Skip to comments.
Face of Defense: Submarine Officer Serves in New Role
Face of Defense ^
| Spc. B. Todd Willis, USA
Posted on 01/05/2010 3:10:37 PM PST by SandRat
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Jan. 5, 2010 In wartime, servicemembers often are required to master and perform duties outside their area of expertise.
Navy Lt. David M. Bartles reviews a report of operations being conducted in eastern Afghanistan at the joint operations command center at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 30, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. B. Todd Willis (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. |
|
Navy Lt. David M. Bartles, 29, spent his three previous years of duty on a nuclear submarine. Now, hes the night-shift battle captain for the Combined Joint Task Force 82 information operations section.
Its definitely a big change from what I am used to, but its pretty exciting, Bartles said.
The information operations section works with other sections in the communications action group in a variety of duties, including generating content that appears on radio and television stations in eastern Afghanistan. Servicemembers who accept duties outside their area of expertise incur some unique challenges.
The most difficult thing thus far is the pace, Bartles said. You have to learn your job and the organization very quickly. Youre expected to be effective from Day One, and failure here can have profound effects.
His day-shift counterpart says Bartles has stepped up to the challenge effectively.
I am definitely surprised at how quickly Lieutenant Bartles made the transition from working on a nuclear submarine to this, said Army Lt. Christopher L. Hunt, day-shift information operations battle captain.
After earning a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Military Institute and a masters degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University, Bartles received two years of training in nuclear engineering in preparation for his duties on a submarine. During his six years serving in the Navy, Bartles has earned two Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Expeditionary Medals and five Overseas Service Awards.
The best thing about working on a submarine is the camaraderie, he said. The crew is pretty small, and we have to depend on each other to get through the day. We build strong relationships by sharing the hardships of life underwater.
Still, Bartles said, opportunities to get off the sub were welcome during deployments.
Port calls arent anything new to the Navy, but we ended up spending six weeks in Perth, Australia, one time, he said. The city was awesome. It had friendly people and beautiful beaches and an exciting nightlife. Also, I won a poker tournament and took a tour of southwest Australia, hopping from one park to the next.
Bartles grew up in Falling Water, W.Va. He has two sisters and a brother, who also serves in the Navy.
The hardest part of military service for me is being away from my family and friends, Bartles said. I have been able to keep in touch using the Internet, and it will be nice to take the family out for dinner when I get home.
Though his duty here has been a new experience, Bartles said, hes learned a great deal from it.
Ive gotten to work with people from other services and field areas, he explained. This has given me a better perspective on our effort here in Afghanistan.
(Army Spc. B. Todd Willis serves in the Combined Joint Task Force 82 public affairs office.)
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; frwn; role; submariner
1
posted on
01/05/2010 3:10:37 PM PST
by
SandRat
To: Clive; girlangler; fanfan; DirtyHarryY2K; Tribune7; manic4organic; U S Army EOD; Chode; tillacum; ..
FR WAR NEWS!
If you would like to be added to / removed from FRWN,
please FReepmail Sandrat.
WARNING: FRWN can be an EXTREMELY HIGH-VOLUME PING LIST!!
2
posted on
01/05/2010 3:11:22 PM PST
by
SandRat
(Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
To: SandRat
VMI, But Non-Academy...
Sounds like he’s smart enough to know that a combat tour will give him a leg up on the promotions board.
3
posted on
01/05/2010 3:17:22 PM PST
by
tcrlaf
("Hope" is the most Evil of all Evils"-Neitzsche)
To: SandRat
Battle Captain is just another staff job. Any officer should in any branch of the military should be able to do it.
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson