The Battlecry JANUARY 2012
THE OFFICIAL DEPLOYMENT MAGAZINE OF THE 172ND SEPARATE INFANTRY BRIGADE
The Battlecry JANUARY 2012
Editorial Team MAJ Joseph Buccino
Editor-In-Chief TF Blackhawk Public Affairs Officer
SSG Charles Crail
Layout Editor/Writer/Photographer TF Blackhawk Public Affairs NCOIC
SPC Robert Holland
Layout Editor/Writer/Photographer TF Blackhawk Public Affairs Specialist
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Letter From the Editor: A Winter’s Tale
ere in Paktika province, winter brings with it the more elegant, beautiful aspects of life. A cold calmness has blanketed the area for the past five weeks, presenting a curious peace. The winter freeze has slowed down our ability to move as well as the insurgents’ willingness to fight, bringing combat operations to a virtual standstill and allowing a reflection on both past and future. This issue is about this other, softer side of Paktika province, the land unseen in the sweltering summer months, the aspects so often overshadowed by the struggle that has savaged the landscape here. Within the context of previous issues of this magazine then, this issue stands out as an anomaly; no images of Soldiers engaging the enemy,
no stories about patrolling villages. What we provide here is a glimpse of the conditions on the ground for your Soldier and your unit. Within this winter enviroment, the brigade is focusing closely on training and partnering with the Afghan Army and Police, with the intent of developing their capacity for the impending fighting season. You will see these efforts represented in this magazine. We have also covered the return of Task Force 1-2. The Black Scarves just assumed a critically important area of operations in Ghazni province adjacent to western Paktika. They fall under the administrative control of Task Force Blackhawk and we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the com-
ing weeks and months. So, despite the weather, we continue to push on with our missions. Meanwhile, the days continue to roll by, the relentless onslaught of time bringing us closer to Germany, to our reunion with our Families. The calendar will continue to turn, winter will become spring then summer. Soon enough we will return to Germany, leaving Paktika and its wondrous duality behind. Enjoy this winter edition of our deployment magazine and know that next winter we will be where we belong: once again in the arms of our spouses, parents, and children.
Joe Buccino
Mercury Falling Against the white and grey backdrop of an Afghan winter, Paktika province comes alive. As always, the Battle Cry staff brings you there with images of January 2012.
In This Issue: 1 Marzak: A Begining to the End 24 Around the FOB 30 An Historic Event 35 Honor As a Path to a Successfull Marriage 44 Combat Marriage 50 Over 24” of Snow 54 Soldier Travel Update 58 Building Resilience 64 A Hero’s Welcome 68 Driver’s Training in Germany 72 Information Warriors 76 Let’s Celebrate! 80 Fighting Fire With Foam 81 A Rare Honor During War 84 Beautiful Paktika 86 A Milestone for Afghanistan 92 The Warrior Spirit 98 Over 30 Missions 102 Immersed in Winter 106 Noli Me Tangere 112 January Promotions
THE BLACKHAWK
MESSAGES FROM THE 172ND SEPARATE INFANTRY BRIGADE
COL Edward T. Bohnemann
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nother month has passed for Task Force Blackhawk here in Paktika Province and the Soldier’s focus and morale has never been higher. After many months of daily operations against a persistent insurgent force and continual partnering with our Afghan Partners, the fruits of our labor are being seen throughout the province. The Provincial Governor, the Provincial Council, and the Afghan Security Forces are beginning to provide effective governance and take responsibility for their security. Progress is often slow and measured in inches, but I can say we are on the right track and the insurgents are on their heels, having faced numerous
defeats throughout this past fighting season. While being deployed during the holidays is never an easy task, I want to say that the Blackhawk Family is stronger and more resilient because of the challenges that we have faced this past year. Our leaders at all levels, many with multiple deployments already behind them, have done a superb job wrapping their arms around their Soldiers and keeping them focused on the mission at hand. I would like to take this opportunity to again say “thank you” for the continued support all of the families and
friends of TF Blackhawk have shown to our deployed Soldiers. The endless supply of holiday treats is always welcome. To all that have their Soldier home for the holidays, enjoy the special time you have with you loved one, and to all that are separated from their loved one during this holiday, know that they are with their brothers and sisters of Task Force Blackhawk. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! BLACKHAWKS!!
Edward T. Bohnemann
BRIEFS
MARZAK
The Beginning of the End By SSG Charles Crail
“Waziristan is filled with thousands upon thousands of people who would fight the coalition. Focusing on killing 200 insurgents is not a healthy way to look at it. We need to focus on governance and improving the Afghan security forces.� COL Edward T. Bohneman, Commander, 172nd Infantry Brigade Wall Street Journal interview, Nov. 2011
Snow and rock crunch under the boots of the Apache Company Soldiers as they offload the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. At over 9,000 feet, with well over 100 pounds on their backs, even the small slopes they scale on the way to their objective feel like mountains. The tallest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze is only 500 feet higher than the base of the valley floor they now walk. The peaks surrounding them tower an additional 3,000 feet above, blotting out the stars of a moon-filled night. Their mission is to establish a new Afghan Local Police post in a clustered trio of villages collectively referred to as Marzak. From as early as March 2002, during Operation Anaconda, Marzak has been known as an insurgent stronghold.
Takur Ghar, the site of the famous battle that cost the lives of seven Special Operations personel earlier in the war sits just 6 kilometers from the village. As the Blackhawk Brigade deployed to Paktika this past summer, over 100 enemy fighters were engaged and killed a mere 3 kilometers from the village in a hellacious 36-hour gun battle. Before the week is over, 3rd platoon from Company A/2-28, Task Force 3-66 Armor would experience the full force of an Afghan winter, dance with the Taliban and witness a village turn away from the insurgency to embrace peace for the first time ten years. All without firing a single shot.
As the sun rises on the first morning of the operation, the task of establishing security is complete.
Marzak were repeatedly cut off from the rest of Afghanistan for weeks at a time.
Now the Apache Soldiers must work quickly to fortify their position in the heart of an insurgent stronghold. The roads leading into the Marzak Basin become impassible in the winter snow to U.S. armored vehicles.
With the forecast of blizzard-like conditions in the coming days, TF 3-66, brought in the needed supplies and equipment to sustain the small force of U.S. and Afghan Soldiers, not just for a matter of days, but for weeks.
The previous winter, the residents of
Multiple helicopter flights from
Sharana lifted in supplies each day, buttressed by low-altitude parachute supply drops from aircraft out of Bagram. From water and food to sandbags and concertina wire, fuel, heaters every conceivable item needed to create a combat outpost in the midst of a despotic mountain redoubt was furnished from the air.
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Village elders are the only way to influence the citizenry of any Afghan community. Their collective opinion, once voiced, can shape the actions of an entire village. LTC Curtis Taylor, commander of Task Force 3-66, believes counterinsurgency operations in Paktika province or as much political campaign as they are kinetic action. According to this vision, failure to reach a communal understanding is the greatest contributor to violence. CPT Jim Perkins, commander of Apache Company is intimately familiar with this holistic philosophy. While his men occupy themselves filling sandbags, storing supplies, and preparing for combat, Jim moves
into the village, initiating an open forum meeting with the village elders. Following the LTC Taylor approach to relational combat, Perkins serves as a mediator, offering both security and accountability to the people of Marzak. Promises are made, concerns are expressed, and a drawn-out feelingout process is underway. Thomas Barfield, anthropologist and Afghan cultural expert, calls this process “the Afghan Dance;� the initiation of agreement through high-context communication. Perkins, one of the more astute commanders in the brigade, appears to understand how all this works and his role within it.
