January 22, 2015

Operation Unified Response Part 1

C-17 Globemaster which I drove an up-armored humvee off of in total 3am moonless darkness
 into Haiti 5 years ago last week.
Last week marked the 5th Anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti that killed nearly 200,000 people and caused severe hardship for hundreds of thousands of survivors. I was in my final year of active duty military service (I joined up just prior to my 42nd birthday in 2006) and my platoon was out in the field on maneuvers in a remote part of Fort Bragg where there was no cell phone signal when we got an urgent call on the radio at 2:00 am to shut everything down and report back to HQ ASAP! I was in the on-deck circle about to get my bi-annual night fire 50 caliper machine gun (M2) qualification done and was pissed as I'd been out there for 2 days freezing my ass off in 28 degree F (minus 3 Celsius) cold with high winds and knew I'd have to be out there again the following night fighting off frost bite.  When we got in, we were just told to bed down and check in with leadership soon as we woke up. I was awakened by my alarm clock at 8:55am the following day to race to the chow hall before it closed   I saw a couple of soldiers in there scurrying around looking for people with talk of getting to the green ramp with all our gear along with a mention of "Haiti".

Since I had been out in the field for several days, I had no idea what was going on in the world and figured there was a training mission to Haiti I hadn't heard about. I was in the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team which was designated as the Army's "Ready Brigade" for 2010.  In case of any national security emergency, we were tasked to be the first ones on scene. The 82nd Airborne  is world famous as the most *elite military division that trains to deploy via "forced entry" (parachuting into areas where at least some of the locals aren't happy to see us)  and be anywhere in the world on 18 hours notice.

I soon got word that we already had 2nd Brigade Soldiers en route to Haiti ready to parachute in if need be (in case of a coup or civil unrest making landing an Army Transport plane dicey) but suspect that any would-be coup d'etat perpetrators were discouraged once they knew 82nd Airborne was in bound which was the main purpose (if unstated) of this mission. President Clinton deployed the 82nd Airborne to Haiti back in 1994 to encourage the military coup leaders to stand down and reinstall President Aristide. When the coup leaders saw live news reports showing paratroopers boarding C-130s and were in the air about to drop in, the coup collapsed, the military junta scurried away, and democracy was restored.

I provide this little history lesson because it was so critical to the success of our mission which eventually became known as Operation Unified Response. Since my unit had been out in the field, we were not among the first to depart but waited for word next to the runway.  Every 2nd Brigade vehicle was staged on the massive tarmac of Pope Air Force Base which adjoins Fort Bragg (imagine an area of cement about 10 football fields in size) with vehicles of various capabilities lined up in neat rows. C-17 Globemasters were diverted from ferrying people and equipment to and from Iraq and Afghanistan to now transporting troops and equipment to Haiti.

There was just one big problem which is there is only one runway in all of Haiti and they were having problems at the Port au Prince (capital of Haiti) airport getting organzied so planes en route had to circle and wait for the green light to land. By Day 2 of the relief effort, every NGO (Non-Government Organization such as International Red Cross) known to man, woman, or child was en route to Haiti with the best of intentions using their political clout to jump to the front of the line to land.  As I've come to realize NGOs almost always have wonderful intentions but also happen to be the worst managed organizations on earth who too frequently not only don't achieve their intentions but actually worsen situations for the people most in need of help which I'll go into later.

The massive amount of air traffic pouring into Port au Prince caused delays made far worse by the fact that those planes having to circle for hours were out of fuel by the time they did land and couldn't refuel and leave as the fuel depot had been heavily damaged by the earthquake. Therefore, the stranded planes were soon blocking the runway as well.

Meanwhile I'm back on the tarmac at Pope AFB waiting for the Sergeant Major to receive his list sent from leadership already on ground in Haiti on what to put on the next plane such as troop transport trucks, bulldozers, up-armored humvees, etc. Also we were under very strict guidance to have precisely 3/4 of a tank of fuel in our vehicles as more caused big problems at flying altitude and fuel would be in short supply once we did land. We sat still on that tarmac for days on end waiting our turn. Since we were geared up for Haiti, we didn't have our winter uniforms so froze at night while sleeping seated in our vehicles whose heat we couldn't turn on as we couldn't burn fuel. Our fuel trucks were either already en route or being sent to the port for ship transport..

