The Most Significant Day of My Military Career
Major Brad K. Martin, Student, Command and General Staff College,
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Over the course of my career, there have been several significant days. The first day as a brand new Second Lieutenant in my platoon, taking Company Command and crossing the border of Kuwait and Iraq heading towards Baghdad are a few of those significant days. However, it was a handshake and a picture during a clothes drive in Kosovo that is the most significant day of my military career.
From May 2002-November 2002, I was in command of my company and deployed to Kosovo. In preparation for the deployment, we conducted all of the necessary train-up, and were briefed that our primary role there would be as peacekeepers. As a military police officer, I knew that my company, and I, would be spending a great deal of time out on the roads, conducting area security and police intelligence operations. I knew this would put us out in the cities and villages, and we would be talking with people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. I also knew that we would take part in helping to train a former Albanian Infantry unit that was changing into a Search and Rescue unit.
Knowing what our mission was and what our day to day business was going to entail, I began to think of different ways that we could bridge the gap between the different ethnicities we would encounter. I knew that it would be impossible to change their culture, but I knew that it was possible to have a positive effect on those that we encountered, and that possibly, through our efforts, we could bring some people together to share in a common good. After much thought, I decided that a clothes drive would be a mission that could help us in this effort.
At the time, I was stationed in Germany, so I began to coordinate with several Provost Marshal Offices across Germany to place clothes drop boxes in their offices. I also coordinated with the Garrison Commander’s Office in several Base Support Battalions across Germany to get the word out to the communities about the clothes drive and where to take any donated clothes. I also coordinated with my parents in Tomahawk, WI and explained to them the mission and how they could help.
After the unit arrived in Kosovo, and we completed our relief in place (RIP) process and began our mission, I was very happy that I decided to conduct the clothes drive. The poverty that we witnessed was staggering, and it was very difficult to see anyone, especially children, living in the manner in which they did. Clothes were definitely something that everyone needed, and I had a good feeling that the mission would be widely accepted by the entire population, no matter what ethnicity they were. We did an assessment on which areas we needed to focus on the most and came up with a distribution plan to get the clothes out to them as quickly as we could, but in an organized, efficient, manner.
Clothes from both Germany and the United States began to arrive by the truckload. I was overwhelmed by the generosity that people showed. In many instances, people bought brand new clothes and donated them to our mission. As well as clothes, people donated shoes, jackets, winter clothes etc. As the boxes began to quickly pile up, we began our distribution plan.
As planned, we first began to distribute clothes to those who needed them the most. The reception by the people of Kosovo was incredible. Men, women and children alike were absolutely thrilled to be receiving the clothes, shoes, etc. In some of the villages that we stopped, there were people of several different ethnicities taking the clothes. What was incredible about this was that they were sharing the clothes together. When I saw this, I began to think that possibly this mission will succeed in trying to heal some of the wounds that these people have suffered from one another through years of ethnic conflict.
As the months went on, the clothes drive began to have better and better results. On one occasion, a village mayor approached me. He thanked me for the clothes we were giving away, and had heard we were giving clothes away throughout the region. He asked me to follow him to an area so that he could show me something and ask for our help. He brought me to the village school, which wasn’t much of a school in my eyes. The school had been bombed during the war and it was in much need of repair. He asked if there was any way we could help, and I told him absolutely we could help.
During a meeting between the mayor and myself, we arranged a date, and for him to bring manpower and supplies to the school. I told him that I would bring manpower and supplies as well. On the prearranged date, I arrived with several of the officers from our battalion staff and any others who wanted to help. As we arrived, I could see that he had a great deal of manpower and supplies already on site.
During the next several days, we mixed cement, and helped to carry supplies to carpenters who were rebuilding the school. While there, I saw a very old man who was helping in any way that he could. It was obvious that this man had a very hard life, and each day he arrived in the same tattered clothes as the day before. I had several boxes of clothes in the back of our trucks, and thought it would be good to give him some of those clothes, especially a sport jacket that had been donated. I brought the man over to our boxes and had him take any clothes that he wished. He was very happy and so thankful that we were giving him these clothes. Just before he left, I grabbed the sport jacket and put it on him. He broke down crying at the generosity. He had always wanted a jacket like that, but was never able to have one until now. He turned to me and shook my hand with such appreciation. We took a picture together, hugged and said our farewells. It was that handshake and picture that is the most significant day of my military career.
The most significant day of my military career was the handshake and picture because it was a very proud moment for me knowing that I had succeeded in something that I had set out to do, and also that I was able to give to people who were in such desperate need. I also believe that I had a very positive effect on those who took part in the clothes drive, especially the young Soldiers in my unit. It will certainly be a day that I will never forget, and will be an experience that I can bring to future units that I may be assigned to.
