For God and Country

This week has been truly for God And Country as BG Sinclair so eloquently reminds us. The Army definitely got their money out of us this week. This is an endearing term used in the military when you worked either for no pay or more put in more than normal. And this they, meaning Riley definitely did. It began with more Cultural Immersion Training which was absolutely outstanding. We actually was able to put into action the training we received as a mentors by practicing role-play with our instructors... In the picture below, depicts LTC Wright and SGM Elvington conversing with supposed Afghan officers and interpreters.. This really gave us a good idea how to utilize an interpreter and also to respect and converse with the ANA. This mobilization has also allowed me to get to know some outstanding officers and NCOs, and LTC Wright is definitely one of those officers. He is a get it done man, he simply gets it done. He is practical and thinks things through. A great man and officer..... His NCO SGM Elvington together makes a strong team.....

We also had our range qualification this week, which made for some very long days and nights. Long hours coupled with wearing the heavy body armor and kelvar helmet, took a toll on our bodies... We all were dragging at the end of the day.... The day started at 0530 and ended most nights between 0130 and 0200 in the morning..... The below pic depicts me PRIOR to the weapons range. I had a smile then, but that night, one was hard to find.....

Also pictured below is my battle buddy, MAJ Gregory Haselden. He and I are generally always close by each other...He is not only a good friend, but a great officer...... He is my Dari language instructor... just kidding.. we are giving it our all.

Finally, I will leave you with a picture of some of our ETTs going through some automation training, prior to deployment. As the G-6, it is my responsibility to assist in the training of not our the ANA, but US soldiers as well. I coordinated with JFCOM, (Joint Forces Command) to assist us in providing training on theatre specific software training that we will utilize in country. The training went great. Below is a picture of some of my fellow SC soldiers in class....