94th BSB April 2011 Newsletter

25 April 2011

Volume 1, Issue 3

94th Brigade

Support Battalion

Strength and Honor Times

Commander

LTC Anthony Coston

CSM

CSM Melissa Judkins

Executive Officer

MAJ Joel Mitchem

Battalion S3

MAJ Ronnie Crosby

Battalion SPO

MAJ Chris Brown

Inside This Issue

HHC

Alpha Company

Bravo Company

Charlie Company

Command Group

Happy Easter to

all of our Outlaw family

back in the States. This

past month we have

been expanding our AO

on FOB Shank and im-

proving all of our yards

in order to boost our

capability to project sup-

port to TF Patriot. The

platoons have been working hand in hand

with our Afghan counter-

parts and have made ex-

cellent progress. Our

latest joint venture was a

joint patrol and small

arms weapons range

with the Afghan National

Army (ANA). This is

one of many training

events we have been

conducting to help bol-

ster the efficiency of the

Afghan Army, which has

shown amazing improve-

ment in the short time

that we have been on

ground. Our Soldiers react very well with the

I would like to

thank the steadfast sup-

port we have been re-

ceiving from the rear

which has been facilitat-

ing the day by day grind

of deployment.

Commander’s Message


Commander

CPT Maier Logan

First Sergeant

1SG Timothy Harvey

Executive Officer

1LT Jason Deem

Support Operations PL

2LT Jacob Hensch

HQ PSGT

SSG Maurice Stephenson

Distro PL

1LT Gregory Perkins

Distro PSGT

SFC Kenneth Trahan

Gun Truck PL

1LT David Melichar

Gun Truck PSGT

SFC Leo Chisolm

1-3-5 PSGT

SFC Charlie McCree

SSA Chief

CW3 Angela Roberts

SSA PSGT

SFC David Alford

Air Operations PL

1LT Adam Holt

FRG Leader

Mrs. Simone Harvey

WHO YA’ WIT

A Co

First Sergeant’s Message

Greetings and salutations

to all, we are a little more

than halfway through the

deployment and plans of

redeployment are beginning

to take place. This is a big

boost in the morale of the

unit. The battalion contin-

ues to host MWR events

such as the Mardi Gras, and

the upcoming talent show,

presented by A Co Out-

lawz on 29 APR 2011. The

event will feature a range

of amateur talent displayed

by Soldiers across the bat-

talion and FOB Shank.

There will be food, games,

and prizes. The winners of

the talent show will be fea-

tured in next month‟s

newsletter.

As always, I am extremely

proud of our troops for

their tireless efforts and

professionalism. They con-

tinue to represent our unit

and our country with

honor and grace. I want to

extend my sincere appre-

ciation for all of the sup-

port of all the family mem-

bers. Deployments are just

as tough on family mem-

bers as it is for Soldiers and

it takes a strong bond to

overcome. Thank you for

being that foundation, we

could not do any of this

without you. God Bless you

all, and keep us in your

prayers.

Sincerely,

1SG Harvey

Outlawz,

WHO YA WIT!

Volume 1, Issue 3

SSG Trauth, Doyle is hard at work. 1SG Harvey in Outlawz Gym. 1LT Deem versus the satellite dish.

SSG Grate building a manifest SPC Maldonado receives mail from

home

SPC Reeves ready for the day

SGT Rodgers teaching SFC Alford SGT Crum, Gator Cuzin‟


New Soldiers:

SPC Tanniehill, D

SPC Gloria, R

SPC Finson, B

Promotions:

Birthdays:

SPC Williams, D: Apr 5

SGT Ingram, J: Apr 15

PFC Hicks, D: Apr 17

SPC Weichl: Apr 21

SPC Travis, J: Apr 30

Re-Enlistments:

