SFAT TEAM 33 NEWSLETTER Teamwork and Accomplishments
Special points of interest: Each Page. Team Leader “Teamwork and Accomplishments” NCO’s “Work Hard and Play Hard”
Hello for the second time!
“Tomahawk Squad-Leader” Your Soldiers Pics
As you know this is our second installment of the Team Bushmaster Newsletter. This one is a little behind due to the fact we moved back at the end of June, to our more permanent home at the JRAC. First off I want to thank all the families and friends for sending the care packages to the Soldiers. The moral always goes up when they see a truck full of boxes and mail. Please keep doing what you are doing and sending stuff this way! As you know the weather is really heating up over here so temper your goodies with non-melting stuff. I’m very proud of the work Team Bushmasters put into this minideployment. We were only gone for a little over a month but the amount of teamwork and accomplishments these guys have completed is most impressive. Because we are the first team of this type, we had to literally “cut and pave” the road. Several of the pictures are from the “construction phase”. The Team gathered the equipment needed to get up and running. This included getting a big tent, the flooring, tables/ chairs, the air conditioner/heater unit, wired for electricity, and wired for computers. This was just the big stuff, there are many other smaller details like doing our actual mission we will hit later.
MAJ Crooks with His Fathers Day gift...11pm Coffee?
These guys were impressive! Each Team member brought a unique skill set which helped out the Team. We had carpenters, electricians, chief of acquisitions, and general laborers. Could not have done it all without a team effort. The Team built a Command Post (CP) for which we could work, plan and conduct operations out of. Very impressive considering the limited time and resources we had to work with. In true fashion, these NCO’s and Soldiers got the mission accomplished! Not only did Team Bushmaster build a CP, but also conducted partnered operations with our Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP). Our SFAT staff worked with the ANCOP staff to plan operations, track fuel consumption, work with their maintenance elements and much, much more. We had several team building events with our ANCOP partners to include volleyball games, soccer games, night Chi
BUSHMASTERS
Operation Enduring Freedom 2012-2013
Volume 1, Issue 2 1 July 2012
Page 2
SFAT TEAM 33
NCO’s Work Hard and Play Hard Greetings, to the Family and Friends of SFAT Team # 33, another month has passed us by. The Team completed
The team getting in some physical fitness during a cool evening with an Afghan-lead game of soccer.
our integration with our ANCOP counterparts the past month along with completion of our first mission with them for their “Green” cycle. I couldn’t be more pleased and proud of the work and effort put forward by the entire team the past month as we confronted and overcame many obstacles. As our Afghan counterparts take the opportunity for some deserved time off. The team will also get the opportunity for some well deserved rest and recovery. As we look to the future, we will be placing the emphasize for our Afghan counterparts to take “The Lead” with our advice and guidance. This advisory role is a very important goal to help the country of Afghanistan move
Teams picked. We are READY!!!?
forward to support themselves with minimal effort from the U.S. Forces. We all appreciate the thoughts and prayers from home. They always keep our spirits high and help maintain the
Tomahawk Squad Leader
mindset of what we are here for. I would like to take the opportunity to extend my own thoughts and prayers to our fellow SFAT friends and families that are currently affected by the wild fires in Colorado. I hope everyone has a good and safe 4th of July Holiday and take the opportunity to remember what the day is for, Independence, as that is what we as Soldiers are doing for the Country of Afghanistan. God Bless. SFC Richard Darrow SFAT Team 33 NCOIC
My name is SGT Hooper; I am the Squad Leader for the security squad attached to SFAT team 33. We are an Infantry squad from B Co 1-23 IN 2ID TOMAHAWKS!!! We were attached to the team about 6 weeks ago and it has been a great experience so far. The team welcomed us and our integration was fast and easy. Since we joined the team we have moved to the JRAC and then out to a larger FOB to work with our ANCOP partners. The Soldiers have enjoyed working with the ANCOP and have spent a lot of time LT Horvath, SFC Darrow, MAJ Crooks and CPT Martin discussing future training with their Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) Counterparts
with them. Many hours of playing volleyball, eating Afghan meals and enjoying Chi tea. We all look forward to the remaining deployment with SFAT 33.
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Volume 1, Issue 2
Your Soldiers PICS Fathers Day in Afghanistan. 1LT Ostruske gladly opens his care box.
Tyson and SFC Caldwell stop to take a picture before going into the PX.
SPC Rani and his new ANCOP buddy.
Teamwork CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1:
I honestly feel we’ve built a great relationship in a very short amount of time. I know the Team will never forget some of these events like the volleyball games. The ANCOP would kick our butts with just a couple of their guys. They had a guy who would spike the ball like a pro, but was only like 5’8’’. Our work over here has not all been sports and playing. Team Bushmaster and ANCOP spent time on the road visiting their checkpoints. We’ve visited with all the ANCOP leadership at each checkpoint and developed fixes with our Team and the ANCOP leadership. This is truly what the mission is, to develop fixes that are Afghan sustainable and ideas that are Afghan generated. Two pretty simple things that our Team is charged with.
CW2 Johnson is politely being asked not to leave at one of the ANCOP areas.
As this newsletter is wrapping up, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families at Fort Carson, CO that are affected by the wild fires. Thanks for all the families and friends who support the Troops. If you have comments or recommendations, please feel free to send them to me at Kevin.crooks@us.army.mil . If you would like to add another family member or friend to the Bushmaster Newsletter, please send me the email address. Thanks again and have a Steel Warrior day! Kevin Crooks Major, United States Army Team Leader
PFC Morris getting ready to drive his assigned vehicle.
Your Soldiers PICS SGT Bashant
SGT Hooper, congratulates newly promoted Private First Class Guerrero-Vazquez 1 July 2012
Giving the Peace sign after working a long twelve
SPC Buckland wondering if there can be any more room on this ANCOP 4x4?
hour shift.
SFC’s Hard at WORK!!? SFC Caldwell and SFC Darrow 1LT Schwen pondering if he should play some
SPC Rani, and SGT Bashant, play basketball against some fellow US Soldiers and Civilians during their time off. SPC Rani took it to the hoop many times from DOWNTOWN!!!
basketball
PFC Ford and SPC Rodriguez
PFC Page is ready for group photo
take a
SGT McWilliams
with three Team 33
break from
caught on camera
Interpreters
running internet
CPL Johnson
CPT Martin observing
with his new
the training
sunglasses
map that
on waiting to
the
start ANCOP
ANCOP has displayed
joint training.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY’s JULY SGT Bashant 12 July PFC Guerrero-Vazquez 21 July
Got Mail for your Soldier
1LT Horvath
First Name, Last JRAC SFAT TEAM 33 APO-AE 09355
Wishing SFC Caldwell Happy Birthday!!?