I don't have much to say right now, not because my life is boring right now...but because I'm so busy. I have several topics that I want to cover in the future: Relief-in-Place operations, Escalation of Force, and I want to talk about Fear and Courage. So those three topics plus several more will be on my list in the next few weeks as I get more time to post and get closer to getting out of here.
Welcome
To new readers and old alike: welcome to my blog! I hope that the people I care about will feel better about me being deployed to Afghanistan and stationed in Germany because they can follow me online. Feel free to contact me here if you have any questions or have a specific topic you would like me to talk about instead of my usual ramblings.
Sam Damon in Once an Eagle:
"Ah God. God, help me. Help me to be wise and full of courage and sound judgment. Harden my heart to the sights that I must see so soon again, grant me only the power to think clearly, boldly, resolutely, no matter how unnerving the peril. Let me not fail them."
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Since my unit didn't approve it...
SGT Dixon on the left before the patrol on 20FEB11 |
Without further ado:
Sergeant Jonathan O. Dixon, United States Army, distinguished himself by heroic conduct in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, as a Team Leader of 2nd Squad 4th Platoon, Hawk Company, 3rd Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, during a clearance patrol in the Maiwand district of Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom on 20 February 2011.
On 201728FEB2011, SGT Dixon was part of a combined patrol of Americans, ANCOP, and ANA to conduct small, platoon-sized clearances of several locations near the villages of Pir Zadeh and Eshqabad, and to conduct a Key Leader Engagement with a local Malik. During the clearance of the final objective, 4th Platoon came under fire from two directions by approximately five to ten enemy fighters. At the same time, the ANP checkpoint south of 4th Platoon’s position came under fire from a third enemy position.
While separated from both his squad and platoon leader, located with the majority of the ANSF forces to the south, SGT Dixon took control of the squad and remaining ANSF to engage the enemy. SGT Dixon moved all of his Soldiers into positions of better cover, including the attached ANCOP policemen. Under heavy enemy fire, SGT Dixon selflessly moved back and forth from Soldier to Soldier to control their rates of fire and encourage them in the heat of battle. On at least three occasions, SGT Dixon had to completely expose himself to enemy fire to move to the point of decisive contact and direct his Soldiers in suppressing the enemy. SGT Dixon’s decisive repositioning of his Soldiers, under heavy fire, enabled the platoon to gain fire superiority, which caused the enemy fighters to withdrawal.
Following the initial firefight, SGT Dixon efficiently redistributed ammunition and physically checked each of his Soldiers to ensure no wounds were sustained. When the ANP at the checkpoint mistakenly fired upon Fourth Platoon’s element, SGT Dixon ensured his men were safely behind cover and restrained their fire at the confused friendly forces. SGT Dixon consolidated his Soldiers with minimal guidance and moved south under the best cover and concealment available to link-up with the remainder of the platoon element. SGT Dixon led the platoon on point back to COP Rath, selflessly exposing himself to the greatest risk following the firefight.
Through these actions SGT Dixon successfully fought off the enemy attack with no friendly casualties. His disciplined and selfless actions exceeded the highest standards of leadership and character expected of a Non-commissioned Officer and are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service. They reflect distinct credit upon himself, Hawk Company, 3rd Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment, and the United States Army.
Everyone can judge for themselves whether they feel it is a worthy or unworthy award. As for myself, I believe I have already made my opinion clear. One of my major sore spots that can get me on a soapbox quickly is the Army awards system today. I will spare you today, as it is a conversation best heard in person. If enough interest is shown on here (in the comments), I will elaborate further.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Rest and Relaxation
Sometimes the pace of operations keeps us very busy. Other times, we are bored for much of the time. Most often, it is somewhere in between. A yearlong deployment is a long time, and I am only serving a six month tour, so I don't have quite the same experience most of my Soldiers have had. Getting time in to relax and refocus is one of the most important tasks facing us on a daily basis.
I'm sure some of you have heard me mention it, I really never actually know what day it is unless I look at my watch. The days run into one another and lead to a droning monotony that stretches from memory and into the dim conceptualization of the future. One day is much the same as another, droning, timeless, and dreary. We feel this in spite of the typical baby blue sky and plentiful sunlight. The infrequent contact with the enemy only heightens the very real boredom we experience on a daily basis. Another way to think of a deployment is to think of the longest, straightest road you know. Now picture it without any trees, hills, buildings, or markers except for those in the distance in front and behind you. Haze covers the buildings and objects, dulling all the shapes and making indistinct what was crystal clear moments before. You have an idea of what is coming up in the future, but with all of the haze, you tend to focus on the here and now so it is difficult to see problems that might be on the chosen route ahead. Of course there are moments that stand out with sharp definition: the pit of nervousness before landing in Afghanistan; nearly sitting on an IED; the sound of bullets snapping around your head; the sight of wounded children. With this in mind, you can get a better idea of why it is extremely important to take the time to relax.
All of us are different and recuperate in various ways. The one commonality is that we all have to do something to unwind. Our COP has a basketball court, and even though I really don't like basketball to watch on TV, it is extremely relaxing to go shoot some baskets (or at least try in my case) for ten minutes. Other people play hardcore games that can last for up to an hour, and involve bloody noses and hurt knees and ankles. Of course, there is the gym as well. I like to get in there and workout, but I haven't been as diligent as I should be. However, there are people lifting in the gym from about seven in the morning until midnight, depending on mission requirements and time available.
My platoon lives pretty well here on COP Rath. We have some great barbeques courtesy of my SLs, and break out the karaoke machine on occasion. There is a lot of singing involved, not all of it good, but definitely fun. I personally like to read a lot, but there are many others who do not read at all. Music is a huge part of my relaxation, and I like to sit back and enjoy music whenever I can. Other Soldiers love video games. I do too, but I choose not to play them over here. I'll probably get back into them when I return to Germany. Of course, there are always movies. I've watched a lot of movies in my time here, and watch TV shows and mini-series, depending on what I have available and what I want to watch.
Probably my favorite way of relaxing is to simply talk to my Soldiers. They are all so interesting to learn about and hear their life stories, dreams, and hopes for the future. Sitting around the fire and joking about everything we experience helps us to pass the time and forget what we do everyday. One of the most important things that we must do as deployed warriors is to take the time we have available and maximize its use for work, and increase the time we have to relax. Otherwise, we wouldn't be any good for each other out on patrols, when our main goal is to complete the mission we set out for many months ago here in Afghanistan, and to bring everyone home.
Some of my Soldiers after an all-day mission and sandstorm. |
All of us are different and recuperate in various ways. The one commonality is that we all have to do something to unwind. Our COP has a basketball court, and even though I really don't like basketball to watch on TV, it is extremely relaxing to go shoot some baskets (or at least try in my case) for ten minutes. Other people play hardcore games that can last for up to an hour, and involve bloody noses and hurt knees and ankles. Of course, there is the gym as well. I like to get in there and workout, but I haven't been as diligent as I should be. However, there are people lifting in the gym from about seven in the morning until midnight, depending on mission requirements and time available.
Karaoke! |
Probably my favorite way of relaxing is to simply talk to my Soldiers. They are all so interesting to learn about and hear their life stories, dreams, and hopes for the future. Sitting around the fire and joking about everything we experience helps us to pass the time and forget what we do everyday. One of the most important things that we must do as deployed warriors is to take the time we have available and maximize its use for work, and increase the time we have to relax. Otherwise, we wouldn't be any good for each other out on patrols, when our main goal is to complete the mission we set out for many months ago here in Afghanistan, and to bring everyone home.
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