Many soldiers in the 82nd with more seniority than I had deployed 3 or 4 times and this would only be my 2nd deployment with my first now known as The Surge in Baghdad in January 2007. I had a female soldier with me and Army practice is always to keep females with other females or in my unit let 'Pappy' (as I was often called by my fellow soldiers usually less than half my age) babysit the new female arrivals since they knew there wouldn't be any fraternization issues. I was famously quoted in Iraq for saying: "Pappy's not even attracted to women under 30" ...which was met with not even a hint of protest.

Finally after about 4 days of waiting the Sargeant Major knocked on my humvee window in a cold rain and said "Pappy, your next..."

...to be continued

*I am always quick to point out that while the 82nd is very highly regarded, and deservedly so, the Army's very best are in Special Forces (designated by Groups of which there are 7) and Rangers divided into Regiments which are far smaller than a 'Division'.  Both the Special Forces and Rangers draw from the 82nd's very best and it was always every good male soldier's ambition to eventually make it to SF or a Ranger Regiment. The HQ for Special Forces is also on Fort Bragg as is the most elite SF Group known as 'Delta Force' in which several of my former colleagues now serve.

24 comments:

  1. Golly, you are a tease and have left us all on tenterhooks as to what happens next in this dramatic adventurous life you once lead. Going to Haiti after such a huge tragedy must have been very stressful, especially as you never quite knew when you'd leave.

    Awaiting Part II with baited breath so please don't make your loyal readers wait too long.

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    1. My dear CD, these adventures will regrettably lack the urge to follow in my footsteps as your beautifully written tour guide narratives always deliver such as your most recent tour of my favorite Founding Father Alexander Hamilton's country house located in buccolic Harlem where you went not in "ermine and pearls nor dishing the dirt with the rest of those girls..."

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  2. I knew a lot of fort Bragg folk bc back in the 80's I used to go to church on the military compound and a lot of people either came from fort Bragg or were going there. Do you miss it?

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    1. I still keep in touch with a few of my Army buddies but don't miss Fort Bragg/Fayetteville one bit. It is a military town to the extreme and a cultural wasteland in my view. My first two nights out of the Army were spent in our Art Deco masterpiece, the Civic Opera House, trying to repair my ravaged soul by taking in superb productions of La Boheme & La Traviata on consecutive nights with the latter having a breathtakingly gorgeous set by David Hockney.

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    2. Naomi,
      I was just given a stern reprimand from Estella as I was remiss to mention that Sourthern PInes (a major equestrian center) and Pinehurst (a major golf mecca) are on the other side of the drop zones of Fort Bragg where much of the top brass lives along with most Special Forces personnel. During my time there, I had an apartment in a very nice Victorian with wraparound porch (in addition to on-base accommodations) which I furnished (with Estella's help) from the many estate sales. Estella has a very nice horse farm in Sourthern Pines where several Olympic hopefuls train and former champions coach with a major steeplechase event in the Spring.
      Southern Pines and Pinehurst are only 2 miles apart and as charming as can be and a world apart from soulless Faytetteville.

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    3. Moss you forgot to mention that both Southern Pines as well as Pinehurst are both beautiful old historic small towns each with a population of about 12,000 and have long since been a sporting mecca for the wealthy northerners. They are both some of the nicest resort towns I have ever visited and each routinely are cited on the the "ten most beautiful towns in NC" list. They are located in the Sandhills of NC which are characterized by warm sunny days and cool nights. The sand footing lends itself to particularly well for equestrian and golf use as it provides soft natural footing for the sport horses and excellent drainage maximizing the number of days for schooling without frozen or muddy conditions. Long leaf pines, dogwoods, azaleas and camellias make for
      a beautiful backdrop for the many fine restaurants and boutiques and shops that line the charming turn of the century (20th) streets.

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    4. Apparently only one of us has recently added rental properties to our portfolio.. .and btw you don't have to help sophisticated Den readers with century designations.

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  3. Darling G,

    What an intriguing insight this gives into your personal history and how very different from so many other things that we know about you.

    One minute we are reading here about your style advice, the way to wear leopard being particularly instructive, and, in the blink of an eye, you are up in the air being whizzed into war zones. What a man of action and many parts you are.

