First TF Wolverine Female Soldier Earns CAB

Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Sgt. Nicole M. Seitz, a Military Police officer for Troop B, 1st Regiment 172nd Squadron, poses with her M-4 Carbine, July 1. Seitz, a Columbia, S.C., resident, is the first Task Force Wolverine female soldier to earn a Combat Action Badge. Seitz , who works as veterinary technician as a civilian received her CAB during a joint patrol when her unit received small-arms fire. “Getting this CAB just shows that there indeed are females out here, too,” said Seitz. “In fact, combat it the reason I became an MP in the first place. I wanted to do as much as I could for my country.” (U.S. Army courtesy photo)  

AFGHANISTAN

09.03.2010

Story by Pfc. Roy Mercon 

86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (MTN)

PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The sounds of combat are nothing new to U.S. Army Sgt. Nicole M. Seitz, who served in her first combat deployment to Iraq in 2004. But while on a joint security patrol with Afghan National Police April 11, those sounds were a lot closer as the patrol was attacked by small-arms fire.

As a result of this attack, Seitz, a military police officer with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 86th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Wolverine became the first female soldier in the task force to earn the Combat Action Badge for the brigade’s deployment to Afghanistan.

“After all the training and my other tour, I’m kind-of desensitized from the initial shock and am able to do my job better because of it,” said Seitz.

Seitz doesn’t scare easily. She said that her experience from a previous deployment, training she received prior to deployment during unit mobilization and rehearsed unit battle drills prepared her to react to a small-arms fire attack.

As a driver during the attack, she took directions from the truck commander on how to position the vehicle while another vehicle returned fire, which suppressed the insurgent fire. Then the ANP forces with the patrol immediately attempted to pursue the insurgent who fled the scene when Troop B returned fire. Unfortunately, the insurgent escaped capture this time.

Joint patrols with the ANP are a major part of TF Wolverine’s mission to help improve the Afghan National Security Forces’ competence, capacity and credibility in a unified effort to protect the local population.

TF Wolverine relies on well-trained soldiers to serve as mentors for the ANSF regardless of gender.

“Getting this CAB just shows that there indeed are females out there, too,” said Seitz. “In fact, combat it the reason I became an MP in the first place. I wanted to do as much as I could for my country.”

This is not the first ‘first’ Seitz has under her belt as a female in the Army. She was also the first female in the entire Army to qualify in the use of the Javelin Anti-Tank Missile system.

• Date Taken: 09.03.2010
• Date Posted: 09.03.2010 03:22
• Story ID: 55643
• Location: AF