The Red Warrior Path 2014 / Issue 4

5/21/2018 The Red Warrior Path 2014 / Issue 4

1/20

The

RedW

arriorPath

The

RedWarriorPath

1STB

ATTALIO

N

12TH

IN

FANTRY

REGI

M

ENT

(LIGHT)

Volume2,

Issue4

September2014

http://www.facebook.com/one.twelve.infantry/info


2/20

Multiple changes have hap-pened since out last newsletter:Regional Command-South

changed from the 4th InfantryDivision to the 1st Cavalry Divi-sion, Assault Company, 2-12 INhas joined our task organizationfor a few months, Dog Compa-ny, Beast Company and Arrow-head Companies have allchanged commands and ourfield grade officers have allchanged over. Never a dullmoment!

The First Cavalry Divisionhas assumed command and with

it, has dramatically focused op-erations to align with the troopstrength drawdown in supportof Operation Resolute Support.This means a slower, more de-liberate patrol schedule withroute clearance teams, ISR andattack aviation resourced fornearly every patrol. The battal-ion has begun in earnest to com-plete our final touches for the

transition from Operation En-during Freedom to OperationResolute Support this coming

Autumn. The extra time wehave enjoyed has allowed us tosponsor Organizational Days foreach of the Companies, and weeven put together a first classNon-Commissioned OfficerInduction Ceremony: an eventthat welcomes all new NCOsinto the NCO Corps. As theMountain Warrior Brigade hasstarted to re-deploy Soldiershome, the Red Warriors arekeeping watch and maintaining

security in and around KandaharAirfield.

We bid farewell to CPTLuke and Carla Ann Rella, CPTGabe and Kerri Manis, and CPTErik and Stephanie Anderson.All three command teams did aphenomenal job taking care offamilies and leading Soldiers.Their dynamic personalities,outstanding leadership and

friendship to us all will truly bemissed. The Red Warriors wel-come CPT Alex Tisdall and hiswife Katie to Beast Company,CPT Jim and Jessica Lee to DogCompany and CPT Dave andDara Michelson to ArrowheadCompany. All three captains areblue-chippers and excited tofinally command! We also wel-come the leadership of CPT Willand Kate Freakley from A/2-12IN. Only with us for a shortperiod of time, the Assault Sol-diers have had a huge impact onour operations here in Dand andDaman Districts, KandaharProvince.

Jesseca and I also bid fare-well to MAJ Drew Conover andJoette Conover: both have madea lasting impact on this organi-zation, where Drew served asboth Battalion S3 and XO forover two years. MAJ Mike andPhyliss Starz have shifted overinto the command group as thenew Big XO team, and wewelcome MAJ Chris Hallowsand his wife Heather into our

(Continued on page 3)

The Way Ahead

by LTC Dave Voorhies

The battalion has

begun in earnest

to complete our

final touches for

the transition from

Operation

Enduring Freedom

to Operation

Resolute Support

this coming

Autumn.

Page 2 THE RED WARR IOR PATH

THE RED WARRIOR PATH is published by 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment (Light) for the families and friends of Red WarriorSoldiers. 1-12 Infantry (L) is part of Task Force Mountain Warrior (4 IBCT, 4 ID). The task force is currently deployed to Afghanistan,Regional Command South, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Contents of THE RED WARRIOR PATHare not necessarilythe official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government or the Department of Defense. Please send all questions or comments about

THE RED WARRIOR PATH to CH (CPT) Jeremie Vore at [email protected].

ON THE COVERS: (FRONT) Combat Enginers from the 510th Engineer Company deomonstrate the capabilities of an RG-31 to RedWarriors in preparation for CTF 1-12 to utilize Bloddhound Teams. These small counter-IED teams help the Red Warriors to clearfrequently used routes and keep our Soldiers safe. (BACK) The Kandahar sun sets as seen by a Beast Company patrol in Dand District.

Beast Company after the 1st Annual Diaz Bowl, an organizational day event

named in honor of PFC Diaz who was wounded in an IED attack on his platoon

in August.


3/20

PaVOLUME 2 , ISSUE 4

The Way Ahead (continued)

The way ahead

clear. We have 9

days or less left

for this

deployment. Ou

mission is set an

our resolve

remains firm.

ranks as the new Battalion S3.

