PUBLISHED BY SPC KERRY LYNCH

RAPTOR 6 REPORTS 3 WHAT’S UP DOC? 15

CSM SHARES 4 BREAK TIME 16

CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE 5 THANK YOU! 17

HEADHUNTERS 6 SANDBOX TAXI 18

FATCATS 7 VIP VISITORS 19

DRAGONS 8 CAMP BUEHRING 10 MILER 20

REMEMBERING THE FALLEN 9 CAUGHT IN THE ACT 21

300 CLUB 10 EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE 22

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK 11-13 CHECK IT OUT! 23

FIGHT GONE BAD 6 14

A SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT SUBMITTED ARTICLES AND PICTURES.

T he past two months have been marked by another great set of milestones for the Task Force. We now have

boots-on-ground in Afghanistan, anchored by MAJ Blakey, his team is providing a critical capability that enables our

operations in that part of the Theater. Led by our resident Pearl Jam coverstar, Noel Larson, the Task Force conducted

ARCENT's first-ever Blackhawk HELOCAST mission set that gives our Higher HQ a uniquely tailored platform to

conduct security operations in the region. Since our unit has spent two of the last five 9/11 anniversaries in the desert, we

honored the day with Task Force Rifle PT. Just a few days ago, we conducted the changing of the guard in Cougar Country.

CPT Sieglock handed off the reigns to CPT Collins on the flight ramp as the sun came up on 18 September 2011.

As the saying goes, "The Task Force keeps rolling along" and the weeks continue to fly by. Now we move into a challenging

season of change that will likely shape the way our Task Force and the Army conducts operations in this part of the world in the

years to come. We have a front row seat to witness the Army's new role in the Arabian Desert and will play a part in the

establishment of the future force here. We are all proud and honored to be a part of it.

Best wishes to all of our families and friends. We miss you and you remain in our thoughts and prayers daily.

Raptor 6

G reetings family and friends. Fall weather is coming! We are excited here as

the nights cool off to less than 100 degrees! The days are flying by. We

have completed over 140 days of our mobilization! Mid-Tour leaves are in

full swing and I have enjoyed talking to your Soldiers about their leave

experiences. Some have utilized this opportunity to travel to exotic places while many

more have enjoyed going home to see family and friends. One thing is certain – they

all thoroughly enjoyed their break from the dust and heat over here!

Our Soldiers and NCO’s are taking full advantage during this deployment to

complete professional development programs on-line. NCO’s and junior enlisted

Soldiers alike, are also working on a recent requirement for the Army – the Structured

Self-Development Program or SSD. This phased educational program is mandatory

and will help Soldiers and NCO’s to bridge the time Soldiers have in-between formal

NCO education schools. I am so impressed how aggressive our Soldiers have been in

completing many of these required courses while deployed.

September and October will be busy as our Raptor Battalion prepares for weapons qualification, aerial

gunnery, and a battalion-wide army physical fitness test. This may be the last test our Soldiers take using current

standards. Soon, the Army is launching a new test which includes a 60 yard shuttle run, standing long jump,

push-ups, a rowing exercise and a 1.5 mile run. I am confident our Soldiers

will do well in this new test. All our Soldiers have been diligent in

improving their physical fitness level by losing weight, taking on new

exercise routines, and participating in competitive sports. We have a large

group of Soldiers who run a 5K run every Wednesday and over 25 of our

Soldiers are going to participate in the Army 10 mile run in early October.

The energy level I witness in these troops every day while practicing or

competing is nothing short of amazing!

We look forward to returning to a new Armory at Ft. Lewis. Our Rear

Detachment staff put forth a herculean effort moving into our new armory.

Immediately after moving in, they put together a wonderful Yellow Ribbon

event and Freedom Salute for our Bravo Company Soldiers who recently

returned from their deployment to

Afghanistan. The Raptor Battalion is supporting preparations for

deployment training of our HHC 66th Theater Aviation Command element,

as they prepare to deploy later this year. While we work our mission here in

Kuwait, occasionally I take time to reflect on the incredible amount of

activity that goes on ―back home‖. Our troops are busy back there and we

who are ―forward deployed‖ are amazed and proud of your efforts!

GO RAPTORS!

W ell, I turned 40 last week (September 27th)! According

to some, I am finally reaching maturity which is

debatable according to others who know me well (like

my kids ). And on a day that sometimes evokes

depression realizing that the word ―old‖ is finally becoming reality, I

was actually thankful as I took time to reflect over the last ten years.

