Raptor Family and Friends Kandahar, Afghanistan August 18th, 2014 Hello all. We’re over the half-way mark and have just about figured out most of the way-ahead for the rest of our time here in Afghanistan. This seems like a good time to share a few thoughts with you and tell you what we know right now. Now, don’t forget this is the Army - an Army at war – and changes always happen. But, I figure it’s best to get everyone aware of our plan and then we can just relay changes as they happen. First, I want you to know what a tremendous job your team is doing over here and everything I read and hear tells me our Ready Reserve Soldiers, Spouses, Family Members, and Civilian team members are likewise doing great back home. I’m routinely told “Thanks” for something done well by any one of the teams within the Raptor Task Force. From taking care of our customers on the battlefield to endless retrograde operations across every base we live on, your Soldiers have performed very well and always maintained Trust with our supported headquarters and the ground forces we support. “Retrograde”, by the way, is a dirty word for “sort, clean, and pack all the stuff that folks have left here since 2001”. Our nation’s decision to reduce the number of service members in Afghanistan will have a direct impact on how long we’re deployed and how many of us are required to accomplish the fewer tasks we’re assigned. Good News - The unit replacing us will take over in mid-November, so even those JBLM and Alaska Raptor Soldiers here all the way until the TOA (Transfer of Authority) Ceremony in November won’t make the full 9 month deployment. Unfortunately, some of our Task Force teammates from other units besides 16th CAB will have to remain into early December. Even better News – We won’t need the whole team here till November to accomplish the fewer and fewer requirements we’ll have. That means we’ll be sending equipment and Soldiers home throughout a 2 month period leading up to the TOA Ceremony. We call this gradual reduction in folks “drawing down”. First group of Raptor Soldiers will redeploy in mid-September and then it’s a steady flow of folks heading home through October. We’re working hard now to figure out just who goes home on what day, but, we need a little patience from everyone as we’re figuring out some of this as we go along. I look at it like this: For about 13 years units have come here with a firm check-in and check-out date (9, 12, or 15 month long tour) and all they had to do to leave was turn the keys over to the next team. We’re still doing customer support, but also cleaning up 13 years’ worth of mess, tearing the place down around us, moving around our work areas, and reacting to a lot of changes in all the above. Best way to stay up with what’s going on for the redeployment activities (banner making? barracks prep? arrival ceremonies?) is to get plugged into your Family Readiness Group (FRG), the Ready Reserve (aka “Rear-D”) leadership, and watch our unit Facebook pages. Again, have a little patience with us when things change and I think it’s a little less stressful if we don’t all react to every rumor that runs through the formation both here and at home. As for when Soldiers get home, I’ve heard every rumor you can possibly imagine. “Raptor 6 said we can’t take leave till everyone is home” (yes you can) and “16th CAB is closing down” (no it’s not). Folks will be permitted to take leave when they get home even while there are some of us still deployed and then they can still go on leave during the official “block leave” period. Unit leadership will manage how much and when. Folks will of course be able to take leave during the Christmas/Holiday/New Year period. We’re trying for a “brigade block leave” in January for both Alaska and JBLM, that’s another opportunity for leave – one that lets you plan ahead since I still can’t yet tell you exactly when your Soldier will be home between September and November. This far along into the deployment is an excellent point to check in on your fellow Raptor Spouses and Family Members…and to assess how you yourself are doing. If there’s one thing my wife Julie and I have learned over 20+ years it’s that caring friends, leaders, neighbors, and family can make the even most stressful situations better. So, who are you helping get through this deployment? When speaking here with Soldiers about the deployment I often challenge them to “thrive, not just survive”. We’re working to have our Raptor Soldiers finish this deployment better than they started – better at their job, better teammates, better Soldiers, better leaders, better physical shape, better people, better in any manner they chose. Everyone’s situation at home is different and some are down-right tough. But, have you got some goals you’re working towards a little every day? Much left to do here still but we will indeed be sending folks home in just a few weeks. Unfortunately though, too often we get through the deployment without serious injury or incident only to suffer life and career ending incidents after getting home. We’ll talk lots with the Soldiers about avoiding risk and taking care of each other at home but we absolutely need your help too. If something just doesn’t seem right with any member of our team, whether Soldier or Family member, it’s your Duty to take action to prevent something bad from happening. We’re in this together - whether it’s a Family member hiding the car keys or a leader helping a Soldier-in-need at 2 AM. And of course, anytime you hear “Hey watch this” you might want to step in for everybody’s sake. You and your Soldier have done well and should be very proud. Whether this is your first or sixth deployment, you’ve answered the call and served something greater than self. You’re part of a very small but very special part of our nation and you must take the time to reflect on all you’ve accomplished. I’m proud of your Family’s service and you should be too. Remember though, we need your help to take care of our great team once we’re all home. After all, it’s our Families that make us Army Strong. Humbly Yours, Raptor 6 (aka “Paul”)
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 20:17:15 +0000
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