|
 Even
though U.S. Army Major
Ginamarie McCloskey was not
personally on the front
lines in Iraq or Afghanistan
during her deployment, she
"absolutely," felt a
connection to the soldiers
who were, McCloskey said.
McCloskey, who served as a
Detailed Inspector General
while stationed in Kuwait,
knew that the work she was
doing was helping those
soldiers have success on the
battlefield, she said.
"If I can help a solider
who's not getting paid
right, that is going to
affect him, and put his mind
back in the battlefield,"
she said. "[I'm] supporting
them so that they can focus
on their jobs."
McCloskey started her career
in the U.S. Army 27 years
ago. Military Police by
trade, McCloskey planned to
retire after 15 years. She
was encouraged by fellow
soldiers to stay in and
become an Army Officer, she
said.
When she was assigned to
serve as an Detail Inspector
General during the
deployment, at first she
didn't know what to expect,
she said.
Stationed in Kuwait,
McCloskey ended up really
enjoying the job, she said.
"Assistance, inspection, and
investigation," McCloskey
said, were the three main
objectives of the job.
"We inspect to insure that
commanders are doing what
they're expected to do and
that they're doing...what the
regulations say they are
supposed to be doing," she
said.
"You are there for the
command. There's so much
more to it than hearing
complaints," she said. "We
research advice, and provide
training for new
commanders...The IG can help
guide them in."
As advisors and
fact-finders, McCloskey
traveled into Iraq,
Afghanistan, as well as
Djibouti. One trip to
Afghanistan was for a
"special investigation," she
said.
"It was the most awesome
experience. I was so glad I
got to go. It's a beautiful
country. It's like going
back in time. I got to see
the units in combat and help
them," she said.
During the inspection, which
was to see if there was
excess property in theater,
McCloskey was traveling from
one part of Afghanistan to
another. The aircraft she
was traveling in was hit by
enemy sniper fire.
"It took out the rear
rotor," she said.
They landed at a base known
as Forward Operating Base
Gardez, where it took seven
hours to complete the
repair.
That base, however, was
historically important.
There had been a huge battle
there at the beginning of
the war, she said.
"It was an honor to be
there," she said. And to see
the place where soldiers had
given their lives "trying to
protect the people of
Afghanistan."
McCloskey earned a Bronze
Star for her service during
this deployment.
"Her exemplary service
included three significant
achievements," the award
citation states. Besides
leading the inspection in
Afghanistan, McCloskey led
the "forward IG team as a
junior major when no
lieutenant colonel was
assigned...[and completed]
more investigations and
Inquiries that any other IG
– over 100 cases, a
phenomenal feat!"
"In addition, MAJ McCloskey
took an exceptionally active
role in professionally
developing officers and NCOs
in the Command ," the
citation states. "As an IG
working cases, MAJ McCloskey
is without peer, -- both
from the number of cases,
complexity, and research
conducted. With over 100
assistance inquiries and
investigations to her
credit, her work ethic was
inspirational. MAJ McCloskey
understood the importance
these cases had for the
Command, and each one was
completed above the
published standard,
--clearly increasing unit
effectiveness and Soldier
morale."
"You feel so good when you
have a two-star [General]
say ‘Gina I need your help
with this,'" she said. "It's
very rewarding."
"I was very honored to get
[the Bronze Star],"
McCloskey said. "It was
pretty cool. When they said
‘Bronze Star' I was like
‘What?' because I didn't
know I was getting it."
"I am not a person who cries
very often, but that almost
brought a tear to my eye,"
she said.
The IG "really fixes small
problems that affect big
army," she said. "It's a
great job." |
