| Veterans
News Flash 
Admiral
Surprises Soldiers With Candid, Detailed Answers
By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, June 21, 2007 - When the vice chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff showed up to speak
to 1st Cavalry soldiers here yesterday, soldiers
were a bit surprised by how in tune he was with
the current situation in Iraq.
 During
the meeting, Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani (pictured
left) fielded questions from the two dozen soldiers
in the room, ranging from the latest technology
in armored vehicles to getting fresh fruit at the
dining facilities.
"I thought it was very generous of him to
show his time and faith in what we're doing here
by doing a quick breakfast," said 1st Lt.
Cory Clayton, a 1st Cavalry member who was at the
meeting.
During the question-and-answer session, Clayton
asked about Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles,
known as MRAPs, which he was very interested in,
having served on a route clearance team during
his first four months in Iraq.
Giambastiani responded to the lieutenant's question
by telling him in detail about the ongoing vehicle
testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and discussed
the intent of getting MRAP vehicles shipped to
Iraq quickly. He directly answered Clayton's pointed
question.
"I though his answers were outstanding," Clayton
said. "When I was down at the company level
on a route clearance team, these were some of the
direct issues we faced and some of our biggest
concerns. I was very impressed to see he was already
aware of them."
When the admiral described the competition among
vehicle manufacturers at Aberdeen and talked about
how testing was taking place six days a week, the
information eased concerns of some in the audience.
"They were already addressing that issue
and well into the process of finding a solution," Clayton
said. "Outstanding."
The lieutenant said the morale of the troops was
lifted by hearing how concerned and in tune the
admiral was with their operational needs.
"All it does is boost our confidence in our
higher chain of command," Clayton said. "Looking
at the faces of everyone in the room, it seemed
like it boosted their confidence. Everybody in
the room had every question answered directly and
in-depth. It wasn't cut short, and he didn't beat
around the bush. He was direct and poignant."
Clayton didn't find out until after the breakfast
that the admiral is retiring in less than two months,
but he said that didn't affect what he thought.
"Whether he's retiring
or not, I thought by him coming out here, the way
he presented himself and the way he treated everybody
here, I was highly impressed," he said. "I
don't think he could impress me any more by saying
he was going to retire. He was doing his job, and
he did a great job coming out here today."
SOURCE:
VNIS
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