BAGHDAD, Iraq- He has flown in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters nearly 400 miles, convoyed more than three times that distance with his protective security detail and trekked countless miles at various contingency and forward operating bases throughout Iraq - all for the sake of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines living throughout Iraq.
Multi-National Corps-Iraq Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe has been a hard man to pin down since his arrival to Baghdad in March of this year. Fulfilling a goal to talk to servicemembers throughout Iraq about the issues they are facing, Grippe is making his rounds.
"I want to feel it, taste it, smell it, breathe it, live it," he tells Servicemembers he visits in all four corners of the country.
Grippe visited with Marines in Multi-National Force-West and with Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen in Multi-National Divisions Baghdad, North and South to deliver a few messages; messages, he says, that are the greatest issues facing our men and women serving in the armed forces.
One of the main concerns effecting servicemembers stationed in Iraqi cities is the fast-approaching June 30 deadline. As cited in Article 24 of the Security Agreement, "All United States combat forces shall withdraw from Iraqi cities, villages and localities ... no later than June 30, 2009." Throughout Iraq, servicemembers asked Grippe what that meant for them.
"We are working against the clock now," he said. "Never before have we been on a timeline, and now you all will continue your hard work with the Iraqis as they take the lead on providing security and safety for their people."
Grippe said that successes of the Iraqi Security Forces is the direct reflection of Coalition forces' efforts to work with, guide and train ISF soldiers since the start of the war six years ago.
In addition, Grippe was quick to note that only the best of the best were standing before him.
"You all represent one percent of the American population that serves in the United States military," he said. "You are the cream of the crop, and you should be very proud of yourself."
Grippe spent time discussing the issues of sexual assault and suicide prevention, as numbers of both cases are rising among deployed servicemembers.
In 2008, there were 147 reported sexual assault cases in theater. Since January of this year, there have been 56 sexual assaults reported. Although that number seems high, by the end of last June, there were 86 cases; there is a positive, significant difference this year.
At one visit to Forward Operating Base Delta in Al Kut, Grippe met a young female Soldier whose situational awareness had prevented a male Soldier from sexually assaulting her while in the shower.
"Stories like this young woman's let me know that everything I am telling you isn't going in one ear and out the other," he said to a crowd of 41st Fires Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, Soldiers at the FOB. "Use what the Army teaches you, what the Army gives you and protect yourself and your battle buddies."
For every visit, with his notebook in hand, Grippe opens the floor to answer questions about the Army Direct Ordering system, battlefield promotions, dwell-time and redeployment processes.
"Your job is to tell me what you need, what you see that you think should be changed and to bring up issues I can't see on a daily basis. In turn, I will take those ideas, those issues and bring them to Force to work," said Grippe. "Unless you tell me what is going on, they can't get addressed."
Overall, Soldiers seemed eager to speak with Grippe, and provided him good ideas to take back to higher, he said.
"I was glad that he was able to see one of his brigades from Fort Lewis doing great things," said Fort Lewis' 42nd Military Police Brigade Command Sergeant Major Edgar Dahl. Dahl and his Soldiers have handled detainee operations at Camp Bucca, located in MND-S, for the past 15 months. "I was pleased he could talk to the troops of the 42nd and pass on his thoughts."
Grippe said he plans to re-visit all the troops throughout the next 10 months of his tour to ensure that Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are getting the answers to their questions and to monitor their quality of life.
Those two things, Grippe said, are what he is here to take care of.
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