thedrifter
01-30-08, 05:45 AM
A sailor's view from the Middle East
By: Brad DeFlumeri
Posted: 1/30/08
I write to the UMass community from the Kingdom of Bahrain, a tiny country to the east of Saudi Arabia, the hub of naval activity in U.S. Central Command and an important strategic position to the two-front war being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bahrain is home to a multitude of U.S. forces: active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, reservists, national guardsmen and the often forgotten but inescapably important contractors and civilian support personnel.
These men and women are selfless and mission-oriented. They stand 24-hour watches without coffee breaks or time clocks. This New Year's holiday, while countless Americans passively enjoyed the freedom their forces are providing, these men and women were working through the night to ensure that our ships in the Persian Gulf - and our troops on the ground - were properly equipped and supported to help win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The men and women with whom I work are serving under the flag of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command - NAVCENT for short - and they primarily provide logistics support to Marines and naval and joint forces ships. They approach their job with the sobering seriousness such an awesome task demands. They serve under three-star Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff. Their morale is high and their sense of responsibility and service is even more so. They often encounter sailors and Marines who were deployed to the ground in Iraq and they know firsthand that what they do - and how well they do it - directly affects our warfighters on the ground.
I want to thank them - and all Central Command Service members - for their dedication to the important mission currently being undertaken in Iraq. As our latest American hero, General David Petraeus, recently asserted, our troops in CENTCOM have indeed been equal to every task thrown their way. Moreover, they have shown commendable will, intelligence and motivation even as the nature of the fight continues to change and pose new challenges. The efforts of those serving in this area of responsibility have directly contributed to the stability of Iraq, and continue to effect social and economic benefits for moderate and well-meaning Muslims - and natives in general - throughout the region.
As the media most assuredly will not tell you, the military in CENTCOM - and worldwide - is steadfastly dedicated to engendering positive community relationships, building homes and villages in economically downtrodden areas, establishing safe and stable areas, and promoting economic growth and health by employing hundreds of thousands of native civilians on Department of Defense installations.
It is intensely heartening and even emotional to have random Bahraini civilians approach you - as happened to me recently - and thank you for everything the U.S. military does to help their country. This particular civilian noted how his father had been out of work for years until the Navy hired him as a landscaper. It is stories like these that give new motivation to troops as they battle in often grueling and unfathomable conditions. Bahrain has been made a prosperous nation in large part due to its Westernization and acceptance of capitalism. The nation in general could not be more supportive of its U.S. military tenants.
I have the thankful luxury of supporting the military's noble cause from the comfortable confines of NAVCENT offices. I appreciate how lucky I have it in this regard, and cannot give enough credit to the brave soldiers and Marines who are on the ground actually fighting - and winning - this war. It is for them that our logistical support is provided, and it is to them that all Americans owe their sincere support and appreciation.
Lastly, if Vladimir Putin is Time's "Person of the Year" because of the intensifying and ghastly threat he poses to his country's liberty and to the world's balance of power, then the sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines serving under the U.S. Flag - and General Petraeus's command - deserve to be honored by all Americans as this country's men of the year.
I report that the servicemen in Bahrain with whom I am so proudly serving could not be more attuned to our important mission of supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and helping the Navy project power, deterrence and American strength within the Persian Gulf and throughout the Middle East. For the amazing opportunity of allowing me to serve with such honorable men and women I am sincerely thankful to the Navy and, for more broadly being able to support our warfighters I could not be more appreciative.
Indeed, the honor of serving in this region with these outstanding people has reinvigorated my already powerful and noticeable pride in being an American and part of the greatest military in the world. It's reawakened my indestructible belief in the greatness of this nation, the world's foremost champion of liberty and prosperity. It is for these reasons that I rise every morning and put on my desert cammis with a smile on my face - while hoping 2008 brings continued successes for the U.S. military in the Middle East.
Ellie
By: Brad DeFlumeri
Posted: 1/30/08
I write to the UMass community from the Kingdom of Bahrain, a tiny country to the east of Saudi Arabia, the hub of naval activity in U.S. Central Command and an important strategic position to the two-front war being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bahrain is home to a multitude of U.S. forces: active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, reservists, national guardsmen and the often forgotten but inescapably important contractors and civilian support personnel.
These men and women are selfless and mission-oriented. They stand 24-hour watches without coffee breaks or time clocks. This New Year's holiday, while countless Americans passively enjoyed the freedom their forces are providing, these men and women were working through the night to ensure that our ships in the Persian Gulf - and our troops on the ground - were properly equipped and supported to help win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The men and women with whom I work are serving under the flag of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command - NAVCENT for short - and they primarily provide logistics support to Marines and naval and joint forces ships. They approach their job with the sobering seriousness such an awesome task demands. They serve under three-star Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff. Their morale is high and their sense of responsibility and service is even more so. They often encounter sailors and Marines who were deployed to the ground in Iraq and they know firsthand that what they do - and how well they do it - directly affects our warfighters on the ground.
I want to thank them - and all Central Command Service members - for their dedication to the important mission currently being undertaken in Iraq. As our latest American hero, General David Petraeus, recently asserted, our troops in CENTCOM have indeed been equal to every task thrown their way. Moreover, they have shown commendable will, intelligence and motivation even as the nature of the fight continues to change and pose new challenges. The efforts of those serving in this area of responsibility have directly contributed to the stability of Iraq, and continue to effect social and economic benefits for moderate and well-meaning Muslims - and natives in general - throughout the region.
As the media most assuredly will not tell you, the military in CENTCOM - and worldwide - is steadfastly dedicated to engendering positive community relationships, building homes and villages in economically downtrodden areas, establishing safe and stable areas, and promoting economic growth and health by employing hundreds of thousands of native civilians on Department of Defense installations.
It is intensely heartening and even emotional to have random Bahraini civilians approach you - as happened to me recently - and thank you for everything the U.S. military does to help their country. This particular civilian noted how his father had been out of work for years until the Navy hired him as a landscaper. It is stories like these that give new motivation to troops as they battle in often grueling and unfathomable conditions. Bahrain has been made a prosperous nation in large part due to its Westernization and acceptance of capitalism. The nation in general could not be more supportive of its U.S. military tenants.
I have the thankful luxury of supporting the military's noble cause from the comfortable confines of NAVCENT offices. I appreciate how lucky I have it in this regard, and cannot give enough credit to the brave soldiers and Marines who are on the ground actually fighting - and winning - this war. It is for them that our logistical support is provided, and it is to them that all Americans owe their sincere support and appreciation.
Lastly, if Vladimir Putin is Time's "Person of the Year" because of the intensifying and ghastly threat he poses to his country's liberty and to the world's balance of power, then the sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines serving under the U.S. Flag - and General Petraeus's command - deserve to be honored by all Americans as this country's men of the year.
I report that the servicemen in Bahrain with whom I am so proudly serving could not be more attuned to our important mission of supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and helping the Navy project power, deterrence and American strength within the Persian Gulf and throughout the Middle East. For the amazing opportunity of allowing me to serve with such honorable men and women I am sincerely thankful to the Navy and, for more broadly being able to support our warfighters I could not be more appreciative.
Indeed, the honor of serving in this region with these outstanding people has reinvigorated my already powerful and noticeable pride in being an American and part of the greatest military in the world. It's reawakened my indestructible belief in the greatness of this nation, the world's foremost champion of liberty and prosperity. It is for these reasons that I rise every morning and put on my desert cammis with a smile on my face - while hoping 2008 brings continued successes for the U.S. military in the Middle East.
Ellie