Passion of an NCO

IRAQ

02.24.2010

Story by Staff Sgt. Christina Turnipseed 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division

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FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq — When he tried to get up, he quickly realized he could not move his left arm. The heavy crew hatch door had him pinned to the ground in a ditch as he was partially on the ground and partially still in the M113.

After seven years, Staff Sgt. Bell does not recall all the names of Soldiers involved in the event, but he will never forget. Bell woke in darkness, squinting at the few rays of glaring sunlight leaking through the cracks of the overturned M113 tracked armored personnel carrier forget two key events during a deployment that ended with him receiving a Bronze Star.

"Hey! Wake up! Wake up!" Staff Sgt. Bell recalled yelling to the driver. Bell began to sing gospel songs to keep him calm; to push back the panic when he realized everyone else in the vehicle was wounded.

He had to rely on his faith. No other help seemed to be forthcoming.

"It was kind of dark in there," said Bell. "When they opened the door we were kind of scared because we didn't know what was going on."

Soon, Soldiers from the scout team lowered themselves into the M113 and helped all three of the Soldier out, including Bell. However, the scout Soldiers could not lift the hatch off of Bell's arm.

They had to bring two tanker bars and pry the crew hatch off of my arm, he said.

Bell, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., was deployed with the 269th Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at the time of the attack.

He is now a supply non-commissioned officer in charge in 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, where he sat in the company headquarters command post seven with tears in his eyes.

It was not memories of his own roll over that caused his emotional response. It was the recent loss of one of his Soldiers.

"We lost Pfc. Pruitt," Bell said.

According to Bell's account of this separate attack, we got ambushed at the Oil College. A rocket propelled grenade hit the scout vehicle and one hit the ammo truck. Something else hit the fuel truck. I see Pfc. Pruitt jump out the vehicle. I see shrapnel but I don't see him get hit. He falls to the ground and pushes himself back against a tire and his head slumps over. I started low crawling over to help, but another Soldier told me to lay down suppressive fire while he continued to low crawl to Pfc. Pruitt. We knew the fuel truck was on fire, the ammo truck was cooking-off (exploding the ammo) and we were taking enemy fire. It took four Soldiers including me to get Pruitt to a safe place.

He lasted through the night, April 6, 2003, and died, April 7, on my birthday said Bell.

As Bell recalls his own incident again, he notes that he was sent home to heal where he underwent rehabilitation for about eight months for his injuries.

However, Staff Sgt. Bell said he suffered from nightmares, he reacted to loud sounds by diving to the ground, he woke up attacking his wife and he could not watch war movies without crying.

Next, he said he would go for long periods of time, even while driving, and not remember where he was or how he got there.

I didn't want to talk to a psychologist about it because I didn't want people to think I was crazy Staff Sgt. Bell said.

However, he said his supervisor insisted he get help.

Staff Sergeant Bell said he was able to heal mentally and emotionally because of his faith, his psychologist, and weight lifting.

He said the discipline involved in eating right and working out everyday helped him to discipline his mind as well.

Staff Sergeant Bell is now a strong advocate of accepting the help that the Army provides.

"Take whatever help the Army gives you," he said. "Don't try to say 'I'm okay because I don't want anybody to think I'm crazy."

He also said he plans to retire from the Army.

"The Soldiers out here need someone to care; to teach them everything you know," Staff Sgt. Bell said. "I want to give these Soldiers my experience."

Staff Sergeant Bell, who received the Bronze Star with Valor device after his last deployment, is now deployed again with 1/1 AD, "Ready First" to Iraq with no reservations.

"I felt like I was mentally, physically prepared for the challenges of this deployment."