This month’s featured veteran is Angela White. Angela served in the United States Army during Operation Desert Storm and again during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Shortly after graduating from high school at the age of 17, Angela enlisted in the Army. Like so many young men and women, she wanted to see the world. After leaving MEPS in Los Angeles, Angela was off to Fort Jackson in South Carolina for basic training. After completing basic, she went to Fort Sam Houston in Texas to begin her training as a medical specialist (medic).
After spending a year in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Angela received orders to Germany. She describes it as “the best move ever.” She says they were in the field often in support of infantry and artillery units. Recalling her time in Germany brings a big smile to Angela. She says she has a lot of fond memories of her time there.
On 2 August 1990, Iraq begins the invasion of Kuwait. Angela, an E5 at the time stationed at Fort Hood in Texas as part of the 1st Calvary Division, would soon be off to war. In short order preparations to deploy were underway. Vehicles, which up until then were painted in a “woodlands” camouflage scheme had to be repainted for a desert environment. Desert camo uniforms were issued, and shots were given along with classes on Middle East Culture.
By September, Angela and her unit were on their way overseas. It wouldn’t be long before she found herself in full MOP gear driving a Humvee through a mine field. Assigned to an infantry unit, she was one of the few women at the time that was with a forward operating unit.
Angela can remember being shot at by the Iraqi Army but says it was mostly ineffective because they were out of range or their equipment was inadequate. When they would shoot back, the Iraqis would immediately surrender because their will to fight was no longer there after weeks of being bombarded from the air. She says they gave up in droves, maybe hundreds at a time. Many were in need of medical care which Angela and her team provided.
Angela was deployed in support of Desert Storm for 8 months. She says that for the most part, it was a positive experience. She would have a different experience during Operation Iraqi Freedom which she describes as brutal. During Desert Storm, you could see the enemy as they were shooting at you, during OIF, you didn’t know where the firing was coming from she says.
In 2004 during OIF, Angela was assigned to the 1st Infantry’s support services and oversaw the mortuary and the aid stations in the field. One of her jobs was to travel by convoy to locations of KIA Americans during the day. The policy was that the body of the deceased servicemember had to be picked up so it could be sent back home within 48 hours. It was during these convoy’s that she saw many servicemen and women killed as a direct result of the enemy, many of whom were also killed.
During a combat deployment, there are two times that tend to be the most dangerous - at the beginning and at the end. During the beginning of a deployment it is dangerous because there are things you don’t know; and at the end you get careless and complacent. For those reasons the casualty numbers tended to go up during those times. Being a member of the advanced party, Angela was one of the early arrivals, and as her unit was leaving, she was one of the last to go. It was during the transition that a unit that had just arrived suffered a major accident when one of their tanks rolled over killing everybody inside. It was Angela and several members of her unit that where tasked with removing the bodies from the tank. It was something she will never forget.
Angela says that war brings out the good and the bad along with your strengths and your weaknesses. You create a forever bond with the people you serve with in combat she says. Angela is proud of her efforts because she was able to help a lot of people and saved lives as a medic. She still has the occasional nightmare and ringing in her ears, but she has chosen to be happy and not dwell on it.
Looking back on her 24 year career, she says she loved it all and wouldn’t have done it any other way. She misses the people she served with and the team work. She earned numerous awards during her time in the Army to include the Bronze Star for her actions during OIF. For her service we say, thank you Angela.
