Photo By Staff Sgt. Victor Everhart | (Left-right) Army Spec. Matthew Carver, a Gadsen, Ala., native and Army Pvt. Brandon...... read more read more
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LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – In a dug out pit, where heavy-duty canvas covered mortar rounds, two soldiers worked together to perform standard maintenance on a mortar tube, a lifeline for infantry soldiers involved in a fight outside the combat outpost.
A question asked and an answer given.
“A lot of people seem to think it’s bad over here,” said Army Spc. Matthew Carver, a native of Gadsen, Ala. “Before we deployed, I figured the situation was going to be far worse from what you see in the news and on television.”
“If you would have told me the people of Afghanistan would have been this helpful, I would have never believed you,” said Carver, a mortarman assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment. “The help and information they’ve given us in our short time here has been crucial to the mission planning and accomplishments we have had and plan to continue in the future.”
“The local nationals here have been extremely supportive since our arrival. They’ve brought us food, blankets and all kinds of useful items,” said Carver, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, deployed out of Fort Bliss, Texas. “I really never expected that.”
An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, Carver had to overcome the extreme difference in terrain and elevation.
“It was flat and not very elevated where I was in Iraq, as opposed to here where you’re almost always surrounded by mountains and normally over four-to-five-thousand feet in elevation,” said Carver. “Getting used to the surroundings and the different style living conditions was a test, but it didn’t take me long to get used to seeing how our training back in the States was always a little rugged anyway.”
No matter how many books a person might have read, or movies and news videos seen, nothing can truly prepare a person for the sights, smells and sounds during a deployment.
“I would watch what was on the news and ask myself, ‘What am I coming into?’” said Pvt. Brandon Vitale, native of Loganville, Ga., as he grinned and chuckled. “What I’ve seen out here is an absolute difference. I mean, yeah, this is a combat zone, and we do get into firefights, but what I was trained for is pretty much exactly what we have dealt with up until this point.”
Although training for military deployments has come a long way in just a decade, nothing can never really substitute real-life experience in a combat zone.
“The training I received before the deployment was exactly what we needed in my opinion, but boots-on-ground time is always the best teacher,” said Vitale, also a member of HHC, 1-41 Infantry. “The lessons I’ve learned, I can apply to real-life scenarios that have me very confident I can go out and actually make a difference in the life of many people, just by sticking to what I know and evolving my thought process, as well as listening to my leadership.”
“I believe the people in our immediate area appreciate our presence and the help we’ve try to give them,” said Carver. “The biggest goal I have for our small part of the battlespace is for the local populace to realize we’re here for their safety and to support them in as many ways as we can.”
“Having such a small piece in this big puzzle, I just want to positively affect the outlook the local populace has for Americans and coalition forces,” said Vitale. “If I can help make another unit’s time here better in any way, then I’d definitely like to help them transition and adjust.”
“Well, whenever we have a patrol going through the Afghan shopping centers or ‘bazaar,’ I always like to see the various things they sell and items they have, because there is always something interesting to see,” said Vitale.
“The best thing about being here is the camaraderie,” said Carver. "You build it with the men and women to your right and left, knowing that your life is in their hands and theirs in yours. It’s weird, but we have a fireplace we like to sit around and tell stories about times back in the States or experiences in prior patrols that bring us all together. You truly get to know and build bonds that last forever."
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2012 07:15 |
| Story ID: | 82364 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, AF |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers experience 100 plus days in the fight, by SSG Victor Everhart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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