Tank Crew Family

Photo By Maj. Anthony Buchanan | Members of 3rd Platoon Charlie Company 3-69 Armor 3rd Infantry Division pose for a family portrait. Their year-long deployment has strengthend their "family bond."  

12.19.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

2nd Lt. Anthony D. Buchanan
133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BRASSFIELD-MORA, Samarra (December 13, 2005) --They have just a few more weeks to go. Soon, they will have the luxury of having their own cars with the accessories they want in them. They will have the freedom of choice to go out and eat wherever and whenever their hearts desire. They will have the ability to spend their free time with their family and friends in their cozy, warm homes with a nice glass of cold beer while watching their favorite football teams give it their all leading up to Super Bowl Sunday.

These are a few of the many pleasures in life that a tank crew from 3ID's 3/69 Armor C Company 3rd Platoon here in FOB Brassfield-Mora will be able to enjoy within the coming weeks when they return home.

"Being away from the family and kids is the worst thing about being deployed," said Spc. Mike Rauch, the tank crew's gunner from Mariposa, Calif. "We've put our lives on hold for the past year, and the world keeps spinning, even though our lives are on hold."

The entire crew agreed with Rauch's statements about the bad things while deployed, but they also spoke about the good things.

"We fight over here, and it's not in America," said Rauch. "People that are home, like my family, don't have to see what I've seen. That's the best part about being over here."

"You build a better bond with your Soldiers," said Staff Sgt. Benjamin Ormand, the crew's tank commander from Somerville, N.J.

The lowest ranking member of the tank crew, Pfc. Andrew Queen, the crew's loader from Ocala, Fla., stated, "We're not a tank crew, we're a family."

A full year of constant and spineless attacks on the tank crew's home, the M1A1 tank, has only strengthened this family and pulled them closer together.

"We've been through just about everything the enemy could throw at us," said Ormand.
Rauch and Queen concurred.

The crew has been hit by 4 IEDs, 2 RPGs, 1 land mine and small arms fire numerous times. They just consider themselves lucky and strive to keep their tank mission capable. C company itself has had no deaths.

"We have had no loss of life due to good training and watching each other's back," said Ormand.

Rauch added to Ormand's statement saying, "Every platoon in our company understands that if you slack off, if you let these guys get an inch, not only does it hurt you, it hurts the platoon you're reliving and the platoon that's going to be reliving you."

Soon, the tank crew will return home and everything will be normal again, but don't think for a second that these guys are going to let their guard down. They'll fight until they're told not to for their country, their loved ones, and for their crew members, their family.

• Date Taken: 12.19.2005
• Date Posted: 12.19.2005 11:55
• Story ID: 4140