Thankful that God has been teaching me to love and trust Him more

and more through a myriad of life-changing events: four beautiful

children, graduate school, busted knee ligaments, becoming a pastor/

chaplain, and four mobilizations (2 CONUS, 2 OCONUS) with the

Army as a result of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

It is almost cliché now to say that ―9/11 changed everything‖ but for

me it truly did. As a ―young‖ 29 year old just three weeks before my

30th birthday I remember watching the horrific events of 9/11 unfold on

a television from a small room at Ft. Bliss Texas. Feelings of fear,

uncertainty, anger and sorrow washed over me repeatedly but above those things rose something else—a renewed

sense of purpose to honor those who were killed by serving those who remained behind.

One of the 7 core Army values, selfless service, is defined as putting the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your

subordinates before your own. Selfless service is larger than just one person. In serving your country, you are

doing your duty loyally without thought of recognition or gain. The basic building block of selfless service is the

commitment of each team member to go a little further, endure a little longer, and look a little closer to see how he

or she can add to the effort.

The Bible defines selfless service through the words of Jesus Christ, ―This is My commandment, that you love one

another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this,

that one lay down his life for his friends.‖ (John 15:12-13) Just days

after saying this, Jesus displayed the ultimate example of selfless sacri-

fice by giving His own life for the sake of everyone who would ever

believe and trust in Him.

You are all serving in the realm in which God has placed you no matter

how insignificant you think your job is. As a matter of fact, your job is

just a small part of it. God wants you to do your job well AND

selflessly serve others by treating each other with love, honor, dignity,

respect and humility. Know that you have the ability to impact the lives

of those around you even and especially when you think they don’t

even notice you. You too can have a renewed sense of purpose NOT

by merely remembering the events of 9/11 and the ensuing sacrifice of

our fallen military service brothers and sisters but by selflessly serving

those who remain behind. And you don’t have to wait until your

reflecting on your 40th birthday.

H eadHunter Families,

We have passed the halfway point here and the R&R program is in full swing. Your Soldiers are getting their much

deserved two weeks off to spend time with friends and families. Each Soldier comes back different; some as new

parents, others with great stories, and some as world travelers, but all come back focused and rejuvenated to finish

out the rest of the deployment. We also recently came together for the 10 year anniversary of September 11th. We came

together as a Battalion at first light, and ran the 9/11 5K race as one, taking the time to remember the fallen together. The day of

meaning and reflection ended with a fantastic Battalion BBQ and the unveiling of our very own band, Sandbox Taxi! We had

Soldiers come together and practice for weeks, and they delivered an amazing concert for an enthusiastic crowd. As this month

draws to an end, it will close another Fiscal Year for the Army, and with it comes another physical fitness test, and weapons

qualification. Your Soldiers have been and continue to challenge themselves for these training events, and our daily operations.

You should be proud of the accomplishments they have had in the first 6 months, as 1SG Jensen and I both are. Your continued

support will carry them through the remaining months. Thank you.

CPT Rob Goertzen

H eadHunter Friends and Family,

We are now at the half way point of our deployment! The weather is starting to slowly cool off in the last couple of

months so that is a plus. This month we have Individual Weapons Qualification (IWQ) and PT test. We are helping

develop our junior NCO’s by putting them in charge of the training events. Usually back home because of time

constraints the fulltime staff coordinates most of the training and the Soldiers don’t have the opportunity and time to prepare

training events. During this deployment we have the time to plan, write MOI’S, PMI’S, order ammo, sign for ranges, and all of

the requirements to put on a safe weapons qualification. A number of Soldiers from HHC have worked hard to accomplish this

task they include SFC Reichelderfer, SSG Burnside, SSG Nolan, SPC Portch, SPC Crespo, SPC Mathews.

In order to shoot better during IWQ we have an indoor range called Engagement Skills Trainer (EST 2000). This system gives

the Soldiers a realistic and controlled environment so they can work on the fundamentals and hone their skills without using real

ammunition. SSG Burnside and SSG Nolan took the initiative to get qualified to operate the range so all Soldiers from this

Battalion can utilize the range at any time. The Soldiers in HHC have shown me that they have what it takes to be among the

best!!!!!!!!!!!!

1SG Jensen

G reetings Cougar family and friends,

On 17 September 2011 the Cougar team held a Change of

Command ceremony and bid farewell and good luck to Captain

Mitch Sieglock and welcomed Captain James Collins in as the new

Commander.

