Photos of the 39th Battalion
Published by News Release February 26th, 2008 in Military.
Moving forward. Soldiers with the 39th Brigade Troops Battalion move forward under smoke during urban operations training at Camp Shelby. The Employer Support group witnessed the training scenario first hand as the Soldiers
stormed and cleared a building.
Cover. A Soldier guards an entrance as the team in the background care for a man down and prepare to evacuate him from the location. Continuous training on first aid and medical evacuation procedures are designed to ensure a
second nature response in the event the need arises.
Employer support. George Easley, center, Vice President for Alltel in Little Rock, listens to an after action review along with Alltel’s Director Chris Newell, to his right, after their bus was targeted by an ambush scenario at Camp Shelby. Maj. Gen. William D. Wofford, right, accompanied the men along with Larry Holeman, far left, the director for the UA Coop in Jacksonville, Ark., and a host of others on the trip. Easley and Newell got the opportunity to visit with one of their employees who is deploying with the 39th for the second time, Maj. Tony Shepherd, of Tallahassee, Fla. Alltel donated phone cards to all 3,000 Guardsmen in the 39th during the first deployment to Iraq and offered cell phone usage for the men and women this
time.
Congressional support. Among those attending traveling on the Employer Support trip was Congressman Marion Berry, center. The congressman listens along with the rest of the group as one of the ‘CoBs’ (Civilians on the
Battlefield) briefs his role in the training. Many of the CoBs, as this one, are native Iraqis who speak the language fluently in order to provide realism in the training scenarios.
Beef stew. Spc. Justin Sparkman assists Waldo, Ark. Mayor Rodney Williams in heating up his MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat). Williams joined several other mayors on the trip and enjoyed the opportunity to get a taste of life in the military as they visited their Soldiers. Arkansas mayors employ a large number of Guardsmen on their police and fire fighting forces.
First class flight. Devon Cockrell, left, with the office of Congressman Vic Snyder, and Stephen Gray, with the office of Congressman John Boozman, unload an Arkansas Air National Guard C130 at the Little Rock Air Force Base at the
end of the trip. Arkansas’ 189th Airlift Wing provided the group transportation to Mississippi to visit the 39th Brigade. Along with Snyder
and Gray, Don Grigg, with the office of Congressman Mike Ross, and Rod Sweetman, with the office of Senator Blanche Lincoln, traveled with the group.
Medical evacution. A Soldier rushes forward to provide security as a team of others carry a fellow Soldier with a simulated injury to a vehicle for
evacuation and treatment. Continuous training on first aid and medical evacuation procedures are designed to ensure a second nature response in the event the need arises.
Securing detainees. A team of Soldiers stand Guard on detainees during an urban operations training scenario at Camp Shelby, Miss. The Civilians on the Battlefield (CoBs) are role players in the scenario that add realism to the training. Many of the CoBs are either Iraqi or of Middle Eastern decent and speak the language fluently.
After action. Sgt. Shane Walden, of Hot Springs, participates in an after action review at the completion of the urban operations training. The group of employers, civic leaders and Guard personnel on the Employer Support flight gathered around for a first hand look at the training and after action. The 39th is wrapping up its training and are anticipated to deploy
in mid March.
photos and story by Capt. Chris Heathscott
Possibly Related:
In these times of unjust wars, dissent is the highest form of patriotism. While some people think that dissent is unpatriotic, I would argue that it is the highest form of patriotism. In fact, if patriotism means being true to the principles for which your country is supposed to stand, then certainly the right to dissent is one of those principles. And if we’re exercising that right to dissent, it’s a patriotic act.
One of the great mistakes made in discussing patriotism — a very common mistake — is to think that patriotism means support for your government. And that view of patriotism ignores the founding principles of the country expressed in the Declaration of Independence. That is: the Declaration of Independence makes it clear that governments are artificial creations set up to achieve certain ends — equality, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness — and when governments become destructive of those ends it is the right of the people in the words of the Declaration, to alter or abolish the government.
In other words, obedience to government certainly is not a form of patriotism. Governments are the instruments to achieve certain ends. And if the government goes against those ends, if the government is not defending our liberties, but is diminishing our liberties, if the government is sending young people into war or making war which is unjustified, well then the government is not following the principles of caring about life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. When the government is taking huge sums of money from education and health, and using that money for military purposes, that’s a violation of the principles of the Declaration of Independence. And a government like that cannot be obeyed. To obey a government like that is not being patriotic. At that point, when a government behaves like that, it is the most patriotic thing to disobey.