Within the next week welook forward to frocking SFCBuddy Tucker to First Sergeant,where he will take the reins ofArrowhead Company. 1SGONeil will move to HHC Com-pany next week as its new First

(Continued from page 2) Sergeant. The First Sergeant /OPS Sergeant Major at bothBDE and BN level, 1SG Miller,

will move into the battalionoperations sergeant major billetuntil we re-deploy home. Thisleadership shake-up will be tu-multuous, but overall great forthe unit as these new leaders willapproach their new jobs withenergy, vigor and fresh ideas!

The way ahead is clear. Wehave 90 days or less left for thisdeployment. Our mission is setand our resolve remains firm.We promise to stay vigilant and

aggressive to the end, as thesafety of 20,000 plus souls onKandahar Airbase depends onus.

In closing, I want to re-member two more fallen warri-ors: SSG Ben Prange and PFCKeith Williams from Dog Com-pany. These men perishedwhen their patrol struck an IEDon 24 July. These Soldiers gavetheir last full measure of devo-tion for their friends and their

families, our freedoms, and ourNation. I am humbled to com-mand such fine Soldiers. Wewill never forget they sacrificedtheir lives in this this mostlengthy of wars to make abrighter future for both Afghan-istan and the United States. Wecan all take comfort knowingthat they are some of the fewSoldiers that made that futurepossible.

Thank you all for your con-

tinued love, support and pray-ers. Our mission is tough, butwe are tougher. We will contin-ue to attack. We are led by loveof country.

LTC William D. Voorhies

RW6

PFC Captain sports a GoPro camera during a dodgeball game as part of the bat-talions 4th of July festivities.

3rd Platoon/Beast Company patrols with the Afghan National Army.


4/20

Page 4 THE RED WARRIOR PATH

Alpha CompanyA New Arrowhead

by CPT David Michelson

The support that

you give your

Soldiers does not

go unappreciated

or unrecognized.

SPC Baker instructs his team on Ready Up drills with their M4 rifles.

platoon. SFC Honaker keepsthem training every day to staysharp and ready. Ive gotten to

spend a good amount of timewith them on their missions andhave to say Im incredibly proudof their discipline and dedicationto our companys mission asthey do excellent every singletime!

3rd Platoon also got to en-joy moving in to a new area withmore room for each of the Sol-diers, its right next to the chowhall, PX, and our motor poolmaking everything that much

more convenient for them. TheHooligans are planning ourcompanys organizational daywhere each of the platoons willcompete against each other insports, weight lifting, and shoot-ing pistols and rifles at therange. The day will end with awell-deserved BBQ and anawards ceremony for the win-ning platoon. SSG Brinkman,SSG Wagner, SSG Giraldo, andSSG (P) Boardwine are doing agreat job of planning the eventwith their Platoon Leader LT


I would like to first off rec-ognize the hard work CPT ErikAnderson and his wife Stephanie

put in to Arrowhead Companyover the last 16 months as hehanded off command to me on5 August. The men put in hardwork but gave us a good,smooth transition that is trulyappreciated. Im excited to havesuch great Soldiers and leadersin our ranks and look forward tofinishing this deployment withthem and bringing them hometo you later this year.

The support that you give

your Soldiers does not go unap-preciated or unrecognized.Thank you so much for all thatyou do for them day in and dayout to let them serve their fellowAmericans and protect themhere in Kandahar.

Over the last month, thecompany experienced someother changes. We promotedSPC Boles to the rank of Cor-poral on 15 August, and we alsoinducted SGT Curry and SGT

Allred in to the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps.Each one of them is absolutelydeserving of the promotions andwill be great team leaders for2nd Platoon and ArrowheadCompany. The company alsosaid goodbye to 1LT AndrewNieminski as he transitioned outof 1st Platoon and will serve theremainder of the deployment asa battalion battle captain. 2LTLuke Hutchison took over asthe Platoon Leader for 1st Pla-

toon alongside SFC Weaver.Were excited to have him as apart of the team.

Over the last couple weeks,1st Platoon transitioned in to aslightly new mission set and willbe responsible for a village inour battlespace that is greatlyimportant to the battalionsoverall mission. 1st Platoon willalso spend some more time in

Kandahar City experiencing thehustle and bustle of the secondlargest city in Afghanistan. Re-

cently, SGT Glascoe had tocorral about 30 kids that allwanted him to give them candy,water, or his markershe did agreat job, made the kids laugh,all while maneuvering his teamand completing his mission. TheSoldiers and NCOs are owningthe new mission set and excitedto help protect their brothersand sisters in arms on KAF.They have a good routine downwith these changes to include

new, better living quarters thatare right next to our motor pooland offices making day to dayactivities much more conven-ient. Theyve spent a lot of timetraining and building up theirteam to get better every day!

