I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

Spc. 4 Leslie H. Sabo Jr., a rifleman with the 101st Airborne Division, will posthumously be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War.

Sabo is credited with saving the lives of several of his comrades in Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry when his platoon was ambushed May 10, 1970, near the Se San River in eastern Cambodia. Sabo shielded a comrade from an enemy grenade and silenced a machine-gun bunker before he was killed.

Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown, and his brother, George Sabo, will be presented with the Medal of Honor at the White House ceremony on May 16.

Blogggers Roundtable

On Wednesday, May 16, 2012 the White House will posthumously award Army Specialist Leslie Sabo with the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest medal for valor in combat.

In conjunction with the Pentagon Hall of Heroes Ceremony, the U.S. Army Online and Social Media Division invites you to join us for a bloggers round table with members of Spc. Sabo’s unit who were with him during the battle on May 10, 1970 in which Spc. Sabo was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

10:15 a.m. ET

Spc. Leslie Sabo is credited with saving the lives of several of his comrades in Company B, 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry when his platoon was ambushed May 10, 1970, near the Se San River in eastern Cambodia. Sabo shielded a comrade from an enemy grenade and silenced a machine-gun bunker before he was killed. His selflessness and leadership above and beyond the call of duty exemplify the strength of the Nation. Visit http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/sabo/ to learn more about Spc. Sabo and his actions.

Please email ashley.n.mccall-washington.civ [AT] mail.mil if you are interested in participating.

Dial-in instructions will be provided at that time.

Can’t participate in the round table? Leave us your questions in the comments section!

…Get ready for yelling—lots of it.

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Share with us your Basic Combat Training (or BCT) experience!

The young Wounded Warrior lay awake, but very quiet. The C17 MEDEDVAC aircraft he was on had just arrived at Andrews AFB from Germany. It was 17:05, Washington DC time. He was back in America. But he’d left a great deal in Afghanistan – three of his limbs to be exact.

An Air Force C-17 Globemaster's tail end opens towards the open doors of a waiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) patient evacuation vehicle on the flight line at Joint Base Andrews, Md.,

An IED blast during a dismounted pursuit of insurgents had thrown him off a trail and shattered his body. The explosion traumatically amputated his left leg below the knee, meaning that there was nothing below the left knee when seconds later the first medic arrived. The damage to the right leg required that it too be removed below the knee a few hours later. More shrapnel had ruined his lower left arm, so surgeons had to remove that hand and arm about mid-forearm.  Even his right hand didn’t escape. One finger on that hand was fractured, as if the devil got in a final kick. The wounded warrior’s face was like a stone, immobile, without emotion. Medication ‒ and maybe a new and very different perspective ‒ had put him in a mental state where he silently observed the activity around him, as the aircrew and medical staff were preparing to off-load the patients.

He spoke to me in a very low voice, answering questions. It all seemed like a chaotic dream. His pain was under control. A twenty-year-old native of one of America’s big cities, this warrior had grown up with five siblings. His uncle had served in the military, he said. He listened to our welcome home comments and the explanation of what was coming next. His face never changed its expression. He was expecting to see his family in the hospital, and looked forward to that.

Then he told me something else very important. The medic that had first treated him was also on this flight.

A few minutes later, I talked to this medic. He, too, had been wounded. A secondary blast sent flames and debris screaming through the area a minute or two after he’d arrived to take care of his buddy, knocked him unconscious, peppered him with small fragments of shrapnel, and gave him 2^nd degree burns on his face. He now wore eye protection to diffuse light. “When I regained consciousness after the attack,” he said, “the other medic that worked on me said that the initial tourniquets I applied probably saved his life,” referring to the amputee. The blast had partly scrambled his memory. But he now took pride in the confirmation that he’d been the first responder. When asked how he got to be such a good man, he said “because I married a good woman….  and I can’t stop telling her that.”

Our Military District of Washington team realized that these two wounded warriors would be separated and sent to different medical facilities. Before that happened, we wanted to make sure they could properly say goodbye to each other.  Shared service ‒ and any shared pain that results ‒ is an incredibly powerful thing. So we helped the medic walk down the aircraft aisle to where the triple amputee lay.  As soon as they saw each other the thrill of recognition rose up into the amputees’ face. His expression totally changed. The stone cracked. There was joy there now. The comradeship and experience they’d shared fused again. No one else on the plane could offer that. It strengthened both of them. A few minutes later we helped the medic back to his litter and then carried the amputee off the plane.

