Babylon official heading to Afghanistan

As a government official, Babylon Town Councilwoman Jackie Gordon has made a promise or two.

But as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve about to lead her battalion in Afghanistan, Gordon's promises have taken a decidedly different tone.

"We are going to go overseas; we are going to do a great job; and we're all going to come home," Gordon told the crowd gathered at Farmingdale State College for the deployment of the 310th Military Police Battalion, which she commands. "I could not be more proud to lead these soldiers. . . . I trust them with my life, and believe me, family members, you can trust me with theirs."

The ceremony featured a crowd of hundreds, including soldiers, their families, and officials such as Reps. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills) and Peter King (R-Seaford).

Col. Alan Nalbandian, commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade, said this deployment -- Gordon's fourth -- will be more stressful because it's her first time as commander. But he said Gordon has "her finger on the pulse of that battalion. She's a leader, not a manager; and that's what the Army needs."

Gordon, 47, has commanded the Uniondale-based 310th since 2010. Gordon said 140 members of the battalion are scheduled to head Thursday to Fort Bliss, Texas, for weeks of training before going to Afghanistan. They are shipping out six months after President Barack Obama announced plans to withdraw a third of the 100,000 troops serving in Afghanistan by this summer.

Gordon, of Copiague, is also leaving her post as a guidance counselor for Western Suffolk BOCES.

Born in Jamaica, West Indies, she has been in the Army Reserve since 1984 and on the town board since 2006. Retired Councilwoman Ellen McVeety will fill in for Gordon.

Spc. Sarah Duque, 22, of Levittown, described Gordon as a "phenomenal" commander, who spends one-on-one time with soldiers, "taking time every day to get to know us."

Duque said Gordon used her own money to buy every soldier hand warmers during a training exercise in freezing temperatures at Fort Dix, N.J. "You don't see officers do that," Duque said. " . . . But she's tough, too. We all feel safe going over there with her."

Gordon said this deployment is different from others in that she's known for more than a year, compared to having had as few as four days to prepare in the past. She served in Germany during Operation Desert Storm (1991); Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (2002); and Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003).

The extra months, she said, gave her more time with her children, Kerrianne and Augustus Gordon-Davy, both in their 20s.

Gordon said she's taking two good-luck charms with her: a dog tag with a hole in it from a Vietnam veteran whose life was saved by the metal, and a tiny stuffed angel dressed in camouflage. "I keep it here, on my belt," she said. "It's always with me. Always."