Home » Archives » " Getting up-close look, treatment in Baqouba"

Getting up-close look, treatment in Baqouba

Jun-27-2007 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

By Drew Brown, Stars and Stripes

BAQOUBA, Iraq — The day after U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a massive offensive last week to clear Baqouba of al-Qaida and other insurgents, a sergeant major from Multi-National Corps—Iraq showed up in a sector of the city controlled by Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

The sergeant major told the troops that he had come out to get a firsthand look at the fighting and to see how things were progressing for U.S. forces.

“Just act like I’m not here,” the sergeant major told the troops. “Treat me like you would any other rifleman.”

The soldiers were temporarily stopped in a house, awaiting orders to move forward and continue clearing their sector. Bombs and machine-gun fire echoed sporadically in the distance.

“OK, well, why don’t you get your ass up on the roof and pull security like everyone else,” Sgt. Robert Walls, 27, a forward observer, from Montgomery, Ala., told him.

“Well, that’s pretty brazen,” the sergeant major said. He only stuck around for a few hours. But before he left, he later gave Walls one of his personal coins.

Later, Walls explained his actions: “He said, treat him like any other private, so I said, (screw it), and I did.”

[...]


Comments For " Getting up-close look, treatment in Baqouba":

I guess "say what you mean and mean what you say", goes for Sergeant Majors too. Do I remember something like that being said in PLDC and BNOC? We sure said it in the Navy!

Posted by: Paul5388 [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 27, 2007 10:48 PM

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by a site administrator before your comment will appear. We appreciate your patience.)

Advertisements