The elders eventually express their willingness to work with the government. U.S. and Afghan forces are welcomed into the village as guests and their protection is guaranteed through the traditions of Pashtunwali, the ethical code of the Pashtun people. A short distance from the first formal shura, drums begin to sound and men flock to the rhythmic beat of an impromptu celebration. The village has collectively renounced the Taliban. In a show of defiance against the Taliban’s ban on dancing, the people dance in the streets to celebrate the coming peace.
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Any veteran of Afghanistan can tell you, never take verbal negotiations at face value the first time around. Like an onion, every interaction in Afghan culture is like pealing back a new layer of understanding. Encouraged by the intentions of the locals, Apache continues to fortify defensive positions and set in for a sustained operation. Hundreds of sandbags are filled and emplaced around the patrol base. Marzak is not easy duty; between guard duty and work details, Soldiers are left with little time for even sleep. Like an ambush in the night, the extreme weather ushers in a sickness that afflicts a few of the Soldiers. Doc Ski, company medic, works his magic to keep the boys afloat in their misery while their brothers pick up the slack and grind away at the digging, patrolling, and building.
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Life here, hard as it may be, remains an adventure and the experience of a lifetime. As directives of cooperation come down from the elders, locals begin flocking to the fringe of the new camp. Some are hired to gather firewood, others are hired as cooks for the camp by the Afghan Forces. Soldiers are treated to local Afghan cuisine fixed right before their eyes. Flat bread, rice, fresh lamb and goat stew and chicken all fill the menu. “You can always tell when the Afghans are about to cook,” quipped one camp resident, “Soldiers will gather around chain smoking as the Afghans slaughter the night’s diner.” A fascination and curiosity are well fed by the sights and smells. It is the rare Soldier who has seen his nightly meal in any other form than a plastic wrapped package from the local grocer.
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The day here passes quickly with night enveloping the valley. The Soldiers, exhausted from backbreaking work, come together around the fireplace, which serves as the social centerpiece of their camp. Work details filter in from the fields and surrounding camps, guards pass from their posts, frozen Soldiers drawn to the warmth.
The campfire serves as both a source of heat and a place to gather, joke and share stories. Afghan and U.S. Soldiers alike laugh with one another as they communicate through broken Pashtu, Dari and English. The workload and conversation bond both cultures into one warrior caste.
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Night in Marzak is time for sleep for some, for other the vigil of security continues. The darkness feels complete to the naked eye, but if one were able to stare long enough, capturing all the light of a minute in one instant, a whole new world materializes through the darkness.
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As each day starts anew, increasingly weary Soldiers awake and count the seconds until they are reunited with their dear friend ‘BOB’, the Big Orange Ball. The sun is always a welcome sight each morning. Despite below freezing temperatures, the sun’s rays always mark their presence with warmth and light. The local children move closer each day, not to beg for treats, but to help the American and Afghan Soldiers work. Soon, clusters of young boys are digging dirt and moving equipment with child-like efficiency and enthusiasm. After a few hours, work turns to play as snowball fights break out between shifts of filling endless sandbags.
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Late afternoons are always the same here; the skies turn grey behind a brutal wind chill. The Afghan boys scurry home as flakes appear. A flurry of snow forces Apache company to hunker down, while pulling security and recovering supplies from air drops. Their presence sends a clear message: the Soldiers of Apache company have come to stay, committed to the future of Marzak village, committed to defeating the insurgency that has enslaved the Marzak people for the past decade. The future of Marzak is undecided, but, in January of 2012, its people, fortified by Apache Company, Task Force Black Knights, are taking a stand against tyranny.
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Around the FOB The brutal winter weather severely restricts movement for all Soldiers around the province. As a result, the brigade is largely bound to operating bases and outposts. We bring you a snapshot of life on the FOB and COP in January 2012.
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An Historic Event 1-2 Infantry Battalion, Black Scarves
LTC Earl B. Higgins Jr.
CSM Brian Woodall 1-2 Infantry
1-2 Infantry
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e want to start out by wishing all of our Families a Happy New Year. We hope this letter finds you in good spirits. The Transfer of Authority ceremony took place on January 3rd between the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2nd Infantry Regiment at Forward Operating Base Andar in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. This was a historic event because it was the first time we have served in the same battle space with our sister battalion since Vietnam in 1970. Through our Task Force repositioning, we have been fortunate enough to gain an additional company and have successfully integrated Charlie Company, 9th Engineers into the Black Scarves family.
As many of you are aware, due to a force cap on all U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, we have redeployed eight Soldiers from TF 1-2 and five Soldiers from Charlie Company, 9th Engineers. The Soldiers returning home conducted themselves bravely and exceptionally while they were deployed, and we want to thank them and their families for their service. As we get settled in to our new FOBs, the living conditions are improving everyday with construction and projects that benefit the Soldiers’ morale. This
is a big priority for us, as high morale helps them focus on their mission and purpose here in Afghanistan. We received our Battalion T-shirts earlier this month and have begun to hand them out to the Soldiers who placed orders. The Soldiers were excited to receive their shirts because this gives them a chance to show their unit pride and they can wear them as PT shirts around the FOB. Another topic we want to discuss is rest and recuperation leave (R&R) for Soldiers who deployed late. We have received official word that leave is authorized for any Soldier who deployed prior to
September 15th. Unfortunately, the Soldiers who deployed after September 15th do not fit the criteria for the number of days “in-country” required to be able to take R&R. We held another successful video conference on January 10th with our FRG. I want to thank all of you for your participation and encouragement to our Soldiers. You can also see weekly updates and photos of your Soldiers on the brigade Scarves Facebook page. We want to thank all the Black Scarves families and friends for their unwavering support via emails, packages, and letters of encouragement.
Earl Higgins & Brian Woodall
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BLACK SCARVES
Honor as a path to a
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here is an alarming trend that I observe across Task Force Blackhawk: too many of our Soldiers and spouses are throwing their marriages away. Many more are content to let their marriage fail. And many are making decisions that will make it very difficult for their marriage to succeed after this deployment. Unfortunately, every deployment is filled with “Dear John” and “Dear Jane” emails (I doubt many write real letters anymore). That is an unfortunate consequence of this era of persistent conflict. However, the high divorce rate in our formation is not
directly tied to this deployment. Deployments certainly don’t make marriage any easier, but since many marriages do survive multiple deployments, it would not be fair to say that deployments are the reason for the increase in divorce I see across the brigade. The ongoing and frequent deployments certainly are not helping, but they are not the sole or even the primary cause for marriage dissolution in the United Stated Army in general and the 172nd Infantry Brigade in particular.
riage and working on their marriage ON A DAILY BASIS. Marriage is work every day. Even while deployed, I have obligations to work on my marriage and do all I can to treat my wife with the love and respect she deserves. On the day that I pledged my life and love to her (23 years, six months, 27 days and 7 hours ago) I took on a lifetime covenant to build my relationship with her. She did the same with me. It has not always been easy, but we have made it work.
