Battlefield-promoted specialist keeps Afghan soldiers communicating

AFGHANISTAN

12.05.2016

Story by OF-4 Una Sighvatsdottir 

Resolute Support Headquarters

FOB GAMBERI, Afghanistan (Dec. 5, 2016) — Shoot, move, communicate, as the old military adage goes. Those are said to be the measures of effective warfighters. As the soldiers of Train, Advise, Assist Command – East help the Afghan Army achieve all three, a battlefield-promoted specialist here ensured communicating wasn't a problem.

Spc. Kendra L. Santiago is a signal support specialist, and as a private first class on her first deployment, she began playing a major role in NATO's Afghanistan mission. She's one of several soldiers at the TAAC-E communication section (the G6, in military parlance) who keep Afghan and coalition troops talking on the battlefield.

Now, Santiago is nearing the end of her tour with two Army Commendation Medals, one of which is an impact award – meaning it's rare and recognizes a specific act of great magnitude over a short period of time. Perhaps most impressive, she leaves with the unique achievement of being promoted ahead of her peers under the U.S. Army's battlefield promotion program.

As Santiago's unit, 3rd Cavalry Regiment of Fort Hood, Tex., prepares to redeploy, they're evaluating their experiences and measuring successes, which is typical for units nearing the end of their tour. They measure that success by the impact they've had on NATO's train, advise, assist mission, as well as intangibles - like relationships they established with their Afghan counterparts, and the future leadership potential of younger soldiers.

With nearly 25 years in the Army and seven combat deployments under his belt, Santiago's senior enlisted boss has rarely seen such potential. As he watched a private master a job typically executed by experienced noncommissioned officers, he began working to formally recognize her efforts.

"I know how rare they are," said Master Sgt. William E. Palumbo, the G6 noncommissioned officer in charge at TAAC-E, explaining battlefield promotions. "In fact, we didn't tell her about it until it was approved, because even though she deserved it you really just have to hope for the best. I was elated when I learned my soldier was being recognized for her hard work and success."

Here at Gamberi, success at the G6 is imperative in spite of the work being specialized and complicated. So, Palumbo says he can't understate how important Santiago's efforts were. The forward operating base has about 1,000 Polish and U.S. troops supporting more than 50,000 Afghan soldiers from two Afghan Army corps, and two Afghan police zones providing security across 14 eastern provinces. Santiago and her G6 teammates help the Afghan soldiers and police communicate across 46,000 square miles, including key terrain where Afghanistan borders Pakistan. It's no small feat, and failure isn't an option.

The officer running the G6 is a Texas native on her fourth combat deployment. She's a realist, experienced, and doesn't take her job lightly.

"It's really a question of, 'How do we enable the Afghans, as well as our train, advise assist forces,'" said Maj. Mai Lee Eskelund, officer in charge, TAAC-E G6. "Comm is centric to what we do - shoot, move, communicate."

Eskelund explained that throughout the eastern provinces, the G6 is expected to provide garrison-style communications in a hostile, unpredictable expeditionary environment. They accomplished exactly that, venturing to multiple rugged provinces to set up what the U.S. Army refers to as expeditionary advising packages. Coalition soldiers set up expeditionary communication sites for the Afghan soldiers as other coalition troops aided their Afghans counterparts in clearing difficult terrain of militants and extremists. Their communications enabled the Afghans to receive U.S. air and artillery support, which in turn helped ensure success.

"The expeditionary capability Spc. Santiago and the rest of the G6 provided is really above and beyond. They had the opportunity to grow as soldiers and leaders - and develop their Afghan counterparts. That's where they excelled," Eskelund explained.

After reflecting on her time throughout TAAC-E and at Gamberi, Santiago summed up her deployment in soldier terms, but to paraphrase: it was pretty awesome.

Santiago has a wife and four furry children (two pit bulls, two cats) anxiously awaiting her return to Texas. She said her wife has been especially supportive of her deployment, which has been important. They don't know if she'll face future deployments, but if she does, they will be ready. And she will be uniquely qualified to lead and continue helping the Afghans and NATO achieve their mission – a stable, secure Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 12.05.2016
• Date Posted: 12.09.2016 20:03
• Story ID: 216518
• Location: AF
• Hometown: HOLYOKE, MA, US