Positive Day in the Bloggosphere

Head on over to Sarge's blog and see what he has going on today.

I have been lucky enough to live a very blessed life.

As a Navy Brat ( a name I cherish) I have had the oppurtunity to live in many different places. I actually attended 17 different school before the 7th grade. I am sure that some people would think that this would not be a blessing but it was. I learned to make friends easily, to accept people for what and who they are and to not judge them, their cultures and beliefs.

As an Enlisted "person" in the Navy, I had the oppurtunity to travel to many beautiful places and see things that most girls from small town Arkansas could only imagine. I count each of these experiences as a blessing.

But my true blessings are:

1. I live in the greatest Country in the world and I am loved by God Almighty.

2. My father who found himself suddenly a widower with a toddler daughter and a Navy career at 21 yrs old, who never gave up and raised me to be the person that I am.

3. My boys:

a. Christopher for being a true blooded American boy who learned early in life that with out our Service members we would not be the Country that we are. Who at the age of 3 informed anyone that would listen that he would grow up and join the Army even though he was also a Navy brat. At 14 yrs old he hopped on his little 250 motorcycle and followed his grandfather and a friend to Washington DC for the Run to the Vietnam Wall, who was an associate member of Rolling Thunder AR Ch.1 in support of POW/MIA's, at 16 he left high school and enrolled in National Guard Youth Challenge in order to graduate early and attempt to join the National Guard, he volunteered at the VA hospital and did 2 yrs of college before joining the Army one month after turning 19.

b. Kyle for always being himself, never bowing down to the crowd and never trying to be something else. Kyle keeps us in stitches with his quick wit. He has a learning disability and struggles for every good grade he gets but has never once asked "why me" or voiced a complaint. He is also my hero. He is 17 and loves his mom and doesn't care who knows it. He still kisses me when he see's me no matter how many of his friends are standing with him.

c. Devin (my d-man) who came 7 yrs after Kyle and knows he will always be the baby no matter what. Who made up his mind that he will someday be the starting catcher for the NY Yankees and works his butt off to achieve that goal, working with a catchers trainer no matter what the temperture is and ready to play a ball game even when he spent the night before with ice on his knees. Worships the very ground his Cav Scout walks on and is very quick to tell someone to be quite or removal their hat during the National Anthem while singing it word for word at the top of his lungs. He will walk up to any stranger in uniform and say Thank you. And loves to tell everyone that his brother is a Hero.

3. My husband who taught me how to drive a stick shift when I was 14 yrs old, insisted that I never let someone talk me out of something when I knew I was right. Came back into my life after 20 yrs and accepted my boys as if they were his own. Will get out on his day off and come to my office to fix a flag that is not hanging correctly, brags to everyone about the accomplishments of each of our boys by starting the sentence with "that boy of ours". He will work all day and then spend the rest of the evening at football games cheering on the team for Chris, the band for Kyle or volunteering to help with baseball practice for Devin. He allows me to always walk the edge of the quicksand pit and is ready to grab and pull if I start to fall in.

4. My best friend for 20 plus years, Donna who raised a handicapped daughter to be self sufficient and head strong, who never allowed her to use Down Syndrome as an excuse and who goes along with any and all hairbrained idea's that I manage to come up with usually about the time that the deadline is approaching and will jump right in and help me finish. Who would lay down her very life for my kids and will even pack, move and unpack my entire house when I manage to break my ankle on moving day. Who can not stand the sight of blood but was always here to help change dad's bandages after his motorcycle wreck. She also makes the best from scratch mac and cheese you will ever taste and that is golden around my house because I consider mac and cheese a vegetable. LOL. And her gooey bars are to die for.

5. My other best friend Carla, who is quick to remind me that I am an Army Strong Mom, who cried with me when Chris left for BCT and suffered and celebrated each letter while he was there. She ragged his recruiter in person everytime I had a bad "my boy is suffering at Ft. Knox day". Always one to make sure that I do not miss a single Military scrapbook idea and sends me my links of the day.

6. Airman Mom who has been with me it seems like since day one of Chris' career. Always sending me words of encouragement and making me want to be a better blogger.

7. The rest of my blogging friends who keep me entertained, educated and informed.

8. My scrapbooking buddies who have pushed me to make sure not a minute of my kids lives have been missed and have enabled me to spend way to much money on scrapbook supplies that I will probably never be able to use but most of all for being there to allow me to escape for a few hours a month and spend some seriously needed "me" time.

9. My employers for allowing me to work in a easy atmostphere most of the time no matter how much I grumble about having to get up and work each day.

and

10 Sarge for suggesting that we each take the time to sit and think about how lucky we really are.

God Bless,

aam

Face of Defense: Amputee Pursues 2012 Paralympics Berth

By Tim Hipps

Special to American Forces Press Service

Army Sgt. Jerrod Fields,
an Army World Class Athlete Program sprinter and Paralympic hopeful, works out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
A below-the-knee amputee, Fields won a gold medal in the 100 meters with a time of 12.15 seconds at the Endeavor Games in Edmond, Okla., on June 13, 2009.
U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps

CHULA VISTA, Calif., July 22, 2009 – Army Sgt. Jerrod Fields hasn’t just learned to adapt as an amputee since hitting a roadside bomb in Iraq. He is on his way to becoming a record-holding sprinter.
Fields capped his track and field season by winning a gold medal at the 2009 Endeavor Games and setting his sights on the 2012 Paralympics. A below-the-knee amputee sprinter in the Army World Class Athlete Program, Fields won the 100 meters with a time of 12.15 seconds June 13 in Edmond, Okla., site of the Endeavor Games for athletes with physical disabilities. This spring, he finished second against an able-bodied field of collegiate sprinters with a 12.0 clocking in the 100 meters at the Occidental Invitational in Los Angeles. Fields’ coach, Al Joyner, said he believes his sprinter will flirt with world records on the road to London for the 2012 Paralympics. “I think he’s a potential world record-holder,” Joyner said in early February. “I would put my money on him in both the 100 and 200.” There’s little reason to doubt Joyner, an Olympic gold medalist and Jim Thorpe Award winner who helped his late wife, Florence Griffith-Joyner, and sister, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sprint and jump for Olympic gold during their illustrious careers. Joyner, Team USA’s sprint and high jump performance coach, began working with Fields in November at the U.S. Olympic Training Center here. “In terms of track and field, he’s just a baby,” Joyner said. “He’s just now starting to learn techniques. He may be that one athlete that ends up changing the barrier as far as how people look at things.” Joyner became the first American in 80 years to win an Olympic gold medal in the triple jump at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He and Jackie were the first brother-sister duo to strike Olympic gold in the same event. And he coached 100- and 200-meter women’s world record-holder Flo-Jo to five Olympic medals. “In my family, we have a total of 12 Olympic medals,” Joyner said. “And I have been coaching for the past 27 years.” Among Joyner’s current crop of athletes, Fields received a special nod of approval. “If I had to pick a most-improved athlete, he would get the award,” Joyner said. “He’s getting better and better by the second, so it’s going to be really great to see over these next three or four years as we get ready for London. He’s going to surprise a lot of people. “He really has improved in leaps and bounds with his mechanics,” the coach continued. “If somebody came out and watched him run from afar, they could not see that he had a prosthetic leg. But if you saw him the year before, he was falling all over the place. It’s really like night and day.” Fields is chasing the world marks of 11.3 seconds for 100 meters and 22.48 for the 200. “I’m almost there,” he said. “This is my second season and my first real year of training. Everybody else that I’m competing against either was born without a femur or foot or something. I’m just coming on brand new. I’ll catch them by London Games. I’ll be ready.” Fields, 27, who played football, basketball and baseball for Carver High School in Chicago, encountered an improvised explosive device in Baghdad in March 2005. “I was out on a routine reconnaissance with my platoon, and we got a tip that there were explosives inside of a dog,” he said. “At that time, they were cutting dogs and cattle open and placing explosives in them. We got the call for the mission to go out and to handle the situation. We saw the dog and kept our distance to see what the situation was. We didn’t want to get too close to it, but it turned out that was a decoy. “We got the call to return home,” he said. “I was in the trail vehicle in the convoy. As we turned around, [mine] became the lead vehicle, and that’s when an IED went off underneath it. The first IED took the floor plate of my Bradley [fighting vehicle] out. The second one got me in the leg. It took from the calf muscle all the way down to the heel of my foot – the Achilles tendon and muscles. I was able to continue the mission. I didn’t feel it really at first. I just felt a lot of fire. “To be honest, when I first looked down to see what happened, I laughed, because I thought I had dropped a grenade,” he continued. “I was thinking to myself: ‘Man, these guys are never going to believe what I’ve done.’ I finally heard over the net that it was an IED and that I had been hit. When I looked at my leg, I saw that it was mangled.” Fields reported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. After six rounds of surgery and six days of contemplating his most difficult decision, Fields requested amputation below his left knee. “It would have taken 22 surgeries, and they were going to fuse my ankle,” he said. “I would not have been able to play basketball any more.” Fields resumed walking a month later, on April 2. By mid-June, he was playing basketball in a Chicago summer league. “I never got down or angry about this injury,” said Fields, who since has graced the cover of ESPN The Magazine for his “streetball” prowess. “I just felt that it was a new step or direction that I had to go in,” he said. “I try to go back [to Walter Reed] as often as I can to mentor some of the others.” Fields said he never considered leaving the military, as long as it would have him. “I saw more support by staying in the Army,” said Fields, who was 22 when he suffered the injury. He noted that President George W. Bush had signed a bill allowing injured servicemembers to stay on active duty pending a test to see if they were physically fit for duty and could return to duty. “That was my intention,” Fields said. “Then this program came along.” Fields received a call from John Register, a former member of the Army World Class Athlete Program and a Paralympian in both swimming and track and field, who now serves as director of community and military programs for U.S. Paralympics. “He told me the Army had something for me if I wanted to continue active duty and also become an athlete,” Fields recalled. “He faxed me all the paperwork. I got in contact with WCAP, they looked into it, and we went from there. Now, I think I can retire from active duty and come back as a coach to work with some younger soldier-athletes coming up. “I was a career soldier the day I signed up,” he added. Fields suggests that wounded warriors get active as soon as physically possible. “I would say to get out here and face those fears, if any, and have fun,” he said. “This beats sitting in a house and being depressed, or being off your leg or your arm, or thinking how people might view you because of your disability. Just get out and have fun.” Fields is still learning to run on the prosthetic leg. “When next season rolls around, I’m going to be ready to roll,” he said. “I am more focused, and I’m finally able to put my workouts together, transferring the benefits from the weight room to the track. I just feel more confident in what I’m doing. The prosthetic is starting to be a part of me. I’m still learning how to get full usage of it, and it’s showing on the track.” And on the field, where Fields recently began dabbling with the long jump. “I’m going to let the event find him,” Joyner said. “He’s going to run the 400 to keep his strength. Getting ready for the Olympics, it’s mental, so I’m going to attack his body to let him know that he can do anything he wants as long as he puts his mind to it. I look at him as a dedicated athlete, and he just keeps raising the bar. My job is to get him competing against himself.”

(Tim Hipps works in the Army’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command public affairs office.)