The views expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Over the course of my career, there have been several significant days. The first day as a brand new Second Lieutenant in my platoon, taking Company Command and crossing the border of Kuwait and Iraq heading towards Baghdad are a few of those significant days. However, it was a handshake and a picture during a clothes drive in Kosovo that is the most significant day of my military career.
From May 2002-November 2002, I was in command of my company and deployed to Kosovo. In preparation for the deployment, we conducted all of the necessary train-up, and were briefed that our primary role there would be as peacekeepers. As a military police officer, I knew that my company, and I, would be spending a great deal of time out on the roads, conducting area security and police intelligence operations. I knew this would put us out in the cities and villages, and we would be talking with people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. I also knew that we would take part in helping to train a former Albanian Infantry unit that was changing into a Search and Rescue unit.
Knowing what our mission was and what our day to day business was going to entail, I began to think of different ways that we could bridge the gap between the different ethnicities we would encounter. I knew that it would be impossible to change their culture, but I knew that it was possible to have a positive effect on those that we encountered, and that possibly, through our efforts, we could bring some people together to share in a common good. After much thought, I decided that a clothes drive would be a mission that could help us in this effort.
At the time, I was stationed in Germany, so I began to coordinate with several Provost Marshal Offices across Germany to place clothes drop boxes in their offices. I also coordinated with the Garrison Commander’s Office in several Base Support Battalions across Germany to get the word out to the communities about the clothes drive and where to take any donated clothes. I also coordinated with my parents in Tomahawk, WI and explained to them the mission and how they could help.
After the unit arrived in Kosovo, and we completed our relief in place (RIP) process and began our mission, I was very happy that I decided to conduct the clothes drive. The poverty that we witnessed was staggering, and it was very difficult to see anyone, especially children, living in the manner in which they did. Clothes were definitely something that everyone needed, and I had a good feeling that the mission would be widely accepted by the entire population, no matter what ethnicity they were. We did an assessment on which areas we needed to focus on the most and came up with a distribution plan to get the clothes out to them as quickly as we could, but in an organized, efficient, manner.
Clothes from both Germany and the United States began to arrive by the truckload. I was overwhelmed by the generosity that people showed. In many instances, people bought brand new clothes and donated them to our mission. As well as clothes, people donated shoes, jackets, winter clothes etc. As the boxes began to quickly pile up, we began our distribution plan.
As planned, we first began to distribute clothes to those who needed them the most. The reception by the people of Kosovo was incredible. Men, women and children alike were absolutely thrilled to be receiving the clothes, shoes, etc. In some of the villages that we stopped, there were people of several different ethnicities taking the clothes. What was incredible about this was that they were sharing the clothes together. When I saw this, I began to think that possibly this mission will succeed in trying to heal some of the wounds that these people have suffered from one another through years of ethnic conflict.
As the months went on, the clothes drive began to have better and better results. On one occasion, a village mayor approached me. He thanked me for the clothes we were giving away, and had heard we were giving clothes away throughout the region. He asked me to follow him to an area so that he could show me something and ask for our help. He brought me to the village school, which wasn’t much of a school in my eyes. The school had been bombed during the war and it was in much need of repair. He asked if there was any way we could help, and I told him absolutely we could help.
During a meeting between the mayor and myself, we arranged a date, and for him to bring manpower and supplies to the school. I told him that I would bring manpower and supplies as well. On the prearranged date, I arrived with several of the officers from our battalion staff and any others who wanted to help. As we arrived, I could see that he had a great deal of manpower and supplies already on site.
During the next several days, we mixed cement, and helped to carry supplies to carpenters who were rebuilding the school. While there, I saw a very old man who was helping in any way that he could. It was obvious that this man had a very hard life, and each day he arrived in the same tattered clothes as the day before. I had several boxes of clothes in the back of our trucks, and thought it would be good to give him some of those clothes, especially a sport jacket that had been donated. I brought the man over to our boxes and had him take any clothes that he wished. He was very happy and so thankful that we were giving him these clothes. Just before he left, I grabbed the sport jacket and put it on him. He broke down crying at the generosity. He had always wanted a jacket like that, but was never able to have one until now. He turned to me and shook my hand with such appreciation. We took a picture together, hugged and said our farewells. It was that handshake and picture that is the most significant day of my military career.
The most significant day of my military career was the handshake and picture because it was a very proud moment for me knowing that I had succeeded in something that I had set out to do, and also that I was able to give to people who were in such desperate need. I also believe that I had a very positive effect on those who took part in the clothes drive, especially the young Soldiers in my unit. It will certainly be a day that I will never forget, and will be an experience that I can bring to future units that I may be assigned to.
The views expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
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