1LT Michael Johnson begins his interview with an explanation of how the Air Force operates weather terms within the Iraq Theater. He relates how the Air Force places weather terms within the Army Brigade Combat Teams and Divisions, as well as...
In this interview, 1LT Stephen Kennedy, USAF, Joint Combat Assessment Team (JCAT) Research Engineer. 1LT Kennedy opens his interview by detailing the key parts of his job. He describes how he conducts post-battle damage assessment on all Joint...
COL Foshee chronicles how he planned and oversaw the nine-month train up of his detachment prior to mobilization in June 2009. COL Foshee relates the particular challenges of a molding a widely separated group of USAR Soldiers into a cohesive...
In this interview COL Wood describes the very orthodox mission he and his Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) headquarters had at JBB. COL Wood's unit, the 38th CAB, controlled a multi-component task force of Regular Army, Army National Guard and Army...
COL Thomas McCune served as the brigade flight surgeon with Task Force 38 in 2010 at Joint Base Balad (JBB) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In this April 2010 interview, COL McCune gives a detailed description of the process for a...
In this interview Captain Amber Anderson describes her experiences as a platoon leader assigned to the 215th Area Support Medical Company deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom starting in October 2008. Upon her deployment into Iraq, CPT Anderson...
In this interview, CPT Christina Shepard, US Army, Quartermaster, discusses her deployment to Iraq as an S4 Projects Officer in 2010 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). CPT Shepard opens her interview describing her key duties as the S4...
In this interview, CPT Scott Johnson, US Army National Guard, discusses his deployment to Iraq as an Assistant S2 officer assigned to the Corps Aviation Brigade. CPT Johnson describes his key duties and responsibilities in the S2 shop,...
Chaplain (CH) Dunn discusses his pre-mobilization Religious Support training. He notes his dissatisfaction with "too many PowerPoint briefings and not enough hands on training". Dunn relates that a mock memorial ceremony training block was...
In his interview, CPT Beagle describes his role as a Medical Operations officer for a Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) headquarters. Beagle relates the challenges of reducing the clinic from a 24-hour operation to limited duty hours due to the...
In this interview CPT Parker relates how he (as a UH60 rotary wing pilot) completed the Fixed Wing aircraft transition course in August 2009 in time to assume command of his company just prior to mobilization. During the pre-mobilization train up,...
CPT Harlan provides a detail-rich narrative of his service as an Infantry Company Executive Officer (XO) during his first Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) deployment from December 2004 through June 2006. In his narrative, Harlan describes his...
CPT Polyniak discusses his deployment in support of the Global War on Terror from 22 March thru 10 November 2008 at Joint Base Balad (JBB). This deployment was CPT Polyniak's fourth, and he provides many interesting contrasts with his earlier...
CPT Raychad Vannatta served as company commander of Bravo Company, 1-137th Aviation Regiment at Joint Base Balad (JBB), Iraq during 2008 and 2009 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In this December 2009 interview, CPT Vannatta discusses...
CPT Reuben Rieke provides a detailed description of his close interaction with the assigned Corps level Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) Company. Rieke describes his interaction with the company commander on issues of planning how to best execute...
In this interview CPT Rodney Gervais discusses his unique challenges in planning for and conducting pre-mobilization training. In peacetime, Company C is home stationed in Shelbyville, Indiana and is normally Operationally Controlled (OPCON) to...
CPT Vander Lugt, commander of A/1-52 Aviation Regiment, describes the background of his company's deployment to Iraq. He describes how his Command and Control (CAC) Company was detached from its parent General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB),...