277thASB-NewsletterNovember2010[1]

8/8/2019 277thASB-NewsletterNovember2010[1]

1/11

Task Force Eagle. Change.Our Task Force is now Task

Force Mountain Eagle due tothe fact that the 101st AirborneDivisions (Air Assault) call

sign is Eagle and a division outranks a battalion. So again, weare now TF Mountain Eagle.Please ensure that you updateyour mailing addresses.

Well, another month has gone by quickly. I want to say that Iam very proud of the work that

our Soldiers did preparing them-selves, the unit, their Familiesand the brigade to deploy. I

know that this is a sad time for

many, but just keep in mind that

we look forward to getting backafter a successful rotation.

I am also proud of our FRGleaders and key callerswithoutyou a FRG could not function.

It is never too late to volunteer

and support the FRG it willmake the time go quicker andyoull feel like youre contribut-ing to the support of your com-

pany and the entire Task Force.Weve decided to consolidate

FRG meetings to reduce the

stress on FRG leaders and en-sure the continuity of informa-tion being disseminated.

I want to thank all the Fami-lies, friends and relatives that

supported our journey up to this point. I know its tough, but

well be back.A big thank you to all the

agencies that are supporting ourTask Force through Adopt a

Platoon its great to knowthat the community is behind usand cares enough to be involved

Task Force Mountain Eagle Commanders Corner

T A S K F O R C EM O U N T A I N E A G L E2 7 7 T H A V I A T I O NS U P P O R T B A T T A L I O N Liberty Times

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0V O L U M E I , I S S U E 9

H O T T O P I C S

Task Force Eagle FRGMeeting Nov. 8 at thePo Valley Spiritual LifeCenter from 6:30-8 p.m.Free child care is avail-able. Reservations dueOct. 28. Call the FRSA774-1206 for moreinformation.

Deployment Tools - FlipBooks, Wallet Cards,Pre-Deployment Slides,and more - are availableon the vFRG atarmyfrg.org. Login in-structions can be foundon page 3.

Spouses: if youre leavingthe area, even for a fewdays/weeks, please fillout a spouse leave form,on pg. 10 or on thevFRG!!

C O N T A C T S

B A T T A L I O N S T A F F

D U T Y D E S K

3 1 5 - 7 7 4 - 1 2 0 0

R E A R D C H A P L A I N

( C P T ) M E S S I N G E R

3 1 5 - 6 8 1 - 0 8 8 3

F A M I L Y R E A D I N E S S

S U P P O R T

A S S I S T A N T ( F R S A )

M I C H E L L E K E N N E D Y

3 1 5 - 7 7 4 - 1 2 0 6

M I L I T A R Y F A M I L Y

L I F E C O N S U L T A N T

( M F L C )

3 1 5 - 4 0 5 - 7 4 4 9

3 1 5 - 2 1 2 - 6 9 1 9

A R M Y C O M M U N I T Y

S E R V I C E ( A C S )

I N F O R M A T I O N

A N D R E F E R R A L

3 1 5 - 7 7 2 - 6 5 5 7

1 - 8 0 0 - 8 2 6 - 0 8 8 6

M I L I T A R Y

O N E S O U R C E

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 4 2 - 9 6 4 7

By LTC Albert H. Stiller

Battalion Commander

(AFTBArmy Family Team

Building for one), where you can

learn about the Army and meetnew people. (And a big thank youto all our wonderful FRG Leaders

Rachelle Rankin, Kirstin Ve-

lazquez, Nikki Enos, RachelHarper, and Heather Temple aswell as our terrific Key Callers

and Treasurers)!Our battalion and brigade are

trying to provide many different

activities for you to look forwardto and to stay busy.

Dear 277th Families,

I know these last couple daysare tough. Hang in there the

best you can! Remember that

tears are not bad; just try not tolet them overtake your entireday. Things will get better once

our loved ones depart so we canget into a routine and start thecountdown for their return. Try

to find something that you enjoy doing to help occupy your

mind and your time. It will help.

And remember, there are many

others going through the same

emotions.

Get involved with your FRG(meetings/social gatherings) andmake some new friends. Please

put past FRG experiences aside

and try ours. We simply aim to provide info and activities tomake the time go by faster. The

FRG could certainly use yourhelpwe are always short KeyCallers and volunteers for spe-

cial events. But if thats not yourniche, go to ACS (Army Com-

munity Service) and see themultitude of available agencies

Family Readiness Group Advisors UpdatesBy Melissa Stiller

FRG Advisor

For the rest of the article, go to page 8.

while we deploy.

Facebook (TF Eagle whichwill change to TF Mountain Ea-

gle) we will try to update the pictures more regularly while deployed. We will not be doin

company pages; however, pictures

for all the companies will be posted. We will also create slideshows that the FRGs can showduring FRG meetings or other

events.The Army does not support

additional unit Facebook pages, so

please do not create additionaFacebook pages using 277 Avia-tion Support Battalion, TF Moun-

tain Eagle or your companysname. I do appreciate the enthusi-

asm to stay connected but pleasekeep it at a personal level.

The FRG at the company, TaskForce and Brigade level will insti-

tute several activities with which

you can be involved in but

Melissa will give you the specifics

in her newsletter article this

month.


