First Job Out of College: Combat-Zone Commander

[proud2BlibKansan]

# Three members of West Point's class of '04 find themselves leading troops in a war foreign to any example learned in the classroom.

By David Zucchino, Times Staff Writer

Eighteen months ago, Daniel Redman, Bernard Gardner and Stephen Bishop were fairly typical college students. They were finishing up senior exams, inviting parents to graduation ceremonies and preparing to face the real world.

Today, all three have collided with the real world of Iraq. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in May 2004, the former cadets are freshly minted second lieutenants thrust into war. They are responsible for the lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians in a war unlike anything they learned in classrooms.

"West Point seems like the distant past," Redman, 23, wrote in an e-mail from his base near Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad. As an inexperienced officer in charge of soldiers with previous combat experience, he wrote, "all eyes are on me. The soldiers see everything I do and use it to evaluate their trust in my abilities."

More recent West Point graduates are being sent to war than at any time since the Vietnam War — many of them right after completing the U.S. Army Officer Basic Course and specialty training.

http://tinyurl.com/b5lck

[MADem]

1. Long way from assistant night manager at Pizza Hut, I guess

I hope those kids have seriously battle-hardened senior enlisted help. And I hope they "get it"--it ain't spit and polish time over in the sandbox, it's "staying alive" time....

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. A good friend has a kid who graduated from West Point

He just got back from Iraq. He said the thinking among West Pointers is that they will never see combat. They go into careers at the Pentagon, etc. So this is a paradigm shift for these kids.

[MADem]

6. The paper pusher jobs at DOD and major commands are going begging

I swear, if they do not pull out, and continue on this absurd path, the callups of the aged retirees and out of shape IIRR types will put those types behind those desks in DC and major commands. It is getting to the point that "Does the work of THREE!" isn't a compliment on one's productivity, it is a goddamn JOB DESCRIPTION!! Basic paperwork functions are being put off, gundecked, slapped together...and it is all because there are not enough folks to do the work. Time for another Paperwork Reduction Act, maybe?

Truth is, if you are in an operational specialty, and you fail to 'go operational' you are the first to be passed over at promotion board time. Gotta do your time in the barrel if you want to make it a career...

[DanCa]

2. I 'm having BSG flashbacks , the one when crashdown led the ground party

on battlestar galactica. Remember the part where he was readding objectives and Baltar asked Tyrol whats he doing? Tyrol said there for class room purposes only and not to be meant to use in the field? I got a bad bad feeling about this.

[Historic NY]

4. Some too soon.......

I've been amazed how fast they have been sending some. The usual practice was getting their feet wet with stateside training commands. These guys are really fresh. I have a friend from 03 class that got hurt training and was to have been medically discharged, apparently now they are even keeping him. He was reassigned back to the Point and just got his silver bar. Looks like that is where he will finish his 5 yr commitment. More than a few from WP have been killed over there, including a few former athletic stars.

[Solo_in_MD]

5. The primary job of 2nd LTs in the Army is to lead platoons

in combat arms (Infantry/Armor/Artillery). Nothing abnormal about this story. This is what they are trained for.

Note that it is platoon leader and not commander.

[Rex]

7. Butter bars

They have an incredibly hard job - taking advice from their platoon sgt, building trust among the troops and keeping everyone alive. I wish nothing but the best for all butter bars everywhere, time to earn that paycheck!

[Solo_in_MD]

8. Now that is a term I have not seen for a long time

Butter Bars indeed