The reality is that most marriages that fail do so because people (both spouses) do not spend enough time building their mar-
When I do marital counseling I tell couples that there is no such thing as a day off in marriage. Anytime you decide
successful marriage Story by Chaplain (MAJ) Kevin Forrester
that you do not have to live like you are married, you do harm to the marriage. It is critical that all of us understand the lifetime commitment marriage incurs requires us to work every day for the betterment of the marriage. The pay off for this work benefits us on numerous fronts. The more I work on my marriage, the more my marriage improves and the more I want to work to keep that going. The more I work on any given day, the less I have to do the following day. Conversely, if I take a day off from working on my marriage, I have to work harder the following day just to get things where they were. Now, if you are a relative newlywed, you may be asking, “What kind of work do you have to do in marriage?” Well, I have two recommendations. First, we must change our attitude about marriage. What I mean by this is that we must stop treating our marriage relationship as though it is a temporary relationship that can be ended any time I decide I no longer want to continue with it. That might work in Hollywood, but it does not work well in real life. This attitude is at the heart of much marital failure. When we decide to commit our lives to another “until death do us part,” we should sincerely mean it. An old church pastor of mine said once in a sermon on this topic that when we marry we must “throw away the parachute.” That means that we must decide going into the marriage that we are not going to bail out at the first sign of trouble or the 21st sign of trouble. We must commit that we are going to stay with it until the end. The second area I recommend you focus on involves that which we intentionally do to promote marital success. It is on this point that I want to devote the remainder of my space in this article. I believe one of the most important things I can do to show my wife how much I love her and how devoted I am to her is to spend great quantities of time showing her honor. Honor is a critical foundation to any successful marriage.
The word “honor” is familiar to all Soldiers today. It is one of our seven core Army values that every Soldier is taught throughout his or her Army career. In the context of the marriage relationship, honor is treating the spouse as more important than the self. It is a willingness to say to your spouse, “I choose to treat you as the most important person in our union.” Imagine what would happen in marriages when both spouses reciprocate that to each other. In the Bible, the Lord had this to say on this subject, “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” Honor is being willing to put the other first to the point you will gladly lay down your life for the one you love. When it comes to expressing and showing honor in a marriage, I believe there are three rules that should be followed if you desire to be successful in showing honor to your spouse. Rule one: make honor a daily commitment. If I am going to demonstrate to my wife every day how much I value her, it must be something I commit to do on a daily basis. If I am inconsistent with my willingness to show honor or my follow through in actually doing it, then I send a mixed message to my spouse. I will only confuse her and make her wonder how I really feel if I work hard to show her honor one day and do not do so the following day. Rule two: always observe the Ahhh Principle. This principle is best explained via an illustration. By the way, I must give Dr. Gary Smalley credit for this rule in showing honor. I give myself credit for the illustration. Imagine a full theater with a crowd waiting for a music show. Now imagine a man walking onstage pushing a cart that clearly had a covered object on top of it. Speaking into a microphone, the man asks the audience to direct their attention to the cart. Suddenly, the lights in the room go down and two spot lights in the back focus right on the object. The audience can now see that the object that is covered is about the size of a large chicken egg. The man on stage pulls back the cover. Then crowd is awed by the fact
that it is staring at the Hope Diamond, one of the largest diamonds in the world. You can imagine that the crowd gives off an audible involuntarily response, something similar to a hushed “Ahhh.” The Ahhh Principle with regard to marriage is really no different. What this principle means is that any time I am with my wife, talking to her on the phone, writing her an email, or talking about her to others, I should feel as though I am looking at the Hope Diamond. Captivated by her love and beauty, I should want to make an “Ahhh” sound. In the same way, she should always want to do the same when she is with me, talking to me or thinking of me. The Ahhh Principle is truly one of those marriage enriching principles that will always serve you well, and it is critical to showing honor to your spouse. Rule three: Leave no room in your marriage for acts that dishonor your spouse. Nothing will destroy honor faster in a marriage than intentionally showing dishonor to your spouse. There are many ways to show dishonor in a relationship and none of them are good for the marriage. Belittling your spouse is a clear act of such dishonor. Other examples include talking ill of your spouse to others, continuing to do things that you know your spouse does not like, rushing to negative judgment with your spouse, being harsh and critical with your spouse, treating others like they are more important than your spouse, not making time for your spouse, being self-centered, spending unnecessary time at work or with friends and many, many more things. All of these acts promote dishonor within a marriage. My dear readers, even during a deployment, there are multiple ways that you can show honor to your spouse. Deployment separation is not a viable excuse for not doing all that you can. Showing honor to your spouse requires just the opposite. It requires you to do all you can to show honor to your spouse no matter what the obstacles are that present challenges.
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Goddess of Dawn They move quickly across Afghanistan
liked winged beasts, leaping from one district to another, defying the mountains the mountains below. Like Eos, the Titan goddess, they ascend through the air at dawn, only to return home at dusk. They are the guardians of Paktika, protecting the Blackhawks and Afghans alike, soaring to the rescue at the notice of trouble.
A Tribute to MLK Blackhawk Soldiers gathered together at the Frontline Chapel Jan. 16 to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. Soldiers from the 172nd Support Battalion, 172nd Separate Infantry Brigade presented a special interactive reading of King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
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Combat Marriage
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Story by SSG Charles Crail
uring deployment, spouses are seperated by continents and oceans. One special marriage here in Paktika province is measured in mere miles.
had to rely on his mom and her mini-van for a ride to their first date.
1LT Andrew Hoffman and SPC Melanie Hoffman are currently experiencing their third deployment as a couple, though only their first with both on the front lines.
“We were chatting online,” Andrew finished for her. “We got into the conversation, you know, ‘I had such a great time. Yadda, yadda, yadda.’ What it came down to was, I really like you. Would you be interested in taking this further?”
“We met before either of us ever joined the military,” explained Andrew. Their friendship began as co-workers at Barnes & Noble in their hometown of Lynchburg, Virginia, before Andrew joined the Marine Corps. Then on a fourday pass over Valentine’s Day weekend quickly took a romantic turn. “It didn’t take long to get super serious,” Melanie recounted with a laugh.
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Andrew, as a poor new private
“Two weeks later. Exactly,” Melanie began.
“I told him that unless he sees himself marrying me,” Melanie chimed in, “Then don’t even mess with me because I don’t have the time to waste.” “And as they say,” Andrew said, “The rest is history.” Four months later the couple was engaged just before Andrew left for his first deployment to Iraq.
