Post by Admin on Oct 5, 2004 14:39:34 GMT -5
Iraq, August, 2004
Dear President Schneider,
I want to thank all at Norwich for your wonderful support, letters and packages sent to me while I am serving as a soldier in Iraq. While this National Guard mobilization interrupted my studies at Norwich, I feel that I haven't missed any time in learning, and gaining experiences which will make me a better member in the Corps when I return. Let me take this time to tell you just how Norwich prepared me for this awesome task as a front line soldier. I hope you will understand that for security, I will leave details out of what my missions are for and the operations that I have been involved with.
Norwich has always been a dream of mine ever since my father would bring me along to reunions. As a young man, I looked around and noticed the great bonds of friendship that these former cadets held, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, carrying on and laughing about old times like they haven't missed a beat. I saw all this and knew that this is what I wanted in my future.
In 2002 I was admitted into the Corps of Cadets and finally a part of what I dreamed about for years. My father couldn't have looked more proud as we parted ways that first day. I remember his last words to me before I began recruit training were, "Remember to always smile, because they won't know what you're thinking.... Good luck, son." After that, I walked out the doors of White Chapel and started my life in the Corps.
As a freshman, I was pounded with more lessons and knowledge than I knew what to do with. We were always being taught the importance of leadership, obedience, integrity, honor, and military discipline, all the things that shape a Norwich cadet. Everything we did, from marching to cleaning our rooms, had a lesson to it. Normal individuals sometimes overlook a lot of these lessons. Some people don't understand attention to detail and how important it can be. They don't understand that one day it could save their lives.
In January of 2004, my National Guard unit was activated as Military Police and deployed to Iraq. Our mission over here mainly consists of convoy security but also includes highway patrols and humanitarian missions to local villages and schools in need of help. When we first arrived over here, it was nothing but training. We had to make sure we knew what we were doing, and I took up my job as a .50 cal/MK 19 machine gunner on a Humvee, stationed near Baghdad. I volunteered to teach classes on soldier skills and tasks. I used many leadership attributes which I acquired the year before, and was more than up to do the job. My platoon leaders and fellow soldiers were very pleased with the training and felt that I provided the right information. Yet I couldn't take credit for anything. All credit is owed to my Cadre for guiding me in the right direction. If it weren't for them, I most likely would have just sat back and gone with the flow, rather than step up to the awesome task for survival and being a warrior.
There are many important things to remember from time spent at Norwich. Things like being prepared and helping others. We can all remember our cadre making sure we get things done the night before. They do this so we are ready at all times. Being in a combat zone with a real threat is no different. Pre-Combat Checks, and Pre-Combat Inspections are a daily occurrence. You never know when you're going to need that extra case of MRE's or extra case of water. You never know when those Night Vision Goggles are going to be necessary or all that extra ammo. Bottom line is, you never know.
Last winter at Norwich was the coldest I have seen in awhile. The question that plagued us every day was, "What are we wearing tomorrow? BDU's or Winter B's?" Our cadre made sure that the night before we would have shined boots, and starched BDU's, as well as gleaming low quarters, and creased class B's. It was all about being prepared. With double the load of preparation, along with homework and studying, it gets really frustrating. Now, it is no surprise that we all need to help each other out. Sometimes, with a heavy load, we can overlook little things. I know my buddy is there to make sure that I am set up for success.
Back in April, we were running missions daily. It was our sixth mission in a row. The night before was long, and no one got much sleep. I was setting up my weapon for our next mission to Baghdad. I had everything ready to go, and was waiting on my Team Leader. He looked over at me and asked, "You got everything?" "Sure do," I replied. I noticed something he could have only forgotten due to lack of sleep. "How about you?" I asked him. He knew that he was missing something. He looked around and didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Finally he said, "What is it"? I said, "You might wanna grab your M16, Sarge." He felt a little embarrassed. The thing was, no matter how important something is, everybody forgets something. If you don't look out for each other, you could end up in a situation you don't want to be in. Remember attention to detail, and help your buddies. In combat, no one does anything by himself. You rely on your fellow soldiers to get you through.
