The following video was released by the New York National Guard's 27th BCT in honor of 9/11. The 27th BCT is currently in charge of Task Force Phoenix, which is overseeing the training of Afghanistan Army and Police on the front lines in Afghanistan.
COL Brian Balfe is the person talking with members of the Task Force behind him.
"The Soldier above all others prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest scars of war." - General Douglas MacArthur
Check out this story about alcohol problems for citizen soldiers and then read below....
Not that this is new news, or surprising, but it does highlight the fact that problem drinking is a challenge for the military, and I am not sure there is an easy answer.
Living a year on natural juice (adrenalin) is an awesome experience. I have talked about it many times in my blog and what a powerful drug adrenaline can be. I have also talked about how “boring” life is after first getting back from combat because of the lack of a thrill in everyday, mundane life.
This is the reason soldiers come back and take on high-risk activities like extreme sports, motorcycles, and even drinking and driving. This year, as of Aug. 15th, 43 soldiers have been killed in the Army on motorcycles alone. This is a huge jump over last year (37 in all of FY2007 and we still have 2 months left in this FY) and is a problem recognized by the Army, including the highest levels. SMA Preston has sent out several All-Army messages talking about motorcycle safety, etc.
There is also physical and emotional pain, memories, and other thoughts that need to be dealt with, or suppressed in some cases. It is these issues that are sometimes dealt with by consuming large amount of alcohol or even legal or illegal drugs.
All of this is an issue with any soldier coming back who has experienced ‘real’ combat firsthand, but it is even worse among Reserves and National Guard soldiers. The Fox article highlights something I have been saying in military circles since 2004, while most of my company was in Iraq. Having gone to war before while on Active Duty. I recognized that there was really no mobilization (pronounces mobe) or de-mob time.
No "mob" time is fine, as Active Duty soldiers are training all the time since that is their full time job. No de-mob time outside of a mandatory 14 day block leave was fine too, because as soon as we got back from leave, we were all still around each other. We could talk about our experiences, the things we saw, the smells, the feelings, etc. We de-mobed within the unit and with each other. We recognized issues with certain guys and we either handled it ourselves or referred them to professional help if we thought they needed it.
While my company was in Iraq in 2004, I realized that they would not have that time. Originally the Army was calling for a 1-3 month demob time where the soldiers would stay on active duty, go through extensive medical and mental de-mobing and even do some training to ensure they were still at the level of soldiering needed to perform as a National Guard soldier.
However not long after they left, we got word that because of the op-tempo of units the de-mob time would be cut down to one week. Of course after being gone for a year away from family and friends, that was fine with the guys. They were ready to get away from war and even the military for a few months. It was while they were gone that I started raising this issue with higher command, with the veteran counselors and even with the families themselves (during FRG meetings). It was clear to me that reserve component soldiers aren’t afforded the same “natural” de-mob time that active duty soldiers are afforded.
As soon as National Guard soldiers are released from Active Duty, they are without income. Because of the laws protecting reserve component soldiers’ jobs, they are not required to return to work for 90 days after being mobilized for 180 days or more. However, most cannot afford to take 90 days off without pay.
Typically, 4 weeks after walking out of a combat zone and being armed to the teeth where people are trying to kill them, they are back working in a cube, driving a UPS truck, selling clothes in the Gap, or whatever they did. They are back among civilians who have no idea what that person has gone through and cannot relate if they tried. They are back in a country that is so great and powerful, it has not really sacrificed at all while that soldier has sacrificed every friggen day for the last year. A country at the mall, while that soldier has been at war.
So the soldier is on his/her own, trying to cope. The soldiers want to get home, and they will take the fastest track to do that. This means saying they have no medical issues, that emotionally and mentally they are fine. While this is great in the short term, it is not always good in the long term. The demons will start to come out of the shadows around the 30-45 day mark. The honeymoon will be over, reality will set in that they are not going back, and that they must face life of oil changes, paying bills, and nagging significant others (wives, girlfriends or even parents).
This is why I know we have the drinking problems and other issues. I am not sure of the correct answer or way to fix this, and I am not sure anyone else is either. I think the right answer would be to get back on the path that the military initially promised of 90 days of continual active duty in order to help soldiers naturally decompress amongst each other. However almost nobody, including me when I got back, would like that. We want to just go home and spend time at home, not going to formations, or reporting into the armory every day.