2nd Platoon is preparing tocome home in the next monthor so, but still training hard andconducting missions for thecompany until the end of themonth. Theyre high spirits andhard work ethic keep the com-pany going and are attributableto the support they receive andgood leadership from within the


5/20


A New Arrowhead (continued)

Perez. The platoon also got a

change of mission recentlywhere they no longer have Sol-diers on guard 24 hours a daywhich is great for the platoonbecause it allows them to oper-ate all together again. Theyvebeen assigned some challengingmissions, but pull through andalways knock it out of the park.

It is truly an honor and aprivilege to serve amongst suchgreat Soldiers, NCOs, and offic-ers. 1SG ONeil and I feel that

we truly have the strongest com-pany in the battalion and willkeep getting better every dayand this because of the hardwork, professionalism, andstrength of your Soldiers. Thankyou for all you do to supportthem and know that we under-stand how hard it is for familieswithout their loved ones. Knowthat they are doing an importantjob and we couldnt do it with-out them.

Led by Love of Country!CPT David Michelson

CPT, IN Commanding

(Continued from page 4)

Know that your

Soldiers are doin

an important job

and we couldnt

do it without the

1SG ONeil leads the A CO formation during the Change of Command Ceremony.

2nd Squad/3rd Platoon stops for a quick picture after a mission. The Squad Lead-er, SSG Anthony Wagner, received a home-made American flag sent by an ele-

mentary school. All of the Squad members stopped for a picture which was sentto the supporting school.

SSG Delancey and SPC Ogea pausefor a selfie with Afghan children.

SFC Honaker congratulates SGT Allred on his promotion.


6/20

COMMANDERS NOTES

Friends and families of As-

sault Company, my name is WillFreakley and Im the new As-sault Company Commander.Thank you for your patience andsupport as we continue the mis-sion here at Kandahar Airfield.Your Soldiers are exceeding thestandard every day and doingeverything they can to keep theenemy unsettled and uncomfort-able. I feel honored to be ableto command Assault Companyand work with your Soldiers.This last month has been busy

for the company as the menhave left their previous location,integrated into a new battalionsbattlespace, conducted a changeof command, and conductedoperations against the enemy ona daily basis. I look forward tomeeting the families once wereturn and seeing the famed ACo FRG in action. Thank youfor your support.

FIRST SERGEANTS

CORNERGreetings and salutations!

This is 1SG Asberry. Let mestart off by saying that the menare motivated and the morale ishigh. It has come to my atten-tion that there are questionsabout my height compared tothe XOs height. So I have ob-

tained photographic evidencethat he is actually taller than me,despite his soft-shoe profile.

Hence, the tennis shoes heswearing in the photo to theright. I would like to inform youthat he has made a full recoveryfrom his severe case of athletesfoot and is back in boots. Wehave welcomed CPT Freakley tothe Command Team, his lovelywife, Cait, and his two beautifulkids. Hes a movement by him-self, but theyre a force whenthey are together. We look for-ward to a bright future, as he

leads us in combat and on ourreturn trip home. To the mem-bers of the FRG, thank you foryour giving hearts with all theselovely care packages. Althoughwe will be home a little laterthan the rest of our brothers andsisters, we are making everyeffort to keep everyone safe.That way, we can all arrive backat Fort Carson. Thank you foryour continued support. Led bylove of country! Strength andRespect! Fear no Taliban!

PLATOON UPDATES

July and August were event-ful months for the men of 1stPlatoon. They helped in theclose down of FOB Spin Boldakand trekked to Kandahar Air-field (KAF). Upon arrival As-

sault Company was attached to1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Reg-iment and immediately beganoperations in sector. The mis-sion set has changed completelybut 1st Platoon has adapted aswe knew they would and haveadded to the combat power of1st Battalion. 1st Platoon hasbegun to affect the area of oper-ations by conducting patrols to

negate the enemys capability touse rockets and IEDs againstKAF. Their presence has beenfelt by the enemy. Both the Bat-talion Commander and BrigadeCommander taken the oppor-tunity to thank and commendthe men of Assault Companyfor their hard work and flexibil-ity. 1st Platoons PFC CurtisPepper and PFC Kenneth Mu-niz Muniz were personally se-lected by their leadership to

receive the Battalion Command-ers coin from LTC Garey. SSGPhillip OBrien, also from 1stPlatoon, was awarded the Bri-gade Commanders coin fromCOL Pearl.

