The Paratroopers’ of the Blue Devils received a Warning Order: you’re going to war. The Soldiers would deploy to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. The Battalion immediately started to train: incorporating new Tactics, Techniques, and...
By outlining my personal experiences in the military I will capture what I believe are the defining moments in my career. I will do this by sharing with you the reader my unit assignments and significant leaders along the way. Leaders that have had...
On the morning of 2 May 1968, a 12-man Special Forces reconnaissance team was inserted by helicopters in a dense jungle area west of Loc Ninh, to gather intelligence information on suspected enemy re-supply operations being conducted through...
The United States Army continues to execute counterinsurgency operations in support of the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan. However, inculcating a counterinsurgency ethos into the Army continues to be a challenge. The Army’s reward system,...
Soldiers in the United States Army face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis. One such dilemma is the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy prohibiting homosexual Soldiers from engaging in homosexual acts and revealing their sexual preference to those that...
During Operation Phantom Fury (Al Fajr) in November 2004, the combined-joint assault to retake the Iraqi city of Fallujah, Colonel Michael Shupp commanded Marine Regimental Combat Team 1. In this interview, focusing squarely on the battle itself -...
During the planning and major combat operations phases of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Colonel Russell Thaden was the deputy G2 for V Corps. Responsible for "ensuring that the entire staff was updated on the current intelligence situation" and for...
As the G6 Sergeant Major for the 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command, I faced many leadership challenges when we deployed to Afghanistan during 2009. I had to recruit and train additional personnel in order to meet the personnel requirement of...
It was the blind leading the blind. A new command team. No previous OCONUS deployments. A former Marine as the first sergeant’s right hand man. Imagine a unit comprised of 65 Infantry soldiers mixing it up with MP’s, 31 females, 85 soldiers...
"Battle Experiences" are published periodically to disseminate rapidly combat information which may have training value for other units. Although not necessarily applicable to all units in all situations, the items are based on actual experiences...
This study was an attempt to measure the degree of perceived affirmative action threat held by white Command and General Staff College officer students. Simply stated, affirmative actions are positive steps or measures which go a step beyond "de...
This personal experience paper highlights some challenges my Troop faced upon deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have provided TTPs that my Troop used in dealing with the heat, a failed logistics system, and the evolving and lethal improvised...
A major ethical problem facing our leaders in the Army is the abuse of prisoners of war (POW). According to Webster's dictionary, Ethics "the system or code of morals of a particular person, religion, group or profession." News media continues to...
Sergeant First Class Sammy L. Davis, the "REA..L" Forrest Gump. Born 1 November 1946 in Dayton, Ohio. As a child, Sammy’s father moved the family to several locations California, Texas, Indiana and to his current residence Illinois. Sammy...
The study takes a comprehensive look at the reasons behind the recent Army decision to transfer the Stryker from contractor logistics support (CLS) to organic (Soldier) sustainment support. Using a case study approach with the Stryker, the thesis...
A veteran of two deployments in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, from March to August 2003 Captain Craig Stucker initially served as the personnel officer for 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment (part of 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division)...
In April 2003, the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT) reached the approaches of Baghdad, Iraq, after a record-breaking march from the Kuwaiti border. To test the strength of Iraqi defenses in the capital, 2nd BCT conducted an...
The commander of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment in Fallujah, Iraq, as part of November 2004's Operation Phantom Fury (Al Fajr), Captain Edward Twaddell III and the rest of Task Force 2-7 were attached to Marine Regimental Combat...
Captain George Rodriguez commanded Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment - a New York National Guard unit - during the Easter Sunday Battle of Samarra in April 2004. Attached to 1-26 Infantry, his unit relied on vehicle armor...
During November 2004's Operation Phantom Fury (Al Fajr) in Fallujah, Iraq, Captain James Cobb served as the fire support officer for 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. Attached to Marine Regimental Combat Team 7 for purposes of this...