FROM THE FRONTLINEFROM THE FRONTLINEFROM THE FRONTLINE

10 March 2010

PECH XPRESSPECH XPRESSPECH XPRESS FURY COMPANY 2-12 INFANTRY

FITTESTFITTESTFITTEST

SURVIVAL SURVIVAL SURVIVAL OF THEOF THEOF THE

INSIDE THIS EDITIONINSIDE THIS EDITIONINSIDE THIS EDITION SOLDIERS OF THE MONTH pg.8SOLDIERS OF THE MONTH pg.8SOLDIERS OF THE MONTH pg.8

NONNONNON---COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE

MONTH p.8MONTH p.8MONTH p.8

AWARDS pg.9AWARDS pg.9AWARDS pg.9

HOW MAINTENANCE PLATOON KEEPS THE WHEELS OF THE

INFANTRY TURNING

PHOTOS FROM ACROSS AO LETHAL WARRIOR

A VISIT FROM THE STARS

AND MORE...

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Fury

Family and Friends!

After a great time on R&R I am back in the

saddle again. We are one month closer to

coming home and I am sure you are all

anxious to hear our redeployment date. Just

like the email I sent a while back, we still

don't have any final dates. Our Soldiers

have around 90 days left in theatre, give or

take. With that, we still have a ton to

accomplish.

These next 90 days will

be as tough as our first 90

days. Our Soldiers are

tired, but they are

motivated to finish the

mission and do the best

possible job in order to

sustain the Lethal Warrior

Battalion. As I make my

way up the Pech River

Valley visiting all the

Soldiers, I asked them to

do two things over the

next 90 days: Do some-

thing to improve your work area for the

incoming unit and do something to improve

yourself. What I am trying to do is get them

to focus on something they may have been

putting off, always saying they will do it

tomorrow, and focus on getting it

accomplished.

The Company Leadership is trying hard to

keep the Soldiers from becoming compla-

cent, and we would ask you to do the same

by motivating them through phone calls,

emails, and care packages to help them

keep up the hard work and finish the

mission. We don't want any Soldiers getting

hurt because of complacency. Over the next

months, we will be packing containers,

moving containers, finishing our equipment

reset, and planning for the incoming unit's

Relief in Place and Transfer of Authority;

this is on top of our normal sustainment

mission. Fury Company is never without

something to do around here.

In this month’s feature article, you will find

PECH XPRESS

out how our Maintenance Platoon keeps

everything working for the Battalion. This

Platoon has the most Soldiers spread out

over more locations, fixing more vehicles

and equipment than any other Battalion in

the Brigade. I am thankful to have the

NCOs and Soldiers in this Platoon in our

Company. Without them, the Battalion

would come to a screeching halt.

Over the next few months, there will be

lots of information passed about redeploy-

ment, reintegration training, and block

leave. To get the most current information,

visit http://www.armyfrg.org, and search

for 2-12 IN at Fort Carson. This website is

filled with all the latest and greatest news.

If you will be leaving the area or have a

change in address or information, please

update your Key Caller or the FRG

Leader. If you will not be having access to

email and would like information either

mailed or a phone call, pass this informa-

tion along too.

Lastly, I am thankful to have such a great

Company with family, friends, and organi-

zations who support them. You will truly

understand the impact you had on them

when they walk off the airplane with the

pride in their eyes of what they have

done.

Best Wishes,

-CPT G

“Fury 6”

Commander’s Corner

ON THE COVER: In preparation for the

promotion board, SSG Thacker runs a PT

Test in full battle rattle. (photo courtesy of

Associated Press)

Inside this issue:

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST HOW MAINTENANCE PLATOON

KEEPS THE WHEELS OF THE IN-

FANTRY TURNING

4

HEADQUARTERS PLATOON SOLDIER OF THE MONTH

8

DISTRIBUTION PLATOON SOLDIER OF THE MONTH

8

MAINTENANCE PLATOON OF THE MONTH

8

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE MONTH

8

AWARDS 9

Fury Family and Friends,

We have made it through February and

are continuing to push through March. This

month we promoted more Soldiers and

presented even more awards. The

outstanding logistics provided by your

Soldiers has not gone unnoticed. General

Petreaus even came out to Jalalabad this

month to reenlist and award some

Soldiers from Fury. I was told he had

other reasons to come here but I know his

true reason was to see the best company

in the Army! We have stayed busy

ensuring that your Soldiers are recog-

nized through awards and promotions

across the board. With everyone going so

many different directions to provide 2-12

Infantry the best support, it is a real

challenge to get LTC Pearl and the

awardees in the same place at the same

time in order to have an award ceremony!

