An Eye on the Road and a Hand on the Wheel:Soldiers share their reflections of what it means to face fear and give meaning in the wake of loss

Photo By Capt. Kevin Levesque | Sgt. Terry R. Glover from Memphis Tenn., with "B" Battery, Regimental Fires Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) inspects his vehicle before departure.  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION MAREZ, IRAQ

05.05.2010

Story by Capt. Kevin Levesque 

278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard

CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION MAREZ, Iraq – It's night time on Contingency Operating Location Marez and a Convoy Security Team of "B" Battery, Regimental Fires Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment are suited up and doing their last minute equipment checks in preparation for tonight's mission to COB Speicher.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Charles Christopher Huffstetler, from Memphis, Tenn. does the pre-mission brief. A last minute Intel dump reveals what every member already knows and despite the increase in attacks that took the lives of two soldiers just days earlier, the look of determination is well fixed on their faces. Above the sound of the engines you can hear laughter, view a last minute impromptu group huddle followed by a prayer, and then everyone mounts up and heads out.

The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle offers a lot in the way of protection but it is not the most comfortable ride in the Army. But comfort is soon forgotten when you are looking behind every check point, piece of trash, and bridge for signs of an enemy placed improvised explosive device. The gunner Sgt. William R. Quinn and the truck commander, Sgt. Carl Morton, both from Memphis, Tenn. are in constant communication throughout the night's journey. "Hey do you see that", says Sgt. Morton. "Yeah I got it" says Sgt. Quinn as he swings his M2 .50 CAL machine gun 90 degrees to cover the area of interest. A parked car, an area usually well lit but not tonight, or a group on a hill overlooking our convoy; all are things that can keep the team on their toes. After about six hours of hyper vigilance, the team escorts her flock of tractor trailers safely behind the protected walls of COB Speicher.

Seven thousand miles from home, a road trip on spring break, or summer drive on a Tennessee country road are far away from this place in the desert. However, such reflections are near in the minds of a few on the team once they stop to rest up for the return trip. During a trip to the to the Post Exchange, Spc. David Baker from Memphis, Tenn., opens up about his life experiences and how they helped him become a better soldier. After losing a close friend in a car accident, he realized that he needed to reexamine his life and what he wanted out of it. Baker's friend, Kylen Bares from Memphis was almost 26-years-old when a drunk driver hit and killed him. An engineer from Vanderbilt, Bares had a promising future which was snuffed out in an instant. Baker struggled to make sense of his friend's death and found meaning through the Army Corps values and his faith.

"I dealt with it with a little bit of alcohol but then took a step back and took a leadership role by concentrating on family and friends and making sure that everyone else was taken care of …I was more concerned with making sure that everyone else was in a good state of mind …" Baker said. "About a month after is when I let my guard down and broke down myself. It was a hard situation but it was one of those things that God put in my path and something that I had to go through."

Baker and others on his team feel that they are making a difference, like twenty-one year old Pfc. Terrance Price from Memphis, Tenn. "I actually do feel like I am making a difference… people were getting hurt and now there are fewer casualties," he said.

A reminder of those more fearful times is right across the street on COB Speicher in a soccer stadium where members of the Iraqi Soccer team were rumored to be murdered. Whether or not it is the place of the crime the bombed structure is a reminder of sports under the old regime and what is known is that athletes were routinely tortured for mistakes during competition, some even murdered. Almost a decade later, the Olympic team thrives and has its eyes on the world cup.

After another huddle and last minute prayer, we mount up for the return trip "home". When asked if there is any fear Baker's honesty prevails,

"There is fear … Yeah I would like to come home in one piece … but you can't let fear rule you … You have more appreciation for the little things like taking a breath of fresh air. You don't worry about it because it's one of the things that God put in my path because He knows I can handle it," he says.

As Operation Iraqi Freedom winds down, the men and woman of "B" Battery are handling it, finding meaning in the monotony, and hope for even a greater Iraqi future.

• Date Taken: 05.05.2010
• Date Posted: 05.05.2010 02:16
• Story ID: 49143
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING LOCATION MAREZ, IQ