Opportunities in the US Armed Forces

Army 1LT Chrysa Gumbs aboard a C17 plane in Iraq, June 2010.

A teaching unit about a soldiers home away from home

By Chrysa Staiano AL6750 Hawaii Pacific University July 3, 2013 Revised: February 20, 2014

Introduction

When a soldier joins the army, they swear to support and

defend the United States according to their oath as an officer or an enlisted soldier. However, besides moving often and assisting with national disasters, it also means that the soldier may have to deploy in response to an international conflict or in support of an allied country. Deployments can range from anywhere between to a few weeks to roughly 18 months, but most last around one year. During this time, the lives of the deployed soldiers and their families are turned completely upside down. In the following unit, you will learn about the challenges and rewards of being deployed, which will help you answer the following question: could I do it?

Section 1 Preparing to Leave

A common belief is that soldiers get more done before 9:00am than most people do by noon. This is because soldiers days start very early, but also because the army relies on efficiency. To save time during everyday communication, soldiers use acronyms, abbreviations and special words for very specific purposes. Do you think you could keep up? Warm up: On a separate piece of paper, write down acronyms and abbreviations you see and use in everyday life. For example: LOL (laugh out loud), MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), DEC (December). After five minutes, move to a partner and circle the ones you have in common. Then try to come up with a few more together.

Activity 1: Reading Military Orders. Imagine you are a soldier in the army and your
commander has just handed you the following set of orders. Carefully examine them and then use a separate piece of paper to answer the questions on the next page.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
ALPHA BATTERY, 1st BATTALION, 14th FIELD ARTILLERY FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA 73503-5000
REPLY TO ATTENTION OF

ORDERS 253-1023

10 SEPTEMBER 2009

YOUR NAME HERE. xxx-xx-3189 2LT A 1-14th FA (WA1XA0) FORT SILL, OK 73505 USA You are deployed as a Temporary Change of Station (TCS) as shown below and are to return to your permanent station upon completion of the duties in support of this operation. Assigned to: A 1-18th FA (WA3XA0) FORT SILL, OK with forward movement to IRAQ Purpose: In support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM Number of days: NOT TO EXCEED 365 DAYS Will proceed date: On/about 12 NOV 2009 a. Temporary storage of household goods (HHG) is authorized as provided by paragraph U4770-A, Joint Federal Travel Regulation. c. POV (privately owned vehicle) storage is authorized. Contact the Installation Transportation Officer (ITO) for assistance. d. For flights in and out of theater, soldiers are authorized the shipment of four checked bags- one personal bag and three issued bags of equipment. Each bag may not exceed 70 lbs. e. Additional financial entitlements: For the length of the deployment, the soldiers salaries will be exempt from state and federal taxes. In addition to salaries, soldiers will receive $250.00 for hostile fire/imminent danger pay (per month) and per diem pay (per day) at $3.50. Married soldiers will receive $250.00 (per month) in family separation pay. f. Additional instructions for rations, quarters, administration and legal support services are attached. KELLY A. BAILEY CHIEF, MILITARY PERSONNEL DIVISION FORT SILL, OK

Understanding acronyms 1. List some of the acronyms and their definitions that you find in the orders. 2. What is the correct acronym for in support of? What about Operation Iraqi Freedom? 3. Why is it beneficial for soldiers to speak and write in acronyms sometimes? Interpreting army lingo 4. What is the armys word for saying a soldier is allowed to do something? 5. What do you think is meant by the term house hold goods? 6. What do you think is meant by the term in and out of theater? Crunching the numbers 7. Assuming you received these order on 10 SEPT, how much notice did the soldier have before the deployment? 8. How many total lbs. of army equipment is each soldier allowed to bring? Issues with deployments 9. Based on the information in section E, are there financial incentives for soldiers to get married right before they deploy? Do you see any potential problems with this? 10. In this case, the soldier is deploying from Oklahoma, a state in America, to Iraq, a country in the Middle East. What are some challenges you think he/she might face during this transition? Are there things he/she can do to make the transition easier?

Activity 2: What to pack?

An Army Specialist watches the equipment from his truck in Iraq, summer 2010.

Based on the orders above, you are authorized to bring three bags of equipment and one personal bag on your deployment. However, your First Sergeant (the senior enlisted soldier) thinks the young soldiers are getting soft and is only allowing you to bring two equipment bags and one personal bag! Work in groups of three to decide what to bring. You are only packing for one person! 1. Spend five minutes brainstorming with your group. Ask yourself questions like: How much weight am I able to carry? Do I have enough even if we dont get resupplied for two months? What items or brands from home am I absolutely not willing to part with? 2. Cut out the items and place them in neat piles to simulate your own bags. Mandatory items are colored in green. Remember, each bag may not weigh more than 70 lbs! You may mix personal and required equipment items. Extra credit: Add acronyms to the simple items. Army Combat Helmet has been done for you.

Army Combat Helmet (ACH) 10 lbs.

2 sets of black leather gloves 3 lbs.

1 set of extreme cold weather gear top & bottom 5 lbs.

3 sets Army Combat Uniforms 10 lbs.

2 Physical Training shirts, long sleeve with long pants 5 lbs.

1 extreme cold weather sleeping bag w/ bivy cover 8 lbs.

6 pairs of green socks, 2 pairs white socks 5 lbs.

3 Physical Training shorts 5 lbs.

1 regular sleeping bag w/ bivy cover 8 lbs.

8 tan t-shirts short sleeve 5 lbs.

3 Physical Training t-shirts, short sleeve 5 lbs.

3 towels and washcloths (brown, white) 5 lbs.

Tactical vest w/ front & back bulletproof plates 20 lbs.

1 pair of sneakers 5 lbs.

1 camelbak with cleaning kit 5 lbs.

8 pairs of underwear (tan, white) 5 lbs.

2 pairs of boots 10 lbs.

1 Wet Weather Bag 3 lbs.

Women: 5 sports bras (tan, white) 3 lbs.

3 Army Combat Shirts 5 lbs.

1 poncho liner (woobie) 3 lbs.

Set of elbow & knee pads 5 lbs.

1 set of Wet Weather Gear top & bottom 5 lbs.

personal pillow 3 lbs.

2 Patrol Caps and Physical Training caps 5 lbs.

Personal laptop 5 lbs.

Toiletries *men must bring razors & blades 3 lbs.

1 alarm clock & batteries 3 lbs.

More toiletries & grooming accessories 3 lbs.

Sewing kit & outlet converter 2 lbs.

Set(s) of personal sheets 5 lbs.

Laundry bag 3 lbs.

Flashlight & batteries 3 lbs.

Civilian clothes and footwear (appropriate for travel) 10 lbs.

Individual First Aid Kit 5 lbs.

Paperwork 5 lbs.

Personal (name of item): _______________________ _______ lbs.

Personal (name of item): _______________________ _______ lbs.

Personal (name of item): _______________________ _______ lbs.

Personal (name of item): _______________________ _______ lbs.

Personal (name of item): _______________________ _______ lbs.

Personal (name of item): _______________________ _______ lbs.

3. As a group, present the optional/personal items that you have chosen to pack to the rest of the class. If your group has selected the same optional/personal item, stand up. One student will keep a tally to see which items are the most popular. Safe travels!

Activity 3: Recognizing Connotations. Months have passed and your deployment is right
around the corner. It is time to tell your family and friends goodbye. You will be gone for one year and you dont want your loved ones to worry too much. How can you say goodbye without making everyone sad or worried? Connotation (noun): A commonly understood cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to its literal meaning. Connotations are frequently described as either positive or negative. 1. Read the following statements and decide the connotations of the bold words. In the space below, write either positive or negative and then re-write the bold word so it has the opposite connotation. a. Soldiers are excited when CPT Curran leads the missions because he is such a meticulous planner. Positive detailed planner

b. As a result of much practice in public speaking, I am confident talking to top officials.

c. The female soldiers became so skinny from walking around Iraq with 60 lbs. rucks on their backs.

d. The arrogant way of the Sergeant Major makes all of the troops afraid of him.

e. Once the plane touched down in America, the soldiers finally felt relaxed.

f. Get this soldier a smaller uniform. She is tall, but slender.

g. SFC Johnson was so nitpicky with the equipment inspection that we had to work through lunch.

h. Get up you lazy meatheads! the drill sergeant screamed at the soldiers sitting in the shade.

2. Individually, brainstorm different ways to say goodbye to your family and friends. List them in the left side of the table below. Then, write the underlying meaning and connotation of the word across from it.

Ways to say goodbye

a See you later b See you when I see you c goodbye d farewell e f g h

Underlying meaning
I will see you again Maybe I will see you again

Tone, connotation Informal, happy, positive Sad, negative

3. As a class, review all the different ways to say goodbye. List anymore you dont have written down in the space below.

4. Write down the form of goodbye youd use for the following people on the line across from their names. Consider the connotation and long lasting effect of the words you choose. a. your little brother b. the landlord who hassled you about your lease c. your dog d. your favorite teacher or community leader ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

Left: Army CPT Dan Thoer says goodbye to his beloved lab, Sandy, the morning of his deployment in November, 2009. Below: Army 2LT Chrysa Gumbs eats dinner with her parents, Patty and Al, the night before her deployment.

4. Now it is time to say goodbye to your loved one who has come to see you before your deployment. Go to the teachers desk you will receive one of the following tasks: A. You are a soldier about to deploy for one year. Your friend or family member has come to see you off. Think about some things you might say to them before you leave. Remember that your loved one might not know much about your deployment, so expect questions. If the answers to the questions are not given in your orders (page 3), just make them up. B. You are the family member of a soldier who is about to deploy for one year. You d ont know much about their job or where they are headed, so ask them questions to show you care. Think about what you want to say/ask beforehand. Task A students should now match up with Task B students and simulate saying goodbye to each other. There must be at least seven exchanges between you both. Follow the model on the next page if you need ideas about what to say to each other.

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A. Well, it looks like its finally time for me to say goodbye. B. Yeah well cuz, I cant believe youre gonna be gon e for a full year. A. I know, right? You guys better celebrate my birthday for me. B. Yeah, we will for sure. Maybe we can send you a cake. Actually, what are you even going to eat over there? A. Dude, I have no idea. One of the soldiers in the unit is a cook, so hopefully he can make some good stuff for us. B. Hopefully is right. A cook, huh? So whats your job? A. Im a truck driver. B. Whoa, really, thats cool. Remember when your dad taught us to drive when we were like ten? A. Yup, but that was on a farm. This is going to be Iraq! B. Dont worry, cuz. Youll be in the air conditioning all day in your truck. Isnt it really hot there? A. I dont know, its not like Ive ever been there on vacation before! B. True true. So, what can I send you to make the time go faster? A. I dont know. I pretty much packed everything I want. Can I get you anything from Iraq? B. Yes, bring me back a camel. A. Yeah, like that wont be obvious
After you have finished, switch to the role you havent performed yet. Take a few minutes to think about what you want to say/ask in your new role and then find a new partner.

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Activity 4: Staying in Touch. During your pre-deployment briefings, you learn that the base
youre headed to is in a very remote area. Therefore, you wont be able to call home or use the internet whenever you want. Because of this and the unreliable electricity in Iraq, you should improve your letter writing skills prior to the deployment. Example 1: Thank you letter to a kind stranger. Look at the following letter 2LT Gumbs wrote to a Cherry Lane Elementary School (Suffern, NY) student while she was deployed.

Dear Marty,

19 February 2010

I know we have not met but I can tell from your writing that you are very smart. What is your favorite subject in school? I liked to run around during gym class but I like writing and reading the most now. I went to college in North Carolina and our gym class there was surfing. It is great that you want to be a Lieutenant when you grow up. A Lieutenant is the lowest level of officer in the Army, so you have to finish college and then join. Right now I am a Second Lieutenant (2LT). On April 23, I will get promoted to First Lieutenant (1LT). That means I have been in the army 18 months. After First Lieutenant comes Captain. You ask a good question about our weapons. When I am on our base here, called Forward Operating Base (FOB) Hammer, I carry a pistol. When I leave the base though, I bring my pistol and my rifle. I dont have a name for my rifle but I love it very much. Do you have any good ideas for a name? My Army unit is artillery, so we shoot rockets. Our rockets can fire right off the back of a big truck called a launcher. We have three launchers total. Thanks very much for your letter. Please keep in touch. Sincerely, 2LT Gumbs

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Example 2: Informal letter to a friend. Here is a letter 1LT Gumbs wrote to her friend CPT Abby Redman on May 4, 2010. They were both deployed to Iraq at this time.
Hi there! As you may have heard, I hurt my right foot playing soccer. Another player and I made foot to foot contact in a kicking motion. The rest is history limping, purple unbendable toes, cut skin on the top of the foot surrounded by yellow bruising; my foot pretty much looks like an old grapefruit because of the swelling. I went to the aid station and saw a medic. He gave me a wrap, and some ice packs and crutches. The doctor said to follow up in a week. I have tried to take it easy, but we had our customs inspection two days ago, so it was impossible. I only walked to the LZ (landing zone) once though. The foot is better today. It looks worse, but feels more stable and toes are more flexible. Whats going on with you? Once I am back on both feet Ill try to visit you. Work is wrapping up. Cant believe its almost time to go home. Talk to you soon! Chrys

CPT Abby Redman, a US Army nurse smiles at FOB Hammer.

1LT Gumbs nearly broken right foot in Iraq, spring 2010.

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1. In the space below, write similarities of the letters on the left and differences on the right.