Each section in the company has stepped

it up to continue our current Operational

Tempo (OPTEMPO) as well as working on

our pack-out of equipment. As I make my

way around to each of the FOBs from

time to time, things are always changing. I

see each section going through great

efforts to make improvement in their

respective areas. The next unit will have a

much better starting point than we did

when we first arrived. It is the continuous

drive to be the best here at Fury that has

driven Leaders and Soldiers to not let any

detail go unnoticed and to make staggering

improvements in each of our areas.

To all of you at home reading this, get

ready for a wonderful summer because

when we get back it is going to be time to

have some fun! We are definitely ready for

a summer of BBQ’s and laughs. I’m sure as

the stories roll off our tongues you will be

wondering how we find some things so

hilarious. If we didn’t have a sense of humor

in a place like this, it would make for a very

long year! Take care all! Thanks for being

there for us!

- 1SG Ashmore

“Fury 7”

First Sergeant’s Corner

“The essence of flexibility is in the

mind of the commander; the substance

of flexibility is in logistics.”

Exciting News PRIVATES LEWIS, BOYCE,

OLSEN, COBURN, AND

BRAMLEY WERE PROMTED

TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS!

PRIVATES FIRST CLASS

PORTER, HADLEY, DUPA,

STANFIELD, AND

SALGADO WERE PRO-

MOTED TO SPECIALIST!

SERGEANT SEELY WAS

PROMOTED TO STAFF

SERGEANT!

- Rear Admiral Henry Eccles,

U.S. Navy

THE BATTERED, THE BROKEN,

No matter how hard the beating, Maintenance Platoon continues to

By 1LT John T. O’Connell

THE TRIUMPHANT. Infantry fighting force to the threshold.

sustain and maintain every vehicle of Task Force Lethal, pushing the

4

5

A

Flashback: 330 BCE. Alexander the

Great pursues his conquest to take over

the Achaemenid Empire. Moving into

the land now known as modern day

Afghanistan, Alexander’s army of Mace-

donians faced one of the toughest battle-

fields in their entire campaign. Not only

did they face heavy resistance from

headstrong local tribes, but they also

faced the challenge of maneuvering over

treacherous terrain. The extreme weather

combined with winding roads and trails

through the mountains created a maze

that often trapped invading soldiers.

Compared to the Iran campaign which

ended in only six months, Alexander

spent nearly three years conquering the

land of Afghanistan.

Despite being one of the toughest lands

to subdue under his rule, Alexander the

Great was able to sustain his army

through two pivotal factors: intelligence

and logistics. While the Macedonians

collected intelligence from local sources

to help them progress forward through

the battlefield, they performed important

logistics practices that would help

sustain their forces throughout the battle.

They knew how to secure sources of sup-

ply, how to maintain their weapons for

operational readiness, and most signifi-

cantly when to stand down and reassem-

ble for the long fight ahead. Alexander

depended on his logisticians to drive his

forces to the limits without risking

breakdown.

Flash forward: 2010 AD. The United

States Army now occupies the land of

Afghanistan. Their mission is not to con-

quer the land, but rather to rebuild a

stronger government for the people and

to defeat the insurgency which seeks to

disrupt it. The battlefield looks much

different compared to what Alexander

the Great faced. Spears and catapults

have been replaced by machine guns and

artillery, and horses and chariots have

been dismissed for heavily armored

trucks. Although weapons and vehicles

have changed, the principles of logistics

and maintenance have remained the

same. Activities that include requisition-

ing parts and supplies to maintain vehi-

cles, fixing faults and repairing battle

damage, and setting time to conduct

preventative maintenance have helped to

prolong the quality and endurance of

equipment and have ultimately multi-

plied combat power. Only a unit who

understands the importance of mainte-

nance will be able to endure the elements

of combat, and only a seasoned group of

expert maintainers who have seen

combat alongside their infantry brethren

will be able to effectively maintain a task

force that refuses to lose.

