101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs
05.30.2011 Story by: Col. Michael P. Peterman BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Greetings to our family and friends back home!
It’s hard to believe that we are now halfway through our deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Time has really flown by, and while there is still much work to be done, our soldiers of the 101st Sustainment Brigade continue to get after it, day in and day out.
There have been many postings on various Facebook pages about this Memorial Day holiday. I was particularly taken by one that goes something like this:
“Before you tell someone ‘Happy Memorial Day,’ take a moment and think about what that day means.
Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute and honor our fallen servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s a solemn occasion, not a celebration. It’s a day to reflect on how so many brave men and women died in service to not only our country, but for a people in countries around the world.”
Those words, written by a fellow soldier, sums up what I believe many of us tend to forget at one point or another. Memorial Day is not about drinking half-priced beer, barbecue picnics, or 50 percent off sales at a business. It’s about remembering the daily sacrifices that our brothers and sisters in arms perform in order to ensure our freedoms at home.
It’s about how another blogger put it: “Soldiers don’t fight because they hate what’s in front of them… they fight because they love what’s behind them.” It’s about doing the hard business of ensuring freedom now so that our children won’t have to later.
It’s about the “Gamberi Six” - Sgt. 1st Class Charles Adkins, Staff Sgt. Christine Taylor, Sgt. Linda Pierre, Spc. Brian Cemper, Spc. Sonny Jade Moses, and Capt. Charles Ridgley and the other Heroes we’ve lost – American soldiers who stood side-by-side with us before and during this deployment; who understood the importance of the mission that we as Lifeliners were sent here to accomplish, and gave their all in the pursuit of its success.
And it’s also about the partnerships that we’ve formed here with our Afghan brothers in arms, the soldiers who represent the very best of their country, and men who want the same things for their people as we want for ours.
Across America, many people will celebrate Memorial Day in their own way. Some will attend various church and community services, others will spend time with their families, and even more will visit friends at their final resting sites.
Memorial Day also marks the beginning of summer and all the inherent safety issues. Today start 101 days of safety. It is very important we don’t lose anyone here in Afghanistan or back home to a safety issue. Please ensure that you are taking the necessary precaution concerning summer and the change in temperature and activities. Hydration, sun screen, alcohol awareness, and boating safety are main elements of ensuring a safe summer; Lifeliners that just returned from combat please drink responsibility and remain aware of your surroundings. Lifeliners have been in the fight since 9/11 in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We have and will continue to take on the task of safety and ask that our families do the same at Fort Campbell.
The soldiers of the Lifeliners Brigade join me in wishing all of you back home a Happy Memorial Day. You all are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers as we continue our mission! Thanks for what you and your families do for our country. May God bless you and the United States.
Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute and honor our fallen servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s a solemn occasion, not a celebration. It’s a day to reflect on how so many brave men and women died in service to not only our country, but for a people in countries around the world.”
Those words, written by a fellow soldier, sums up what I believe many of us tend to forget at one point or another. Memorial Day is not about drinking half-priced beer, barbecue picnics, or 50 percent off sales at a business. It’s about remembering the daily sacrifices that our brothers and sisters in arms perform in order to ensure our freedoms at home.
It’s about how another blogger put it: “Soldiers don’t fight because they hate what’s in front of them… they fight because they love what’s behind them.” It’s about doing the hard business of ensuring freedom now so that our children won’t have to later.
It’s about the “Gamberi Six” - Sgt. 1st Class Charles Adkins, Staff Sgt. Christine Taylor, Sgt. Linda Pierre, Spc. Brian Cemper, Spc. Sonny Jade Moses, and Capt. Charles Ridgley and the other Heroes we’ve lost – American soldiers who stood side-by-side with us before and during this deployment; who understood the importance of the mission that we as Lifeliners were sent here to accomplish, and gave their all in the pursuit of its success.
And it’s also about the partnerships that we’ve formed here with our Afghan brothers in arms, the soldiers who represent the very best of their country, and men who want the same things for their people as we want for ours.
Across America, many people will celebrate Memorial Day in their own way. Some will attend various church and community services, others will spend time with their families, and even more will visit friends at their final resting sites.
Memorial Day also marks the beginning of summer and all the inherent safety issues. Today start 101 days of safety. It is very important we don’t lose anyone here in Afghanistan or back home to a safety issue. Please ensure that you are taking the necessary precaution concerning summer and the change in temperature and activities. Hydration, sun screen, alcohol awareness, and boating safety are main elements of ensuring a safe summer; Lifeliners that just returned from combat please drink responsibility and remain aware of your surroundings. Lifeliners have been in the fight since 9/11 in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We have and will continue to take on the task of safety and ask that our families do the same at Fort Campbell.
The soldiers of the Lifeliners Brigade join me in wishing all of you back home a Happy Memorial Day. You all are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers as we continue our mission! Thanks for what you and your families do for our country. May God bless you and the United States.
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