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SMA visits Afghanistan forward bases

by Master Sgt. Pam Smith

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Army News Service, April 25, 2003) -- Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley visited soldiers from Coalition Task Force 82 and special operations soldiers at forward operating bases in Afghanistan April 22 to thank them for their hard work and to address any concerns the soldiers had.

In Asadabad, SMA Tilley visited the medical center, fired off mortar rounds and drove an old Soviet tank.

After a few quick instructions, Tilley dropped a shell into the firing tube and managed a direct hit on a target on a mountain surrounding the Asadabad base camp.

Tilley grimaced as he watched CTF82 medics dress burns and wounds on young children's bodies. He thanked the medics for the critical job they perform and encouraged them to stay motivated.

Tilley then joined Sgt. 1st Class Touw and Staff Sgt. Lester Kinney, who gave him a brief refresher on controlling the Soviet tank. Tilley, whose military occupational specialty is armor, quickly started the tank and drove it around the compound.

At the Kabul Military Training Center, he received operational briefs on the progress of establishing the Afghan National Army. Tilley discussed education, pay, retirement and the availability of military schools with the more than 100 soldiers who attended a luncheon at the center's newest dining facility.

"I'm proud of each and every one of you," Tilley said. "We are a family and we work with and care about each other."

Tilley said that that commitment is what drives him to petition Congress every year to ensure better pay, health care and benefits for military personnel. "I am working to ensure you are taken care of and your families are taken care of."

Finally, in Gardez, Tilley was briefed on the military's reconstruction goals and accomplishments. Tilley was most impressed with the number of schools the coalition had a hand in opening. Again he visited with the soldiers and emphasized the importance of their mission.

"You stand on the forefront of freedom," Tilley said. "Americans go to bed every night and wake up each morning under the veil of freedom you provide."

(Editor's note: Master Sgt. Pam Smith is the public affairs NCOIC of CTF 82)