Huntsville Living Holiday Edition 2022 | Page 10

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Helping others is healing

STORY BY KRISTIE STEVENS
Erica Greene was born on January 17 , 1988 , and raised by Ben and Mary Ann Talliaferro in Waller , Texas . She enlisted in the army just before her 20th birthday . Greene served two tours in Afghanistan and was awarded a Purple Heart medal for commendable action . Her first tour of duty almost took her life . The second tour took an enormous toll on her mental health , but it also put her in the right place to meet the man who would become her husband and the father of her children .
“ I see it as a blessing ,” said Greene . “ Coming that close to losing my life makes me cherish my kids and my relationships so much more .”
Greene completed basic training at Ft . Leonard Wood in Missouri in February of 2008 , and became a Military Police Officer . When she arrived at her first station at Ft . Stewart in Georgia , new recruits were being asked to immediately deploy to Afghanistan to take part in Operation Enduring Freedom . She gladly agreed and was deployed in April as part of the 549th Military Police Company , 385th Battalion , 3rd Infantry Division .
Looking back now , from the perspective of a mother , she understands how scared her parents must have been when she delivered the news that she was going overseas .
“ I remember it being hard for them when I left for Afghanistan . I told them I had to put them down as beneficiaries . At the time , those were big words for me . Words I hadn ’ t thought I would use any time soon ,” said Greene .
“ Before I left on my first deployment my dad gave me an old metal Green Hornet Button . I remembered seeing it as a kid every now and then when dad would be going through his old things . The button came with a metal lunch box he had when he was younger . He kept it for all those years and before I left he gave it to me and said , “
I ’ m giving this to you , make sure you bring it back home .” I was blown up with that button in my right shoulder sleeve pocket , and I brought it back to my dad . I took it on my next deployment as well as a reminder to come back home . Not all of us were as fortunate ,” said Greene .
Greene ’ s company was stationed in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan , on the border of Pakistan , and in the heart of the conflict . This was at a time when females were not officially allowed in direct combat . There were no accommodations on certain missions for her and the other two females in her unit .
Fortunately she had no issues with the male soldiers and considered them to be her brothers . The showers were cleared at night for the ladies to use in private and they all shared the same sleeping quarters .
Reflecting on this detail brought up a bigger point Greene wanted to make about the way civilians treat each other in the here and now .
“ We had all different races , colors , and sexual orientations in our company . As long as you were protecting your six , it didn ’ t matter what your background was . I don ’ t get all the hate going on in the world these days . We were in the worst of circumstances and we got along . People need to just be kind and love one another ,” said Greene .
Their mission involved many different roles , primarily working with the Afghan National Army and local police , training them to take control of their position . They were also responsible for clearing roads of threats and providing surveillance for entry control points . By mid-summer , they completed the last phase of their mission in
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