![]() The squad was responding to some insurgents who had fired some rockets into Camp Liberty, a coalition base in Baghdad. “My first thought was ‘God damn, the BC is coming out here?’” Barber said. Those who knew him best talked about his courage and cool under fire, his off-beat sense of humor dotted with outrageous movie lines, his ability to build teams and relationships, and his genuine caring for his Soldiers and their families.īut, 18 years later, Barber admits that he had mixed emotions when he heard his commander was responding. Jackson retired in June after more than 38 years of service. Mark Jackson including the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment’s 18-month deployment to Iraq and the general’s last assignment as the Deputy Commanding General of Operations of First Army. The command sergeant major’s career would intersect often with Maj. “He always led from the front,” said Barber, now the Illinois Army National Guard’s state command sergeant major. Mark Jackson of Frankfort, Illinois, then a lieutenant colonel and his battalion commander, had decided to see the situation firsthand. “Black Hawk Six is in enroute” he heard over his radio. ![]() Phillip Barber, then a squad leader, took a position on a rooftop in the Abu Graib neighborhood of Baghdad in 2005 so he could get a better vantage point on the enemy’s attack on his Soldiers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |