I received my end-of-tour award from the Regiment this morning. During the presentation the Colonel said a number of humbling things about the work I've done here (really the work my people have done) and added that he'd found my blog and was reading it last night! In addition to my work with the Regiment, he added that this blog was worth a read because it was insight from a man who was doing something completely out-of-normal and yet managed to keep the focus on the important people in the fight here - the average Soldiers. Like I said, very humbling. My audience for this blog was family and friends back home but it turns out I have incoming EWOs, desperate for information, as well as Regimental leadership reading my thoughts about being a stranger in a strange land.
Actually, I haven't been a stranger. I told the folks here today watching me receive my award that I have never felt like a stranger with this unit. They welcomed me right in as one of their own and made me feel every bit as much a Dragoon as if I had a U.S. Army ID card and had come over with them for the deployment (which I kinda did since we arrived in Iraq at the same time, but I think you understand my sentiment). Life here for me has been about as good as it gets for a Sailor of One (to steal the old Army slogan) and I have been blessed to work with such men and women here in 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
I had two events that exemplify what I'm talking about not being a stranger here happen this morning. First, after receiving my medal I was presented with my gold "combat" spurs. In a cavalry unit, by serving with them in combat, one is entitled to wear gold spurs as a Cavalry Trooper. When I first arrived I was told, "You are issued your horse, you buy your Stetson, but you earn your spurs." Well, the Army issued me tons of equipment (I don't remember signing for a horse though but that was a pretty busy day way back at Fort Jackson - he he), I bought my Stetson right away, and today became a full-fledged cavalryman when spurs were strapped to my boots during the award ceremony.
"Order of the Gold Spur
Be it here known that
me
with Carbine and Sabre has followed the Cavalry
guidon to the very frontier of the free world and beyond to
Iraq in support of
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
and has demonstrated the Skill, Fitness, Discipline, Dash,
and Cunning of a United States Cavalry Trooper.
Therefore, this trooper is hereby entered on to the rolls of
"The Order of the Gold Spur"
and is authorized to wear gold spurs at all formal Cavalry Formations."
Second, after the formal awards were over, a couple of the staff sergeants came by my office to give me something special from them and tell me that I would be missed. The Sniper tab they gave me to wear under my pocket flap (they are both snipers as you might guess) is a greater gift than any medal I've received. It symbolizes acceptance from the guys who put it on the line every day and that, to me, means I've had the most successful tour of duty I could have hoped to have had here. As excited as I am to be heading home, I will miss them dearly too.
Cheers, Pearl
