By 1st Lt. Cody West
555th Engineer Brigade
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - What is the Warrior Ethos and what does it mean to you? For the members of the 5th Engineer Battalion or "Fightin' Fifth" the warrior ethos is the embodiment of everything that's good about our Nation and our Army. It's about strength of character and a will to win; it's about selflessly serving a greater goal or ideal and being part of a team; it's about facing tremendous challenges and never quitting; and it's about being a Soldier. Today our military is deployed around the World and Soldiers and families face many challenges and continuous sacrifice.
Soldiers of the Fightin' Fifth are often asked, "Why do you do it?" For most, the answer is as simple as, "Because I am a Soldier, it is my duty, I embody the Warrior Spirit." However, understanding this answer often isn't as simple; especially for those not in the military, those perhaps not as familiar with the meaning of the Warrior Ethos. Therefore, for us in the Fightin' Fifth it is easiest to use a real world example. Today, in our ranks, we have many standout Soldiers, however, there is one in particular who exemplifies this spirit. His name is Joe Bogart. Joe started out his Army service as an enlisted Soldier. After several years and earning the rank of staff sergeant, he made a decision to attend OCS and become an officer. His first assignment as an officer was with the 5th Engineer Battalion, where he served as a platoon leader in 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company. This is his story.
"Bittersweet" is often used to describe a platoon's last mission on the battlefield. On the sweet side of this last mission comes a sense of accomplishment and pride, accompanied by the anticipation of "making it" home safely to loved ones. On the bitter side there is apprehension and a foreboding of loss for the strong bonds that form between Soldiers who have worked so closely together in a dangerous and stressful environment. As the mission finishes, a brotherhood comes to an end. In October of 2006, the Soldiers of Bravo Company, 5th Engineer Battalion were at that point, they were changing out with the unit sent to replace them and completing their last combat missions. 2nd Lt. Joe Bogart was the platoon leader for 2nd Plt, Bravo Company, 5th Engineer Battalion; which had been performing route clearance missions in Baghdad since November 2005. Route Clearance Platoons are Combat Engineers who search for improvised explosive devices to eliminate and help keep the roads safe for coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people.
On the morning of Oct. 6, 2008, 2nd Plt was completing its last mission, when at approximately 1100 hours, an IED consisting of four 155mm artillery rounds detonated on the passenger side the 4th vehicle in the platoon's patrol. The rounds exploded four feet away from where 2nd Lt. Joe Bogart sat in his command vehicle. As Joe says, "Sometime you find the IED's, and sometimes they find you." Joe was hit with shrapnel that was, "about 1 ½ inches long, with a jagged edge on one side. It was a chunk of steel. The shrapnel penetrated at the edge where the window and door meet." His driver, gunner, and interpreter sustained shock and blast concussions. Joe describes his injuries and some of the medical treatment, "my forehead was fractured in several places above the left and right eye. The upper orbital bone on the right eye was destroyed, my nose was flattened against the Blue Force Tracker Screen which was located in front of me inside the vehicle, my check bones were both fractured, and my upper palate under my nose and above the roof of the mouth was fractured. I have Titanium mesh in my right orbit above the right eye socket as well as in my forehead and in nose."
The Medical Evacuation helicopter arrived on site 22 minutes after the explosion. 2nd Lt. Joe Bogart was evacuated to and eventually awoke at FOB Anaconda, currently known as Joint Base Balad, approximately 50 km north of Baghdad. Joint Base Balad had the highest level of military hospitals in theater, level 3, and had the most diverse group of physicians able to handle trauma of this nature.
It has been two years, five surgeries, and one prosthetic eye since he was wounded in action that October morning in 2006 during his first tour in Iraq. Today, Joe is legally blind with a prosthetic right eye and the most amazing, inspirational and humbling part of this story is that he is now Captain Joe Bogart, back in the fight, and selflessly serving his Nation proudly in Iraq. He remains a member of the Fightin' Fifth Engineer Battalion and is currently serving as the executive officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Company. The process to keep Joe in the Army, let alone allow him to deploy to Iraq, seemed insurmountable; however, his warrior ethos, combined with the support of family, friends and numerous senior leaders made it possible.
Joe credits the doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for saving his eyesight. While legally blind, his "good" eye still sees 20/40 with glasses. When it came down to the final decision it was Joe who would not accept defeat, who never quit, and who fought passionately to continue his service in the Army and be allowed to deploy with his Battalion once again. He was offered military retirement, along with opportunities to stay engaged with Soldiers and pursue a civilian career. For Joe, the decision to fight to continue his military service was an easy one, he simply saw it as his duty, it was what he felt he had to do. Joe says, "I have something to prove to myself. I have to prove that I am not a coward, that I am not scared of getting hurt, and that the guy on the other end of that IED didn't get me, and that Joe Bogart is still here. Additionally, the influence and support I received from my wife, fellow Soldiers, and leaders was absolutely critical and enabled me to do what I felt I needed to do."
When Joe is asked to give advice he has a message; "Don't forget what you learned, wear the protective gear you are issued, getting blown up and walking away isn't fun, it means you were lucky. Getting wounded isn't glorious or cool, it freaking' hurts, and continues to hurt for the rest of your life, but you deal with the pain both physically and emotionally. A Purple Heart isn't an award to strive for, it is something the Military gives you when you get wounded and pay a price that you didn't plan on paying or ever hope to pay; a price that you don't even know what it costs. We all sacrifice for the good of our Nation. Just some of us have the scars on the outside."
As HHC, executive officer it is business as usual for Capt. Bogart. He manages all administrative and logistic support for the company and overseas the operational employment of the battalion's medical support, religious support and battalion leadership's personal security detachment. He ensures physical training is a part of the daily schedule and recently competed in and finished the Army Ten-Miler road race on JBB, Iraq, on Oct. 5, 2008. Joe plans to stay in the Army with the intent of attending the Captain's Career Course and commanding an Engineer Company.
Joe Bogart is a Soldier who exemplifies the warrior ethos. He shows us what being a Soldier is all about each and every day. Joe has been to hell and back and in some respects will live with a bit of hell for the rest of his life. But with Joe you would never know it; he never complains, is always positive, and goes out of his way to make others feel part of the team. Joe even makes the most of his prosthetic eye. Unfortunately he can't use it to see, but instead he uses it to convey what is important to him by affixing the American Flag or Engineer Castle to it. Capt. Joe Bogart doesn't know the meaning of self-pity. This Soldier, husband and father is an inspiration to all. Thankfully we have citizens and Soldiers like Joe Bogart.