2/11

P A G E 2

L I B E R T Y T I M E S

Headquarters & Support Company - Battle Penguins

From the desk of Penguin 6,

Well, we are on our way. It has

been a long and arduous road, but

the Torch Party, AdVon and some

of the Main Body flights are out the

door. The rest of Team HSC will be

right behind us.

I can only express my greatest admi-

ration and gratitude that I have for all

of our Soldiers, as well as the inspira-

tion they provide me as their Com-

mander. 1SG Lillard and the NCOs

have stood stalwart in training ourSoldiers to be ready for the fight and

the mission. 1LT Jackson (HSC XO)

performed beyond measure in tracking

and keeping the manifest up-to-date

for our Soldiers to fly out. Platoon

Leaders 2LT Hall and Pivaral led the

way with their respective Platoon Ser-

geantsSFC Matlock and Kelly

with their Soldiers, as well as the rest

of the Command Team that are too

numerous to name.

Everyone did more than their share,

but we are the better for it. I would beremiss if I did not include Rachelle

Rankin for her efforts with FRG in

leading that for me as well as our Key

Callers and Melissa Stiller and Heide

Hurst being in our corner advising and

keeping us going in the right direction.

I have all the faith in the world for

all that is HSC, its Soldiers and most

importantly its Families.

As we take over the mission fromour counterparts, more will follow.

Also keep an eye on the Face Book

page as updates, pictures and more will

follow there as well.

I look forward to communicating

with you all during this stressful time,

but as always HSC is a Family and a

Family takes care of its own.

One Team, One Family Headquar-

ters Support Company AKA: The Bat-

tle Penguins

For now, Penguin 6 Out...

CPT Todd E. Heightshoe

By CPT Todd Heightshoe

HSC Commander

Well, the year has begun and Iknow that this time is probably a

really hard time for a lot of us. Our

lives have changed in big ways and

our routines have been thrown all

out of whackBut we are not

unlike other spouses. We are a spe-

cial breed, we have strength within

us to hold it together when our

worlds seem to have come crashing

down around us.

I know this whole deployment

thing really stinks, and there are

days when you may want to justcurl up in a little ball and cry for

days on endAnd that is perfectly

okay to do. Even though I dont like

to admit to it openly, I will have many

of those days myself. It's okay to feel

the plethora of emotions that bounceback and forth like a red rubber ball.

Just remember, there is a bright

shining light at the end of that tunnel.

Each day, whether good or bad, is one

day closer to having your Soldier

home.

I urge you all to keep busy, get out

of the house, meet people, make new

friends, try something new, laugh, cry,

and most importantly, remember that

you are a proud, strong and resilient

Army spouse. Together, we can get

through this day by day.If you are looking to have a little

something extra to do, we are in need

of just a few more Key Callers. If you

want to donate just 2-4 hours a month

of your time, please contact me.

I want to take a moment to welcomeour newest Key Callers, Nicole Brooks

and Carmen Bravo. These ladies have

volunteered their time to make sure

each of you is getting the information

you need. Thank you both for your

service and time, it is very much ap-

preciated.

The Company shirts are continuing

to be ordered, if you are interested in

ordering a T-shirt or sweatshirt, please

contact me.

As always, if you need anything I

am here, do not hesitate to call (315)-4 0 5 - 4 7 6 7 o r e m a i l m e a t

[email protected].

HSC Family Readiness Group NotesBy Rachelle Rankin

HSC FRG Leader

Want to get involved?Contact your FRG to find out how!
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


3/11

P A G E 3V O L U M E I , I S S U E 9

Alpha Company Family Readiness Group Updates

Alpha Company - AtlasCPT Michael Richardson

A Company Commander

Its October and you know what that means: A-CO is onthe move. Even as I write this article, our unit has 5 Soldiersalready in Afghanistan who are preparing the way for the rest

of us to follow. Their deployment has already begun and for

others this journey is about to begin.

As we near deployment, the support and thanks we ex-

perience from our friends, Families, and the community

grows. This month, our platoons were introduced to their

Adopt-a-Platoon sponsors. Adopt-a-platoon is a program

that links community organizations that want to support

troops in a tangible way to deploying units. Im happy to say

that every one of our platoons was adopted. I would like to

personally thank Gary and Jill Parker and City Electric Com-

pany in Watertown, NY who adopted the headquarters sec-tion of A-CO. Gary and Jill provided and shared lunch with

the headquarters Soldiers. We had a fantastic time and are

looking forward to maintaining communication with you

while deployed.

I would like to take this opportunity to

thank my officers: 1LT Burch, 1LT Madden,1LT Shull, 2LT Figueroa, and WO1 Taukilo,

as well as my Platoon Sergeants: SFCEssinger, SFC Kramer, SFC Henderson, SFC

Harnage, and SSG Velazquez. 1SG McGee

and I demand a lot from these individuals

and it is mainly by their efforts that our Sol-

diers are trained and ready to deploy. I want

to especially thank 1SG McGee for managing the details of the

company on a daily basis. I attribute the success Ive experienced

in command to his steadfast commitment to duty and selfless ser-

vice.

Last but not least, thank you to the Family members who

support them. Each of these leaders has on several occasions

worked much later than the Soldiers they released earlier in the

day. They did this so that A-Co may accomplish the mission.Their Families have carried the burden of leadership responsibil-

ity as much as they have. Thank you.

On Our Shoulders

look forward to is always a plus! Get involved,

even if it means stepping out of your comfortzone!

I also want to send out an OPSEC reminder!

