“A Group Of Americans Trying To Do Their Best For The World”: Reflections Of An Army Leader In Iraq And Afghanistan

Ari Martyn graduated from West Point in 2004, and his first assignment was 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Arriving at the unit as a Ranger-qualified Infantry Officer, he was assigned as a Fire Support Officer because all the Platoons already had Platoon Leaders. Fortunately, a good Mortar Platoon Sergeant and JTAC in Afghanistan helped him learn to be a fire support officer. 2nd Battalion was deploying just as he arrived and he was sent on advanced party, deploying to theater with an unzeroed M-4. Immediately after deploying, he earned a Purple Heart after suffering a “superficial wound” on May 3, 2005, before most of the unit had even deployed. The key lesson he drew from his initial experiences in the Army was the importance of getting lieutenants to line units. When he was finally assigned as a Rifle Platoon Leader in A Company, he was impressed with the immense responsibility he was entrusted with as a 23-year-old. While he was serving in the unit, the A Company Commander was fired, and Ari recounts actively disobeying several of his illegal orders, in one case contacting the Battalion Battle Captain for support. In 2007, he was assigned as a Platoon Leader in 2nd Ranger Battalion, and he deployed to Iraq three times, recalling that by the end, “I was smoked.” In 2nd Battalion, he considered “how will I be value added” in a unit where most of the leaders have been in combat before. At this point in his career, he reflected on his first firefight (May 3, 2005) and he gave himself a B- or C+ for his efforts, wishing he had had a better grasp of the situation. By the time he left 2-75, he had been in a lot of firefights, and he gave himself an A for those engagements, noting that he focused on learning and applying lessons. From 2010 to 2011, he deployed to Iraq with 4th Infantry Division, where he commanded B Company, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor, and partnered with Iraqi units. During that period, he remembers fighting Iranian influence, and especially the dreaded EFPs (Explosively Formed Projectiles). During this deployment, there was not much enemy contact. After commanding B Company, he reflected on the lessons he learned from serving in Airborne, Ranger, and Heavy units. He appreciated his First Sergeant for teaching him how to employ vehicles and think “mounted.” Ari was then selected as an Olmsted Scholar, learned Mandarin at the Defense Language Institute, and attended Beijing University, where he earned a master’s degree in international relations. While in China, he was “very upfront about being an Army Officer,” even with North Koreans at the school. Next, he deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Ranger Battalion, initially serving as an Operations Officer before taking on other roles like Task Force Commander, Chief of Staff, and Regimental Staff officer. He was then assigned to the Pentagon in the Army G3 Strategy, Policy, and Plans division during COVID, which he calls “painful, but the right spot for me.” He was then selected to Command 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry, in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Squadron command was “the best” and he felt that he had “influence on the Soldiers of the unit.” He attended Cav Leader’s Course, and he learned to manage Armor and Infantry populations. Reflecting on his career to this point, he considers the Army as “a group of Americans trying to do their best for the world,” and he is proud of his service and his career, but notes it is important to pass on wisdom. At the end of the interview, he discusses Post Traumatic Stress and the problem of suicide.