From Bucca to Buehring, Basra to Delta, the Soldiers of Btry. C have had an adventure of a deployment.
Starting at Camp Bucca in April 2008, the Soldiers of Btry. C’s first mission in Iraq was conducting detainee operations.
“Basically, what we did at Camp Bucca was set up vocational schools,” said Capt. Robert Plowey, then commander of Btry. C, 1st Bn., 21st FA Regt. “We supported the Islamic discussion group. We helped run a brick factory. We ran an art school and a general knowledge school known as the Bucca Enrichment School which focused on math and reading and writing Arabic.”
The goal was to give the detainees skills needed through the rehabilitation process so when they left the detention facility, they could become productive members of society.
The unit’s time at Camp Bucca was short-lived. After conducting detainee operations for two months, the unit received a maneuver mission to conduct security patrols, escort international police advisors and support the police transition teams in Basra.
Known as “coffins” to the Soldiers that lived in them, Battery C, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade Soldiers spent the majority of their deployment under these living conditions at Contingency Operating Base Basra from July 2008 until April 2009. (Courtesy photo)
After training at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, Btry. C went to Contingency Operating Base Basra and partnered with the British Soldiers stationed there. The living conditions were unique. After living in 70-man tents at Camp Buehring, the Soldiers had some semblance of privacy and a place to call their own.
“The living areas were known as coffins,” described Plowey, from Pittsburgh. “It was maybe four-by-eight living area surrounded by cinder block with a mattress on the ground amongst the cinder block with an overhead cover consisting of a steel plate, a Kevlar plate and then sandbags.”
“It was quite a change for the Soldiers,” he added. “They had their own personal space. That’s what everybody was excited about, a space to call their own,” The Basra mission was split between Headquarters and 1st Platoon at Camp Basra, 3rd Platoon at Camp Steelback and 4th Platoon at the Old State Building Combat Outpost. Second Platoon went to Taji to attend the Phoenix Academy for additional training and then to Forward Operating Base Delta to provide escort for the Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team.
“We went from nothing to a fully-functional maneuver battery with two different types of (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles), the Caimans and the MaxPros, a full fleet of humvees and Military Police Armed Security Vehicles, all outfitted with the communications equipment, all the crew-served weapon systems, the Blue Force Trackers we needed and also the (electronic warfare operation) devices we needed to accomplish the mission,” said Plowey.
The Soldiers also improved their living conditions, the worst being at the Old State Building Combat Outpost.
“There was no internet, no phone, no (dining) facility, and the Soldiers were basically showering off a blivot bag,” said Plowey.
Capt. Robert Plowey and 1st Sgt. Michael Bey present “Flat Stanley.” Plowey and Bey served together through most of Battery C, 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Fires Brigade’s deployment until Plowey assumed command of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st Fires Brigade in May 2009. (Courtesy photo)
“I remember looking the Soldiers in the eyes and telling them what their mission was . . . I knew what they were thinking. They were thinking I was crazy, but giving them this mission, having them occupy this area, I knew they would take ownership of it and make it their own.” “The way I do business is that you lead from the front, bottom line. I did the recon with the platoon leader and we went out there, we walked the walk and we stayed in that environment before we put the Soldiers in it. I’ve never asked a Soldier to do anything that I haven’t done myself, and I never will,” said Plowey.
After almost eight months in Basra, Btry. C received another change in mission, join the 41st Fires Brigade at FOB Delta.
“It was quite an intense process because we had to get rid of all the equipment we had acquired, which is how I got very well acquainted with the (theatre-provided equipment) process, which set me up for success now to mentor other officers and Soldiers with our current relief-in-place at FOB Delta,” said Plowey.
Shortly after arriving at FOB Delta, Plowey received a change in mission for himself, give up the reins of Btry. C and assume command of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st Fires Brigade.
Plowey assumed command of HHB in May and Btry. C became the movement and escort element for the Wasit PRT.
“The command philosophy I had at Charlie Battery is that you are only as strong as your brothers on your left and right. We’re a family and we must take care of each other,” said Plowey. “The positive things we achieve or the negative things we fail on; it’s because of everyone around us. It’s not because of one particular person. Its all of us and we are all in this together.”
Plowey also emphasized that Btry. C succeeded in every mission they undertook because of the Soldiers in his formation.
“We could not have accomplished what we did if we acted as individuals. Every Soldier in the formation contributed to our success,” said Plowey. “First Sgt. Bey and I could not have accomplished anything if our Soldiers didn’t believe in us and support us, wholeheartedly.”
For Plowey, his respect and confidence in the professional noncommissioned officers he worked with, both at Btry. C and HHB, was instrumental to his and his units’ successes.
“First Sgt. Bey taught me a huge thing about a lot of NCOs, especially as a young officer,” explained Plowey. “He said to pick an NCO and emulate that NCO and talk to him and learn as much as you can from them and use them as a sounding board. If you do that . . . you look up to that NCO. When I was in Charlie Battery, that NCO was 1st Sgt. Michael Bey.”
As Btry. C winds down and begins to redeploy, Plowey acknowledged that 15 months is a long time to be away from your family and it is very hard missing the milestones of your life while deployed.
Battery C deployed in April 2008 and will be back in Fort Hood by July. 41st Fires Brigade deployed in June 2008 and will be returning home in July and August.
