By Spc. Grant T. Okubo
4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – Patriot Brigade Soldiers are making sure they learn everything they can about operating in eastern Baghdad before their Strike Force predecessors finish their deployment and return to Fort Carson, Colo.
Throughout the Patriot Brigade, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Soldiers are working alongside their counterparts from 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, learning from their experiences of the past 15 months.
"The Brigade is just beginning to get into full swing as all of our personnel have arrived," explained Capt. Kyle Randall, from Boyce, La., brigade tactical operations center dayshift battle captain, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th BCT 10th Mtn. Div. "Now that the Brigade has all of its personnel here, some of 2/2's personnel are beginning to leave. "We've lined up each person as best we can, to somebody they can personally hand off their job to, to make the transition go smoothly," continued Randall.
The most valuable thing, and the key to success, for 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. Soldiers is learning what their counterparts do, expressed Randall. He compared the handoff to a shift change brief, which is the Army's way of bringing an incoming shift up to speed on the activities of the outgoing shift.
Throughout the Patriot Brigade, Soldiers are taking advantage of having counterparts stocked with more than a year's worth of experiences.
"We're learning a lot," commented Sgt. Brisseyda Molina, S-1 (personnel) non-commissioned officer, HHC, 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. Molina, a New Jersey native, believes the transition is going very smoothly and believes the outgoing Soldiers from 2nd Inf. BCT, 2nd Inf. Div., are very helpful and willing to train the Patriot Brigade Soldiers. "They took the time to sit down and show us what they know – and also, what I think is great that they are doing is anything they have learned or have figured out by themselves, they are passing down to us," explained Molina. "And that is really helping the S-1 and is only going to make our transition easier." There is always something new to learn when working with different people, mentioned Molina.
The 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., Soldiers are now coming face to face with the difference between their extensive training and the reality of their duties in theater.
"The biggest difference between training and an actual RIP-TOA (relief in place-transfer of authority) in Iraq is that when you're doing the training exercises, there is no one telling you how to do your job," exclaimed Randall. "So you're really spinning your wheels a lot coming up with standard procedures, exercises and learning the ropes of your job, whereas, here you have someone to tell you ... what works best. You don't have to fool around and go through five, 10 (or) maybe more iterations to get the right mix of personnel and material information that gets you the right results in every situation."
Glen Falls, N.Y. native Staff Sgt. Deborah Suddard, S-6 (automation) non-commissioned officer in charge, HHC, 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., proffered that she has had positive interactions with her Strike Force counterparts. The presence of an outgoing unit makes the job a lot easier, stated Suddard. Because 2nd Inf. BCT, 2nd Inf. Div., Soldiers went through things and they know the ins and outs of what to do, they can share with the 4th BCT, 10th Inf. Div., Soldiers the shortcuts they used to accomplish their goals, Suddard explained.
The changeover, however, still brings its share of challenges 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. Soldiers will have to overcome. One of the new challenges Suddard and the S-6 shop have is greater distances between the computer networks. The greater distance means more things can go wrong, said Suddard.
Transitioning is also a challenge for battalion and squadron commanders within Patriot Brigade. Some things have changed in Baghdad and across the country, so 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., will have to make adjustments as the overall state in Iraqi is not exactly the same now as it was when Strike Force first arrived, commented Capt. Ray Bijolle, Charlie Troop commander, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment. Bijolle, a Leesville, La., resident, believes the physical violence is scaling down and the role of 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. is more of administrators of reconciliation or "ambassador warriors."
Despite all these challenges, some 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., Soldiers bring their own experiences with them to Baghdad. Certain elements of the Patriot Brigade have deployed for a short time and gained some experience and familiarity with the culture, which has become an important piece in the fight in Bijolle's mind.
In only a short amount of time, 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div.will be taking the reins from 2nd BCT, 2nd Inf. Div, and, throughout the Brigade, confidence is running high that the Brigade will be ready to run operations alone. Suddard believes her section's Soldiers will be able to run the show on their own once 2nd BCT, 2nd Inf. Div,leaves. Randall expressed his confident that once 2nd BCT, 2nd Inf. Div, departs the area, 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. will be able to step in and continue the great work they were doing.
"I think 4th BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. is going to hit the ground running," said Randall.