Vietnam veteran re-enlists in Iraq

Jul 21, 2009
By 3d Expeditionary Sustainment Command public affairs

Photo credit Staff Sgt. Martonio Patterson

Capt. Irvin Morris presents Sgt. 1st Class Hershel Mayfield, 158th Maintenance Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade, with a certificate of re-enlistment at Contingency Operating Site Marez-East, Iraq, July 7.

Mayfield, a native of Tallassee, Ala., has been serving in the Army for 39 years - 37 of which were with the Alabama Army National Guard.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ-EAST, Iraq -- Sgt. 1st Class Hershel L. Mayfield, a native of Tallassee, Ala., has been serving in the Army for 39 years; thirty-seven of which were with the 158th Maintenance Company, Alabama Army National Guard. Mayfield decided that it was time to re-enlist again into the Guard and continue to serve his country for two more years. "Everything I do today is done with the next generation in mind and how I can influence them to do the same for their nation," said Mayfield. Mayfield joined the Guard, re-classing as a light-wheel vehicle mechanic with a desire to continue serving his country as a Soldier. He thanks his wife of 30 years and his children for supporting him throughout his military career. "It is a way of life and they've learned to live in it," said Mayfield. His family has dealt with his absence due to three deployments and numerous training events."I joined the military because the base was adjacent to my home, and in order to have freedom, someone has to do the job," said Mayfield. "It also provided me with benefits that no other civilian job has."Mayfield re-enlisted to serve for another two years while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 08-10, in front of unit's headquarters. Mayfield has served a total of 39 years in the service; two year as an infantryman on active duty and 37 years with the Alabama National Guard. During this period, he was deployed to Vietnam in 1969, Kosovo in 1996, and most recently to Mosul, Iraq, in 2008.

Tuesday Photo

07/12/2009 - A U.S. Army soldier calls for an airstrike on the hills surrounding Barge Matal during Operation Mountain Fire in the eastern Nuristan province of Afghanistan on

July 12, 2009.

DoD photo by Sgt. Matthew C. Moeller, U.S. Army. (Released

TF Iron Titan Soldiers push forward with ANSF

By Spec. Jaime D. DeLeonTask Force Spartan Journalist

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Soldiers of C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, patrol local villages of Logar Province on nearly a daily basis, usually with Afghan National Security Forces right by their side.
“Joint operations” has become a key term for Americans and Afghans alike – one that is illustrated well with C Troop Soldiers.“Seventy percent of our operations are joint operations with the Afghan National Army,” said Staff Sgt. Shawn Evans, a squad leader with 1st Platoon, B Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, attached to C Troop, 3-71 Cavalry.“Our primary task here is to legitimize the Afghan government, and the main way to do that is to put the ANA on point,” Evans added.
Putting the ANA “on point,” however, isn’t as simple as merely thrusting Afghan soldiers out front. Hours of training are put in before each and every mission.“Making sure the ANA is properly trained ensures their safety as well as ours,” said 1st Lt. Kevin Cory, 1st Platoon leader. “In order to bring security, safety and peace to Afghanistan, we need to assist the ANSF in perfecting their battle abilities.”“We usually spend a few days before each mission going over our plan of action, as well as basic combat skills with the ANA before we actually go out,” Evans said. “Most of them have good training already; it’s just a matter of letting them step forward and use it.”ANA soldiers have impressed their trainers with their abilities.
“Last mission we did, we brought a squad and a platoon leader from the ANA with us,” Evans said. “We went out into one of the villages to talk to local elders. We had only planned on the ANA working with us for additional security, but they split off and were very pro-active.“The ANA unit met with local elders and the people definitely reacted to them as part of a legitimate government, which is a big step in a remote area like this where the people know very little of their government,” he added.Soldiers of C Troop take their job with the ANA very seriously.“We’ve got to realize we’re fighting an insurgency,” Evans said. “There are no front lines.
The only way to win this war is to teach them how to work this themselves.”Combat-arms Soldiers often are stereotyped as being all about “guts and glory,” but with the constantly changing battlefield in Afghanistan, that mentality is quickly changing as well.“It’s easy to focus on the kinetic things we do,” Evans said. “But we aren’t going to win this by winning gun fights. We need to work on helping bolster the government from the ground up.”Soldiers of C Troop, who actively train and work with ANA on a daily basis, are doing just that.

Curtesy of: Ft Drum Blizzard Online

Sunday Military Humor

A D.I.'s Rules for Dating His Daughter
By Rod Powers, About.com

Rule One: If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two: You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three: I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose his compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five: It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six: I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven: As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine: Do not lie to me. On issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten: Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Face of Defense: Identical Twins Have Soldiers Seeing Double

By Chuck Cannon

Special to American Forces Press Service

Levi Lyles, foreground, pins captain bars on his son, Derrick Lyles, while Lisa Lyles, background, pins captain bars on her husband and Derrick's twin brother, Darrell Lyles, during a promotion ceremony on Fort Polk, La. July 1, 2009.

U.S. Army photo by Chuck Cannon

FORT POLK, La., July 15, 2009 – Don't blame the soldiers here if you see them do a double take when two of the unit's newest captains pass by.

Despite appearances, the soldiers of 10th Mountain Division’s 94th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team are not seeing double -- they've just passed identical twins Army Capt. Darrell Lyles, commander of E Company, 94th BSB, and Army Capt. Derrick Lyles, commander of F Company, 94th BSB. The brothers pinned on their new bars during a promotion ceremony here July 1. Army Lt. Col. Anthony Coston, battalion commander, said the only way most soldiers can tell the brothers apart is by looking at their left hands. "One's married and the other isn't," Coston said. "If Darrell ever stops wearing his wedding band, we're in trouble." Darrell was a platoon leader in F Company before moving to E Company as commander, while Derrick was a platoon leader in E Company before assuming command of F Company. Coston said even he gets confused at times. "They both have a habit of calling and saying, 'This is Lieutenant Lyles sir, I've got a question,'" Coston said. "Often, it's midway through the conversation before I figure out which one I'm talking to." Coston said he's mixed the twins up once -- that he knows of. "It is a little bit of a challenge," he said. As for the new captains, they both said they enjoy being stationed with their sibling. "This is the best thing that could happen because I've got a great friend that I can bounce things off of and someone to hang out with," Darrell said. Both soldiers said they were influenced in their career choice by their parents. Their father, Levi Lyles, spent four years on active duty before becoming a minister, while mother Wanda Lyles retired from the National Guard as a master sergeant. "I remember seeing my mom in uniform," Derrick said. "They both brought a lot of discipline -- if pops said something once, you did it." Levi Lyles said he and his wife are concerned, but proud, of the choice made by their sons. "They went in when the war was going on," he said. "I never said anything; they followed their heart, and I just ask God to watch over them every day." The twins said they were never tempted -- at least not too much -- to fill in for the other, whether it was for class, a date or during a meeting. "It might have crossed our minds, but we would have never done it," Derrick said. "Although we look alike, our personalities are completely different. We would have been caught." Darrell's wife, Lisa, said there was one occasion when the brothers attempted to pull the switcheroo on her, but she outsmarted them. "I had just started dating Darrell and was going to his place to meet his brother," she recalled. "I knocked on the door and I heard Darrell tell his brother, 'You answer the door and tell her you're me.'" "When I went in, they looked just alike so I didn't sit by either one of them. Then I noticed that Darrell was wearing the same pair of sweatpants I saw him in earlier in the day." "But if it hadn't been for that, it would have been tough.”

(Chuck Cannon works in the Fort Polk public affairs office.)

Face of Defense: Gunnery Sergeant Keeps Enemy at Bay

By Army Pfc. Elizabeth Raney

Special to American Forces Press Service

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Cory J. Cummings, a gunnery sergeant, looks through the scope of a mortar tube to check the azimuth during daily operations at Forward Operating Base Kalagush in Afghanistan’s Nurestan province, July 5, 2009.




U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Elizabeth Raney









NURESTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 17, 2009 – When there’s an attack on Forward Operating Base Kalagush here, someone must be on hand to react and fire back.









That’s the job of Army Staff Sgt. Cory J. Cummings, the gunnery sergeant for Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, Task Force Steel. Cummings said 9/11 and a family history of military service inspired him to join the Army in 2002. He chose field artillery because of his father. “When I was young, my dad took me to Civil War re-enactments,” said Cummings, a native of Birmingham, Ala. “He was the gunnery sergeant for the artillery line. I always thought it was cool. That’s where my interest for artillery came in.” As the gunnery sergeant, Cummings has a long list of tasks and responsibilities. In addition to taking care of his 19 soldiers, he also must ensure the equipment is always up to par, he said. “Every morning, I go to the fire base to make sure the guns have been laid and check on maintenance and ammunition,” Cummings said. Position improvement has been a priority lately, he added. “We’re taking something that the previous unit had established and making it better,” he said. Cummings said the best part of his job is mentoring soldiers. “When the [forward operating base] takes incoming, and the sirens go off -- the gun line, the mortar team -- we all run out and get on the mortar and gun for a counter-fire mission,” Cummings said. “That’s the combat side of artillery,” he added. “We’re on the [forward operating base] standing beside our guns when incoming comes down.” Cummings describes his job as mission essential. “In order for the enemy to think that they can be touched, we need to be here,” he said. “At a moment’s notice, we can reach out and touch them. “That’s the benefit of artillery; that’s the importance of it being here,” he said. “There’s no threat to them if we’re not here.”









(Army Pfc. Elizabeth Raney serves in 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)

Face of Defense: Army's 'Grill Sergeant' Takes on Culinary Hero

By Kimberly Fritz

Special to American Forces Press Service

Army Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner, known as “The Grill Sergeant,” takes a look at what Chef Bobby Flay cooked up for an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," filmed at Fort Lee, Va., July 2, 2009. The episode will air on the Food Network later this year.



U.S. Army photo by Kimberly Fritz







FORT LEE, Va., July 16, 2009 – Army Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner, also known as “The Grill Sergeant,” often treats others using his culinary expertise. But recently, Turner got a treat of his own.







