ISSUE 5 2012 Personnel Shop Keeps Administration on Point
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ON POINT! ISSUE 5 2012 Personnel Shop Keeps Administration on Point Story and photos by Sgt. Matt Young a human resource specialist with infantry badge, combat action 117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment the 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd badge and combat medic badges, CONTENTS The personnel shop, better known Infantry Division. we are well over 500 badges and as S1, is a jack-of-all-trades. Pay, would anticipate to be somewhere awards, promotions, personnel Although finances are always near 3,000 by the time we go status, casualty operations, high on a Soldiers priority list, the home,” said Ibe. anything and everything there is shop has many other equally high to keep a Soldier mission ready at responsibilities. We try to maintain a close working all times whether in garrison or relationship with the Soldiers on Healing the Wounded..............................Page 4 COVER deployed. “Another big piece while being the other forward operating bases RedPersonnel Lions TrainShop..........................................Page ANA................................Page 36 deployed is casualty operations, to see if there is anything we can Soldiers of Battle Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Task “We are here to provide support being able to support the families, help with and make sure there Force 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment pull security as they patrol a small village in Shinkai District, southern Afghanistan, May 2012. and services to all of our Soldier’s Soldiers, loved ones and the chain are not any problems, explained PhotoA Stroke Page of Genius.....................................Page................................................Page 10 7 (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher McCullough, Combined Task within Combined Task Force of command for processing those Green. Force Arrowhead Public Affairs) Side-by-Side..............................................PageHuntington Beach fights in OEF...........Page 12 8 Arrowhead,” said Major Shaun types of actions,” Ibe said. Ibe, personnel officer in charge, theKeeping foundation track forof thethe necessary Soldiers biggestwith the things 3rd here Stryker in Afghanistan Brigade, The personnel office processes and their duty status serves as Walking the Lonely Walk.....................Page 14 2nd Infantry Division. “One of the casualty operations reports, that are being made daily here in Photo page.................................................Page 16 BACK COVER records, and accounts for Afghanistan.and critical battlefield decisions Soldiers Flush Out Taliban..................Page 18 is making sure Soldiers are casualties promptly and efficiently Wolfpack keeps supplies rolling.......Page 20 (Photos by Capt. Marius Dinita, Staff Sgt. Joshua S. Brandenburg and receiving the correct pay, whether needed.while also being able to provide Sgt. Christopher McCullough, Combined Task Force Arrowhead Public hazardous duty pay, hazardous support where and to whom it is Chaplain’s Corner....................................Page 21 Affairs) (Illustration by Spc. Mark Neace) Arrowhead Remembers.......................Page 22 fire pay, or family separation pay.” Major Ibe and Sgt. Green both recommendations for agree that their S1 shop is able getThe to S1their shop money makes by coordinating sure the The S1 shop also receives to provide the best customer Soldiers downrange are able to support in the world to the best decorations and awards with “Beingcustomers here in in the theatre world. and being finance visits to their forward written statements. They then operating bases and conducting process those recommendations what is called a finance rodeo. This and forward them to higher this close to the Soldiers allows us 3-2 SBCT Commander The ON POINT! is a command information maga- event allows Soldiers to collect headquarters. to provide that customer service Col. Charles Webster Jr. zine authorized for members of the U.S. Army and muchcash or needed put money items onfrom their the Eagle base and personal touch to service the the 3-2 SBCT community. Contents of the ON POINT Cash cards, so they may purchase “Since November we have Soldiers as we need to throughout 3-2 SBCT Command Sgt. Maj. - consistently awarded the combat the battle space,” said Ibe. are not necessarily the official views of , or en stores such as soap, toothpaste, Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel G. Murphy dorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of “Wesocks, are and here the occasionalto ensure thatsnacks. the Defense or Department of the Army. The editorial content of the magazine is the responsibility of the Staff Sgt. Joshua3-2 S. SBCTBrandenburg.........................NCOIC/Photo Public Affairs Office Journalist/ Capt Troy Frey......................................................................Public Affairs Officer 3-2 SBCT [email protected] Affairs Office. Any story