As our Soldiers depart, please dont list flightdates and times, stop-overs and final destina-

tions on any social sites such as MySpace,

Facebook, Twitter and the like. Make sure to

inform your Families of the rules too! Loose

lips sink ships! By speaking or e-mailing this

sort of information you are risking our Sol-

diers safety! Be vigilant about this to keep all

of our Soldiers safe! Dont post pictures ofyour Soldier in uniform with rank/nametag

showing on the Internet!

It may seem small and trivial to you, but its

important to keep everyone safe! Be careful

when in public and speaking about your Sol-

diers deployment and the fact that you are

alone! You never know who is listening! Also,

it is best to refrain from placing stickers on

your vehicle such as half of my heart is in

or proud spouse of a deployed soldier. This

makes you a target in many ways!

Take care of yourselves, Alpha spouses, and

remember that your key callers and myself are

here to help in any way we can. Dont hesitate

to contact us!

By Kirstin Velazquez

A Company FRG Leader

Hello Alpha Family!

The past few weeks have been busy for all ofus, but I hope all of you are well and hanging

in there, despite the stress of preparing for de-

ployment!

As Army spouses, we often forget to take

care of one very important thingourselves.

Its easy to forget when we are busy getting

prepared for our loved ones to leave. Just re-

memberyou have to take care of yourself,too! You can only care for everyone else in

your Family if you yourself are well!

As a Battalion, we have decided to merge

our monthly FRG meetings. This will help all

of the FRG Leaders, volunteers and our won-

derful Rear D Command Team manage their

time and responsibilities better. Our first con-

solidated FRG Meeting will be held on Nov. 8

at 6.30 pm. at the Po Valley Spiritual Life Cen-

ter.

Our Brigade and Battalion are planningmany wonderful things for us to do, so please

check your weekly e-mail updates. We are

going to start a walking group, a playgroup for

the little ones and much more. This will help

all of us to stay busy, and having something to

Virtual FRG

(vFRG) Access

Visit the website:

www.armyfrg.org

Click on Find anFRG

Click on New York

Scroll down underFort Drum and clickon 277th Aviation

Support BN/TF Ea-

gle

Enter your personalinformation and

your Soldiers lastfour SSN

For issues or problemslogging in, contact the277th ASB FRSA, MichelleKennedy at [email protected]


4/11

P A G E 4

Bravo Company - Raptors


By MAJ Ryan Guthrie

B Company Commander

Greetings Raptor Families,

Hello from Afghanistan! The

Company is in full transition, and

our Soldiers are anywhere from

Fort Drum, flying over Europe, in

Kyrgyzstan, or at their final desti-

nation in Afghanistan.

Over the next few weeks, we

will get acquainted with our new

and temporary home, learn tech-niques from the outgoing unit,

and assume control of our mission

while at Bagram. Finding good

communication mediums is tough

at first, but it will get better soon.

We have had a slew of new

births this past month. Congratu-

lations to SPC Lindsey and his

wife, Ashley, on the birth of their

daughter, Charlotte Alice-Marie, on

Sep. 19; SGT Jetter and his wife,

Melanie, on the birth of their son,

Noah, on Sep. 22; to SPC Pereira

and his wife, Rosie, on the birth oftheir daughter, Serena, born on Oct.

1; SSG Houde and his wife, Re-

becca, on the birth of their son on

Oct. 11. Each new baby is wel-

comed and cherished as our newest

Raptors.

The Company re-enlisted SGT

Meagher and SGT Lucero this

month. Their continued and honor-

able service to the Company and the

Army is a treasure and we are grate-

ful for their continued enlistment.

SGT Greiner and SGT Teferawere promoted to the prestigious

rank of Sergeant, effective Oct. 1.

Both demonstrated the skill, compe-

tence and responsibility to wear the

coveted stripes of an NCO. SPC

Ball, SPC Hines and SPC Gagnon

were promoted to the rank of Spe-

cialist. as well. We are very proud

of their promotions and look for-

ward to their continued advance-

ments.

SGT Melara was awarded the Cer-

tificate of Achievement on Oct. 8 for

his service. He departed the unit thismonth to pursue his change in duty

assignment to the Explosive Ord-

nance Disposal unit. SPC Teague

was awarded the Army Good Con-

duct Medal. SSG Porter, SPC

Woods, SPC Kayanie, PFC Evans,

PFC Pharris, PV2 Chaisson, SPC

Kater, SPC Molina, PV2 White, PV2

Jones, PFC Plummer, PFC Reid,

SPC Bautista, PFC Moore, PFC Em-

pire, PFC Herrington were awarded

the Certificate of Achievement for

their exemplary efforts and conductduring the Division Remembrance

Ceremony.

No doubt, we will be busy soon

with interesting tales from overseas.

Stay strong and know that you are

dearly missed from the other side of

the world.

MAJ Ryan Guthrie

Bravo Company Family Readiness Group UpdatesBy Rachel Harper

B Company FRG Co-Leader

Hello B Company Families.

We hope everyone is doing okay

despite the deployment. Just to let

you know, the next FRG Meeting

is Nov. 8th at 6:30 pm at Po Val-

ley Spiritual Family Life Center.

Child care is available free of

charge if your children are regis-

tered at CYSS (just RSVP to Mi-

chelle by Oct. 28th).

It is a potluck, so

please bring a dish.