The mission of Fury Company’s Mainte-

nance Platoon is to provide direct sup-

port field maintenance for all equipment

operated by Task Force Lethal Warrior.

The equipment that takes the heaviest

beating across the Pech River Valley is

undoubtedly the armored vehicles

driven by the light infantry companies

on their daily patrols. These vehicles

consist of the RG31 Mine Resistant

Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the

Maxxpro DASH, the M1117 Armored

Security Vehicle (ASV), and most re-

cently the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-

ATV). With a fleet of over 100 vehicles,

Top left: CW2 Gosine mentors SGT Rodriguez on

environmental protection, fiscal spending, and

motorpool operations at FOB Fenty. Bottom left:

SPC Walker installs parts onto a 60KW military

generator. Right: SPC Borcsani trains local mechanic

“Tom Araya” on the installation of the wiring har-

ness onto an M1074 Palletized Load System (PLS).

6

Task Force Lethal requires a team of

maintainers that have both the skills and

the tools to handle such a massive work-

load. These maintainers are the masters

of their trade, and they will not rest until

every job is complete.

The Soldiers of Maintenance Platoon

make up the largest group of sustainers

across AO Lethal. Under the leadership

of 1LT Shayne Heap, CW2 J. Gosine and

SFC L. Scott, the platoon consists of 20

automotive mechanics, three power gen-

eration mechanics, three welders, one

quartermaster equipment repairer, and

three automated supply specialists who

are spread out across all of AO Lethal’s

Combat Outposts (COPs). Each detach-

ment of mechanics is equipped with an

ensemble of toolsets, parts, and supplies

which they use daily to keep every ar-

mored gun truck and power generation

system running. For heavier mainte-

nance jobs, an experienced team of main-

tainers stands ready at FOB Blessing,

armed with welding capabilities, electri-

cal supplies and recovery assets. When it

comes to jobs that require intense repairs,

the team at FOB Fenty serves as the last

line of maintenance for the Lethal War-

rior Battalion. No matter how heavy or

light the job might be, all teams at each

site have a workload that keeps them on

their feet day by day, and through their

hard work they keep the battalion mov-

ing towards mission accomplishment.

Few and far between The first biggest challenge each mainte-

nance team faced as soon as they set

boots on the ground was working on

vehicles that were relatively new to the

Army. Only a few of the mechanics

received training on vehicles such as the

MRAPs and DASHes prior to deploy-

ment, and even fewer mechanics had

experience working with battle damaged

vehicles. SSG John Smith, a senior

mechanic at FOB Fenty, describes the

process of learning to maintain these

new vehicles saying, “we had to learn

how to work on three different vehicle

systems in only a few weeks. Not only

did the senior mechanics have to learn

how the systems worked, but they also

had to teach their Soldiers how to do the

same job, so it became a test of compe-

tence and leadership for everyone.”

On top of learning how to maintain new

systems, each team soon learned that

their next biggest challenge was attaining

the right parts to repair their fleet of

vehicles. Although the Maintenance Pla-

toon deployed with enough toolsets and

supplies to last them over a year, the

necessary spare parts for the most fre-

quently used vehicles would be harder to

obtain. Thus, the teams spent their early

months conserving the supplies they

had, and they relied heavily on the hard

work of the team at FOB Fenty to push

them the right parts and supplies

needed. SGT Jerry Schilhab, the auto-

mated supplies NCO for the platoon,

manages the requisition, accounting, and

delivery of all repair parts and motor-

pool supplies to each COP. SGT Schilhab

and his team of supply specialists reach

out to each site daily with the parts they

push via host nation trucks. “It’s hard

enough waiting for parts to come in, and

when we do receive them, we need to

make sure every part goes to the right

location,” states Schilhab. “If parts get

sent to the wrong place, the mechanics

can’t get the job done.”