From all the Soldiers we would like to say "Thank you" to CPT Sieglock for

being a great commander. To CPT Collins, welcome and continue to hold this

company to high standards Sir.

1SG James Grau

C ougar Family & Friends,

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is CPT Andy Collins and I took command of C/1-140th

from CPT Mitch Sieglock on 17 September. I have had the privilege of being a Platoon Leader under CPT

Sieglock’s command for the past three years. It is a true honor to be selected to lead this group of outstanding

soldiers.

C Company is doing great. The days continue to clip by. It is exciting to think that October is upon us. Even in the desert, Fall

is in the air. We have crested the hottest part of the year and the temperatures are beginning to drop – it is now consistently

under 120 degrees!

Our crews have executed several high profile missions over the past few months and engaged in some incredible training

opportunities. The FATCATs have supported Army Generals, Navy Admirals, members of the SES, State Governors, and other

VIPs. The Command frequently receives emailed accolades from these passengers recognizing our crews’ professionalism and

high level of customer service. In addition to supporting VIP missions, our crews have taken part in helocast missions to

support Army Divers and conducted aerial door gunnery training.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the accomplishment of one of our Soldiers. SSG Leilani Aho, who has served

C/1-140th for the past five years as a Crew Chief (FI), was recently selected to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School and

Flight School in January 2012! This is a very notable achievement that SSG Aho is very excited about. Unfortunately, it means

that we will be saying, ―goodbye‖ to her in the next few weeks in order to get her back to the States in time to prepare for school

and move to Ft. Rucker, Alabama. We wish SSG Aho the best and look

forward to receiving her back as a Pilot!

Thank you for the continued support that you provide to your Soldier.

They work extremely hard every day and I am very proud of each of them.

We are over the half-way point in this deployment and everyone is staying

focused on the mission at hand, while keeping their eye on the prize of

safely returning home to family and friends.

Take care,

CPT Andy Collins

FATCAT 06

C/1-140th AVN

Commanding

D ragon Family,

Here we are in September, over halfway done! Yes, we only have three more leave rotations before we start the

process of coming home. This month has seen many changes in the company. We have promoted SPC Merenovskiy,

SPC Fepuleai and SPC Wegner. SFC Davis has been transferred to C Company to take over as a flight platoon

sergeant and we know he will do well there. The Lieutenant (Hanisch) has been to the simulator (playing at pilot) in Germany.

The unit has one other big change, I will be moving to B Company soon. SFC Miera has been selected to replace me here in D

Company. While I look forward to the challenge of B Co, I will miss being here with the Dragons. This unit has performed

beyond my expectations and I am extremely proud of this Company. It has been a privilege and an honor to be the First Sergeant

here and I know that SFC(P) Miera will be getting the best maintenance company in the army.

With all the changes, the challenges of maintaining the 8 UH60A helicopters goes on. The physical training, NCO training, and

soldier care continues each day. The light is at the end of the tunnel and we strive not to get ―homeitis‖. Thank you all at home

for the support and I look forward to seeing you when we get back.

1SG Turner

―Dragon 7‖

FOR SCORING 300 POINTS ON

THE SEPTEMBER ARMY

PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST

HEADHUNTERS SSG BRIAN BIBBINS

MAJ DANIEL BREWER

LTC DANIEL DENT

MAJ WILLIAM JOHNSTON

SGT JEMMIMAH GITAU

1LT KATIE WADE FATCATS

SGT LOGAN BEADLE

CPT ANDY COLLINS

SGT MITCHEL MIRANDA DRAGONS

CPT BENJAMIN GERING

SPC LUCAS GILLMORE

SPC STEPHANIE HAYES

MEMBERSHIP DUES: SWEAT, PAIN, AND DETERMINATION

O n September 17, 2011, RAPTOR CrossFit joined CrossFitters from around

the world who came together to endure 17 minutes of one of our most

grueling workouts in honor of those men and women who have given a

lifetime of service and sacrifice. For 17 minutes, we pushed ourselves

further, challenged ourselves deeper, felt the doubt and wonder if we could make it, but

then remembered why we were there and appreciated fully those who we wished to

honor. Our team raised $2,226.00 of the $2,295,376.49 which benefitted the Special

Operations Warrior Foundation, CrossFit Kids, and Camp Patriot.

-CPT Andy Collins

―The heart of an athlete can change the game.