The New York National Guard has instituted 30, 60, 90 day reintegration program, but from what I have seen of it, it is primarily focused on married soldiers. However I think there is some attempt to aim it towards soldiers with fiancés, girlfriends/boyfriends, and parents. Who knows if it will help, but at least they are trying.
-- 1st Sgt. Troy Steward
Staff Sgt. Frederick Goldacker from Lewiston is a National Guard member assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry. He is serving as a member of SECFOR Alpha attached to a PMT in Wardak province, Afghanistan.
The sergeant previously served on active duty, and following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks he served many weeks of duty on homeland defense duty in New York.
He has spent so much time on either state or federal active duty that he has had little time for his civilian graphics design work. But he is managing to find some interesting things in the rugged Afghan countryside. The first photo, he says, is "just a cool pic of me on one of the gun trucks at sunrise before rolling out on mission."
The second photo is of the war ravaged ruins of the King's Palace, with rugged mountains in the distance.
This is a pic of me in the gun turret of an 1151 Humm-V, in all my body armor.
My Wife and Father pitched in to buy me the Kevlar mask, to keep my face in-tact. The mask is not issued, it's a prototype, which saved my face the last time we were ambushed.
The pic was taken in the Jalrez Valley (about 20 miles west of Kabul) which is one of the real danger zones here in Afghanistan. (On another side note, myself and my team are in the Infantry.
— SSG Frederick K Goldacker III
A re-enlistment ceremony of nearly 20 soldiers was the featured moment during a July 4th ceremony held at Camp Phoenix, Kabul.
The day began with a 5 Kilometer run with dozens of members of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix taking to the base track in two groups at 6:15 and 7 a.m.
Later, during the reinlistment ceremony, Colonel Brian K. Balfe, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, told the assembled troops, "The Declaration of Independence could have remained just words on paper had it not been for the strength, and will of the American people and its Army.
"For the Declaration of Independence did not make America independent from England — the Colonial Army did."
He then praised the members of his team for possessing that same spirit of 1776.
The day included a meal of classic summer picnic fare, watched over by a Statue of Liberty in a patriotic display.
— LTC Paul A. Fanning
Public Affairs Officer
CJTF Phoenix VII
(Photos are by Capt. Robert Romano)
This is a picture of me talking to the interpreter while trying to communicate to the officer on the left how he can improve on his rifle marksmanship.
The officer is looking down at the target he had just shot. Out here in Wardak, we can't teach the cops basic police stuff, we have to train them to be warriors, to close with and destroy the enemy, not to arrest them.
I have been in fire fights where the police are right next to us fighting the enemy and standing their ground. These Afghan police you train become like your own men, because you train them, you eat lunch with them etc.. And when one of them falls next to you in combat, the sting of a fallen friend is still there.
And it's funny how when you are out with your friends, you still run into ignorant people who say stuff like "You just shoot at targets, you don't shoot people."
It's just funny how sadly mistaken they are, the war here in Afghanistan is very real and we feel the bite of it almost every day. I have been blown up, shot at with AK-47's, RPG's and PKM's. I have had 8 rockets land within 50 meters of myself and my troops. And we have had to defend ourselves and kill the enemy.
Many of us can't wait to get home so we can sleep normally again, and not have to lay awake at night just waiting for a 107 Katusha rocket to come burning into our compound. Last night I >stared at the ceiling of my very small room, which is basically a bunker inside a building, and I waited till about 3 a.m. before I went to sleep.
My parents always ask me what I need, and I say, "Red Bull, Amp, Rockstar, Monster, and 5 hour energy," just so I can get through each day on only a few hours of sleep.
— SSG Frederick K Goldacker III
Aco. 2/108th Infantry BN Air Assault
Sec-For Squad Leader, Wardak Afghanistan
Many of the troops deployed to Afghanistan being covered by the Buffalo News will soon be sent home for a brief leave, marking the midpoint of their deployment. While it might seem like it, this is not a vacation in the sense one might expect. Our FRG (family readiness group) recently held a meeting to prepare us home-bound spouses for what to expect and how to deal with our returning soldiers.
