‘Seasoned’ Oklahoma Guard Soldiers going strong in eastern Afghanistan

By Army Capt. Kenneth Stewart
Combined Joint Task Force 1-Afghanistan

Army Master Sgt. Mike Tyson and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Timothy Visnieski, both members of the Regional Security Force Assistance Team Tomahawk and part of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 45th Infantry Division, Task Force Thunderbird, work with their Afghan counterparts Afghan National Army Sgt. 1st Class Mohammad Dawood and Afghan National Army Sgt. 1st Class Sadullah Samir at the Afghan National Army’s 203rd Thunder Corps’ headquarters, July 12, 2011. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Kenneth Stewart)
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PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan (7/13/11) – Regional Security Force Assistance Team Tomahawk is not your typical Army unit because it consists of many older – they prefer the term “seasoned” – Soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard.

“Our youngest guy is 36,” said Army Col. Kevin Staring, the Team Tomahawk senior adviser and member of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 45th Infantry Division, Task Force Thunderbird, who handpicked the members of his team, hoping to bring maturity and experience to the fight.

“Nobody is here to check a block, everyone on my team is a stakeholder,” Staring said. “Our reputation and values are important to us, [and] we want to respect them and go home with honor.”

Team Tomahawk was established to advise Afghan officers and senior non-commissioned officers serving at the Afghan National Army’s 203rd Thunder Corps and many of their counterparts are also quite “seasoned.”

Army Lt. Col. Joel Potts, a member of Task Force Thunderbird, sees the experience of his Afghan partners as an asset.

“I have a lot of respect for [our Afghan counterparts]. They have been at war for years and know how to fight,” Potts said.

Potts, who has served for more than 30 years, said he is a grandfather eight times over and has a son, Army Capt. Justin Potts, who is also serving in Afghanistan.

But it’s is not only the ages of Team Tomahawk Soldiers that makes their team unique – it’s also their relationships, as many of these Soldiers have been serving together for many years.

Army Sgt. Maj. David Livesay, the senior enlisted adviser with Task Force Thunderbird, listed the names of Team Tomahawk members whom he has served with in the past. “Master Sgt. Tyson was my squad leader in 1992, Staff Sgt. Byers was my squad leader in Iraq, and Master Sgt. Posey was my supply sergeant in ’96.”

Army Master Sgt. Curtis Stapleton, an adviser to Afghan operations officers, agreed to come off of retirement to join the team after serving for 25 years as a Special Forces communications technician before retiring.

“Col. Staring was trying to put together a team,” Stapleton said. “I told him if he could get the paper work approved, I’d go.”

“He’s an old guy like me,” Staring said. “We like to challenge the young guys to see if they can keep up.”

It is clear to those serving at Forward Operating Base Lightning that Team Tomahawk makes up for what it lacks in youth with determination, and despite their “seasoned” status, they insist that they can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

“If you ever want to find us all in one place, just come to the gym at 4:00 a.m.,” said Team Tomahawk chief of staff, Army Lt. Col. Shannon Jordan of Stillwater, Okla.,

Army Lt. Col. Shannon Jordan, the Team Tomahawk chief of staff and a member of Task Force Thunderbird, said he hopes the experiences that he and his fellow “seasoned” Oklahoma Guard members share will have a lasting impact on the Afghan soldiers that he serves.

“[But] if you ever want to find us all in one place, just come to the gym at 4:00 a.m.”

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