Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield

COL Say, MAJ Meany and CAPT Williams deployed to Afghanistan in Mentoring and Reconstruction Taskforce 1 from October 2008 to June 2009. Back then, it was MAJ Say, OC Engineer Task Unit, LT Meany, the Combat Engineer Troop Commander of 2 Troop and LCPL Williams, section 2IC of E23C, a Combat Engineer Section within 2 Troop. Their roll was to conduct High Risk Search for mobility operations.

CAPT Williams and his two guests were on Operation Turah Ghar, which involved the construction of Combat Outpost Marshall and security patrols within the Baluchi Valley. On 29 January 2009, CAPT Williams’ section was leading a resupply convoy for the COP build and experienced their second IED strike in a week and their third for that month. It destroyed their PMV Bushmaster and caused the aeromedical CASEVAC of two WIA. As a result, the Combat Team had personnel and an immobilised and battle damaged vehicle in the middle of the Baluchi Valley; which was at that time an active Taliban stronghold.

Watch this vidcast to hear their personal experiences and lessons from the battlefield.