Earlier, I wrote about trying to find my role in this environment- on a FOB, no missions, on stand-by while trying to find out what our next mission will be. Well, after discussing it with my Platoon Sergeant, he basically said I do a whole lot of nothing. If there is planning or resourcing involved, then it is all my show (as well as execution of the mission), everything else in this quasi-garrision enviroment is mainly the work of the NCO. If this was garrision, there would be alot of paperwork invovled to keep me busy or waiting on the the next email on Outlook, but there is not much of that type of work over here.
So, here I am, working out twice a day, constantly on the internet, enjoying DFAC food, and supervising my men and leaders...
Well, we do have some training everyday, but nothing that my squad leaders can't handle. The highlight of the week was hitting up the range here at Falcon. We re-zeroed our weapons and machine guns, good stuff.
The OPORD (operations order) is comming down soon though, so game time is approaching...
In other news, my platoon won the first game in the softball tournament! We beat some Air Force dudes. The begining of their lineup was strong, but the team overall was pretty weak so we were able to devour them ... yes!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
"Starting tommorrow, we train to go to war!"
The quote is from the HBO series Band of brothers (maybe it was actually from a real person, but I am not sure). The men of the 101st reached the end of the fighting in Germany, and they received news of the war in the Pacific. Then soon received orders, while in Germany, to deploy to the Pacific War. So, while technically still in combat, they had to begin training to go to another war despite fighting for the duration of US involvement in WWII in Germany.
Now, my circumstance does not even remotely meet the gravity of their situation, but I found some parallels which made me grin during a company meeting today. Despite the unit being in Iraq for almost a year now, we seem to be starting all over again, "preparing to go to war." It has been brought on by the move to a new location, new intelligence, different enemy, etc. I completely understand why we have to undergo some refresher type training and treat this new area as if we arrived in country for the first time, but that quote just ran through my head and I just had to spill my thoughts somewhere.
FOB Falcon has been treating my platoon pretty well so far- Civilian/ professionally run Dining Facility (DFAC) has been an excellent change of pace from eating fried chicken and hot dogs everyday at JSS Ur. The Gym is also much bigger and better than the gym at JSS Ur, and of course, there is Pizza Hut, Subway, and a PX here.
For myself, I have been struggling to keep busy. We will start doing some training pretty soon, but once a PL does not have missions to conduct... there really is not much actual work for him to do.. or at least so it seems. I am trying to find my role in this type of environment, since it is different from what I have been doing for the last two months. I will keep doing the things I have been doing- talking to the men, ID issues, mitigate conflict, deal with discipline issues and all that other stuff, but a chunk of my job during deployment is temporarily on hold.
yup
Now, my circumstance does not even remotely meet the gravity of their situation, but I found some parallels which made me grin during a company meeting today. Despite the unit being in Iraq for almost a year now, we seem to be starting all over again, "preparing to go to war." It has been brought on by the move to a new location, new intelligence, different enemy, etc. I completely understand why we have to undergo some refresher type training and treat this new area as if we arrived in country for the first time, but that quote just ran through my head and I just had to spill my thoughts somewhere.
FOB Falcon has been treating my platoon pretty well so far- Civilian/ professionally run Dining Facility (DFAC) has been an excellent change of pace from eating fried chicken and hot dogs everyday at JSS Ur. The Gym is also much bigger and better than the gym at JSS Ur, and of course, there is Pizza Hut, Subway, and a PX here.
For myself, I have been struggling to keep busy. We will start doing some training pretty soon, but once a PL does not have missions to conduct... there really is not much actual work for him to do.. or at least so it seems. I am trying to find my role in this type of environment, since it is different from what I have been doing for the last two months. I will keep doing the things I have been doing- talking to the men, ID issues, mitigate conflict, deal with discipline issues and all that other stuff, but a chunk of my job during deployment is temporarily on hold.
yup
Monday, March 16, 2009
Taking it from the Top
My deployment journey has taken me from Kuwait to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport), BIAP to Camp Taji, Taji to JSS Sadr City, and Sadr City to JSS Ur. Now, I (and the rest of my unit) switches gears and has just moved to FOB Falcon where we will possibly be until our time is up in Iraq.
The last couple of days in Ur were pretty uneventful other then a relatively large scale mortar attack which managed to take the life of a few crates of orange juice... I believe on the platoon and company level, we accomplished a successful handoff of equipment and information/ intelligence to the incomming unit. I tried to be as helpful as possible with their leadership, as was my NCOs and even joes. We told them about our experiences and what they can learn from it and they were very receptive to it all. I have heard from others that most units to very poor and unsuccessful handoffs (or we call it "RIP"), but this unit gave us thanks for the successful transition. C co 1-6 INF dosen't fuck over other units and guests, we try to take the high road in order for others to be successful.
So, the fun begins at FOB Falcon... what is in store? no idea...
The last couple of days in Ur were pretty uneventful other then a relatively large scale mortar attack which managed to take the life of a few crates of orange juice... I believe on the platoon and company level, we accomplished a successful handoff of equipment and information/ intelligence to the incomming unit. I tried to be as helpful as possible with their leadership, as was my NCOs and even joes. We told them about our experiences and what they can learn from it and they were very receptive to it all. I have heard from others that most units to very poor and unsuccessful handoffs (or we call it "RIP"), but this unit gave us thanks for the successful transition. C co 1-6 INF dosen't fuck over other units and guests, we try to take the high road in order for others to be successful.
So, the fun begins at FOB Falcon... what is in store? no idea...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thoughts
One of my classmates from West Point, Dan Hyde, was KIA a few days ago. Pretty much the last person you would think that something so horrific would happen to: Natural leader, athletic, someone that everyone had something good to say about. I am sad that I did not get to know him personally...
One memory that pops into my head is during intramural boxing, be beat the crap out of one of my boxers... haha.
I am not expecting it, but I wonder how I will feel when someone really close to me is KIA. Will I be hard as stone, or will I go on as normal. Maybe it will not hit me for a couple of weeks, months, or even years. Maybe I will not not notice the change- even though there is one.
One memory that pops into my head is during intramural boxing, be beat the crap out of one of my boxers... haha.
I am not expecting it, but I wonder how I will feel when someone really close to me is KIA. Will I be hard as stone, or will I go on as normal. Maybe it will not hit me for a couple of weeks, months, or even years. Maybe I will not not notice the change- even though there is one.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tough Skin
Since I've been back from BIAP, I have become increasingly irritated... with everything. From conversations with Iraqis, to late night QRFs, to talks with other leaders in the company. First, QRF missions. The last patrol cycle, each QRF mission turned into a ghost chase. The big problem with having a array of imagery technology at your fingertips is that you are able to see more then you are able to comprehend. Everyday actions and movements can be interpreted in a thousand different ways, and what is suppose to be normal can easily "not seem normal" depending on the viewers mood, amount of rest, etc. I understand that we should be on the safe side, but I believe more discrimination should be used, unless US soldiers are in danger.
Also, my every action is being critiqued by my superiors. This was not a problem to me in the beginning, but now the tone has gotten increasingly... whats the word... lecture like? I hate feeling as though I have to be defensive, but I feel as though I am being attacked rather than critiqued. I feel as though I have been running the platoon as it was running before (good), nothing new (yet), but since I am new, they are beginning to look very closely at my actions and exploiting every perceived mistake... another leader probably would have made some of the same decisions I have, but would not have been critiqued so heavily.
