Into The Breach - Another Friend Goes To War

Posted By Blackfive

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." - Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, Number 1 (1776)

I’ve lost three good friends in this War on Terror. I have more than a few friends over in Iraq and Afghanistan now. I wish they were all home. They wish they were all home. But we must all be resolute in our engagement and destruction of the enemy. And now, I have one more good friend heading into the breach.

Chief Steve is a very good friend of mine. He wasn’t always my friend or a Warrant Officer.

More than seven years ago, I was a Company Commander (again). Bar none, it’s the best job in the Army. My previous First Sergeant, Mike Thompson, had been promoted to Sergeant Major and, since he could no longer fill the position, was moved out of the Division. I loved working with First Sergeant Thompson. He made chewing ass an art – he could make you laugh, wince, cry, cower and stand tall all within ten seconds. I enjoyed being around him all of the time. He made me proud to be his commander – but I was more proud to be his partner and friend.

To replace newly promoted Sergeant Major Thompson, Division sent me Steve – a newly promoted First Sergeant. Steve was a Boston Democrat who instantly hated me the moment he saw my Yankees hat on a shelf in my office. I tried to explain that I was more of a Boston fan, but liked the Yankees, too. Of course to a true Red Sox fan, that just made it worse.

Professionally, Steve didn’t care for me too much at first. In his eyes, I worked and talked with the NCOs too much. It’s not like we were all on a first name basis or that I micro-managed them. I wanted them all to get promoted. I wanted all of them to know what a great place the US Army could be for them. While I was involved in their work, they knew that they called the shots and made things happen. They knew that my job was to remove obstacles (sometimes with extreme and violent prejudice) that kept them from doing their jobs and training for war.

Steve thought that I ran a tight ship – maybe too tight. Steve thought that I was a bit crazy. And, after a few weeks, when he discovered that I was a mustang with an SF background, he liked me even less.

It took us a long time to build a working relationship. We rubbed each other the wrong way. It was a learning experience as much for me as it was for him. Eventually, he saw where my intentions lay – with creating the most cohesive group of soldiers in the Army. Eventually, I realized that it wasn’t his irritation with Officers that made it tough for us to get along. It was the fact that he was following in the footsteps of an awesome First Sergeant who everyone talked about long after he was gone. And that I had a relationship with the troops that did not have...yet.

We worked like hell, into the night, day after day, through weekends, and we created something great. After seven months, we had one of the best companies in the Division. That was something that not even Mike Thompson and I accomplished in a year...

After my command tenure was over, I took an assignment at another unit, and Steve and I became friends. Good friends. We spent many nights at the VFW, in backyard BBQs, and at ball games. A few years later, after Steve was moved to Missouri and I had left the service, he would fly to Chicago for a weekend two or three times per year. I would meet him in KC for Chiefs’ games and to see his family.

I also strongly encouraged his decision to attend the WOC school.

Question: What’s a WOC, you ask?

Answer: It’s swomefing one fows at a wabbit.

Sorry for the old joke. Steve went to the Warrant Officer Course. He’s now a Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) about to be promoted to CW3. He’s heading out for Iraq. Tikrit to be exact. We’ve talked a few times about what Steve needs to do, what he needs to focus on.

So, Saturday, we talked one last time before he was to head down range – mostly about how his kids were going to handle his absence.

Steve said, “Danielle won’t look at me when I tuck her in at night. Right now, she hates me for leaving. And Nicky is really too young to know what’s happening.”

He’s got three kids and one on the way. The baby is due in January. Can you imagine being Sue, Steve’s wife, with a job, three kids, a baby coming, and your husband in Iraq? It’s something our military men and women AND their spouses and families deal with every day.

I tell him, “I’ll fly out and see Sue and the kids during Christmas.”

“Sue would love that.”

Me, “What about the delivery? Do you guys have that covered?”

“Yeah, our neighbors are going to help out. I think we’ll be okay as long as there aren’t any complications.”

“Okay, I’ll call Sue and let her know that I can fly there at anytime and that I have a lot of vacation saved up so it’ll be no problem if I need to stay to help out for awhile.”

“That’d probably help relieve some stress.”

“Consider it done.”

Pause. We’re just dancing around the reason for the call. I knew it was coming and was making small talk to avoid it. We both know where Steve is going. The company he’s replacing had seventeen Bronze Stars and a ton of Purple Hearts.

“Matt, I have to say this…”

Shit! I knew he was going to do this!

“If I don’t make it back…”

I interrupt him, “Talking like that might get you killed. You know I’ll take care of your family. No matter what happens. You get your ass over there and forget about us. Focus on the mission. Keep your soldiers alive. We’ll always be here for you.”

Then, I launch into all of the organizations that can help get comfort items to his unit, letters to his troops, etc. I try to rile him up by telling him that I’m sending 400 Yankees hats to his battalion. I tried to change the subject, but he wouldn’t have any of it.

“Just promise me,” long pause, “just promise me that if I don’t make it back, you’ll take care of Sue and the kids.”

I can barely say “Of course I will…You have my word.”

“Thank you.”, two simple words but I can hear how much they mean…

Another pause. He’s relieved. I’m worried about him. We’re emotional. So I say the only thing that I can think of to bring us back to reality…

“Go Yankees!”

“@#$% you, Matt…”

“Hey, just remember what George Patton the Elder said, 'When it's all over and you're home once more, you can thank God that tweny years from now, when you're sitting around the fireside with your grandkids, and they ask you what you did in the war, you won't have to say, "I shoveled shit in Louisiana!" Stay in touch, you big lug.”