2. Pretend you are a deployed soldier who has been in Iraq for 3 months. In the space below, write a letter to one of the following people: a) your father, b) a sixth grader at a local elementary school, or c) a friend from your old job. The tone of your letter should be friendly and with positive connotations. Try to use some acronyms, even if they dont relate to the military. Be creative!

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Spotlight On
US Army Major Andrew Staiano, PE, PMP
Stats
B.E., Vanderbilt University, Civil Engineering M.S., University of Missouri Rolla, Engineering Management M.S., Rutgers University, Civil and Environmental Engineering FAA certified private pilot

Army Engineer Officer with over a decade of service

Married, originally from New Jersey Hobbies: travel, running, BMW driving & restoration Interesting fact: MAJ Staiano has traveled
Above: CPT Andy Staiano shows a dog to Iraqi children, 2006. Right: MAJ Andy Staiano poses with his thengirlfriend Chrysa and son at Schofield Barracks, HI, December 2012.

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Listen to the interview with MAJ Staiano. Then individually complete this worksheet. When everyone is finished, discuss the answers as a class. 1. MAJ Staiano has lived in all of the following countries except: a. South Korea 2. How long is a decade? a. 10 years b. 14 years c. 15 years d. none of these b. Afghanistan c. Italy d. Germany

3. What are some of the acronyms MAJ Staiano uses in his speech? What do they mean?

4. What do the letters PE and PMP (after MAJ Staianos name) stand for?

5. How does MAJ Staiano describe a scholarship?

6. What are some of the benefits of the military that MAJ Staiano mentions? Which of these more appeal to you?

7. On the back of this sheet, answer the following questions: a. MAJ Staianos current job is an Engineer Planner, which means he designs projects and finds the resources to build and finance them. Do you think he is well qualified for this position? Why or why not? b. What questions would you ask MAJ Staiano if given a chance to speak to him?

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Section 2 Days Go By, Life Goes On

As a deployed soldier, you get to experience new and exciting situations every day with a high level of responsibility. Everywhere you go, the people in your host and home countries are depending on you to represent them in the highest ways possible. Section 2 will help you identify the challenges and joys of such a role. Warm up: You are the platoon leader of 40 soldiers in Iraq. Rules dictate that your platoon must always be at 90% strength, so you must always have 36 soldiers on the ground. You recently sent three soldiers off the base: SGT Middlebury had to redeploy for mental health reasons, SPC Tack is in Germany with a broken leg and SPC Robertsons mother died suddenly, so she went home. However, the wives of two more soldiers (SGT Crooks and SFC Bitterman) are having babies soon. They both want to go home for the birth of their children. You can only send one of them. How will you solve this problem? Think about this problem silently at your desk for five minutes. Then discuss possible solutions as a class.
The soldiers of Second Platoon, the Dirty Deuce, Alpha Battery, 1-14 Field Artillery Regiment at Forward Operation Base (FOB) Hammer in April, 2010.

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Activity 1: Insights to leadership. Talk with a partner about the similarities and differences
between of these pictures. Focus on the soldiers what are your perceptions about their roles and responsibilities? Picture A
PV2 Kim and 1LT Gumbs at a school in South Korea in the spring of 2012.

Picture B
A US Army soldier shaking hands with an Afghan child.

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Answer the following questions individually. Inferring 1. Give a title and caption to Picture A.

2. Give a title and caption to Picture B.

Describing 3. Describe Picture A in at least three sentences.

4. Describe Picture B in at least three sentences

5. In the space below, write similarities of the pictures on the left and differences on the right.

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Activity 2: Identifying transitions. Transition words or phrases are used to connect one
idea to the next. They help the reading passage move from one idea to the next and show the relationship between the main idea of a paragraph and the support given for those ideas. Function To intensify Transition words Above all, again, indeed, as a matter of fact, more importantly Example sentence As a matter of fact, I did clean my rifle this morning, but I dropped it in the mud later. As a result, consequently, He ate too much at breakfast and therefore, since, for this reason as a result, his run time was slow this morning. Next, afterwards, at last, now, finally, Next, I wrote a letter to my in the meantime, subsequently mother saying wed arrived safely. And, also, furthermore, in addition, then, another, besides First, second, finally, in the end, last of all, after, as soon as But, nonetheless, yet, in spite of this, actually, still I went to the tool shed and got my wrench and then I fixed the truck. In the end, the commander was happy with the way the soldiers performed. She liked the way the new helmet looked, yet she still wore the old one.

To show results

To signal time

To signal the addition of ideas To signal order or sequence To indicate contrast

Answer the multiple choice questions below.