None

A Co

With the Spring here, action in Afghanistan has picked up. Division has

been working overtime to keep Soldiers safe and keep the enemy from causing

damage. Part of this strategy was to realign one of the most dangerous areas

within the 4-10 foot print. When Division needed assistance, they called the

Outlawz. This realignment mission was to be our longest and most dangerous

mission to date. As I am sure have already guessed, the Outlawz answered the

call. Outlawz Second Platoon was chosen to help 2-4 and did so the Outlaw

way. Second Platoon paired up with Echo Company, 4 Infantry Companies and

a Route Clearing Package to realign part of the Tangi Valley. With support

from A-10s, Blackhawks and Apache attack helicopters your Outlawz per-

formed perfectly. Moving through the valley with an aggressive posture, Sec-

ond Platoon completed over eight flips in nine days, sleeping on, in and next to

their trucks for a few hours at a time, waking up and rolling out again. Through

our training, posture and professionalism Second Platoon sustained ZERO

losses of personnel due to injury, ZERO vehicle damage and showed the divi-

sion how transportation is supposed to work.

Outlaws, who ya wit!

Outlawz at „Squatter's Village in the middle of the Tangi Valley

Tangi Rollin

Volume 1, Issue 3

A Co

SPC Wells of B CO honorary Outlawz

2nd PLT Outlawz named wherever they laid

their head, Squatter‟s Village

“I don‟t care how it gets there.” was the request



Commander

CPT Renee Michel

First Sergeant

1SG Norris Rumph

Executive Officer

1LT Benjamin Abel

BDOC Platoon

1LT Chardette James

SFC John Nichols

Maintenace Platoon

2LT Marissa Perez

SFC Orane Beaput

FRG Leader

Mrs. Jennifer Walker

B CO


Dear Bulldog Families,

Another month has passed and

that means we are closer to

returning home to you. Your

Bulldogs have been busy

throughout the month of April.

We have used this time to train

on weapons at the range and to

cross-train on many duties such

as detainee operations and oper-

ating force protection equip-

ment. This training will enable

us to switch jobs across the

company, getting different Sol-

diers into maintenance while

continuing to protect our base.

Service and Recovery received

a PlasmaCam which is a com-

puter-operated metal-cutting

device. This tool allows them to

make nearly anything out of

metal, and they spent one week

making 1300 door-stops which

will keep Soldiers from crushing

their hands in armored doors.

Our Base Defense Cell com-

pleted a major operation of

writing directions to other units

on how to protect the base and

defining their own procedures.

They also made several improve-

ments at our gates to make us all

safer.

Our Bulldog Soldiers and

NCOs continue to win boards,

showing their commitment to

excellence. Thank you all for the

support you provide that allows

us to do our mission. Your Bull-

dogs amaze me every day.

-Bulldog 6

Hello Bulldog Families,

I hope that all of you are doing

well. I know the kids are about

to get out of school for spring

break. I hope that everyone has

something planned and have a

great time during this deserving

break. School is almost out and

the summer is coming upon us

quickly. Here in Afghanistan this

past week, it has felt like sum-

mer already. I know this is only

the beginning of the hot months

that are coming. Everyone please

make sure you dress and hydrate

properly for the heat. Please

don‟t worry about your Soldiers

here. The Commander and I will

make sure they get heat classes.

They will be properly trained on

how to combat the high tem-

peratures during these upcoming

months.

The good news is when the

summer months pass your loved

ones will be with you for the fall.

Your Bulldogs haven‟t let up;

they still continue to amaze me

on a daily basis. Their spirits are

up and that don‟t quit attitude is

pushing us through. I know all of

this is because of you.

Continue to stay strong, Fami-

lies. We miss all of you dearly. I

walk around here in the Bulldog

foot print and see all of the Bull-

dog Family photos on the walls

of the work places and tents. I

feel proud to be the First Ser-

geant of such a proud and strong

organization. Families you‟re our

anchors. Thanks for all you do.

We Make It Happen!

Bulldogs: We Make It Happen!

Volume 1, Issue 3

SSG Robinson, left, promotes PFC Slone to Specialist. Both protect our

base through the Base Defense Operations Cell.

PV2 Rolon, right, is promoted to PFC by his brother, SPC Rodriguez who is

a Soldier in 5-25 Field Artillery Battalion.

CW2 Fredmonsky enjoys a steak grilled by CPL Myers while CW2 Lotz

shows off the Bulldog company t-shirt he designed with each section‟s logo.

SSG Fink looks on while SGT Phillips helps SPC Arwood study for the

board. Also watching are CPL Defoor and SPC Griggs.

C&E Reunited: SPC Witham, in PTs, hangs out with his former teammates:

SPC Bock and SPC Knutson. Though a C&E Soldier, SPC Witham operates

a camera used for base defense. SPC Webster cleans a generator engine prior to turning it in.


The Armament section of

Bravo Company 94th Brigade Support

Battalion works like a well-oiled

machine. Consisting of CW2 Yolanda

Ewings, SSG Jason Stevens, CPL

Andrew Glenn, SPC Brian McCord, and PV2 Mary Bonecutter, the

armament shop handles various job

orders from nearly every company

on FOB Shank. This past week they

have

continued to complete annual services and

routine repairs of weapons. Their job is very important to the whole Brigade

because weapons are the most essential

piece of equipment for the warfighter.

In addition to fixing weapons on FOB

Shank, Armament Soldiers have been to

FOB Airborne, COP Carwile, COP Charkh,

FOB Altimur, and other places to ensure all

equipment is fully mission capable in every

corner of the battlefield. Our Soldiers fix everything from individual rifles to large

howitzers.

The Armament section is currently repairing our own Alpha

company‟s weapons, making sure they are equipped with mission capable

weapons. In addition to routine repairs, the section also handles quality

assurance/quality control checks for convoys leaving the FOB. This is very

important to SPC Brian

Mccord because the Soldiers

going on convoys are faced

with unknown dangers. He

says, “I know that their

weapons are functioning

perfectly because the Bravo

Bulldog Armament Section

has checked them. We make

it happen!”

New Soldiers:

PV2 Mary Bonecutter

SPC Shane Perry

SGT John Shire

SSG Jason Stevens

Promotions:

PFC Jeremy Rolon

SPC Wayne Slone

CPL Andrew Glenn

CPL Jessica Tinney

Birthdays:

SPC Buttolph 1st

SPC Rolon 4th

SPC Broadhurst 5th

SGT Rodriguez 15th

SPC Wells 16th

WO1 Slavin 22nd

PFC Palomaki 25th

Reenlistee:

SPC Christopher Pierson

B CO Armament

CW2 Ewings pins SPC Glenn to the rank of CPL,

making him an NCO. SPC McCord works on a MK 19 automatic gre-

nade launcher.

SPC McCord poses with his rifle in front of

the new sign made by the S&R shop.

SSG Stevens and PV2 Bonecutter work on a .50 caliber

machine gun.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Congratulations to SFC Beaput for his recent

selection in a board to the Audie Murphy

Association!

PFC Hicks carries ammo during a CROWS

range.

The guard shift that works in the heat of the sun protecting our base every day! From left to right, PFC Va-

lero, SPC McBride, SPC Dominguez, PV2 Miles, and PFC Brown.

SGT Dixon serves as the gate NCOIC, supervising all

incoming local national traffic that drives or walks on to

our base.

SSG Gilbert preparing his truck for duties as

the Sergeant of the Guard.

SGT Fink cleans his truck windows before

supervising our force protection construction

projects.



Commander

CPT Ryan Labio

First Sergeant

1SG Jeffery

Hamilton

Executive Officer

CPT Stephanie

Stressman

Headquarters

Platoon

1LT Leon Warner

SSG Anthony

Nelson

Medical Platoon

1LT Deena Willis

SFC Angela

Roundtree

Area Support Plt

CPT John Williams

SFC Monique

Brown

FRG Leader

Jeri A. Boor

C Co


physical training, medical

skills proficiency, and

Army warrior task re-

freshers in order to re-

main well-rounded Sol-

diers. We also ensure to

incorporate adequate

rest and down time in

order to stay healthy and

mentally prepared for the

second half of our de-

ployment.

As always, thanks for

your ongoing support,

love, and mail. We all

can‟t wait to get back

home!