Turner recently returned here, where he was once an instructor at the Army Center of Excellence, Subsistence, to film a special for the Food Network -- or so he thought. With food service training students watching and learning, Turner, who works in the Pentagon’s Executive Dining Facility, began entertaining and engaging the soldiers gathered for a special day of culinary training. Turner, who is known for singing while he cooks, shared his cooking philosophy and culinary tips, as well as his unique vocabulary. Words like "marinipulating, splaining," and ingredients dubbed "ooh, wee and wow," rolled off his tongue as he cooked. Salt, otherwise known as "ooh;" "wee," known as pepper; and "wow," representing garlic, are staples in most of Turner’s original recipes. Turner asked the audience to help him by shouting "ooh, wee, wow" when he used these ingredients. The students happily engaged as he prepared the mustard-based marinade for his special "sunshine barbecue chicken." The origin of his marinade came early in his career when a fellow soldier asked Turner to concoct a milder sauce that wouldn't aggravate his fierce heartburn. As the culinary students watched his every move, Turner didn't miss an opportunity to educate and inspire. He told the students how they are learning the same methods during their training as any other culinary student in the world. With his chicken on the grill, Turner began preparations for his baby red potato salad when famed Chef Bobby Flay jumped from the back of a tactical vehicle at the field services training area and challenged Turner to a competitive cook-off for an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," a show that airs on the Food Network. Turner, astonished at the appearance of one of the world's premier grill chefs, immediately rose to the challenge set before him. Claiming to always be a professional, Turner cited some of the NCO Creed. "No one is more professional than I," he said. The set, originally configured for one chef, quickly was transformed into dueling work stations where Flay's team worked to catch up with Turner's progress. As the two chefs worked over the hot coals of the charcoal grills, culinary students soaked up the delicious aromas and the cooking tips emanating from the two successful chefs. When the cooking was completed, the dishes were served up, and each soldier sampled the dueling chefs' creations. Army Brig. Gen. Jesse R. Cross, Quartermaster Center and School commanding general, and Frances Daniel, owner of Mrs. Marshall's Carytown Cafe, served as judges in a blind taste test to determine the winner of the cook-off. The results are a well-guarded secret that viewers will learn when the show airs later this year. No matter which recipe and chef won the lighthearted and entertaining battle of the barbecue, the young culinary soldiers walked away winners. Cross said the students would remember this day for years to come. "These guys will be cooking their cornbread and their barbecue recipes, and they'll remember they saw Bobby Flay at work," he said. For Turner, the events of the day didn't quite hit him until he walked away from the set. He was overcome with emotion and overwhelmed at the events. "When one of your heroes steps around the corner and you're doing what you love to do and they do what you love to do, and then to inspire 100 new soldiers that are going to be in all parts of the world, it's just overwhelming," Turner said. "They saw something today that let them know that anything is possible. Nineteen years ago I was sitting right where they were sitting and someone inspired me." For a moment he was at a loss for words thinking about the gravity of the event. "I love what I do," Turner said. "The greatest part of today came when we were cooking and Chef Flay came to the back where I had set my chicken and potato salad down and he ate three more pieces of chicken and dug into the potato salad. “There is no greater compliment than for someone to genuinely like your food. And he ate it genuinely," he continued. "For me, that was the greatest compliment." When asked what he thought of Turner's unique recipe, Flay said he loved it. "I was eating throughout the competition. I kept thinking there was curry or something in it," Flay said. "It had natural heat from the mustard and the brown sugar for the sweet; it was a great balance." Flay wasn't able to pinpoint the spice he tasted in the marinade until Turner told him. "Brad told me it was ginger," Flay said. "He shared his secret underlying ingredient." The consensus of all who gathered to watch the memorable event was that both chefs' dishes and the event were a treat.







(Kimberly Fritz works in the Fort Lee public affairs office.)

Medal of Honor Recipients Plan Big Showing for Convention

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2009 – At least 59 of the 96 living Medal of Honor recipients are expected to attend the upcoming annual convention of the society named for them.
The host committee of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s convention, scheduled for Sept. 15 to 19 in Chicago, announced the number in a statement released on the

convention Web site noting the unlikelihood of assembling that many recipients of the military’s highest honor at once. Of the 42 million men and women who have served in the military since the award began during the Civil War, only 3,447 have been presented the Medal of Honor, many of them posthumously. “Statistically, only about 1 percent of America's population will ever be in the same room with one Medal of Honor recipient,” the committee wrote. “A much smaller fraction of that will ever have the opportunity to actually meet a recipient. “Recipients will tell you that while they understand courage, they felt intense fear … and it is the ability to overcome fear in any situation that leads one to strength and understanding … with strength and understanding, comes courage. With courage, comes sacrifice,” the committee wrote. To each of the recipients, what they did was very logical, the committee wrote. “The human quality they have an over abundance of is courage.” Under the convention theme, “Commit to Courage,” the society profiles the following recipients as examples of courage in combat: -- Mike Thornton, a Navy Seal in Vietnam who, upon learning that his commander, Tom Norris, was presumed dead from an enemy ambush, ran into intense enemy fire to rescue Norris, then swam two and a half hours with him and another comrade on his back to safety. When Thornton was awarded the Medal of Honor, he spirited Norris out of the hospital where he was recovering to the White House ceremony so they could be together. Several years later, when Norris himself was awarded the Medal of Honor -- for a covert action known now as "The Rescue of Bat 21" - Thornton was by his side. On that day, Thornton became the first recipient in more than 100 years to have saved the life of another recipient. -- Walter Ehlers spent much of World War II training and fighting side by side with his brother, Roland. Ehlers brought his company out of a Higgins boat 100 yards off shore and landed just before the second wave in a hail of fire on D-Day at Normandy, France. He got all his men safely across the beach and, the following day, moved miles in country. Among the hedgerows there, Ehlers distinguished himself in saving the lives of wounded comrades who came upon intense machine gun fire. He would learn several weeks later that, farther down the beach in Normandy, his brother never made it to shore on D-Day. -- Gary Littrell, on a hill in Vietnam, began defending against a vicious enemy offensive with 247 men and came off the hill with fewer than 50. One witness statement said simply "Littrell was everywhere" exposing himself to intense fire during the hours-long battle, directing troops, providing radio support, ammunition, evacuation of wounded. In the end, Littrell was never wounded -- in his words, "not a scratch." In its statement, the committee said it chose this year’s theme as “a rallying call to the citizens of Chicago, our students and all members of our armed forces who serve our country past and present to take the initiative, respond to the challenge, and act responsibly - indeed, courageously -- when the opportunity presents itself in our daily lives.”

(From a message from the host committee for the 2009 Chicago Commit to Courage Medal of Honor Convention.)