2nd Platoon hit the groundrunning at KAF conducting achange of command, and divinginto the re-mission to assist Task


Alpha Company 2-12A New Home

by 1LT David Yost

Your Soldiers areexceeding the

standard every

day and doing

everything they

can to keep the

enemy unsettled

and

uncomfortable.


1LT Wilepski meets with local villagers on a patrol to influence Afgan participa-

tion in security.

Assault 7 encourages Assault 5 to-wards a full recovery from his soft

shoe profile.

Some Key Dates for

planning:

Battalion Ball: 15

November 2014

Opportunity Leave:

16 November 2014

30 November 2014

Block Leave: 18

December 201411

January 2014

You will receive

information regarding

A COs redeployment

through the

appropriate channels.


7/20


A New Home (continued)

To the members

the FRG, thank

you for your

giving hearts wi

all these lovely

care packages.

Force Red Warrior project more

combat power into their battlespace ensuring the safety ofthousands of soldiers and civil-ians at KAF. During the move-ment to KAF, 2nd Platoon Sol-diers set in security on a ridge-line providing over watch on alocal village in support of adja-cent units in the area of opera-

(Continued from page 6)

2nd Platoon members utilize counter-IED equipment on patrol in Kandahar.

tions. All of the men of 2ndPLT have thoroughly enjoyedthe comforts that come with

being at KAF. After a month ofdegraded communications,MREs for chow and retrogradeoperations during the close outof FOB Spin Boldak, the Sol-diers stay entertained when notdefending freedom with visits tothe coveted boardwalk. Theplatoon had a pizza party on theboardwalk to celebrate the manybirthdays occurring in July andAugust.

3rd Platoon is adjusting well

to life at KAF. 2LT Sibenallerhas made a point of buying eachof the men in his platoon aweekly smoothiea delicacythat Soldiers in the companycould only have dreamed aboutdown at Spin-B. 3rd Platoonwould like to formally congratu-late SPC Dobbs for getting pro-moted to Sergeant. This is avery big step for an enlistedSoldier. SGT Dobbs has nowjoined the coveted Non-Commissioned Officer Corps.SPC Quigley was also promotedfrom Private First Class to Spe-cialist. SPC Quigley has movedout of the rank of Private byproving that he has what it takesto lead Soldiers. SPC Ruiz andPFC Dodge are some otherSoldiers that have proven them-selves this last month by goingabove and beyond their normalduty scope. SPC Ruiz has been3rd Platoons best driver andPFC Dodge has done an out-

standing job as the PlatoonsRTO, stepping up and filling infor PV2 Eddy over the lastmonth.

2nd Platoon provides over watch of critical convoy movements.

SGT Button enjoys the spoils of the

KAF Boardwalk.


8/20

Friends and Families of BCompany,

It has been a period of sig-nificant change since the lastnewsletter, and I want to takethe opportunity to introducemyself and the other key leadersthat have recently come into thecompany. I took commandfrom CPT Rella on July 8th, andaround the same time all of theplatoon leadership switched outas well. 2LT Drew Yacovonetook over 1st Platoon, 2LT JonGoodin took over 2nd Platoon,1LT Matt Ferlitsch took over

3rd Platoon, and 2LT MaxSmith took over HQ Platoon.With the change in leadershipwithin the company, there hasalso been a change in the FRGleadership. Im sure many ofyou have already received sever-al emails, but my wife, Katie,and SSG Browns wife, Brittni,are the new co-leaders of theFRG.

Summer in Afghanistan istypically a time of increased

activity and this summer hasbeen no different. Despite heatthat has not dropped below 105degrees since May, the platoonshave been actively patrolling keyvillage across Kandahar in anattempt to prevent rockets andother weapons from being firedat Kandahar Airfield, where ourunit is based. The war effortacross the country has beenwrapping up all summer and weare one of only a handful ofcompanies that remain operat-

ing in all of southern Afghani-stan. This retrograde will contin-ue until we fly home in a fewmonths, and I anticipate BCompany to be one of the verylast companies operating in allof southern Afghanistan.

Of note, 2nd Platoon wasstruck by an IED in the earlyhours of August 12th while con-ducting a mounted patrol. De-

spite the intensity of the situa-tion, the entire platoon per-formed phenomenally and en-

sured their injured buddies wereevacuated via helicopter and gotthe treatment they needed asquickly as possible. Fortunately,the injuries were not nearly asbad as they could have beengiven the size of the blast. SSGPierce, PFC Frakes, PFCMunoz, and SPC Wing were outof the hospital by August 13thand back at the company. Wewill continue to monitor theirinjuries and ensure they are get-

ting the treatment and rehabili-tation they need prior to goingback out on any missions. PFCDiaz suffered the most severeinjuries, and has been evacuatedback to America and will contin-ue treatment at a medical facilityin Texas where his wife, Kayla,will be able to be by his side. Weare beyond grateful that hisprognosis is very positive, andhe is already missed over here.