Recounting her experience from being at home while Andrew was away, Melanie explained that being in school full time and working full time kept her distracted. “Being the summer of 2004,” Melanie said, “communications were not like they are now. There was no Facebook, very limited phone access. It was mostly just email and messenger chat when ever we could.” “Sometimes it was two weeks before I would even get a phone call to say he’s ok,” Melanie said. “In fact there was this one time I called after mission,” Andrew remembered, “and in the background you can hear the ‘whoosh, boom!’ of incoming.” “This is when we still received regular indirect fire every day,” Andrew continued. “So we hung up with ‘I gotta go’ and I
remember thinking a few minutes later, what if that was the last thing we say to each other.” “I was at work at the time,” Melanie recounted of the incident. “That was the first time I really started freaking out.” Andrew returned from deployment unhurt and eventually re-deployed not long after for a second deployment with the Marines. Again the routine of deployment for the couple set in; talk when they could, try not to think about what-ifs. After returning from Iraq the second time in 2006, the Hoffmans were married and Andrew left the Marines to returned to school as part of the ROTC program. When asked about how she related to Andrew’s experiences on deployment, Melanie explained that she told him she would not pry, but would be available if he ever wanted to talk about things. She readily admits that she still knows less than half of what he went through in Iraq on those two tours. Over the years bits an pieces have emerged through conversations, but true understanding of what he experienced did not fully resonate until she joined the Army herself and they both deployed as part of the 172nd Infantry Brigade to Paktika, Afghanistan. As an intelligence analyst working in the Tactical Operations Centre, Melanie is painfully aware of all combat occurring throughout Paktika, and in real-time. Contrasting between her experience as a spouse playing the waiting game at home and her role here to provide immediate information and support to the fight, Melanie explains that both have their own sets of challenges and rewards. “Being here, I definitely now have a better understanding,” Melanie said. “I may know they are about to do a fire mission, or I know he’s on the gun line right now. It is so different.” “It’s one of those things, though, where you just have to keep your head in the game,” Melanie said of remotely watching events unfold around Andrew’s base.
“I need to focus on; what can I provide them, what assets can I provide to help them out? I can’t let myself think about the what-ifs, or anything like that because that is not going to get you anywhere but freaked out.” “At the same time, talking to him at night gives me a fresh perspective of my job,” Melanie said. “He can tell me what his guys need, what information they are looking for in a direct manner that helps me to better provide for the overall effort.” “In the end, I would rather be here where I can directly help him rather than being far-far away,” Melanie said.
“Then he [LTC Meyer] told me to punch him,” Melanie added with a laugh. “After I did he ordered me to give him a kiss too.” It is these bittersweet moments and shared experiences of deployment that help keep the bonds strong in this Army marriage, the couple agreed. So while beset with a different set of challenges being so close, yet so far, this Army couple is happy to have any little opportunity to be together in the war zone.
Despite being only a few dozen miles apart, visits remain infrequent, the couple explained while both in Sharana heading out on R&R. “I’ve been up to see him at Zerok a few times,” Melanie said. “But it is usually only for an hour or so.” “She was able to come up and pin my rank on last month when I got promoted,” explained Andrew. “I was ordered to punch him, then to kiss him,” Melanie joked. A tradition in the Army is for the individual promoting, and all higher-ranking individuals present, to give the promoted Soldier a playful punch of congratulations on the rank. A way of helping the new rank stick. “LTC Meyer stripped off my rank, and Melanie put on my 1st lieutenant,” Andrew explained.
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Distinguished Visitor On January 7th, GEN(R) Jack Keane, retired four-star general and former Army Vice Chief of Staff, visited the brigade to receive situational awareness on Paktika province. GEN(R) Keane, a national security analyst for ABC News, served as an advisor to the US military throughout the surge in Iraq. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for The Institute for the Study of War. .
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Over 24” of Snow 2-28 Infantry Battalion, Black Lions
LTC John V. Meyer III
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2-28 Infantry
appy New Year! I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season, despite the absence of your Soldier. Here in East Paktika, the members of our Task Force found creative ways to celebrate the Holidays with their Black Lion family. We enjoyed a feast on Christmas Day and Santa even made an appearance and gave out care packages. However you celebrated the holiday season, I hope it was special and meaningful. 2012 promises to be an exciting year for the Black Lions. We are currently focusing on keeping our Soldiers well-trained and secure as the winter weather sets in...and it has definitely set in…with over 24” of snow on some of our outposts. When spring arrives we will support our Afghan partners as they take the lead in security operations allowing the people to choose them, and their government, over the insurgents. We are also starting our preparation for this summer when the Task Force turns over East Paktika to our replacements and redeploys to Germany. Stay tuned to Task Force Shield and your FRG leaders for the latest information and timelines regarding our return. While there are probably wild rumors circulating about potential dates, please pay attention to the official sources, and disregard the speculation. I wish you all the best in the New Year, and we all look forward to a successful 2012! Love of Country Conquers!
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John V. Meyer III
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CSM Joseph C Cornelison
2-28 Infantry
couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments of your Soldier during 2011. Looking forward to 2012, I know that the members of this Task Force will continue to do great things and will certainly add to the legacy of the ‘Black Lions’.
Over the past year, this formation has succeeded under trying and difficult circumstances. In each and every endeavor, our Soldiers, under the watchful eyes of their NCOs accomplished extraordinary feats of arms. Their efforts have been in keeping with the great tradition of the United States Army, and I am proud to have served with each of them. Here at the halfway point of our deployment, rest assured that the NCOs of this formation are making sure our Soldiers keep their head in the fight. For any unit in combat, complacency is a dangerous enemy, and every leader in our formation is actively fighting it by adhering to good discipline and upholding our high standards. This Task Force has made a name for itself through ruthless attention to detail and enforcing standards at all levels. This will continue, since Soldier safety of the upmost important to all of our leaders. I’d also like to thank all of you who sent care packages our way over the holidays. These thoughtful gifts were greatly appreciated by all of our Soldiers, and certainly boosted morale. While it is the Soldiers in our Task Force that make it successful, the support they receive from all of you that is vital to keeping their spirits high, especially at this time of year!
Joseph Cornelison
BLACK LIONS
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Soldier Travel Update: New law benefits servicemen Story by Army News Service
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bill signed into law by the president Jan. 3 means Soldiers in uniform and their families may soon have an easier time moving through security screening lines at the airport. The “Risk-Based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act” c alls for development of a plan that will provide “expedited security screening services for a member of the armed forces, and, to the extent possible, any accompanying family member.”
and in uniform will be granted access to any expedited security screening procedures that have been developed, officials said. The new law calls for changes to be implemented within six months. Transportation Security Administration officials say the agency is now “in consultation with DOD,” and “is reviewing options for implementing procedures that will adhere to the new law.”
Already, the TSA had policies in place that help expedite the moveIncluded in that law are instructions ment of uniformed service memto consider establishing standards bers though the security screening process. Soldiers with proper for screening of military uniform items, including combat boots. identification are not required to remove their boots or shoes unless the footwear sets off screening Only service members on orders
equipment. Families of service members can obtain gate passes to go with service members to their departure gates to see them off, or to be standing at arrival gates when they get off the plane. Additionally, the TSA has worked with DOD to make it easier for injured service members to negotiate the screening process. The Military Severely Injured Joint Services Operations Center Program ensures that any screening is “conducted by TSA screening experts with empathy and respect in order to make the overall experience for the service member as expeditious and pleasant as possible.”
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Building Resilience Story by MAJ Joseph Buccino
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Soldiers receive quality training by experts on building mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual fitness in a complex combat environment. The Soldiers also conduct a shooting range in which they fire on the run in a stress-relief exercise. The faculty includes a physician, a psychologist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and senior NCO’s.
patterns in a fluid, stressful climate. Captain Laurel B. Coffey runs the sleep module and explains its utility thusly: “The training helps Soldiers to maximize the efficiency of their sleep, giving them a better understanding of how they can manipulate their routines so that they may experience the wide spread affects of adequate and restful sleep on their overall performance.”
