Mobilization...A Soldier's Point of View

SPC Bailey Bullock
166th Engineer Company
2nd Platoon

"Mob Station"

The members of the 166th EN CO have spent more than the past 12 months in preparation for this deployment. Every drill weekend and the summer Annual Training where focused soley on the skills and training necessary for us to do the job and accomplish the mission that we have been given. The first part of that mission is Mobilization Station at Camp Atterbury, IN. It is where all of the pieces from the hours of preparation fall into place. But more than that, it is the beginning of our transition from civilian life to full time military life. Unfortunately, this transition means that we must all say goodbye to those we love and our lives at home, but it seems to me that this month helps us get used to that loss before we are faced with a completely foreign environment and a dangerous mission.

Now to the day to day of mobilization. The actual process consists of three areas: briefings and paperwork, medical screenings and checkups, and additional training. The briefings and paperwork started for us at 0530 the morning after we arrived. We had briefings on medical issues, education benefits, health insurance, wills and powers of attorney, sexual assault prevention, finances, suicide prevention, etc. The list goes on. The Army, it seems to me, wants to make sure that you have every piece of information you can possibly fit in your head.

The medical screenings and checkups begin and are a part of the paperwork phase. The two mesh together. This is probably the most frustrating part for most of members of the unit. It is tedious and, despite what some might think, no one wants to be sent home because of a medical issue. We all might not love the idea of going to a war zone, but we would rather go than to watch our buddies board the plane without us. Needless to say, many were nervous during this time because most people aren't in absolute perfect health and don't know what the Army might consider a "No-Go" issue. But, realistically, this is a necessary process because there are some with health problems that would prevent them from doing the mission. Even though we want them to go, and they want to be there with us, some problems would just get worse, hurting the soldier more and hindering the mission.

Our final stage at Mob Station was mission focused training, along with some general infantry training. The mission focused training consisted mostly of tactical convoy operations, with multiple tactics and scenarios that we need to know and will possibly face in country. We also trained on Entry Control Point operations, basic infantry tactics, and Radio operations and the coinciding ways to report different activities and requests over the radio. Most of this training was conducted in the field at a simulated Contingency Operating Location (COL), where we lived for a week-long period. Some of the training was a refresher for the unit, which had validated on many of these tactics at Pelham Range in Anniston, AL this past summer and winter. Despite some frustrations with the training cadre here at Camp Atterbury, our unit benefited from what we learned. Things we need to know are now fresh in our minds, and we have become more focused on the mission that is about to begin.

We will be leaving soon, and I believe we are ready. Our morale is high and our minds are focused. We know our mission and are eager to get started.

“Stolen Time”

Like many units that are deploying, other members of the 166th and I have been given four days leave at the end of our mobilization. Honestly, I wasn't sure that it would happen, having been told stories by buddies with previous deployments about promised leave that was either canceled or shortened at the last minute. I didn't get my hopes up.

But here I am, sitting in my house. Most of my buddies are at their homes with their friends and families, and we are probably feeling the same things. Loving the fact that we are home, spending time with the people we love, but also hating the fact that we have to leave again so soon. This time it will be for good.

Personally, the time at home has felt surreal. In many ways, it has been strange to go home and fall back into my normal routine, while knowing that in less than a week I will be on the other side of the world for a year. It doesn't quite seem real, but this feeling seems to be unavoidable. That's why it seems like stolen time. This leave time is different than the norm of our everyday lives at home, so it feels like we are just getting one last look at our daily lives before we leave. It will be hard to walk away, but I know we are all grateful to have been given the chance to be home again, even for a little while.