Members of 2MEF, 2FSSG, H&Sbn, 2nd TSB, Op Iraqi Freedom
by
, 06-26-10 at 01:02 AM (5029 Views)
I was an Infantry Instructor with a school on Camp Lejeune called Battle Skills Training School (BSTS) from November 2000-Feb 2003 When I was deployed with my school as part of H&S Bn to Camp Fox Kuwait as part of what was then Op Enduring Freedom still. Myself and Cpl. Daniel J Courson from Moultrie GA were attached as Infantry Advisers at the request of Sgt. Major Sosa of 2nd TSB. We were detached from BSTS in Kuwait at Camp Fox on or about March 1 2003 and were assigned to the Security Platoon, 2nd TSB. My chain of command was Myself, Sgt Maj Sosa, and then the Battalion Comander, who was a Full Bird Col, I cannot recall his name. We were assigned to train the 1200 Marines of the unit in Machine guns & machine gun gunnery, convoy ops & security, and just give a basic refresher course on any and all things we could think of that related to Infantry tactics. We established our battalion's security at Camp Viper in Iraq, and ran convoys from that location North to An Nasiriya, Al Kut, Camp Chesty, Camp Anaconda, among others.
We had what had to be one of the first "official" ground missions of the war, escorting 7th ESB, which was a female Captain (Company Commander) and 1st Lieutenant (XO) to the DMZ where they were to bulldoze the berm and allow 2nd Tanks, 2nd LAR and others access to Iraqi forces on the other side to open up Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon Arrival there was a Kuwaiti civilian outfit there which was run by a retired Kuwaiti General that was zealously attempting to beat ESB to the punch...........
My intent is to locate any Marines from BSTS, 2nd TSB Security Platoon, or anyone who may have been there and for whom this story rings a bell. I've lost touch with many of my old comrades from the Corps and really wish I hadn't. I've been diagnosed with Stage 4 Angiosarcoma, which is generally considered to be a terminal form of cancer. It mat or may not be service connected. Either way, I love the Corps, and look back on my time on active duty with great pride and wish I could do it all again.......
Semper Fi
Sergeant Ken Coppola
0331 June 1999-August 2003