1/5 remembers mentor

Photo By Sgt. Benjamin Crilly | PATROL BASE GUMBATTY, Helmand province, Afghanistan - Lt. Col. Thomas B. Savage, the battalion commander for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, pays his final respects at the battlefield cross for Sgt. Chad D. Frokjer during the pass and review at a memorial ceremony held at Patrol Base Gumbatty, Sangin, Afghanistan, July 11. Frokjer, a squad leader for 2nd Platoon, Company A., 1/5, was killed in action while conducting combat operations in the district, June 30. Frokjer, 27, is the son of Brian and Arlene Frokjer of Saint Paul, Minn., but resided in Garden Grove, Calif., with his wife Leslie.  

PATROL BASE GUMBATTY, HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

07.11.2011

Story by Cpl. Benjamin Crilly 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

PATROL BASE GUMBATTY, Helmand province, Afghanistan - Marines and sailors from Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, remembered the life and service of Sgt. Chad D. Frokjer at a memorial service at Patrol Base Gumbatty, Sangin, Afghanistan, July 11.

Frokjer was killed in action while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Sangin. The 27 year-old squad leader for 2nd Platoon was born in Saint Paul, Minn., and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2004.

“From a Platoon Commander’s perspective, I have been blessed with small unit leadership that outperforms the expectations of their rank,” said 1st Lt. Robert W. Viehmeyer, the platoon commander for 2nd Platoon, Co. A. “Sgt. Frokjer was one of those blessings, as he set a high standard on knowledge, tactics, and ownership of his squad as a leader.”

After attending the School of Infantry, Frokjer was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, he deployed with this unit twice to Iraq. He exemplified what it meant to be a warrior but also possessed a wealth of knowledge that he wanted to share with everyone.

“I remember back in August when I first joined 1/5, I didn’t know what to expect or how I would be judged for my lack of experience in the fleet,” said Cpl. Thomas W. Jacques a team leader for 2nd Plt., Alpha Co . “ That all went away when I met Sgt. Frokjer. I remember him shaking my hand, introducing himself and telling me, don’t worry if you don’t know much now because I will mold you into the best team leader you can be. A few minutes later he asked Cpl. Schmidt and I if we wanted to learn METT-TSL. As we sit there taking notes he is spitting off knowledge without a book and that was typical Sgt. Frokjer because he was a Marine Corps knowledge book.”

“All he did is care for his Marines, it didn’t matter what squad or platoon you were in, all he wanted to do is teach and share his knowledge with Marines, always giving and never taking,” said Jacques, from Winslow, Maine. “Sgt. Frokjer always strived to be the best leader he could for his Marines but also the best friend he could, no matter your rank.”

Despite being extrememly knowledgable as a Marine small unit leader, Frokjer still asked questions and sought out more knowledge to pass on to his Marines.

“Prior to checking into 1/5, a mentor told me there is nothing wrong with not having all the answers,” said Viehmeyer, from Sunrise, Fla. “An acceptable response is that ‘I don’t have the answer right now, but I will find out and get back to you’ because Sgt. Frokjer was consistently seeking more. To be honest, he was probably just testing me, because it seemed as if he had memorized every Marine Corps publication and could give you the page number to reference.”

Frokjer’s teaching record also included two years at Field Weapons Training Battalion (West) where he served as the chief instructor. In addition to being a teacher and mentor to Marines, Frokjer was also a proud husband and father to his unborn son.

“Sgt. Frokjer was not only a great man because he was a great Marine. He was a great man because he had the same passion for his family as he was a devoted son and brother,” Viehmeyer. “He was a loving and devoted husband to Leslie Frokjer whom he spoke of often. Chad and Leslie are expecting their son Eli this coming September, and Sgt. Frokjer was in high anticipation of being a father. I know that he would have been an outstanding father, coach, and mentor to Eli just as he was to his Marines.”

Marines of 2nd Platoon also extended their support and condolences to Frokjer’s wife Leslie and unborn son Eli, who will never know firsthand what kind of mentor and friend his father was to others.

“Sgt. Frokjer was the kind of man who believed if you’re willing to fight next to him, that is a good enough reason to be friends,” said Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Prince, a rifleman for 2nd Platoon, Co. A. “So after many days running routes on the basketball courts or slamming back cold ones while watching the Vikings lose again a friendship was formed. I’m honored to call him a friend.

Frokjer’s personal awards include the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon with one gold star, Navy Unit Commendation Medal and a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal with one bronze star.

• Date Taken: 07.11.2011
• Date Posted: 07.22.2011 13:49
• Story ID: 74150
• Location: PATROL BASE GUMBATTY, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF