THE EAGLE LIFT LEDGER
10th Edition January 2012 1LT Kelly Barton, Executive Editor
Commander’s Corner Greetings once again from Kandahar, Afghanistan, and Happy New Year to all of you. Unfortunately the last day of 2011 was a sad one for us with the sudden and unexpected loss of Specialist Pernell Herrera from the New Mexico National Guard. Pernell was conducting physical training on the morning of December 31st when he suffered a heart attack. Although he couldn’t have been in better hands, surrounded and treated by his Company’s medical personnel, they were unable to revive him. Pernell was a great Citizen-Soldier, and a friend to all who knew him. As I watched the news programs during the last few days of 2011, I realized that it has been quite a year. Some of the highlights included the natural disaster in Japan, the killing of Bin Laden, the Arab Spring protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the “Occupy Wall Street” protests, and the withdrawal of all US military forces from Iraq. It’s been quite a year for all of us over here as well. When we deployed a year ago, most of us experienced extreme cold and snow as we boarded the planes. We arrived here to rain and mud, but within just a few weeks spring arrived, and along with it came a transition to dust, a lot of dust, and the “summer fighting season,” which translates to busy times for an aviation unit. Throughout the summer months we watched our attached units come and go, saying farewell to Hawaii and Germany, and hello to units from New Mexico, Arizona, Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska, and Alaska. In the fall we wrapped up the majority of our R&R leaves, and said farewell to our Australian attachments who returned to Australia just in time for summer down under. Now it’s winter again, which means we’re almost done, and I couldn’t be more proud of how this team has performed throughout the deployment. I’m equally impressed with the other half of our team…our Families at home. Through my many deployments over the years, I’ve always felt that our Families bear a far larger burden. For Soldiers, we simply have to eat, sleep, go to the gym, and do our job. There are no bills to be paid, no grass to cut, no plumbing leak that has to be fixed, and no young children who need to be shuttled from one after-school event to the other. Our entire Nation is not at war, but our Army definitely is, and thus so are our Families. Thanks to all of you at home who have persevered through far more significant challenges than we Soldiers have faced here in Afghanistan. As we publish this final edition of the Eagle Lift Ledger, I want to thank 1LT Kelly Barton and SSG Charles Cartwright for the time and effort they put into this newsletter every month. Many thanks as well to all of the communities, friends, and small businesses across America who supported us so selflessly throughout the year. We look forward to seeing all of you within the next few weeks.
Sincerely, Scott Gerblick Task Force Commander
The CSM’s Foxhole CSM’s Foxhole, Hello again from Kandahar! I’m happy to announce that this will be the last article for the last Task Force Newsletter coming from the CSM’s Foxhole. In a few short weeks Family and friends will be able to hug and love on their Soldiers as they proudly arrive back to Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Fort Wainwright, Alaska. On 1 Jan 2012, three Soldiers from Task Force Eagle Lift were Battlefield Promoted (BFP) for demonstrating extraordinary job performance while serving in combat conditions. Sergeant Guy Morgan of Bravo Company, 2-135th Aviation (Muleskinners) was promoted to Staff Sergeant and became the only National Guard Soldier in the Brigade to receive a Battlefield Promotion during our deployment. Specialist Michael Madden of Alpha Company, 7-101st Aviation (Rude Doges) was promoted to Sergeant and joined the ranks of the Non-Commissioned Officer Corp. Private First Class Jeffery Glossip of Charlie Company, 1-52d Aviation (Arctic Dustoff) was promoted to Specialist. I am proud to announce that Task Force Eagle Lift had the highest BFP selection percentage within Task Force Thunder. Congratulations to all our BFP recipients throughout the deployment. Holidays in Kandahar was celebrated a little differently than most people were use to, but the Task Force Soldiers found ways to make the best out of every event. “Super-Fly Santa” swooped in to visited the Soldiers and even made some famous “First Cup Funnel Cakes”. Some Arctic Elves (C Co 1-52d) entertained the Soldiers with Christmas Carols that were a little bit modified to bring the Kandahar Christmas spirit to all! To top the holidays off, several Soldiers claimed to have spotted the ever elusive Alaskan Pink Jack-A-Lope! This creature is known for its ability to make people smile and is often found stealing hugs. Please visit the Task Force Eagle Lift Face Book page; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eagle-Lift-7-101-AviationRegiment/204324899599953 to enjoy the pictures of our Soldiers during this holiday season. Before I officially sign off from Kandahar, I again want to thank all the Families, friends and supporters that have made this deployment brighter for all our Soldiers. Your continued support throughout the year has been amazing! God bless you all and God bless our great country! Respectfully, JP Thomas Task Force CSM
HHC — Fighting Griffins January 2012
January 2012
Jingle All the Way...to the Plane Home! It's the most wonderful time of the year! It seems we have so many reasons to celebrate. In a delightfully refreshing way, the weather is frightfully cold and chilly - nobody is making fun of the First Sergeant fleece anymore. Christmas and the whole holiday season seemed to cheer up the mood considerably. Of course, friends and family are missed by all, but there's still some peace and joy to be shared by greeting passers-by with "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." On top of everything else, as the days of December slide on by, our return to home station feels ever closer.
