Photo By Staff Sgt. Alfred V. Lopez | Sergeant Paul Bushnell, a 29-year-old infantryman assigned as a Sergeant of the Guard...... read more read more
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CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan – As he walks towards a defensive post, a Marine identifies himself.
He bellows, “S-O-G, S-O-G!”
The Marines on post quickly recognize the visitor, and begin their report. He listens attentively, and heads into the post.
Before anything else, he first asks his Marines, “How are you guys holding up?”
“I’m a sergeant of Marines,” said Sgt. Paul Bushnell, 29-year-old infantryman assigned as a Sergeant of the Guard with the base defense and operations center here. “Every Marine below me, I have to take care of.”
The native of Helena, Ala. does exactly that, and then some.
Camp Dwyer is one of the biggest hubs for military operations in southern Helmand. It is home to various units of the Marine Air Ground Task Force supporting counterinsurgency operations and reconstruction and development projects in the Marjah, Garmsir, Nawa and Khan Neshin districts.
As SOG, Bushnell must ensure every defensive post here is prepared for anything.
Continuous preventative maintenance to the physical structure of the posts and their communications equipment is essential.
“I carry nails and a hammer in the back of my vehicle,” said Bushnell. “I’m constantly going between the posts, fixing communications, repairing their post and checking for security risks.”
The high temperatures and harsh sandstorms of the desert environment have taken a toll on the posts. The climate is especially unforgiving for radio equipment, as extreme heat reduces battery life and sand can wreak havoc on a radio’s internal components.
“The SOG duty here is a never-ending revolving door of stuff to do,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Maslauskas, the BDOC Guard Chief and native of Newington, Conn. with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. “By his ability to be flexible, he’s been able to accomplish anything we’ve thrown at him.”
Not all of the Marines on base defense are infantrymen. They all hold different military occupational specialties, and are sent to stand post on BDOC by the various units working aboard Dwyer.
Bushnell, who is on loan to BDOC from Regimental Combat Team 5, makes it his priority to remind every Marine on post that once they assume their duty, they’re riflemen above anything else.
“They’re generator mechanics, communications specialists and every other MOS,” said Bushnell. “Every Marine is a rifleman, but a lot of them have never touched a crew served weapon.”
All the posts have at least one crew-served weapon, be it a .50 caliber machinegun or an automatic grenade-launcher.
“I teach and quiz them everyday on how to employ their weapon effectively,” said Bushnell. “I teach them basic defensive tactics to make them more efficient and make their stay at BDOC educational.”
While making his rounds on post, the SOG asks his Marines weapons and infantry oriented questions, testing their knowledge on topics he has covered.
Weapon proficiency and maintenance, sectors of fire and escalation of force procedures are some of the things they get tested on, Bushnell said.
“I try to teach them the basics,” Bushnell said. “They make sure nothing happens to us on base, so I make sure nothing happens to them.”
The readiness and well being of his junior Marines – as they are Camp Dwyer’s first line of defense – are Bushnell’s top priorities.
“Sgt. Bushnell’s sole purpose in life is to make every one of his junior Marines better,” said Cpl. Jared Elkins, a 23-year-old signal, intelligence and communications specialist with RCT-5 and a native of Oceanside, Calif. “When he gets off work, he doesn’t really get off.”
“He has Marines that come to him asking advice… from personal things to basic Marine Corps knowledge,” Elkins added.
Bushnell will continue to make his rounds, making sure his Marines on post are ready for anything.
“I just do what I’m supposed to do,” Bushnell said. “And I make sure that all of my boys do what they’re supposed to do too.”
Sergeant Paul Bushnell graduated from Lyman Ward Military Academy in Camp Hill, Ala. in 2000. His parents are Bill and Julie Bushnell. He resides in Twentynine Palms, Calif. with his wife, Sarah, and his 4-year-old son, Evan.
Editor’s note: RCT-5 is assigned to 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2011 07:13 |
| Story ID: | 79608 |
| Location: | CAMP DWYER, AF |
| Web Views: | 269 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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