a priority any more. Too many NCOs aren’t placing their soldiers’ needs above their own. I don’t think that our young Sergeants and Staff Sergeants understand that the way they treat their soldiers doesn’t just affect that soldier; it affects the entire Army. At a time when we need to retain soldiers more than any other time in recent history, we’re pushing them away from Army service.
I urge every military member reading this post to evaluate their actions. Remember where you came from and act accordingly. As Americans, we protect the innocent. If you are a leader, talk frankly with your troops and ALWAYS set a positive and honorable example. By following our core values and “choosing the right”, we can’t fail no matter what obstacles are put in our way.
Finally, with politically stupidity on both sides of the aisle, we must continue to boost the confidence of our Soldiers. It’s a rare thing to hear good news about something good going on inside the military. Our many successes and positive missions are overshadowed by the incessant reporting of death statistics and supposed failure. 1LT Ehren Watada, the first officer to refuse deployment to Iraq and facing a court-martial that started yesterday, gets more national press than former Iraq KBR truck driver Cindy Morgan who volunteered to join the military late in life and has a son in the military as well.
We need to educate our Soldiers about the successes that they can’t see to their left and right. Soldiers are mission focused and tend to see only what’s in front of them. Often times, they may not see the big picture of what they’re doing in Iraq. It’s a tough job multi-tasking in a combat zone, but I think taking care of Soldiers is a part of the job, not an addition to it.
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