Leaders across the brigade claim that one of the most consistently successful aspects of the program is the sleep module. This session educates Soldiers on the imporThe Task Force Blackhawk Combat tance of sleep in the operational Resiliency program is a four-day environment and the negative seminar in which selected Soldiers impact on combat readiness asare flown into FOB Sharana from sociated with sleep deprivation. Practical exercises focus the Solremote outposts in Paktika. Over dier on developing improved sleep the course of the four days, the
Captain Crystal L Giesel, the brigade’s physical therapist, works with Soldiers in the program, helping them develop workout and stretching routines that will allow their bodies to absorb the brutal punishment of the eastern Paktika mountain ranges. “An important part of injury prevention for our soldier is low back pain prevention, and so all the soldiers participate in
ombat in Paktika province is a decidedly stressful undertaking. Soldiers push their bodies, moving on foot over great distances, over unforgiving terrain. The emotion and mental stress of waiting to engage a relentless but elusive enemy takes its toll on the psyche. Separation from family adds additional pressure. The brigade’s chaplain, Major (CH) Kevin Forrester, oversees a unique program that seeks to proactively help Soldiers untangle the stresses of combat so they may continue the mission.
lumbar core strengthening exercise program that they can perform daily at their individual FOBs and COPs,” Giesel explains. “The Soldiers also learn a key stress management method through tactical breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation training.” In addition to the classroom exercises, the Soldiers get a chance to simply unwind in a low stress environment. They are afforded extra time to sleep and have some real leisure time. Specialist Robert Suarez, assigned to Alpha Battery, 1-77 FA, went through the Combat Resiliency program in December. He explained, “Being away from the stressors of combat was something that really helped me.” Sergeant Keith D. Johnson, Jr., the brigade’s chaplain assistant and
NCOIC of the Combat Resiliency Program, explains that the program represents, “…A great opportunity for Soldiers who live on remote, desolate COPs to be able to ‘take a knee’.” Johnson explains that… ”During the program each Soldier get’s their own room which a lot of them don’t have, take advantage of facilities with running water, do some physical fitness in the gym, eat some great food, meet new Blackhawk Soldiers and to catch up on some needed rest.” Forrester assumed the program is a carryover from Task Force Currahee, the previous brigade at FOB Sharana. “We took their program, assembled our facilitators and adjusted the program to fit the expertise of our leaders and worked to tailor it the needs of our Soldiers,” Forrester said. “We have
then taken the feedback provided to us from each iteration and continuously refined the program to make it better.” The brigade leadership evaluates and improves the program monthly based on feedback from the participants as well as company commanders and first sergeants. Upon returning to their COPs after the course, Soldiers have consistently reported that the program was of great benefit to them. Forrester explains: “It has helped many deal with their stress, and it has given them the tools to continue to deal with their stress.”
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A Hero’s Welcome 3-66 Armor Battalion, Black Knights
LTC Curtis D. Taylor
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3-66 Armor
anuary 2012 represents not only the start of a new beginning with a New Year; this month also marks the half-way point of our deployment. CSM Robbins and I are extremely proud of the Task Force as we pass this important milestone. In five and a half months of tough fighting we have permanently and irreversibly changed the environment here in Western Paktika. The government forces are now more involved and more capable than they ever were before and villages all across the area are offering their sons to fight against the Taliban. Universally, it is the Black Knight Soldiers and their Afghan counterparts who are recognized as the good guys by the locals. As we told your Soldiers last week during our Christmas tours, good units, like good sports teams, are not remembered for what they do in the first half of the game. It is our performance in the second half when we are tired and can see the light at the end of the tunnel that separates the best from the very best. As we start 2012, we need to re-double our commitment to each other and our dedication to the discipline and determination that has brought us safely this far. Thanks again for the love and support that you provide every day to the Black Knight Family. We could not do this without you! Happy New Year Black Knights!
Curtis D. Taylor
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CSM Daniel V. Robbins
3-66 Armor
irst, I would like to wish a Happy New Year to all Black Knights and their families. You are all dearly missed and we can’t wait to see you again. We have been receiving all of your letters and all of your kind words and thoughts let us know that we are missed and will be welcomed home upon our return. Your love helps us in our mission out here with our Afghan partners. I can’t speak enough praise for our Afghan counterparts here in Paktika. Your Black Knights have done an outstanding job training them and preparing them to take over security of western Paktika. Take pride in the fact that our soldiers will have a lasting impact in safety and security of this area. Due to a decreasing troop cap we have sent home our first group of Black Knights. Know that everyone has served admirably, and the decision to send these specific Soldiers home was a difficult one to make. We would like to ask those of you back home to give our returning warriors a hero’s welcome once they arrive. Congratulations to SSG Carmona and SSG Wolterman for their promotion to Sergeant First Class. Congratulations to SPC Cargill for his promotion to Sergeant.
Daniel V. Robbins
BLACK KNIGHTS
Driver’s training in Germany New program gives students, parents choices
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n a quiet street on Pulaski Barracks one recent Saturday morning, Michael Broccoli took the most important rites of passage in a teen’s life -learning to drive a car.
Under the watchful eye of a German driving instructor, the 16-yearold practiced driving up and down a stretch of the street in a small green standard transmission car. Like many American teens at U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, Broccoli faced a conundrum -how to get a driver’s license while overseas. Under current regulations and the status of forces agreement with Germany, students can’t get a license through U.S. Army Europe
like their military parents do. Consequently, teens are often forced to fly back to the states for a license or pay a steep fee at a German driving school. To address that issue, the Installation Management Command Europe and U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern now offer a comprehensive driver’s education program. “We don’t get a lot of things over here,” said Broccoli, who attends Kaiserslautern High School. “This is one thing that got better.” Launched last summer, Child, Youth & School Services now offers Kaiserslautern Military Com-
munity teens four different packages including a theory/driving simulator course, behind the wheel training, a combination of the first two options and a course that allows them to get a German driver’s license, said Shay Berchtold, School of Knowledge, Inspiration, Exploration and Skills director. Back in the States, teens with a valid German driver’s license are eligible for a driver’s license in 34 states, due to reciprocal agreements with Germany, she said. While the successful completion of the first three packages will not lead to a USAREUR driver’s license, it does fulfill the 50-hour driver education requirement that
most stateside agencies require prior to getting a driver’s license, Berchtold said. Families must coordinate directly with their home state licensing bureau to determine the complete requirements for that agency. Many insurance companies will also offer reduced rates to teens who have taken the course, she said. “We tell all parents to please call your state’s department of motor vehicle and insurance company and say this is what the class entails. They should ask the state agency or insurance company how will this benefit my child or help them obtain a driver’s license,” Berch-
told said.
way to university or college.”
The driver’s education course is a direct result of a teen Army Family Action Plan issue several years ago, said Steve Pelletier, the garrison’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation director. AFAP is a grass-roots effort that allows community members to identify and elevate quality-of-life issues to senior Army leadership.
For the students like Broccoli, who is pursuing the package that includes the theory and simulator class as well as the behind the wheel time, the opportunity to take the class was amazing.
