THE EAGLE LIFT LEDGER
Eighth Edition November 2011 1LT Kelly Barton, Executive Editor
Commander‘s Corner Hello once again to the friends and Families of Task Force Eagle Lift. It will probably not surprise any of you to hear that October was yet another busy month for the Battalion. There were a couple of events that made the time go by quickly, however. The majority of B Company (Varsity) and a handful of Soldiers from HHC and D Company got to go on a two-week camping trip to a different part of the country. They lived in very temporary conditions, which included cots and sleeping bags, but got to experience a change of scenery and a change of pace for a little while. They operated from a camp that is a few thousand feet higher than Kandahar, so they have definitely experienced cooler fall temperatures with highs in the 60s and lows in the lower 40s. Here in Kandahar we‘re still seeing highs close to 80, but temperatures continue to drop as we approach the wet season that is just around the corner. The Varsity team did a great job during this short excursion, but we‘re glad to have them back here under the flagpole. On October 15th we had another Task Force party. Sergeant David Sanchez from HHC, took the lead on the once again challenging task of getting a 200 pound frozen pig flown into Kandahar from Germany. With a lot of persistence (and a bit of bribery) he accomplished the mission. SGT Vincent Taman from D Company took the lead on cooking the pig, while SSG Chris Newman and his crew from E Company ran the rest of the grills for steaks, burgers, and brats—a great job by all. We used this opportunity to say thanks and farewell to the Brahmans—the Australian detachment that has served with us since our arrival in February. Although a relatively small contingent, the Brahmans always shouldered more than their share of the task at hand, and we will miss both them, and their unique version of the English language—―Cheers, mate!‖ But Australia remains committed to the mission here, and they will be back in February with a fresh team that is ready to join our replacements, Task Force 3-25 Aviation, the ―Hammerheads‖ from Hawaii. Halloween was another milestone for the Task Force; one more holiday behind us. Many of the companies got into the holiday spirit and decorated their work areas appropriately. There was even a costume party on the other side of the airfield, but I‘m kind of afraid to know how that turned out! Now that it‘s November, everyone from Ft. Campbell has become a ―double digit midget.‖ This is an Army term meaning that one has less than 100 days to go. At the start of the deployment I encouraged everyone not to count the days, but to make the days count. In Eagle Lift we continue to make the days count, but it‘s nice to see light at the end of the tunnel as well. Thanks again to all of you at home for your support and sacrifices. We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving; every one of us has a lot for which to be thankful.
Sincerely, Scott Gerblick Task Force Commander
The CSM‘s Foxhole CSM‘s Foxhole, Hello from Kandahar! Another month in the history books and the packing has started around the Task Force. We are officially on the down-slope, but must remember to stay vigilant and mission focused! Task Force Eagle Lift has a ―Rising Star‖ within its ranks! SPC Ashley Perrymon of HHC has made it to the final 10 contestants in the ―Operation Rising Star‖ Kandahar, Afghanistan talent contest. SPC Perrymon rocked the crowd with Tina Turner‘s platinum hit ―what‘s love got to do with it‖. Her performance and stage presents left the judges and the crowd no doubt that she deserves a shot at stardom next week. Good Luck SPC Perrymon! The talent throughout the Task Force has continued to shine far beyond the difficult missions accomplished daily. Almost every day we hear about a Soldier, or Soldiers, doing great things in and around Kandahar. Our Soldiers have volunteered to help at the USO, MWR, Education Center, and at various events since the first week we arrived in theater. Last week several Soldiers volunteered to help clean-up the bazaar school that caught fire and burned down. The school will be rebuilt in the coming weeks and I have no doubt that Task Force Eagle Lift will have helping hands there again! I recently read an article on volunteering and would like to share the definition of what a volunteer is according to the article:
Volunteers are individuals who reach out beyond the confines of their paid employment and of their normal responsibilities to contribute time and service to a not-forprofit cause in the belief that their activity is beneficial to others as well as satisfying to themselves. Thanks again to all our ―Home Front Heroes‖ who continue to support our Soldiers and Families. Your generosity has brought countless smiles to all! JP Thomas Task Force CSM
HHC — Fighting Griffins November 2011
Griffins on the Rise The most incredible thing that occurred this month was the sheer number of promotions we had…but more on that in a moment. First, I have to waste a few lines on the weather or this article won't match all the previous ones! Actually, the weather was a welcome change worth writing home about. This month we experienced our first rain showers of the season, and for this Soldier it was the first time Kandahar has felt cool, clean, and refreshing in many months. The battle between hot, dusty days and cool, almost-jacket-weather continued throughout the month, with the milder temperatures finishing just barely ahead. Slowly but surely, fleece caps and gloves are coming back in style. Back to the real news: those promotions. We had no less than 8 Soldiers pin-on heavier rank this month! It has taken me about 5 years, but I have finally figured out why the Army switched to Velcro rank: some wise individual buried in the twisted maze of the Pentagon must have known just how fast Griffins get promoted.
