Photo By Sgt. Cassandra Monroe | Spc. Timothy Charles Anderson, an infantryman with the battalion commander's personal...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq — The morning air was still as the sun broke through the skies above the headquarters of 1st Battalion, 64th Armor, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, nicknamed "Rogue Country."
Although it seemed no one was around, the quiet sound of muffled voices coming from the battalion commander's personal security detachment could be heard in the distance as they prepared for the day's mission.
The team is made up of approximately 15 hand-picked Soldiers, and has supported this battalion since May of 2009. They started working together back home at Fort Stewart, Ga. The Soldiers were selected from different companies in the 1/64th Armor to be a part of the PSD, each of them bringing their own unique capabilities to the team.
"We pulled tankers, infantrymen, drivers ...a line medic, communication specialist and mechanic from the different companies," said Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Taylor, the platoon sergeant for the PSD. "They are the enablers that help us and help everyone in the battalion accomplish the mission whenever assistance is needed."
"Lt. Col. Richard Coffman, Command Sgt. Maj. Frankie Thumhart, the battalion commander and command sergeant major, Staff Sgt. Bryan Spears, the PSD squad leader, and myself built the PSD from nothing," Sgt. 1st Class Taylor said. He, along with Spears, ensures that all missions are planned, resourced and conducted properly.
A team like the PSD is not built overnight. Part of the initial training the Soldiers went through after being selected for the team included establishing internal standard operating procedures, sharpening their tactical soldiering skills, convoy training and rifle and gunnery marksmanship as well as going through a series of extensive exercises back at their home station.
"Kuwait is where we sealed the deal," Taylor said. "The team went through PSD-specific lanes, executing the procedures they had learned months prior to this deployment."
Part of the PSD's responsibilities include ensuring that Coffman and Thumhart have the ability to arrive anywhere in the "Rogue" area of operations safely and have the freedom of movement to successfully accomplish any mission, Sgt. 1st Class Taylor said.
Although some of these missions include providing security for the commander and command sergeant major while they conduct battlefield circulations throughout different areas, the PSD is not limited to these types of taskings.
"They are the asset that gives the battalion assistance to get certain personnel, such as the battalion chaplain or a subject matter expert, to the right place at the right time, securely," Coffman said.
Their job involves more than the safe transport of people. If supplies need to be delivered to certain remote checkpoints or bases, the PSD is that link to getting those missions accomplished. Other missions that the PSD supports include traveling to different checkpoints and working on company, battalion and brigade-level combined operations with Iraqi forces, as well as route security missions.
A typical day for the PSD starts out with the team meeting by their four Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and conducting preventative maintenance checks and services on them, making sure that there are no leaks, broken hoses or lines and that all systems work properly and nothing is out of place.
Once the proper maintenance checks have been made and deficiencies corrected, the team waits for the daily mission briefing; however, some days, the mission doesn't always go as planned.
If routes are suddenly declared "red," or unsafe, the team must find an alternate route or wait until the routes are "green," or safe, to travel upon.
If a mission is delayed, the troops don't hesitate to use the extra time. They stock up on items for the long day ahead and ensure the communication lines are working. Once these critical tasks are complete, the men find ways to have fun and relieve some stress. For some, that includes wrestling or a quick game of football, keeping morale high for the day.
As soon as the conditions are green, it only takes a single call to get the team geared up, on the trucks and ready to go. With their weapons postured correctly for their mission, the teams roll out past the wire, ready to complete their mission.
"The PSD has traveled over 7,900 miles — a great number of miles to have accomplished," Coffman said.
Being a member of the PSD, and the Army in general, requires Soldiers to be flexible with their time. Although some missions promise an early return, that might not always be the case.
"The PSD represents the entire battalion," Coffman said. "They have a mission and execute it every day. They are given a myriad of tasks and a tremendous amount to accomplish, and they get the job done, with little to no sleep at times."
For some, serving on the team is enough to make their deployment and time working on the PSD worthwhile.
"Just being able to serve the command team and make sure that they are able to do their thing is enough for me," said Spc. Christopher Norris, a vehicle mechanic with the 1/64th Armor.
One thing members of the PSD can agree on is the fact that being a part of this close-knit unit is like having family.
"We are pretty much family away from home," said Norris. "I like the people I work with. We work a lot, but we make it fun too. I enjoy being able to be a part of some of the outside missions besides working with tools and wrenches."
Another thing members of the PSD can agree on is the many years of deployment experiences they bring together. Many of the Soldiers are on their second, third or even fourth deployment, which helps add to the experience that makes the PSD so successful in their missions.
"This is a small specialty platoon, but it is a direct result of what we built," said Taylor, who is on his third deployment. "That's what makes this deployment with the PSD special to me. We shaped and trained them so that they would be on the same page of music."
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2010 05:39 |
| Story ID: | 45505 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, IQ |
| Web Views: | 771 |
| Downloads: | 645 |
This work, The Chosen Ones — Diverse team created for security missions in Iraq, by SGT Cassandra Monroe, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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