“All the youth in Europe said it was putting them at a disadvantage over their peers back in the states who were getting permits at 15 or 16 years old,” Pelletier said. “Our youth were getting their driver’s license at 18 or 19 years old on their
Broccoli, who is taking the class along with his younger brother Nicholas, said the class and behind the wheel training is helping build a solid base of knowledge for him. “The simulator is pretty good,” he said. “It made me more comfortable when I got behind the wheel. But, I don’t think you want me on the streets quite yet.”
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Information Warriors
Radio Paktika provides truth to local population
Story by MAJ Joseph Buccino
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he fight for Afghanistan is as much a war of ideas as it is of bombs and bullets. From 1995 until 2001, the Taliban used Afghanistan’s geographic isolation against its population, keeping its citizens ignorant of information about social changes in the west. Afraid of a rehash of post-Soviet occupation chaos, the people of Afghanistan accepted the Taliban and its message. However, since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11, the citizenry, when given a choice, have always chosen the government over the Taliban. Since 2009, Radio Paktika, a small radio station operating out of the Paktika provincial headquarters, has provided truth to the citizens of
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Paktika, freeing the Paktika’s citizenry through factual information about the government, the coalition, and the Taliban. “We don’t exaggerate the facts, we just provide the news,” said Ali Muhammad Nazari, the station manager. “People here are always going to choose the government if they have a choice, as the Taliban is just so harsh.” Radio Paktika is an initiative started by United States during the beginning of the surge in 2009. Since then, Nazari has been broadcasting live for 15 hours every day, gaining hundreds of thousands of listeners throughout the province. “We play recorded poetry, music, and we give the news,” Nazari said,
explaining the show’s programming. Radio Paktika is now the most popular station in the province and serves as a very influential media outlet in a province with a low literacy rate and limited access to internet and television. Salem Najebullah, one of the stations DJ’s, explains the stations popularity. “In this area, most people really cannot get the news,” he said. “There is limited Internet and limited cell phone service here, so people are really not connected. The Americans give us reports from all media around the world and we broadcast them for the people. In this way, we are winning the bigger war, the one inside the mind.”
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Let’s Celebrate! 172nd Support Battalion, Black Talons
LTC Brad Eungard
CSM Terry Burton
172 Support
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et’s celebrate – It is 2012, and we are over the hump! YES! The Talon warriors have completed over half of their combat tour and continue to do amazing things in support of the Blackhawk Brigade. So as you ring in the New Year, ring loudly and enthusiastically… we’re halfway home! Let me pass on a few of the great events that happened here in December as we continued to work hard while taking time to celebrate the holidays. Significant mission highlights: HHC’s Support Operations Team continued to prepare all BDE units for the winter; the Combined Action Team (our embedded Soldiers with our Afghan partners) facilitated the next quarter’s training plan; A Co built a 240k gallon emergency fuel site for the FOB (HUGE accomplishment!) and moved the Ammo Supply Point to its new location on the FOB (ALSO HUGE!); B Co greatly improved our readiness status while executing its own change of command inventory; and C Co executed continued world class patient care and partnership training with our Afghan friends. VIPs: The Blackhawks had a rare honor near the middle of December – The Secretary of Defense visited us! Secretary Panetta spoke to a Blackhawk formation including over 50 Black Talons and complimented the Soldiers on their great courage and commitment as well as their selfless-service to the Nation. It was a great honor to watch the SECDEF present coins for excellence to our Soldiers. We also had the opportunity to welcome the USAREUR CG, LTG Hertling on the 8th of December. On 18 December, the Battalion held a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and featured songs sung by each of the companies. I joined the command
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172 Support group in the singing of “The Twelve Months of Deployment” sung to the familiar Christmas tune “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” I’ve included the lyrics to the song on the following page for your amusement. Many thanks to A Co for hosting our outstanding monthly MWR event – “Christmas in the Barn” and to the Battalion BOSS Representatives for helping us bring in the New Year with our own “New Years Eve Masquerade Party.” Let me say again, Congratulations for making it halfway through this deployment! CSM Burton and I are so thankful for the great team of Soldiers we have here in AFG and are also so thankful for the great families in Germany and the US who continue to remain strong and help one another during this deployment.
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Brad Eungard
would like to congratulate all of the Blackhawk Soldiers that were promoted to Specialist and Sergeant. Forty-five Black Talon Soldiers received the Army Achievement Medal for their meritorious service while supporting retrograde operations throughout Paktika Province in conjunction with Task Force Black Lions. These individuals performed courageously as Warriors and multifunctional logisticians. Together, as a family, we will finish the last six months of this deployment. I want to commend the women and men who volunteer to support the great units of our battalion on all of their efforts and hardwork. I also appreciate the support we continue to receive from all of our families in Germany. Please maintain a positive attitude. Your strength and ability to overcome all obstacles is amazing.
Terry Burton
BLACK TALONS
Fighting fire with foam Blackhawk Soldiers train on Macaw fire Suppression system
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Story by SSG Charles Crail
ire, a destructive by-product of war, is a constant theme of safety messages, the chief design component of Army uniforms and now a dwindling threat thanks to the Macaw fire suppression system. Blackhawk Soldiers from across the formation converged at Forward Operating Base Sharana to receive training on the new system Jan. 5. The Macaw provides versatile power in the world’s first totally independent Compressed Air Foam (CAF) backpack. More powerful than standard extinguishers, the multi-purpose Macaw can be used for fire suppression, exposure protection, hazardous materials clean
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up as well as decontamination. The Macaw multiplies the five gallons of carried water into as much as 350 gallons of finished foam through the unique Enviroshield expansion technology. The Macaw can shoot a stream of foam up to 40 feet enabling the user to maintain a safe distance from smoke, flame or heat. Developed for emergency response professionals, the Macaw has been deployed by military, fire professionals, hazmat teams and civilians alike. “This is a great system,” said SGT Stephen Davidson, E Troop, 5th Cavalary Regiment, who attended the training. “It is as easy to use as a fire extinguisher, but we get a lot more bang for the buck.”
As a driver conducting both mounted and dismounted operations in Eastern Paktika, Davidson said he is reassured knowing his unit will have the added fire protection offered by the system. “If we have a fire,” Davidson concluded, “be it a vehicle or building fire, it’s not like we can call the local fire department and expect them to arrive within 5 minutes. We operate in the most remote areas of Afghanistan. We have to be prepared to take on challenges and dangers head on ourselves. This system gives us that capability.”
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A rare honor during war Black Knights award their first SSG battlefield promotion
Story by SSG Charles Crail
espite ten years of continual conflict, battlefield promotions from sergeant to staff sergeant remain a rarity reserved for only the most outstanding of noncommissioned officers. On January 2, LTC Curtis Taylor and Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Robbins travelled to Combat Outpost Yousef Khel to bestow the honors for the first time since the brigade deployed on SSG Jim Mitchusson from Mark Tree, Ark.
“Sergeant Mitchusson is not only performing at a sergeant first class level,” Said LTC Taylor, commander, Task Force 3-66 Armor. “He has been serving in the position of a platoon sergeant for the past four months.” “You guys break a lot of stuff,” Taylor continued, “and if you are not breaking it, you are blowing it up. Mitchusson has been key in keeping this outpost operational and keeping you guys in the fight.”
