Elkridge Marine Among First Tanks in Afghanistan

When Sgt. Todd Cross of Elkridge, rolled into Afghanistan on a tank, he made history.

His crew—of the Delta company, 1st tank battalion, 2nd Marine division—arrived in January 2011 on the first U.S. tanks ever to enter Afghanistan territory. Here's what Cross, who grew up near Route 1 and Waterloo Road, had to say about his experience overseas.

What do you do over there?

I'm on the tank crew. I’m a gunner, so I operate all the weapons on the tank, but I work for the company command...so I'm in charge of two tanks and their crews. We’re here with 100 marines. 

And a tank crew does...?

We’re the guys that are always dirty, that are always in pretty rough situations. Your average Marine company carries one to two weapons. We carry at least four weapon systems plus our own personal stuff. We bring a lot of different things to the fight.

How is morale?

We’re excited to be here. We’re the first-ever U.S. tanks in Afghanistan, so we kind of walk around with our chests poked out. It’s a big privilege for us. A tank is a big asset to have on a battlefield. It brings a whole lot of power and a lot of things to the fight. A lot of people look up to you. It's a fun experience. Morale is pretty high. You have four people to a vehicle so you get real close—it’s really like another family.

How have Afghani people responded to the tanks?

People seem to be standoffish, not so much scared, but when they see you coming down the road, they get out of the way. They don’t really know what it is, but they don’t really want to be around it at the same time. The ones that see it on a daily basis, I would venture to say that they respect the tank.

How long have you been in the Marines? 

Six years. A friend joined in high school [Long Reach High School], and I thought, if he can do it, I can do it. I initially joined as a reservist...but I loved it so much, I wanted to active duty and so they allowed me to do that.

What's it like conducting your mission?

It’s a rough way to live for some people. We respect the little things and we just focus on the mission—what’s ahead of us, taking care of each other and coming back home. 

Are you done after the deployment ends?

I’m pretty sure me and Afghanistan will be seeing each other again.