41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Story by Spc. Cory Grogan

KUWAIT - Members of the Oregon National Guard's Alpha Battery 2/218 Field Artillery provide an excellent example of the unique sense of teamwork and social bonding that occurs on a military deployment.

As some of the first Soldiers from Oregon's 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team arriving in Kuwait at the end of June, they showed up in good spirits to train and acclimate to extreme heat before entering Iraq, for a force protection and convoy security mission that will last until spring 2010.

The Soldiers are coping with days that have temperatures sometimes ranging from 90 to over 120 degrees with winds that can create a relentless cloud of dust. They are also facing the reality of being away from home in a foreign country for around 10 months and nervousness that goes along with being in a combat zone.

However, that is balanced with ample morale and welfare facilities, excitement in anticipation of doing jobs that they are well trained for—and most of all—strong camaraderie.

Sgt. Stephen Osgood, a medic from Dallas, Ore., said that camaraderie is the most important part of getting through a deployment. "Without camaraderie you don't have trust and you don't have those guys that help you get through the tough times."

It is hard for some to believe the rigors of a deployment can be dealt with in positive ways, but for alpha battery and countless other military groups, constant lively conversations and a strong support networks provide a positive environment. For alpha battery, that leads to high morale and team cohesiveness on missions.

During the down times when it would be easy to become stressed and homesick alpha battery stays positive by keeping busy. That often involves story telling and conversation or just finding ways to have fun.

"We are able to make the worst situations we have to go through as fun as we possibly can just by joking around and telling stories," said Spc. Andrew Davis, a mechanic from Banks, Ore.

James Jones wrote the "bull session" is the "soldier's greatest hobby," and for Soldiers like those in alpha battery it is a part of dealing with the daily stresses that go along with a deployment. As individuals, alpha battery would have an extremely difficult time getting through their year long deployment, but as a team their social bond will allow them to endure all hardships this year.

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