With the end of summernow in sight, morale continuesto improve as we anticipate theweather cooling off and inchever closer to coming home.The company had a footballtournament and cookout onAugust 15th, which we named

the 1st Annual Diaz Bowl. Itturned out to be very competi-tive, but 2nd Platoon ended up

winning the championship inovertime. Also of note, we areapproaching that time whererumors of flights home startcirculating. The battalion willcome home over an extendedperiod of time, and there are nohard dates for how B Companyfits into the process. However, Ianticipate the company willcome home no earlier than theend of November or early De-cember. Please remember that

these dates are always subject tochange.

Your men continue to setthe standard across the boardand you should all be extremelyproud of their performance andconduct over here. As always,1SG ODonnell and I are appre-ciative of the sacrifices yourfamilies have made. Do nothesitate to contact either of usdirectly with any concerns orquestions. I can be reached [email protected] and 1SG can be reached [email protected] .

CPT Alex Tisdall and1SG Russell ODonnell

Bravo CompanyThe Blackfooted Beast Over the Hump

by CPT Alex Tisdall


With the end of

summer now in

sight, morale

continues to

improve as we

anticipate the

weather cooling

off and inch ever

closer to coming

home.

PFC Frakes & SSG Pierce coach during the Diaz Bowl, a role they took seriously.


9/20


1st Platoon attempts to recover their vehicles after getting stuck in a river crossing.

SPC Jordan & SPC Krause on patrol in the Registan Desert. Members of 3rd Platoon get ready to go on patrol.


10/20


Charlie CompanyPast Halfway

by 1LT Zach Starcher

It is through your

support and

encouragement

that your Soldiers

continue to fight

hard.

Comanche Company Familyand Friends,

Summer is half over, yetyour Soldiers continue constantpatrols with temperatures ex-ceeding 100 degrees daily. Co-manche Company Soldierswould like to thank all of youfor your tireless support fromhome. Whether through carepackages, letters, phone calls, orprecious minutes on Skype, thesupport we have received greatlycontributes to morale in Co-manche Company remaininghigh. It is through your support

and encouragement that yourSoldiers continue to fight hard.

July was a great month forComanche Company and TaskForce Red Warrior. Althoughthe 4th of July celebration waspostponed due to operationalrequirements, Comanche Com-pany thoroughly enjoyed Free-

dom Plus 5. Your Soldiers com-peted in various events includingweight lifting, dodge ball, darts,

and corn hole. Additionally,several Comanche CompanySoldiers were recognized fortheir actions during recent Com-bat Operations receiving eitherthe Combat Infantryman Badgeor Combat Medical Badge. Sev-eral Soldiers also received a Pur-ple Heart for their wounds suf-fered as a result of recent enemyencounters. Ending the festivi-ties, Comanche Company Sol-diers enjoyed the Red Warrior

BBQ with chicken wings, ham-burgers, hot dogs, corn on thecob, and the 4th of July favor-ites, apple and cherry pie.

Some other highlightsacross the Company are noted inthe captions of the photos in-cluded. We, Comanche Compa-ny, cannot that you enough foryour endearing support and con-

tributions. Please feel free toreach out to the FRG at anytime. We all look forward tomaking it safely home to you all.

Sincerely,

1LT Zach Starcher,

1st Platoon, Platoon LeaderStrong Men are Harder to Kill

SSG Lemarcus Bullock competes in the squat competition.


11/20

PagVOLUME 2 , ISSUE 4

2LT Hunderdosse after a long day. SGT Spencer Livesay competes in the deadlift competition.

Comanche Soldiers train Slo-vakian Army Soldiers.

SFC Paullus conducts weapons train-

ing with Slovakian Army Soldiers.

1st Platoon prepares for a ro

clearance mission.SGT John Erps paints a 1st Platoon

vehicle.


12/20


This marks the first time in mul-tiple deployments that all Pla-toons of Dog Company have

served together and under theirorganic battalion leadership.Welcome back, 4th Platoon!

During the past two weeks,numerous individuals in DogCompany have received awardsand promotions for their efforts.Members of 4th Platoon, afterreturning from FOB Walton,were awarded their CombatInfantrymans Badges. Addi-tionally, four members of thePlatoon were recognized for

actions earlier in the deploy-ment. SGT McReynolds, SGTBaldwin and SPC Burns re-ceived Impact Army Commen-dation Medals, and SPC Belluzzireceived an Army Commenda-tion Medal with Valor, all foractions during an enemy attack.Rounding out the awards re-ceived by Dog Company, allmembers of 2nd Platoon re-ceived their Combat Infantry-mans Badges during a ceremonyon July 29th.

In addition to the awards,the last month has brought anumber of promotions to DogCompany. I would like to con-gratulate Michael Labroski andAaron Dunn on their promotionto Sergeant. CTF Red Warriorrecognized these new NCOs,and many others, during anNCO Induction Ceremony onAugust 4th. The ceremonyserved as a great way to recog-nize these Soldiers hard work,

and to welcome them into theNon-Commissioned OfficerCorps. These two newly-mintedNCOs are an incredible asset toour Company.

Please feel free to contactme directly [email protected] [email protected].

Led By Love of Country.James R. Lee

Delta CompanyBack Together Again

by CPT James Lee

This marks the

first time inmultiple

deployments that

all Platoons of

Dog Company

have served

together and

under their

organic battalion

leadership.

Dog Company Families,I trust this letter finds you

well, and enjoying the

(relatively) mild climate of Colo-rado Springs, or wherever youmay be. Throughout the lastmonth, Dog Company has gonethrough a number of transitions.

On July 30th, I took Com-mand of Dog Company fromCPT Manis. I am truly honoredto have taken Command of aCompany that is as cohesive,well-led, and disciplined as DogCompany. This Company is atestament to the dedication of

your Soldiers and Leaders, andis indicative of the wonderful

support you are providing toeveryone in the Company whilewe are deployed. A special

thanks to CPT Manis and hiswife, Kerri, for all their hardwork and the great transition,both in Afghanistan and at FortCarson. My wife, Jessica, hasbegun the transition to FRG Co-Leader with Michelle Edling, soplease contact either of them ifyou need anything.

In addition to changingleadership, Dog Company wasfortunate to be rejoined by 4thPlatoon, who came back to the

Red Warrior family after beingattached to TF Steel (2-77FA).

SGT Dunn is promoted by his Platoon Sergeant, SFC Choay. Two Dog Company

Soldiers were inducted into the NCO Corps at an NCO Induction Ceremony.


13/20


CSM Day, welcomes SGT Labroski into the Noncommissioned Officer Corps.

1SG Edling passes the guidon to CPT Manis during the July 30th Change of Command for Dog Company.

1st Platoons PV2 Sampson interacts with local Afghan children during a patrol.

Members of 2nd Platoon place an additional security meure in the Companys Area of Operations.


14/20


Echo CompanyEagles on Top!

by SFC Jovany Morales-Estada

The Warriors of

Eagle Company

have been

working

extremely hard

and at times, rest

is but a luxury to

the seldom few.

On a bittersweet note, we bid farewell to 1LT Jow as he moves on to bigger and

greater things, we wish him good luck in all his future endeavors.

begin our preparations for ourreturn home. Information willbe provided to keep everyoneposted and up to speed. Keep inmind that as the missionschange your loved ones contin-ue their efforts and hard work.

If you have any questions re-member that we have folks inthe rear to assist with any issueor concern. I leave you with afew words of encouragement,until next time

Missing someone getseasier every day because eventhough its one day further fromthe last time you saw each other,its one day closer to the nexttime you will. Author Un-known

Greetings and salutations toall family, friends and loved onesof the illustrious Eagles!

We have been together onthis roller coaster ride of emo-tions to include our ups anddowns, but fear not, as we beginour ascent to the top in prepara-tion for the anticipated drop thatwill eventually lead us back tohome station. The Warriors ofEagle company have been work-ing extremely hard and at times,rest is but a luxury to the seldomfew. As we continue to performan array of tasks critical to the

completion of Operation En-during Freedom, our Warriorsstay focused and vigilant on themission at hand. As always weare truly grateful for all the sup-port, love and prayers that keepus going and motivate us to dogreat things on a daily basis.

As things keep moving for-ward on the home front, this iswhat has happened on our sideof the world. July was an excit-ing month for promotions as we

celebrated the future progres-sion of our Warriors. In thisarticle youll find photos of ournewly promoted folks: 1LTRagland, SGT Holston, SGTCarter, and SPC Davis. In addi-tion to their promotion, we for-mally welcomed our newly in-ducted Non CommissionedOfficers into the NCO Corps asthey are charged with the care ofour Soldiers and continue togroom future leaders.