    And, how these layers of many adventures maketh the man.........

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    1. Darlings J & L,
      There were no shots fired on this military adventure I'm proud to say but I do hasten to add that the suffering we helped alleviate and aid we helped distribute to grateful recipients would not have been possible without our armed presence.

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  4. Oh. My. I just have no words for this---I read it last night and again just now, and I'm just awestruck with the "Go where you send me" and service and dedication and the sheer BRAVE of it. Simply cannot tell you.

    I've said how I admire and appreciate you and all of you who serve, and words---even the deluge of them which seems my usual effect---those will not cover either. Too much, too much to contemplate. I'll just say that if I were in any circumstances to need a Hero---there you'd be.

    Thank you.

    r

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    1. Thank you Rachel and I am just following in the fine example of those who came before me, sacrificed more, and performed far more heroically in the face of far greater danger.

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  5. It is hard to know what to say here, dear G. The words that seem most fitting are THANK YOU...for your service and your courage!
    As you stated it was necessary to have a military presence to keep order during the humanitarian efforts! To imagine a world where that was not necessary would be too much to imagine, me thinks! Because then we would know we live in a perfect world! But, then we all know there is no such thing as perfect;-)
    I look forward to seeing where that knock on your window has you going...

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    1. Dearest Trudye, our efforts were lauded near and far in Haiti but also in Iraq back in 2007-2008 but only by the Irank and file Iraqis; the press coverage was frustratlingly hesitant to portray our efforts as anything other than a lost cause.

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  6. Courage and character really do make the world go round, unfortunately most good deeds are never really noticed like the bad ones. To think I was parked on my sofa watching all the horrors unfold down there in Haiti, not to mention the horrors of the self congratulating celebrity "saviors" while you and your buddies constructively helped in every way. Bravo.

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    1. Thank you Cynthia and in my next post I'll reveal a celebrity who there that is actually deserving of high praise.

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  7. Wow - what adventures you've had, and what great service you've performed for your nation, but for other nations as well. Haiti is a country prone to natural and man made disaster it seems, we had a sponsor child there at the time of the earthquakes, and were receiving updates on the situation as a result. I'm looking forward to the second instalment.

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    1. The devastation that befell Haiti was predicted as it is on a major fault with a major earthquake a matter of when not if.

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  8. So they left all of you in trucks, overnight, in the cold? Considering what you were all about to endure, I would rather the Army gave you hot soup and made sure you were all tucked in to your beds as you waited for the airport to get sorted.
    Tiptoeing around civilian agencies, while still getting the job done is one of the greatest skills of our people in uniform
    That must have been a huge job-I cannot wait to hear the rest of the story..

    (I think the man in the Dos Equis commercials is based on you
    "I don't often fly into earthquake-ravaged island nations,
    but when I do,
    I start by spending the night in a freezing truck")

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    1. My Dear Bebe,
      The Army always considers your time theirs to do whatever they please and is nearly as poorly managed as NGOs in areas such as logistics or dealing with situations they've not faced dozens of times. They anticiapate nothing, react and if success isn't immediate, they just keep throwing more resources (bodies, equipment, money, etc.) at it in hopes of a better outcome. They are superb at traditional combat operations..

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  9. That is one kind of adventure! Really worth recounting the story.

    Hope you're enjoying your weekend! :)

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    1. Welcome SuperLux! You're in the right place. GSL has helped many a lady navigate through rough seas.

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  10. Wow, this is something I know absolutely nothing about and it's been fascinating reading for me. What was the reason you signed up (is that what you call it?) so comparatively later in life?
    Do you miss being in the forces? Can you be recalled again?

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    1. Jody, I was 36 on 9/11 which was too old to join up but went by the recruiting office every 6 months to see if anything had changed. On June 22, 2006 it was announced (due to dire troop shortages) that they would now accept new recruits prior to their 42nd birthday. They sent me an email just as that announcement was released and I got things underway that day. I shut down my life and reported to boot camp August 15th, then Airborne School, and then joined my unit already in Baghdad in March 2007. I enlisted specifically to go to Iraq which is why I went to Airborne School.
      I am currently in the National Guard and we drill 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks during the summer so could face a deployment with to respond to a natural disaster, civil disorder, etc.

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