Warriors in Peace Operations - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

training at the Joint Readiness Training Center. Once
again, a visit by the Army Times staff brought this issue to
light as part of the December 25, 1995, cover story. As a
battalion, we learned the key to our success, from a force
protection perspective, was situational awareness and an
aggressive approach to self-defense (e.g., fighting positions,
sand bags, crew-served weapons, etc.). This translated to
sergeants in charge, checking all the time, and understanding
that failure to do so could result in the deaths of
soldiers.
DEPLOYMENT
The “Thunder Battalion,” as we were referred to, was
tasked by the 1st Armored Division Artillery Commander,
Colonel Alan Thrasher, to be the lead Field Artillery unit
into Bosnia. My top battery, 1/C/4-29, deployed via C-17
Globemaster within a week following implementation of the
Dayton Peace Accords. Its mission was to provide force
protection and heavy combat credibility on the ground in
Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. This was the first utilization of
the C-17 involving heavy combat equipment and thus
received major media coverage. The “NBC Today” show put
a reporter and camera crew on-board the aircraft with plans
to provide on-site television coverage to New York upon the
battery’s landing in Bosnia. I created a minor stir for NBC
television when I refused to allow the C-17 to depart on time
unless appropriate artillery ammunition was on board. I
was not going to allow the howitzers and crew members to
deploy into Bosnia without the capability to protect
themselves and others. NBC was up in arms because such a
delay would run counter to plans for live television coverage
back in the United States. The NBC crew failed to
understand that this was the real thing and not a show. I
was amazed at the attitudes of these people. Nice folks, but
they had a “show to do" and really did not appreciate the
need for ammunition. Eventually the ammunition arrived,
and the broadcasters back in New York had their on-thescene
live coverage.
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