LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - With the winter coming to a close and fighting season approaching, the roads are muddy, the puddles are deep, and the mission continues for the soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3-1 Special Troops Battalion.
During a deployment a soldiers’ normal role may change depending on the mission.
“Being a chemical branch officer put into an infantry platoon leader role was a big change to what I was accustomed to,” said 2nd Lt. Steven Biggs, a Newtown, Pa. native and Seton Hall undergraduate. “ But being given the honor of leading Soldiers into combat is something I’m extremely grateful for.”
“In my platoon, I have a mix of military occupational specialties from cooks to mechanics and a handful of infantrymen, we have made it work and I feel we’re one of the better mission accomplishers in the brigade,” said Biggs, the battalion personal security detachment platoon leader. “It’s something I’m extremely proud of, with the different job specialties, it makes our mission scope multifaceted. This opens us up to more missions we can accomplish with confidence of a successful completion.
“Not being a traditional set-up for a PSD, we can go out with the knowledge that we can tackle any task given to us from security missions to vehicle recovery,” said Biggs. “We have completed over 150 combat missions successfully, and plan on keeping that record going.”
“Lieutenant Biggs is one of the best platoon leaders I’ve had,” said Army Spc. Joseph Plumadore, a New York City, N.Y. native. “I feel his best trait is the fact that he listens to us and plans around our capabilities since we have so many different specialties in our section.”
“He is a people person and we can go to him for anything from just needing to talk to actually having a question, he’s always been there for me,” said Plumadore, a New York City, N.Y. native. “With his personality and mind-set and the different missions we run in Logar province he has built us relationships with the locals that make our jobs a great deal easier.”
“With the locals in our area of operations, we have definitely made a positive impact in their daily lives,” said Biggs. “We have been told many times our presence has made them feel safe to come to their village shopping area to purchase and sell items they would otherwise go without.”
“Almost every time we’re on patrol we’re offered small gestures of kindness like food or water,” said Biggs. “It feels good to know the hard work you put into helping people is appreciated to that extent.”
“Having good populace support along with our Afghan counterparts in the Afghan National Army are excellent with mission support,” said Biggs. “Being able to engage the populace with them shoulder-to-shoulder and within our formations makes a big difference.”
“We have welcomed them to join our family and the relationship built through constant communication and partnership is something I’m extremely proud to be a part of,” said Biggs. “I couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated group of ANA soldiers to join my ranks in partnership.”
“My experience in Afghanistan has been a good one,” said Biggs. From the good times of talking to soldiers during downtime to the worse times of taking contact and having to fight the insurgent forces, I’m honored the Renegade command team entrusted these soldiers to my guidance and command.”