zeroes flowing so that our phones, computers, and radios work every time we need them to. They have done nothing but great things for the company up to now, and I'm sure they'll honor those new stripes going forward. After thinking about it, Jacob isn't really quiet, but I don't feel like rewriting that part. There are only a few Specialists left in the S6 shop now… I won't embarrass them by naming them, but they have to be feeling like an endangered species right about now! I issued a challenge to CPT Sam Sellers and SSG Mark Bybee awhile back: bring back a shop full of NCO's. It appears they've taken me up on that.
Jeremy Le to take a break from helping people, but we finally tracked him down. He has been a major help in the Brigade Aide Station and spent some time circulating to other bases to augment their treatment teams. PFC Chase Rhead makes sure the paper shuffle through the S1 shop keeps moving in the right direction. Late into the night, you can find him working on awards, evaluations, leave forms, or any other document that requires signatures and processing. PFC Coty Scott is one of the voices on the radio, keeping our pilots informed of mission changes as he tracks mission after mission in the TOC. Coty is a very quiet Soldier, so I can't actually think of anything to poke fun at him for… I SGT Tony Minnicks, have to say, he may be one of the intelligence analyst only people on this planet who extraordinaire, is another of our has figured out how to please newly-minted Sergeants. Most everyone. Finally, PFC Shaun days, Tony's face can be seen in Mohr - whom I personally had the the battalion briefing room, honor of promoting - is one of our delivering intelligence fairly new medics. He has quickly assessments to flight crews as found a place in the Aid Station part of their "Go/No-Go" briefing and has already served the prior to each launch, but his most company by acting as a medic at notable achievement may be the last month's ranges. current high-score of the TOC favorite: "Chicken Invaders." Though, it is possible this was Nice job, Griffins! accomplished merely to compensate for almost getting beat at arm wrestling by SPC - CPT Gabe Morris Amanda Kimble-Pinkney. We'll Griffin 6 check back soon to see if those new stripes help in future arm wrestling competitions. Highlights:
The S6 shop had a heavy representation with no less than 3 new Non-Commissioned Officers. SGT Rosemary Bedgood, SGT Gabriel Lopez, and SGT Jacob Winn are just the sort of quiet In addition, we had four professionals we rely on day-in enlisted Soldiers pin new rank on. and day-out to keep the ones and We had to wait a few days for SPC
Rain! New Rank for Griffins
HHC — Fighting Griffins
Our Soldiers in Pictures
Most Likely to Succeed: Roughly 10 seconds after this photo was taken, we had new Griffin NCO’s! Most Photogenic: The S1 shop.
The Faculty: The 5 Soldiers who keep things running behind the scenes (not a type-o).
Drama Queens: Apparently, the S4 OIC and NCOIC can’t figure out how to order new uniforms.
HHC — Fighting Griffins
Fifth-Year Seniors: Flat Stanley agreed to stand-in for Mr. Hill so the Safety, Stands, and TACOPS gang could give us a photo. He also does safety assessments about as well as a CW4. Thanks, Flat Stanley!
Miss Congeniality (also known as Team Dial-Up): The look you see here is the same one you get if you are brave enough to ask for computer help.
