Thunder Times A Bi-Monthly Chronicle of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team Volume 2
THIS ISSUE From the Top Current News
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Frontline Frames
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Play It Safe
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Chappy’s Chat
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From the Front
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Meet Your Team
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Parting Shot
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155th ABCT FAMILY READINESS 24 HOUR HOTLINE 601-313-0155
Issue 4
February 15, 2019
FROM THE TOP K e e p i n g track of the exact location of Soldiers is an important responsibility of Non Commissioned Officers. Every Soldier has a first line leader they must report Lt. Col. Carlin Williams to and keep Commander, 2-137 IN informed. The information flows up from the squad, through battalion, to brigade, through division, and finally to Army Central Command who keeps track of the exact location of every Soldier. Every battalion tracks their Soldiers between multiple locations, not only across a single area, but often times across five or more countries during this deployment. It is no surprise that accountability is a daily challenge to get it right. Some things never change. General Washington’s S1, referred to as the adjutant during those times, had the same challenges. A letter, dated November 1776 from a lieutenant who worked for Washington’s Adjutant, stated “If I have learned anything from Colonel Pickering, it is the need for better troop accountability and reporting... Most companies rely on their First Sergeants to
know who is Enlisted and who is gone on leave or duty elsewhere.” We cannot forget about accountability, especially as we get ready to demobilize and go home. While we will no longer be concerned about tracking locations, first line leaders should still be concerned with their Soldiers’ wellbeing. Soldiers may encounter issues when returning home after being gone for almost a year. Some will be happy to return to civilian life, while others will discover they miss the connections they have made here while deployed. Situations at home will be different and reintegration may not be stress-free. This is why it is important that leaders from sergeants to commanders remember to reach out and take accountability of their troops. Soldiers should call their battle buddy. That call or visit to a Soldier will make a powerful impact and be a show of support. We may not be required to report twice a day on everyone’s location, but it is still important to check-in to make sure that everything is okay. Good deployment or bad, everyone here has made some strong bonds. So don’t forget to pick up the phone and check-in. Talk to someone if you need some help or reach out to someone that may need to hear your voice. First Kansas! VOLUNTEER 6
CURRENT NEWS Mississippi National Guard Soldiers of the 155th ABCT continue their hard work in pursuit of the Air Assault Badge! In this photo, Guardsmen had 90 minutes to complete a six mile road march. (Photo by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
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FRONTLINE FRAMES
Spc. Cecil Wagster, 1-98 CAV, right, re-enlists in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter over Taji, Iraq. (Photo by Spc. Madelyn Sanchez)
1-18 CAV Troopers conduct unit live-fire drills at the Joint Training Center in Jordan. (Photo by 1st Lt. Jack Scippa)
S A F E T Y
Sgt. Ryan Marsh, a sniper with 2-137 IN, performs dry fire drills prior to aerial sniper training at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
A 155th ABCT Soldier participates in physical fitness exercises during the Air Assault Course at Camp Buehring. (Photo by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
Physical Injury Prevention A critical aspect of injury prevention is being aware of personal factors that increase your chances of being injured. Factors to be aware of:
• A previous injury makes you more prone to re-injury of the same part • Being overweight or underweight (compared to a healthy BMI) • Smoking, drugs, and alcohol use can slow bone and tissue healing
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CHAPPY’S CHAT 2 Timothy 4:7 reads “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Over the last nine months, the Soldiers of the 155th have done numerous great things. These Soldiers have worked hard, kept the faith, and done an outstanding job with each Capt. Alton Harvey and every mission they’ve Chaplain, 150 EN been assigned. It makes me proud to be a member of this brigade and serve alongside these outstanding Soldiers across its formation. For that, their reward is a trip home knowing that they have gone above and beyond the call of duty.
As these Soldiers make their valiant returns home to their loving families, they will be met with warm welcomes and new challenges. For the last nine months, your families have altered their lives and made things work in your absence. As you return, take things slow and ease back into it. Be patient and remember they have had to do some things different than what you may have been used to. The ability to call or FaceTime has been a treasured resource during this deployment but it cannot take the place of your physical presence. Cherish your time with your loved ones and do your best to shape expectations beforehand. These will be some of the most joyful moments you will ever experience. It has been an honor, God Bless each and every one of you.
