Courtesy Photo | Indiana Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Brown talks with Indiana’s...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Tommi Meyer
INDIANAPOLIS - Record low temperatures greeted members of Indiana’s Regional Corps Training Team - 2 Sunday, Dec. 5, when the unit landed at the Indianapolis International Airport after a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan and a multi-day trip across the ocean to home.
Finally a quick bus ride brought the 18-member unit to a warm welcome by family and friends.
Commander Col. Ken Ring, Pendleton, Ind., joined his wife, Beth, and two daughters as he recounted his experience of serving with seasoned Soldiers.
“We handpicked the folks that went on this tour; they were all very motivated, very experienced and very dedicated. And of course,” he added, “when the families are behind the Soldiers you can do just about anything.”
Soldiers with the RCTT-2 were tasked with a wide set of responsibilities in their partnering mission with Afghan national security forces.
“We are a special team designed to work and live with the Afghan security force, primarily the Army,” said Ring. “Our job was to mentor, train and operate with the Afghan forces.”
That close relationship was key in the unit’s success according to Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Brown, the senior enlisted soldier with the RCTT-2.
“We are a corps partnering team,” said Brown, Indianapolis. “Working with them (Afghans) on how to grow their Army, train it, fight it.”
“It takes time and patience,” he said.
According to two engineering Soldiers in the unit, that patience and training helped the team accomplish the mission.
“It was rewarding to finally see them get it; to have a project go from concept through design and the construction process; to have an idea when we got there and when we leave it’s actually a building and an Afghan capability,” said Maj. John Pitt, Valparaiso, Ind., engineer officer speaking about the Afghan non-commissioned officer academy built during the deployment.
According to Pitt and Sgt. 1st Class Kirk Brownson, there were challenges to the process, but the specialized training they received at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Indiana helped with communication and relational challenges.
“Being partnered at the corps level the best training we received was key leader engagement training,” said Pitt of the specialized training the unit requested. “We took Dari (language) courses, negotiation courses and key leader courses.”
“By the end of the tour I was starting to realize that the best way to do things was to just plant seeds ... then leave. I would come back, and it would be implemented,” said Brownson, Valparaiso, Ind. “It’s very much a pride thing and wanting it to be their idea.”
This helped when trying to encourage the Afghan forces to work toward a more successful model according to Pitt.
“American NCO’s are professional enough to get the job done. Afghan NCO’s aren’t there yet, but we are helping them get there,” said Pitt.
According to the commander, it all comes back to people.
“We just had a really good group,” said Ring. “Both this side (home) of the war and the other side.”
Brown, who shares six children, their spouses, and eight grandchildren with wife, Cheryl, echoes the commander’s sentiment on strong bonds at home and what it takes to make any Soldier a success.
“The Soldier is a family unit; one piece just goes forward into the war. “We,” he said motioning to his wife, “are one soldier, right here.”
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2010 10:51 |
| Story ID: | 61503 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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