Long, Jeff

Jeff Long, Wills Point, U.S. Army

Early Days:

“I was an only child, and I was born June 1^st, 1984, in Bainbridge, Georgia in Decatur County. I had a cousin that served in the Air Force during the first Desert Storm. I had an uncle that served in Korea. He and I never communicated very much, and my great-great Grandfather served in the Civil War.

I loved playing outside in the woods and the water, without the gnats and mosquitos in South Georgia. I loved to fish and went fishing a lot when I was young. I fished for Bass, Bream and Speckled Perch, pretty much anything that bit my line. I also liked to bow fish for Gar, though not much, even Alligator or two, but don’t know if that was legal.

When I was 4 ½ years old my mother gave me to her sister, and she raised me for about 12 years. Her name was Karen Davis and her husband’s name was Jack. Karen was a schoolteacher, and Jack was on a swing shift. I lived with them for about 12 years.

When I was about 14-15, I went back with my mother.

I went to several schools including 9^th and 10^th in Abbeville Alabama, 10^th in Macon Georgia, and 11^th and 12^th was in Tucson, Arizona. My mother was travelling a lot in her earlier years. I did go to college and ended up with 28 credits. I was wanting to go into nursing, but that didn’t work out. This was after the military.

Joining the Military:

In High School I joined the JROTC, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. I went to the Georgia Youth Challenge Academy. It was similar to military school. In later 2004 I joined the delayed entry program in the Army and went to Basic Training in Fort Knox, Kentucky, in February 2005. I liked the Air Force, but I wanted more of the challenge and a tougher test. I also wanted to go into the Navy, but if I was going into the Navy, I wanted to go fishing. I don’t think that would have worked out. Hard to Bass Fish off a Naval Carrier. I ended up serving with the Marine Corps when I was in Iraq.

But I loved the outdoors, so the Army sounded like the right fit for me at the time. I saw where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a lot of waterways and open rivers and outdoor activities like that is something I felt like I wanted to do. That was the bigger push for me to join the Army. I was not familiar with the combat side of the military at all. The civilian side and the combat side were two different worlds for me. I trained in the Army as a heavy equipment operator. My MOS was 21F. In the Army that stood for crane operator. My original enlistment was for four years.”

INFO:

An Army crane operator is responsible for operating andmaintaining cranes to support construction, engineering and combat missions, while ensuring safety and

efficiency in lifting operations.

I qualified for several other things, but I wanted to go into engineering. I worked with a few pieces of equipment working on a farm in Georgia and was familiar with all the equipment, due to growing up around heavy equipment.

Boot Camp

The mental part of Boot Camp in Fort Knox, Kentucky was a breeze. It was fun for me, I was gung ho. I thought I knew everything and could do anything. I got a couple of shin splints from running too hard, broke a tooth and nose when I fell on my rifle. AIT was all about learning the equipment. Boot Camp lasted nine weeks. From Fort Knox I was sent to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where I spent 8-weeks, I believe, really learning the ins and outs of crane operation and overall training. I spent approximately 9-weeks in total at Ft. Leonard Wood. There I worked with cranes and how to transport cranes and how to transport them on 18-wheelers. There I also learned how to operate and maintain all the support vehicles that went with the crane operations.

As a crane operator in the Army, we performed tasks very similar as that of the Navy Seebees. We built motor pools, bridges, roadways, helipads and runways. We built horizontal and vertical; I was the horizontal builder. Once we got it smooth and flat other builders came in and started building the infrastructure and the foundations. We built the trenches for fiber optics, water and sewage lines. Sometimes we would have a small runway for DUST-OFF Marine Cobras and we would expand it out. My MOS was fun, and I enjoyed it.

My Battalion was spread across Iraq in Balad, Tikrit and Al-Asad. I went to Hit, Ramadi, Balad (Anaconda), Camp Bucca. We took equipment all over Iraq and move a lot of dirt.

Hawaii:

From Fort Leonard Wood we were then shipped out to Honolulu, Hawaii. We were trained at Scofield Barracks where I spent 5-months training with the 84^th Engineer, Combat Battalion, 25^th Infantry Division. It was an amazing place to visit. Most of the time I was there, I was training to go to Iraq.

