Issue 102 July 19, 2012
Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
MFLC surge to support Soldiers, Families Story by Sgt. Ruth Pagan 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., PAO
Soldiers with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division will have the opportunity to speak with a Military and Family Life Consultant July 23 through Aug. 22. MFLC is an organization designed to help Soldiers and their families with nonmedical counseling services such as anger management, conflict resolution, relationship issues, deployment stress, coping skills and many more. Every brigade has one MFLC assigned, but to help overcome and prevent any problems that may arise after a deployment the brigade will receive 20 additional MFLCs so that every Soldier will have the chance to see a counselor. The MFLCs will be disbursed throughout the battalions. “The consultants aren’t there to solve problems; they are there to get Soldiers to open up and then direct them to other agencies
where they can get help,” said Chief Warrant Officer Marshall Codd, the operations management team chief with Company A, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. The MFLCs are there for Soldiers and their Families to talk to in a one-on-one setting. Soldiers can talk about anything that may be bothering them or ask questions. Every session is confidential. “It’s another great tool to catch some problems that Soldiers are having,” Cobb said. “If one life is saved by doing this, then it is all worthwhile.” Each battalion will also be assigned a personal financial counselor. The PFCs provide financial counseling tailored to the individual and family. Soldiers can receive advice on financial planning, budgeting and savings. Guidance about making appointments to see a MFLC will come down through the battalion chains of command.
Staff Sergeant Jonell Ventura, armor crewman, Company C, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., holds his son during a Welcome Home Ceremony at Fort Carson’s Special Events Center May 7. Ventura recently returned from a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 11-12.
204th Brigade Support Battalion Change of Command
Lt. Col. Todd Bertulis, outgoing commander of 204th BSB; Col. John S. Kolasheski, commander 2nd BCT; Lt. Col. Charles Gatling, commander of 204th BSB, salute the battalion colors during the Change of Command ceremony July 17.
Lt. Col. Charles Gatling, commander of 204th BSB, prepares to give his first command to the battalion after accepting command from Lt. Col. Todd Bertulis, July 17. The 2nd BCT commander, Col. John S. Kolasheski, oversaw the event.
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Warhorse Pride
Issue 102 July 19, 2012
Warhorse shares knowledge during umbrella week Story by Maj. Kevin Toner 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., PAO
Warhorse is a learning organization, but during the week of July 16 it became an outfit dedicated to teaching. Agencies and organizations from across the Army descended upon Fort Carson this week to meet with Warhorse Soldiers, from private to colonel, and from every Warhorse unit, to collect insights about the Warhorse approach to both mission preparation and mission execution in Afghanistan. “Umbrella Week” is an Army requirement following a unit’s deployment to be completed before Soldiers move to new duty stations. This dedicated week focuses units on sharing
Warhorse Pride Col. John S. Kolasheski.................2nd BCT Commander Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa............2nd BCT CSM Maj. Kevin Toner............................................2nd BCT PAO Sgt. Seth Barham..............................................PAO NCOIC Sgt. Ruth Pagan..................................Layout and Design Sgt. April York......................................Layout and Design
lessons learned to better prepare other units for their deployment. “In the past, Army & Joint agencies would visit a redeployed unit over a much longer, dragged-out period of time,” said Bruce Hoover, the 4th Infantry Division Center for Army Lessons Learned liason. “Agencies often missed speaking to key leaders and key-position Soldiers because they had already moved on.” “Now, under this concept called Umbrella Week, the Army directs agencies to visit during a single, dedicated 5-day week,” said Hoover. “This new scheduling approach maximizes sharing, collection, and learning, while minimizing the impact and disruption on units.”
Twenty-two agencies visited Warhorse to discuss among many other topics: pre-deployment training, culture and language education, tactics, doctrine, equipment fielding, intelligence collection, logistics, and medical care. “This is my fourth Umbrella Week here at Fort Carson and this was by far the largest I’ve seen,” said Hoover. “The response by visiting organizations has been tremendous!” “Umbrella Week was the brigade priority,” said Lt. Col. Dana Stowell, brigade executive officer. “We did some things that were and are unique and wanted to share our experience and lessons learned with the broader Army.”
The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The Warhorse Pide is an Army-funded newsletter authorized under provision of AR 360-1. Contents of the Warhorse Pride are not necessarily the view of, nor endorsed by the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 4th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Warhorse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public
Affairs Office. The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commentary and photos from readers. The Warhorse Pride reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the publication. All issues of The Warhorse Pride can be viewed online from your home computer at www.facebook. com/2bct4id Submissions should be e-mailed to the editor: seth.barham1@afghan.us.army.mil