Awards are another hallmark of a combat tour drawing to a close. As we enter our final months, it becomes time to recognize the sacrifice and service every member of the unit gave to their country. Throughout the year, Griffins represented the United States of America with honor and pride, which was evident by the shining commendations presented across the formation. In total, our Soldiers were awarded with 15 Bronze Stars, six Air Medals, and over 60 Army Commendation Medals.
they've received his help‌they just know things went smoothly. Both of them were well-deserving of the unique opportunity.
As this final newsletter draws to a close, I want to end with a very heart-felt "thank you" and special recognition for our supporters back home. The Families, friends, and loved ones that make up our Family Readiness Group have done a great job making this deployment as hassle-free as anyone could hope for. Whether you were cramming goodies into care Two Soldiers were packages for the troops, taking individually selected to have their care of those left behind, or end of tour awards presented to representing the Griffins at the them by the Chief of Staff of the many on-post functions around It's quite busy all around Army, General Raymond Odierno. Fort Campbell, your time and right now. Not only are all the These Griffins were Captain Nate effort have been greatly Griffins focused on their normal Pototschnik and Staff Sergeant appreciated. If I may, I'd like to duties and facilitating the Gajah Gower. Nate has been a personally thank our Battalion impressive fleet of Task Force rock-steady influence behind the FRSA, Julie Franklin, and our Eagle Lift aircraft, but they are scenes of the S3/Operations Griffin FRG Leader - and my wife also squeezing in the time to section throughout the Karly Morris. Your hard work knock out the hundred-and-one deployment. All year long, he has makes it easier for us to do what requirements to go home. As a slaved away planning future we have to. Thank you, and see company, we are trying to finish operations for the battalion in a you soon. off a host of mandatory training dark, windowless office that you that should take care of us all the have to intentionally go looking - CPT Gabe Morris way through March. PT tests for to find. Gajah is a supply have been a favorite event all sergeant extraordinaire. While Griffin 6 through December so that primarily responsible for HHC, he everyone that needs to move or is considered to be the senior go to training or a school in the supply specialist by logistics next six months will be ready. personnel across the battalion, Containers full of Army property and routinely facilitates and Highlights: are being meticulously assists every company with a inventoried, inspected by wide range of actions from Christmas! customs - all in the freezing cold - ordering printer cartridges to Award Ceremonies and then moved to the staging conducting change of command inventories. A quiet professional, yard for departure. Thank you very much most units don't even know
HHC — Fighting Griffins
Our Soldiers in Pictures
HHC — Fighting Griffins
A CO Rude Dogs
VOLUME 1
Dear Rude Dog Friends and Family, Hello all and Merry Christmas!! Time is still flying by and the Rude Dogs are preparing to come home. We’ve already packed up a majority of our personal gear and are eagerly waiting to pack up the mission equipment. The temperature continues to drop and we have actually had some nights drop below freezing. That leads to some cold missions for our crew, but I think most would agree that the cold is still better than the 100+ temperatures of the summer. Kandahar dining facilities provided an outstanding meal for Thanksgiving. We had turkey, roast beef and ham as the main courses along with all the trimmings and dessert. Truly a remarkable feast for all of us. We have received numerous packages full of Christmas decorations and the CP now looks like the North Pole. Thank you to all who sent us these care packages. It allows us to have a little bit of home while we are here. Also, after 10 months of waiting and hoping, we received a 46� LCD television for our CP, a long awaited luxury that allows us to watch football when not planning, flying or preparing for the upcoming Relief-inPlace. I want to congratulate the following Soldiers who were promoted, re-enlisted or received an award during the last month. Promotions: CW3 Ben Thorley SGT Jarod Shockly SGT James Schumann
Awards: CW3 Sam Kohlhaas (Senior Aviator Wings) CW2 Danny Olmeda (Combat Action Badge)
Re-enlisted: SGT Paul Valentino
Thank you again for your support throughout the year. We are thankful to have such a wonderful support group back home and we are anxiously waiting to see you all again. CPT Jason Birkle Rude Dog 6
A CO Rude Dogs Photos
B 7-101 Varsity January 2012
The Varsity January update.
