Posted on 07/18/2004 5:09:54 AM PDT by don-o
Sadness overwhelming as 278th heads out on 'great adventure'
Sunday, July 18, 2004
By WILLIAM D. JESSIE
EDITOR'S NOTE-Capt. William D. Jessie today begins the first of a series of columns. Jessie is a member of 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, which has been deployed for active duty in the war on terrorism.
His company is based in Kingsport, and his occasional columns will appear in Sunday editions of the Times-News.
The column will not be a news report about military operational developments in the war on terror. That's not the focus. It will be way for Tri-Cities readers to experience some of the behind-the-scenes events of military life and look at what their friends and family members assigned to the 278th are doing.
Jessie, 40, is a Speedwell, Tenn., resident. In civilian life, he teaches economics and government at Cumberland Gap High School.
He is a 1982 graduate of Powell Valley High School, served three years on active duty with the U.S. Army, and was Claiborne County deputy sheriff while completing his education. Jessie has a master's degree in education.
He was commissioned in 1989 and is commanding officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, Second Battalion, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
The 278th is one of only two armored cavalry regiments in the United States military - the other is an active-duty unit.
20 JUNE 2004
0500 - Wake up. Move to the armory with sleepy-eyed children in tow.
Father's Day. A time of celebration and joy for most people. Today for us, the troopers of 2nd Squadron 278 Armored Cavalry Regiment it is a time of sadness. We move out on a great adventure. (I shall call it a great adventure for the time being. Mission seems too ominous, too foreboding.)
Many of our brothers have already departed the AO, (area of operation) to get a head start on our new AO in Camp Shelby, Mississippi. We have the vehicles in line and ready to move. There will be a short ceremony as we hold our last formation at the armory for a long time.
I know that for me, I must keep moving. I cannot let the emotion catch up to me. I feel the hounds of sadness baying, hot on my trail. They are attempting to capture me and overwhelm me with smothering thoughts that I do not need at this time. I gotta keep moving. I can't even look at my wife and children. Their confused and sad little faces will forever be burned into my heart. Keep moving, Captain. Keep moving. With the pretense of checking the vehicles, checking the office, and using the latrine, I am moving prey to the hounds. I keep them away.
0725 - Count vehicles. Commo (communication) checks. Lt. Col. McCauley's niece Brooke Blessing is singing "Wind beneath My Wings." I have to keep moving. The sadness is unbearable.
I give a command that I thought that I would always want to give "Saddle Up." Somehow as my youth fades, the words do not seem as glorious and sexy as I had imagined.
Flags line West Stone Drive. People, family and friends stand a long line down the street. Patriots all.
0755 - I get one last hug from the girls. One last hug and kiss from my wife. The hounds are close. Maybe if I can get mounted and on the move I can focus on our adventure and elude the persistent hounds and eventually lose them.
0800 - We leave the armory. I salute every flag and child that I can see. I must look at the road and concentrate on the convoy operation. West Stone to 181 to I-81. The flags are everywhere. America. What a grand country! Americans! What a splendid people!
We link up with elements of our sister units from Irwin and Bristol on I-81. Good linkup. No major problems. We proceed south. It seems that even the trees stand at attention. They appear a bit more straight and tall today. They are so green and beautiful. I drink in the beauty of my Tennessee. Our Tennessee. I shall also miss her so. Through Knoxville, then Chattanooga. I have evaded those hounds of sadness for the time being. The radio chatters at checkpoints all through the convoy. We have good communications throughout so far. The Tennessee line appears ahead. I radio back through the convoy and tell the men to take one last look at our home. The radio goes silent. Every man is occupied with his own thoughts.
The hills of Tennessee fade behind us as Georgia greets us temporarily. We travel through Alabama and rally up in Birmingham. All the sheep are in the fold. We sleep.
0800 - Birmingham.
We leave out and proceed on toward our destination. We encounter no major setbacks. We arrive at Shelby a bit before dark and have a short parade in front of the Squadron and Regimental COs. We salute and head toward the motor pool. Time quickly flies and we try to get everyone laid down somewhere. There are so many of them. It takes a bit of management but we somehow get them all laid down for the night. Not perfect but at least safe. Soldier skills needed now. Make due and improve over time. Patience is the key.
22 JUNE 2004
0500 - Wake up. Chow. Personal hygiene.
We go through all the checks to make sure the soldier is prepared to deploy. We check everything from check deposits to power of attorney and all the health and welfare items that can be imagined. It is a long process. We jump through these hoops for three days. Then we prepare for platoon base defense on 25 June.
25 JUNE 2004
Platoon base defense. We must prepare the platoons for defense of a FOB (forward operating base). I have eight platoons and the task seems overwhelming. We have been broken down until two platoons will train together and the rest will be placed into three platoons. I feel at times I have too many men in my unit. This training event shows me that I can never have enough. My First Sergeant, Jim Judkins and I decide to put the platoons in three elements. HQ platoon under 1 Sgt. Everheart. Support Platoon from Rogersville under 1 LT Gary Price and SFC Shockley and Maintenance under SFC Powers. We wind up taking 47 vehicles to the training site and the instructors are overwhelmed at our size. We arrive at about 2130 and begin to circle the training site. The NCO and captain who meet us are impressed. Most HHT (headquarters and headquarters troop - cavalry units) elements are notorious for a lack of uniform discipline. The captain made a comment as the mammoth convoy passed him and completely engulfed his training site, "I have watched many National Guard convoys and this is the first HHT I have ever seen that EVERY single soldier is in uniform, every gun is manned and every helmet is on their heads." I was very proud. We got the convoy in the perimeter and laid the troops down for the night.
I shall tell of platoon base defense next time.
The hounds have laid down for the night. I am too tired to be sad.
Highlander 6 out. (Highlander 6 is military radio jargon meaning the communication is finished. Highlander 6 is his radio call sign.)
bump
Ping
BTTT!!!!!!
God bless the heroes...may they return safely to the arms of their loved ones.
Thanks for the ping, don-o!!
Please feel free to ping me to anything you might find on the 278th. I have a local young man who's with them lined up as an "adoptee" once they get overseas. Hopefully care packages and news from home will help keep the hounds from baying too closely at his heels.
Bookmarking plus e-mailing this to some of my friends in this area. :-)
Thanks for the ping!
Ping-a-ling, gang!
I just said goodbye to two of my classmates Friday, who have rejoined their buds in the 278th.
One hard-charging E-4, and one very laid-back E-5.
I am going to be following Highlander 6's exploits.
Follow the link to visit a page dedicated and updated with news and articles for the 2/278th and the 190th ENGR CO.
http://www.angelfire.com/tn3/278thacrfrg
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