A CO Rude Dogs
November 2011
VOLUME 1
Dear Rude Dog Friends and Family, On 27 September, I officially took command of the Rude Dog family. I am extremely lucky for this opportunity to work with this group of exceptionally hard working and dedicated Soldiers. From my short time as commander I have already seen the level of professionalism and ―can do‖ attitude that permeates throughout the company. For those of you who don‘t know me, I come to TF Lift from TF Palehorse, where I spent the last year as the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT) Commander. Prior to coming for Ft. Campbell, I was stationed in Ft. Wainwright, AK as a platoon leader with D Company 123 rd Aviation Regiment. My wife is CPT Amber Birkle and currently works at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital as the head nurse for the Urgent Care Center. We both look forward to working with you all over the coming year and most of all we look forward to bringing everyone home in a few short months. A Company has been working hard over the last month. Not only did the Soldiers work extra hours laying out all of our equipment for the change of command inventories, we have continued to fly countless hours supporting all of Regional Command – South. Thankfully, the temperatures continue to drop and we saw our first day of temps no higher than 80 degrees!! With the cooler temps comes the much anticipated rain. We had our first real rain storm during the second week of October and quickly remembered the mud and horrible road conditions that quickly follow. However, those were the conditions when we arrived and it only reminds us of how close we are to redeploying. We had numerous awards and promotions this month. Please congratulate the following Soldiers: Promoted to Sergeant: Awarded the Army Aviation Badge: Awarded the Combat Action Badge: SGT Michael Nelson SPC Jose Barrera SPC Jose Barrera SGT Franklin Files SPC Jarod Shockley SPC Michael Madden SGT Jose Desantiago SGT Jasmin Okugic SGT Paul Valentino Although not officially part of A Company anymore, I also want to congratulate newly promoted CPT Wes Emery, who was promoted on 1 OCT. We wish him well in his new job as assistant S3 in TF Palehorse. Until next month, CPT Jason Birkle Rude Dog 6
A CO Rude Dogs Photos
B 7-101 Varsity The Varsity November Update.
November 2011
VOLUME 1
9 November means that we are 3/4s of the way through! To the Friends and Families of VARSITY, The Varsity team continues to meet the mission day-in and day-out. We have now surpassed the 3/4 mark for our deployment. The pace of missions hasn’t completely slowed down just yet; we remain busy as ever. Firstly, we are very proud to announce four new Pilots-in-Command. CW2’s Donald Brown, Jeremy Cabatingan, Brandon Korn, and Brandon Shell have all been working extremely hard to earn this advancement. And their hard work has now paid off. Congratulations!
We would also like to announce several promotions and awards throughout the ranks of Varsity. Congratulations to our new Sergeants: Robert Pierce and William Welsh; and our newest Specialist, Missy Hatfield! Keesha Everett , Michael Penn, Benjamin McHugh, and Charles Jorden all received Army Achievement Medals. Also, David Uplinger received a Certificate of Achievement. Keesha Everett was also awarded the Flight Engineer of the month,
while Josia Williams received the Crew Chief of the month award. Also 1Lt Cox, CW2 Taylor, SGT McHugh, SPC Hansen, and SGT Pierce all received coins from our Australian counterparts, for assisting them with a last minute mission. ~ 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
November 2011
C 4-101 Blackwidows VOLUME 1
Greetings Blackwidow Families! Yet another month off the books and it seems like time is flying by. A lot of great things have happened over the month to include several promotions and award presentations. Unfortunately, we also said goodbye to some long time Blackwidows, SPC Hoebink and SPC Herold, who have fulfilled their military obligation and decided to pursue their civilian lives. We thank them for their service to our nation and wish them nothing but blue skies in their future endeavors. We would most definitely like to thank all the Families back home for the Halloween decorations and candy that has been sent. Trust me when I tell you, the candy doesn’t last very long! It’s the little tastes of home you provide that put smiles on our faces and keep us going. THANK YOU!
Newly promoted SGT Alop and SGT Watson
1SG Barber gently pins SSG Rank on newly promoted SSG Teach.
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow...
Keep dreaming SPC Bryant‌ Keep dreaming!
CW2(P) Andrel enjoys a tasty beverage while CW2 Ives looks on in disgust.
CPT Cai putting that West Point education to work as he colors in his coloring book. Once again, CW2 Cooper mistakes his gloves as his checklist.
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow...
Best of Luck SPC Hoebink! You will be missed!
SPC Smiley… just chillin.
As a young boy, SPC Darbyshire use to dream what it would be like to drive a van in Afghanistan… now he knows.
C 4-101 Blackwidows A day in the life of a Blackwidow...
Little known fact about 1SG Barber‌ the man LOVES to color bunny rabbits!
Just had to re-post this picture of CW3 Lackey.