The soul of an athlete can change the world.‖

FGB6 website

Check out:

http://www.sportsgrants.org/fgb6/blog/

For more information

COL Stephen Clift

May-Aug 2011

HHC 1-168 GSAB BN Surgeon

LTC(P) Michael Moneta

Aug-Nov 2011

ORARNG State Surgeon

I would like to extend my

gratitude for the tremendous

and selfless support from

businesses, organizations, and

individuals who have spent

much time and consideration

into sending us resourceful

and thoughtful supplies. On

behalf of the 1-168th Aviation

Task Force and myself,

THANK YOU!

-SPC Kerry Lynch

R ising from the desolate desert of Kuwait, Sandbox Taxi was formed from the

deployed members of the Raptor Battalion in Camp Buehring. The group has a

wide variety of influences ranging from Classical and Blues to Modern Metal.

Sandbox Taxi is LTC Dan Dent on Rhythm/lead guitar, 1LT Adam Hanisch on

rhythm/lead guitar, CW4 Noel Larson on vocals, CW2 Ryan Kennedy on drums, SSG Joe

Cosorus on bass and Lindsay Valdiviezo on vocals. Sandbox Taxi had their debut in a

Hanger on the airfield of Camp Buehring on the 10th anniversary of September 11th and

included covers of Guns and Roses, Judas Priest, Pearl Jam, Ted Nugent, Stone Temple

Pilots and the Cranberries. The Debut show was so well received by Base Command, the

USO, and MWR personnel; Sandbox Taxi was invited to participate in future events

scheduled in Kuwait. Our next show is on the Main USO Stage in Camp Buehring on

Halloween….

Wish us luck.

SSG Joseph Cosorus

Hello Everyone!

It is time to start planning for what’s next after the deployment for those of you who are

unemployed or underemployed. The Camp Murray J9 team is waiting to help coordinate for

employment search assistance. They have informed us that one of the major lessons learned

from previous deployments is this—start the employment search process as soon as possible

while you are still deployed! This will give you a distinct advantage in order to find and use all

resources available to you through the J9 team.

Here is how to get the assistance process started:

Email CH Don Brewer or SPC Kerry Lynch and ask for the J9 intake form. This is to

be filled out by every soldier who is interested in using the large amount of resources

that the J9 is making available to us (resume assistance, job search, education/

vocational training, etc.).

Once the form is filled out please send it to Tamie Clark at

Tamie.j.clark@us.army.mil . Tamie Clark will then help establish a plan that will give

you the maximum assistance necessary to find employment upon completion of your

deployment. This plan will include assistance with Unemployment Insurance claims if

needed.

Please send the intake form to Tamie from your own personal email. This will enable

you to communicate directly with Tamie Clark.

Various job opportunities as well as vocational training information like the

Veterans in Construction Electrical program and Veterans in Piping program is posted in the

168th GSAB conference center. We

will continue to improve our job

assistance “center” daily until

redeployment. Please contact CH

Brewer or SPC Kerry Lynch if you

have any questions. Again, the

sooner you start this process the

better chance that you will find

satisfactory employment and/or

training.

Donald.c.brewer@swa.army.mil

Kerry.m.lynch@swa.army.mil

The Home Depot ―Celebration of Service‖ for

Military service members:

The Home Depot Foundation is running a special

program to commemorate the 10th anniversary of

9/11. From 11 Sep 11 through Veteran's Day (11

Nov 11), Home Depot is offering to conduct work

projects on military member's personal homes.

Home Depot will provide the materials, labor and

contractors. Projects will include repairs and in-

stallations. If there are any questions, please make

contact through the website below.

The priority is as follows:

Wounded warriors returning from combat &

disabled veterans

Members returning from deployment

Members with special needs (either themselves

or family members)

All others, http://homedepotfoundation.org/

Comcast and the Internet A money saving tip!! Comcast introduces Internet Essentials. According to

Comcast they want to bring the to bring the power of the Internet to more stu-

dents and families across the country. That's why they created Internet Essen-

tials to offer home Internet service for only $9.95 a month.

How to qualify To qualify for $9.95 a month Internet service and a low-cost computer, your

household must meet all these criteria:

School Lunch Program

How to apply

-855-846-8376 for an application

lunch program documents from your child’s school

-10 days of receipt of the status

If you need further information, feel free to drop me a line. Although the Na-

tional Guard Bureau does not officially endorse any one particular product or

company, it is my intention to help those service members become more fi-

nancially savvy and educated!