Along with being a crane operator, I was trained as a 240 Bravo Machine Gunner and on secondary weapons I became proficient on the M-16 rifle and the Mark 19 Grenade Launcher, NS 50 cal Ma Duce. We were also assigned to look out for IED’s, the Improvised Explosive Devices. The last two and half months we got all our equipment and weapons packed up. In December of 2005, I was headed to Iraq.

IRAQ:

“Iraq was invaded in 2003, and the battles were starting to heat up all over the country when we arrived. My command knew, but I had no idea where I was going. I was an E-2, and I went where they told me to go. There were three of our Companies going to Al-Asad Airbase, Tikrit and Balad, Iraq. We landed in Kuwait City, Kuwait and flew over to Al-Asad, about 75 miles from Syria, in central Iraq.

Al-Asad became the third largest U.S. base in western Iraq and the western equivalent of Baghdad’s Green Zone. It was a major convoy hub, hosting hundreds of fuel and supply trucks every day.

We were part of convoys and all my training in weapon systems paid off. The practical side of the Army and see what those weapons could do, was all new to me. Remember, I went into the Army assigned as a crane operator. To see the kids in a warzone, see how Saddam Hussein gassed thousands of his own people (Kurds) with Mustard and Saran gas was all a different world for me.

We built a bridge on the road south of Al-Asad. There was one Marine who was badly wounded by an IED and lost his leg. I remember a call going out for O-Positive blood, and headed towards the hospital. When I got there they hooked me up to him, a direct blood line. I will never forget that. I was exposed to a lot in a very short timeframe. That was war.

We were hit by small arms fire as we worked, probably coming from an old train near the tracks we blew up at the beginning of the war. I carried a .240 caliber rifle, outside the wire, and periodically we shot back at the enemy. Inside the wire I carried an M16.

Along with the bridge, we also built roads for the motorcades leaving and arriving from the compound. We also worked on the4 energy grids and electrical lines inside the wire. At least once a week we were hit by mortars and small arms fire almost daily. We had an area around Al-Asad called the (Heat) HIT~ where we stayed temporarily while we worked on clearing the road. There were a few people stationed inside the HIT~.

Our job was to keep the road open and safe coming and leaving Al-Asad base.”

RAMADI:

“Another area we worked from was outside Ramadi, about 50-miles from Al-Asad. We worked for about 3 months outside the wire. I was the gunny, and never drove the Humvees or any other vehicles in our convoy. My job was to protect the vehicle, always on alert. Ramadi was a hot zone for combat situations. In Ramadi there was about 10-acres with over 200 military personal. I did not build in Ramadi, just supply missions for the vertical element of my company. Building stuff didn’t happen for me until after gunning around Al-Asad.

I wore a different hat as a gunner and always in combat standby in Ramadi.

Most of the work around Ramadi was to get supplies and ammunition to our troops. We had about 10 vehicles in our convoy. I was either in a Deuce and a Half or in an 18-wheeler. There was a ‘T’ outside Ramadi, and it was a hot zone especially from a hill off in the distance. We had gotten a briefing and intel told us to be aware of this area for enemy fire. We were always on the lookout for IED’s. This is a blessing that I get to tell this story, and my kids can understand the danger we were in constantly. It was the same for the road leading from Fallujah to Baghdad.”

Iraq is one of the most heavily mined nations in the world. As of early 2003, it was estimated that there were over 10 million mines already in the ground-8 million antipersonnel (AP) and 2 million antitank (AT), with Iraq both a producer and exporter of AP mines.

Iraq is considered one of the most mine-infested nations in the world.

The proficiency of attacks in Iraq increased along with frequency with many of attacks directed toward interdicting convoys. As a good number of Iraq highways are extensive and modern, with four- to eight-lane paved roads in portions of the country. Extensive use of traffic circles is widespread. Coalition forces use these improved roadways for high-speed movement with many route options.