Families and Friends of

Charlie Company,

April has been a quick

but busy month for us

here in Afghanistan.

Some of us are enjoying

the warmer weather,

while some prefer the

colder weather that has

now passed. You may

hear or read about vari-

ous news sources refer

to the start of the spring

“fighting season” - our

unit and our Soldiers are

prepared to support the

entire spectrum of mis-

sions that our Brigade

conducts to protect the

Afghan population and

counter any insurgents.

In addition to our daily

medical support mission,

we continue to conduct

remain focused on the

task at hand, and continue

to support this Task Force

with the same degree of

professionalism that they

have shown for the past 6

months.

I want to thank the FRG

for the outstanding sup-

port they have shown our

Soldiers Loved ones.

Knowing that our family‟s

are taken care of helps to

ease everyone's mind, so

we can focus on the mis-

sion. I will be heading

home in Early May for

R&R and look forward to

seeing you around the

Fort Polk area.

-SCALPEL 7

Scalpel Family

Once again, another

month has come and gone

for the soldiers of C CO in

Afghanistan. During the

month of April our soldiers

continued to shine and set

the standard for medical

care in Task Force Patriot.

The heat has arrived and is

a welcomed change from

the cold days and nights we

had for the past 5 months.

We are starting our 7th

month of this deployment,

and like I told the Soldiers

back in October “time will

pass, it always does.”

We have started getting

some of our systems in

place for our return home.

Our soldiers have worked

hard on getting our ship-

ment containers ready, and

are eager to start loading

them up for the journey

back to Fort Polk. The

Commander and I continue

to remind them each and

every day that this is not

over, but soon we will be

loading out. I want them to

Volume 1, Issue 3

Our Medics stand by and prepare to receive casualties as an incoming Medical Evacuation

(MEDEVAC) aircraft approaches our Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ)

SGT Almeida and SPC Wissenbach provide

medical support to an Alpha Co convoy SGT Freeman’s squad prepares for

Our Battle Captain, SPC Ebeling, monitors the

battlefield on various systems

Our Pharmacist, SGT Williamson, orders

medications for various units and providers


New Soldiers:

PV2 Gennie, Supply

PFC Varner, Medic

Promotions:

Corporal Richard Moya was promoted to Sergeant!

Private First Class Adams was promoted to Specialist!

Birthdays:

SPC Ieremia, 1st

CPT Wilson, 16th

SGT Vee, 16th

PFC Mangarero, 19th

SPC Gaddis, 24th

SGT Edmond, 26th

Farewells:

CPT Dembrosky (RTB)

CPT Pelton (ETS)

C Co

SFC Brown and SGT Freeman award combat patches to

1SG Hamilton speaks on behalf of the promotees as

Partnering and working with the US and 1LT Warner holds newborn

CPT Labio speaks on behalf of CPT Pelton as LTC Coston awards him

Volume 1, Issue 3

A few candid photos of our Soldiers on Easter Sunday!

In addition to various church services on the FOB, Charlie Company

enjoyed some camaraderie and grilled steaks, burgers, and corn.

L: 1LT Warner, SSG Dennull, SPC Peggins, and SSG Nelson prepare the burgers and steaks

M: Condiments and marinade

L: PVT Shirkey and SPC Jones prepared decorative Easter baskets

M: CPT Williams takes a break for a picture with SGT Varnado

From L to R: SSG Boor, PV2 Gennie, SFC Roundtree, SFC Olivares, 1SG Hamilton



Commander

CPT Rachel Smith

First Sergeant

1SG Chantea Peters

Executive Officer

1LT Marissa Budd

FRG Leader

Miranda Simpson

HHC


Hello from Afghanistan Hawk families. I am CPT Rachel Smith, the Com-pany Commander for HHC, 94th BSB. I would like to thank you for everything you do in improving our spirits. I would like to say hello to my mother, Sharon, my daughter, Amya, my sister Poohbear, and my niece, Nelley. I love and miss you all. While we continue to complete the mission and stay motivated I only ask

that you keep us in prayer and in your hearts. We love and miss you all dearly. Only a few months more in this race, so stays inspired and cheer us home safely.

