Sunday, January 04, 2004

MEMORIAL SERVICE

I attended the memorial service yesterday for CSM Eric Cooke, Command Sergeant Major of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1AD. CSM Cooke was killed by a roadside bomb on Christmas Eve.

Traditional radio call signs in the Army designate commanders as "6" and their most senior enlisted counterparts as "7". Because he belonged to the "Ready First Combat Team", CSM Cooke's call sign was Ready 7.

At the end of his remarks, the Brigade commander - Ready 6 - closed with these words:

"Ready 7...mission accomplished. Thank you...we'll take it from here."

Here is a story about CSM Cooke
...Cooke was regarded as the definitive soldier, Walkley said. “You knew he was a sergeant major — even if you saw the guy in civilian clothes.”

A commanding, inspiring presence and quiet authority defined Cooke’s 25-year career, Henry said.

“I never once [heard] him raise his voice,” Henry said. “You did something for Sgt. Maj. Cooke because you knew it was the right thing to do.”

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