I’ve been busy. The Sorority Soldier started leave over two weeks ago. For awhile we had just three broadcasters to support an entire division. Then, last Monday, I was sent across the street to support the new brigade arriving in Basra, the 17th Fires Brigade. It’s interesting because before the 17th FiB actually takes over, our higher headquarters announced the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division was not being replaced in kind with another Brigade Combat Team. This is due to the “responsible drawdown” of forces in Iraq as directed by the President of the United States. Oh, by the way, the Iraqi Cabinet approved a bill that calls for a popular referendum on the bilateral security agreement a day or two later. IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, if the Iraqis have a referendum on the security agreement and they vote against it, then American forces leaving could accelerate by a year. I don’t see that as a bad thing (Col. Timothy Reese agrees, but Gen. Raymond Odierno disagrees).

I digress.

Now I’m the Non-Comissioned Officer in Charge of the 17th Fires Brigade Public Affairs shop.  The 17th FiB brought only one soldier for public affairs, and he’s a specialist (E-4) who is new to public affairs.  He’s an eager soldier who is ready to learn, ready to write, and wants to be a good soldier.  I finally am able to mentor a soldier, and I got one that’s too easy.  Part of me wishes I’d be here for the rest of his deployment, but that’s the 1% of me that is still enamored with Iraq and thinks I’m making a difference in the lives of soldiers.  The other 99% of me knows that I can’t wait to get home to my wife and my life in Fort Worth less than 90 days from now.

The whole status of how I feel about this deployment has a real chance to make a 180 degree turn because of this assignment.  Another MPAD soldier, 1LT Dunphy is my Officer in Charge.  We are responsible for getting their completely neglected public affairs office off the ground.  We are getting their soldier writing.  He never actually wrote anything in between his time at DINFOS and when he came to Iraq.  He was completely failed by his last NCO who allowed that to happen.  Read his first real article he’s written since he was at DINFOS seven months ago at theredbulls.org.  I get the joy of briefing officers, scheduling, completing missions, hagling for supplies, mentoring and training.  Everything I was missing working up at the division.  I’m loving this job and will be in it until I leave in November.  Dunphy and I are responsible for telling the story of a brigade where we don’t know anybody.  It is the ultimate reservist public affairs mission.  The outgoing crew at the 2nd BCT, 4th ID have set us up for success and I hope I learned a little something from them.

I’m going to miss working with the MPAD folks at division, but I’m still in the same housing, same base, and I’m still spending time in the broadcast trailer.  They have great internet, who are we kidding here!

Now, I’m in control of my success and failure.  I can’t blame my leadership or my peers if something happens I don’t like.  I’m now free to make it happen, and I’m excited about it.

This post is tagged 17th FiB, 17th Fires Brigade, 343rd MPAD, NCOIC, new gig