Please look for all the

activities that we have

going on throughout the

newsletter and in the

FRSA flashes. We will

also be having an FRG

Thanksgiving Celebra-

tion on Nov. 20 from 1

pm 3 pm at the Battalion Class-

roomLook for more info to come

in the FRSA Flash.

B Company is in dire

need of Key Callers right

now. Due to the deploy-

ment we have unfortu-

nately lost a lot of key

callers. If anyone is will-

ing to volunteer a few

hours each month to assist

in the flow of information

to other B Company Fam-

ily Members, please contact Rachel

Harper at 732-877-9975 or the

FRSA. We could sure use your help!

Upcoming Key Caller Class Dates:Nov. 10, Dec. 2, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, Mar. 10, April 14

All Classes are at ACS from 2-3 p.m. or 5-6 p.m.Call Mobilization and Deployment to register and to reserve child care - 315-772-0470.

Child care is due six business days before the class is scheduled to take place.


5/11

Charlie Company - Ravens

P A G E 5V O L U M E I , I S S U E 9

By CPT Brent Temple

C Company Commander

By the time you are reading this,

most, if not all, of Charlie Companywill be in Afghanistan. As I mentionedlast month, the initial stages of our de-

ployment will be to validate and config-ure our equipment for operation in Af-

ghanistan, movement of the equipmentand personnel to their assigned loca-

tions, and then set-up and employment of

the equipment. These stages will occurover only a few weeks of time, and will

present many challenges during this short period of time. I am confident that wewill meet these challenges and overcomethem swiftly and decisively. This critical

period will showcase all the training wehave conducted during the past eightmonths.

These past several weeks have contin-ued to find us busy, despite our operationsat Fort Drum winding down. We had lots

of equipment to prepare to be shipped toAfghanistan, and we also had to ensure

that the equipment we are leaving behind

is accounted for and secured. The building

we have occupied here at Fort Drum isscheduled to be torn down and replaced

while we are gone, so we also had to find asecure location to store this equipment,and move it all there.

Finally, I am proud to announce the

following promotions this month. Special-ist Ellis was promoted to Sergeant; his

promotion is effective Sep. 1. Specialist

Riese was laterally promoted to the rank ofCorporal. PV2 Lira was promoted to Pri-vate First Class, and PV1 Eldridge was

promoted to PV2. If you havent already,take the time to congratulate these out-

standing Soldiers.

Visit www.myarmyonesource.com

There are options to Login with your

username and password or Register if

you dont have a profile.

Fill out your information.

When youve created a profile, click

on Volunteer on the top right sec-

tion of the page. This will take you to

the Volunteer Management Informa-

tion System (VMIS)

Click on Opportunity Locator

Select Fort Drum under Military

Community and FRG: 10 AVN

277 under the Organization and click

Search.

Choose the volunteer position youd

like to apply for. When the new page

loads, click Apply.

Online VMIS FRGVolunteer Registration

Check out the vFRG!The 277th ASB vFRG has lots of informa-tion and links to Fort Drum and militaryresources! Link directly to CYS, ACS,Military OneSource, My Army Benefits andmore! Check out AFTB and Mobilizationand Deployment training schedules! Seepage 3 of this months newsletter log in

instructions!

Charlie Company FRG NotesBy Heather Temple

C Company FRG Leader

Well, the time has finally arrived and

the Soldiers have left for the deployment.I hope you all are settling into a routinethat works for you. I know for me in the

past deployments I try to keep busy butalso keep it normal as possible for my

children. There will be bumps along theway , but we are all Family and we are all

here for each other. Please remember thatwhen you need a helping hand throughoutthis deployment. For many of you, thiswill be your first deployment, so please

lean on those of us who have been throughit before. I am only an email or phone callaway. I will be having a baby in the next

couple of weeks but I still will be in theloop and fully part of the FRG, so donthesitate to pick up the phone or email if

you have any questions.A few things have changed and will

change in the next month. We still haveall the same Key Callers: Stephanie Jo-

seph, Julia Amick, and Krystine Smith.These are some great ladies and can helpyou just as much as I can. Normally, they

would only be calling the spouses once amonth, but during deployments they will

be calling you twice a month. If you are or

not receiving these calls please contact meand let me know. If you have any issuesor problems let them know and we will

help you with it. If it is important, pleasedont wait for them to call you, give yourKey Caller a call or call me right away.

As for Family members, you will be

receiving emails once in a while from methroughout the deployment, but that doesnot mean you cant email or call me with

any question any time. If you dont receivean email from me that means either that Idont have your email or I have the wrong

email. Please email me with it and I willadd you to the list. My email address is

[email protected] or you cancall 254-423-3718 (cell) or 315-301-4032

(home).Next, our meetings have usually been onthe second Thursday of the month at 6:30

p.m. Now that our Soldiers will not be

attending, we can move them or add theminto our once-a-month Family activity.Yes, you heard me we will be having a

Family activity once a month. Somethingsimple like play dates at a community cen-ter just so we can talk and visit and support

each other. I will keep you informed onwhen these will happen. It is very import

for our Soldiers that we keep our headsheld high and support other spouses and

Family members during this time of de-ployment.

I will close this months newsletter with

a little house-cleaning. We are still lookingfor a Treasurer for our company FRG.Please, if you want to help us out, call me

and let me know. The job really is not thathard and I can help you until you are com-fortable with doing it on your own. Also

we could use someone that would be inter-ested in planning the monthly outing withme. Thank you all and I look forward to

hearing from each and every one of you.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


6/11

P A G E 6


D I D Y O U K N O W ?

Army Community Service(ACS) has clinical MilitaryFamily Life Consultants(MFLCs) available for walk-in confidential consults? Ifyou feel you need some-one to talk to or are hav-ing marital problems,please call them at 315-212-6919 or just stop by M-F8 a.m.8 p.m.

ACS also has a FinancialReadiness Program thatprovides free counseling oradvice on financial matters?

They can provide all typesof financial assistance: pullcredit reports, budgeting,debt management, invest-ing, etc. Call 772-0050 formore info.

Behavioral Health Con-

tacts: Suicide Resources/

Hotlines

Connor Clinic Appoint-ment Line: 315-772-2778

After Hours Emergency

Services (Holidays and

Weekends) Before 9:00

pm: Acute Care Clinic,

315-772-5236

After 9:00 pm: Samaritan

Medical Center Emer-

gency Department: 315-

785-4100Local 24-Hour Crisis Line:

315-785-4516National Suicide Preven-

tion Lifeline: 1-800-273-

TALK

Suicide Prevention Action

Network (SPAN):

ww.spanusa.org

By CPT Steven Love

Battalion Chaplain

By the time youre reading

this, 277 will be headeddownrange. For Families at

home and Soldiers down-

range, we are going through a

range of emotions.

Many people right now can

be feeling overwhelmed. Our

feelings may be saying things

that trouble our hearts, minds

and relationships. Some may

be feeling thoughts of gran-

deur. Excited about the mis-sion and the challenge ahead.

Excitement, fear, anticipa-

tion, worry, and wonder are

going through the minds of

those leaving and those who

will say goodbye. Your emo-

tions and feelings can lead

you down a road you might

not want to travel.

The catch is feelings can

be destructive. In the Bible,

there is a question asked,

Can a man break a cove-

nant and yet escape?

Lev.17:15. Commitments are

broken because feelings andemotions can have a strong

influence on our actions.

People too often break com-

mitments because their feelings

become stronger than their

commitments. So often we

yield to our short term happi-

ness and forsake our long term

growth and character. The truth

is your personhood, your char-acter flourishes when you are

faithful to the things that are

God honoring. You grow as a person and your relationships

grow stronger when you do

what is right.

This is a hard thing to live

out, but a worthwhile cause to

honor your commitment, to

build your character and grow

yourself.

I look at the Army Values

often and I think about the Sol-

diers creed frequently. I think

about why I am I a part of this

great Army. I know I hear

some of the Soldiers speak of

this as a job. Yes, it is a job but,

to me, it is so much more than ajob. You were born in a specific

time in a specific place, and

there are specific people to

meet and tasks for you to carry

out. You are not an accident

and you are not a part of this

Army by fault. Your placement

in 277 is for a reason, discover

it, embrace it and flourish in it.

May you find the strength todo what is right even if your

feelings are not helping you.

Invest in your soul, your mindand the relationships that you

are a part of. Even though there

will be a strain on us we have

the opportunity to grow

stronger and experience a bet-

ter life in the long run if we do

what is right regardless of what

our feelings may be saying.

May God grant us safety, and

blessings in this season we en-

ter into.

Chaplain Love

Love Big, Live Well!

Being Strong As We Head Out

By Karen Jowers

Army Times staff writer

For those mailing packages

to friends and loved ones in

the military overseas, Christ-

mas comes early. And Ha-

nukkah comes even earlier.

It depends on how you

plan to send it, but if its trav-eling the slowest way par-

cel post mail that package

by Nov. 12 to get it there byDec. 25, according to recom-

mended holiday shipping

dates provided by the Mili-

tary Postal Service Agency.

Hanukkah begins Dec. 1

this year, so youll need to

send it 24 days earlier by

Oct. 19 if its going parcelpost.

Here are the other recom-

mended mail dead-

lines. Subtract 24

days from each

deadline to get it

there in time for

Hanukkah: Space Avail-

able Mail (SAM):

Nov. 20 to contin-gency locations

(APO/FPO/DPO AE Zip 093);

all other overseas military loca-

tions by Nov. 26.

Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL):

Dec. 1 to contingency loca-

tions; all others by Dec. 3.

Priority Mail: Dec. 4 tocontingency locations; all oth-

ers by Dec. 10.

First-class cards

and letters: Dec. 4

to contingency lo-

cations; all others

by Dec. 10

Express MailMilitary Services:

Not available

contingency loca-tions; other loca-

tions by Dec. 18. Check with

your local post office to deter-

mine if this service is available

to a particular APO/FPO/DPO

address.

Holiday Mailing Deadlines Released
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7/11

V O L U M E I , I S S U E 9

NOVEMBER 2010

P A G E 7

10th CAB Care Team Nov. 2 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Po Valley Spiritual Life Center.

Task Force Mountain Eagle FRG MeetingNov. 8 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Po Valley

Spiritual Life Center. Free Child Care

available for children registered withCYSS. Register with the FRSA no later

than Oct. 28.

Army Family Team Building (AFTB) Training atArmy Community Service (ACS). Level 1 Nov8-9 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Level II Nov. 15-16

from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Child care is due 6 businessdays before the class. Call 772-6710 for info.