D CO 7-101 Aviation Regiment To the Friends and Families of the Dragons, Morale is high as we welcomed our first days of rain and more comfortable temperatures. Though the looming floods and imminent muddy boots will follow, the rainy season is a mark in time that we all remember from our arrival in theatre 9 months ago. It’s a clear reminder that we’re getting that much closer to returning home. The Company hosted a fun-filled Dragon BBQ, complete with great music and even an RC Derby showcasing a mix of aircraft and vehicles. We had up to four guys working the grills simultaneously and the food was delicious—everyone had a great time! Headquarters is proud to announce the promotions of Tech Supply’s SGT Lucia Rugiero and SPC Christina Aguilar, and the reenlistment of SPC Sharita Ponce. And Shops would like to congratulate SSG Christopher Gorman, SSG Timothy Brotsch, and SSG Phillip Lewis on their promotions and SGT Arlene Williams on her reenlistment. And Congrats to SPC Parker and his wife Crystal on their new addition to the family, Matthew. -CPT Kaitlin Cooper Executive Officer/Shops Platoon Leader
D CO 7-101 Aviation Regiment UH-60 MAINTENANCE PLATOON Platoon Sergeant Corner
September is gone, October is here, and we are now just a few more months before we return home. The temperatures are now cooling down and the rains have come. Preparing for winter is always a good sign, it means we are coming full circle! To the Families and friends back home, thank you for all your support. Every Soldier here is appreciative for all the support we have received. Our Tangos are motivated and as R&R is wrapping up, we start preparing for our next chapter “Redeployment�. I would like to say farewell to SPC Stephens, who is Separating from the Army and has returned home. Best wishes to your future. Send out a fare well to PFC Ralston, who moved over to Charlie Company 4th Battalion, enjoy being a crew chief. I would like to send out a Congratulations to all our Promotees. September flew by and was very busy and hopefully October will fly by too. Once again on behalf of myself and CPT Lacy we would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support for our Platoon. -SFC PRY FAREWELLS: SPC Stephens, PFC Ralston PROMOTIONS: SPC Sansom, SPC Brown, PFC Anguish REENLISTMENTS: SPC Pilkins
D CO 7-101 Aviation Regiment CH-47 MAINTENANCE PLATOON CH-47 MAINTENANCE PLATOON
October is here and the Soldiers of the CH-47 maintenance platoon are enjoying a break from the summer heat. CH-47 maintenance is busy as ever with a continuous flow of phase maintenance and unscheduled maintenance on our large fleet of CH-47Ds and Fs. It is thanks to the Soldiers of the CH-47 maintenance platoon that our fleet of Chinooks is able to remain mission ready. Congratulations are in order for: Jose Zarateferia, on his promotion from PFC to SPC SPC Booth, SPC Buys, SPC Hawthorne, and SPC Hinton on their re-enlistments.
-1LT Justin Chaudoin CH-47 Maintenance Platoon Leader
November 2011
The “No Worries” Update
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8
Greetings Echo Company Friends and Family, Fall has arrived and spirits are high as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It‘s not as cold here as it is back at Fort Campbell, but the morning chill is a welcome change. Your Soldiers are doing great work and continue to sustain the aviators with first class support every single day. Redeployment planning is becoming more and more involved and over the next couple of months all of you back home will receive specific information about our homecoming. I would ask that you remain patient in “Outside the CP” receiving this information and allow the communication of such details to occur 1LT Marcus Harold through the proper channels. Please do not ask your Soldiers questions about CPT Blake Jenkins redeployment (date, time, location) over the phone, thru email, or on a social network 1SG Ronnie Simington like Facebook. The information will be disseminated in a timely and secure manner. The Family Readiness Group meetings are a great place to receive all the latest CONGRATULATIONS! information about our organization, and so I encourage you all to attend such meetings and support the Iron Dog FRG. Lastly, as the holidays are approaching, mail will Promotion become congested and mail receiving time will become much longer. I advise you SPC Rogers send your Christmas mail no later than the beginning of November in order to ensure it reaches your Iron Dog in time. Fox Company Coins 1LT Harold SSG(P) Newman SPC Alcantara
Anniversaries SPC Roden—21 OCT SPC Alcantara—28 OCT SPC Conatser—31 OCT
Birthdays SGT Daniels—1 OCT SPC Fox—18 OCT SPC Appleby—20 OCT SGT Johnson—25 OCT SFC Page—29 OCT SGT Dismukes—29 OCT
Until next month, I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween! IRON DOG 6 ―NO WORRIES‖ ―AIR ASSAULT‖
Headquarters - Prowlers
Page 2
Greetings once again from the Headquarters platoon! We‘ve been here 8.5 months and are steadily closing in on the light at the end of the tunnel! Despite the longevity of our stay, our Orderly Room has continued to successfully process our Company‘s administrative needs as well as our mail. With SGT Espinoza on R&R, SPC Jenkins is demonstrating her commitment to excellence, despite being the only Soldier in her section. Great work! Our Supply section continues to set the standard for supply transaction superiority. Even though SPC Esqueda is the only Soldier in his section with the rest of the team on R&R, he has made sure the Soldiers of E Co have been able to maintain their uniforms, equipment, and vehicles. He is also doing an excellent job of preparing the Company for redeployment! Speaking of redeployment, we‘re getting the ball rolling on that side of the house, sending up lists and doing the initial prep work to begin sending our equipment (and of course our Soldiers ) back home! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger and we‘re all very appreciative of that. The Gunslingers section continues to issue the entirety of Task Force Lift‘s weapons all day, every day. Their unfaltering dedication to their duty keeps the Soldiers out flying armed and ready for any engagement they may encounter.
