Personal Statement: Deployments Of An Army Soldier

Training objectives must support the mission profile and meet the commanders desired end state. Prior to the 56TH train up at the National Training Center (NTC) the deployment location changed from Iraq to Afghanistan (case study). Changes to mission essential tasks were not identified prior to NTC, resulting in the BCT training on collective tasks and validated during MRE based on the Iraq mission profile. However, the shift to the Afghanistan mission profile created gaps in training not identified until units arrived at Bagram Air Field (BAF). i.e. the BCT had to establish an MRAP drivers training program at BAF extending the RSOI process. Training gaps were not limited to company level shortfalls as battalion and brigade staffs were not able to anticipate potential threats and capitalize on opportunities. (case study 2)

If I had the opportunity to change one thing in the Unit, to make it better than it already is, it would be to organize and plan more training events pertaining to the soldiers MOS, the reason I would make this change is so the young soldiers dont feel the way I did, I believe this will be helpful so when the time comes to transition to another duty station the soldiers feel confident and prepared to be successful in their new unit and their MOS. The RTU gets to shoot live fire after we leave the box, I believe we can organize a training experience at least twice or more times a year for us to utilize the live fire ranges in the box. Infantry can perform live fire tactical movements, and clearing building and rooms, of course

It is with the fondest of memories that after 30 years of starting that journey that I would like to dedicate this story to the wonderful people that I served with at, what I am sure we would almost all agree, was the defining point of our lives. This book is dedicated

From my personal experience while deployed to Afghanistan from 2011-2012 I can say it is very rough to put it simply, the thought of leaving your post and wanting to get away from it all is a regular occurrence, but when you are in that tower or driving on a convoy or whatever it is that you are doing and you look out into the nothingness it hits you very quickly and you realize the radical impracticality of it all, you understand through your training that there is literally no way that you would be able to accomplish getting away from whatever you wish you could.

Numerous measures are undertaken throughout the course of a deployment in order to help CAF personnel cope with the psychological effects of their work. These measures extend beyond the scope of a tour of duty and includes processes to mitigate mental stress both before the deployment occurs, like pre-deployment training, as well as afterwards, like using decompression sites to minimize the risk of reverse culture shock upon returning home. Moreover, these measures are required in order to minimize the potential for soldiers to feel a loss of their military identity subsequent to returning

The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 82nd Airborne Division Fort Bragg, North Carolina (NC), received orders in early 2010 to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 11-12. Our brigade commander was a very maintenance-oriented, analytical forward thinking leader. He decided to implement task force organization for the brigade very early. He based the decision on troops and companies within the brigade fully integrating different aircraft, pilots, maintainers, and support personnel into new organizations. Aviation, in general, remains filled with many different low-density Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs). Certain MOSs work on different aircraft and others work on one type of aircraft specifically. Soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), and Officers would need to fully integrate and understand the unit’s mission and various functions. A Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment (1-17), with myself as the First Sergeant (1SG), moved hangars and integrated with 1st Battalion, 82nd Attack Helicopter Battalion (AHB), and then again into Task Force (TF) Wolfpack. There were several reasons why A Troop, TF Wolfpack1-82, and 82nd CAB were one of the most successful Brigades during all OEF

I was in 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army Special Operations Command (U.S.A.S.O.C.). Ranger Battalion is the United States Army’s premier direct-action raid force. Being in Ranger Battalion is unlike anything I had ever previously known, this tight-knit brotherhood of modern-day Spartan warriors has bonds that even death cannot break. I deployed in a classified location in Afghanistan to capture or kill wanted terrorists of our nation. My platoon and I stepped off the plane and immediately got slapped in the face by the smell of burning jet fuel mixed with human waste. The weirdest part was looking around at what the terrain was like, it reminded me exactly of Arizona. Everyone in my platoon grabbed all our equipment

