Photo By Staff Sgt. Samantha Simmons | Pvt. Clinton Bryant, a Fallon, Nev., native and military policeman assigned to 501st...... read more read more
BAGHDAD -- "I just couldn't wait to start doing what the recruiters showed me in videos," said Pfc. Gabriel Fain.
The Hartford, Mich., native and military policeman assigned to 501st Military Police Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Armored Division, has realized it doesn't take long for a Soldier's hopes to become reality.
Fain is one of the newest 501st MP recruits who have shifted out of a training role and settled into a routine at Camp Liberty.
While several new Soldiers washed the windows and mirrors of their Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles, others checked radios and prepared weapons, mounting M240B machine guns in their gunner hatches and ensuring their weapons had the full combat load of ammunition. Once the privates lined up their vehicles, a lieutenant talked to them about the mission.
The Soldiers then climbed into their vehicles, performed final checks, and the convoy commander chanted over the radio, "Three-two-one…run!" This is a daily scenario for the 7th Platoon squad-sized element comprising 12 Soldiers, four who are new privates, and a new lieutenant; 2nd Lt. Tricia Tricia Thibodeau.
A Gainesville, Ga., native and 7th Platoon's officer in charge, Thibodeau came into the company as a platoon leader, fresh out of officer training.
"My squad leader, Sgt. [Trip] Linton, took us all under his wing and brought us up to speed quickly," said Thibodeau. "We started doing missions about four weeks after they stood us up as a squad."
During the four weeks leading up to missions, Thibodeau's team conducted a lot of training, including developing standing operating procedures, or SOPs, which provide the unit with a "playbook" on how to react during different scenarios they encounter.
"We had to create our own squad-specific SOPs for any events that could occur in sector … and then make sure that everyone in the squad was comfortable with those SOPs," Thibodeau said. "There was never really a rough stage, we just started going."
Linton, a Savannah, Ga., native and the senior noncommissioned officer in the platoon, concurred with Thibodeau's assessment of the platoon.
"All of my Soldiers have impressed me," Linton said.
They traveled to the International Zone in downtown Baghdad for their first few missions to familiarize the squad with travelling in a convoy, but they soon came to know the roads beyond.
The first time Thibodeau felt challenged was on the long road to Joint Security Station Ur shortly after starting missions.
During the trip, the squad was faced with several challenges. One of the vehicles in their convoy broke down right outside Victory Base Complex, followed by the breakdown of the vehicle used in recovering the disabled vehicle. Thibodeau faced several challenging decisions, such as finding a new route at the last minute.
"Despite the frustrations of having our trucks break down on us and then having to find JSS Ur, which none of us had been to, I was extremely proud of the squad that day," said Thibodeau. "[The Soldiers] showed that even when a mission doesn't go as smoothly as hoped for, [they] could still pull their weight."
Fain said the missions got his blood pumping.
"I've been waiting since I signed up for the Army to do what I'm doing now," said Fain.
Along with the countless videos a recruiter showed Fain, the recruiter also told him there's no limit to what he could do as a young private because of his eagerness to learn, said Fain.
"I'm out there driving Humvees, MRAPs and big old trucks that I never thought I'd be able to drive. … I guess I'm doing pretty good at it," said Fain as he smiled and pointed to his chest, where a new private-first-class rank hung. He earned his promotion May 1. The squad members have been pushing each other, not just as individuals, but as a team. According to Linton, the privates are always willing to jump in and help each other out, and they have bonded well with the rest of the squad.
Their primary mission is to act as a general support squad, which calls for them to travel all over the Baghdad area, transporting passengers where they need to go.
"It's my job as a private to drive them as safe as I can," said Fain. "It's all about their security; it's up to us to keep our [passengers] safe."
Fain feels a great sense of pride knowing he's responsible for Soldiers that outrank him.
"I'm only 19 years old and [some passengers] may be more experienced than me," said Fain. "We're really in command of the people we escort."
Fain said he realizes and appreciates the accomplishments he's made already as a private: "I get to be those guys in the videos I watched."
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.25.2010 13:02 |
| Story ID: | 50252 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 153 |
| Downloads: | 119 |
This work, New military police platoon stands up, tackles security missions, by SSG Samantha Simmons, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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