Photo By Master Sgt. Brock Jones | Maj. Sam Baker, a native of Huntsville, Ala., who serves as chief of civil affairs...... read more read more
By Spc. Douglas York
Multi-National Division - Baghdad
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Were it not for unit patches or other such designations, it would be difficult to distinguish National Guardsmen or Reservists from their active-duty brothers and sisters in uniform.
Standing side by side in Baghdad, all three Army components serve together in the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad, contributing to their individual and collective division missions every day.
When they return home however, the Reserve and Guard citizen Soldiers wear other hats in addition to those of their military careers.
"I am a highway patrolman, and I have been in corrections and narcotics," said Maj. Sam Baker, a native of Huntsville, Ala., who has witnessed a great deal as an Army officer and moreover as a law enforcement officer.
Baker is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit based out of Santa Barbara, Calif., attached to the CA Section, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B, where he serves as chief of civil affairs operations.
Baker oversees about 15 – 20 Soldiers whose tasks range from piecing together fragmentary orders to ensuring reports are complete, to disseminating information to the correct individuals.
"We've only been here a month, so right now my biggest challenge is just catching up on everything because there is just so much information here. There's so many areas to cover that gaining knowledge and learning my job are the [biggest] difficulties," said Baker, adding that his troops are a tremendous asset and help him to learn things as they go along.
"They make me look good," Baker said appreciatively of his troops.
Despite the short time in country together, he and his troops are learning from, and growing a greater appreciation for, each other.
"He's probably one of the best officers we have in our company," said Staff Sgt. Charles Tong, from Santa Barbara, Calif., who serves as the operations section non-commissioned officer in charge, HHC, 425th CA Bn., 4th Inf. Div. "He's a really good guy, real fun to be around, real easy to work with, and that makes me want to do my job well."
These are glowing remarks when one considers the short time the two, and the unit in its current form, have been together.
"I've been in law enforcement for 24 years, so a lot of stuff just rolls off of my shoulders," Baker said, of his approach to dealing with difficulties. "Whether I'm talking to a violator or not, I try to talk to people and treat them as civilly as they will allow me. On the military side, I try to do the same. There is no changing [back and forth] because the responsibility is great on both sides."
This laid back "golden rule" of decency has served Baker well over the past 25 years of his life. During that time, he has gone from an initial enlistment in the Army, starting out as a private and rising to the rank of staff sergeant, to a break in service, to reenlisting as he prepared to resume his academic endeavors. The one constant over those years was his service as a law enforcement officer, which prepared him to become an officer in the military as well.
"I was out [of the Army] on break in service. I was getting ready to get back into school, and a buddy of mine said: 'Come on over to the National Guard,'" Baker said. "So, I came over to the Guard, and I ended up becoming one of those 'career students.' The next thing I knew, I had been in for 12 years. I figured I may as well keep going."
He said that although his initial reasons for reenlisting centered on earning a college degree, he actually ended up earning a military career instead.
While the pursuit of a degree led to a different path for Baker than expected, he said he recognizes the importance of that pursuit and uses it when talking to young Soldiers about their future.
"While you are [in the uniform], 'max-out' on your opportunities; and if you decide this isn't for you down the road, then that's fine," Baker said. "Then, if you [decide to make it a career], that's great because you are still checking those blocks."
Bader said he sees the military as a win-win situation for all who serve.
"When I'm recruiting folks to become officers, my biggest thing is that you never know where you are going to be in 25 years," Baker said. "When I was a private, digging ditches just because the NCO thought it was funny, if someone would have told me I'd still be in the military 25 years later, I'd have climbed out of that hole and we'd have started fighting," he said with a laugh.
Young lives without direction, and misconceptions about what the military can turn into for young Soldiers, aren't the only challenges Baker has dealt with over that time. His service in law enforcement, more recently as a highway patrolman, lend their own brand of misconceptions as well.
He said that most folks believe there is an inherit 10 mile per hour "grace period" over the posted speed limit.
"I tell them, 'No, the speed limit is whatever's posted,' and each officer has their own grace period," Baker said with a smile.
Misconceptions, misunderstandings and myths aside, Baker enjoys his role in either uniform and finds a lot of similarities in both.
"Both [jobs] are interesting," Baker said. "Sometimes I sit and I listen to these briefs about the insurgents and it is just like working narcotics, to a degree, because every time we learn new tactics [the enemy] adjusts theirs and vice versa. That's exactly how narcotics is."
The monthly transition from citizen to Soldier isn't always an easy one, yet it is one he finds his own comfort in.