As a Norwich Cadet, I learned to stick with it and never quit. I learned to walk my talk and have Perseverance. I learned the meaning of Duty. In June 2004, the situation got really tough over here. We were running fuel trucks up to Latifiyah, Iraq, so that Baghdad wouldn't lose power and have chaos. The insurgents were really beating down on us by this time. It got to where we wouldn't say, "I wonder if we are going to get hit today." We would say, "I wonder when we are going to get hit today." On June 7th, 2004, a roadside Improvised Explosive Device took the life of my friend Sergeant Jamie Allen Gray.
Sergeant Gray was in my platoon. For weeks we didn't have to go back. But the word came down. Baghdad needed fuel, and we were the only company that could do it. Many men thought to themselves, "No way, I would rather take an Article 15, or Court Marshal than go back there." I didn't have the same outlook. Lord knows that I was as scared as can be. Yet all I had to do was look back at lessons I learned back on The Hill. It was my duty to my country to make sure that fuel arrives safely. It was my duty to my fellow soldiers to make sure we all arrived safely. It was my duty to myself, to make sure I did what was right. I explained the best I could to everybody that, sure, it's dangerous, sure, it's hard, but it is our job. All we have to do is look out for each other, watch each other's backs, and we will be safe. We continued bringing fuel until eventually the Army's higher up command realized the danger our soldiers were in. With the new Iraqi Government in place, we passed this great responsibility to them.
President Schneider, you asked that I put into words how I felt serving our Country in Iraq. So, to my fellow Cadets, Recruits, Alumni, or anybody willing to join the ranks of the Corps, remember what you have been taught. It may seem like just another silly game. It may seem like it has absolutely no relevance to accomplishing the mission. You need to constantly pay attention, and look for the lesson in what you are doing. Combat is intense, just like freshman year can be at times. You need to keep your head up and nose out of the sand. Continue to drive on, be the best that you can be, and nothing shall stand in your way.
Cadet Samuel T. Slater,
NU Class of 2006
Dear President Schneider,
I want to thank all at Norwich for your wonderful support, letters and packages sent to me while I am serving as a soldier in Iraq. While this National Guard mobilization interrupted my studies at Norwich, I feel that I haven't missed any time in learning, and gaining experiences which will make me a better member in the Corps when I return. Let me take this time to tell you just how Norwich prepared me for this awesome task as a front line soldier. I hope you will understand that for security, I will leave details out of what my missions are for and the operations that I have been involved with.
Norwich has always been a dream of mine ever since my father would bring me along to reunions. As a young man, I looked around and noticed the great bonds of friendship that these former cadets held, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, carrying on and laughing about old times like they haven't missed a beat. I saw all this and knew that this is what I wanted in my future.
In 2002 I was admitted into the Corps of Cadets and finally a part of what I dreamed about for years. My father couldn't have looked more proud as we parted ways that first day. I remember his last words to me before I began recruit training were, "Remember to always smile, because they won't know what you're thinking.... Good luck, son." After that, I walked out the doors of White Chapel and started my life in the Corps.
As a freshman, I was pounded with more lessons and knowledge than I knew what to do with. We were always being taught the importance of leadership, obedience, integrity, honor, and military discipline, all the things that shape a Norwich cadet. Everything we did, from marching to cleaning our rooms, had a lesson to it. Normal individuals sometimes overlook a lot of these lessons. Some people don't understand attention to detail and how important it can be. They don't understand that one day it could save their lives.
In January of 2004, my National Guard unit was activated as Military Police and deployed to Iraq. Our mission over here mainly consists of convoy security but also includes highway patrols and humanitarian missions to local villages and schools in need of help. When we first arrived over here, it was nothing but training. We had to make sure we knew what we were doing, and I took up my job as a .50 cal/MK 19 machine gunner on a Humvee, stationed near Baghdad. I volunteered to teach classes on soldier skills and tasks. I used many leadership attributes which I acquired the year before, and was more than up to do the job. My platoon leaders and fellow soldiers were very pleased with the training and felt that I provided the right information. Yet I couldn't take credit for anything. All credit is owed to my Cadre for guiding me in the right direction. If it weren't for them, I most likely would have just sat back and gone with the flow, rather than step up to the awesome task for survival and being a warrior.