VOLUME 1
WE ARE ALMOST HOME!! To the Friends and Families of VARSITY, We are all, whether we admit it or not, pretty much counting down the days till we get on the planes and start our trip back home. There is the spirit of Christmas in the air. There is also in the air, the smell of the contents of all the amazing care packages we have received from each of you. A huge “Thank You� from all of us! Even though it is the Holidays, the workload remains the same, but we continue to meet the mission day in and day out. Our flight crews consistently perform to a higher level, as we continue to set the standard for mission readiness
and missions accomplished; as we drive to the very near end of the rotation here in RC South. One last push! As we begin the somewhat long and arduous task of packing all our gear and personal items. Know that we are keeping each and every one of you in our thoughts and close to our hearts throughout the Holiday season. As we know that we are in each of yours. Merry Christmas! And a very Happy New Year!
~ As always, Varsity thanks you for all the Love and Support from back home. Thank You! ~ ~CPT Paul Flanigen V6
~1SG Josh Bryan V7
Varsity Photos
CHRISTMAS!!!!
we love to spread the cheer too!!
January 2012
C 4-101 Blackwidows VOLUME 1
Greetings Blackwidow Families! The holiday season is slowly drawing to a close and with it, we are one step closer to returning home. Our Blackwidows continue to do great things and we anxiously await the arrival of the incoming unit. As we count down the days, we can look back with pride at all of our accomplishments and remember the good times and the bad. However, one thing is clear, our unit success has been grounded on a foundation built by our families and friends. Without your support, we would not be the unit we are today. With that always in our minds, we thank you for your constant and unwavering support and know that you all are in our thoughts and prayers. We look forward to our reunion with our families and friends and we will see you in the new year.
Blackwidows celebrating Christmas in style! Believe it or not, that is the biggest smile CW2 Andrel has had on his face all year! CPT Sudweeks is wearing a hat made from a local rodent.
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow...
During the month of December the Blackwidows also had the privilege of presenting the newest Specialist and Sergeants in the company. Congratulations to SPC Ralston, SGT Seymour and SGT Stanzione! Keep up the hard work!
Congratulations SPC Ralston!
Congratulations SGT Seymour!
Congratulations SGT Stanzione!
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow‌
Blackwidow Aviators were recently recognized by CDR Anderson, Commanding Officer of a Special Operations Task Force, for their outstanding performance in support of his soldiers with the Navy Achievement Medal.
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow…
That’s one fly Santa!
The Blackwidows recently had the privilege to fly a mission with Wings 6, LTC Albus. Sir, Thanks for the visit, good to see you down South.
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow...
Coming soon to a theatre near year: When the Red Phone Rings‌.
Yes Mr. President this is BW6........ No worries the Blackwidows are on it!
D CO 7-101 Aviation Regiment DELTA COMPANY DRAGONS To all the Family and friends back in the states, we’re happy to be writing our final newsletter as we look forward to seeing you all in the near future. The Dragons have had quite a busy and exciting month. We brought in both Thanksgiving and Christmas with barbeques filled with great food that seemed to make the 50 degree weather feel just a little bit cozier. We were also honored to have the 101st Airborne Division Commander, Major General James McConville, visit the Company and proudly promote two of our Shops Soldiers, SSG Darren Brooks and SGT Greg Villagomez , and present SGT Arlene Williams with a coin for achievement.
We’d also like to recognize and congratulate the following promotees: MSG Warren Noble, SSG John Fornal, SSG Osidis Ayala, SGT David Jorgenson , SGT Robert Mitchell, and SGT Marcus Wilson. Our Soldier of the Month win goes to SPC Wyatt Schardine with SGT Brandon Bramblett securing the title of NCO of the Month.
Everyone’s spirits are high as we continue packing and anxiously anticipate the arrival of our replacements. However, we’re all still focused on the mission and will continue to do exceptional work until the day we leave. All the Soldiers of Delta Company would like to thank you for your continued support and amazing care packages that brought the holidays a little closer to home.
We’ll be seeing you all soon!
