Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch [146]
The next man to address the class is Major Mike Kennedy. Major Kennedy is a lanky North Carolinian with a quiet, serious manner. He grew up in Chapel Hill, less than a hundred miles from Camp Mackall. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from the Citadel and a master’s in defense analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School. Kennedy has been in the Army for fifteen years, the Special Forces for ten. He’s spent most of his time with the 3rd Group and is a French speaker. In addition to several tours in Africa and Bosnia, he has made three rotations to Afghanistan. Mike Kennedy is thc commander of Echo Company, 1st Battalion, and the man responsible for Phase IV and Robin Sage. Robin Sage, the most complex and diverse military training exercise in the United States, rests squarely on his shoulders.
“Welcome to Phase IV,” Kennedy tells Class 2-05. “Congratulations for getting to this phase in training. How many combat veterans do we have here?” About 30 percent of 2-05 raise their hands. “If I asked this question eighteen months ago, it would be half that many. If I ask that question of this group eighteen months from now, it would be 80 percent. Those of you who haven’t seen combat soon will. Phase IV is premission training. This is the last chance to rehearse those skills you’ll take to war. The skills you’ll use in Robin Sage—small-unit tactics, your MOS training, air infiltrations and resupply, and working with indigenous forces—are the things you’ll do when you get to the fight. What you fail to learn here can get you or one of your teammates killed. Here, we’ll hold you to a proficiency standard, or you’ll be recycled or relieved. You have to perform. You’re not a rifle squad; you are an ODA, and we expect you to think, adapt, improvise, and overcome. In short, you have to make it happen.
“Your reputation is also at stake. These cadre sergeants will know if you are a slacker—trying to do just the minimum. Ninety percent of my cadre sergeants will go back to the groups as team sergeants; you’ll see them again. They all have memories like elephants. Take ownership and leadership within your teams. You captains and team sergeants have to step in and show the way when things get hard, and they will get hard. You guys in ranks have to lead from within the team. Do what needs to be done. Good luck.”
The class breaks from the formation and heads for their team huts. My student Operational Detachment Alpha is student ODA 915. Nine-one-five has some familiar faces and some new ones. Leading the team is Captain Miguel Santos, the student detachment leader. He’ll be in charge of this twelve-man ODA during Phase IV and Robin Sage. Along with him will be many from his, and my, Phase II student ODA. The team’s 18 Bravos, or weapons “sergeants,” are Specialists Tom Kendall and Antonio Costa and Private First Class Tim Baker. The 18 Charlie engineering sergeants are Sergeants Daniel Barstow and Aaron Dunn. The communicators, or 18 Echos, are Specialists Justin Keller and David Altman—the big guy from Denver and the little guy from Tennessee. Lost from the Phase II team are Stan Hall, Byron O’Kane, and Frank Dolemont, who are all in combat medic training. Also missing is Captain Matt Anderson, who will command another student ODA