Awards and decorations of the United States Military are military decorations which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the United States Armed Forces. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member’s career.

Below are the images and names of a few of the Military decorations designated for U.S. Army Soldiers.  Can you match the name with the image?

Good Luck!

1.                 2.         3.

4.                           5.                                 6. 

Medal of Honor – U.S. Army

Soldier’s Medal

U.S. Army Commendation Medal

Silver Star

U.S. Army Achievement Medal

Distinguished Service Cross

*Be sure to  click on the name of each distinguished honor to learn more.

Our  guest blog post today is from Mr. Mark Campbell, U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Prep liaison.

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program

The mental side of training for elite athletics is not a new concept. If you follow sports at all you will most likely be exposed to players and coaches, talking about the importance of implementing a strong mental game. Most elite level athletes, whether collegiate, Olympic/Paralympic, or professional have an element of performance psychology in their training regiment.

In graduate school I focused my efforts on implementing mental skills training into adaptive sports. At that time, it wasn’t a mainstream concept.   As I am sitting in Colorado Springs, at the end of the Warrior Games training week, I am reflecting on how far things have really come. Today, the Warrior Transition Command’s adaptive reconditioning program uses mental skills training on a regular basis.

The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) is an Army program, grounded in performance psychology, which helps enhance many types of Soldier performance. CSF-PREP has a very strong presence at the Warrior Games and is able to provide a one-of-a-kind system of mental skills training.  Seven CSF-PREP Performance Enhancement Specialists (PES) were chosen, based on an internal application process, to act as part of the “Triad of Competition” with each Army team. Along with the coaches and medical personnel, the PESs work directly with teams to prepare them for the unique challenges of Warrior Games competition. This includes following each team to their respective training camps and the pre-competition week on site.

Each PES has a master’s or doctoral degree in a performance-based field, to include performance psychology, and offer team as well as individual training. Team cohesion is an important part of competition. CSF-PREP conducts team building workshops, with each Army team, to help them come together and maximize their collective efforts. This is especially important in this population, who come from geographically separated locations. The Warrior Games is a culminating event, which celebrates the hard work and determination that these individuals show every day. This is an exciting experience for all of us, and I recently sat down with the PES team and asked one question, “What does working with the Warrior Games mean to you?”

Sarah Meyer, CSF-PREP Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash.

“These athletes inspire me everyday to push myself to excel. I also have a more personal reason for wanting to be involved with the Warrior Games. That reason is my dad. My dad was injured in Vietnam and he came home to a different world. There was little support for him and his recovery. So much has changed since then. Today, the Army is doing so much to help support the Soldiers as they recover and the Warrior Games are a big part of that. I am so proud to be a part of a program that is helping these brave men and women through the recovery process. I know my dad would be very proud of the work I am doing.”

Dr. Amy Guillen, CSF-PREP Fort Sam Houston, Texas

“Being part of the Warrior Games is an opportunity of a lifetime. I get to see people overcome huge life obstacles and dig deep within themselves to find that they are stronger than they often gave themselves credit for. I am grateful to share in those experiences and have a small part in helping the athletes utilize mental skills to achieve beyond what they thought was possible.”

Christy Freeman, CSF-PREP Fort Gordon, Ga.

“The opportunity to be a part of the Warrior Games is a dream come true for me.  I have already grown tremendously as a person during the time I have spent with these amazing athletes and I am looking forward to helping them reach their personal potential during the Games.  This is my life’s work and I feel extremely honored to be a part of this Army team.”

Lindsay Holtz, CSF-PREP Fort Bliss, Texas

“It is an amazing opportunity and privilege to be working with the Army Shooting Team for the 2012 Warrior Games. The Soldiers competing in the Warrior Games have faced and continue to face many challenges and adversities. Being able to experience, be a part of, and facilitate appropriate uses of their energy, motivation, and determination is inspiring and keeps me working to improve in the work that I do so I can continue to impact Soldiers transitions.”

Dr. Keith Wilson, CSF-PREP Fort Knox, Ky.

“I value working at the Warrior Games as an opportunity to see Soldiers who have committed themselves to move to higher levels in their recovery from injury/illness. I spend lots of time with Soldiers when they first arrive at the WTU, where we help to lay the foundation for healthy transition. At the Warrior Games, it is great to help fine tune healthy transition through adaptive sport success.”