Tuesday Photo

05/26/2009 - U.S. Army Master Sgt. Delano Wilson, assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, gives an Iraqi child a soccer ball May 26, 2009, during a mission to check the progress of a water compact unit project near Babil, Iraq. The completed project will provide potable water to more than 4,000 Iraqi citizens. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kim Smith, U.S. Navy/Released)

1-89 Cavalry conducts Spouses Spur Ride

By Sgt. Jennie Burrett

2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO NCOIC

Angie Dente, spouse of Maj. Fred Dente, operations officer in 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, gets muddy while low crawling under barbed wire at an obstacle course during a Spouses Spur Ride on post.

Photo by Sgt. Jennie Burrett

The Order of the Spur is a cavalry tradition in the Army. Soldiers serving with cavalry units are inducted into the Order of the Spur after successfully completing a series of physical and mental tests that evaluate leadership, technical and tactical proficiency, and the ability to operate as part of a team under high levels of stress and fatigue, known as a Spur Ride. The tradition of earning spurs dates back to the beginning of the cavalry. The 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, has expanded this tradition and made a tradition of their one by including spouses of their Soldiers into this kind of event. The squadron held a Spouses’ Spur Ride competition June 17 on Fort Drum so wives could earn their own version of the coveted cavalry spurs that their husbands have earned. “We want to show the wives what the Soldiers do in the squadron,” said 2nd Lt. Randy Shed, platoon leader for 1st Platoon, C Troop, 1-89 Cavalry. “It gives them a window into the lives of their Soldier. They get a better appreciation for what their spouses do every day, and they understand why their spouses sometimes work long days and nights.”Spouses had to work as a team to complete tasks such as land navigation, a humvee driving course, an obstacle course and an advancing on the enemy scenario. They also had to eat a “Meal Ready to Eat,” wear the gear and carry a weapon just like their Soldier.“I think it will open up their eyes on what the Soldiers do on a daily basis when we going out to the field,” said 1st Sgt. Eric Rees, first sergeant for D Troop, 1-89 Cavalry. “They get to do what we do and eat what we eat, and it will make them appreciate it a little more. The biggest thing about this event is that they get a better perspective of where we sit.” “It is good to know what they do and nice to get hands on of what they do on a day-to-day basis,” said Becky Rees, 1st Sgt. Rees’s wife and a participant in the Spouses Spur Ride. “It is neat to see what our spouses – our Soldiers – go through, and instead of just hearing about it, we get to do it.”Wives hear their husbands talk about the military all the time but now they get to try the events they hear about.“Going through this spur ride, I am getting more of a feel for what my husband does instead of him just telling me,” said Daphne Rodriguez, wife of Sgt. Danny Rodriquez, C Troop, 1-89 Cavalry. During the spur ride, Soldiers coached their spouses during all the tasks.“The goal for this spur ride is to have the spouses get an idea of what their spouses do when they go out to the field,” said Sgt. 1st Class Keith Richard, an operations sergeant in 1-89 Cavalry. “This event also gives the Soldiers more time with their Families.”

Curtesy of:

Fort Drum Mountaineer

Sunday Military Humor

Army Special Forces Vs. Marines
By Rod Powers, About.com


A marine recon platoon was on patrol when the lt. noticed a lone special forces soldier standing on a hill top in their area. The lt. told two of his men to go take out that man.
They promptly ran as fast as they could toward the sf soldier. Just before they got to the top, the sf soldier ran over the other side of the hill. The two marines followed. For the next few miniutes there were bloody screams and dust flying in the air. Then as quick as it had started, it stopped and the sf soldier came up on the hill top. He brushed off his bdu's, straightened his beret, crossed his arms and stood there looking at the marines.
The lt., pissed, called for a squad to go get that sf soldier. They promptly ran as fast as they could toward the sf soldier. Just before they got to the top, the sf soldier ran over the other side of the hill. The marine squad followed. For the next few miniutes there were bloody screams and dust flying in the air. Then as quick as it had started, it stopped and the sf soldier came up on the hill top. He brushed off his bdu's, straightened his beret, crossed his arms and stood there looking at the marines.
The lt. was really hot now. He ordered the rest of his platoon to attack the sf soldier. Determined that the recon was far superior to the one sf soldier they had blood in their eyes as they ran up the hill.Just before they got to the top, the sf soldier ran over the other side of the hill. The marine's followed.
For many miniutes there were bloody screams and dust flying in the air. It continued and continued. Finally there was one lone marine crawling back to the lt., all bloody and beat about the head and shoulders. His bdu's were torn, cuts were all over his body. The lt. asked for a sit.rep.
The lone marine, bloody and beaten replied in a forceful and fearful voice "Sir, run, its a trick. There are TWO of them!!"

Lt. Brian Bradshaw

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle

July 7, 2009

Fox News

By Joshua Rhett Miller

A day before New York Rep. Peter King called Michael Jackson a "pervert" unworthy of nonstop media coverage, the aunt of a U.S. Soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr. Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverae of my nephew or the other Soldiers who died that week?"

Gillis' nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afganistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Bradshaw, of Steilacoom, Wash., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry division in Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was one of at least 13 U.S. Soldiers to die in Afghanistan since Jackson's death on June 25.

Bradshaw's mother, Mary, said she agreed with Gillis, saying the nonstop coverage of Jackson's death has become "totally ridiculous" and laughable.

"I can watch the news many nights and there's no mention on what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq and there's boys dying over there," Bradshaw told FOXNews.com. "Oh God, I can't talk."

Gillis, of Springfield, Va., cound not be reached for comment. In her letter to the Washington Post, she described Bradshaw as a "thoroughly decent person with a wry sendse of humor" who loved history, particularly the Civil War.

"He had old-fashioned values and believed that military service was patriotic and that actions counted more than talk," Gillis wrote. "He wasnt much for talking, although he could communicate volumes with a raised eyebrow."

Bradshaw, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, was the product of a military family. His father, Paul, is a retired National Guard helicopter pilot, and his mother is a retired Army nurse. Bradshaw was buried Monday following a service at St. John's Bosco Church in Lakewood, Wash.

