Trust...

US soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol in the village of al-Wajihiya, 30 kms away from the restive city of Baquba, northeast of Baghdad. (ALI YUSSEF/AFP/Getty Images)

Happy Saturday...

This morning, I stumbled across an interesting article that made me think of Chris and all the warriors with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Iraq. For most of us, our day-to-day jobs do not require us to trust someone with our life. However, for our loved ones...trust and knowing someone has your back is how they live 24x7.

Who do you trust with your life?

Grab a cup of hot java and read a story about U.S. Army warriors, just like ours with the 2nd SCR, and how they began the process of building trust that is characterized by the statement...I got your back.

As you read it reflect on our warriors in the 2nd SCR and how they live each day...

Trust..."If you do it well, other people will give you the earth. If you betray them, they will hunt you to the ends of the earth."

From Blog-ah by Ken Swarner

15 February 2008

Be aware

Making my way up the hill, I turned around and saw the men gritting their teeth and pumping their arms as if they were pushing through a pool of mud. We reached the top of the hill, and we circled up. The fresh faces from 3 miles ago were gone. Now there were rosy cheeks and drenched PT shirts and hard breathing men.

As we stretched, I talked to the young men about my experiences on the ground in Iraq, about the importance of staying the proper distance back when on patrol. As we made our way down the road, I instructed them to spread out in a foot patrol formation. As we ran down the road, I discussed how important it was to trust the man next to you with your life. “I know we all don’t get along, but for fifteen months you’re married to the men around you. So it’s wise to learn about those around you and trust them.”

As we came down the hill, I instructed them to run backwards down the hill, putting their trust in me that I wouldn’t have them falling on their rears. As they started to run backwards, one by one they instinctively turned their necks slightly around to see where they were going. I barked at the top of my lungs. “Are you kidding me? You think I am going to let any one of you men trip, fall and land on your silly butts? You must trust me, men, that I can get you down this hill safely.” After some time every one of them was on track with what I was saying, and they all made it down the hill without even a misstep.

As we started to get going, I continued telling them about how important it is to stay the proper distance back in walking or running patrol. I summed it up: “Men, just think distance saves lives. Grenades, IEDS, sniper fire, and other unpredictable things might come up while on the roads.” I went on by telling them that on my first patrol I had learned quickly that falling behind in a patrol can cause you to not be able to hear the command from your leader.

I was running in the middle, and I noticed the men were talking to each other, helping each other, making sure everyone was doing the right thing. I instructed the men to come to a stop and told them to look around and tell me what they saw. Everyone started talking at once. I held up my hand as if I was in school, and they all shut up. “Who’s taking the lead on this exercise?” They all looked around at each other. “I am.” I looked back, and there one of the smallest guys in the group spoke up. I walked back to him, “You need to ask these men what they see in the woods and if there is any way we can get out of here another way.” He walked down the road and started asking the men.

After three minutes or so, he came back to me and gave me the update. They all saw in the distance a white building and what looked like a fence. I said to the young solider, “Hey, it’s time to step and get us out of here. Let’s see you lead.” He looked at me with a blank stare. “Hey, what’s going to happen when everyone who has led you is on the ground dead, dying or whatever? You need to start now to think ahead of the game.” I stopped and turned around. “Men, it’s not like the movies. The hero doesn’t always make it to the end; you must be ready at anytime to step up and have courage to lead.” The young man next to me was looking at the ground thinking. I walked over to him and asked, “Hey, are the answers to get these guys out of the woods before dark down on the ground?” He looked at me, and like an athlete to a coach during an important game situation, he shook his head in agreement, and then he turned around with determination on his face and started to give the guys orders.

We made our way down the road, and the leader gave the order to stop. Everyone dropped to a knee. We were at a four-way, and there was a decision to make. I had been back in the woods, and I knew exactly where we were, but I wasn’t going to say anything. I wanted these men to work together on trying to get out of these woods. The leader called up two guys to go and recon and see what was a little way up past the four-way. I walked up and took a knee beside the men. I just listened.

“Hey, there’s a fence down there and a road.” The two others looked at each other. The leader asked, “So what way do you think we should go?” The two men looked at him, gave a shrug, and said, “I think we should go back up that hill back there and go back to hard-ball road.” The leader looked straight ahead at the objective; you could see he was thinking. I spoke up. “OK, men, you need to make a decision, because it’s getting dark. The men are cold, and they don’t have water. It’s time; make that decision.” They ran back to the men who were pulling security. Earlier in the run they had all picked up some sticks and ran with them at the ready, simulating what they would be doing a lot.

The leader made the decision. “We are going back up that hill and getting back to the hard ball; from there we are heading home.” The men didn’t question the leader one bit, and that was good, but before the recon I had heard one of the men say that they remembered a fence. I told the men to take off and make their way to the hard ball. I waited a little. I knew how close they were to getting home the easy way; as a matter of fact, 50 meters to the south was the trail down to the fence. As soon as they got far enough away, I yelled into the woods, “Come to my voice.” After five minutes or so they came running down the trail to the fence, where I was leaning up against the gate.

As they came down the trail, the looks on their faces were priceless. They knew how close they were. They stopped, and I went right into the lesson learned. “Men, when we ran down this road where did we stop?” They all answered at the same time, “By the fence with a gate.” “OK, so everyone saw that fence, and you all recognized that structure on the other side of the road, and no one spoke up.” They all looked at the ground looking for answers. “Men, what is the first thing I told you when we left?” They all said the same thing: “To watch our surroundings and pay attention regardless of how tired we are.”

They shook their heads in agreement. I quickly finished the lesson. “Men, you will be tired. You will be hot, cold and miserable, but you must know what is around and what you have been around.” As we made our way back, I told them how lucky they were to come to the unit and be able to be trained properly and sent into battle with some knowledge. As we finished the exercise I released them, but before that I put in my last two words — words that they may never hear from me again. “Men, soon you will no longer be new, and what you do in this Army is up to you. But I want you to know right now that I am a person who believes in you and trusts you. My wife and my family believe in you to have my back when s*** hits the fan, just know that.”

On the way up the stairs to change, one of the men got my attention. “Specialist Hardt, we won’t forget this; we promise.” I looked at him and smiled and replied, “I won’t either.” One thing in life I desire is to know someone took something from me and used it. That way I can die knowing I gave.

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"That way I can die knowing I gave." - wow, powerful words, eh?

I wonder if we can say the same?

v/r,
- Collabman