The Council of Colonels

The 377th Theater Sustainment Command Council of Colonels...even though many of us don't weat the bird.

Over the past weekend Beth and I attended the second annual meeting the Council of Colonels.  I have the tendency of referring them to the College of Colonels like the College of Cardinals, but I would never see addressing any one of these men as Holiness.

As many people know I recently retired from the Army Reserve as a Major last May.  Don’t worry…the Council of Colonels contains Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Sergeants Major…basically anyone who endured time in the 377^th from New Orleans.

I entered the 377^th Theater Army Area Command (TAACOM) in February 1992 as a Lieutenant just off active duty, flat broke and no job.  One of the full timers put me on full time and I was in.  Over the next 19 years I served in the 377^th TAACOM, 377^th Support Command, 377^th Theater Support Command and as of recent 377^th Theater Sustainment Command.  Basically the same name, evolving missions, and the names/faces have been changed to protect the guilty.

Something I told by an old Calvary man when I was a Lieutenant at Fort Huachuca AZ about Army logistics (supply, transportation, water, etc).  “This is not stuff that’s fancy or sexy…it’s just critical”.  I’ve read that General Patton said “I will take any G1 (Personnel Officer) or G3 (Operations and Training officer) you give me…I will hand pick my G2 (Intelligence officer) and G4 (Logistics officer).”  He knew how significant both were.

The men in these pictures (there are many women in the 377^th…it’s just the ones who are in the group couldn’t make it) come from all over…the host is an oil company engineer in Houston….I’m a cop in the Houston area…one is a retired nurse from San Antonio….another a retired cop from south Louisiana....one is a former sheriff’s and businessman from Florida…one ran businesses in New Orleans and Alabama….one lives in Mississippi and the others live all over the country.  I was astonished in this unit that you find men and women from all over the country…while there I’ve served with people from Virginia, California, the Mid-West, Texas, Hawaii….  But there is something about the Reserves and National Guard.  The higher in rank you go, the harder it is to find a job…you just don’t have colonels in the every reserve unit down the street and you go where the positions are.   And they do the stuff that the Army needs done…it’s not sexy but it’s critical.  And every time this country called, these men and women answered.  Desert Shield/Storm.  The former Yugoslavia.  Afghanistan and Iraq.  And most recently Haiti. 

Last year one of our retired colonels got us together for the first meeting of the Council of Colonels at his place in Galveston Texas and we met in many cases for the first time in years.   Unlike last year when the weather was more accommodating but this weekend we were stunk inside a lot.  Over delicious steaks, shrimp, BBQ and blueberry pancakes we watched excellent college football games and talked about ….us.  Besides the usual family and friends stuff, what we did over the years, especially over the time since 911.  There are many in the active components who look down at the Guard and Reserves (“Weekend Warriors” and “Part-timers”) but the wise ones know they cannot do it without us.  Over the years we have set up support bases that rival mid size American cities in the middle of the desert.   It amazing what men and women over the last ten years have done.  Combine the determination of a person in uniform, the experience outside of the service and the ingenuity American’s all have and there is no limit to what we can do.  Or as Sam put it to an Army general, “Sir, we have it set up so it’s safe for the active component to take over.” J

One of my partners in crime and I spoke of something…a bottle of great scotch.  We keep it till the last two members assemble…and they had a few drinks for the rest of the group.  I hoped it was him and I…he’s doesn’t drink and I love scotch.  Damned, I’ve have to drink the whole bottle alone…it would be tough but I would handle that mission! J

Solving the world's problems over Cheap Red Wine and good football

The symbol of a colonel is the American Eagle.  For the most part we’re all retired from the service (still working our week jobs) or have that on the radar.  Our tail feathers may drop, the eyes ain’t as sharp as they used to be and we’re not leading patrols anymore under real enemy fire (the sniping and backstabbing of staff pukes from Army Reserve Command and the 3rd US Army not withstanding).  But we’ve done the critical stuff for this country when called.

OK, I know it's it an American Eagle, but it's the best we saw over this weekend...the weather was awful

Ladies and gentlemen it’s been an honor serving with you...till next year!