Our government has behaved in lots of ways that I consider to be out of line, including unjust taxation in many instances (i.e., adding “pork” to otherwise reasonable spending bills), but the Bible says to “render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s …” [from Matthew 22] even if you disagree. We are also told in Romans 13 to submit to governing authorities. I think that is telling us to obey our government. Nothing is happening on this earth that God has not allowed to happen. We can’t always know His reasons on this side of Heaven, but we have to trust that He allowed it and has a reason for it. That means that God allowed our rulers (President and everyone else the American people have elected) to have authority over us, and we are to submit to them - whether we always agree with them or not.
What would this country be like (or would it be at all???) if we had sat back and let Hitler have his way? We have a duty to defend the freedoms of people who cannot defend themselves. I don’t mean jumping into every little political upheaval around the world, but when a country hates America as much as Iraq and other countries in the middle east do then we MUST stand against their evil ways or run the risk of losing our own freedoms.
This is just my humble opinion - and I am not “up to speed” on civics and government like I should be so I feel awkward even putting my thoughts into words. However, I cannot sit here and read your opinion without defending our military. I think we should support our men and women in the armed forces who are risking their lives so that others might have a chance at equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It may very well be our own rights we are defending in war some day.
I appreciate very much every one of the men and women who are serving in our military. I pray daily for them and their families while they are away. And I appreciate these photos giving us a glimpse into the training these soldiers are getting. I pray that it will be helpful in keeping them safe, and ultimately bringing war to an end.
(By the way, since you made your comment about full names showing up, even though my posting name shows up as Karen W. - my name is Karen Withers.)
Our Constitution is based on Biblical principles. Let us not forget…
“(17)When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thrist, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (18) I will open rivers in the high places, and fountians in the midst of the valley: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water…..(20)That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” Isaiah Chapter 41.
When the United States of America turns away from following the law and methods of God, we are doomed. Regardless of the final reasoning behind the declaration of war issued by Congress, the end result is that a monster, who unleashed atrocities on his own people that we can only equate to horror movies we watch from the comfort of our arm chairs, has been eliminated.
Our soldiers have honorably served our God and country through many, many wars. Their shed blood has paid the price for our freedom. Let us not forget, that it was the shedding of the most innocent blood of all that gave us the gift of salvation. For this reason, any stirring of ill will against our soldiers IS unpatriotic. The same as stirring of ill will against our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ IS blasphemy.
In prayer, we should all remember our soldiers and their families. God Bless them each and every one!
Chronicles 22:8
8 But this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.
J. William Fulbright:
In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith.
John F. Kennedy:
Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed — and no republic can survive
Barbara Ehrenreich:
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Edward R. Murrow:
We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.
I have searched my heart for almost a week now since reading Mr. Newman’s comments here and have come to a very difficult conclusion: dissent is not always a bad thing. If not for dissent, our fine nation would not exist today. We would still be a part of the British empire. Instead our forefathers stood up for what they believed were their rights. All of our rights. And they did not achieve their goals by blindly supporting their troops and leaders. They dissented. They rebelled. They spoke out against their leaders and the policies of their government. So before you invoke the names of the founding fathers, remember that they were the ORIGINAL rebels of this country. The ORIGINAL unpatriotic. One could argue that this country was founded on dissent and the questioning of one’s government. The patriotic thing for a US citizen to do is question the people he/she has elected on a regular basis. Because being a citizen means more than going to the polls one every year or two. It means keeping up with the people we choose to run our country. Citizenship means that when you think the big guys get out of line you say something about. You call them out on it. And we a citizens have a very hard time doing that when we are alienated by being labeled “unpatriotic.” Just because I don’t think we should be waging a war doesn’t mean that I don’t support our troops. These guys are just doing their jobs. I wish them no ill and hope to see ALL of them return happy and well. So, next time you hear one of us “unpatriotic” folks expressing a dissenting idea, stop before you judge. Remember that it was not just the blood of our soldiers that allowed the creation of this great nation. The courage and strength of our forefathers to stand up and speak out against their government in the first place allowed us all to be Americans. Dissent is as much a part of patriotism as obedience.
Oh, and as far as my feelings go on being there in the first place: the Christ I was raised to know and love was a pretty laid back, peace loving Savior. I just can’t see him leading a war causing the pain and suffering of any peoples even for the best of reasons. And if Jesus wouldn’t do it I don’t see any reason for any of us to do it either.
Perhaps I’m debating semantics, but I think it is important to note that while our Congress has authorized this (and other) conflicts with financial appropriations… Congress has not declared war on any country since 1942.
That was a great point Michael!