Ch. Harvey
Miss. Guardsmen Partner with Omani soldiers for “Inferno Creek 19” Story by Sgt. Linsey Williams THUMRAIT, Oman--Just 80 kilometers from where the waves of the Indian Ocean crash onto the shore is a rocky desert outpost in Rabkoot, Oman. For a few weeks annually, U.S. and Omani Soldiers train there, side-by-side, gaining shared understanding of each other’s tactics, techniques and procedures. Exercise Inferno Creek 19 is one exercise of many taking place in Southwest Asia designed to strengthen defense relationships and build partner capacity. Task Force Spartan, a multi-component organization that supports operations in the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, regularly participates in exercises with partner nations in the region. In the last year alone, Task Force Spartan Soldiers have worked with troops from the Gulf Coast countries of Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Egypt and others. They are currently focused on training with their Omani partners. “This is the eighth month of our deployment. We’ve been able to train with our Jordanian partners, local partner forces in Syria as well as the Kuwaiti Land Forces,” said U.S. Army Capt. Charles Woods, commander of Mississippi National Guard’s Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 198th Armored Regiment, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team. “For our guys, it’s a great opportunity to see how the Omanis work differently than other countries.” Back in the offices of Thumrait Air Base, battalion staff from both armies coordinate military decision-making processes and design the training plan that will lead to a culminating live-fire exercise. Junior Soldiers participating in the exercise continue to build cohesion and readiness by spending hours at the range firing their weapons and performing dismounted maneuvers at the company level and below. “For this mission we just ran, we were the support by fire element,” Spc. William McBride explained after a live assault runthrough. “It was a blast. We ran two gun teams: an Omani team and an American team. We worked really well together; when we
[ran out of] ammo, we were able to use some of their rounds, and it just worked beautifully.” Exercises like Inferno Creek enhance military readiness in the region, increasing responsiveness and building strong and productive relationships with partners and Allies. “I think it’s important that we’re ambassadors for the U.S. and that they know they can work with Soldiers,” Woods said, speaking of the Omani troops. “That we’re approachable; that they know some of our [tactics, techniques and procedures]; how we operate and that they’re comfortable if they ever need to work with us in the future, either in a bilateral exercise, a multilateral exercise or in combat —that they’d be doing that [alongside] us.” Now, under command and control of the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, Task Force Spartan and U.S. CENTCOM continue the momentum of the past year, further collaborating on plans for more multi-lateral exercises in the region. “Being able to have that experience under our belt is going to help us further down the road if we deploy,” said McBride. “We’ll know how to handle language barriers and working with a different culture and be able to slip into that role a little more smoothly than we would otherwise.” Exercise Inferno Creek 19 is a recurring exercise designed to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. military and the Royal Army of Oman. It is an opportunity for both countries to build tactical proficiency in critical mission areas, to gain shared understanding and to support long-term regional stability. A 2-198 AR Soldier listens as his Omani counterpart discusses movement and maneuver tactics.
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Meet Your Team I am Capt. Matt McCann. I am the Brigade Aviation Officer for 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team. I am rated on the AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter and the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Scout Helicopter. As the Brigade Aviation Officer I advise the brigade commander on utilization of attack and lift rotary-wing assets, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to include RQ-7 Shadow and RQ-11 Ravens. I also coordinate effects for mass fires into engagement areas involving aviation assets as well as coordinating MEDEVAC and CASEVAC integration into training and operations. I ensure that airspace is
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PARTING SHOT
deconflicted when artillery fire missions are in effect on the three-dimensional battlefield. My section is the Air Defense Airspace Management and Brigade Aviation Element (ADAM/BAE) and is comprised of Aviation Officers (15A), TACOPS Officer, Air Defense Officer (14A), Air Defense Systems Integrator (140A), UAS Officer (150U), Air Defense Systems Operators (14G), Aviation Operations Specialist (15P), and Air Traffic Controller (15Q). Coordination in our section, with other brigade and battalion staff, insures the commander has the best, most up-todate information to make the most informed decisions in all aspects of the 3-D battlefield. Capt. McCann
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PUBLISHED BY THE 155TH ABCT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE PAO - 1st Lt. Terry Hill II PAO NCOIC - Staff Sgt. Michael Williams Spc. Jan Wolfisberg and Cpl. Alexander Yucatonis earned a maximum score of 300 on their APFT during the Basic Leader Course at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by 1st Lt. Terry Hill)
PA SPECIALIST - Spc. Jovi Prevot
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