-CPT Bickford
D CO 7-101 Aviation Regiment
January 2012
The “No Worries” Update
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 10
Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a merry Christmas and a restful holiday with friends and family. We have finally reached the end of this deployment, and as you read this last newsletter your loved one’s return is only days away. 2011 has been quite the year for Echo Company. Your Soldiers have achieved a great deal and although I cannot list every Iron Dog’s individual accomplishments, I would like to reflect on their outstanding service as a whole. I ask you to forgive me, as much of the following is Army lingo. Throughout this deployment, the sustainment operations of Task Force Lift depended wholly upon the logistics capability of the Iron Dogs. Your Soldiers demonstrated their ability to fully integrate into the war efforts of Task Force Lift through “Outside the CP” continuous, simple, responsive, and flexible logistical support in providing ground 1LT Marcus Harold maintenance, Armament Control and Security, and Class I & III distribution. The CPT Blake Jenkins Headquarters platoon successfully lead the food service section in the delivery of hot 1SG Ronnie Simington meals three times a day and pre-packaged meals once daily, every day throughout the deployment, totaling over 100,000 meals supplied to the flight companies. The Soldiers assigned to the consolidated arms room maintained accountability and physical security CONGRATULATIONS! of weapons and various sensitive items in excess of $15 million 24 hours a day, performing numerous transactions daily, incurring zero losses or discrepancies. The Promotions Maintenance Platoon sustained a 98% mission readiness status on 158 pieces of ground SPC Conti equipment throughout the Task Force, ordered over $1 million dollars worth of class IX repair parts, executed over 50 recovery missions, and completed over 400 deadline SPC Penoukou work orders and 200 services. Through their 24 hour CL III resupply, the Distribution SPC Udas Platoon served to be the life-blood of the Task Force aviators. They issued over 3 million gallons of fuel to more than 8500 aircraft, conducted 20 sling load operations, and performed one emergency Jump FARP. The dependability of Echo Company was Iron Dog Coins uncompromising, as they never failed to employ the right logistical resources at the right time and right place. Echo Company’s embodiment of the logistics principles and SPC Appleby characteristics ensured the success of Task force Lift’s tactical operations, in turn SPC Bishop effectively supporting the full-spectrum war efforts of Task Force Thunder. The SPC Like achievements and contributions of Your Soldiers are numerous and central to the overall success of the combat mission in Afghanistan. I think most would agree that these are pretty impressive figures, but even the greatest statistics don’t Anniversaries fully convey how much your Soldiers gave during Operation Enduring Freedom 2011-2012. Ultimately, PV2 Ivy—10 DEC the mission would have failed without the Iron Dogs. We certainly have much to be proud of in our Soldiers! Furthermore, we couldn’t have done all these great things without your love, support, and SGT Hamacher—15 DEC sacrifice. We are forever indebted to you. Lastly, as you reunite with your Iron Dog, I ask that you SPC Murphy—29 DEC remember the redeployment classes regarding the essential steps to a successful reintegration. If you have questions or need assistance, the chain of command is here to help. I look forward to meeting you all in the coming months and continuing to serve as the Echo Company commander during garrison Birthdays operations. See you back home! SSG(P) Newman—6 DEC IRON DOG 6 SPC Conatser—15 DEC SPC Aldridge—23 DEC SPC Hornberger—30 DEC
Headquarters - Prowlers
Page 2
Distribution Platoon - Punishers Page 3 Messages from the Punisher Family: SPC Alcantara – Happy Holidays to everyone at home! I miss you all and can’t wait to see you soon! SPC Appleby – Happy Holidays Mom and Dad! Thank you so much for all your love and support throughout this deployment! I am excited to get home and spend 2nd Christmas with the family! See you soon and God bless! SGT Bayliss – I love you Jayne and Trenton! Happy Holidays and I’ll see you soon! SPC Chamberlain – I love you Tracy, Aurora, and Camrin! See you soon! Mwuah! SPC Conatser – Can’t wait to get home! I miss you guys and love you all! SGT Dismukes – Happy Holidays to all! I hope to talk with you soon! 1LT Eyster – Merry Christmas to my Beautiful Jessica, I love you! Thank you for walking joyfully through this year with me! Thank you also family in Maine! Above all, thank you to my God and friend, Jesus Christ! Soli Deo Gloria! SSG Fournier – To the Castle/Reyes/Garcia Familya, Happy Holidays! I can’t wait to see you soon especially my Marley! Love you! XOXO SPC Fox – See everyone soon! Love ya’ll! SPC Hornberger – Andrea and Jojo daddy loves and misses you two tons and bunches! See ya soon stinkers!!! : SGT Johnson – I love you Sara and Justin (aka. King Justin)! You light up my life! SPC Like – To my wife Renee and wonderful kids, Happy Holidays I can’t wait to see you soon! SSG Maurice – Keep us in your prayers. See you all next month! SPC McCray – Merry Christmas to my lovely wife Amanda and my two baby girls. Daddy misses you and can’t wait to be with you next Christmas. Until then be safe and I’ll see you soon! SPC Patno – Can’t wait to see you all!
