Behind the Scenes

Photo By Spc. Alisha Hauk | Staff Sgt. Yvonne Smith, brigade adjutant, 1st Strker Brgade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, helps coordinate the organization and execution of the first of 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Division's memorial ceremonies while on the current deployment.  

10.29.2008

Story by Pfc. Alisha Hauk 

14th Public Affairs Detachment

By Pfc. Alisha Nye
14th Public Affairs Detachment

Staff Sgt. Yvonne Smith and her staff of three are the unsung, crucial assets to 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. Whether a group needs something from the brigade commander or command sergeant major, or the commander and sergeant major need something to go down, Smith and her team are the people that make it happen.

"We really do become a Jack-of-all-trades," said Smith, the command group chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear non-commissioned officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 1st SBCT, 25th In. Div., acting as the brigade adjutant.

For Smith, this job is nothing new, having done the same job while deployed with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. However, having a staff working with her is something new.

"This is an interesting role because I worked in the command group on my last deployment and I did that on my own," Smith said. "This is different. I have a staff of three now. We're doing a little of everything."

When smith says "everything," she means it. Together, the quartet is the head of for the protocol and administrative responsibilities for the whole of the brigade, which encompass much more then they let on.

"We do a lot of facilitating for any group that needs something from the brigade commander or sergeant major and along with that goes anything that the command group wants to make happen, from life support to transportation," Smith said. "We do anything to make sure we can take care of them so they can take care of Soldiers."

While this Jack-of-all-trades role is one she is now used to, Smith admits being a little lost in the sauce the first time around.

"The first time I deployed, I didn't know what to expect," she said. "Everything was brand new to me. Certainly, the role I had in garrison, which was purely administrative, took a huge turn and I got more involved. I actually went out on patrols and I was part of a lot of engagements."

One of this biggest roles Smith took on, she said, was that of a record-keeper.

"I took the role of a historian and passed on a lot of my records to the 172nd when it was deactivated and I sent out all that information to museums," she said. "I think I served well in that capacity. I still hold those records and I still keep in touch with a lot of the people, a lot of the leadership."

Smith's experiences from her last deployment have been dutifully carried over to her current deployment.

"It's sort of helped on this deployment because now I have a bigger role," Smith said.

Smith said of the many hats she wears, her favorite is of a behind-the-scenes employee.

"I'm not one of those folks who likes to take a lot of credit for anything that I do, but I like just the little things that I do that help Soldiers and their families out," Smith said.

The most meaningful cases are when Smith helps to facilitate in memorials, she said.

"We had our first memorial reunion, I guess you could call it, for the 172nd at Fort Wainwright," Smith said. "A lot of those records I maintained and I was able to make sure that family members had all those records. From pictures, memorial programs, anything like that so that the families could keep them as a memory."

The detail-oriented Smith believes that it is the little things that count and takes pride in insuring that every little thing is done to perfection, especially for a memorial.

"I was able to insure the little things, like that their names were spelled correctly or we let people know who were the 172nd pure Soldiers, who was attached to us, what role they played in the brigade if they weren't part of our unit, but still made it known that they were fallen comrades, Brothers in Arms, Sisters in Arms," Smith said. "As small a role as that may seem, I think having someone's name or birth date or date that they were killed in action is very important for their family."

No matter what amount of experience Smith has brought to the table for this deployment, she still credits two of her Soldiers, Spc. Joe Keller and Spc. Stanley Jacobson as not just the on-the-job entertainment, but also as working class heroes.

"They're funny," Smith said. "But Spc. Keller is our Photoshop guru and he really played a big role in our psychological operations detachment while we were at the National Training Center. He really, really contributed to our rotation there. He does a lot of our artistic work, which is just great."

Jacobson helps Smith with a little bit of everything, she said.

"Spc. Jacobson helps me a lot," Smith said. "We both assist the commander in anything he may need. We'll go out with him whenever he needs us to go out with him and right now we're filling in where ever we're needed."

Despite the long hours they are required to work and their consistent role-changing, Staff Sgt. Smith is confident that she and her workforce of three can handle anything that comes their way.

"As we evolve, as we get a little more involved, our roles will change and we'll just adapt," Smith said. "We'll just be whatever we're needed to be."

• Date Taken: 10.29.2008
• Date Posted: 10.29.2008 14:28
• Story ID: 25692