A Sergeant Major Visits the Wounded

[thedrifter]

03-28-2003

A Sergeant Major Visits the Wounded



Editor?s Note: The following email from a senior U.S. Army NCO to his colleagues was forwarded to SFTT.org.



The following are just a few of my observations and accounts from our

soldiers and Marines. I think you'll see why we are so proud of them.



Visited soldiers [from the 101st Airborne Division] who were involved in the grenade incident inside of their camp. First when I arrived I experienced what leaders hope for in difficult situations ? soldiers focused and determined. ? They had been through a horrific experience but were maintaining unity. They were conducting pre-combat inspections in preparation for battle.



I asked about the incident. Their response was truly what we hope for in terrible situations. They were attacked inside of their camp during the hours of darkness, the leadership stepped up, took charge and reacted. They quickly gained accountability and proceeded to locate the attacker. Officers, NCOs and junior enlisted reacted quickly to secure the area and treat wounded.



I am certain they saved further loss of life. When I departed the area my thoughts were that this is truly a disciplined, proud unit prepared for anything.



I visited an Apache pilot in one of our hospitals [who] was wounded in the neck. His crew managed to land his helicopter safely to ensure preservation of life and equipment. He had already been operated on, was sitting up and completely coherent.



I asked if I could do anything for him and he responded, ?Yes, sergeant major, I am hearing they want to send me to Landstuhl [Army Medical Center, Germany]. I don?t need to go there, I may not be able to fly but I can do something for my unit.? I told him I would work on it. I asked if I could call anyone for him ? wife, parents etc. He said, ?Could you call my unit, I don?t want them to worry about me, I?m OK.?



The young NCO from the [Army] convoy that had the soldiers taken prisoner, I asked him how he was doing and all he wanted to know was how are the other soldiers and what was their status. He asked if I knew what happened, and I said I did. He said, ?Can you explain it to me? It all happened so fast. It seemed that there were rounds coming from every direction. We were holding together trying to get linked back to our convoy when everything came at us all at once.?



One of the Marines that [evacuated] the NCO said, ?There was stuff coming from every direction but we were able to get them out before I heard something exploding into the back of our Humvee.? This Marine had a serious leg wound.



Amazing acts: Young men going into hostile fire to save men from other units and other branches of service. I gave him a [unit] coin and said thanks for taking care of each other. The young man said, ?Wow, thanks a lot.? Imagine that ? thanks a lot for a coin after what he had been through.



Next there was a Marine with a fracture to his eye socket from hostile fire. Couldn?t see me at all. I introduced myself and he became upbeat. He asked about his unit. He told me about his mom and sister back home, said they were going to be awfully mad at him for this.



I said, ?I bet they will be mighty proud to have a son and brother like you.?



I could go on with more, I just wanted to share some of the stories of our brave young soldiers and Marines.?


Sempers,

Roger