1. Transitions must always occur at the beginning of a sentence. a. true b. false

2. My parents flew to Fort Benning for my airborne school graduation too. The transition word too indicates: a. results b. the addition of an idea c. order d. none of these

3. Which of these words will keep the same meaning as too in Question 2? a. also b. as a matter of fact c. in the end d. nonetheless

4. I really wanted to be a military police officer ____________ instead I became a helicopter pilot. Which type of transition word should be in the blank space above? a. a word to signal time b. a word to intensify c. a word to indicate contrast d. none of these

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Read the following passage, adapted from Lombard soldier describes Afghanistan battle that killed six (November, 2010) by former Army 1LT Matthew Spartz. Underline any transition words you find.
My greatest fear has always been that during the crucial time, when another soldier needed me the most, I would fail him. During last weeks battle in the Pech Valley all I did was my job. Part of that job was getting air and artillery support for Buka platoon that was cut off from our main position. Indeed, it was an excruciatingly hard task to get the right helicopters and artillery to their position, while my own position was being lit up by enemy grenades. I had to fight my frustrations and instincts that told me to use my rifle instead of my radio. Bukas platoon sergeant, Sergeant First Class John Flemming, witnessed his men getting shot and rained with shrapnel. As a result, Flemming administered aid to his soldiers, including patching an entrance wound in a soldiers back and the exit wound in his chest. At last I gained control of the air assets and I sent them immediately for Bukas position. Flemming guided the aircraft to provide suppressive fires for his position, long enough for his wounded men to be evacuated. In the end, Buka lost four warriors in that fight, and even more were wounded and wont return to duty this deployment. Yet the first thing Flemming did when our men were back together was thank me for saving his life, and the lives of the rest of his platoon. I shook his hand in awe. I subsequently told Flemming I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have held my radio in one hand and my M4 in the other, effectively using both. The antibody to my fear is love, delivered over and over again by the greatest soldiers whove ever existed, whove given their lives for something greater than themselves.

a rugged location in Afghanistan

extremely difficult slang for fired upon

a senior enlisted rank in the Army glass, metal and other harmful materials packed into bombs

friendly resources available via air, like helicopters and smoke taken away urgently

the model number for an Army rifle a neutralizer, a cure

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Overall, my greatest fear is still that I would let a soldier down in his greatest time of need. But this fear no longer scares me. I would run toward this fear 1,000 times if it meant a chance to live up to the example that these men have set for me.

Compilers note: 1LT Spartz was hit by an enemy bullet in his right arm in the very battle described above. He survived.

2LT Matthew Spartz, center (back row), poses with classmates at the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course (FAOBC), spring 2009.

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Practice with 1. Write down at least seven transition words found in Lombard soldier. Then write two example sentences using the word. In the first sentence, place the transition at beginning of the sentence.
a. Indeed Indeed I have read the battle report, Sir! and understand that smoking in government buildings is illegal. I have indeed read the policy

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

2. On a separate piece of paper, write a letter to 1LT Spartz about how you felt after reading his article. You can choose to be: 1LT Spartzs mother An older person from his hometown who read the article in the local newspaper His commander in Afghanistan who read the article online A student interested in the military A person of your choosing, pending approval from the teacher The letter must be at least two paragraphs and contain a minimum of three acronyms and three transition words. I am going to write from the perspective of: __________________________________________

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Activity 3. A Day in the Life. Now that youre in the army and deployed, you can hardly
remember your old routines, especially during your free time. Sit with a partner to fill in the following chart with a typical civilian timeline. Military time 0700 0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1:00pm 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400/0000 (midnight)0700 Deployed soldier schedule wake up, prepare for work, eat breakfast, walk to work start work work work work lunch work work work exercise finish exercise, change clothes, eat dinner start work work work work work / personal time personal time sleep Civilian time Civilian schedule

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Depicting Lives Visually 1. Between you and your partner, one of you will be the deployed soldier and one of you will be the civilian. For the civilian, you can choose your job and general lifestyle. For the soldier, you will choose your job within the army (cook, mechanic, intelligence officer, etc.). To show the vast differences in your lives, each of you will create a collage with items depicting your professional responsibilities and how you spend your free time. Remember, even soldiers have fun too! 2. You may also use magazines and the computer to look for images. Print/cut them out and paste them on your poster board neatly so everyone will understand how you spend your days. 3. After everyone is done, your teacher will hang the posters around the room. Then the students will walk around the room and look at the posters. They will decide whether the poster is a soldier or civilian poster and what type of profession/lifestyle each has. 4. Finally, you and your partner will present your posters to the class. Please talk about your collage for no more than two minutes. The rest of the class will see if what they inferred about the civilian poster is correct.
Soldiers play football at Camp Buehring, Kuwait before their movement to Iraq in November, 2009.

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