10th CAB Strong Bonds for Families of De-ployed Soldiers Nov. 16-18. Call the Rear DChaplain (CPT) Messinger at 681-0883.

10th CAB Movie Night Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Loca-tion TBD.

Task Force Mountain Eagle Thanksgiving

Dinner Nov. 20, 1-3 p.m. at the BNClassroom. Please bring a dish to share.RSVP by Nov. 12. See FRSA Flash for

more information.

Community Events Need Help?Call or visit MilitaryOneSource to find infor-mation about taxes, par-enting, deployments,finances, taxes, counsel-ing, PCS moves & more!

20 Nov - 10 a.m. Family AdventWreath Workshop25 Nov - 11 a.m. Catholic Thanksgiv-ing Mass1 Dec - 5:15 p.m. Christmas TreeLighting Ceremony8 Dec - noon and 5:30 p.m. CatholicImmaculate Conception of Mary Mass13 Dec - 6 p.m. Catholic Advent Pen-

ance Service24 Dec - 4:30 p.m. Catholic NativityPageant24 Dec - 5 p.m. Catholic ChristmasVigil Mass24 Dec - 7 p.m. Protestant CandlelightService25 Dec - 11 a.m. Catholic ChristmasMass (no evening Mass)

** All regularly scheduled weekendservices remain unchanged.

Fort Drum Holiday

Religious Services

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Chains of Concern &

Steering Reports due

9:30 a.m. Walking/

Jogging Group @ Ma-

grath Gym

2

9 a.m.10th CAB Care

Team @ Po

Valley SLC

3

9 a.m. TF Tigershark

VCCUS training @

ACS

4

11:30 a.m. BN Steer-

ing Committee

5 6

7

Daylight Savings Time

Ends

8 6:30-8 p.m. BN FRG

Meeting @ Po Valley

SLC

9:30 a.m. Walking/

Jogging Group

9

10 a.m. VMIS 101 @

Ed Center

10

2 or 5 p.m. Key Caller

@ ACS

10 a.m. Playgroup @

Monti PFC

11Veterans Day 12 13

14 15 Newsletter Submis-

sions and TreasuryReports due

9:30 a.m. Walking/

Jogging Group

16 17 18 19

7 p.m. 10th CABMovie Night

20

1-3 p.m. BN Thanks-giving Dinner

21 22

9:30 a.m. Walking/

Jogging Group @

Magrath Gym

23 24 Last day to reserve

child care for Key

Caller training Dec. 2

25 Thanksgiving 26 DONSA 27

28 29 9:30 a.m. Walking/

Jogging Group

30 FRG Suspenses

Meetings/Training/

AFTB Level I 9-4 @ ACS

AFTB Level II 9-4 @ ACS

Local Schools Thanksgiving Break Nov 24-26

Mountain Resiliency Conference Nov. 4-5

10th CAB Strong Bonds for Deployed Families Nov. 16-18 in Syracuse


8/11

ment to Afghanistan and will uncase them

once the transfer of authority takes place and

they assume the fight.

Nearly 3,000 Soldiers will deploy for ap-

proximately 12 months and assume duties

under the NATO-led International Security

Assistance Forces Regional Command-East

Headquarters.

During the deployment, 10th CAB will be

designated under Combined Joint Task Force

- 101 and will be responsible for air missions

in RC-East.

By Sgt. 1st Class JR Williams

10th CAB Public Affairs Officer

Soldiers, Families and friends of 10 th

Combat Aviation Brigade gathered Tues-

day at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield to bid

farewell to troops who will deploy to Af-

ghanistan in the coming weeks.

The deployment will be 10th

CABs second tour in Afghani-

stan, having previously de-

ployed in support of Operation

Enduring Freedom from 2006 to

2007. The brigade also served in

Iraq from 2008-2009.

A mere 11 and a half months ago,

many of the Soldiers of this brigade were

getting off of airplanes and greeting their

Families fresh from a highly successful

yearlong combat tour in Iraq, said Col.

Pedro Almeida, 10th Combat Aviation

Brigade and Task Force Falcon com-

mander. We were happy to have them

home, reunited with their loved ones, but

we all knew at that moment that a tough

year lay ahead.

For all of you, Families and Soldiers

alike, my message is that those sacrifices

have been and will be for a cause of great

significance, he continued. This bri-

gades training efforts will pay off for

thousands upon thousands of U.S. and

coalition forces as well as Afghan citizens.

Our Soldiers are ready for this deployment

and are well-postured to assume the fight

in RC-East, of which we are a critical

part.

Almeida told those gathered that he

believes 10th CAB Soldiers are uniquely

qualified for the mission they

will assume.

As I have told many of you, I

firmly believe that what our

aviation forces do on a daily

basis cannot be done by anyone

else, and our U.S. and coalition

brothers-in-arms on the ground count on

our capabilities as part of one team to get

the job done. And rest assured: Task Force

Falcon will deliver.

Guest speaker, Maj. Gen. James L.

Terry, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and

Fort Drum commander, also reminded the

Soldiers and Families of their role in a

hopeful future for Afghanistan.

You will be witness to historic times

this year, Terry said. The eyes of this

nation indeed, the eyes of the world

will all be upon you as you help shape

Afghanistan to be a much better place."

During the ceremony, brigade units

cased their colors in preparation for move-

10th CAB leaders case colors for deployment

Command Sgt. Maj. Kennth Patton (right), the seniorenlisted advisor for the 10th Combat Aviation Bri-gade, cases the brigade's colors in preparation for itsupcoming deployment in late October in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom. The colors will be

uncased once the unit makes its way to Afghanistan.

We are going to start a Walk to Af-ghanistan, where we walk, jog, etc. (any

activity you can track mileageas muchor as little) as you want and track themileage on our route from Ft. Drum to

Afghanistan. Hopefully, we can get inshape, and hang out with/chat with othersas we do so. Brigade is going to have a

kick-off event in early Nov (probably Nov 6th, but look for more info in theFRSA Flashes), with t-shirts for sale and

registration.In conjunction with this, we 277th

are starting a walking and/or jogginggroup on Monday mornings beginning

Nov. 1st where we will meet at Magrath

Gym at 9:30 am and walk or jog(tracking mileage if you choose) on theindoor track. Strollers are not allowed on

that track, so once all the Task Forcesleave, brigade will open the 6/6 hangar to

allow us to walk/jog with strollers andget some competition going between theTask Forces. Im sure 277th can beat all

the other Task Forces and get to Afghani-stan first! But, you dont have to register

for the Walk to Afghanistan to participate inour Walking/Jogging Group.

TF Mountain Eagle will also begin a

Moms with Kids Play Group on Wed, Nov.10th at the Monti Physical Fitness CenterIndoor Playground at 10 am. Come let the

kids play and enjoy talking with otherspouses! We are going to have monthly

battalion consolidated FRG meetings in an

effort to make it easier for our FRG leader-ship and to give you the chance to meet

others in and outside of your company. Wereally hope youll come out and provideyour ideas and maybe even take charge of

an event. 10th CAB (our brigade) will alsohold a monthly movie night so you can getout with the kids. We really are trying to

help make this deployment fly by.Our next FRG meeting is Monday, Nov.

8th at 6:30 pm at Po Valley Spiritual LifeCenter. Joan Upole (our friendly counselor)will talk about Coping with Deployment

and she always does a great job to help up-lift our spirits. Look for a flyer in the FRSA

Flash for more info. We will have a Potluckand free child care is available to those en-rolled in CYSS (Child and Youth & School

Services) if you RSVP to our FRSA by Oct.28th. We encourage you to get enrolled atCYSS because of the 16 free hours of child-

care available to spouses of deployed Sol-diers, free child care for FRG meetings andother free services. But you can always

bring your kids to the meetings if you needto. You just might like to have a break from

them for the meeting to be able to socializeand relax.

Lastly, please remember that

www.militaryonesource.com (1-800-342-9647) is available 24/7, especially if youleave the area and have a problem. Also,

you can always contact our FRSA at 315-774-1206 or me at [email protected] you

have any questions. Please take care ofyourselves!

Family Readiness Group Advisors Updates, continued

P A G E 8
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9/11

thing for the children as well as the spouses.

A lot of time and effort goes into training the

Soldiers for deployment, but it's important to

prepare the whole Family.

The 10th CAB FRSA, the Fort Drum USO

and 4H military clubs are just a few of the

many organizations available to assist Fami-

lies cope with deployments.

If you could send one thing to your par-

ent while they are deployed, what would it

be? Almeida asked.

Nearly every childs hand went up. The

first two responses: a plane ticket so he can

come home and visit and a certificate to

give my mom a vacation from Afghanistan.

While these children face being without a

parent and, in some cases, both parents, for

many months, the town hall meeting gave

them a chance to spend some time with kids

who are going through similar experiences,

as well as with the leaders of their parents

organizations. From the many smiles and

laughter, perhaps the anxiety has been eased

just a bit.

Story and Photos

By Sgt. Todd L. Pouliot

10th CAB PAO NCOIC

The childrens shyness quickly disap-

peared as the moderator asked them what

they knew about Afghanistan. Eager hands

rose around the room as children waited to

join the discussion.

Despite knowing that a Family Member

was about to deploy, smiles and laughter

were evident while children learned more

about their parents upcoming deployment

to Afghanistan.

The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade held

a kids town hall meeting at the Multipur-

pose Auditorium here Sept. 27. Tom Wo-

jcikowski, 4H military clubs coordinator

for New York state, began by discussing

the geography and culture of Afghanistan.

Can anyone tell me where Afghanistan

is? he asked.

A hand quickly went up. On the other

side of the world, a young boy re-

sponded.

Wojcikowski lauded the boys correct

response and explained that Afghanistan is

in Asia and is about the size of Texas.

Most Afghan children do not have tele-

vision, computers or game consoles, he

said. Although many people live without

the comforts we have here, the situation in

Afghanistan is improving.

When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan,

few children went to school, he said.

Girls were not allowed to go to school.

More children are going to school now,

and by 2015, its expected that 13 million

children will be in school.

After Wojcikowski finished his discus-

sion, Col. Pedro H. Almeida, 10th CAB

commander, directed the children to come

forward and fill in the front rows.

Almeida, Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth E.

Patton, and several task force commanders

each took a seat at the edge of the stage in

front of the children and began addressing

questions that were submitted before the

meeting.

The goal of the kids' town hall was to

allow children to ask the commanders and

command ser-

geants major

their moms

a n d d a d s

bosses ques-

tions that might

be worrying

them, said

Michelle Ken-

nedy, Task

Force Eagle

family readi-

ness support

assistant.

