Sunday, January 16, 2005
Redeployment
The Commander sent a letter to our families. It read in part:
“I now anticipate that Ghost Company will return home sometime in late [sometime] based on guidance available through battalion. I do not have an exact date, and even if I did, I would not be able to reveal it for security reasons. (I caution all, however, that extensions are always possible, and we must be cognizant that this could happen). We will move from Iraq to Kuwait before returning to Fort Dix. We will go through a five to ten day de-mobilization process. The actual process only takes three to four days, but with so many units departing and arriving the process could be delayed. The de-mobilization process is extremely important to your soldier's future since it deals with medical issues, awards, evaluations, retirement points, and other issues that need to be in order before returning from active duty. I ask that you stay away from Fort Dix during this short de-mobilization period. My hope is that the soldiers can remain focused on the above issues. I know this will be difficult since we are so close, and you have not seen your loved one in many months; however, a mistake on our part at the de-mobilization site could delay release.”
The Commander added that packages should not be sent after 15JAN2005 and letters and cards should not be sent and 01FEB2005.
The Commander’s advice to families must have come down from above; on two separate visits, the Commander said to us in regards to de-mobilizing at Ft. Dix, “I don’t care what you do, I’ll be locked in my room, just let me know if the building catches fire.” Now, we can’t have our families visit? Is this the way to approach it?
The letter implies that families could show up at any time and the Soldier would be excused from whatever he is currently doing with a frown from his supervisor. This isn’t how the Army –even today’s Army - works. Soldiers have to be accountable for their whereabouts at all times. Failure to be at our assigned place of duty on time is a crime.
As one Soldier put it, “Were’ grown men. It’s not like our parents showed up to our kindergarten class [and we] keep looking back at mommy and smiling.”
The Commander sent a letter to our families. It read in part:
“I now anticipate that Ghost Company will return home sometime in late [sometime] based on guidance available through battalion. I do not have an exact date, and even if I did, I would not be able to reveal it for security reasons. (I caution all, however, that extensions are always possible, and we must be cognizant that this could happen). We will move from Iraq to Kuwait before returning to Fort Dix. We will go through a five to ten day de-mobilization process. The actual process only takes three to four days, but with so many units departing and arriving the process could be delayed. The de-mobilization process is extremely important to your soldier's future since it deals with medical issues, awards, evaluations, retirement points, and other issues that need to be in order before returning from active duty. I ask that you stay away from Fort Dix during this short de-mobilization period. My hope is that the soldiers can remain focused on the above issues. I know this will be difficult since we are so close, and you have not seen your loved one in many months; however, a mistake on our part at the de-mobilization site could delay release.”
The Commander added that packages should not be sent after 15JAN2005 and letters and cards should not be sent and 01FEB2005.
The Commander’s advice to families must have come down from above; on two separate visits, the Commander said to us in regards to de-mobilizing at Ft. Dix, “I don’t care what you do, I’ll be locked in my room, just let me know if the building catches fire.” Now, we can’t have our families visit? Is this the way to approach it?
The letter implies that families could show up at any time and the Soldier would be excused from whatever he is currently doing with a frown from his supervisor. This isn’t how the Army –even today’s Army - works. Soldiers have to be accountable for their whereabouts at all times. Failure to be at our assigned place of duty on time is a crime.
As one Soldier put it, “Were’ grown men. It’s not like our parents showed up to our kindergarten class [and we] keep looking back at mommy and smiling.”
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