"He was a search-and-rescue volunteer, an alter boy, a camp counselor," Gillis' letter continued. "He carried the hopes and dreams of his parents willingly on his shoulders. What more than that did Michael Jackson do or represent that earned him memorial 'shrines,' while this Soldier's death goes unheralded?"

Gillis said the only media outlets that covered Bradshaw's death were in his hometown of Steilacoom, Wash., and those where he was stationed before his deployment in March.

Gillis' sentiments echoes that of King, the Long Island, N.Y., congressman who called on society to stop "glorifying" Jackson in a YouTube video posted on Monday.

King said Jackson had been excessively praised in the days after his death while society ignored the efforts of teachers, police officers and veterans. In the two-minute video, King called the "day in and day out" coverage of Jackson's death "too politically correct."

"Lets knock ou the psychobabble," he said in the video, which was taped outside an American Legion Hall in his district. "He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct."

King, who is among the possible Republican contenders to run against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, acknowledged that Jackson "may have been a good singer" and "did some dancing,' but he blasted the King of Pop as someone who could not be trusted around children.

"There's nothing good to say about this guy," King continued. "But the bottom line is, would you let your child or grandchild be in the same room as Michael Jackson?"

The deaths of seven U. S. Soldiers killed in Afghanistan on Monday recieved just 1/20th of the network television news coverage devoted to Jackson, according to an analysis by the Media Research Center, A Virginia-based news analysis organization.

The seven deaths garnered less than one minute of coverage on ABC, CBS and NBS evening newcasts combined, including just 13 seconds on CBS, compared to more than 13 minutes of Jackson-related news. That's a 60-to-1 disparity, the analysis found.

"This is a prime example of why network television news audiences are disappearig before our eyes," Media Research Center President Brent Bozell said. "There is no justification for determining that the death of a celebrity over a week ago merits 20 times more news coverage than the tragic deaths of American Soldiers in Afghanistan.

{Please go see Sarge for more on this story}

Fresh from my inbox.

We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.

I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.

Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.

Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945..." at which point my heart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy... do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.

I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem." I was standing with a genuine war hero.... and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.

I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes. And it's real sad because these days so few guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.

He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make and old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimmin up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17, 2009 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade

No big event in Staples Center

No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage

No weeping fans on television

And that's not right

Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

"A nation without heroes is nothing."

Roberto Clemente

The MARINES WANT THIS TO ROLL ALL OVER THE U.S.A.

This is a poem being sent from a Marine
To his Dad. For those who take the time
To read it, you'll see a letter from him to
His dad at the bottom. It makes you truly thankful for not only the Marines, but ALL of our troops.
THE MARINE

We all came together,
Both young and old
To fight for our freedom,
To stand and be bold.


In the midst of all evil,
We stand our ground,
And we protect our country
From all terror around.

Peace and not war,
Is what some people say.
But I'll give my life,
So you can live the American way.

I give you the right
To talk of your peace.
To stand in your groups,
And protest in our streets.

But still I fight on,
I don't bitch, I don't whine..
I'm just one of the people
Who is doing your time.

I'm harder than nails,
Stronger than any machine.
I'm the immortal soldier,
I'm a U.S. . MARINE!

So stand in my shoes,
And leave from your home.
Fight for the people who hate you,
With the protests they've shown.
Fight for the stranger,
Fight for the young.
So they all may have,
The greatest freedom you've won.

Fight for the sick,
Fight for the poor.
Fight for the cripple,
Who lives next door.

But when your time comes,
Do what I've done.
For if you stand up for freedom,
You'll stand when the fight's done
By: Corporal Aaron M. Gilbert , US Marine Corps
USS SAIPAN, PERSIAN GULF

March 23, 2003
Hey Dad,
Do me a favor and label this 'The Marine' and send it to everybody on your email list. Even leave this letter in it. I want this rolling all over the US . I want every home reading it. Every eye seeing it. And every heart to feel it. So can you please send this for me? I would but my email time isn't that long and I don't have much time anyway.
You know what Dad? I wondered what it would be like to truly understand what JFK said in his inaugural speech. 'When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it.' Well, now I know. And I do. Dad, I welcome the opportunity to do what I do. Even though I have left behind a beautiful wife, and I will miss the birth of our first born child, I would do it 70 times over to fight for the place that God has made for my home. I love you all and I miss you very much. I wish I could be there when Sandi has our baby, but tell her that I love her, and Lord willing, I will be coming home soon. Give Mom a great big hug from me and give one to yourself too.
Aaron
Please let this marine (and all our military) know we care by passing his poem onto your friends even if you don't usually take time to forward mail...do it this time!
Thanks,
Let's help Aaron's dad spread the word .....FREEDOM isn't FREE
Someone pays for you and me.
God bless you!

Soldier on leave from Iraq war helps send packages to troops

Army National Guard SPC Scott Conn stuffs a care package full of goodies Thursday during the Blue Star Mothers of America Chapter 10 gathering at the Recovery Center in Lancaster. Conn is home on leave from his third tour in Iraq and wanted to help with effort to support the troops.



(Ty Wright / Eagle-Gazette)



"LANCASTER - Many people take two-week vacations to warm, exotic or sunny locales. But a local soldier has returned home to Lancaster to spend time with his family while on leave from the Iraq war.U.S. Army Spc. Scott Conn returned to Ohio a few days ago. He is on his third tour of duty in Iraq. He returns to the war-torn country July 22."It's definitely going to fly by, but it's my job," said Conn, 30. "I'd rather do it now than see one of my kids go back for something I could have done."

Let's Take It a Step Further!

With permission from AirmanMom , I am copying her post from yesterday.

