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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Oct 11, 2008 - 6:10:10 AM |
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Blackanthem Military News
 CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - The 4th Infantry Division's Special Troops Battalion underwent numerous changes over the course of a month as some units left its formations and their replacements arrived.
Among those changes included the changes of command of Company A, Company B, and the Headquarters Support Company May 15 in addition to three company transfers of authorities.
"We're flexible," said Lt. Col. Dale Buckner, a native of Rochester, N.Y., who serves as the commander of the DSTB, 4th Inf. Div., Multi-National Division - Baghdad, on how his professional staff handled the changes.
"I don't get hung up on 'this is the way it used to be done,' or 'this is the way the book says it should be done' or 'I don't have any template to stick with,'" said Buckner. "Every day, I look at what the command group requires of us. If the chief of staff calls and says that I need to go train Iraqis on how you put together and execute new radios, we'll figure out a way. It's all about flexibility."
Buckner said the primary function of the DSTB is to support the division main from behind the scenes to provide whatever it takes to make the division main functional in supporting the command group.
The DSTB provides full-spectrum support for the division main. This includes, among a myriad of other tasks: providing all the battle squad support and personal security detachments for the command group; providing communication support directly to the command group; providing logistical support; providing all the administrative support; and for other tasks such as handling Soldiers promotion boards, etc.
"The primary mission of the DSTB is all the behind-the-scenes goings on so the Soldiers can focus on the battlefield," said Buckner.
Having 14 units to keep track of, and having 2,200 Soldiers in 19 different forward operation bases in Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, is a daunting task - and one of the main challenges the DSTB has to face.
Buckner said none of the 14 units are the same or mutually supporting.
"Infantry, armored and artillery units have some degree of unity and focus," said Buckner. "We don't have that here; everybody here is different. The only thing we have in common is administrative actions and policies; but operationally, everyone is completely different, which means as a commander, I can't treat everybody the same. Every single company I've got to look at in its individual way because it has different requirements. That is challenging."
And as challenging as the missions can be, his company commanders say they are pleased to be serving in the DTSB.
Capt. Jonathan Johnson, a Lafayette, La., native, who serves as commander of Co. A, DSTB, took command of Co. A in April as part of the recent wave of changes of command.
Johnson said the most challenging part of this deployment is the length of the deployment. Approximately 70 percent of the Soldiers in the company are in their first deployments, which is always difficult to handle the change of scenery.
"I can tell you that this battalion keeps getting better and better," said Johnson. "I'm very happy to be here and command. It's a great organization - and I'm very happy to be a part of it."
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