Stories

Safe Haven

A few days before the 82nd began their  Christmas Half-day Schedule, my battalion was alerted for operations in Panama.  There had been a riot at one of the camps housing Cuban Rafters, resulting in the injury of the soldiers guarding them.

After unrest in Cuba Fidel Castro permitted his people to leave if they wanted.  Over 35,000 departed for the United States in makeshift rafts.  Those recovered at sea were transported to Guantanamo.  About 8000 refugees were moved to camps in Panama to relieve overcrowding.  Unhappy with the slow processing pace, about 1000 rioted at one of the camps.

After we arrived, things settled down a lot.  On our first morning, we circled the camp before the refugees woke, when they began coming out of their tents, we all stood up,  We were armed, bayonets fixed, with shotguns interspersed throughout.  The look on their faces said,  "Oh Shit.  What have we done?"

We kept a presence at two camps and a QRF on call, but we had little use for either.  First impressions are lasting.

As I recall, some guys used their mattresses to jump the fence.  They escaped into the jungle but were picked up in a few days.

We built a Tent City called 2 Pantherville for ourselves with a mess hall, gym, motor pool, showers, and a reverse osmosis water producer.  A volleyball court, basketball court, and football field went up.  The engineers built a bridge over the stream.  Pallets became furniture.  We sent videos home for Christmas.  The USO sent a Christmas Show.

With a camouflage net, I built a bedroom in the corner of the supply tent with my cot, a mosquito net, and an MRE box for a nightstand.  People back home sent me cassette tapes for my Walkman.

It was all very boring.

In early February, the Brigade Commander and Command Sergeant Major visited.  CSM Charlie Thorp told me he wanted me to take over Third Brigade HHC as First Sergeant.  This was fine with me.  The Brigade 1SG is the top E8 in the Brigade.  It is a stepping stone to Sergeant Major.  I was ready to go.

I flew back on 14 February to take over the job.  The Battalion came back two weeks later.

My return flight took me through Cape Canaveral.  There was a Shuttle launch that night and our friend from Turkey, Marilyn Holliday, was the PAO there and got permission for me to be in the press area to watch the launch.

The Brigade First Sergeant job was a breeze.  I went from 220 soldiers to 36.  It was like having a platoon again.  I made the Sergeant's Major's list the next spring and left for the Academy in June 1996.