Maintenance Platoon - Pirates Page 4 At last! It is homecoming month for Echo Company Motor Pool Platoon “Pirates”. With this month’s newsletter we decided to do something different and share with you some of the best pictures from around our motor pool during OEF XI-XII--hope you enjoy them! We are finally hitting the finish line! Thank you for all of your amazing support and prayers! “AIR ASSAULT” “NO WORRIES” “ARGH” 1LT Tellez and SFC Reel
Buccaneers “FOX NEWS”
January 2012
January 2012 December Promotions:
ones’ participation and unbending support resulted in our winning of the ThanksgivThe holidays are finally upon us! Spending ing 6K run, the TF Wings Basketball toursuch a celebrated time of the year away nament, and a close second place during from those we love is a difficult endeavor. the Bench Press competition. Regardless Reenlistment: However, the simple fact that the season of who owns the trophy when we go (Pictured on the far, right) signifies our deployment coming to a home, I am extremely proud of them. SPC Jeremy Barton highly anticipated conclusion has our spir- Their performance goes to show that you its up. 1st Place in the can’t judge a 25-person ATC company by its cover. Your loved
(Pictured to the near, right) SSG Brandon Maloy SSG Donny Wilson SGT Patricia Calabrese
Turkey Trot: 2nd Place in the Six Silent Men
Shooting Comp:
Dear Friends and Families:
ones remain extremely busy this month as we carefully pack all of our equipment and complete countless administrative requirements for “redeployment.” Our goal is to put forth 110% effort now in order to focus on spending time with you all upon return. The first small group will be home with you by the time this newsletter arrives; the rest of us will follow close behind. It has certainly not been ‘all work and no play’ this month. Buccaneer teamwork and dedication was on display at FOB Wolverine as we competed in multiple events for the Commander’s Cup competition. Because of their efforts—in the words of LTC Gerblick—“the Task Force Wings Commander’s Cup is going to look great in our trophy case back home.” Your loved
As quickly as it began, our time here is drawing to a close. Stepping off the plane back home is among the happiest events in our lives. However, reintegration does take some work. I encourage everyone to exercise a bit more patience as we all readjust our lives. The chain-of-command and our fellow Soldiers and Family members are always there as a network of support as well. I am looking forward to meeting you all and having a reunited company back at Ft. Campbell. Best wishes to all throughout the holidays and in the New Year! Warm regards, Ben Seipel
Buccaneers “FOX PHOTO’S”
ARCTIC AIRMAIL Chronicles of a displaced MEDEVAC Company
Christmas is right around the corner! That being said, hopefully Santa can pull off dust landings!!
