Photo By Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell | Capt. Shawn Reiss, an Idaho Falls, Idaho, native and the commander of Golf Company,...... read more read more
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Capt. Shawn Reiss isn’t ready to breathe a sigh of relief regarding the nine-month tour of duty his unit endured in central Iraq.
At least not yet.
Still, the Idaho Falls, Idaho, resident and commander of Golf Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said he is slowly coming to terms with the fact that his unit’s mission in Iraq will conclude soon.
“It is a good feeling,” Reiss said.
Reiss, though, said a lot of work remains as his soldiers prepare to leave Iraq.
As Golf Company trains its replacement unit, it must continue to focus on its convoy escort mission, while at the same time delivering nine months worth of hard-earned experience to soldiers new to Iraq.
Reiss, 38, said his leadership team also understands how important it is, as the tour comes to a close, to battle complacency.
“There is a certain sense of complacency after you’ve been here a while,” he said. “So you always have to be engaged. And we tell everyone, you are not done until you are home on your couch,” Reiss said.
Golf Company calls the Idaho Falls, Idaho, armory its home, but it is composed of soldiers from all across the Gem State, a fact Reiss said actually makes his unit stronger. The unit’s diversity paid off with success, Reiss said.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of these guys,” he said. “I’m proud of the way they conducted themselves out on the road. They were, and are, very courteous on the road.”
Courtesy, an often overlooked variable in a normal wartime situation, but critical in a counterinsurgency operation, proved crucial for Golf Company, Reiss said.
“I believe we didn’t have a lot of [improvised explosive devices] because of it. This is a culture that demands respect. We understand that,” he said.
Golf Company also fulfilled a notable role in the responsible reposturing of the U.S. military in Iraq. The company provided security for large logistics convoys that supplied U.S. military installations across central and northern Iraq.
“It was a very important mission,” Reiss said. “Our job was to make sure we sustained the fight, to keep the bases up and running.”
The convoy escort role also furnished soldiers with plenty of long days and nights working in the blistering summer heat of Iraq.
“The roads are rough, and it takes a toll on your body,” said Spc. Michael Harris, a Twin Falls, Idaho, native and a gunner for Golf Company, “You are sore every day after a mission. And it is really hot.”
Hot may be a bit of an understatement.
Since the onset of summer, Golf Company soldiers routinely worked through temperatures between 110 and 125 degrees. Harris said a certain degree of risk hovers over every Golf Company convoy escort mission.
“We always stress the threat is out there every day,” Harris said.
Each convoy escort team mission can last anywhere from four to 12 hours, Harris said.
For both Harris and Reiss, the next month means the gradual decline of responsibility as Golf Company’s replacement unit learns the ropes. For Reiss, the next 30 days will also signify the end of an era. He deployed to Iraq for the first time in 2004 is now entering the final month of his second tour. Reiss said he is happy he was able to serve his country but is ready to leave Iraq behind.
He said his time in Iraq taught him many lessons.
“I’ve learned a lot about leadership. That’s been priceless,” he said.
In a few months, Reiss said his company will come home, and everyone will go their separate ways. In one way, he said he is happy when he ponders the return of his soldiers to their home state. In another way, though, he will be sad to see his soldiers go.
“We’ve been together so long and been through so much,” he said.
Now, though, Reiss said he will keep the focus on his soldiers for a few more weeks.
“I haven’t sighed relief yet. I don’t want to lose focus. But seeing your counterpart coming in to take over, that motivates you,” Reiss said.
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2011 03:50 |
| Story ID: | 75678 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 244 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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