There are many important things to remember from time spent at Norwich. Things like being prepared and helping others. We can all remember our cadre making sure we get things done the night before. They do this so we are ready at all times. Being in a combat zone with a real threat is no different. Pre-Combat Checks, and Pre-Combat Inspections are a daily occurrence. You never know when you're going to need that extra case of MRE's or extra case of water. You never know when those Night Vision Goggles are going to be necessary or all that extra ammo. Bottom line is, you never know.
Last winter at Norwich was the coldest I have seen in awhile. The question that plagued us every day was, "What are we wearing tomorrow? BDU's or Winter B's?" Our cadre made sure that the night before we would have shined boots, and starched BDU's, as well as gleaming low quarters, and creased class B's. It was all about being prepared. With double the load of preparation, along with homework and studying, it gets really frustrating. Now, it is no surprise that we all need to help each other out. Sometimes, with a heavy load, we can overlook little things. I know my buddy is there to make sure that I am set up for success.
Back in April, we were running missions daily. It was our sixth mission in a row. The night before was long, and no one got much sleep. I was setting up my weapon for our next mission to Baghdad. I had everything ready to go, and was waiting on my Team Leader. He looked over at me and asked, "You got everything?" "Sure do," I replied. I noticed something he could have only forgotten due to lack of sleep. "How about you?" I asked him. He knew that he was missing something. He looked around and didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Finally he said, "What is it"? I said, "You might wanna grab your M16, Sarge." He felt a little embarrassed. The thing was, no matter how important something is, everybody forgets something. If you don't look out for each other, you could end up in a situation you don't want to be in. Remember attention to detail, and help your buddies. In combat, no one does anything by himself. You rely on your fellow soldiers to get you through.
As a Norwich Cadet, I learned to stick with it and never quit. I learned to walk my talk and have Perseverance. I learned the meaning of Duty. In June 2004, the situation got really tough over here. We were running fuel trucks up to Latifiyah, Iraq, so that Baghdad wouldn't lose power and have chaos. The insurgents were really beating down on us by this time. It got to where we wouldn't say, "I wonder if we are going to get hit today." We would say, "I wonder when we are going to get hit today." On June 7th, 2004, a roadside Improvised Explosive Device took the life of my friend Sergeant Jamie Allen Gray.
Sergeant Gray was in my platoon. For weeks we didn't have to go back. But the word came down. Baghdad needed fuel, and we were the only company that could do it. Many men thought to themselves, "No way, I would rather take an Article 15, or Court Marshal than go back there." I didn't have the same outlook. Lord knows that I was as scared as can be. Yet all I had to do was look back at lessons I learned back on The Hill. It was my duty to my country to make sure that fuel arrives safely. It was my duty to my fellow soldiers to make sure we all arrived safely. It was my duty to myself, to make sure I did what was right. I explained the best I could to everybody that, sure, it's dangerous, sure, it's hard, but it is our job. All we have to do is look out for each other, watch each other's backs, and we will be safe. We continued bringing fuel until eventually the Army's higher up command realized the danger our soldiers were in. With the new Iraqi Government in place, we passed this great responsibility to them.
President Schneider, you asked that I put into words how I felt serving our Country in Iraq. So, to my fellow Cadets, Recruits, Alumni, or anybody willing to join the ranks of the Corps, remember what you have been taught. It may seem like just another silly game. It may seem like it has absolutely no relevance to accomplishing the mission. You need to constantly pay attention, and look for the lesson in what you are doing. Combat is intense, just like freshman year can be at times. You need to keep your head up and nose out of the sand. Continue to drive on, be the best that you can be, and nothing shall stand in your way.
Cadet Samuel T. Slater,
NU Class of 2006