Boy, when the weather changes here it changes fast! Just last month we were still seeing lows in the 50s but now it’s plummeted into the chilly lower 30s during the coldest part of the night. This has made for interesting early morning and late night MEDEVAC missions. In previous months you ran out to your helicopter, threw on your gear, climbed in, put on your helmet, and did your thing. Now, you follow the same routine up until the “putting on your helmet” part. With the colder temperatures comes a new problem that many are experiencing for the first time since leaving Alaska: a rockhard helmet liner. Usually the inside of the helmet is lined with a Another month or so and this will be our in-flight view...brrr!! cushy little padding system that is really, really comfortable to wear. When this super comfy and cushy foam gets cold however, it’s like trying to fit your head into a wooden box that was made three sizes too small. The foam eventually warms up and contours to your head of course, but for those first few minutes it’s quite the site to see people smooshing their helmet further and further onto their head (with a very entertaining grimace on their face) to get a good fit. Another good waker-upper is grabbing your CEPs (wired earplugs that connect to the helmet) and jamming these petite little ice blocks deep into your ear canal before realizing the consequences and letting out an SSG Dan Sherwin exasperating and shocked “Whoa! That...was...COOOOLD!” isn’t scared of the cold. “That’s how we do it We haven’t gotten snow yet but it should be upon us soon unless all in Canada - eh.” the yearly moisture allocated for Afghanistan was used during last months “Swim-for-Your-Life Floodfest 2011” which is a very real possibility (that was a TON of water!) The weather folks haven’t mentioned snow (just like they didn’t mention an ocean falling from the sky last month) but that has not prevented a myriad of ideas of how to best utilize the coming snowfall. Naturally, ideas have started off with normal concepts like snowmen, snow angels, forts, snowball fights, and the like but as is the Army way, rapidly digress into scheming about practical jokes, who’s gonna get who, and any manner of snow-dusted, ice-crusted shenanigans. Just think of childhood when that one little turd in your class would throw snow in your face at recess. Now imagine that kid all grown up and working next to you with a hand full of snow and a sly little grin on his face...you get my drift (no pun intended.) CW3 Josh Meyers and SGT Pat Wilson last winter
As you all know November has passed, and with it Thanksgiving. We would have much rather been at home with friends and family but the spread here in country wasn’t too shabby considering the location, circumstances, and facilities available. Of course the menu differed from location to location but a typical spread included: roast turkey, smoked turkey, prime rib, roast beef, ham, lobster, shrimp cocktail, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, two different kinds of stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, and about a billion other trimmings and even more types of dessert. Not your typical Thanksgiving tradition: Needless to say, it’s amazing how much stuff you can Making s’mores over an impromptu ammo can cram into a styrofoam to-go box to ensure the crews charcoal grill...good times! stuck on duty get a wonderful turkey dinner just like the folks who got to sit down in the chowhall to eat. The post-dinner festivities here in Afghanistan were incredibly similar to the rituals followed in any other normal setting. We sat around talking and telling stories and then one-by-one people started dropping like flies. Within an hour or so of eating, almost every single person had crashed out with a belly full of sleep-inducing turkey. It was a pretty good Thanksgiving for us this year but something tells me that next years celebration at home will beat this one hands down! Shortly after turkey day came the first of December and with it came three promotions for some very deserving DUSTOFF Soldiers. This month we’ve had the pleasure to advance three of our hard working crewchiefs to the next level. At the top of the list is for advancements is our very own Sergeant Joe Bryant a.k.a. “Angry Joe” to Staff Sergeant, followed by Specialist Jettadia Bush to Sergeant...finally, and rounding out this month’s promotions is Private First Class Trey Ressler to Specialist...again. These gentlemen have proven their worth to the Company through their dedication and tireless work ethic starting well before the deployment and during our entire time here and the promotions, though long overdue, are very well earned! Congratulations gents, you’ve worked hard and deserve this! SPC Trey Ressler is now officially back in the E4 Mafia, capiche?
More congratulations are in order but these kudos are for the whole company. The totals are in and as of the beginning of December the Company has flown over 3,100 missions and evacuated over 3,160 patients to a higher level of care. These are absolutely staggering numbers and are a testament to the dedication and hard work of every member on our team. Great job DUSTOFF!!
Okay, when you said 15 pieces of flare I thought you meant...wait, never mind, you didn’t specify so you can’t get mad if I took you literally!
With only about 50 deployment days remaining things have started moving at a quicker pace and that’s never a bad thing. We’ve already begun planning a Christmas party for the 24th of December at KAF and the various outlying sites are decorating their areas to celebrate the season as well. Christmas trees are going up and the Santa hats have begun appearing. Random care packages are coming in from the states filled with candy canes and wrapped presents (they feel like socks so I’m guessing it’s probably from a patriotic grandma.) People everywhere are packing up footlockers and extra bags to ship home and the end is in sight. It’s always incredible to look at the amount of stuff you have at the end of the year versus the amount of stuff you brought with you. It never seems like you’ve acquired that much extra until you have to pack it up and run out of bags to stuff things in. The not-soenjoyable part of having all this stuff isn’t packing it into shipping The “Tango Tree” courtesy of the FOB containers here, but the unWolverine Crewchiefs packing of the same containers during the middle of winter in Alaska. Hopefully the weather is nice or we can find hangar space to facilitate unloading them inside. Well folks, things are picking up and winding down all at the same time. It’s been an interesting year and we’ve all changed a little bit. Having been here and experienced all that Afghanistan has to offer has made us better and stronger people. Having to handle the home front on your own has done the same for you. We’ve endured hardships and forged friendships that would have never been possible were it not for our time together here. Managing bills, children, and the occasional crisis has given you a new confidence to handle any situation, no matter how daunting. Coming out of this deployment with new insight, maturity, wisdom, and understanding is an incredible gift won through our many trials and tribulations both here and at home. You could have probably done it with- Our snowy Christmas tree complete with candy canes and Rudolph the Redout us, but we know that we could not have done this without Nosed Reindeer Ornaments you. Thank you for supporting us and being there when we needed you most. We provided the muscle for our overwhelmingly successful mission but you provided the heart. Thank you, and we love you!
Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. -Aristotle
Big Happenings IN DECEMBER: Birthdays
December 3rd - SGT Joe Bortz December 4th - CW2 Zack Martin December 8th - SGT William Bechtel December 10th - CPL Amanda Mosher December 22nd - SSG Joe Bryant December 25th - Baby Jesus...duh! December 28th - 2LT Dave Keppler
Anniversaries December 26th - Robert & Karine Tovmassian December 27th - Cody & Megan Allen December 28 - David & Amanda Piggott
Until next time…
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!! CW2 Matthew J. Grove DUSTOFF pilot and newsletter-writer-guy
“Uhh, yeah I have a brown nose, I was born with it. Wait a minute...what are you trying to say?”
Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment Captain Samuel Perez joined C Company as an attached en route critical care nurse on 11 November 2011. He is assigned to the En Route Critical Care Nurse (ECCN) program of the 44th Medical Brigade, in Bagram. That program provides inter-facility critical care transport support to various medical evacuation platforms throughout Afghanistan, including Army Dustoff and U.S. Air Force FEVER. Prior to joining C Company, Captain Perez was assigned to FEVER at Bastion Airfield. While there, he flew 80 C-130 missions, logging more than 170 flight hours. The mission of FEVER is to transport critically-wounded patients throughout Afghanistan. The role of an ECCN is to maintain the level of care that was initiated at the MTF (medical treatment care facility) during transportation to the next MTF. The ECCN also provides medical interventions as necessary during patient transport. Captain Perez became an ECCN less than one year ago, after completing military and civilian flight-nurse training. This training included the Joint En route Critical Care course at Ft. Rucker, Alabama and also flight nurse training at a civilian training academy in Kansas. Captain Perez said that he became a flight nurse because he wanted “to be a part of Dustoff.” He learned about Dustoff from Captain Dennis, a friend and one of the first nurses in Afghanistan’s ECCN program. Captain Dennis reported that his experience with Dustoff had been challenging and rewarding and that it had helped him to grow as a medical provider. Captain Perez said that his biggest concern when he came to Dustoff was about how he would fit in as a member of the flight crew: “I was concerned about whether the flight medics would accept the idea of another medical provider in the flight crew. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they welcomed me into their team.” He notes that he quickly fit in and got to work as a member of the flight crew, due to the willingness of the flight medics to show him the “tricks of the trade” of working on patients inside a blackhawk. When asked what it was like to work in the cramped space of a Blackhawk, he described the experience as “challenging.” He said, “I was not expecting to wear 30 to 40 pounds of equipment on my body.” That, plus the on-board flight gear, the medical gear, the other crew members and one to two patients left very little room to maneuver. Captain Perez observed that—beside the lack of space—another key difference between providing emergency medical care in an emergency room and providing it in the back of a Blackhawk has to do with the lack of other health-care professionals. “In an emergency room, you are working with a plethora of other medical care personnel—surgeons, nurses, respiratory therapists, anesthesiologists and various other medical specialists. In Dustoff, it’s just you and the medic and the crew chief in a very small space.” Captain Perez noted that there are other challenges associated with on-board medical care at the point of injury. Communications are impaired by the high noise levels and by the fact that medical crew members must constantly perform non-medical tasks such as clearing the aircraft rotors from obstacles. These factors, coupled with the lack of lighting and the pitching and rolling of the aircraft make even routine medical tasks difficult, at times. One mission stands out from the others in Captain Perez’s mind. He was a crew-member on an aircraft that landed into an active firefight to extract a critically-wounded Marine. Although none of the crew members were hurt, Captain Perez will not soon forget that particular mission. He said that there was “no question” in his mind and that of the other crew members that they would succeed in extracting the wounded Marine, even though they saw muzzle flashes and bullets striking the ground around the aircraft. Captain Perez points to the “calm demeanor” of the flight medic as a source of inspiration to the other crew members. “Sergeant First Class Gensamer’s presence of mind helped me to stay calm and stay focused on my tasks.” He credits Gensamer with outstanding leadership during that mission and every day. When asked about his opinion of Dustoff, Captain Perez had this to say: “The legacy of Dustoff lives on in the day-to-day missions that Charlie Company executes every day. You never know what any particular mission has in store. All you know is that someone needs you. “ Captain Perez is grateful to the members of Charlie Company who supported, trained and welcomed him over the past month. “I am honored to be a member of the Dustoff Team,” he said.
Sugar Bear News A Very Sugar Bear Christmas! JANUARY 2012
Dear Family and Loved Ones, First and foremost, you are greatly missed this Holiday Season. As we try to make the best out of the circumstances our thoughts and prayers go out to you. Putting our best foot forward, we decorated the office with Christmas lights and stockings to bring some Christmas cheer to Afghanistan. All the Christmas mail we’ve received has been amazing. From full Christmas stockings to the FRG blankets, the mail has been coming in by the truck load. On Christmas day we pooled planned to put share all the food we received by placing it on a table in the crew-members lounge, but soon our table was overflowing with the generous gifts and bountiful amount of food you sent. We feasted the entire day on it, adding more food as more and more was eaten.
On Christmas Eve we held a White-Elephant gift exchange where everyone brought a gift to give and through a complex series of rules, they were all exchanged in a series of trades. It was almost like the card game “Rummy” where a person could either choose from a pile of open presents or take one that someone had already opened. It was a great time with many laughs. The Soldiers at FOB Wolverine and Tarin Kowt celebrated in similar fashions with gift exchanges and Christmas meals. The was another festive 5k race at FOB Tarin Kowt, while the sSoldiers at FOB Wolverine settled for an easy day around the airfield with their own gift exchange that evening.
As this holiday season winds down we look forward to the prospects a new year will bring and look forward to seeing you all in the near future.
Sincerely,
Travis Easterling
Soldiers look on, trying to determine which box might have the best gifts as the pile grew for the White-Elephant gift exchange.
Soldiers Enjoy their new blankets
(TOP LEFT) Hanging out with disco Santa Claus (TOP RIGHT) Even that Standards shop got in the Christmas Spirit (BOTTOM LEFT) Trying to keep up with all the Christmas mail
Getting in the Festive mood
(TOP LEFT) Looking on while SGT Jones tries to get into his present (TOP RIGHT) SPC Makert enjoying his new friend (RIGHT) Soldiers looking on in anticipation (BOTTOM LEFT) SGT Burns inspecting his new gift...little did he know he wouldn’t keep it long
B CO 2-135 AVN
Greetings from the FNG’s of Kandahar – the Mile High Muleskinners! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I think everyone will agree with me when I say that I am very happy to see the calendar flip over from 2011 to 2012! This year will be one none of us will ever forget and not only for the sorrows that it brought but also for the many blessings we received. Whether it was one of the many births we had within our ranks or new friendships we built, we had plenty to be thankful for in 2011 and from that aspect we hope 2012 continues to bless all of our soldiers, their families, friends and the many supporters we have gained along the way. The week before Christmas I was able to escape Kandahar for a few days and travel out to Salerno and Shank to spend some "quality time" with our Muleskinners. It was definitely worth the trip as I was able to talk to nearly everyone in our unit for an extended period of time. I am happy to report that everyone was in pretty good spirits considering they were in Afghanistan for Christmas instead of home with their families! For those that had R&R coming up they were very excited in counting down the days and for those that had just returned they still had the perma-grin on their faces! It was very refreshing to be able and talk to the soldiers about what their plans are for AFTER the deployment considering all of my conversations with them the last two years have been nothing but getting ready for the deployment! As I told them, there will be many new opportunities within Nebraska Army Aviation in the coming months. On top of the natural turn-over from promotions and retirements the Nebraska Guard received a new Aviation Company (D Co, 1-376th) that will fly the new UH-72 helicopter in Grand Island. This new unit provides many great opportunities for enlisted and officers both and will provide some additional room for upward mobility within the Aviation ranks. As I told each of our soldiers, be patient upon our return and see what new opportunities present themselves and decide what is the right fit for them and their families. Thanks again for all of your tremendous support! Now that 2012 is FINALLY here the time will go by quickly! In the meantime, we will ensure that everyone stays focused on the tasks at hand and that your soldiers continue to execute the mission to perfection with the utmost respect for safety!
CPT Wilhelm – ‘Skinner 6 ’
1SG McBride – ‘Skinner 7