"I've got friends in law enforcement who are also servicemembers, and I guess everybody attacks [filling the dual roles] differently," Baker said. "Me, I just try to be Sam Baker on both sides of the house because there is no sense in changing [who I am] from one role to the other."
He said his goal is to maintain an even keel in both of the uniforms he wears. His mild-mannered approach towards life is quickly picked up on by those whom he serves with him.
"He hasn't complained in front of me once," Tong said, about Baker's easy-going demeanor. "He doesn't go outside his lanes as the OIC and he lets the NCOIC be the NCO."
Baker's style, added Tong, helps things run smoother in his section.
Baker said he felt his section is successful because of its attitude and shared commitment to succeed in all missions put forth to it, adding that his sections unofficial "creed" of "Drinking from a fire hose" is indicative of their attitude in responding to any and all challenges.
"Each section has its own fires to put out," Baker said, about his Soldiers. "We use the term around here 'drinking from a fire hose."
The team's learning process, using their unofficial creed, has been fairly painless, he said.
"The unit we replaced here set up a pretty good operation."
He said being a member of the Ironhorse Division has been a positive experience and he has learned a great deal so far.
"Being here, you get to see a lot of stuff, and I'm pretty impressed with how much we have done in Baghdad," he said, about the 4th Infantry Division's overall mission in the MND-B area of operations.
His section's contributions to that overall mission will be fairly diverse as well.
"We have several key events that we have to get through, such as the election and the [transfer of authority] between the 4th Inf. Div. and 1st Cavalry Division," Baker said, of his section's future missions. "If we keep this thing rolling and nothing gets dropped between the cracks, we will have pretty much done our job."
Regardless of those investments of time and energy, Baker does not see himself slowing down any time soon.
"As a Soldier, I enjoy the responsibilities," Baker said. "I call my buddies from when we were privates together every time I get a new rank. We say 'Can you believe this?' because we weren't the greatest privates to say the least, and we laugh about it. But I enjoy the challenges, and twenty-something years ago, I would have never expected this," he added, reflecting on where he started his Army life and where he is now.
He said his experiences as a law enforcement officer, like those in his military career, are invaluable because of the sheer number of lives you can positively impact.
"As a trooper, you touch a lot of people that you don't even realize that you've touched," Baker said. "I've had people come up to me some odd years later, some of them I don't even remember, and say to me 'You scared me straight' or 'I want to thank you because you helped my daughter out when her car was broke down on the side of the road.' I'm surprised by how many people I've actually touched over all of these years."
He said that although he has thoroughly enjoyed the dual roles he serves, he and his wife, Gloria, realize that at this point in life he cannot continue to serve in both capacities.
"I'm probably going to give law enforcement up next year because I'm interested in staying in the fight," Baker said. "I want to do at least one year at home – and then either come back here or go to Afghanistan."
Whichever path life may ultimately take him down, he said he would never change his experiences over the past 25 years of his life.
"I love it; I love it," Baker said, of his life wearing both hats. "I worked it out with the missus, and as long as I do one mobilization stateside, I can do one overseas so she's happy with that."
No matter what role or hat Baker is wearing, it seems that he will continue to make an impact on people's lives and that he will stay Steadfast and Loyal to any calling this life has in store for him.
"I'm really happy that he deployed with us," Tong said. "For him to be attached to, and mesh well with, sixty-something people he didn't even know is pretty good."
Baker said his life's fulfilling mission has been made possible by his family. Were it not for them, much of who he is or where he is in life would not be possible.
"I've seen folks with less-than-great Family support," Baker said sullenly. "With my family's support, it makes my life here a whole lot easier. My wife [who grew up in the military] understands. We're on the same page, and she's taking care of business at home."
He and his wife have a mutual understanding that when she's had enough of him being away, he will call it a career. Whenever that day comes, Baker is sure to be happy with what he's accomplished and will certainly have no regrets. Moreover, he will be thankful for what he's gained along the way.
"Both jobs have been a blessing," Baker said. "I didn't plan out my careers – they just kind of unfolded. I've always been a 'What's behind this door' type of person. These opportunities came and I didn't hesitate to jump into them and see what was 'behind the doors.'"
Through a quarter-century of service where civil unrest is a common occurrence, this even-tempered and civil man has left an indelible mark on the lives he touches. Never straying from his core, he has simply always been Sam.
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2008 14:23 |
| Story ID: | 26636 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 190 |
| Downloads: | 138 |
This work, Civil affairs, civil service: Ironhorse reservist's life as 2 different 'officers', by SPC Douglas York, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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