| (Reprinted from YumaSun.com)A top leader at Yuma Proving Ground says that soldiers serving in the Army today are simply the best he’s ever seen.That’s saying a lot when you are Command Sgt. Maj. Command Sgt. Maj. Forbes DanielsForbes Daniels with 24years of active service to this country. But Forbes Daniels returned not long ago from service in Iraq, where he travelled with a brigade into some of the worst spots in the war, all in search of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).Daniels says that that experience gave him the chance to see firsthand just how heroic America’s soldiers can be — day after day.“The bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers are beyond measure. America would be astonished to see some of the things these men and women do in the face of danger.They face danger and go back the next day to complete that same mission.“They are as brave as you possibly can be. You can see it in their eyes.”Daniels spent 14 months in Iraq with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team-Surge Brigade. He also worked to train Iraqi police, Iraqi soldiers and border patrol personnel on infantry and tactics and advanced marksmanship.His missions involved heading out with engineers looking for IEDs. Daniels would also personally walk through palm groves searching for insurgents or caches of explosives.Daniels said he appreciated that he wasn’t just deployed to the war zone, but to some of the most intense areas, which gave him a front-row view of America’s war machine operating through its greatest challenges.“Wherever the hot zone was, that’s where we were going,” he said, adding that he certainly wasn’t a leader overseeing operations from a safe distance far away. “This was the first time I actually got to go out and get the bad guys. It gave me a different perspective.”He said that the rest of America — and the world — should be impressed by the Army’s actions and especially take note if they aren’t on the side of freedom and democracy.“Every nation should be aware, whether they wish us well or disaster, that our soldiers, airmen,Carlos Beltran Astros Jersey, Marines,Tyler Naquin Indians Jersey, Navy, Coast Guard, civilians and contractors will pay any price, bear any burden, withstand any hardships, oppose any foe,Dallas Keuchel Astros Jersey, and support our friends in order to defend our Constitution and national interests around the world.”Daniels says he credits several things for making the soldier of today the best he’s ever seen. He pointed to a mixture of good old-fashioned discipline and topnotch training. He stressed that the dangers of war also bring out the best of a soldier’s many commitments,Colorado Rockies Jerseys, starting with the freedom-loving people of Iraq.“They are devoted to working to defend them and give them a better life,” Daniels said, adding that soldiers also enjoy strong bonds of brotherhood that inspire even greater heights of service.“You may not know the guy to the left or the right of you,Preston Tucker Astros Jersey, but when you are deployed you are a team. Those men and women under the wire are pulling for each other a lot, and that makes the impossible possible.”The command sergeant major came to YPG in October. He arrived from Fort Lewis in Washington State and says Yuma has proven to be a great fit for him.“There aren’t too many places you can go in the U.S. and just sit in the pool this time of year. Moving here has definitely been a nice change of pace.”A look into Daniels’s reason for serving the Army explains his own dedication as a soldier. Daniels, who became an American citizen as an adult, said he is doing his part to serve the country that has given him so many opportunities.“Serving is a great feeling. You are part of something way bigger than yourself,Michael Brantley Indians Jersey, part of a team that is so amazing. It’s dynamic with people from all walks of life.“You can’t help but feel great when you’re a part of something like this. I’m truly blessed and truly grateful.”Daniels was born in Guyana. He moved to the U.S. when he was just a teenager. He was still living in Guyana during the infamous mass suicide of a mostly American cult led by Jim Jones.“I was still in high school when it happened. I remember it being announced in all the newspapers one morning.“It was very haunting. That was probably the worst tragedy I have ever experienced or heard of in that country. It’s something that will always be in my memory.” Daniels became a citizen in 1991 on Martin Luther King Day.“It’s a blessing to come to a country where you are given these opportunities and you can take them and make something of them. We have to look at ways to be productive in our communities and make our lives productive. I seized on that opportunity.” |
