Wolfpack TACOPS, S2, and S3 teamed up

to plan and oversee high level

air assaults to defeat the local

insurgency.

The S1 section managed mid-

tour leave for 80 Troopers and

completed all Human Resources

needs of the Task Force. Our S4

section welcomed its new Officer

in Charge, CPT Kyle Markle, and

continued planning and funding

improvement projects to en-

hance operations, living areas,

and force protection. Our S6

section implemented a stand-

alone communications network,

providing improved efficiency to

Task Force operations, while

eliminating the need to rely on

outside infrastructure.

The unit medical team contin-

ued caring for Soldiers at two

locations, ensuring all received

proper preventative and respon-

sive medical care. Our Unit Min-

istry Team executed a 9/11

Prayer Luncheon to honor the

sacrifices in the War on Terror-

ism, and worked around the

clock to meet spiritual needs of

the Task Force.

We couldn’t do these extraordi-

nary things without the great

support of everyone at home.

We sincerely thank you for your

love and encouragement!

30 September 2011

Volume 2, Issue 4

TASK FORCE

LOBOS

Featuring updates from:

HHC/Wolfpack 1

A CAC/Vultures

A ASLT/Werewolves

B CO/Blackcats

2

B ATK/Reapers

C CO/Witchdoctors

D CO/ Outlaws

3

E CO/Renegades

F CO/Ravens

Rear Det/Rear Guard

4

LTC Huff and CSM Soliz speak with members

of Task Force Lobos at Camp Marmal.

Our recent expansion of medical

evacuation coverage in Regional

Command-North serves as a

clear example of this process.

Noting an area in which our Task

Force could provide enhanced

services to supported ground

forces, the Lobo staff joined with

several companies to examine

the issue, develop courses of

action, and publish a compre-

hensive plan to safely and effi-

ciently accomplish our objective.

Our team undergoes this delib-

erate process in everything we

undertake, never accepting the

status quo as “good enough”,

while at the same time refusing

to leave any aspect of an opera-

tion to chance.

To receive daily updates on our Soldiers' activities and access to

hundreds of recent photo-graphs, I encourage you to sub-

scribe to our 1,000-member Facebook page. Search for "2-

227th Aviation Regiment, 1ACB" and click "Like" to become a

member. -- LOBO6

The month of September

brought with it limitless oppor-

tunities for Task Force Lobos to

build upon its strong reputation

of professionalism and effec-

tiveness while conducting com-

bat aviation operations. Com-

mand Sergeant Major Soliz and

I receive a seemingly endless

stream of compliments for the

men and women of our Task

Force, and we share a deep

pride for the privilege of leading

our committed team of warriors.

The Lobos proudly hosted a

prayer luncheon commemorat-

ing the tenth anniversary of the

events of September 11, 2001.

This respectful ceremony in-

cluded personal remembrances

of four Soldiers assigned to the

1st Air Cavalry Brigade, and

featured keynote addresses by

the Deputy Commander of Re-

gional Command-North, BG

Sean Mulholland, and our Bri-

gade Commander, COL John

Task Force Commander Novalis. Representatives of

every unit assigned to Camp

Marmal participated, including

dozens of our NATO allies.

The members of this Task Force

refuse to accept the phrase

“steady state operations”, a

term commonly assigned to the

middle months of a deployment.

Knowing that such a mindset

brings with it added hazards of

complacency and overconfi-

dence, our aircrews and support

personnel approach every mis-

sion with the highest level of

precision, detailed planning, and

commitment to safety. We con-

tinuously challenge ourselves to

achieve a higher level of excel-

lence at every facet of an opera-

tion. Be it performing mainte-

nance, executing staff and sup-

port functions, or conducting full

spectrum aviation operations,

we’ve made it our standard to

rehearse every mission prior to

execution and conduct thorough

after action reviews to fine tune

our processes.

Wolfpack Soldiers successfully

completed another busy month

at Camp Marmal. The unwaver-

ing support of the Wolfpack

Staff Sections

once again en-

abled Task Force

Lobos to complete

its mission to the

highest standard.

Our S3 section led

the way, working

many challenging

hours keeping on

top of daily opera-

tions. Once again,

Task Force Lobos, Regional Command-North, Afghanistan

Wolfpack Soldiers hold encouraging signs made by students

from Discovery Elementary School in St. Charles, Missouri.

Vultures

The Vultures remained busy throughout

September, flying over 700 hours in support

of the RC-North mission. Our maintenance

team worked diligently to keep our aircraft

safely cruising the skies of Afghanistan, and

we have maintained a 100% execution rate

for all assigned missions.