As a result, IEDs pose the greatest threats to convoys. Unfortunately, the coalition traffic pattern analysis is relatively easy to predict, increasing vulnerability to enemy attacks. There are many bridges and overpasses – which are also possible chokepoints. Built-up or vegetated medians divide most roadways. Many IEDs have been placed in these median strips, some placed under girders. Meals, ready-to-eat (MRE) boxes, soda cans, manholes, tunnels burrowed under roads, living dogs, cement-encased bomb projectiles, and even dead animal carcasses have been used by the insurgents to conceal IEDs.

As of late 2003, 40 to 60 percent of all attacks began with an IED. Some of these attacks included direct fire attacks immediately following the detonation of the device. However, more and more IEDs were subsequently being used as a stand-alone means to engage a convoy.

Some of the IEDs have been remotely detonated using relatively simple, readily available low-technology devices, such as garage door openers, car alarms, key fobs, doorbells, toy car remotes, FRS and GMRS two-way radios, cellular telephones and pagers – which enable radio frequency command detonation. Therefore, this implies that observation of the target area probably requires line-of-sight observation points in many cases. However, the adaptation of using radios, cell phones and other remote-control devices has given the enemy the standoff ability to watch forces from a distance and not be compromised. GlobalSecurity.org

“I could see and had a good feel for where IED’s would be located. I was better than some of the other lower enlisted soldiers in my unit. We used the BLUE FORCE TRACKER to keep up with certain locations and positions but not IEDs,” said Jeff.

Blue force tracking is a United States military term for a GPS-enabled capability that provides military commanders and forces with location information about friendly (and despite its name, also hostile) military forces. In NATO military symbology, blue typically denotes friendly forces. The capability provides a common picture of the location of friendly forces and therefore is referred to as the blue force tracker. Wikipedia

“The V-shaped MRAPS, called minesweepers were just starting to come on when I was in Ramadi.”

IED Mine Sweepers in Iraq:

In Iraq, IED mine sweepers refer to both the specialized military and humanitarian equipment used to detect, clear, and neutralize improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines, as well as the personnel and systems that operate them.

The U.S. and coalition forces used a mix of remote-controlled vehicles, robots, and mechanical sweepers to detect and disarm IEDs

IED mine sweepers combine military robotics and mechanical sweepers for rapid detection and clearance, alongside humanitarian mine action to restore safe access. The integration of both approaches — from remote-controlled robots to large-scale mechanical sweepers — has been critical in reducing the threat of IEDs and mines, both for security and for civilian safety.

“Most of the minesweepers were in Baghdad at (Anaconda). I was in Baghdad for over a week and I had heard a lot of war stories about IED’s,” said Jeff.

FOB Anaconda was situated near Balad, approximately 40 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. It was one of the largest U.S. military installations in the country during the Iraq War, covering an area of about 15 square miles.

Originally named Al-Bakr Air Base, it was renamed Balad Air Base and later became known as LSA Anaconda. The base was established in the early 1980s and was taken over by U.S. forces during the Iraq War in 2003. It served as a logistics support area and was pivotal for military. At its peak, FOB Anaconda hosted around 28,000 military personnel and over 8,000 civilian contractors. It was equipped with advanced facilities, including hardened aircraft shelters and various amenities for troops. Wikipedia

Balad Air Base: “Camp Anaconda” or “Mortaritaville”:

“Anaconda was known for mortars. This place is where I realized that if I am going to die, and I had no control over it and when I started talking to God. That place was hit every few hours it seemed,” said Jeff shaking his head.

Anaconda was a large US base near Balad Air Base (and the US facility Joint Base Balad), spread over 15 square miles. The facility was also referred to first as Camp Anaconda, then Forward Operating Base (FOB) Anaconda, and then Contingency Operating Base (COB) Anaconda. Nearby was FOB O’Ryan, previously known as FOB Lion, located about 5 miles away. Although smaller than LSA Anaconda, FOB O’Ryan had good internet and phone services available among other amenities.

