It's been a while since I've had the priviledge of having Soldiers under me that I am directly responsible for. So far this command has proven to show me why I continue to choose to serve...because of those Soldiers.
I have travelled around to seven various COPs/FOBs to visit with my Soldiers (who are spread out at 5 locations). At each location, the Soldiers have less than ideal living conditions in some way. My guys aren't the ones at the big FOBs where they have all the nice accoutrement. One of the FOBs was without functioning showers/laundry for weeks because their water delivery truck (and civilian) was attacked and destroyed by insurgents and prior to that the delivery guy got water that looked like chocolate milk with how much dirt was in it. Another of the COPs is aptly named, "Wilderness" due to it's terrain and location. My platoon there has done a superb job at defending the COP against rocket attacks by honing their skills on direct fire of the howitzers. At the COP I am now visiting, the Soldiers have to use burn barrels to go to the bathroom, and are crammed into a tent living in bunkbeds. Each of the locations has Soldiers who regardless of the conditions, work hard and keep a fairly high morale every day. The Soldiers are proud of what they do to provide artilery support to the guys outside the wire and it shows. They continue to improve on a daily basis by training and improving on their knowledge and skills. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the next fire mission, the young Soldiers are learning the skills and tasks required of the next higher positions on the guns, and in the fire direction center. When they're not improving the firing point, they are training for a few hours each day. The Soldiers don't ask for much, and they take pleasure in the little things. One of the section chiefs here made dinner last night that was amazing, using a rice cooker and griddle. He has a bachelor's degree in culinary arts and regularly makes meals for the guys using items that the cooks from the dining facility will give him to feed the platoon. You might ask, "Why he would cook for his guys when the DFAC already does?" He does it because the platoon is a family and he cares about their morale and well-being. Most of the food he makes, he doesn't eat because he is on a diet. This is just one example of what the Soldiers do to take care of each other and make the best of it.
These are the types of Soldiers that make being their commander worth while and will continue to motivate me to improve their quality of life out here.
Check out the article on my 1st Platoon that I took out for our BN's first ever Air Assault Artillery Raid. We were on top of a mountain at about 9,100 ft. above sea level for about 7 days. (I took the picture that PFC Holton is given credit for): http://www.army.mil/article/58506/Field_artillery_regiment_completes_first_air_assault_mission_in_battalion___s_history/
I am proud of what we've done over the past month and am looking forward to seeing what we accomplish over the next 6.
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