A lovely sunset in lovely Afghanistan
The HQ section was instrumental in completing an ad-hoc sling load this month, again demonstrating the multi-functionality and flexibility of your Soldiers. When the word came down that the mission would be going ahead 3 hours ahead of schedule, your Soldiers adapted and overcame several obstacles, getting the job done to standard. The Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers of HQ Platoon would like to thank you for your care packages, cards, and prayers. Your support from the rear is vital to our mission success and greatly appreciated! No Worries! - 1LT Harold and SSG(P) Newman
SPC Jenkins tearing it up at the range
Who, me?
Distribution Platoon - Punishers Page 3 Well Punisher family, after 6 months of 100+ degree days we have broken out the snivel gear and windbreakers as the fall rains finally arrived. Although we know with this rain will come the inevitable floods, we are overjoyed knowing that the end is finally near. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel. As we rejoice at the changing weather we are reminded of old proverb which says, ―Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.‖ We think this succinctly sums up our unit. Through all the pain in the storm of distance we focus instead on what the rain will bring and work hard until that day comes. As proof, our Soldiers continue to pump more fuel than any previous unit, passing the 2 million gallons mark in just 8 months, as well as excelling in everything from qualification ranges to sling load missions! Our Soldiers even showed their dedication to mission through building a roof over our building before the rains flooded us out. We are truly more proud than words can say as your Soldiers continue to press on through the storm. So as we enter this last leg, instead of focusing on the storm, let us continue to dance in the rain until the sun shines and we are home at last. Until next time, God bless, and HAPPY FALL! “I’m just-a-fixin up mah shack!” Building a much needed roof on the POL shack
SSG Maurice running the POL CP-like a boss!
SGT Bayliss wondering what tomorrow will bring
- 1LT Eyster and SSG Fournier
Maintenance Platoon - Pirates Page 4
An epic volleyball battle!
2LT Tellez contemplates his next move...
SGT Foley crushes the ball for instant points.
Good October to ya! From the Gentlemen of Fortune from E Co Motor pool ―Pirates‖ to all of our wives, families, friends, and fans back there from this dust bowl (soon to be mud bowl), Kandahar Airbase, that we‘ve called home for the past 8 months. It can be noted that we have encountered our first rain since March this month. I‘m telling you, it is a great thing to be done with the scorching Afghan summer! Bring it on monsoon season. The month thus far has proved challenging yet rewarding for Pirate Platoon. Your Soldiers have been tasked with a wide variety of missions, to include running an M4/M9/M16 range, as well as assisting our neighboring POL platoon with fueling-great job SPC Moorman and SPC Aldridge! As always, we continue to accomplish our main mission of supporting our Task Force‘s 200+ pieces of ground equipment and vehicles with services, unscheduled repairs and maintenance. As for downtime, the platoon ensures that its reputation of being very competitive is continued in the form of volleyball (Congrats to SGT Foley, SGT Hamacher, SGT ―Papi chulo‖ Gonzalez, SGT Bradley and SGT Alexander for winning the Iron Dog Volleyball Challenge) fantasy football, and bench pressing to name a few things. Pirate Platoon remains very optimistic about returning home. We realize every day out here is a day closer to home and we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers! Until next month! Argh! Air Assault! and Hooah! –SFC Page and 2LT Tellez
Buccaneers “FOX NEWS”
November 2011
November 2011
Promotions: SGT Kester
TF Wings NCO of the Month: SGT Maloy
Buccaneer families and loved ones, greetings from Southern Afghanistan. Things continue to move forward in preparation for the oncoming winter months and the arrival of our replacements. We recently began receiving some of the incoming unit‘s property, which I know is somewhat of a morale booster for the company. Nonetheless your Soldiers are working harder than ever to ensure the safety of all those in their care, through extensive training for the upcoming bad weather that looms just around the corner. Our troops in Qalat are currently training their replacements as Dynacorp begins to take over operations there. This will also assist with the workload that is sure to increase at Wolverine with the impending weather. Here in Kandahar, everyone continues to facilitate the movement of all equipment and personnel, coordinating with all the different agencies and people. This will be my last Company newsletter as I prepare to step aside and change command with CPT Ben Seipel. It will truly be a bitter sweet goodbye as I have to step away from a job I love and the Soldiers I‘ve grown to know and care so much about. I have tremendously enjoyed work-
