By Spc. Sophia R. Lopez
Multi-National Division - Center
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – Every Soldier expects something different of their first deployment. Some anticipate and even hope for danger; some plan for real sacrifice, a near total lack of comforts.
"For the first [deployment], I [didn't] think it was all Hollywood, but [it] offered much to think about and to grow," said Spc. Toby Marcum Wall, of Midland, Texas. Many, who have never experienced combat or even traveled to a different country, only have movies as a reference to what a military deployment may be like.
"I was hoping we'd be out more," said Pfc. Adam Silva, of Santa Rosa, Calif., a supply specialist for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division. "Going all over, traveling, like you see in the movies; always on the move."
Pfc. Jackie Olvera agreed; this is not what she expected of her first deployment either.
"I was hoping to feel more like a Soldier than I do now, stuck in the office," said the Milwaukee native, an awards and actions clerk for HHC, 10th Mtn. Div. "That's what a Soldier wants, to be a Soldier, go out on patrols and see what Iraq is really like."
Fortunately, and due in great part to the Soldiers for whom this isn't the first deployment, Iraq is really much safer than it once was. Many provinces reached a level of stability that once seemed impossible. Simultaneously, Iraqi security forces' capabilities improved to the degree they are able to provide security in many regions. These successes make for a more garrison-like deployment for those with rear echelon positions.
"I knew it was better [here], but I didn't think it was going to be this good," said Spc. Chanel Fimon, of Breda, Iowa, an awards clerk for HHC. "I didn't think I was going to be able to call home every day." The war stories she heard when talking to Soldiers deployed during earlier rotations of Operation Iraqi Freedom are different from her current experiences, she said. "It's nice to have temperature control in the rooms, and there are so many places to shop," she added.
"Here, you feel like you're back home," said Olvera. "I'm always going to be away from my family because I'm in New York, and they're in Wisconsin, and I'm not married. So, it's no different. I wake up and go to work; wake up, go to work. That's how it is in the rear."
"It's basically like having a change of station," said Fimon. "The only difference, the only thing you miss is the freedom to go off base." On Camp Victory, the rooms are basically the equivalent to barracks, she said. Soldiers have access to vehicles, can go out to eat or see the sites within the complex. Fimon said it's much like home, only with stricter policies and procedures.
For Wall, who is with the division intelligence section, Company B, Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mtn. Div., this deployment is an eye-opening experience.
"We all joined knowing we would be deployed, but until boots are on the ground, you never know," he said. "This deployment shows how people can be tested in just doing the mundane and amazing feats we all go through in our day-to-day trials and achievements; like scoring a great deal at the bazaar or dodging some extra duty work assigned for lower enlisted."
Every Soldier noted the support from their families keeps them focused and content, whether the deployment is what they expected or not.
"My family is very proud," said Wall. "I am the first true deployed [service member] since World War II. It feels good to pay my family's debt for this quarter of our history."
Fimon's husband was been a great help to her through her deployment. She said he is happy she is having fun, learning a lot and has the experience under her belt to be able to say she was there.
Most families, though supportive, still worry about their Soldiers. Silva's mother, worries about her son but tries to put on a brave front for him.
"I talk to her on the phone, and she's always happy," said Silva. "I think she just wants to make me feel better."
For many Soldiers, this deployment is just one of many to come. Wall, Olvera and Fimon, though still unsure, can see themselves staying in the military, and this deployment hasn't swayed them in their decision.
"Deployment is a fact most must accept or try to escape," said Wall, who has been in the Army for 16 months now. "For me, I choose to go again." He hopes to marry within a year of returning to his significant other. "We both are dedicated to the mission and the ideals the Army has brought me up with."
"I'm not sure how long I will stay in," said Fimon, who has two years left on her term. "He would prefer I stay in forever," she added of her husband with a laugh; she said he supports her regardless of how she proceeds with her military career.
Particularly important through this first deployment, is the military family these Soldiers have supporting them right here. Non-commissioned officers and supervisors with prior deployment experiences offer advice on what to do with free time and the do's and don'ts of deployment.
"[My] sergeants were all instrumental in learning the ropes in the battlefield and in the office," said Wall. "I also learned from ... many more, not just in theater, but those I met on my path here. They all instructed me in the art of keeping my head down and trying to stay low key. That is something I am working on even to this day. It's good to watch my leaders do their thing and also have the opportunity to get advice and on-the-job training with them. And the occasional 'drop and do 25' never hurts either."