Excitement ensues every day for the Vul-

tures whether transporting General Officers,

conducting high profile air assault opera-

tions, moving NATO Soldiers around Afghani-

stan, or transporting teams of military work-

ing dogs. Every day brings with it new chal-

lenges and opportunities for our Company to

excel.

The first few Vultures recently returned to

Afghanistan following mid-tour leave. Re-

laxation and the much needed time off

brought them back to us eager to complete

their mission in Afghanistan. Other members

of the Company will continue to cycle out of

Afghanistan over the next several months to

enjoy time with family and to

take a well deserved break

from the deployment.

This month the Vultures bid

farewell to CPT Markle as he joined the Task Force Staff

as the S4. With his depar-ture the company welcomed

a new platoon leader, 1LT Paul, who already demon-

strates excellent efforts taking on the challenging

responsibility of a Flight Platoon leader.

To all Vulture families and

friends, we send our heartfelt gratitude for

the loving support we’ve received through-out these first four months. Your kind

thoughts and generous efforts make a posi-tive difference in our ability to conduct op-

erations.

Spirits remain high among the Blackcats as

we complete our fourth month of combat

operations in Northern Afghanistan.

The company continues to set the stan-

dard and exceed expectations while

executing safe, efficient, and effective

heavy lift missions for supported ground

forces in Regional Command-North.

Bravo Company proudly elevated three

pilots to Pilot-In-Commands status in

September, including CPT Leathead, CPT

Groh, and CW2 Rossi. Additionally, SGT

Miller completed Flight Engineer train-

ing. Congratulations for these accom-

plishments, which increase the com-

pany’s capabilities across all of Northern

Afghanistan.

CPT Reyna enjoyed a visit to the Blackcat

platoon conducting operations in Shindand,

Afghanistan. Led by CPT Leathead and SFC

Lewis, the Shindand team impressed him

with their hard work and dedication to mis-

sion accomplishment. Despite the around

the clock demands, they continue to set the

example of professionalism and dedication

among their Task Force Spearhead counter-

parts.

The company continues to gratefully receive

dozens of care packages and letters each

week from our supporters back home. We

sincerely thank our FRG for keeping our

families well informed of deployment infor-

mation. As always thank you for your love

and support as we complete our mission!

Blackcats

physical separation from our home base of

Camp Marmal.

We look forward to October, which marks a

significant point in the Werewolves’ time-

line when we complete one third of the

deployment. Regardless of the

many challenges encountered here

in Afghanistan, an ever-present

feeling of camaraderie and unit

cohesion fills the two Werewolf

Command tents. We owe much of

the success in building our well-

knit team to the support that each

Soldier receives from supporters

back home. The never ending

supply of care packages keep big

smiles on our faces, and the daily

calls and emails fuel our motiva-

tion to press on. Not a day passes in which a

story about home goes unheard. We’d like to

thank all of our families and friends for every-

thing they have done for our unit. Thank you for

your devoted thoughts and prayers.

Werewolves

After four months of unrelenting operations

throughout RC-North, the Werewolves of

Alpha Assault have unquestionably estab-

lished a known and respected presence in

Afghanistan. From the outlying bases to

our headquarters at Camp Marmal, the

Werewolves continue to impact history.

Responding to an ever-increasing demand

for air support throughout the area of op-

erations, the Werewolves began planning

to establish a new foothold at a new base.

This move will allow us to provide greater

flexibility and shorter response times for

assigned missions. Many thanks go out to

the Werewolf members who continue to

depict absolute professionalism despite

Page 2 TASK FORCE LOBOS

Members of 2nd Flight pose by a UH-60 Blackhawk.

SSG Suiters and CPT Jeter prepare a container for

transport below a CH-47F Chinook helicopter via sling

load.

The Vultures stand in formation on Camp Marmal, Afghanistan.

Reapers

Volume 2, Issue 4

Outlaws

September has proven a busy month for the

Reapers, testing the resolve of a unit that has

provided competent and cohesive teams over

the course of a hot Afghanistan summer.

While our families celebrated Labor Day

weekend, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade cele-

brated the holiday with a 5K fun run at

Camp Marmal. Several Reapers participated

in the event, with SPC Tylka earning the

fastest time.

The Reapers achieved many milestones

during September, including SPC Crawford,

SPC Mitchell, and SGT Grage, who all be-

came promotable after impressing the Task

Force Lobos promotion board. Special con-

gratulations to SGT Grage, who earned the

highest points on the board.

Bravo Attack continued to conduct Air

Ground Integration (AGI) training with ground

forces. This training helped German, Norwe-

gian, and other NATO forces stationed at

Camp Marmal understand the capabilities

we can provide for ground Soldiers. The

Reapers also conducted a static display for

a German VIP, and took a German General

members, we continued to enable aviation

operations throughout the battle space.

While sustaining the fleet, Outlaw Soldiers have demonstrated excellence across all

fronts. For starters, SPC Masteller won the Company Soldier of the Month board. Also,

SPC Walton and SPC Motton earned pro-

motions, and SSG Meredith became a Sen-ior Noncommissioned officer with her pro-

motion to SFC. All three earned these pro-motions through ceaseless hard work, and

deserve this recognition for their success.

The company had the pleasure of receiving 1LT Browning, SSG Samansky and SPC

Nevett from the Rear Detachment. We

The Outlaws have upheld high standards de-

spite a demanding OPTEMPO for maintenance. As the Battalion's flying hours increased by

nearly 50%, so has the

maintenance necessary for

continued

success in combat.

Through the hard work and

determination of your family

look forward to working with these individuals

in the coming months.

We sent SPC Wheeler and SPC Walton to the German "Schutzenschnur" weapons qualifica-

tion range, where they learned to fire German Army weapons. They successfully qualified

with the G36 assault rifle and HK USP pistol.

This outstanding opportunity allowed these Soldiers to expand their knowledge base on

foreign weapons and interact with their inter-national counterparts.

As always the Outlaw company succeeds in

maintenance on a daily basis and each of you can feel intense pride for their hard work and

accomplishments.

capabilities to ground forces operating within

Regional Command-North.

Throughout September, the Witchdoctors

continued the process of establishing a new

Forward Support MEDEVAC Platoon at a new

operating location, a move that will increase

MEDEVAC capabilities and decrease re-

sponse time. By this time next month, the

Witchdoctors’ footprint will include a total of

four satellite FOBs as well as our home base

at Camp Marmal.

Thank you to all the family and friends back

home who send their love and support

through letters and care packages. Without

your support, we would find our job here

much more difficult. The Witchdoctors thank

you for your thoughts, prayers, and support.

With four months of our deployment behind

us, the Charlie Company Witchdoctors have

undoubtedly made a significant contribution

in Operation Enduring Freedom 11-12.

From Meymaneh to Kunduz, the Witchdoc-

tors continue to provide life-saving medical

evacuation services to American, NATO, and

Afghan military allies.

At each of our operating locations, the

Witchdoctors continue to set a positive ex-

ample of professionalism and competence.

Our Soldiers conduct weekly training with

NATO Soldiers, and continue to increase

pilot and crew member capabilities through

ongoing readiness level progression training.

Of course, our primary focus remains on

providing immediate medical evacuation

Page 3

SPC Stubblefield and PFC Foster

conduct maintenance on a UH-60

helicopter.

Witchdoctors

1st Cavalry Division Command Sergeant Major Isaia

Vimoto poses with SPC Gooding, SPC Dozier, and SPC Batt

during a recent visit to the Witchdoctor Command Post.

Officer for a few turns around the traffic

pattern in the front seat of an Apache. These

training sessions have proven informative

and enjoyable for everyone involved, and

further integrate our NATO allies into our

deployment, as this remains a truly interna-

tional effort.

This month, we bid farewell to one of our

stellar platoon leaders, CPT Beckwith, as he

brings his talents to the Lobos S3 shop as

their newest battle captain. In his stead, we

welcome 1LT Grove, a recent graduate of

the AH-64D course at Fort Rucker. 1LT

Grove received a nice sendoff from the FRG,

and we welcome him to the Reapers.

As we pass the four month mark in country,

all of our Soldiers remain thankful for the

support we receive from families, friends,

and other patriotic Americans back home.

We would like to thank everyone for their

love and support.

CPT Nickel and SPC Hines proudly display the colors

of our nation shortly before a mission.

Echo Company remains fully engaged sup-

porting Task Force Lobos. Every day we

prove just how much our strong support

company positively impacts aviation opera-

tions.

Maintenance platoon responded to thirteen

recovery missions over the month. They also

constructed an efficient work area for our

welders, a necessary improvement due to the

increased demand for welding skills. Our

welders installed new gates at the Camp Mar-

mal entry control point, constructed security-

enforced storage areas for a sister company,

and built an air conditioner support frame for

a mission partner on Camp Marmal. Our

mechanics repaired 14 generators and com-

pleted weekly services on 12 generators.