As of March 2003, the 4,000 troops in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division had 9 forward operating bases spread across 1,500 square miles of Iraq northwest of Baghdad. GlobalSecurity.org

“It was an Army-Air Force installation. The good thing is most of the mortars fell short. Bad weapons, I guess. I was fortunate, but I had three people I knew that were hit by shrapnel from incoming mortars. It was stupid inside the wire. Many of the mortars that did hit were inside the wire, where we felt was an inside job. We had a lot of special elements inside with us and many times they were the target. Fortunately, I only spent about five days at Anaconda, but I always felt like we were exposed, even going to the latrine. I had a bad knee, and it was very difficult for me to run and try to avoid the mortars. It was just a constant daily routine always looking for incoming. It was horrible. I was glad to get away from there. I ended up spending two and half years in the military. I had a bad knee and some mental issues to deal with. I could not run anymore, and my PT scores were going down. I spent a year in Iraq and was sent back to Scofield Barracks in Hawaii, until June of 2007. I ended up getting a general discharge with honorable conditions six months after leaving Iraq. I wanted to stay in, but I knew I needed help, but didn’t know how. I went thru the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP program) and was drinking all the time. I was having some mental problems to deal with. It was time for me to get out of the military and get help. I wasn’t the same person. I was discharged from the military and went back to Georgia.”

Post Military:

“All the exposures I witnessed in the last two and a half years was a lot for me. Now, I realize all I went thru gave me experience and now I want to give back to the community. I went thru extensive treatment in Tucson, Arizona when I got out of the military. Both in and out-patient. On November 15^th of 2009, I assaulted a Peace Officer. I was drunk out of my mind and stoned. My knee was still messed up. That is when I ended up in a hospital and seeked mental health. It was either that or prison. Tucson helped me out a lot. Car’s backfiring, tornadoes, kids screaming, sirens, guns going off. My family got to see me wigging out all the time. I could not get around a gun for over 10-years. I could not get a driver’s license; I was afraid to drive. I was afraid of hurting myself or having someone else in the car. Now, when my hands start sweating, I start to catch myself and those moments. I know I need to calm down a little bit. I am getting much better. Talking with other veterans has helped me a lot.

I have been dual diagnosed with mental issues from both my childhood and the military. My wife and family have been a huge support for me. Having true love in my life and recognizing it has been a huge help to me. I hope thru my experience I can help some of those Veterans who struggle as I have.

If you are a Veteran and have been diagnosed with PTS, I urge you to read my series on PTSD with six Veterans living everyday with PTS. There are many tools in the box to help Veterans transition back to civilian life.

please click on PTSD Series Part 1-6 at www.meetourveterans.com

Fondest Memories from the Military:

“Operating the equipment in the Military was some of my fondest memories. Being sober and being in Hawaii has great memories for me. I swam with the Loggerhead turtles and with Dolphins. I had never witnessed that before.

One of the funniest stories in Iraq was when I was moving a huge boulder on one of our construction sites and a huge den of sidewinders came out. (Rattlesnakes) The ground did not stop moving for over an hour.

I gained a strong work ethic while in the military, the loyalty and the core values of the Army. Duty, courage, respect and strength were all part of my military time. I have a much better respect for the red, white and blue and the American flag. I respect it more and I want my kids to respect it as much as I do, and being able to pass that down to them means a lot to me.

Anyone joining the Army today I would tell them to go into a MOS that you can use when you get out of the military.

My hobbies are fishing, hunting and gardening and working with my children. I hope to get into metal working and glass blowing as a hobby. I have ideas of maybe someday having my own glass blowing business.

If I had a bucket list, going back to Hawaii and Scofield Barracks would be at the top of my list. I would like to go to the highest point and the lowest point in the United States. I would even like to go back to Iraq. A train ride to Alaska would also be on my bucket list.

Jeff Long, thank you for this opportunity to share your experience with us and a legacy for your family. Thank you for your military service, and the sacrifices you have endured by being part of the U.S. Army and serving this country with honor and dignity. Thank you. Phil Smith

NOTE: Meet other Veterans from around the country by going to the top of www.meetourveterans.com and click on Our Veterans. On the drop-down menu, click one of the (5) branches of services and read each of our veteran’s stories.

“Every Veteran has a story to tell.” Phil Smith

GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA