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Soldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) welcomed
Vietnam veterans of Company Echo, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st
Cavalry Division (RECONNAISSANCE), and their families on September
26, 2017, for a tour of the 7th SFG(A) compound in order to
reinforce individual Soldier and force readiness.
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September 26, 2017 - Vietnam veterans of Company Echo, 2nd
Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (RECONNAISSANCE) tour
modern weapons systems and visit with Special Forces Soldiers during
a welcome of the vets and their families to the 7th Special Forces
Group (Airborne) compound. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian
Ragin)
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In an effort to show the evolution of support over
generations of service members, Col. Patrick Colloton, 7th
SFG(A) commander, hosted the veterans for a visit and
introduced them to present-day Special Forces Soldiers.
Colloton described the visit as intuitively the right
thing to do. The aim was to bring the Vietnam vets to the
compound and show them what it’s like to serve in the Army
today and reinforcing individual Soldier and force
readiness.
“Frankly, this is a good opportunity for
our Soldiers to talk to some of the vets to see how it was
during their time as well as get a little perspective on how
it may have been to be in the Army, and at war back in the
60’s and 70’s. And vice versa.”
Soldier and force
readiness ensures members assigned to 7th SFG(A) maintain
the highest possible readiness posture for field rotations,
deployment, and contingency responses.
When the past
was brought to meet and greet the present, the vets and the
Soldiers agreed that readiness of force has remained
constant. However, much had changed for service members in
the way of technology and medical care in the small span of
time since the Vietnam War.
“The medical care they
get right on the field now is much more than we had. From
the time they get picked up all the way back to the hospital
– they are getting a lot better than what was available to
us,” said Fayette, Ala. native, retired Army Sgt. Roger
Aaron a squad leader for Co. Echo, 2/5th Cav., 1st Cav. Div.
“In my time if you lost a leg you went one-legged.”
With today’s technological advances, a Soldier can suffer
what may have once been a fatal wound during the Vietnam War
and recover fully to return to active duty. A fact that Col.
Colloton can attest to having survived two combat-related
injuries and returning to duty.
Colloton believes
that this and other successes are due to those who came
before us going without. Although the Soldiers’ progress is
partly due to the evolution of Soldier care and readiness
programs, the will to continue on serving is all his own,
said Colloton.
“We talk about differences in
generation and every generation produces the quality of
individuals who are willing to stand up, serve, and defend
[our great] nation,” said Colloton. “They don’t question
where they are going, they just go - that commonality has
spanned ages of service members.”
Sopchoppy, Fla.
native and retired Army Maj. Leigh Fairbank, company
commander, Co. Echo, 2/5th Cav., 1st Cav. Div., said that
the caliber of people is what has always stayed the same.
“The only reason I stayed in the Army was because of my tour
with Special Forces in Vietnam. You’re dealing with
professionals who know their job and know how to work as a
team,” said Fairbank.
“What is important is to
remember that service members always share a bond despite
the fact that there may be a generational difference,” said
Colloton. “Our wars are modern-day wars, but our history
goes back to Vietnam and beyond. There’s certainly a thread
there.”
“They are veterans just like we will be once
we [complete] service and that is a part of our lives as
service members in this country -- if we do it right,” said
Colloton. “War is war and service is service, but it’s the
conditions that make the experience different.”
Having visited with the veterans of yesteryear and learning
about their experiences to finding that common thread aimed
to teach that no matter the war or the era, Soldier
readiness is a value that will be passed from generation to
generation.
By U.S. Army Spc. L'Erin Wynn
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2018
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