WASHINGTON -- Soldiers from the 707th Military Intelligence (Forward Watch) Battalion had the honor of greeting World War II and Korean War veterans and escorting them around the National Mall in Washington D.C., May 10.
Accompanying the veterans as they viewed the monuments built in their honor for the first time, connected the Forward Watch Soldiers to the importance of their own service.
This was the third time the 707th MI Battalion sent a group of Soldiers up to the district to sponsor an honor flight. The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization that flies World War II, Korean War, Vietnam and terminally-ill veterans to the capital from across the country and brings them to visit the monuments that stand in their honor.
The 707th MI Battalion command team uses the trip as a mentorship opportunity, pairing senior leaders with junior Soldiers to give them the opportunity to learn from each other. All of the Soldiers, senior and junior, get a rare chance to connect with each other on a personal level outside of work where they can learn from the broad range of experiences and backgrounds in the group.
"You give Soldiers an opportunity to spend time together, you take away all the distractions, and this is what will always happen," said Command Sgt. Maj. Louie R. Castillo II, the 707th MI Battalion Command Sergeant Major. "They get to know each other. They get closer to each other and after they go back to those daily distractions they don't forget what they learned about each other when they were together. That will ultimately make this unit stronger."
The Forward Watch Soldiers got to spend a lot of time talking to the honor flight veterans who flew in from Tennessee, Iowa, and New York. The Soldiers learned about the honor flight veterans' service during World War II and Korea. They were struck by the humbleness of the veterans and the similarities to aspects of their own service.
"There was a veteran I met whose job was to train pilots out in New Mexico to do strafing runs against land and sea targets," said Spc. Kevin D. Stough. "He volunteered to fight during WWII but he said that he never went over to Europe. He said that all he did was train the pilots. He felt like he didn't do enough because he never went over. It makes me think of how people in our job feel. We train and support people who go overseas but we don't go ourselves. I reminded the veteran that 'because of you, the pilots were successful. Every attack and mission they flew was because of people like you.' I think what I said lifted his spirits and maybe made him realize that he was important."
According to Castillo, this perspective of the role of support Soldiers was very important for his own Soldiers.
"I told the pilot trainer, please talk to as many of my Soldiers as you can because they are experiencing the exact same feelings that you have," said Castillo. "They want to be forward but aren't able to be. They affect what is happening but don't realize it. My Soldiers affect what is happening every single day they go to work. Even the greatest generation had people that didn't see combat. There were all kinds of people that supported the fight, that were prepared to fight, but didn't have to. But that is what makes our Army as great as it is."
"I know that my job is important but there are times where I feel like I am not doing a lot," said Spc. Nicole M. Hopkins. "I know that what I do is important but in the large scheme of things I feel like I am not making a big impact. A lot of the veterans we talked to talked about how they only served a year and went back home. We were telling them it doesn't matter how long you served, you worked for your country and you did your best. I feel like I've got to take that same encouragement I gave to them and apply it to myself. I am only one person but what I do matters."
The Forward Watch Soldiers weren't the only ones who were affected by the experience. Most of the veterans remarked on how honored they were to be welcomed and escorted by the Soldiers. They also talked about how impressed they were with the professionalism and character of the Soldiers.
"There was a Commander among the veterans," said Castillo. "I met him when we greeted the honor flight in the morning. By that evening he had a piece of paper. He knew our unit, what post we were from and our zip code. I don't know how he found that stuff out but he wrote it all down. He asked who the installation commander was because he was going to write a letter to him about us. The thing that grabbed me the most about him was that he said 'We served with guys like Patton, McArthur and Eisenhower. We had a lot of confidence in those guys. We believed in them. But since then I have kind of lost faith in the leaders of our nation. Who's there to protect us, to defend us? But after meeting your Soldiers, my faith has been restored."
"'These people are the future leaders of our nation. Their names aren't Eisenhower or Patton or McArthur. Their names are Castillo, Blose, Nilsen...' He was pointing at our Soldiers and reading off the names from their name plates. That meant a lot to me," Continued Castillo. "It told me that the one thing our Army is looking for the most out of any and every Soldier, which he identified with those three great leaders of our nation, is character. That is what we are looking for in every Soldier today and he could see it in all of us."
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