Not Just "Some Soldier On the News" Who Was Killed

For most of America, I believe many have  become accustomed to seeing the war on the news every night and perhaps  lose sight or fail to realize the gravity  of  what is given. You may think, "well that does not affect me" or "they're just the lower class, so who cares". The truth is that all of those that I have served with are from every walk of life and should you believe in "social class", every class of citizen. All have died for one another and when you see what these young souls face and do for one another, you see that there is no such thing as social class because bullets and shrapnel do not discriminate. In a word, it's just death that has come far too early for these that are no longer with us. We knew them. Some more so than others, but their faces were familiar and none of us expected their end when it came. So maybe you were born into privilege and maybe middle class or even very poor. When your end comes, your "social status" will have nothing to do with it and nothing that you think that you can do will prevent it from coming to pass. Enjoy your family, your friends, your good health and your time. None of us know when and there are those who tread and carry out what you could never even imagine, though some think that they can playng it on a damn video game which fails to show reality &  loss. Life is easy when you can "save it" and "regenerate" when your health level gets low. They were people who had lives.
SSG David Hickman
C CO, 2nd BN, 11th IN REG (IBOLC)
Ft. Benning, Georgia

Cody Eggleston with me on patrol a week before he was killed, KIA rocket shrapnel; Heath Pickard, died of wounds that day, rocket shrapnel ; Raymond Lamar Henry, KIA road side bomb, ball bearing shrapnel; SSG Irving Hernandez, KIA precision small arms; SGT Eugene "Willie Will" Williams, KIA suicide car bomb.  I did not personally know Lucas Frantz, KIA precision small arms. He was in Alpha Company with my Step son, formarlly SGT Nelson, ETS'd.  SSG Jonathan Rojas, KIA precision small arms, I only seen in passing at our crapy E6 "barracks". SSG Trout was in his company and I think platoon.

Planet Ord, A 1-9 Infantry

This photo was courtesy of Cris Thomas. My old barracks is to the left. The gut truck would roll up this stretch of road between the barracks., honking it's horn. It rattled a lot and they sold those cheap burritos in the red/white wrapper. Wow, do I feel old. Other pics of Ord:
http://www.cristhomas.com/manchus/FtOrdJan06/FtOrdJan06.html


Dave

Three man Flow Clearing a Stairwell

Weapons Shield

Recently, we tested a sample of Steel Shield Tech's "Weapons Shield" gun lube. Had good results, but our recent machine gun range is where we put the stuff through the wringer. Belt feed M240 machine gun; 1500 rounds plus, I applied sand directly into the receiver after 1,000 and it continued to fire without any malfunctions. Here's a short video clip of what we tested.

Soldiers of One Nation, Within Two Armies

There have been Soldiers who have carried out acts of courage to help those with whom they have served. When their leaders recommended them for decoration, the leaders higher within the ranks denied them just recognition because the rank held by this Soldier was not high enough to warrant the award. So now we no longer recognize our Soldiers based on acts of bravery or merit and the hands of leaders at the platoon level are tied. And so,  the start of a division not seen by most begins. It runs within the ranks of our Army and it’s depth and direction may change from time to time as the character of those who wear the uniform and lead change in character, whether the change is for the better or not. Soldiers of this nation serve in one Army, yet become part of two different Armies. Those who serve one another and those who serve self or some agenda. Both serve to one end, but the paths taken are vastly different and certainly not for the same reasons.  Those of “self” become like puppets whose strings are pulled giving the illusion of right action except when viewed by those of genuine integrity who see. It brings to light a question. What is the motivation for our service and leadership within this Army?   If answered honestly, this question will bring us to the character of leading and simply that which is of truth.
    Truth itself is a single reality, but because of our human nature, our character, good or bad, truth is fashioned into three different facets even though truth is always without change. For those of us with genuine integrity, the truth is viewed at face value. No exceptions. Even if it shows us to be at fault. This allows self-less service to be very easy, giving no second thought to what we know to be right. The second “facet” are those who know truth, yet choose not to act. One who remains idle in speech and action is no different than one who has no integrity. They lack the moral courage to stand firm. Lastly, the third facet are those who pick and choose what to uphold  regarding truth. Like that which is set forth to govern without bias. Because of their position of authority they can affect change with those below them. However, because they pick and choose, opinion is allowed to take place. Their efforts are only half measured because of preference in conjunction with a bias opinion, self gratification because of the authority that they hold over others, or the convenience of letting things slide to avoid confrontation even though said confrontation is for the truth.
    The Infantry at the platoon level is one of only a few professions that have genuine purpose that cannot be successful without self-less service, but often leaders within our own ranks are merely occupying that duty position. Their career, money, or recognition have become their focus. We are governed by the rest of an Army that has become commercialized, changing it’s catch phrases from time to time, so that we appear to not have an identity. And even though there are many with sound integrity spotted throughout our ranks, what people see are those who focus on “self” and their perception of the few without integrity become the judgment of the whole.
Ask yourself yet another question. What are you willing to give up for truth and those who stand to the left and right of you? Within an Infantry platoon is the one place where two Soldiers can hate each other one day and attempt to move their immediate world for one another the following day, answering that very question without words. This is how we live every day. It’s not perfect and wrong is still carried out against each other from time to time. But, there is something else that we hold within our character and it becomes who we are and the way that we think for the remainder of our lives. It is something that is rarely noticed even by ourselves until one fails to do their part. Carried within the  character of a few, it draws the others closer to one another. Perhaps it develops due to the unique challenges we face together.  It’s been this way for generations and we carry it out into your world after we leave the ranks and walk among you, which can be difficult at times because many civilians are arrogant and believe that everyone else owes them something. We do not owe you or anyone else anything. And you well get nothing. However, this is not every civilian, but we seem to always bump into this “character” of person or should I say one with lack of character. We may appear crude, arrogant, and without proper demeanor in public. But, what you see are genuine people stripped down to the purest human form who exist in a world where we must stand together or fail. We are genuine and you may not like us, but at least we do not hide behind anything. Not a “social status” or agenda, because where we go there is no discrimination with regard to death and the worst that one can do to another is not stand with them during times of adversity. There can be no trust after this wrong doing is committed against those that we stand with. 
    I never wanted your damn medals or an “excellence” block checked on my NCOER. I simply want nothing more than the truth, to be dealt with honestly based on merit alone, and lastly to stand quietly to the side while those who served with me progress forward and receive all that they deserve for what they have given without hindrance from self focused leaders or politicians who want to “sport” the accomplishments of those in uniform for political gain who stand by and say “ I accomplished thus” when they never set foot on foreign soil standing next to any one of us in uniform.
Whatever is missing from our military is not solely at our level. It’s missing within the military as a whole. Though it “creeps” down to our level. The final question is are we as leaders going to lead and then stand quietly to the side while those we lead progress forward with no considerations for “self" ?

SSG David Hickman
C CO, 2nd BN, 11th IN REG
Fort Benning, Georgia

Bad Kitty

Off the subject, but this is Mr. Midnight demon cat. Chews my wife's plants and thinks he runs the house. He must get acquainted with me every time I come home. Here he's laying on a mp after I cleaned my gear.

Tail rotor Gears Assemled

My God the parts for the this thing are small. The gear shaft pins are about the size of mechanical pencil lead. I still need to fabricate a gear assembly for the tail rotor input shaft. The main motor pinion gear will drive both the reduction gear and input shaft pinions.

Dave