|
A Soldier’s Story First Sgt. Robert Jennings |
See also: In the Military
6 months closer to
return from Iraq
WE have officially hit the six-month mark of our deployment.
Hopefully we are on the downside, like the Wednesday of every week. Too bad it can't fly by that fast.
This week, I have had a chance to reflect on some of the highs and lows of our deployment so far.
I remember the family members' faces as they said goodbye to all their loved ones, the bitter cold wind and rain in the first month we were here, facial expressions as we conducted our first combat operations, the loss of a great squad leader, children's faces as they received some new clothes or a toy, the stories of five new fathers as they returned from R&R seeing their child for the first time.
I could go on and on until the ink in the printer ran out. The good has outweighed the bad in our first six months. I can only hope and pray it continues in the same manner.
Robert Ryder, of Portland, Ore., talks with a young boy as U.S. soldiers hand out clothes in a small Kurdish village.
20 July 2217 hours » Explosion is heard from an observation post in the city; distance and direction is reported. From the map I can see it's in Bravo Company's sector. The order is for a squad to load and get ready to roll. Report from battalion headquarters is that police officers had been attacked by a roadside bomb in an ambush. Final casualty report: one officer killed, four injured.
This has become a common occurrence lately. The enemy has figured out that we have taken huge measures to predict his movements and protect ourselves. They are now going after the police officers.
We understand this and we have begun intense training regiments with our assigned police stations.
We continued our meetings with the political and village leaders this week. We try to make sure we check with them as often as possible in order to ensure that they are prepared for the changing Iraq.
As each meeting ends, I find myself understanding more and more about the culture. This has helped me help them adapt to their new changes.
Girls wait in line for their chance to pick out donated clothes.
21 July 1415 hours » Today is the hottest since we've been here, 128 degrees.
22 July 2300 hours » An explosion and gunfire were heard about 700 meters from the patrol base. I immediately ran inside to alert the reaction force. Reports were coming across the radio from the observation posts in the city. We alerted the police to the incident, and they responded.
After conducting an investigation, it was determined that a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) was shot at the house of a contractor along with about 50 rounds from a couple of AK-47s. Thankfully there were no casualties. The contractor does a lot of work on the air base and now has been targeted for helping coalition forces.
The bad guys continue to attack the softer civilian targets that work for the coalition in hopes to deter us from staying. They just don't get it yet.
God Bless and Aloha
Soldiers and police hand out clothes to children in a Kurdish village, in what 1st Sgt. Robert Jennings describes as one of the highlights of his deployment.
BACK TO TOP |
Point man on raid
maintains his coolThis week, meet Spc. Aaron Blenden, a designated marksman for 1st Squad, 1st Platoon. He is from Bedford, Texas, and has been in the Army for 2 1/2 years.
Blenden said that there is a little less combat than he expected before he deployed. He added, "Even though we are not fighting every day, I can see the difference we are making by helping this country rebuild in a democratic fashion."
He went on to say: "They still have a long way to go, but most of the people here really want their country to change. It's just a few that seem to be trying to deter the change."
I asked Blenden what has been the most stressful part of his deployment. He said: "We were getting ready to go to bed when the platoon got alerted to do a raid. We only had 20 minutes to prepare. The intel told us that these were some bad dudes that were going to fight, and they might not be taken alive. I was supposed to be the first guy in the door when we took the house."
He added, "Through all the mayhem of the hit, I never even felt the stress once we hit the ground and started to move."
He finished his interview by saying hi to his mom and dad, Pamela and Mark, and his brother Brian and his family back in Texas. "I really appreciate all the prayers and support you all have given me."
1st Sgt. Robert Jennings is deployed in Iraq with 4,000 25 Infantry Division (Light) soldiers from Schofield Barracks. He writes a Sunday column for the Star-Bulletin that began Feb. 1, 2004. Jennings, a 20-year Army veteran, has been assigned to Fort Riley, Kan., Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Lewis, Wash., and Camp Casey in South Korea. He is now on his second tour at Schofield Barracks. He has been deployed to Panama, Japan, Germany, Egypt and Thailand. As the first sergeant of Alpha Company, Jennings is in charge of 135 soldiers.
See the Columnists section for Jennings' earlier dispatches.