For many of the mechanics, adjusting to

everyday life at the COPs added a new

spin to everyday motorpool operations.

Unlike the motorpools seen in Garrison

Right: SPC Estrada, armed with an M203 grenade

launcher, assists in conducting force protection in

addition to his mechanic duties at COP Michigan.

Far right: SPC Palazzollo loads parts at FOB Fenty to

be transported to outlying COPs. Top right: SGT

Schilhab reviews parts on order for the platoon.

Bottom right: PFC Bramley services an MRAP en-

gine at COP Honaker Miracle

7

or even at the bigger FOBs, the motor-

pools at the COPs lacked hardball pave-

ment to work on, and very few of them

had enough cover to protect people and

equipment from inclement weather. To

compensate, the teams had to find crea-

tive ways of preserving their resources

through the elements. SPC Jeremiah Os-

tuni, a mechanic at COP Able Main,

helped to create a few improvised struc-

tures to keep his motorpool functioning.

“SGT Moon and I laid down some air

force pallets over the gravel to create a

hard surface to work on,” explains

Ostuni, “and we also hung up a T10-D

parachute to provide us with some cover.

Not exactly bullet proof, but it keeps us

in the shade.” Overall, such hardships

have proven only to be trivial in the long

run, and the maintenance teams have

been able to push forward with full force.

Reinventing the steel Now approaching nearly 10 months into

the deployment, the Maintenance Pla-

toon has worked through all challenges

and has accomplished many great things

that have kept Task Force Lethal opera-

tionally ready. With over 3500 jobs

completed, they have raised the opera-

tional readiness rate from a mere 73% at

the start of the deployment to an un-

precedented 97%. To increase combat

power, SPC Seigars and SSG Mayes, both

welders for the platoon, helped to fabri-

cate a TOW missile turret to add to Fury

Company’s Distribution Platoon MRAP

line. The turret was a unique addition

that made the Combat Logistics Patrol a

feared element throughout AO Lethal.

One of the most important things the

maintenance teams have done is to pre-

serve a program that can be used by

follow-on units and local nationals for

future operations. Training local mechan-

ics on military vehicle maintenance is a

regular activity at FOB Fenty. Joined by a

team of five local national workers, the

maintainers work alongside local

mechanics at Fenty are able to accom-

plish twice as much with a few helping

hands. SPC Justin Borcsani, a generator

mechanic, describes the time spent

alongside the local nationals saying, “we

are very fortunate to have them in our

motorpool. They are very enthusiastic

about learning to maintain the vehicles.”

At FOB Blessing, the maintenance team

there conducted a program for the

Afghan National Army on preventative

maintenance checks and services (PMCS)

on the M1151 up-armored gun trucks. As

the US Army transitioned to more

advanced vehicles like the DASH and

the M-ATV, the older M1151 vehicles

have been inherited by ANA forces to

use. When it came time to train the ANA

on how to maintain these trucks, the

leaders of Task Force Lethal looked only

to the mechanics of Fury Company to

provide the best PMCS training the

Army could offer. 1LT Heap reflects on

the training, citing it as a great success

for both Coalition forces and the ANA.

“The training and partnering that we

have done over the last few months has

helped move the ANA toward self-

sufficiency,” explains Heap. “The

Soldiers are very interested in the vehi-

cles themselves and their maintenance

and operation. The mechanic that has

worked alongside us in the motor pool is

even traveling to other locations to show

other mechanics what he's learned...like

a train-the-trainer operation. It's work-

ing!"

Far beyond driven Looking back on all that they have ac-

complished, the Soldiers of Maintenance

Platoon have a lot to be proud of. Their

will and determination has enabled them

to accomplish nearly impossible tasks,

and their knowledge and expertise is

recognized throughout the Battalion.

However, with all things considered, one

must ask what really keeps these main-

tainers motivated to do their job to the

fullest.

