Troops gather below ensign in Fort Campbell.
Posted on 03/09/2003 4:11:51 AM PST by MadIvan
Troops gather below ensign in Fort Campbell. |
This the final exhortation to his troops before deployment.
The strangely soft voice of the enormously powerful Sergeant Major Richard Montcalm echoes across the parade square at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
It is an exhortation that sends a shiver of expectation through the ranks. They are going to war, writes Sky News correspondent Stuart Ramsay.
This is the home of the 101st Airborne Division - the "Screaming Eagles" - decorated in action form the 1st World War.
Its troops are the subject of the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks war drama, Band of Brothers, and Hollywood blockbuster Saving Private Ryan.
It is a battle group that prides itself on having one of the smallest alumni associations - small because most of their old boys die in action.
For the duration of the war in Iraq, if it happens, and they are certain it will, I am with the 101st.
More accurately I am assigned to the 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry Regiment, authorised by the Pentagon to be there and with a remit to report on anything I want, if I have the nerve.
"No Slack" is their motto - and you hear it constantly.
Soldiers greeting each officer, every passing, with a stiff armed salute and a bellowed "No Slack Sir." Usually it's "No f****ing Slack, Sir."
Their commander, 44-year-old Colonel Christopher Hughes, is a soldiers' soldier.
Not awfully tall but powerfully built, strict but friendly, his wry grin masks a furious sneer if things go wrong.
 The 101st: 22,000 soldiers, 275 helicopters, and 3,800 vehicles |
"But you've got to understand I swear, I curse, I get in trouble and I don't give a sh**.
"You are welcome but don't mess with me. Do you like running? Good - I'll see you at six tomorrow."
That was my introduction to the 101st.
Before dawn, in freezing temperatures far removed from the desert sands of Kuwait, I passed the first of many tests of commitment that were to follow.
A vigorous run with the colonel then a weights work-out with Sergeant Major Montcalm, a work-out that included him bench pressing a weight roughly equivalent to three of me.
"I'm not the prettiest Sergeant Major in the army, I'm not the cleverest, I'm not the most supple, but I am DEFINITELY the strongest," he says, his quite southern drawl lending a threatening edge to a boast I have no intention of doubting.
 Duty: the division was in Afghanistan during the war with the Taliban |
Pentagon planners were sick of the accusations of military spin and evasion of truth, and exasperated at the foul-ups by American networks who were supposed to distribute footage.
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld agreed that a relatively small number of media will be given full access to all action on the ground.
The proviso is that we have to deliver our footage without their help.
Modern technology such as the videophone and lap top computers that can edit broadcast quality pictures and send them to London through satellite phones makes this possible, just.
 Soldiers fly to Kuwait: they were told write their wills before leaving |
Being so close to the military certainly raises questions about impartiality, objectivity and censorship.
Colonel Hughes assures me I can write and say what I like, even if his battle plans prove to be a failure. I'm sure that will be tested to the limit, so too my relations with the men.
From Kentucky to Kuwait, I have travelled, slept, eaten and whiled away hours and hours with the men of the 327th.
For two days we were stuck in a tent while sandstorms raged outside. Relationships have developed and certainly they will consider any report that infers even the slightest criticism as a betrayal.
These men, there are no women, genuinely believe they are fighting on the side of good against evil. The tearful goodbyes to wives and girlfriends now consigned to another life.
A regime of physical training, chemical warfare drills and live fire exercise dominates everything.
The Screaming Eagles are preparing to face their destiny, once again.
Regards, Ivan
And I would expect that they wouldn't be happy if the reporters they have to protect whine and complain about them in their articles. Wouldn't anyone?
Ivan, this is a pretty good article. Sky News feeds to Fox News in the USA, so I would guess we will see some of this guy's video. Since the 101st is one of the first in, we should see some interesting stuff.
"Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door."
5.56mm
I agree. When and if the balloon goes up, it will be sudden, swift and without mercy. Our troops are hard and tough. The reporters will be falling out. There is no cafe late and MRE's do not come with a wine list. They have no idea what they are in for unless they wrestled.
Where is your trademark flag?
NPR's Burnett reported: "Our escorts for the week were mostly Army drill sergeants. They compared supervising correspondents to herding cats."
Hey, did y'all know that Southern drawls sound threatening to Brit reporters?
Actually the reporter must be pretty gutsy to want to go in with the 101st (hope he's not a drag on them), but that line just cracked me up.
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