There are eleven principles in unit training that the Army has put into place, I will be covering three of the principles that played an important role in the failure of training, first is train to develop operational adaptability. During the planning process, intelligence estimated a limited number of Al Qaeda fighters from 50 fighters to as high as 1000 would be on the ground in addition to the Al Qaeda’s knowledge of tactics. The final number of fighters estimated on the ground prior to the operation was 150 to 200, approximately 1400 villagers, and other noncombatants in the valley. Shir Khan Keyl, Babol Keyl, and Marz located in the south central part of the valley. CJTF intelligence assumed that like other Taliban and Al Qaeda forces encountered during previous engagement the fighters would be armed with AK-47s, RPGs and 82mm mortars. CJTFs intelligence produced three courses of action, the most likely course of action was the enemy would be the frontline to fight long enough to let their leaders escape, and then they would attempt to escape in various trails leading out of the valley and blend in with the local villagers in Pakistan. The most dangerous course of action was that the enemy would scatter, reconsolidate and then attack U.S. and joint Coalition forces using guerilla tactics. The likely course of action was that

Over the last ten years, the United States has enjoyed unequalled success in multiple campaigns while often in protracted conflict, and astoundingly each victory has been achieved with an all-volunteer force. These accomplishments are a byproduct of the tenacity, personal character, and ethos of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) men and women who are determined to win the fight no matter what the cost; however, it must be considered that this great strength can also precede a great weakness, “forgetting.” The SOF community dare not forge into the future until it considers the lessons that can be learned from the past. “There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.” (Antoinette)

This was my second deployment and my first deployment to Afghanistan. I had been with 3rd BN 509th for my prior deployment to Iraq and now I was going to be with them again in Afghanistan. I loved being in 509th in Iraq like a lot of units in the 2006-2007 era, lost a lot of people and lived in very austere conditions which in turn I feel brought the unit closer. In preparation for the new deployment to Afghanistan we went to the Nation Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, CA. Where we were more focused on our job as providing indirect fire. During Iraq we shot mortars for half of the deployment and in preparation for Iraq we shot mortars, but the emphasis for indirect fire was much heavier in preparation for this new deployment.

After the first week we went from around 150 men to 21. This is when things started to get tough. 20 hour days packed with performance stress and uncertainty of the next day’s events. It rained and temperatures dropped dramatically at night, making it tough to move and tough to stay alert, but every time I thought about how much it sucked it seemed the Pre-Ranger Instructors could sense it. They just laughed and told us to keep moving Ranger the nights not over. I realized how often I was seeing the Same Instructors throughout the course and I began to realize, “man this guy has already been through this and here he is out here voluntarily training me.” That was commendable in my book and I pushed myself harder out of respect for them and reminding myself I had little to complain about and that it was useless and harmful to the team to do so anyway.

An American soldier has many thoughts when returning home from a deployment. I deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan July 12, 2013 for nine months. Upon returning home from Afghanistan I started watching You Tube videos about military tribute songs. I came across a song that really stuck me in both my heart and mind. The song is titled “A Soldiers Memoir” by Mitch Rossell.

SPC Hendricks demonstrated high motivation and intensity while facing challenging firing iterations of live fire exercises during Operation Spartan Shield. SPC Hendricks fired expert on a M4 qualification range, executed two reflexive live fire training in a one week exercise, accomplished a day/ night shoot house, and qualified in a squad maneuver live fire exercise that achieved unit METL. SPC Hendricks’s confidence and positive attitude facilitated his team to continue their development in proficiency as a sniper

It’s incredible how throughout the course of nine weeks you can take an individual from a civilian to a “squared away” soldier. From the pushups on the scorching rocks, having parties at the “beach” also known as the marvelous sand pit to making friendships that would last a lifetime the military has truly been a life altering experience. It’s taught me how to triumph over adversity, to forget fear and that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Those nine weeks of vigorous work, pain, and an immense amount of stress was completely worth it. “Get off my bus, lets go.

While this story wasn’t a vacation; it was a six-month experience. Living and interacting, and understanding the culture of a foreign country is a task as most people who travel often can attest to. To realize that Afghanistan wasn’t always in the condition as it is in modern times, it was important to me in realizing that Afghanistan was a much different place prior to the conflicts taking hold during the 1970s and beyond. My unit was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom(OEF) at the beginning of 2010. Most people assume that military units immediately deploy to these countries. However, that is not the procedure at all and a lot of preparation is required. There is training that needs to be conducted,