No Mercy soldiers go beyond the flight line

Photo By Darci Brennan | U.S. Soldiers with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade share a light moment while standing next to an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2013. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Duncan Brennan/Released)  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, AFGHANISTAN

02.12.2013

Story by Sgt. Darci Brennan 

101st Combat Aviation Brigade

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – A short profile of 1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force No Mercy at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

The army performs best when soldiers, leaders, commanders and family come together as a cohesive group. Within the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Destiny, units strive to become more than just a unit.

1st Battalion, 101st CAB, TF No Mercy, turns effort into success. No Mercy’s dedication to their soldiers and leaders has turned into a force multiplier for the ground units of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, TF Rakkasan, who are operating out of Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

“Any success TF No Mercy may have is because of our soldiers and engaged leaders who are focused on a common goal,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Maurice Terry, 1-101st CAB, TF No Mercy. “They are extremely dedicated and act as a team in all they do. They understand that it is not about them, but about the ground troops we support.”

The support given to the ground troops continues whenever the troops are outside the wire. None of this would be possible without herculean efforts behind the scenes. Every part of TF No Mercy is involved in making things run smoothly.

“What most see from the outside, when looking at an aviation unit, is the finished product,” said Lt. Col. William Ryan, commander, 1-101st CAB. “What many don’t see are the incredibly efforts by all of the support and administrative soldiers who are the center of gravity for this organization. These soldiers work around the clock to ensure this task force can generate and sustain combat power and support.”

Soldiers with TF No Mercy take pride in all that they do, from maintaining the aircraft to meeting administrative deadlines. All of this hard work reflects in the success of their mission. Integrating units into a single task force that come from different command cultures into one, mission-focused organization takes a lot of work. This shows, and the command notices.

“The commander and I are most proud of the professionalism, teamwork and trust between our units,” said Terry. “Those efforts have enabled TF No Mercy to continually provide reliable and safe aviation support to our ground units.”

At the end of the day, soldiers make the mission happen. No mission ever gets accomplished with any degree of success without hard work and sacrifices. The soldiers of No Mercy have turned the sacrifices of being away from their families into undeniable success.

“We could not be more proud to serve with each of the soldiers in this task force,” said Ryan. “We cannot thank their families enough for the sacrifices they continue to make. It continues to be a privilege to serve alongside such a great group of Screaming Eagles, here at FOB Salerno.”

• Date Taken: 02.12.2013
• Date Posted: 02.13.2013 07:39
• Story ID: 101896
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, AF
• Hometown: ERIE, PA, US
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