Things that

might concern a

spouse, such as

finances and

legal, don't

concern chil-

dren. From

what we saw at

the town hall,

children wanted

to know if their

parents could get ice cream, how often

they'll get to communicate with their par-

ents, and if they can watch the same foot-

ball games they (the children) are watch-

ing at home.

At the conclusion of the town hall meet-

ing, when a group photo was announced,

the children jostled to position themselves

next to the 10th CAB leaders.

The kids really seemed to enjoy spend-

ing time with the commanders and ser-

geant major, said Elizabeth Jara Valen-

cia, who brought her son to the town hall

meeting. I think this will really help ease

the (childrens) anxieties over the deploy-

ment.

On their way out, each child received a

With You All the Way Deployment Kit,

which were donated by the USO and con-

tained resources to help and comfort mili-

tary children and their Families.

The concept of a kids town hall came

up at a weekly 10th CAB FRSA huddle,

Kennedy said. We were planning our pre-

deployment preparation training, and it

was brought up that we should do some-

Leaders host children's town hall meeting to address deployment concerns

Col. Pedro H. Almeida, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade commander, visits with childrenof the 10th CAB after the kids town hall meeting at the Multipurpose Auditorium hereSept. 27. Children learned about Afghan geography and culture, and they participated ina question-and-answer session with Almeida, Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth E. Patton,

10th CAB command sergeant major, and several task force commanders.

Looking for ways to stay busy during the deployment?

Call you FRG Leader or contact ACS for volunteer opportunities, check out the

weekly FRSA Flash, or look at the calendar on page 7 to find out whats going on

in the Battalion, Brigade or on post!!

P A G E 9


10/11

A Sweet Way to Send a Taste from Home to your SoldiersSubmitted by Kirstin Velazquez,

A CO FRG Leader

Ever baked cakes in canning jars? It's

neat! ANY quick bread-type cake can be

baked in canning jars.

Fill ONE jar 1/2 full then bake it to

see how high it rises, then go from there.

You don't want the cake to come out of

the top of the jar, only to within 1/4 to

1/2 inch from the lip of the jar. Write it

down on your recipe (how far you filled

the jars)! Once you've established howhigh the cake rises, you can go from

there.

The first time around is a bit tricky

because you won't know how many jars

you'll need. MOST of the recipes I'vetried I end up using around 8. Sterilize

as many jars as you think you'll need

and go from there. Make sure your

LIDS are new, the rings don't have to be

As the jars do seal, the cakes are as

moist as the day you put them into thejars--sometimes MORE SO.

The baking times will vary -- the moist-

ness of each cake recipe will determine the

time. MOST of the recipes I've tried bake

in 35-40 minutes. Start checking the cakes

at 25-30 minutes and go from there.

YES, the cakes DO slide easily out of

the jars IF you use the jars I've

listed. They're Ball 12-oz Quilted

Crystal Canning Jars (#14400-

81400).

They can be found at most gro-

cery stores next to the pectin and

other canning supplies. Also, I'veseen the 12 oz straight-sided

(plain) . The plain jars work fine too but

they're not as pretty and you have to make

your own labels--the jars I use come with

decorative labels. One IMPORTANT tip--get your jars NOW! Once summer's over

with they're very hard to find. Also, when

you can, ask for the jars back, they're NOT

cheap. Most folks don't mind returning

them though, they usually want refills!

There will be a little condensation on thelids and some in the jars so when you seal

them it's trapped inside. Don't worry about

getting the water off of the lids before plac-

ing them onto the jars, the added moisture

doesn't hurt the cakes in the slightest. Quick

bread-type cakes work best, I've found that

lighter cakes tend to fall when the jars seal.

I'm trying to address every question

that's been asked of me before, I

HOPE I've done that. If I've missed

anything or if anyone has any ques-

tions, don't hesitate to ask. These

make WONDERFUL Christmas

gifts and you cn start NOW! Singlefriends really appreciate these be-

cause each jar makes enough for one or two

people

Several people have asked me how long

the cakes can be safely stored...I'm not sure.The longest I've been able to keep them

(without getting eaten) is 6 months. The

jars DO seal, just like any canned good

You don't have to refrigerate the jars, just

keep them in a COOL, dark, dry place.

P A G E 1 0


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277th Aviation Support Battalion History

In February 2006, the 277th Aviation Support Battalion

deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring

Freedom VII, where it provided combat service and sup-

port to the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force

Falcon. The Unit redeployed in February of 2007 after

earning the Lieutenant General Ellis D. Parker Award for

best Aviation Battalion in 2006 and the Meritorious Unit

Commendation.

In October 2008, the 277th ASB deployed to Iraq in

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11, where it pro-

vided support and combat services to the 10th CAB, Task

Force Lightning. The unit redeployed in October 2009 and

earned the Lieutenant General Ellis D. Parker award for

the Best Combat Service Support Battalion for the work

performed during its 2008-2009 deployment.

20125 Hangar Access Road

Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield

Fort Drum, NY 13602

Phone: 315-774-1206

Fax: 315-774-1231

E-mail: [email protected]

Task Force Mountain Eagle

277th Aviation Support Battalion

10th Combat Aviation Brigade

Freedom and Liberty

P A G E 1 1

277thASB-NewsletterNovember2010[1]

Documents

Transcript of 277thASB-NewsletterNovember2010[1]