| *The following story is from Firefighter/EMT Bob Klinger, Jr. Bobby is an active member and is a past President and a past Lieutenant of the Honey Brook Fire Company.*
Starting in Sepember 2009 the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers were mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spending the first 4-5 months training in places like Camp Shelby, MS, Fort Polk, LA and Fort Dix, NJ. Since February 2009 the soldiers have been conducting Full-Spectrum Operations in Iraq.
At first arriving into Iraq felt very intimidating, unsure of what lay ahead and exciting all at the same time. The days were long, cool, sunny and sometimes rainy, Things were busy, unloading equipment, attending multiple meetings and conferences a day to learn everything we could from the unit we were replacing. Then came the Transfer of Authority (TOA), the day that the prior unit offically turns over control of operations to us. The unit we replaced left shortly there after and it was completely up to us to conduct full spectrum operations in Iraq supporting the Government of Iraq in establishing a safe and secure country.
Fast foward 100 days and 40 degrees and here we are. Over the past 100 days soldiers with the 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th SBCT have been conducting joint operations with the Iraqi Army (IA) and Iraqi Police (IP). We have completed missions from supporting the IA & IP in raids to checkpoint procedures, to cache sweeps, to dropping off supplies to local schools for the childen. The security of the country is improving daily and the locals are resuming daily activities, tasks they dared not try just two and a half years ago.
This is my first tour to the "sandbox" and so far the journey hasn't been a bad one. Many of my soldiers have served in Iraq in prior deployments and many don't recognize the country they knew before. Most soldiers spend their time at a Joint Security Site (JSS) and conduct patrols from there. They return to Camp Taji every few days to conduct maintenace on the vehicles, drop off laundry and catch a bite to eat. Almost everyone of them prefer to be on patrol, engaging the locals populance then sitting on a base waiting to go home.
As Memorial Day has just passed many here reflect on the soldiers and veterans from prior conflicts and this one. We are reminded of how great our nation truely is and how we can't wait to finish our mission and come home to our families again. 100 down, 100 to go!
Over, Under, or Through!
SSG Robert Klinger, Jr.
PA ARNG |
