Photo By Bradley Clark | Staff Sgt. Tyson Cole, infantryman assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team personal...... read more read more
MOSUL, Iraq – Their first notice to movement is given a short 15 minutes prior; the Soldiers methodically put on their body armor, grab their individual and crew-served weapons, and head for the point of departure. Today they'll be traveling by ground, sometimes it's by air. Either way, it's nothing new to them.
They don't hurry, but they waste no movement or action. Every task, however seemingly inconsequential by itself, is deliberately taken. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. That paradox having already been played out as the fodder of discussion many missions ago. They have prepared the same way, quite literally, hundreds of times in the last year. They know their jobs and their roles by heart, a result of the repetition of training and execution conducted by their non-commissioned officers.
They move to their vehicles, assume their positions as drivers, vehicle commanders, and in the turrets of the heavy weapons on the roofs, and await the commander, who will place his life, and the success of the mission, squarely in their hands upon his arrival.
For the Soldiers assigned as Col. Stephen Twitty's personal security detachment, rolling "outside the wire" and traveling throughout the streets of Mosul and the rest of the Ninevah province is an everyday regimen.
Charged with protecting the commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, the infantrymen are prepared to do whatever it takes to see that mission is accomplished, according to Staff Sgt. Brandon Dockery, NCO-in-charge of the Long Knife PSD.
"Providing full security and protection for [Twitty] is our first and foremost priority every time we roll," said Sgt. Michael Bontekoe, a PSD member who is also a gunner on the commander's vehicle.
In addition to protecting the commander, the Soldiers provide protection for everyone in the commander's convoy, to include distinguished visitors and the occasional embedded journalist, added the Michigan City, Ind., native.
The Long Knife Brigade PSD has currently conducted over 265 air and ground protection missions without ever having hit an improvised explosive device or having been attacked by small arms or rocket-propelled grenade fire, according to Capt. Todd Hook, the PSD officer-in-charge.
"This is not a result of being lucky," quantifies Hook. "It is a direct reflection on the platoon's leadership in doing their homework on a daily basis.
The PSD Soldiers live their lives "45 minutes-at-a-time," the same standard by which they must be at REDCON 1, or locked and loaded and ready to move out, added Hook.
"Every time they hear a blast (in the city), they start moving to the trucks. Often they have less than 45 minutes. The ability to remain flexible is a trademark of this platoon."
When they are not on a mission, they are busy preparing and training by conducting up-to-date intelligence and threat analysis, repeated battle-drill rehearsals, and fine tuning their reactions to every threat they believe they may encounter, explained Dockery.
In addition to mastering their individual skill sets, they work closely with the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion mechanics in maintaining the uparmored humvees, or gun trucks, which are their primary means of transportation around Ninevah province.
"Vehicle maintenance is one of those things that isn't flashy, but it's very important in what we do daily," said Spc. Logan M. Bayless, PSD member and primary driver for the commander's vehicle. "We absolutely cannot break down when we are out in sector; and we won't," added the Great Bend, Kan., native.
The function of a commander's personal guard is not a new concept and its roots can be traced back throughout the history of warfare.
Dating back 2,000 years, Roman generals would choose from the ranks a private force of soldiers to act as bodyguards. These specially chosen troops would consist of both infantry and cavalry soldiers and came to be known as the Praetorian Guard, in accordance with their number one duty, to safeguard the commanding general, or Praetor, of a Roman army in the field.
Today, that process retains some of its authenticity in that every Soldier assigned to the Long Knife Brigade PSD is an infantryman. Each was chosen for the position shortly after arriving at the 4th BCT and spent the full year prior to deployment training with each other.
Hand-picked from the individual battalions throughout the brigade, the PSD Soldiers strive for excellence in everything that they set out to do, said Dockery.
"We've had three winners from the battalion-level Soldier-of-the-Month boards, and we run a range once-a-week to stay proficient in reflexive fire and marksmanship, skills we may be called on to use at any time," Dockery added.
When asked what they liked best about being a member of such a close-knit and vital part of every operation the brigade commander participates in, they echoed responses, suggesting a maturity far beyond the few years that most have in service.
"Being a part of the PSD has allowed me to see what happens at the brigade level and how everything comes together to make each mission a success," said Spc. Derek A. Salinas, PSD member and native of San Antonio, who is also a vehicle driver. "We get to travel to places, meet VIPs, and see things here in Iraq that are once-in-a-lifetime things that most Soldiers don't get to experience."
Bontekoe added his personal motivation for the ongoing mission of the platoon.
"Flying out to places like the site of the [vehicle-borne improvised explosive device] attacks in Khahtaniya and Al-Jazeera a couple of months ago - seeing the bodies and the destruction caused by the terrorists - that really hits home and makes me want to continue this fight and to see everything through until the end."
"These men have the highest standards and take serious pride in their work," said Hook. "They probably won't receive the Bronze Star, or the Combat Infantryman's Badge, but they continue to perform to the standard, each and every day, with no complaints. I cannot be prouder of them; and it is my honor to serve alongside them."
The line of staggered vehicles slowly snakes its way through the dust-filled roads, passes the gate security guards, and slips out into the city. Gunners scan their sectors, drivers watch the roads, and everyone is hyper-aware that true danger will arrive the moment you let your guard down.
Just as their Roman counterparts did 2,000 years prior, the Soldiers of the Long Knife PSD continue to quietly execute their task of ensuring the safety of their commander and providing him the battlefield mobility needed to effectively conduct operations in a hostile environment.
Ask any one of them if it matters to them that they are not always recognized, and not the subjects of tall tales involving gun battles and explosions, and they will collectively tell you in response, "That means we're doing our job."
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2007 15:01 |
| Story ID: | 12764 |
| Location: | MOSUL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 350 |
| Downloads: | 278 |
This work, Long Knife PSD quietly ensures mission accomplishment, by Creighton Holub, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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