Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt | Cpl. Jack Condon, aviation operations specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters...... read more read more
By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt
Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – "Joining the Army after 9/11 was a big part of why I joined, but I really wanted to make my family proud of me."
Cpl. Jack Condon, aviation operations specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Avn. Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, said reflecting on why he joined the Army and what he has accomplished throughout his four-year career.
Although Condon's career is just getting underway, he has already made his family and his unit proud. Currently serving on his second combat tour to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Condon is now the 'go to guy' in the Gambler Gun's Tactical Operations Center on Camp Taji.
"Condon is one of those guys who make stuff happen," said Sgt. 1st Class Albert Rodriguez, first sergeant for the battalions' headquarters company, who is from Oxnard, Calif. "He gets the mission done.
"He is a 'MacGyver' type of guy who can fix anything from a piece of equipment to analyzing a problem and coming up with a solution quickly," said Rodriguez comparing Condon to Richard Dean Anderson who starred in the 1980s television show about a guy who could fix anything and get out of any situation. "He really takes charge in the TOC. He trains the Soldiers how to do their job step-by-step."
When Condon deployed to Iraq this summer, he was essentially in charge of himself. His job was simple; be in the right place, at the right time in the right uniform. Although this is the task of most Soldiers, leaders around the battalion recognized something different in Condon. He is capable of much more. He is a leader.
"I have been put in charge of six Soldiers since I've been here," said the Catoosa, Okla., native. "The great thing about being a leader is watching Soldiers grow, even though when I was a private I thought I could never do what an NCO [non-commissioned officer] does."
Condon's day starts with the shift change brief. At the brief, Soldiers coming on shift are informed of the night's activity while getting information that pertains to their upcoming 12-hour shift.
After the briefing and the handing out of assignments, Condon supervises and teaches his troops while simultaneously verifying flight schedules, tracking missions and ensuring equipment is maintained properly so the operations center runs smoothly and efficiently.
"Every 15-minutes I get a SITREP [situation report], so I can inform the commander on the mission and what is going on. I have been put in the center of the information flow," Condon said as Soldiers throughout the TOC constantly ask him questions and pull him in different directions. "Nothing can happen unless we are here."
Condon works in one of the two Apache helicopter battalions in the CAB. Their mission is to protect Soldiers on the ground, escort air ambulance missions and conduct combat operations.
As Condon grows in experience and knowledge, he occasionally asks for advice from leaders throughout the battalion.
"I still ask for guidance from the senior NCOs about what to do with a Soldier or a situation, because every Soldier and situation is different," he said. "What keeps me going is watching my Soldiers grow. That's how my NCOs are and I want to be the same."
Growing into a great leader seems to be Condon's destiny. Working hard on getting college courses completed before and after shifts is the next goal in his already long list of achievements.
"I'm hoping to get my third stripe here shortly," he said. "That is my next goal."
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2008 14:15 |
| Story ID: | 22774 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 200 |
| Downloads: | 154 |
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