Over the past few days, I have received numerous E-Mails requesting I sign the online petition, "Request a Moment of Silence for all Service Members Killed in Action."

I support this action 100%. I have signed the online petition and have encouraged others to do so.

However, is this enough? A click of the mouse will not undo the injustice which has occurred over the past few weeks. While our TVs and Internet news pages were filled with articles of an entertainer who died...how much attention did our soldiers who were killed receive? Congress held a moment of silence for Michael Jackson??? WTF? What the hell are we doing, America? We are at war. American sons are dying. And we are focused on a singer for ten days?

My dear friend, K sent this video to me. Please take a moment (after pausing my playlist on the right sidebar) and watch this heart wrenching interview of Lt. Brian Bradshaw's Aunt. Lt. Bradshaw was killed by an IED in Afghanistan.

Here is my challenge to each and every one of you... online petitions and blogs are awesome! I fully support this means of communication!!! However, there is something to be said for good old fashioned paper and ink. Let's do it! I have a link containing the names and addresses of all United States Congressman HERE. I've attached the words of the online petition:
To: US Congress
we the undersigned petition ...

Request a Moment of Silence for all Service Members Killed in Action

Recently a pop culture icon died and was given a "Moment of Silence" in Congress. In support of our national heroes never being forgotten, we request that from here on out, that Congress give every American Service member Killed in Action, the proper respect by honoring them individually with a Moment of Silence.

Sincerely,

Happy Birthday to my favorite Cav Scout

Where did the time go?

We always told you to follow your dreams and that you could do anything you set your mind to.

You have gone so far beyond anything that we could have ever imagined for you in such a short time.

In 20 yrs you went from being my baby boy to being my Hero!!!

Happy Birthday Scout,

I am so proud of you

(make that a million & 4 times)

Love,

Mom

Prayers needed please

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday. I am so lucky to live in the home of the free and to be the mother of one of the brave.

I look forward to the 4th of July each year and we usually celebrate with friends and family, lots of food and fun ending the day with fireworks.

This morning I was awakened with the news that a very dear young friend of our family had been killed in a car accident. Dani leaves behind a 4 year old lil girl Harlie (bug) and a 16 month old son Chandler (chan man). She was only 22 yrs old and was a true breath of sunshine to be around. She was the lil sister that I never had, she was a young mother who doted on her babies and gave herself completely to her family and friends. She constantly amazed me with her maturity at such a young age and her patience and love for her babies. She will be missed.

Please remember these precious babies & my family in your prayers, we have lost a piece of our heart today.

God Bless,

Tami

Combat Aviation Brigade wraps up error-free Iraqi deployment

Jun 30, 2009
By By Sgt. Jason Thompson, 4th Inf. Div. PAO

FORT HOOD, Texas -- The 4th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade found another reason to celebrate its recent return from a successful year-long deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom - everyone returned home to their families.The "Iron Eagle" brigade didn't lose one Soldier or aircraft during its deployment to Taji, Iraq, said Col. Patrick Tierney, the brigade's commander."We're the first aviation brigade in history to return from combat with zero losses - neither casualties nor aircraft," said Tierney, adding that the accomplishment is even more remarkable as it is often a difficult task to accomplish during peacetime operations."It's difficult to put these aircraft in the air for the number of hours that the mission required of them and not have any incidents," added Tierney. "By the time you add in all the environmental conditions we had to overcome - dust, heat, the small area of operations and the enemy forces shooting at us - this really is an amazing achievement for the entire Aviation Branch, not only 4th Infantry Division"Tierney credited the brigade's success to the leaders at the lowest levels, taking initiative, ensuring everyone's job was completed to standard, and meeting safety requirements. Tierney, Command Sgt. Maj. Archie Davis Jr., and Iron Eagle Soldiers reunited with their families, friends and community supporters in Fort Hood early June. "As leaders, we want nothing more than to train the Soldiers under us to be able to perform their job well enough that we can accomplish this feat," said Davis, the brigade's senior enlisted leader. "It is truly remarkable to know that for 12 months in a combat environment every Soldier in this brigade performed to the highest standards, and we were able to bring everyone home. That says a lot for these Soldiers."Davis added that the workload throughout the entire deployment was nearly triple the operational tempo they'd experienced during garrison or training operations."At any given time we had between 65 to 75 percent of our aircraft in operation for the entire year," said Davis. "My hats off to the maintainers as each of the 110 aircraft in our fleet went through a complete strip and rebuild at least once during the deployment, yet we were never unable to meet the demands of the mission due to maintenance delays."Tierney added that the brigade's success was the result of a full team effort from the maintainers and logistics specialists to the pilots and air traffic controllers and everyone-in-between."My mission statement for everyone in the brigade, regardless of (military occupational specialty) was to 'launch aircraft,'" said Tierney. "Between the 5 million gallons of fuel pumped, the thousands of hours flown and the countless hours put in by the maintainers, everything came together throughout the deployment and everyone did their part flawlessly."Tierney added that the CAB received unprecedented amounts of support from the entire aviation branch which helped his brigade to accomplish their missions without failure.Though the accomplishment of bringing everyone and everything home from a combat deployment was previously an unheard of accolade for an aviation brigade, Davis said he hopes as many of the CAB Soldiers move on to new duty assignments they take with them lessons learned to help future commands achieve the same results."These Soldiers now have the experience and knowledge to know that it can be done," said Davis. "My hope is that the Soldiers pass on their knowledge, so other units can learn from our success; and this can be a recurring accomplishment."The Soldiers are the reason we did this," Davis continued. "It was a whole team concept and each and every one of the 4th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers should be proud of what we accomplished as a team."

Borrowed from: WWW.ARMY.MIL