Hello once again from Af-ghanistan. Hawk Families, I hope that all of you are in good health and high spir-its. Your love ones are do-ing an outstanding job entering their seventh month of this deployment. They are excelling in all aspects of the mission at hand along with the addi-tional responsibilities in-herited. I am sure that you are just as proud of your Soldiers as I am. I have no complaints. We look forward to being back with all of you very soon.

Hawk Families, we thank all of you for continuing to support us. You are the wind beneath our wings. Without your support, we wouldn’t be as successful as we have been over the last seven months. Thank you for serving with your Soldiers.

“ONE TEAM, ONE FIGHT”

Hawk 7

Volume 1, Issue 3

HHC SOLDIERS IN ACTION!

CPT Kinter brings in 40 with the staff

of 94th BSB!

SPO’s MSG Haywood and SFC

Cardenas posing for a quick pic!

CPT Smith with SSG Southwell– Gaston

at SSG Gaston’s Reenlistment.

CPT Aukeman speaking at SSG Meyers’

Reenlistment!

HHC


Birthdays:

SPC Alicia Joseph

April 8

SFC Althea McFadden

April 13

SGT Adrian Deans

April 23

SPC Andrew Fraser

April 23

PFC Stacci Banks

April 24

1LT Jesus Hernandez

April 29

Re-Enlistments:

SSG David Myers

SSG Anissa Southwell-

Gaston

SGT Adrian Deans

Another month goes by in Afghanistan for HHC, 94th BSB. The staff

sections and Mayor Cell are busy carrying out the strategic moves of

our brilliant com-

mand team of LTC

Coston and MAJ

Mitchem. No mat-

ter how much

work there is to

do, the Soldiers of

HHC have kept up

a positive outlook

and glowing spirit.

The coming of

Spring and the

warmth of the Sun also helps to put many of the smiles on our Sol-

dier‟s faces. Many Sol-

diers are also pleased

with the changes going

on at FOB Shank. The

sleeping tents are cur-

rently going through a

transition from heaters

to air conditioning in

preparation for the up-

coming summer. The

FOB‟s Post Exchange completed their remodeling and had a grand

opening with a larger inventory of items for our Soldiers. No matter

how happy our Soldiers

are, thoughts of their

families are always close

to their hearts. So with

the Soldier‟s families in

mind, we wish them a

Happy Easter and a

Happy Mother‟s Day.

CPT Smith and SSG Polite at the new AAFES PX Grand

Opening!

SPC Ruffin and SPC Smith enjoying a break!

Volume 1, Issue 3

HHC

"Hi hun, I just wanted to tell you that

I miss you so much and I can't wait to come back to you. I am okay and I will

be home soon. I love you."

SPC MEYER, MATTHEW

To my Family,

Thanks for all of the love and support that you give and has given to me.

Your love and support keeps me motivated and it is fuel that keeps me going when the times get tough. I am really looking forward to being a

new uncle again it’s great to see that that the family is still growing. Thanks for all the prayers that you guys pray for us. Let Nicholas know that I am still gone whoop that tail in bowling when I get home. Love you

and I’ll see you soon.

SSG Collins

Dear Kahlil,

I really miss you, I will be home soon to see you. I know your

being a good boy. I saw your report card and I am so proud that you are making straight A’s.

Keep up the good work! Thanks for the pictures you guys sent, your getting so big! I love you

always and Ill see you soon.

Love always,

Mommy

I just wanted to say Hello to my Padamada family at Kauai,

Hawaii. I miss everyone and I hope the kids had a great

Easter egg hunting.

SPC Padamada

SPC Meyer embracing his fellow S6 soldiers!

SSG Collins taking a break from FOB

projects to receive an ACU pillow

SGT Wilson representing 4/10 MTN!

SPC Padamada is all smiles!


The Battalion is on Facebook.

Check it out!!

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Soldiers...are our most precious resource and reflect our success as leaders and mentors!

-CSM Roy L. Burns

94th BSB April 2011 Newsletter

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Transcript of 94th BSB April 2011 Newsletter