Photo By Bradley Clark | Squadron senior line medic, Sgt. Paul "Doc" Loos, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment,...... read more read more
By Pfc. Bradley J. Clark
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq— Its about 8 feet tall, 15 feet long, 7 feet wide, weighs over 10,000 pounds and when people see its family members on the battlefield, they normally would be scared.
Unlike its relatives, this Humvee transports a unique group of Soldiers who have an ability to make even the worst of situations into something that could bring smiles to the faces of everyone around.
It's not hard for the occupants of Blackfoot 6, Blackfoot Troop, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment's commander vehicle, to turn every experience outside the wire into an enjoyable one.
"Our truck has the highest morale out of any other," said Sgt. Paul "Doc" Loos, squadron senior line medic.
One of the reasons the occupants of the commander's Humvee have the highest morale is because of Loos.
"Just being around Doc calms you down," said Sgt. Elliot Edmunds, cavalry scout and driver for Blackfoot 6. "You can't faze doc, he will deal with any situation and move on."
While Loos plays his part in the vehicle, Edmunds takes the lead when it comes to the morale boosting.
"He hits that line of being professional and joking around, but he never crosses it," said Loos. "Everybody loves him. No matter where we go, people just come to him because he has this ability to make everyone happy."
Just because two people in the Humvee are fun doesn't mean it will always be fun, sometimes a third person is needed to step it up. That third Soldier is Spc. Lonnie Sykes, cavalry scout and gunner for the commander's vehicle.
"If I'm feeling down and Doc is feeling down then Sykes is right there to pick us back up," said Edmunds. "We're in this together."
Loos also believes that the state of mind of the team has a lot to do with their commander, Capt. Christopher Almaguer, commander of Blackfoot Troop.
"A big reason why things are so good is because the CO has a great relationship with (Edmunds and Sykes)," said Loos.
Almaguer agreed with Loos and added, "We have fun. We have everyday conversations about life, sports, music, movies and pop culture."
The commander went on to add that because of the great relationship he shares with his troops, they know when they have to take over the situation.
"My guys bring a physical and mental toughness and fearless leadership to the vehicle," said Almaguer. "If I'm tired or down, they pick up the slack, stay on the radio, and steer the unit."
An example of the team's ability to brighten days would be when one of their convoys came to a four hour stop because of a vehicle malfunction. The Soldiers went from Soldier to Soldier offering cold drinks and a few jokes to lighten the mood.
"You have to make the best of a bad situation," said Edmunds. "Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Then I always remember, the more it sucks now, the funnier it's going to be when we look back on it."
The Soldiers in Blackfoot 6 have three more months left of brightening days for fellow troops before they head back to Hawaii and begin to look back and laugh at those moments during their tour in Iraq.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2007 11:29 |
| Story ID: | 11419 |
| Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 96 |
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