Decorated for valor on a previous assignment, Mitchusson’s dedication to duty and his abilities as a Soldier stand head and shoulders above his peers. “The senior leaders of the battalion and brigade reviewed ten potential packets to receive this promotion,” said CSM Daniel Robbins, the TF 3-66’s senior enlisted advisor. “Mitchusson was without a doubt the fist and best choice.”
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Beautiful Paktika
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t is in the silent moments that the true beauty of Paktika province reveals itself. The sleepy landscape, the battle-weary elders, the crumbled buildings, all gather together to create an atmosphere of hushed dignity. One of the most remote provinces in the country, and one that witnessed staggering destruction during the Soviet occupation and the subsequent civil war, Paktika knows hardship. It also knows hope and its citizens know that one day soon, they will be rid of the violence that has defined their history, free to make a new future for themselves and their province.
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A Milestone for Afghanistan On January 5th, the Paktika Provincial Afghan Uniform Police, in partnership with the 9th Engineer Battalion, graduated the first ever AUP Non-Commissioned Officer academy. 88 AUP NCO’s graduated from the course, making this a landmark training event for the ANSF as they continue to focus on developing strong leadership in anticipation of assuming control of all security operations across the country. The course, designed by the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, developed the professionalism of the NCO’s, focusing on written reports, Afghan law theory, human rights, intelligence collection, and crime scene management. At the official graduation ceremony, Brigade General Dawlat Khan, the commander of AUP in Paktika province, lauded the training event. “This is the single-most important success in the history of the AUP,” said Khan. “Today is a milestone for security in all of Afghanistan.”
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A Pashtun Hero Brigadier General Dawlat Khan, the provincial commander of the Afghan Uniform Police, is a legend in Paktika province. Citizens respect him, policemen love him, insurgents fear him.
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“We are Afghans. We are Pashtun. We will kill the enemies of Paktika,� Khan told the graduates of the first-ever AUP NCO Academy January 5th.
AUP Training Trainees at the first-ever AUP NCO Academy conducted a security patrol exercise.
Graduating Class Policemen celebrate the historic graduation of 88 AUP NCO’s from the first-ever AUP NCO Academy on January 5th.
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Song for a Winter’s Night Task Force Blacknight Soldiers huddle around a fire at a patrol base during a peaceful night in Paktika proovince.
The Warrior Spirit 9th Engineer Battalion, Gilas
LTC Jayson C. Gilberti
9th Engineers
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down.
o the Friends, Families, and Fans of Task Force Gila, Happy New Year! This month we are enjoying watching the transition from Fall to Winter and watching the snow coming
Highlights from the month of December included our Christmas celebrations across the Task Force as well as the continued hard work and dedication of our Soldiers and Sappers toward the development of security of Afghanistan. Progress continues as we train our ANSF partners on critical Soldier tasks. Additionally, the newest members of the AUP NCO Corps were inducted during a combined graduation ceremony earlier this month, an event covered within this edition of this magazine. These NCO graduates are critical to developing enduring capabilities within the Afghan Police. Additionally, outstanding work continues as we repair and improve a major commerce route with Afghan National Army Soldiers. The improvements are paying huge dividends with the local population as well as developing the ANA enduring capacity. It is another great example of the progress being made here! I have had the privilege of seeing many of our Soldiers and Sappers throughout the previous month and am pleased to report that morale remains high and strong. Every day the Soldiers and Sappers of TF Gila demonstrate their hard work, dedication, professionalism, and commitment to excellence. They embody the warrior spirit, display discipline, and continue to make our Nation proud! Thank you for the amazing support throughout these recent months. We are grateful to you for your unyielding support and service alongside your soldier. You, too, have been supporting the mission these past five months. Best to all in 2012, and trust everyone has a safe and warm winter.
Jayson C. Gilberti
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CSM Jason W. Stewart
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9th Engineers
ello again from Paktika Province! We remain grateful for the tremendous support and generosity from back home as we continue our deployment. We have now reached the five-month mark of our deployment and great progress continues to be made by the hard work and sacrifice of your Soldier. You should be proud, as am I, of their continued hard work and dedication.
Highlights from the past month of December included our Christmas celebration across the Task Force as well as the continued hard work and dedication of our Soldiers and Sappers toward the development and security of Afghanistan. Progress continues as we train our ANSF partners in critical MOS skills and Soldier tasks. Additionally, the newest members of the AUP NCO corps were inducted during a combined graduation ceremony. The NCO graduates are a critical piece towards developing the ANSF rank structure and effectiveness of ANSF forces. Outstanding work continues to be done as a major commerce route is repaired and improved by a combination of our Soldiers and Afghan National Army Soldiers. The improvements are paying huge dividends with the local population as well as developing the ANA. It is another great example of the hard work and progress being made here! I have had the privilege of seeing many of your Soldiers and Sappers throughout the previous month and I am pleased to report that morale remains high and strong. Every day the Soldiers and Sappers of TF Gila are an example of hard work, dedication, professionalism, and excellence. They embody the warrior spirit and continue to make our nation proud! Deyra manana (thank you) everyone for your love and support. Your encouragement remains a source of strength for all our Soldiers, Sappers, Signaleers, Analysts & Collectors, and Policemen. On behalf of Task Force Gila we would like to wish you and yours a Happy New Year.
Jason W. Stewart
GILAS
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Over 30 Missions Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktika
Cmdr. Tim Young (USN)
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Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktika his past month has been quite an impactful one for Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktika. We’ve moved through the holidays and are now preparing for the beginning of a great 2012. On Christmas, I had the honor of handing out a Combat Action Badge, a Combat Medical Badge and looking on as one of our sailors earned a well-deserved promotion. I was also fortunate enough to be able to award Combat Infantry Badges to 10 of the best infantrymen in the New Jersey Army National Guard. After handing out the awards, I told our team that serving with them and leading this PRT is truly a privilege. I say this now to tell the families at home who didn’t have the opportunity to be with us physically on Christmas that this truly is an amazing team. We’ve had emotional highs and lows but we’ve managed to pull through all the challenges that have come our way. We performed more than 30 missions in December as we looked for new ways to guide and assist Paktika’s people and their leadership. A major venture we’re into now is that of reintegration. For the families at home who aren’t familiar with it, reintegration is where insurgent fighters such as those in the Taliban choose to come back to the officially recognized government of Afghanistan and live peacefully in their communities without fighting. The goal is to reintegrate these fighters back into society. This is a process that the Afghan national and provincial governments are pushing heavily, and it’s something the 172nd Infantry Brigade is supporting. Removing fighters from the battlefield leads to less violence and a more peaceful future for Afghans, especially children. At the same time we also continue to push agriculture initiatives to help the people grow their own food rather than importing it from other provinces and countries. The daily temperatures now may range from the mid 20s to low 40s here in Paktika, but the planting seasons are much closer than we think. In the U.S. and Europe, if we want food, we drive to enormous supermarkets with unlimited quantities of food. In Paktika, many people live season to season with very limited access to food. The PRT is helping to plant the seeds of knowledge with farmers here now so they’re ready when the weather warms. We’re doing this through agricultural shuras, or meetings. We have a lot on our plates, but we have no intention of slowing the great work we’re doing here. It’s a large task to be sure, but if anyone can get this job done, it’s this team. They always continue to impress me and do well by the PRT and the Blackhawks.