For some, it is being part of a platoon

that is very well resourced with excellent

tools and supportive leaders. For others,

it might be the simple love of being a

mechanic and having a natural knack for

fixing things. SSG J. Kyle Vance, mainte-

nance team chief at COP Honaker Mira-

cle, states, “Being a mechanic is what I

have wanted to do since I was a kid. I’ve

developed skills that can help me

throughout my life.” At the end of the

day, all of Maintenance Platoon can hang

their hat up and say that they went

through hell in a year...and they never

quit until the job was done.

Above: SGT Stanberry, SSG Arvizu, and 1LT Heap

pose with the 3rd Kandak after completing a Driver

and PMCS training program on the M1151 up-

armored gun truck at FOB Blessing.

SOLDIERS OF THE MONTH Maintenance Soldier of the Month Headquarters Soldier of the Month

Private First Class Amber Davis

PFC Amber Davis was

chose as the Head-

quarters Platoon Sol-

dier of the Month for

March. PFC Davis has

done an outstanding job

of assisting with daily

operations, and she has

shown a strong will and

drive to improve herself

as a Soldier.

PFC Davis was born in

Oakland, CA and was

raised in Portland, OR.

She joined the Army in

February 2009, and she

attended Basic Combat

Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Upon

completion of Basic Training, PFC Davis at-

tended AIT at Fort Lee, VA where she was

trained as a 92G, Food Service Specialist.

Her first duty assignment was to 2-8 Infantry

at Ft. Carson, CO. She then transferred to F

Company, 2-12 Infantry where she volun-

teered to deploy as part of the Individual

Readiness Training (IRT) group in order to join

her Battalion in Afghanistan.

PFC Davis has worked as an orderly room

clerk for the Fury Company TOC, assisting her

leaders with administrative matters and battle

tracking missions. Most recently, she was se-

lected to take charge of the Company Arms

Room, managing all weapons for Fury Com-

pany. In her free time, PFC Davis has taken

advantage of bettering her education by

taking English classes through Central Texas

College.

Private First Class Anthony Bailey

Distribution Soldier of the Month

PFC Anthony Bailey was selected

as the Distribution Platoon Sol-

dier of the Month for his hard

work and dedication as part of

the Fury Rigger Team. PFC Bailey

has been a key player in delivering slings in

support of Baker Company, 2-12 Infantry.

PFC Bailey was born in

Memphis TN April 4th,

1988. He attended

Basic Training July

2008 at Fort Knox, KY.

After graduation from

Basic Training, he at-

tended AIT at Fort

Leanardwood, MO

where he was trained

to become an 88M,

Mo to r T r an s po r t

Operator. PFC Bailey

was stationed at Fort

Carson, Colorado in November 2008 and was

assigned to Fury Company, 2-12 Infantry. Imme-

diately, he was informed that he would deploy

in 2009 to Afghanistan. In January 2008, PFC

Bailey deployed to the Joint Readiness Training

Center at Fort Polk, LA. In June 2009, he

deployed with Fury Company in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom X. Duing his

deployment, he conducted Combat Logistics

Patrols (CLPs) from FOB Fenty to FOB Blessing

for two months. In August, he was stationed at

FOB Blessing and participated in sling load

missions to support Baker Company in Korengal

Valley. He also assists SGT Chambers in fueling

the generators on the FOB.

PFC Bailey is married to Christina Te'Lisa Bailey,

and he has one son, Ellijah Lemar Bailey.

Sergeant Marvin Roberts

Non-Commissioned Officer of the Month

SGT Roberts takes a break from the kitchen and dreams of the being on the rolling hills of the great state of Montana.

8

SPC Thompson,

Timothy was born

in Oakland, CA

and was raised in

Jacksonville, FL.

He has been mar-

ried to his wife,

Sandra for almost

two years and they

have one child

together, Hailey.

