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A Soldier’s Story:

1 st Lieutenant Gabriel (Buddy) Gengler

Is it possible to quantify or qualify my combat tour in Iraq from March 2003 to March 2004 with the 4 th Infantry Division Artillery? Frankly, I don’t believe that is possible. The emotional, physical, and spiritual spectrum of experiences far escapes my most able forms of expression. I have witnessed the loss of fellow soldiers. I have witnessed the poise, precision, lethality, and unyielding compassion of finely trained soldiers, risking their own lives over the non-combatants surrounding them. I have felt the thunder of incoming mortars and rockets, the whizzing of bullets and the warmth of saved communities so grateful for security that their people wept on my hand. I have witnessed triumphant jubilation of Iraqi children hugging my body armor as they accepted pens and pencils in the greater understanding of a childhood finally stripped of fear and tragedy.

What sustained me throughout the ordeal? What called me to perform, execute, and deliver mission success at every calling despite unspeakably deplorable conditions? The answer is simple in my mind: my values. Values, in all respects, are the very thread that binds a group together to withstand the storms, the disaccord, the emotional defeat, the dangers of boundless success, or in my case, the acceptance that our sacrifices as soldiers were not in our interests, but in the interests of those oppressed, tortured, and denied humanity’s most deserving gift: freedom.

Few leaders in all walks of life today meld values-based common knowledge into values-based common practice. Fortunately, I was raised in developmental systems that were not cured over time on the fixation of performance, rather, a values-based paradigm that demonstrated to me, at a young age, that performance can only reach its finest pinnacle by being nurtured and rooted in the instillation of basic positive values. My tour in Iraq gave me more than enough time to think about those people who have made such a difference in my life because values were always placed above all else.

My older Brother, Mathew Gengler, was my varsity high school soccer coach from 1994 to1997. Every day he ensured that the players on our team understood the “bigger picture”; the concepts of discipline, sportsmanship, determination, leadership, communication, perseverance, ambition, and camaraderie (to name a few), which were never on the sideline of a soccer pitch, but emblazoned synonymously on the school’s uniform across our chests. It was on those fields that I decided to be a leader of the people around me and never, ever, falter to a challenge or let my teammates down. The United States Military Academy at West Point simply developed and ingrained those values further, allowing me to mature into the person I am today: A leader of soldiers. My success in combat is a direct result of those who placed values above all else when teaching, guiding, mentoring, and leading me into the next phases of my life.

My most harrowing moments in Iraq came as a member of the Quick Reaction Force at Al Taji, our first operating base just 10 miles north of Baghdad. Due to our unconventional missions, I had to rely simply on my platoon’s commitment to each other and our tactical ferocity. I dare to explain the rush of adrenaline as my dismount team stacked into the rear of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. With the only radio headset in the rear of the vehicle, I could hear the transmissions of direct-fire engagements occurring around us as we sped to the location. I could see every soldier in the vehicle turning to me with eyes riddled in fear, anxiety, and uncertain excitement, looking for courage and trust in mine. The burst of energy was almost uncontrollable as my fists clenched and sweat overcame my entire body in readiness to unleash our will upon those bent on preventing peace.

The poise of the Bradley crew that transported our dismount team was indescribable. The 19 year-old driver handled the 50-ton tracked beast like an Alfa Romeo, sliding and sweeping through hard turns in complete control of the warship, as if he had been driving the machine for years. The humming glide of the turret was a great comfort as the 25 millimeter automatic cannon scanned to protect our path. Upon exploding out the ramp of the Bradley, my platoon moved with the composure and exactitude of a seasoned combat assault team. We instantaneously rushed to engage and contain insurgents, some running from a checkpoint, while my other soldiers feverishly moved to blast down doors and detain combatants. At day’s end, we had arrested more than 40 insurgents, re-possessed more than 2 million dinar that were stolen from a bank, and discovered a cache of weapons that could have armed an entire company to kill US soldiers…and that was only our first mission!

Innumerable operations, raids, ambushes, and patrols followed as we traveled the expanse of Iraq, from the central region to the eastern border near Iran and to the northwest, moving constantly to find the pockets of resistance and quell anti-coalition initiatives. The pride I own for my soldiers and non-commissioned officers puts a lump in my throat as I recall our tragic hardships and our hard-fought victories. I hope through this message you can begin to feel the honor possessed by these fine young men who stood tall and sacrificed in blood, sweat, and of course, many tears along the journey.

For those in contention of this war in Iraq, I duly recognize and understand all political positions. As a soldier, I don’t reserve the right to question my Commander-In-Chief, nor would I anyway. With all political respects aside, I can only wish that you witnessed the faces of a freed people running from their homes to greet our convoys. Soon after crossing the berm into Iraq, I looked over my weapon to see a sprinting boy, maybe 8 years old, screaming in happiness as we neared the road adjacent to his house. I waved gladly, noticing that from his pocket he drew a small American Flag as he slowed at the road’s edge. I lowered my weapon, sat up upright in my seat, and watched him raise it above his head, tears flowing down his face, while his other hand graciously gestured “thumbs up” to us. That moment reminded me that if our country was ever to be shackled by a torturous and unspeakable regime, my hopes would rest in none other than an Army like America’s, with steel thunder clapping in eminence down the highway. My dreams could only imagine a force so strong, so compassionate, and so dedicated to the tenants of democracy that the soldiers would actually sacrifice their lives for a distant nation’s people. I am proud to say that my soldiers and I did just that. I am proud of the values exemplified in our sense of duty, bestowed by my family, coaches, mentors, and friends that raised me to be who I am today.

My story is a soldier’s story similarly shared by more than 200,000 servicemen who stand guard each night with vigilance. These young men and women now brave the tyrannical few who disrupt the inevitable deliverance of freedom and prosperity to every corner of Iraq. I ask that you may say a prayer for them each day, hoping for their safe return to family, that those lost in this war will not be lost in vein, and that the American soldier will always stand guard for the preservation of Freedom, wherever it may be threatened.

Gabriel (Buddy) J. Gengler III, 1 st Lieutenant, Field Artillery