Movin' On Up
Friday night was my first mission with 4th Battalion and my first as a Warrant Officer. I had been asked by two OCS classmates to come help out with this mission in Cornelia where one of them is a policeman. I have enjoyed working with 4th Battalion since going through their Wilderness Search & Rescue School last year, and they have invited me up to join the unit on many occasions. After being pulled aside by one of their officers Friday evening, I believe it is a done-deal. I had spoken with my commanding officer about a transfer a couple of months ago when he also asked me about becoming his Executive Officer upon OCS graduation. He is a good man, and a good commander, and I was sorry to decline at that time. This afternoon I received his OK to my formal transfer request.
The mission was to be a fairly simple one - support the local law enforcement and EMS for the city's concerts and fireworks. Barry was still in uniform since I had picked him up from work on the way up, so he volunteered to assist with traffic control as we periodically blocked off Hwy 441 to allow the crowd to cross. Thankfully we had no incidents, and the crowd was pretty nice. Law enforcement took over the posts right before the main concert, and we switched to patrolling the parking areas and fields on foot. I was assigned with three other soldiers to patrol one large area where hundreds of cars were parked. On our way back up to the TOC we saw something that chilled me to the core. In the headlights of an oncoming car we saw a body roll to the ground after hearing a loud thud. The four of us took off running, really afraid of what we'd find when we got there. The car looked like it was turning to the right as if to try to get away in the crowded parking lot. As we approached we heard both the two occupants and the two teen boys, including the "victim," laughing and saying, "Do it again!" It was all a big joke. Well, it didn't seem quite as funny to them when they found themselves surrounded by four soldiers. One of the guys chewed them out while another leaned in the window to make sure there were no injuries. I was just thankful that it had been a fake because the image of the body in the headlights was one of the scariest things I have ever seen.
As the evening drew to a close, I talked with the two warrant officers who had invited me to come up to the mission. I am looking forward to working with this battalion as it grows. They are starting to get more female interest in joining what has been an all-male unit, and having a female officer will be a good thing to aid in this. I am not sure at this time what my actual position will be, but it will be a change and a challenge to be sure!
The mission was to be a fairly simple one - support the local law enforcement and EMS for the city's concerts and fireworks. Barry was still in uniform since I had picked him up from work on the way up, so he volunteered to assist with traffic control as we periodically blocked off Hwy 441 to allow the crowd to cross. Thankfully we had no incidents, and the crowd was pretty nice. Law enforcement took over the posts right before the main concert, and we switched to patrolling the parking areas and fields on foot. I was assigned with three other soldiers to patrol one large area where hundreds of cars were parked. On our way back up to the TOC we saw something that chilled me to the core. In the headlights of an oncoming car we saw a body roll to the ground after hearing a loud thud. The four of us took off running, really afraid of what we'd find when we got there. The car looked like it was turning to the right as if to try to get away in the crowded parking lot. As we approached we heard both the two occupants and the two teen boys, including the "victim," laughing and saying, "Do it again!" It was all a big joke. Well, it didn't seem quite as funny to them when they found themselves surrounded by four soldiers. One of the guys chewed them out while another leaned in the window to make sure there were no injuries. I was just thankful that it had been a fake because the image of the body in the headlights was one of the scariest things I have ever seen.
As the evening drew to a close, I talked with the two warrant officers who had invited me to come up to the mission. I am looking forward to working with this battalion as it grows. They are starting to get more female interest in joining what has been an all-male unit, and having a female officer will be a good thing to aid in this. I am not sure at this time what my actual position will be, but it will be a change and a challenge to be sure!
posted by Jennifer at 9:57 PM
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