SPC Thompson

joined the Army in

August 2005 and

attended Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, SC. After

Basic, he attended AIT at Aberdeen Proving

Grounds, MD to be trained as a 91B, Wheeled

Vehicle Mechanic. From there, he was stationed

at Ft. Carson and was assigned to Fury Com-

pany in March 2006. He first deployed with the

company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom

in October 2006 and in June 2009, he de-

ployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation

Enduring Freedom. Since arriving here, SPC

Thompson has played key roles in the recovery

teams stationed at FOB Fenty and COP

Honaker-Miracle. He also conducts Force Protec-

tion for the entire COP on a nightly basis. His

short term goals are to become an NCO and to

take on the new challenges facing him at his new

assignment at Ft. Hood, TX. His long term goals

are to gain as much knowledge as possible and

to start his own mechanic shop in Florida.

Specialist Timothy Thompson

SGT Roberts was selected as the NCO of the

Month for March. SGT Roberts has performed a

superior job of spearheading the food service

operations at COP Michigan in support of Dagger

Company, 2-12 Infantry.

SGT Roberts was born and raised in Butte, Mon-

tana. He joined the Army in January 2001, and

was trained as a 92G, Food Service Specialist at

Fort Lee, VA. His first assignment was with the

540th Quartermaster in Schofield Barracks, HI.

While stationed in Hawaii, he served in various

units at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, and Fort

Shafter. SGT Roberts then PCSed to Fort Richard-

son, Alaska where he served as a First Cook for the

98th Maintenance Company. He deployed in sup-

port of Operation Iraqi Freedom V under the com-

mand of the 15th Sustainment Brigade.

In September 2008, SGT Roberts was assigned to

Fury Company, 2-12 Infantry. As one of the senior

cooks, he led several field food service operations

in preparation for deployment to Operation Endur-

ing Freedom X. In June 2009, SGT Roberts de-

ployed to Afghanistan with Fury Company, and he

is currently stationed at COP Michigan.

SGT Roberts’ awards and decorations include the

Army Commendation Medal (3 OLC), the Army

Achievement medal (6th award), the Army Good

Conduct Medal (3 OLC), and the Combat Action

Badge.

SGT Roberts is married to Kimberly, and he has

two children, Arionna and Brady.

PFC Bailey shows how hard life can be as a gangster (in Afghanistan)

SPC Thompson stands ready to terminate the Anti Afghan Forces (AAF) outside of COP Honaker Miracle.

PFC Davis is extremely excited to become the armorer for Fury Company!

The Army Commendation is awarded

to any person who distinguished

himself or herself by heroic or merito-

rious achievement or service while

engaged in an action against an

enemy of the United States. The “V”

device serves as a clarification for

medals that are awarded for valor

(bravery against the enemy).

ARCOM (V) Awardees

Staff Sergeant Dalluge

Specialist Hanes

RE-ENLISTMENTS

AAM Awardees Specialist Dupa

Specialist Dumont

Private First Class Parker

Corporal Schoepp

Specialist Funchess

Private First Class Kennedy

Corporal Hoeksema

Specialist Seigars

The Army Achievement Medal is

awarded to members of the

Armed Forces of the United States

who distinguished themselves by

meritorious service or achievement.

Congratulations to the following Soldiers and

NCOs who have re-enlisted over the past month.

These individuals have taken an important step to

progress in their careers and are also doing a

great thing in volunteering to continue serving our

country in a time of conflict. Thank you for your

continued service!

Specialist Aguilar

Staff Sergeant Chaney

Corporal Smith

Left: SPC Hanes is awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor by GEN David Patreaus at FOB Fenty

Right: SSG Chaney gives feedback on the Multicam uniform to GEN Anne Dunwoody at FOB Fenty.

Top left clockwise: PFC Lewis is promoted at FOB Blessing, 24 February; SPC Seigars receives the Army

Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance in Maintenance Platoon; LTC Pearl congratulates SSG

Seely on his promotion at FOB Blessing; a view of the Korengal Valley; SPC Stanfield is congratulated by SGT

Rodriguez at FOB Fenty; SPC Hecke scans the ridgeline during a CLP through the Pech River Valley.

9

FROM THE FRONTLINE

VVV VVV

Photo credits: 1LT O’Connell, 1LT Heap, SSG Thacker,

SSG Vance, SGT Schilhab, SGT Rogers, 1SG Ash-

more, CPT Gutierrez, SPC Cushing, PFC Raney