Not a lot of people have been happier to see the cable guy than the American soldiers in the Baltics this week.
Thanks to the work of a team of soldiers with 4th Infantry Division, several hundred troops in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will be able to watch Von Miller try to chase down Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50 this Sunday.
Maj. Victor Jaffett and his team with 4th ID Mission Command Element G-6 drove more than 1,750 miles from their station in Baumholder, Germany, to Tapa, Estonia, with stops at bases in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland; Rukla, Lithuania; and Adazi, Latvia along the way.
In U.S. distance terms, that roughly equates to driving from 4th ID’s home at Fort Carson, Colorado, to install satellite TV in St. Louis, Columbus, Pittsburgh and New York.
At each of the four stops, Jaffett’s team set up a satellite dish and two 60″ televisions to receive the Armed Forces Network in common areas. That will enable soldiers to watch the Super Bowl live — albeit starting a bit after midnight local time.
“The soldiers were very very appreciative once the picture came in and they saw it up there. Genuinely, you could tell they were looking forward to the opportunity to watch the game. It meant a lot to them,” Jaffett told Army Times on Friday. “One of the major things we’ve been working on has been to improve quality of life for the soldiers out here.”
Soldiers participating in Operation Atlantic Resolve — the NATO mission to provide security to states on or near Russia’s border in the wake of Russian aggression in Ukraine — have slowly been making themselves more at home over the last year and a half. Jaffett notes that the U.S. troops, generally stationed at a host nation’s military base, will likely have a presence in the area “for a while.”
The view next to a Super Bowl 50 sign at Twin Peaks park overlooking San Francisco on Feb. 4.
Photo Credit: Charlie Riedel/AP
Capt. Charles Walton, commander of 624th Transportation Detachment, 16th Sustainment Brigade, said that “creature comforts” have tangible benefits to the Army. The commander of Task Force Stilwell in the Baltics from September until Jan. 10 noted that “when soldiers are happier they work better.”
“When life stinks, it’s harder to be motivated. [Quality of life] gives them the motivation to not have to be concerned about that and focus on the mission. It also makes time go by faster when you’ve got things to do,” Walton said.
Each stop had somewhere between 130 to upward of 200 U.S. soldiers stationed at local bases, Jaffett said. Barracks and mutual dining facilities have been generally provided by host nations and there are some amenities including postal service, but it’s not yet built up the degree that a permanent outpost or even some bases in Afghanistan, for example, were after years of deployments.
Efforts are underway to set up hardline internet so as not to rely on the Army’s satellite versions, and to bring in Army & Air Force Exchange Service trailers to make more items available, Walton said.
New York to Colorado and back
Jaffett said he and his soldiers with the Mission Command Element in Germany usually conduct work from their desks, so their mission to give soldiers the Super Bowl granted them some international experience.
“It was a huge departure from our day-to-day work. I’ve had opportunities to travel a little, but normally I fly when I do so. On the road has been a different experience. I’ve gained an appreciation for the area where we’re in,” Jaffett said. “[Locals] can clearly tell we’re not from there. And once they realize from how we’re speaking that we’re American, they’re generally really friendly.”
Sgt. 1st. Class Jeffery Stevens and Maj. Victor A. Jaffett, both members of 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element G6, check their load prior to a weeklong trip through the Baltic states, Jan. 29.
Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Diandra Harrell/Army
Sgt. Josue Nery echoed his commanders’ thoughts on the experience.
“It was very, very different. Traveling from country to country, experiencing the different cultures. Stopping at pit stops, eating different food every day, that is not normal for us,” Nery said.
Logistically, the task offered some challenges. Jaffett said normally satellites point mostly upward, but being that far north meant a much lower angle and navigating the woodline. (Tapa, Estonia has roughly the latitude of Juneau, Alaska.) But eventually they mastered the techniques and got quicker as they went along. And soldiers, they said, were highly interested as they worked to set up.
“They’d say: ‘You got it up yet, you got it up yet, are we going to be able to see the game?’” Spc. Carolos Alonso said. “A lot of the soldiers were really happy when we got there, they were real appreciative.”
Sgt. Jeffrey Stephens, had a particular appreciation for what his team was trying to do for soldiers. While 4th ID is based at Fort Carson about 80 minutes from the home of the Denver Broncos, the Burlington, N.C. native is a longtime Carolina Panthers fan.
“It was a blessing just to be able to go out and make sure the soldiers were able to watch. It’s an American tradition to watch the Super Bowl,” he said.
As for his feelings on the game? “I’m confident that Cam will bring it home.”
Army Times writer Kevin Lilley contributed to this report.
Kyle Jahner covers soldier uniforms and equipment, Medical Command and Recruiting Command along with investigations and other breaking news for Army Times. He can be reached at kjahner@armytimes.com.