Richard Harris, CSF-PREP Fort Jackson, S.C.

“Working at the Warrior Games is an opportunity to endorse personal gratitude toward the women and men who protect my freedoms, as an American citizen. This event is a culmination of the human spirit’s commitment to hard work, desire, love, and passion.”

Dr. Melanie Mousseau, CSF-PREP Fort Gordon, Ga.

“Being able to return to the 2012 Warrior Games, to work with the Army swim team is truly an honor. While my role is specialized to enhance performance in the pool, it is most humbling to know that the skills I teach go far beyond and impact the lives of each competitor personally. I am honored to be trusted by the WTC, coaching staff, and athletes themselves to build productive and meaningful relationships and to help the competitors develop mental skills to maximize their physical and technical abilities.”

Yesterday, the Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John McHugh, announced the Army will establish a new two-star command headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).  This new command will provide a level of leadership that puts it more in line with similarly structured bases in the Army.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Back in September 2011, I tasked Forces Command to work with the Department of the Army Headquarters, I Corps and JBLM leaders to develop options for the development of this headquarters.  We determined that the establishment of a two-star headquarters will best serve our Soldiers and Families to ensure we sustain the highest training and readiness standards.

The number of Soldiers and Family Members living and working at JBLM has increased dramatically since 2003, while the command structure has remained the same.  Approximately 15,000 Soldiers and 22,000 more Family Members live and work at JBLM than did nine years ago.  We owe our Soldiers and Family Members the added energy and attention that this additional command can provide.

Fort Bragg and Fort Hood are corps headquarters with a similar number of brigades; accordingly, they have other two-star commands to assist in the training, readiness and administration of those brigades.  The leaders at I Corps have been asked to lead 10 different brigades and conduct operational deployments without any intermediate level General Officer commands.  The new two-star command will adjust our number of leaders-to-units to a  better ratio, and it will also serve us well if and when the I Corps headquarters is deployed.

Some may think this is a reaction to negative events and news that has come from JBLM recently.  That is simply not the case.  This move comes following a thorough analysis of the conditions on the ground at JBLM and brings the base in line with all the other command structures throughout our Army.

I’m extremely proud of the sacrifices and contributions of the families and soldiers at JBLM.  They have been integral to our operational and tactical success in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 200 wounded, injured and ill service members from the Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Special Operations Command are scheduled to compete in the 2012 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., beginning on April 30 and concluding April 5.

SGT Delvin Maston, Ft. Sam Houston Warrior Transition Battalion, sets the ball for an Army Sitting Volleyball teammate during net play at a recent Army scrimmage in preparation for the 2012 Warrior Games.

First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver remarks during the Opening Ceremony for the third annual games. The Warrior Games represent a nexus of Mrs. Obama’s two main priorities as First Lady: supporting our nation’s veterans, service members and military families through her Joining Forces initiative and getting more children to lead healthy, active lifestyles through her Let’s Move! initiative. The men and women participating in the 2012 Warrior Games serve as an inspiration to all Americans for their service, sacrifice and achievements.

Fifty Soldiers and Army veterans will be among the athletes competing for gold in the wheelchair basketball, archery, swimming, cycling, track and field, shooting and sitting volleyball events. The games demonstrate the dedication and determination of men and women of the armed forces overcoming their disabilities and proving themselves as athletes and warriors.

Soldiers will not be just competing for individual success; they will also be competing for the honor of winning the Chairman’s Cup, an award presented to the top-performing service branch based on a system of scoring by earned medals.

Be sure to visit the following social media sites for updates throughout the week:

Warrior Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarriorGames 

Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armyAW2

Warrior Transition Command blog: http://wtc.armylive.dodlive.mil/

Warrior Transition Command on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/armywtc/

Twitter Hashtag: #WarriorGames

The Army’s eye is on the Chairman’s Cup this year! Leave your “Go Army” shout-outs here!!!

We are an Army for the people, of the people. And for more than two centuries we have been at the forefront of protecting freedom and democracy — making good on our promises to the American people. In the beginning, we were the pioneers, townspeople, and patriots who found the strength to win our independence. Since then, we’ve defended the Nation against threats to our democracy and to the American way of life. Today, the truth remains — America’s greatest generations are founded on the sacrifices of her strongest citizens — the American Soldier.

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Do you agree? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section.