They said we can expect our spouses will come home exhausted not only from their mission but their journey home across eight time zones and countless delays waiting for flights out of theater.
They will also bring with them a necessary stress level developed to combat the emotional challenges of their lives under the extreme conditions of actual combat as well as mission support, where a single mistake or oversight can result in a casualty. This heightened level of stress, they told us, isn't something controlled by an on-off switch. Rather, it develops over time and can take a longer period to recede.
While it's tempting to plan large celebrations with family and friends, some of our soldiers may not be prepared or eager to attend such events, while others might respond just fine. We were advised to plan on letting our soldiers get lots of rest for at least a couple of days, and then let them seek out a level of stimulation they're comfortable with. Our soldiers will not allow themselves to fully decompress, knowing they have to return for the second half of their deployment.
We were also told that our soldiers in some cases may be irritable, detached or short tempered, and that this is normal. Giving our soldiers lots of space and freedom to do whatever fits their disposition while encouraging but not demanding communication is the recipe for a successful leave.
We military spouses intuitively suspect our soldiers won't be themselves when they come home. Still, it was really helpful hearing the counselors from the military validate that perspective based on their experiences and offering some strategies to effectively cope.
From her e-mails I can tell you Judy is REALLY looking forward to coming home for half-time. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I really have no idea who this woman will be when she shows up at the airport, but we will love and support her no matter who she is.
-- Phil Basinski, on the home front
It is the "Pharmacist in Boots" just touching base with you with an "update from Afghanistan." I am working late as usual and am trying to catch up on e-mail that is always behind.
I realize that the general media gives you information on major events that occur here. I am hoping that you receive a balance of positive and negative. Terroristic activities are horrible and devastating, but there are just as many stories about the good of the people and altruistic activities. I rarely get to see the optimistic reports, but some media like the Buffalo News allow this positive message to be heard, too. For that I am grateful.
I want to mention two examples of the good I have seen here in recent days. One example is how a family reacted to their child being treated in the medical clinic. The family brought a feast of food to thank the care providers for taking care of their loved one. One must understand that food here is very, very expensive and the people are very poor.
Another example is how a village showed respect for soldiers by sheltering their remains from attack by thieves, terrorists and animals after the soldiers were killed. One must understand that these villagers put their own lives on the line as they protected these fallen comrades.
No names will ever be given by me, but the stories are real and are dear to my heart. Tears come to my eyes every time I think of these people, especially when I miss my own family so much. My family and families like mine are sending care packages for us and for the families of Afghanistan. I want to publicly thank all of you for everything you are doing to support your soldiers at home and in theater.
This is a bittersweet visit to a country still ravished by war. I just wanted to give you a little glimpse at a different aspect of my life here in Afghanistan. Thanks for reading and listening,
-- Capt. Judy Izard
"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away." How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!"
A magic marker missed the pre-laundry pocket screening and made its way through a complete wash cycle. My son scored his first goal in hockey. Two fantastic report cards found their way home to finish the school year. The folks at work assure me it's OK to cut my hours nearly in half so I can be with my kids this summer.
It was $75 to fill the tank this week. My mother's slow spiral in the nursing home is more evident each time we visit. Last night was a perfect star-lit night at the drive-in with some friends and five giggling kids. Soon there will be BLTs with tomatoes from the garden but no watermelons since the deer got to them first. A hockey buddy dropped from the ranks of the Thursday old-timers for good because of a neck injury.
My beautiful little girl has gone camping for four days with her best friend and her family. I worry about my brother and his wife as they continue to struggle after her near fatal fall. Who will Judy be when she comes home from Afghanistan next year?
Nearly 150 years ago Abraham Lincoln uttered the words that continue to sustain me. Today we celebrate the best of all holidays. Happy Fourth.
-- Phil Basinski
Staff Sgt. Katherine Quinones from Rochester, at left, and First Lt. Bridget Lasota from Cheektowaga work together in the headquarters of the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix Personnel Section in Afghanistan.
They are running in a 10 Kilometer fun run that was held at Camp Phoenix in Kabul in the days before Memorial Day.
We have a dirt track that is inside our security wall so that soldiers can work out. We also have a gym with weights and tread mills. Staff Sgt. Quinones' 21-year-old son is also deployed to Afghanistan and her husband served in the Guard previously and was deployed to Iraq.
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