Alright, now that I got that out of my system... I do welcome the crticism, even though it may come at a time when I am having a bad fucking day. Hopefully I will get some time to relax my mind a little bit, because there is way too much going through it right now. I understand that I am the new platoon leader, and one that has received his job in a combat zone, therfore, it is natural for those above me to keep a close eye on me even though it may cause me to be irritable at times... Yea, thats about all I got right now
Also, my every action is being critiqued by my superiors. This was not a problem to me in the beginning, but now the tone has gotten increasingly... whats the word... lecture like? I hate feeling as though I have to be defensive, but I feel as though I am being attacked rather than critiqued. I feel as though I have been running the platoon as it was running before (good), nothing new (yet), but since I am new, they are beginning to look very closely at my actions and exploiting every perceived mistake... another leader probably would have made some of the same decisions I have, but would not have been critiqued so heavily.
Alright, now that I got that out of my system... I do welcome the crticism, even though it may come at a time when I am having a bad fucking day. Hopefully I will get some time to relax my mind a little bit, because there is way too much going through it right now. I understand that I am the new platoon leader, and one that has received his job in a combat zone, therfore, it is natural for those above me to keep a close eye on me even though it may cause me to be irritable at times... Yea, thats about all I got right now
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A Soldier Weeps: KIA
With all the false alarms and close calls, we may sometimes forget how easily our lives and the lives of our brothers can be taken away from us...
It was a soldier from an attached platoon, and they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Down one of the main roads, they were pulling security for our incomming Logisitcal Package or LOGPAC (we just call it a CLP or "Clip"), when their vehicle was decimated by an EFP (Explosively formed projectile). Some came out alive, one did not.
I do not want to give the details of the incident (OPSEC), rather, the aftermath of it all. I was assigned to be the SCMO- Summary Court Martial Officer- which in this case meant that I had to take an inventory of the personal effects of the deceased. As I went through his belongings, I began to paint the picture of the person, rather than just the soldier. I did not know him personally, but I now know he was into comic books, played various space/ fantasy games on his PSP, and had a beautiful wife. His friends and leadership were taking it pretty hard... everyone wanted to help out with the process, be involved with their comrade for one last time... I saw many on the verge of crying, and others hid from the crowd before braking down in tears.
Now, I am at BIAP (Baghdad International Airport), where I had to personally deliver the personal affects to Mortuary Affairs. It seems as though they have a very methodical and well thought out process of getting the personal effects from Iraq to the family. I am only the first step in the process, after I hand it off, it goes to a facility in the states where they go through every item: clean and fold clothes as well as cleaning all items, go through computers, CDs, pictures to edit any obcene or inappropriate material, re-inventory items to ensure accuracy, and create a personalized wooden chest to display all the items when the family receives them. The finished product will be the final memory that the family will have of their loved one, so preparation is key to ensure this. It seems as though they have this down to a science.
It was a soldier from an attached platoon, and they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Down one of the main roads, they were pulling security for our incomming Logisitcal Package or LOGPAC (we just call it a CLP or "Clip"), when their vehicle was decimated by an EFP (Explosively formed projectile). Some came out alive, one did not.
I do not want to give the details of the incident (OPSEC), rather, the aftermath of it all. I was assigned to be the SCMO- Summary Court Martial Officer- which in this case meant that I had to take an inventory of the personal effects of the deceased. As I went through his belongings, I began to paint the picture of the person, rather than just the soldier. I did not know him personally, but I now know he was into comic books, played various space/ fantasy games on his PSP, and had a beautiful wife. His friends and leadership were taking it pretty hard... everyone wanted to help out with the process, be involved with their comrade for one last time... I saw many on the verge of crying, and others hid from the crowd before braking down in tears.
Now, I am at BIAP (Baghdad International Airport), where I had to personally deliver the personal affects to Mortuary Affairs. It seems as though they have a very methodical and well thought out process of getting the personal effects from Iraq to the family. I am only the first step in the process, after I hand it off, it goes to a facility in the states where they go through every item: clean and fold clothes as well as cleaning all items, go through computers, CDs, pictures to edit any obcene or inappropriate material, re-inventory items to ensure accuracy, and create a personalized wooden chest to display all the items when the family receives them. The finished product will be the final memory that the family will have of their loved one, so preparation is key to ensure this. It seems as though they have this down to a science.
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