Our Headquarters platoon installed Armed

Forces Network cables to all dining room

televisions for Soldiers to enjoy while eating

meals. Our food service Soldiers instituted

“Wing Night” at the airfield dining facility, an

initiative that immediately raised the morale

of the hardworking Soldiers who frequent that

location. Meanwhile, our supply section

provided for the logistical needs of our

Soldiers, including procuring uniforms,

supplies, and equipment to enable the

company’s success.

Despite busy operations and increased

volume in ammunition requirements, Distri-

bution platoon never missed a beat! Distro

Platoon has issued an overwhelming

930,000 gallons of fuel and established a

cold fuel point at a new operating location

in Northern Afghanistan. They also wel-

comed two new Renegade fuelers to the

team, PFC Segovia and PFC Garcia. Wel-

come to Afghanistan!

The Renegades love our FRG support, and

sincerely thank our friends and family

members for the letters and goodies.

Renegades

At Kunduz, our Troopers recently participated

in German Weapons Qualification, an event

known as “Schutzenschnur”. The German

MG3 machine gun presents a challenge to

first time qualifiers, but our Soldiers over-

came it easily. SPC Robbins led the way as

the first to qualify for the Gold Badge. SSG

Ramos and SPC Rossi also qualified for Gold,

with SPC Hooper earning Silver. Each Soldier

demonstrated versatility mastering this for-

eign weapon system with minimal training.

CW2 Jackson and SFC Adams continue to set

and maintain high standards of performance

and equipment maintenance at Shindand.

Their platoon remained busy erecting rein-

forced antenna masts to withstand high

winds and improving power generation sys-

tems. Our Soldiers have significantly im-

proved their workspace.

Our Maser-E-Sharif team made preparations

to execute a Spur Ride. 1SG Pinckney

serves as

lead planner

for this Bri-

gade-level

event. Earn-

ing spurs

represents an

honored Cav-

alry tradition!

We guaran-

tee lifelong

memories for

everyone who

participates!

In Control!

Ravens

Lobos Families and friends: Congratula-

tions on the completion of the first third of

the Task Force’s deployment! As we all

embrace the predictability of school and

extracurricular activities, keep in mind that

your Rear Detachment team remains com-

mitted to fulfilling our dual mission of sup-

porting our deployed units and providing

assistance to Family members as needed.

Thanks to everyone who made our

Spouse’s Bowling Bash a success. We can

proudly report that participants scored

more strikes than gutter balls! For those

unable to partake in this event, the Task

Force and Company FRGs have many more

FRG events planned for the future.

We will have 20 Lobos Ladies representing

the Task Force at the Brigade Spouse’s Spur

Ride on October 6th, and we look forward to

seeing them earn their spurs in the proud

Cavalry tradition! We also look forward to the

upcoming Brigade Boo Bash on October 23rd.

If interested, please RSVP to our FRSA

through your Company Family Readiness

Group. We hope to see you dressed in your

ghoulish best at 3:00 p.m. at the Harker

Heights Community Park; we ask all partici-

pants to bring a side dish to share.

A small group of Rear Guard Soldiers de-

parted for Afghanistan this month, with many

more preparing to depart in the near future;

all reports from downrange indicate that our

Soldiers have already made a huge contribu-

tion to the success of our Task Force mission.

SFC Hurley and I stand ready to assist the

Lobos’ Families as they continue to success-

fully manage the home-front. If we can help,

don’t hesitate to contact us via email at

lukas.berg@us.army.mil or kort.l.hurley@us.

army.mil, or Staff Duty at (254) 287-4877.

Rear Guard

Greetings from the Fox Company command

team! We wish to begin by sharing our

congratulations for several notable accom-

plishments. First, SPC Smith and SPC

Hooper performed extremely well on the

Army Physical Fitness test, earning Certifi-

cates of Achievement for outstanding per-

formance. WO1 Jackson earned promotion

to CW2, SGT McMahon and SGT Madden

earned promotion to SSG, and PFC Vargas

earned promotion to SPC. Congrats!

Our Meymanah team continues to see in-

creased volumes of traffic, and meets the

challenge in stride. Our Troopers make a

huge difference in the safety and efficiency

of aviation operations at this strategic loca-

tion.

Maintenance Platoon

1SG Pinckney and members of

the Shindand team.

CW2 Madden and CPT Berg speak to children at the

Task Force Lobos’ adopted school, Olveta Culp Hobby

Elementary School on Fort Hood.