Hey whats going on James here!
Lets start it off like this. My family most of them anyway are all combat veterans. My Grandpa A Vietnam Vet who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for some pretty amazing stuff. My Uncle was in the Navy was quite possibly the first in my family to battle the Islamic Extremist that plague the world. Even my little brother who is a Marine did a tour in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. My Dad did his part against the Communist in the Cold War. As for myself I have done two tours in the desert once in Fallujah and Once in Tall Afar/ Mosul with the prestigious 82d Airborne Division. But lets start from the beginning..
July of 2001. I was 18 years old didn't know shit and was ready to take on the world. I was happy to join the Army anything to get out of New Mexico. I was Free! On my way to Ft. Benning, GA for Basic Combat Training where I would learn the skills required of me to be a lean, mean, fighting machine(Yeah Right LOL) It started off like most people might think Drill Sergeants sitting quietly at the front of the bus just waiting to make new soldiers. The bus comes to a stop and all hell breaks loose. Bags are flying everywhere, yelling, screaming, push-ups, if you have seen it in a movie it probably happened that way! I was about to be molded into one of Americas Finest.
After the initial shock of Basic Training i found a nitch with people completely different than me a guy from California,Brooklyn, and Puerto Rico. We all worked together but i found friendship that i still carry on with these three. We got through tough times including the toughest time of the country.
September 1oth 2001. The morning started early 3 am to be exact. We were awoken to "get your GD gear were going to war! My soft skill counterparts(Not Infantry/Ground Pounders) were all told China had "Nuked the US" and we were invading. We all freaked out of course and we boarded the bus to get trained to be Infantry... Obviously this was false and we all went to the field and spent the night learning how to dig fox holes, build booby traps, and eat MRE's. The next day would be one i never forgot.
September 11th 2001.. Like Pearl Harbor, JFK's death,and Neil Armstrong walking on the moon something no one would ever forget. I remember learning how to cross a mine field when 2 of the drill sergeants started talking shaking their heads. It looked like we were about to be in trouble for something but nothing. We rotated to the next station were one of the Drills was sitting with his face in his hands. He told us what was going on with the Trade Center and the Pentagon. The laughter from everyone was expected especially with what had happened the day prior to us. Things didn't get real until the started calling people out of the formation to call their families who lived in NY. It was surreal no one knew what to think but the one thought everyone had was i want to get revenge....
Time passed very slowly until i graduated wondering what would await me after the terrorist attacks. I graduated and was officially a US Soldier!
I then went to Fort Rucker, Al where i underwent Advanced Training in Flight Operations. I learned how to file flight plans, work on flight hours for the pilots and how to manage and operate the battle from a Tactical Operations Center. Graduated in December where i returned to FT. Benning to earn my silver paratrooper wings. It was 2 weeks of pure torture running every day, push ups sit ups and the swing land trainer. ( a Big machine which you put on a parachute harness and learn to fall properly when jumping out of an Airplane) I never really understood what Airborne was until the very 1st jump. You pack 64 people into the belly of an Air Force C 1-30 wearing a parachute that weighs about 60 lbs they tell you to stand up, hook up your static line( a yellow lanyard that pulls your parachute open) You move to the door one after another till you reach the door and leap out into the great unknown at about 800 ft above ground level. There is nothing like it it goes from complete chaos in the aircraft to silence in the sky as you float to the Drop Zone Below. After a total of 5 jumps i was awarded the parachutist badge and told i would be going to Ft. Bragg, NC to become a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.
I arrived at Ft. Bragg and was assigned to the 82d Aviation Brigade where i learned how to process schools for my fellow paratroopers. In July of 2002 i was reassigned to the 1st Battalion (Attack) 82nd Aviation Regiment the "Wolfpack" an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Helicopter Battalion that specialized in armed reconnaissance. I seared as a schools specialist processing troopers as well. It was while assigned to 1-82 i made my greatest mistake but in the end gave my the best gift a baby boy named Jimmy!
The unit deployed in late February 2003 to support the initial invasion into Iraq. I was left at home because my ex-wife had just had the baby and the didn't want me to miss any time with him. The unit returned in June of 2003 and i thought i had missed my chance to go to combat...man o man was i incorrect.
September 3 2003 i was sitting on an Airplane headed to Kuwait to support the 82d Airborne Division in the Al Anbar province in central Iraq. I served as an RTO (Radio Telephone Operater). We ran 12 hour shifts in which we redirected Aircraft to fight the enemy in the cities of Falluhjah, Rahmadi, and Western Baghdad. For a young 20 year old kid this was crazy i had the job of relaying critical information to pilots for 12 hours a day. It was hard work but it was a lot of fun too. But fun was always short lived. On January 2nd 2004 I lost a friend when she was shot down over the city of Fallujah she died after hitting a wall in here little helicopter while her co-pilot walked away..CPT Kimberly Hampton RIP you are still missed. The memorial service was as sad as anything i had ever seen. Little did we know that tragedy would follow again one week leader when a UH-60 Blackhawk was shot down and killed another member of our team. CW3 Aaron Weaver who is still remembered and was a true hero. He was battling cancer yet refused to stay at home while the unit deployed. The bird was shot down while he was in the way to get a biopsy done.. After 8 months we returned home.
Over the next few years things really started to change for me. I met a beautiful southern girl named Stephanie and her son Michael. We fell in love instantly and married in August of 2005. I was promoted to my first leadership position and was a Sergeant! Our unit was also re designated the 1st Squadron 17th Cavalry so i got a stetson and some spurs! So there i was a 22 year Sergent in charge of 10 guys or so teaching them the ins and outs of the 82nd Airborne Division. Steph and i went through a long custody battle with my ex-wife but in the end we got my son Jimmy permanently and still do to this day!
In July of 2006 i deployed for my 2nd tour this time to Northern Iraq in the city of Mosul. I served as the person in charge of everyday operations. I briefed missions, was a liaison to units we supported. We lost one pilot CPT. Matthew Mattingly who was a great pilot and a good person who lived up to the army values. May god keep him safe and you are not forgotten. I was recommended for the Bronze Star for my actions while deployed but it was downgraded to an Army Commendation Medal which was fine by me i did no more than anyone else it was just my job.
Today i am serving as a Flight Operation NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge) responsible for the welfare of 5 paratroopers and a whole lot of crap worth millions of dollars. I also adopted Stephanie's Son Michael and the adoption was final last week so yes i am in a very happy place in my life. I am currently working on becoming a pilot and a Warrant Officer. We are scheduled to move to Ft. Rucker soon but until then i will write about the state of the Army and the War in Iraq and stuff like that. Things are changing unfortunately for the worst. Standards are being lowered and the standards that are in place are not being met.... As a young NCO i am appalled at the people that are being allowed to join but that's another story...
Untill Next time....
Airborne!
James
