Battling on All Fronts: A Deployment’s Final Stretch

By Tanisha Medina

In 2006, I was stationed in the Army with the 95th Military Police (MP) Battalion in Mannheim, Germany when we received official United States government orders to deploy to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over the following months, we conducted pre-deployment preparations and tactical training.

On a frosty cold morning at 0800 on October 7, 2007, our unit gathered in a rectangular formation in front of the pole with the US flag flying high for our last formal accountability of Soldiers before we loaded up a large bus that looked like a yellow school bus but was painted Army green. The 1SG yelled “Report!” and all of us platoon sergeants sounded off in a domino effect with “All present!” The next command given was “Fall out!” That was our cue to load up and shit was about to get real.

Before leaving, I said final goodbyes to my 7-year-old son, 3-year-old daughter, and their father, then suited up in full “battle-rattle”: ACUs, Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), IOTV, protective mask, weapon, and rucksack. On the bus, I waved to my family as I held back tears, uncertain of when or if I would see them again. I took a picture with my photographic memory