Congratulations! To SGTMantanona on being recom-mended for promotion as wellas our NCO of the Month: SGTHolston and our Soldier of themonth: SPC Davis, they repre-sented well, great job!

As always, we continue tosecure, advice, and assist theAfghan National Security Forcethrough our continued effortsand partnerships.

As the summer breakcomes to an end we wish all ourkiddos a safe and happy school

year (enjoy your break, parents!)and we hope you had a greatsummer. The weather here hasbeen hotter each day, but fearnot as we have plenty of sun-screen and try our best to beatout the sun. Regardless, ourWarriors continue to stay moti-vated and find ways to stay cool,even if it means a good old fash-ion water fight. We all continueto find ways to occupy ourdown time by, watching movies,

reading, working out or simplystaying in touch thanks to tech-nology. Some days feel long andthe work load never decreases,but it just makes time go byfaster, bringing smiles to ourfaces, as we get closer each dayto being home bound. We askthat you continue to keep us inyour thoughts and prayers. Wethank you again for all the sup-port of our Warriors.

Lets stay focused and sup-port each other as we draw clos-er to the end game and soon


15/20


Congratulations

on the newest

addition to the

Eagles Nest!

Cynthia Morales

Born 30 July 201

6lb, 8oz 19

SPC Kuluski, 1LT Seibert, SGT Lombardi with a key Afghan leader.

SGT Mantanona and SPC West

downloading supplies.

1LT Ragland is promoted. SPC Davis is promoted.

SGT Carter is promoted and inducted into the NCO Corps. SGT Holston is promoted and inducted into the NCO Corps.


16/20

NAME (NO RANK)

TF RED WARRIOR

PLT/COMPANY/1-12IN

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD

APO, AE 09355

UNIT ADDRESS LIST


MAIL CUTOFF: 30 DAYS BEFORE

YOUR SOLDIER REDEPLOYS

FILL IN THE BOLD SECTIONSWITH INFORMATION SPECIFICTO YOUR SOLDIER.

NEVER INCLUDE RANK FORSECURITY REASONS

They say that the best issaved for lastand thats neverbeen more accurate than with

the Red Warrior Path newslet-ter. The Battalion Staff and spe-cialty platoons of Hatchet Com-pany continue to march alongtoward the six-month mark ofthe deployment. Operations andplanning efforts have proceededsmoothly throughout multiplesignificant changes in the com-pany.

MAJ Drew Conover hasrotated out of the Battalion Ex-ecutive Officer position to take

a spot in the 4ID plans shop,where he will continue to solveproblems for his subordinates.His gentle style of developmentwill be missed by the staff. MAJMike Starz, formerly the Battal-ion Operations Officer, hasassumed the responsibilities ofthe Battalion Executive Officer.We have welcomed MAJ ChrisHallows into the Battalion as thenew Operations Officer. CSMTim Marble redeployed to assistour Rear Detachment in thereception of the rest of the Bat-talion, and his shoes have beenfilled by SGM Marcos Hernan-dez. 1SG Shad Miller is tacklingthe duties of the Brigade Opera-tions Sergeant Major, tirelesslyensuring that no personnel inthe Brigade Compound havetheir hands in their pockets.

HHCOne Day at a Time

by 1LT Graham Custar

Operations and

planning efforts

have proceeded

smoothly

throughout

multiple

significant

changes in the

company.

SFC Buddy Tucker hasntskipped a beat, wearing two ofthe largest hats in the Battalion,

the HHC First Sergeant and theOperations Sergeant Major. 2LTEric Brauninger has taken overas the Battalion Personnel Of-ficer and has been busy with thetedious yet critical duties associ-ated with promotion, awards,and payall while coaching thefledgling hip-hop talent withinhis shop. CPT StephanieHeubner has handed over thereins of the Intelligence shop toCPT Kyle Ferguson, as she has

been selected for Command ofthe Brigades Military Intelli-gence Company. CPT DaveMichelson has taken commandof Arrowhead Company, andrelinquished the puppet stringsof the Chief of Operations posi-tion to CPT JB Brown. 1LT JonRoldan came to the Staff fromComanche Company, and inher-ited the role of Battalion Plan-ner. 1LT Travis Scott rede-ployed to Fort Carson to or-chestrate the reception of the

Battalions property, and 1LTVytas Kapacinskas left Coman-che Company to replace him asthe Battalion Logistics Officer.

