Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Waiting for the next move in a military deployment can be difficult but receiving rush orders can be even worse – and the toll taken on family can be harder than on the troops.
That and the change – and sometimes even chaos – that revolves around a deployment were among the things talked about by Alan Mathis, a retired U.S. Army major during a recent presentation about deployments to the Gatesville Lions Club.
Mathis talked about how U.S. troops that have been sent to Poland – a NATO ally – in response to Russia's invasion of neighbor Ukraine are experiencing much of those things during the deployment process, something he himself has experienced.
Mathis previously served with the 4th ID (infantry division) and said sometimes troops are given plenty of advance notice, other times short notice and sometimes even no notice, what he referred to as a "come as you are party."
When the Arab-Israeli War of Sept. 1973 threatened to spill over – the Soviet Union was an ally of the Arab nations and the United States was an ally of Israel, Mathis said as the sector sergeant, he had to lead his troops quickly to a location 18 miles away and await further orders.
Deliveries were made that consisted of ammunition, mines, concertina wire and sandbags.
"People didn't know what to do with it – we had never planned for it," Mathis said. "We wore the same clothes for four days and had no contact with family."
In that instance, Mathis said the DEFCON (defense readiness condition) was lowered from 5 to 3. Level 5 is considered to be normal peacetime conditions. Level 4 is heightened alert. At Level 3, there is added security and the possibility of rapid deployment or mobilization. Level 2 means the likelihood of major military operations. Level 1 means war is imminent (or has already begun), and there is an immediate threat.
Mathis talked about the array of equipment that troops must keep ready, including a duffle bag that weighs 72 pounds fully loaded, and a second bag with body armor, a helmet, protective mask and suit to protect against chemical weapons.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mathis and his unit were told they would be sent to a mountainous area of Turkey with a 6,000-foot elevation, so they packed cold weather gear. Because of delays and red tape, the orders were changed and they were sent instead to an extremely hot environment in Kuwait.
Mathis' daughter had deployed about two weeks earlier, increasing the tension for Mathis' wife, Rosemary.
Shortly after arriving at their camp, Mathis' unit had to put on its protective suits because of a Scud missile launch.
Because of the stress and access to plenty of junk food during the lead-up to deployment, Mathis said he went from 210 pounds to 248 pounds. At the end of his deployment, he was down to 180 pounds.
One of the factors the soldiers faced was extreme temperatures.
"The coolest it got over there was 92 degrees about 2 or 3 a.m. It was common for the temperatures to get up to 128 or 130 degrees," Mathis said.
Mathis was part of a 124-vehicle convoy from Tikrit, Iraq to Saudi Arabia that took four days.
"It was stop and go," he said. "The first 10 miles we stopped five times because of blown tires."
The unit deployed on March 27 and Mathis said he didn't get a cold soda until July 1, when each soldier got one cold soft drink.
"There's a shortage of many items, so you make do with what you've got," he said. "It's intense. There's a lot of pressure on the soldier and their family. You do what you have to do for your country, but it isn't easy when you're going through it."
