Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Scott | Members of the 103rd Personal Security Detachment put on their gear before travelling...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — The 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Personnel Security Detachment embarked on its final mission March 6. It was a three-day escort mission to various sites throughout Baghdad and other areas around Iraq.
“It was great that it was our last mission,” said 1st Lt. Kyle Reed, the officer in charge of the PSD and a Tampa, Fla., native.
However, Reed went on to say that it was also a sad event because it would be the last mission for a group of soldiers that had developed into a “close-knit” team.
There was no shortage of testimony from the members of the team to support Reed’s assertions of the bond between them.
“We’ve got a good team,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Kellaris, a driver with the PSD. “They’re good guys, the kind of guys you can trust.”
The foundations for this teamwork and trust were built while the PSD members were completing additional pre-deployment training at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., and Fort Hood, Texas, said Kellaris, a Des Moines, Iowa, native.
The PSD is comprised completely of volunteers, and a majority of those soldiers work with the command staff of the 103rd ESC, said Reed.
Being a part of this team essentially causes its members to perform double-duty because when they come back from a mission, they still have to perform their other jobs, he said.
During pre-mobilization, Brig. Gen. Mark Corson, the commanding general of the 103rd ESC, requested that this “internal PSD” be stood up to facilitate ground movement for 103rd key leaders, said Reed.
Staff members being transported on this mission included Command Sgt. Maj. LeRoy Haugland, the senior enlisted leader of the 103rd ESC, and Sgt. Maj. Timothy Sallach, the logistics sergeant major with the 103rd ESC. They were conducting an operational environment circulation.
“Our internal PSD helped make it a special trip for me,” said Haugland, a Cresco, Iowa, native. “I was very pleased with their professionalism.”
For the PSD, this statement was repetitively familiar .
“I’ve heard nothing but ‘we wish we would ride with you guys all the time’ just because of the quality and professionalism of these soldiers,” said Reed. “It’s amazing. I just feel lucky to be a part of it.”
In spite of the many compliments this team has received for its proficiency and attention to detail, Kellaris insists the key to their success has been their camaraderie.
“The guy in the turret, the guy who’s driving, the guy who’s sitting there beside you; you have to know these guys are your brothers,” said Kellaris. “Regardless of background, this is [a] family, and you’re always going to look out for family.”
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Lensch, the PSD non-commissioned officer-in-charge, echoed Kellaris’ sentiment as he discussed the Family he left behind during the unit’s deployment.
“It does fill the void a little bit from being away from our Families that we are such a close group,” said Lensch, a Des Moines, Iowa, native.
During this final mission, evidence of the dual philosophies that drive the PSD could be seen in the interaction between its team members.
Tuesday evening when its final convoy came to a halt in Balad, so did the mission of the 103rd ESC PSD. However, this won’t alter the bond that has been built or the sense of accomplishment and pride in the mission that its members shared.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2011 06:58 |
| Story ID: | 66970 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 235 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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