7TH ENGR BDE COMMANDER REPT VOL 18A

File: 970815_sep96_decls58_0005.txt
Page: 0005
Total Pages: 49
Subject = 7TH ENGR BDE COMMANDER REPT VOL 18A                             

Parent Organization = ARCENT      

Unit = VII CORPS   

Folder Title = 7TH ENGR BDE-COMMANDER REPT-VOL 18A -FORWARD AND COMMANDERS PERSPECTIVE                         

Document Number =          1

Box ID = BX000313









                                A COMMANDER'S PERSPECTIVE


                "You are alerted for deployment to Saudi Arabia as part of
           Operation "DESERT SHIELD." Those mystical, prophetic words
           touched off a display of spirit and dedication, that I have not
           witnessed previously in my 26 year career. Certainly, not during
           the Vietnam years did one experience a sense of pride,
           enthusiasm, and professional dedication toward accomplishing the
           mission. Nothing cones close to what I have witnessed in the
           last two months. All the contingency missions over the years
           failed to achieve the exceptionally strong sense of duty and
           complete selfless personal sacrifice so evident in all ranks of
           my soldiers. I am overwhelmed with emotion for my soldiers have
           far exceeded even my highest expectations. I am very proud and
           deeply honored to command this magnificent unit.

                So much has happen this past year. The world watched
           breathlessly as history unfolded in Europe. Who could have ever
           believed the wall would really come down? We hung to our
           defensive positions almost unbelieving as the borders opened up
           and watched with astonishment as the dreaded Warsaw Pact came
           apart and then disintegrated. With renewed hope we witnessed the
           emergence of the first democracies in the East.

                Communism faltered everywhere. And, for the first time in
           our generation, we saw genuine peace initiatives between East and
           West. For many of us, for as long as we could remember the
           dreaded threat of Thermonuclear war has ominously been a part of
           our life. This threat actually began to subside through a series
           of bold treaties, arms reductions, and actual troop withdrawals
           in 1990.

                NATO prevailed. The Cold War was over. We felt pride in
           our accomplishments. The many months separated from families,
           countless field exercises and wargames, and long nights in the
           snow and ice had in fact paid off. We had stood firm and our
           sacrifices were not in vain.    While soldiers can never totally
           relax, there began a refocusing of our priorities. Peace and
           stability never seemed stronger and we initiated a build down of
           the forward deployed force in Europe. Inactivation of units
           began. We looked forward to Thanksgiving 1990, a time to truly
           be thankful for the world situation.