We are off to the start of another fine month in Afghanistan; time sure does go by quickly, when you're having fun. As in the case with most families, the more time we spend with each other the more frustrations start to set in. Things like this always happen during long deployments.
Leaders, I need your continued engagement at all levels on a daily basis. Tensions tend to rise and complacency begins to set in as we get closer to the middle of the deployment. Proactive Leadership Engagement is the key to mitigating the common mistakes and poor decisions that come out during deployments. This is not something that we as leaders do merely out of obligation; it is a task we take pride in because we are professional NCOs. There have been too many incidents that ĐŽƵůĚ͛ǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ŵŝƚŝŐĂƚĞĚ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ WƌŽĂĐƚŝǀĞ Leadership Engagement. Continue to improve yourself and your foxhole. If you see something that needs to ďĞ ĚŽŶĞ͕ ũƵƐƚ ĚŽ ŝƚ͘ >Ğƚ͛Ɛ ůĞĂǀĞ ŽƵƌ ĨŽŽƚƉƌŝŶƚ ĂƐ ĂŶ ĞdžĂŵƉůĞ ĨŽƌ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ ƚŽ ĨŽůůŽǁ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ƌĞĂĐŚĞĚ ͞dŚĞ &ŝƌƐƚ ϭϬϬ ĂLJƐ͟ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ŽƵƌ ĚĞƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ͘ / challenge all Leaders and Troopers to reset the clock on the level of intensity, level of performance and how we conduct business. The next 100 days should be better than the last.
As it gets warmer, everyone needs to drink water, lay off the caffeine energy drinks, and ask the TMC if your work-‐out supplements are safe. Supplements can increase your metabolism and body temperature. If you use them, be smart! We are continuing to improve our safety record, but we still have more to do. Since day number six of being on ŐƌŽƵŶĚ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞŶ͛ƚ ŚĂĚ ĂŶLJ ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ĂĐĐŝĚĞŶƚƐ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝƐ Ă ĚƌĂƐƚŝĐ ĚĞĐƌĞĂƐĞ ĨƌŽŵ ŽƵƌ ůĂƐƚ deployment. Accidents are preventable, but require active Leadership Engagement and risk management at all levels to mitigate them. I want all our Troopers to get home safe. /͛Ě ůŝŬĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĂŶŬ ĞǀĞƌLJŽŶĞ ĨŽƌ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ƚŚŝƐ ĚĞƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƵƉ ƚŽ ƚŚŝƐ ƉŽŝŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŝŵĞ͘ dŚĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ǁĞ͛ǀĞ ŵĂĚĞ throughout LOGAR and WARDAK Provinces is more than evident by the day. STAY ENGAGED, AND MOVE WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY AND FOCUS!
͞dŽ KƵƌ hƚŵŽƐƚ͊͟
When I was a young kid, I would often think about becoming an Army Soldier, and what it would be like. I would dream, like any other kid, about becoming a hero, or saving someone. There is nothing in this world that feels more rewarding than to look around this Battalion and truly see what it means to be a Soldier. To see the seven army values truly being lived day in and day out. Duty, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage, Selfless Service, Respect, and Loyalty. As the BSB hits its 4th month in Afghanistan, the Soldiers are well into their rhythms and routines. A sense of Pride is in the air with the Soldiers. The BSB continues to show strength and maturity as a Unit with various accomplishments to be proud of. We successfully completed a big mission on the 8 th ŽĨ DĂƌĐŚ ŬŶŽǁŶ ĂƐ ͞tŽŵĞŶ͛Ɛ ĂLJ͕͟ ǁŚĞƌĞ our Alpha Company Soldiers, as well as various Soldiers from other companies, went out to local Afghan villages, and greeted the local Afghan Women with clothes, food, and gifts. Another big accomplishment in March was the BSB Commanders Cup, where Bravo Company took the Cup, led by SPC Petter, PFC Daniels, and PFC Machtemes, as well as two Afghan Army members. As the time in Afghanistan goes day by day, our Soldiers fight an ŽŶǁĂƌĚ ďĂƚƚůĞ ŽĨ ŚŽƉĞ͕ ĚĞƐŝƌĞ͕ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚƌƵƐƚ͘ ,ŽƉĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞLJ ǁŝůů ƐĞĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨĂŵŝůLJ͛Ɛ soon. Desire and passion to complete their mission. Trust in their brothers and sisters.
As the Lord says in, 2 Corinthians 4:16-‐ϭϴ͗ ͞dŚĞƌĞĨŽƌĞ ǁĞ ĚŽ ŶŽƚ ůŽƐĞ ŚĞĂƌƚ͘ dŚŽƵŐŚ outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is ƐĞĞŶ ŝƐ ƚĞŵƉŽƌĂƌLJ͕ ďƵƚ ǁŚĂƚ ŝƐ ƵŶƐĞĞŶ ŝƐ ĞƚĞƌŶĂů͘͟ dŚŝƐ ƉĂƐƐĂŐĞ ŝƐ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ƚƌƵĞ ĨŽƌ ŽƵƌ troops. Though we fight an onward battle and our bodies are tired, our goals are set, and the BSB continues to drive on, no matter what the circumstance. For we know what lies ahead is far greater than what we endure here. Every day that goes by makes me grow fonder and prouder of our troops and what we are doing over here. AIRBORNE! SPC Michael Doody