Ohio scout Non-Commissioned Officer leading way for 1/36 Inf. Regt.

Photo By Master Sgt. Duff E. Mcfadden | Staff Sgt. Jeremiah McLaurine, a senior scout with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1/36 Inf., calls for a quick "time out" while training Iraqi army soldiers. McLaurine, a resident of Lima, Ohio, instructed the Soldiers on the finer points of air mobile operations at Joint Security Station India, in Al Kindi, Iraq.  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ

03.22.2010

Story by Master Sgt. Duff E. Mcfadden 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — Non-commissioned officers have long been the backbone of the U.S. Army. A competent NCO serves as a role model for today's Soldiers, providing mentorship, professionalism, tactical skills and knowledge.

When you place an NCO in a unique situation, such as training Iraqi army soldiers on the finer points of air mobile operations, the heart and soul of the enlisted ranks embraces the challenge.

For five days, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah A. McLaurine, a senior scout with the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, and his fellow scouts trained members of the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga on air mobile techniques at Joint Security Station India in northern Iraq.

These topics ranged from perimeter and landing zone security, loading and unloading an aircraft, to movement formations and detainee operations.

"What the Iraqis are getting out of this training is being able to take their leadership and provide direction for their soldiers, and their soldiers listening to and following that instruction, not just from the officers in the Iraqi army, but from the enlisted personnel, as well," McLaurine said. "The biggest thing the American Soldiers are getting from this training is providing leadership and direction for an Army that's not used to having it come from enlisted Soldiers."

Success in combat comes down to such training, he noted, and leading Soldiers from the front.

"I feel you need to train, train and train hard," he said. "You train the first time so people become familiar with it. You train the second time, so you begin to see results. You train harder, so that way, you're saving lives during combat."

McLaurine, a 28-year-old native of Lima, Ohio, joined the Army in October 2000 following graduation from Lima Senior High School, as a cavalry scout. He said he didn't have a lot going back home, other than a job in fast food, or a warehouse

"I wanted to do a lot more with my life," he said, "I wanted to do better than that."

The reason he's in the military, he added, is because of his father, who passed away when he was 11-years-old.

"He was leaving the house one day and asked me what I was going to do with my life," he said. "Not really having made a decision, the Army came to mind, so I told him that. When I stood up to look out the door to see where he was going, I saw him on his way to an ambulance. That was the last time I saw him. So I just knew, once I graduated from high school, I'd join the military."

"Ten years ago, I joined the Army. After my first enlistment, I decided to stay in, because home isn't somewhere I missed. There's been so many reasons, but what started it off 10 years ago, was because of my father."

And, he adds, he's never looked back upon that fateful decision.

"I'm very thankful for what I have. I have a car and a house and I get paid twice a month. My family and my son are taken care of. In many ways, I'm very blessed."

In the meantime, there's Soldiers to train. Each individual is different, so it's a matter of an NCO recognizing what motivates a particular Soldier.

"Some people don't respond to constructive criticism," McLaurine said. "Most of the time, though, a lot of yelling will simply cause a person to shut down; but, when NCOs are responsible for a task not being completed, then you have to hold them accountable. In other words, don't give broken or empty promises.

"It's all about treating everybody with respect," he continued. "You have to try to take care of everyone how you want to be taken care of. Don't be afraid to make people pay for their mistakes."

Upon his return from his current deployment, he'll return to Fort Campbell, Ky., where he'll serve as an air assault instructor. After that, he hopes to attend drill sergeant school, followed by warrant officer school, where he looks to become a flight or maintenance warrant officer.

Until then, McLaurine will be leading his Soldiers from the front.

• Date Taken: 03.22.2010
• Date Posted: 03.22.2010 04:09
• Story ID: 46981
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