Photo By Staff Sgt. Rebecca Petrie | International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell...... read more read more
ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Members of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team met with Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell, the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command sergeant major and Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Greca, the Regional Command South sergeant major on Aug. 4 at Forward Operating Base Lagman.
The purpose of the visit was to discuss military operations in Zabul province.
Military Intelligence and safety were the top issues during the meeting where Troxell counseled each soldier to know their part, and watch out for each other.
“Know yourself, know your weaknesses,” said Troxell. “There are things that can come back and haunt you that the enemy will exploit. Continue to assess your organization every day. You’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself. Ask yourself, ‘Are we as good as we think we are?’”
Along with knowing ourselves, Troxell stressed the importance of knowing the enemy as well.
“We’ve got to know who the enemy is,” he said. “We’ve got to know what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and we’ve got to get that information all the way down to the lowest soldier.”
A special emphasis was put on safety. There have been 14 preventable deaths in RC-South this year, and more than 200 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle rollovers.
“The last thing you want to do is lose someone in an accident that could have been prevented,” said Troxell. “I’ll bet my NFL Sunday Ticket that not one family member expects a call telling them that their family member was killed by a negligent discharge or some other preventable accident.”
Soldiers deployed to war zones live in danger every day, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take precautions to protect themselves from needless injury.
“We’re only human,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Yancey, the 116th Brigade sergeant major from Columbia, Va. “We need to do the best we can. The enemy has a vote, but we can still wear our personal protective equipment.”
Troxell underlined the part behavior plays in safety.
“You can’t take shortcuts on standards and discipline,” he said. “Unchecked behavior becomes undisciplined, which can then become dangerous, and dangerous behavior can easily turn deadly. When complacency sets in, that’s when bad stuff starts to happen.”
After the meeting, Troxell presented coins to three members of Combined Team Zabul who have exemplified their role as a soldier.
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2011 10:49 |
| Story ID: | 76576 |
| Location: | QALAT, AF |
| Web Views: | 268 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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