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A normal
day in
Iraq for
Army
Reservist
1SG
Brian
Schlatter
consisted
of
waking
up at 6
a.m. to
perform
physical
training,
and from
there,
“it
could
change
in a
heartbeat,”
he said.
“My job
in
Fallujah
was to
mentor
no less
than
five
Iraqi
army
battalion
sergeants
major at
any time
about
American
leadership,”
Schlatter
said.
Three to
four
days a
week,
Schlatter's
life was
all
about
meetings
– Iraqi
army
battalion
and
brigade
staff
meetings,
Military
Transition
Team
brigade
staff
meetings,
Marine
staff
meetings
and
Fallujah
City
Council
meetings.
He also
observed
Iraqi
army
battalions
training.
In
between
all
these
meetings,
Schlatter
would go
out on
foot
patrols
with the
Iraqi
army and
supervise
infantry
missions
that the
Marines
would
give to
the
Iraqi
army.
Schlatter
arrived
in
Fallujah,
Iraq, on
Aug. 21,
2005, as
the
Military
Transition
Team
noncommissioned
officer.
Two days
later,
on Aug.
23,
2005,
shrapnel
from an
improvised
explosive
device
struck
Schlatter
in his
left
forearm
while he
was the
gunner
in the
turret
of an
up-armored
Humvee.
He
returned
to duty
status
the very
next
day.
“It was very important
to me to return to duty the next day to
set the tone to the Iraqi army that the
new Military Transition Teams were not
going to run and hide after the first
attack,” Schlatter said. “I believe in
leading by example, so I wanted all the
Iraqi army to see me training the next
day. My two goals here were to stress to
the Iraqi army that weapons training is
important, and that a small wound does
not mean you need to go on leave.” |
