Sometimes it’s “Bombs over Baghdad”…other times it’s Hands in Haiti. Our soldiers are the most benevolent on the planet; you can count on them to abide by the rules of war and not to pillage or plunder, unlike most armies over time. And because they understand what they’re fighting for – their own sons and daughters and a way of life that provides prosperity and security – they have tremendous compassion for children who are much less fortunate than their own.
One of my favorite photos from the humanitarian work in Haiti, courtesy of Army Times:
It’s always a sad day when a soldier dies in service to his country, but it is especially sad for me when it’s a fellow Iowan, as it was this week when Captain Daniel Whitten of rural Des Moines died as a result of wounds suffered from an IED blast in Zabul province.
CPT Whitten was a 1999 graduate of Johnston High School and a 2004 graduate of West Point, where he received his commission as an Infantry officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. CPT Whitten was a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and was in command of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) at the time of his death. Few other details of his death are known at this time.
Johnston High School Associate Principal Jerry Stratton had this to say of his former student:
“He was the kid who was always doing the right thing. He always stood by his values, and was true to his family and himself. He was the kind of young man who you hoped your own kids would grow up to represent,” said Stratton, who acknowledged he was struggling today to come to grips with Whitten’s death.
” When I think about kids who are thinking about going into the military, the one thing about Dan is that I always trusted his character as a person who I would want representing our country,” Stratton said.
The current deployment to Afghanistan was the third time CPT Whitten had deployed in support of the current war on terror, his second to Afghanistan, making for 3 combat deployments in less than 6 years. He leaves behind a wife, parents and countless others who are grateful for his selfless sacrifice.
Godspeed, CPT Whitten. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
It’s always a special day when a soldier graduates from the U.S. Army Airborne School and joins the ranks of the elite Army “paratroopers”. For me, that day came back in March of 2005 on Fryar Drop Zone, Ft. Benning GA, when I parachuted into the graduation ceremony with 300 of my peers where my parents were waiting that Friday morning.
A close friend of mine graduated today, and I was honored to be there for his graduation. Ben Kertzman, a sophomore at Drake University, who is in his second year of ROTC, joined the paratrooper ranks this morning at 11 o’clock on the “Airborne Walk”. This was an especially important ceremony for me, as I was in charge of the Drake ROTC program when Ben was a freshman and remember welcoming Ben into the program as a high-school senior from Minnesota.
For a sophomore college cadet to make it to Airborne school is a truly prestigious accomplishment, especially given the fact that Ben was selected for Air Assault school as a freshman.
It just so happened that Ben was attending Airborne school at the same time that I have been at IMLC, and his graduation ceremony was held a mere 100 feet from the back door of my classroom.
I was honored that Ben asked me to “pin” him today with his brand new silver jump wings, and I was surprised at how emotional I got as I passed the torch to yet another outstanding American that has volunteered his life in service to his country.
I put together a video with some of the highlights. Another Sky Soldier! Airborne!
The story of ODA 574 as told by Eric Blehm in his new book “The Only Thing Worth Dying For” was brought to my attention this morning. It is a truly remarkable story of how 11 green berets changed the course of history in Afghanistan, standing beside an unknown warlord by the name of Hamid Karzai and defeating 1000 Taliban who had come to kill him. I will be picking it up tonight, and I hope you consider doing the same.
Wow – that was rough! The Fire Direction Controller 2 exam was at least as difficult as the FDC 1 exam, but somehow I scored a 90 and have passed the plotting board phase of the Infantry Mortar Leaders Course (IMLC). My buddy Nick scored a perfect 100 and will probably end up being on the Commandant’s List, if not the honor graduate of the course.
The poor fellas who didn’t pass FDC 1 yesterday are taking it for the 3rd time tonight, and will have to take the FDC 2 exam tomorrow night. Ouch.
The rest of this week we’ll begin using technology that makes the firing of mortars much simpler to calculate. We’ve earned it!
In case you were wondering, the quote I posted earlier today is from the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. No, CPT Price is not a real person, and neither is General Shepherd, but their quotes are cool and as such I’ve posted a second below.
“We are the most powerful military force in the history of man. Every fight is our fight. Because what happens over here matters over there. We don’t get to sit one out. Learning to use the tools of modern warfare is the difference between the prospering of your people, and utter destruction. We can’t give you freedom. But we can give you the know-how to acquire it. And that, my friends, is worth more than a whole army base of steel. Sure it matters who’s got the biggest stick, but it matters a helluva lot more who’s swinging it. This is a time for heroes. A time for legends. History is written by the victors. Let’s get to work.”
“The healthy human mind doesn’t wake up in the morning thinking this is it’s last day on Earth. But I think that’s a luxury, not a curse. To know you’re close to the end is a kind of freedom. Good time to take… inventory. Outgunned. Outnumbered. Out of our minds on a suicide mission, but the sands and rocks here stained with thousands of years of warfare… they will remember us for this. Because out of all our vast array of nightmares, this is the one we choose for ourselves. We go forward like a breath exhaled from the Earth. With vigor in our hearts and one goal in sight: We will kill him.”
Glad to report that I passed the plotting board exam today, though 20 of my peers did not and unfortunately have to attend study hall tonight from 6-10 after a mentally exhausting day that began with the exam at 7 and continued with new material this afternoon.
We have another exam on Wednesday over the advanced plotting procedures…and hopefully I’ll be back then with the same report. If not, I’ll be in study hall about this time!
I recently had a memorial bracelet made by Rob at Memorial Bracelets to honor SGT James C. Kearney III, a member of the Iowa National Guard who was killed in 2004 in Afghanistan. SGT Kearney was a member of my platoon, although I was not deployed with them at that time. His story can be found here.
I am very pleased with the bracelet Rob sent out to me, and the photo is below. I wear it to remind myself of the seriousness of our job and to ensure that his memory never fades. I highly recommend Rob’s work.
The thoughts and opinions expressed on this site are the author's only. They do not represent the opinion or position of the U.S. Army, Iowa National Guard, or TRADOC.
I speak only as a American citizen on this blog, and not in any official military capacity.