“You, too, pal.”

*click*

Chief Steve left for Iraq on September 5th. While he'd rather be home with his wife and kids, he's not shrinking from his service, and he knows the stakes of this war. And he deserves our thanks.

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Comments

[scott holmes]

matt, you have done more for me than you will ever know. through your work, i now clearly see how hard it is for the men and women in the military and for their families. i feel like i was living in a dream world before i found your site and read your words. now i know what real men and real women can do in this world. you have significantly raised the bar for me in my own conduct because i have learned how real men and real women act. the contribution they make is far greater than their success in any one battle, it is also in the way that lead their lives. thank you and thank you Chief Steve.

[Matt S.]

Could not have said it any better. Thank you both.
God Bless Chief Steve and his family!

[Guy S.]

Fair Winds and Following Seas to Chief Steve as he heads into harms way. And to you and his friends and neighbors who are looking out for his family, may God bless you and them too.

[Val Prieto]

Matt,

Thanks for reminding me just how much the men and women of our armed forces sacrifice on our behalf. Our prayers are with Chief Steve and all the other men and women doing their duty overseas. Goodluck and Godspeed, Chief Steve.

[bush and you lie]

Heres to more of ur friends coming home in body bags.

[Brian B]

Blackfive,

When you next talk to your friend, please pass along to him two words from this civilian:

Thank you.

Brian B

[Thief]

I have said it before and I will say it again...

Where do we find such people as this?

[James]

We find them on every street corner, in the wealthiest suburbs, in the poorest of the inner cities, the fields of amber grains, the painted desert, and the purple mountains for there is something special in America that calls to the hearts of her best citizens. They are of every nationality, creed, religon, and race. They give their all and sometimes even more in a setting that doesn't care from whence one came nor where one is going just that they serve while they wear the Army Green, the Navy, Air Force, Marine Blue. They are a family that is always there for each other no matter what the rest of the country thinks. They are a Band of Brothers that stretches back over 200 hundred years. They are Veterans.

Semper Fi'

James

[Cybrludite]

B&YL,

You care to step a little closer and say that, you chickenshit little pissant coward? You don't even have the 'nads to leave a real e-mail address. I was doing to describe a slow and painful death for you, with all sorts of fun embelishments, but nothing could be more painful to you than to have to look in your mirror every morning and see someone staring back at you who deserves not one White Feather, but a whole boa's worth of them as real men put thier lives on the line to keep human effluvia like yourself safe & free to insult them.

[Brian B]

cybrludite,

If you're going to chew B&YL a new one, try to keep the insults on a level he can understand: try to limit yourself to mono- and bi-syllabic verbiage.

But you really shouldn't bother. He's a lackwit, and doesn't deserve the attention required even to excoriate him. Leave him to the contempt and silence he deserves.

[Barb]

Whenever I read posts like this I realize just how little I can know about what the life of a military family is like. You all sacrifice so much - and I'm very grateful.
Best wishes to Chief Steve and his troops - and God Bless his wife and family!

[Pentium]

The mark finally(the news dems really get excited here) hit 1000 today. Bush got screwed on the 'war' record, not showing up for alerts. Pentagon released his file today and I think its the same CIA unionist that gave up the spy at the Pentagon rather than dissolve CIA.

Trying.

[Curt]

Matt;

I know that was a difficult beyond belief discussion with Steve. The story of your development of a friendship is a story we know has been repeated over and over, and has similar wonderful results across the years.

The bond you have is to be honored and admired. I'll pray those letters are something he hands his grown up children the day after he retires from his service to us, when they can read them altogether, and that is a prayer for all who serve now.

Thank you for taking the time to tell your story from beginning to now.

For those outsiders who read this, it's the real deal. Been there, done that on having those same "Steves" in my life, but I never had to have that most recent conversation.

For those posters who would wish death on anyone else, I'm saddened that there is some deep hurt in your life that makes you hate so. It is beyond my comprehension where that comes from. Rise above an animalistic stage of existence and join the human race, it gets a lot better at the top of the food chain. For one thing, you aren't around those who want to eat you, too.

[scott holmes]

looks like BAYL got himself a pair of internet balls for the start of freshman year.

mark my words, the punk kid will be a conservative someday, if he lives so long.

[Harvey]

“Go Yankees!”

“@#$% you, Matt…”

That's the kind of "says it all in 5 words" male bonding I miss from my Navy days. Friends like that are WAY too scarce.

[Blackfive]

BAYL is at ASU. IP confirmed. So no big deal. It's a wannabe - probably a trust fund baby partying too hard watching CNN.

No sweat.

[Brian]

B5, you are a great American. I stand in awe of the dedication to service I've seen since 9-11. As for that punkass bitch BAYL, is that Arizona State? That is the school that produced Pat Tillman, selfless hero. Maybe some of Pat's friends in Arizona (he had many) can locate the little squirmy prick and, BUST HIS CHOPS GOOD! He deserves nothing less. Kiss Cheif Steve's kids on the forehead for all of us, B5.

[scott holmes]

hey, i deserve my props for knowing BAYL was a stupid college kid. he'll learn, we all do.

i feel sorry for his parents though. he must be such a disappointment.

[Jim]

His parents are probably just like him and proud of what they produced. They were the ones outside Travis AFB, McChord AFB, etc in the '60s &'70s when some of us were coming home!