Hatchet 6, CPT Ben Hook-er, continues to command theDivision Aerial Reaction Force,comprised of his own Mortarand Scout Platoons. 1LT MikeCulak and SFC Mike Argent

have maintained their ARF Mor-tar Platoon here at KandaharAirfield. 1LT Mike Poist andSSG Shawn Davis have been

busy drilling and training theirARF Scout Platoon at bothFOB Apache and KAF, whileintegrating 1LT Brad Kelly asthe new Scout Platoon Leader.

1LT Dan Yu and SFC Al-fonso Delagarza have been ex-pertly leading the PSD Platoonon the rollercoaster schedulethat comes with the dual mis-sions of securing the BattalionCommand Group as well asconducting combat patrols. The

Medical Platoon continues theirclinical mission within theNATO Role III hospital atKAF, alongside medical person-nel from all US branches of ser-vice and several other partnerednations. 1LT Graham Custartransitioned out of the MedicalPlatoon Leader position and2LT Derrick Bieller was wel-comed in. The Battalion Physi-cian Assistant, 1LT PatrickGoble, was redeployed to pro-vide medical care to soldiers asthey return to Fort Carson.

We cannot thank youenough for the care packages,letters, pictures, prayers andwarm wishes we get from you allthose are the fuel that keeps usrunning strong.

1LT Graham Custar,

Medical Platoon Leader

Best of luck to MAJ Conover!


17/20


SSG Nielsen runs the battalions operations ou

a truck during a power outage

HHC NCOICs come together to conduct important business . . . taste test snacks from care packages!

SGT Hollan from the Scout Platoon.1LT Dan Yu gives a patrol brief to the PSD Platoon prior to going out on a mission.


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WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Staff Sergeant Benjamin G. Prange was born 27 April 1984 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He enlisted in theUnited States Army on 24 January 2007. He graduated Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as11B Infantryman at Fort Benning, Georgia. SSG Prange arrived at Fort Carson, Colorado on 13 July 2011 adeployed with Alpha Company, 4thSpecial Troops Battalion, 4thInfantry Brigade Combat Team. On 25 June2013 he was reassigned to 1stBattalion, 12thInfantry Regiment, 4thInfantry Brigade Combat Team.

On 7 March 2014, he arrived at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan as a member of 2ndPlatoon, DeltaCompany, 1stBattalion, 12thInfantry Regiment. SSG Prange served with his platoon for 5 months as a HeavyWeapons Section Leader on over 30 missions.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal,Army Commendation Medal w/ 4 oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal w/ 2knots, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ Campaign Star, Global War on Terorism Service Medal, Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas ServiceRibbon w/ numeral 2, NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

SSG Prange is survived by his wife, Elizabeth and his two sons, Corbin and Dillon.

27 April 1984 24 July 2014

Ben would do his best to present himself as just your everyday Non Commissioned Officer, but he was far fro

that. He was an inspiration to the Soldiers of Second Platoon and to me.-SSG Denardi

SSG Prange was one of the most professional and disciplined people I have had the pleasure of working wi

These attributes were manifested through SSG Prange every single day.

-CPT Manis

Whether it was assaulting an objective or relating a tactical lesson to the Nebraska Cornhusker Football Tea

he ruthlessly prepared his section for the rigors of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, and was literally unafraof any circumstance. His Soldiers would have walked through fire to follow him, were he to order it so.

-LTC Voorhies


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WE WILL NEVER FORGET

18 December 1994 24 July 2014

I know he was loved by many and respected as well. He is a true hero and his country is grateful for the gre

sacrifice he made to protect our freedoms.-PV2 Morales

He never let his guard down around me, but from talking to his friends, he did so often and was a source o

morale and cohesion to his platoon.

-CPT Manis

Described by his battle buddies as the smartest guy in the platoon, Williams helped everyone out: even vete

an Soldiers sough him out for help and to learn from him.-LTC Voorhies

Private First Class Keith M. Williams was born 18 December 1994 in Visalia, California. He enlisted inthe United States Army on 19 August 2013. He graduated Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training an 11B Infantryman at Fort Benning, Georgia. PFC Williams arrived at Fort Carson, Colorado on 16 Decemb2013 and immediately began preparing for deployment with 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th InfantBrigade Combat Team.

On 7 March 2014, he arrived at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan as a member of 2nd Platoon, DeltaCompany, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. PFC Williams served with the platoon for 5 months as anM249 SAW gunner and driver on over 30 missions.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation MedaArmy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ CampaignStar, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal,and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

PFC Williams is survived by his parents, Debbie Tuttle and Frankie Williams.


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The Red Warrior Path 2014 / Issue 4

Documents

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