Families, Soldiers gather for Town Hall

Photo By Sgt. Jennifer Roux | Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow, the senior non-commissioned officer for Multi-National Division – Baghdad, alongside his ever-present sidekick, the "Cav Kid," conducts a live Town Hall meeting via satellite with family members at Fort Hood, Texas. It was an early day for the sergeant major; the 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, start time in Texas required him to conduct the meeting at 2:30 a.m. in Baghdad, March 22.  

FORT HOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

03.22.2007

Courtesy Story

1st Cavalry Division

By Sgt. Joy Pariante
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas – More than 300 1st Cavalry Division families and Soldiers gathered at the Fort Hood Catering and Conference Center, March 21, to ask the downrange leadership some questions about their deployed troops during the First Team's monthly Town Hall forum.

This month's speaker was Command Sgt. Maj. Philip Johndrow, Multi-National Division and the First Team's command sergeant major, 1st Cav. Div. He answered questions from the audience about medical care, Iraqi security forces and when families might expect their Soldiers home.

Many questions revolved around the possibility of an early homecoming for the First Team. Johndrow replied that he hadn't heard anything about the possibility of that.

Audience members were also curious about the Iraqi security forces that 1st Cav. has been training.

"They've grown in leaps and bounds," Johndrow said. "They continue to progress and improve every day." In addition to training, First Team Soldiers have been working at the Joint Security Stations with Iraqis and coalition forces in order to get out on the street and build a partnership with the locals to get tips on suspected terrorist operations.

Johndrow also touched on the combat hospitals and the Soldiers he's spent time with there. He said these Soldiers are most concerned with how their fellow Soldiers are doing and making sure they get to recover and stay downrange in the fight. Few injured Soldiers want to be evacuated, Johndrow said. In the Soldiers' eyes "they came over as a team and made a commitment to go home as a team," Johndrow explained.

As per popular audience request, Johndrow described to the crowd what a day in the life of their Soldiers was like. He explained how busy the entire division has been with ongoing operations. He ensured families that this was the reason they weren't hearing from loved ones as often as they did at the beginning of the deployment. And he thanked the families for all their support while "playing mom and dad and keeping the home fires burning."

March's Town Hall was rounded out with videos and photo slideshows from Iraq, a viewing of the newest installment of 1st Cav's news show, Cav Country, and an informational segment from the director of Army Knowledge Online, Col. James Barrineau.

Barrineau came to encourage more family members to join the AKO network. AKO offers more secure e-mail as well as instant and video messaging that's easily accessible to family members and Soldiers downrange, Barrineau said. He also discussed with the crowd some common AKO issues and what his team is doing to solve them.

Town Hall forums are open to all members of the 1st Cav. family. They are hosted monthly at the Fort Hood Catering and Conference Center.

• Date Taken: 03.22.2007
• Date Posted: 03.22.2007 10:07
• Story ID: 9572
• Location: FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US