or photo Soldiers don’t have to worry about submission should be forwarded to the editor at Layout and Design pay, promotions, and awards. Sgt. Christopher G. McCullough.............................................Photo Journalist That’s our job on a day-to-day Sgt. Nathaniel D. Phillips..................................................BroadcastContributors Journalist care of them because they are Spc. Mark E. Neace...................................................................................Illustrator basis to make sure we are taking Chaplain (Maj.) Edward I. Choi, canthe reduceones out their there focus in combat,and hinder so Capt. Marius Dinita, Staff Sgt. Nazly Confesor, Sgt. Mark Jachlewski, Sgt. Marc Loi, if they are worrying about that, it Sgt. Daniel Young, Spc. Ashley Curtis 2 Soldiers of the Third Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Second Infantry Division S1 shop pose for a quick 3 the mission,” said Sgt. Jaron Green picture on Forward Operating Base Masum Ghar, May 23, 2012. StoryHealing and Photos by Sgt. Marc the Loi wounded: how a combat medic team contributes to OEF meaning in a combat zone because it means he gets mentor, being a medic holds an especially important home safe.” 319th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment healthy. Everyone coming home safely not only depends on More seasoned and with more combat deployments th th a chance to help his fellow Soldiers get back to being how slow the day goes, but also the competence of under his belt, Dean said while he understands the Come to the tiny, crowded first-aid station here and the medics. Understanding that fully, the Soldiers attachment medics feel for their patients, he’s also you will see Soldiers from the 5 Battalion, 20 not only depend on each other for technical support found ways to cope with the possibility of losing a Infantry Regiment getting treated for the scrapes “My personal love for this job is dealing with the – constantly training and re-training for real-world daypatient in combat. – or worse, treating a Soldier back to health and bruises they have sustained. You will also see Soldiers, helping them when they’re sick or injured situations, but also rely on each other for emotional only to see that Soldier get injured or killed the next them being greeted with a smile courtesy of a small – just knowing that I can help them so they can support when they need it, Olson said. team of Joint Base Lewis McChord Soldiers deployed go home and be safe and normal and go back to here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. their families,” said Dean, currently on his fourth “Being a medic, you’ve got to have mental toughness,” “You just got to hope that you do the best job and deployment. Dean said. “As a medic, you sometimes get attached patch them up and send them out -- do the best you In the infantry, where injuries are sometimes hidden to the guys you treat – but when something happens can at every moment, and really hope that you can and concealed based on bravado and a desire to Despite this love for taking care of fellow Soldiers and and you need to treat them, you’ve also got to be able take care of them so they don’t have to come back continue the fight, two medics are making it easier treating the wounded and the fact that “downtime” to disassociate yourself from the person or you’re again,” he said. asfor their the injuredcommitment and wounded to the job. to seek the care they gettingcan be monotonous,hurt and no theone Soldiers needs tosaid be they treated cherish for not going to be able to do your job.” need, partly because of their friendly nature as well injuries.this time the most because it means Soldiers aren’t To help with the mental resilience, especially after the day is finished, the medics say they rely on each Spc. Heidi Olson is on her first deployment as a other – often having “family dinners” at the dining combat medic. As one of the two junior enlisted “Chilling at the aid station with nothing to do facility here. “Physical fitness training is also a time Soldiers currently working to help her fellow Soldiers – that’s my idea of a perfect day,” Olson said in in which to decompress and catch up with one combatget better, zone her is days one areof her a mixture dreams of – long something hours and, she between answering phone calls and sending out another, checking to make sure each is able to cope at times, tedium. Still, Olson says being a medic in a mission-essential emails. “It’s not that I don’t with the harsh reality of the job,” Olson said. want to do my job – it’s just that we’re proficient embraces with gusto because of what the job means. in a skill we hope to God we never have to use.” “We spend a lot of spare time with each other and know we’ve got each other’s back,” she said. “It’s “It’s been a thrill,” said Olson. “It’s my lifeblood.” This especially hit home for Olson when she was on a very understanding situation that we’re there a combat mission with infantry Soldiers. Although for each other, and luckily, Dean has a lot more healOlson the said body.