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Tim Young
CSM Edwin Rivera
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Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktika
s we say goodbye to 2011, I think back on all that we’ve accomplished in the last year. Over the course of approximately 125 missions outside the wire from FOB Sharana, the Soldiers and Civilians of PRT Paktika have taken great risks to reach out to remote communities and build relationships with Afghans throughout the province. During these past five months, we’ve engaged our Afghan counterparts, enabled partnerships that have strengthened the Afghan government and brought officials from the Kabul to populations that have never before had the chance to communicate with their central government representatives. This connection, we believe, is setting the stage for a successful transition to the next PRT just a couple of short months from now. PRT Paktika facilitated the construction of an important clinic in Sar Hawza District which provides access to medical treatment for populations across the province. We assisted with the refurbishment of the Sharana courthouse, providing a facility for the Afghan government to exercise the growing rule of law here. We also worked to improve the quality of the province’s economic corridors through road improvement projects, facilitating the movement of goods and services throughout Paktika. But perhaps more importantly than the tangible projects that PRT Paktika executed is the capacity that it has worked to build within the Afghan system. The PRT’s training and mentorship of the provincial and district governments has produced real progress; officials communicate more regularly and effectively with one another, better understand budgeting processes, and reach out to their constituents more frequently. In short, the Afghan government is stronger and better equipped to maintain peace and stability long after we are gone. We’ve had a great run thus far and I look forward to all that we’ll accomplish in 2012. Happy New Year!
Edwin Rivera
PRT PAKTIKA
Immersed in Winter 1-77 Field Artillery Battalion, Falcons First
LTC Christopher Cardoni
CSM Jerome S. Sligh
1-77 Field Artillery
1-77 Field Artillery
Happy New Year from all of the deployed Soldiers of Task Force Falcon! We are fully immersed in winter here in Paktika, having enjoyed our first snow during the first week of January. As 2011 gives way to 2012, we stop to reflect on all we have accomplished since arriving here in July. All the members of this formation can be proud of what they have achieved thus far. Our three firing batteries have saved lives and directly affected the outcome of numerous engagements with the enemy through their precise and timely delivery of fires. Throughout the month of December, all three batteries supported maneuver units with indirect fire as the brigade continued to seek out and disrupt the insurgent networks operating in this province. Now that winter is upon us, the Soldiers of the firing platoons will continue to hone their skills in
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preparation for the arrival of the new fighting season. Meanwhile, Headquarters battery continues to train our Afghan artillery partners with great success. We are on the verge of accomplishing something that has yet to be done in eastern Afghanistan: developing a self-sufficient Afghan firing platoon. By June of this year, HHB will have left a lasting legacy in this province. Though fighting has decreased with the recent cold weather, we are still hard at work and will remain so over the upcoming months until the unit returns to Schweinfurt. We are, as always, infinitely grateful for all the love and support from our families and friends. It is because of you that we are able to drive on in this great endeavor. Falcons First!
Christopher Cardoni & Jerome Sligh
FALCONS FIRST
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Noli Me Tangere Sister battalions reunite for first time since Vietnam
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Story by MAJ Joseph Buccino
heir reunion was 41 years in the making, in the insurgent-ridden district of Andar. Two infantry battalions from the 2nd Infantry Regiment have been separated by duty rather than choice. The last time they met, they spent more than four years battling the Vietcong in South Vietnam. This time, their reunion was brief and marked by ceremony. The morning was crisp Jan. 3, as Task Force Blackhawk’s own 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment took over the battle space from the 2nd Battalion, who had just finished a year-long mission in Afghanistan. “I hope what we’ve done here has meant something,” said U.S. Army LTC Alan Streeter, 2nd Battalion commander. “I hope we’ve established a foothold which our sister battalion can now exploit.” The soldiers from the 2nd Battalion returned home to Fort Knox, Ky., where the battalion falls under the 1st Infantry Division. Streeter’s soldiers have had a trying year pushing back belligerent insurgents in Andar and Deh Yak, the two Ghazni Province districts that make up the battle space the 2nd Battalion is relinquishing to the 1st Battalion.
Things weren’t much easier in the fall of 1965 when the battalions first deployed to Vietnam. But it was in that coastal nation, embroiled in civil conflict, that the battalions further forged their regiment’s legend. Vietnam was where the 1st Battalion got its “black scarves” moniker. While searching Lo Go Village, 1st Battalion soldiers seized a bounty of black cloth, used to make enemy uniforms. The battalion commander ordered the cloth be cut into dozens of scarves, so he could distinguish his men from other Soldiers in the division. Recently, the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Battalions gathered together one last time to prepare for battlespace changeover and continue the mission.
While some came to the ceremony out of formality, others came to witness history. “This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said 1st Battalion CSM Brian Woodall. “It’s possible that you may never see those two guidons together again.” After the ceremony, the last of 2nd Battalion’s soldiers waited to leave Andar, bound for home, on a CH47 Chinook helicopter. As the bird lifted off with Andar’s sand and stone quickly dwindling underneath them, they could breathe a little easier knowing their old battle space was in their sister battalion’s capable charge.
For 1st Battalion commander, LTC Earl Higgins, Jr., who has known 2nd Battalion commander Streeter since the two were lieutenants, the moment is all the more poignant. “I’m able to assume a battle space from a friend and continue the hard work that the battalion has already carried forward,” Higgins said. “It’s particularly poignant that during the war of our generation, 10 years after 9/11, our colors are reunited,” Higgins continued.
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Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment prepare to board helicopters for an air assault, 1967.
An 81mm mortar section from Bravo company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment carry ammunition at FIre Support Base Lorraine II, 1967.
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The Legacy of the Black Scarves Task Force 1-2 in Vietnam S
Soldiers from Charlie company, 1st Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment patrol in a defoliated area of the the Michelin Rubler Plantation, 1967.
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To Sergeant
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To Staff Sergeant
Congratulations to the following Task Force Blackhawk Soldiers promotoed this month to the rank of Sergeant:
Congratulations to the following Task Force Blackhawk Soldiers promotoed this month to the rank of Staff Sergeant:
Glenia Olivera Derrick L. Hunter Bret J. Rafalski William T. Smallwood Daniel J. Bacino John R. Taschke Michael D. Valdez Eugene Thomas Kyle R. Taylor Michael E. Gallegos Cory T. Cargill Jacob F. Larson William R. Booth Peter D. Morris Dimitri D. Winston Petra Galeanavasquez Jose A. Mercado-Guzman Anthony P. Maldonado James D. Staples Carlos G. Martinez Jason C. Goodman Zachary L. Mize David J. Norbut Garigil A. Samson Alfredo A. Ganigan Stephen R. Davidson
Jaime L. Diaz Timothy E. Hinman Dorje A. Mecca Ross A. Meade Waldemar S. Swierczek Stewart D. Burkey Joel D.Figueroa Michael A. Anthony
To Sergeant First Class
Congratulations to the following Task Force Blackhawk Soldiers promotoed this month to the rank of Sergeant First Class: Wilbert Carmona-Santiago Jeremiah D. Kelton Vincent J. Wolterman
January Promotions