ing with your loved ones and watching them grow as they taught me daily on ATC Operations and how to be a better commander. As it always seems in the Army about the time you start to get good at something and think you have a handle on it, you‘re told it‘s your time to go and do something else. I will never forget working with F Co as I have encountered some of the best NCOs and Soldiers that I have worked with in my Army career. I look forward to the day when I run into a number of you when we are no longer in harm‘s way. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for showing your support to my wife and the FRG. I know at times it can be a lot of work but I know Angela appreciates all the assistance and participation she gets. Thank you all once again for your support and please let me know if I can ever do anything for you in the future. Buccaneer 6
Buccaneers “FOX PHOTO’S”
SPC Medlin sportin’ the Eye-Pro, bein’ safe.
Our replacement unit’s (F/3-25 AVN) GCA Ops truck arriving via Sling Load.
SGT Hight lookin’ into the sun as he directs aircraft to parking.
A CH-47 (Chinook) approaches to hook up and sling out a generator to move it to Kandahar.
SPC Calabrese in the TOWER! The Pathfinder’s from F/4-101 AVN successfully hook up our generator for departure.
SGT Winkler holdin’ down the night shift.
SPC Cates jonesin’ for his next smoke break.
CPT Seipel, our future CDR, posin’ in the sunset.
SSG Kilpatrick, SGT Wilson and SPC McCray startin’ the day off right.
SGT Crawford workin’ the mic, directing air traffic as SPC Liberty watches.
SGT’s Maloy and Wilson, the boyz’ and their finger gunz’.
Wash Rack Operations…..Need I say More?!
SPC McCray, “Gotta, get dirt, outa, the wheels…...REALLY?!”
SSG Calhoun layin’ in the water, soakin’ in the sun, can you aaahhhhh.
ARCTIC AIRMAIL Chronicles of a displaced MEDEVAC Company
Here it is, October, and I haven’t seen a single pumpkin. Who forgot to pack the pumpkins?!?!
Fall is officially here and boy is it a glorious thing! The temps have dropped significantly and walking around no longer requires mental toughness, a complete disregard for comfort and dryness, or the requirement to figure out how much water you’ll need to take with you so you don’t die along the way from dehydration. For some of the outlying sites people have begun digging out their coats and stocking caps and snow is visible on the tops of the mountains. We got a good rain (the first in months) the other day and it helped knock the dust out of the air and we were able to see for dozens of miles in all directions (once again, for Dust landings: “We gotta fly into that?!?!” the first time in months.) Soon we’ll be getting more and more rain and we’ll trade the blistering dry heat for giant freezing mud puddles that soak everything. It’s a good thing carpet is a rarity here because Mom would be less than pleased about all the mud we track inside with our boots! With things cooling down, so have the missions. We’re still doing a fair amount of flying but it’s nothing compared to this summer. During mid-summer you’re shirt, soaked with sweat from the previous mission, wouldn’t even get a chance to dry out in the 110 degree heat before you got launched on another mission. Now, you may go a whole duty cycle “I swear, if it gets any hotter I’m and get no missions at all. We love doing our job and we do it well, but gonna shoot the friggin’ sun! No, I’m serious, I’m gonna shoot it!!” this lack of activity is a wonderful thing for all those ground guys out CW2 Greg Love (mid-summer) there doing what they do. If we’re not flying it means they’re having a pretty good day and that’s always a good thing. The recent spooling down of activity has allowed a much needed breather for our maintainers and they are working like mad to keep our aircraft in top shape. The flying may have slowed down but maintenance is a constant effort and no matter how much is going on otherwise, the maintenance still has to get done. Eight months in our crewchiefs and maintenance test pilots may look a little worse for wear but they are doing a magnificent job in maintaining our fleet and ensuring we have aircraft for the mission. A clear night’s sky: Blackhawks need to sleep sometime
Last month we only had one promotion and this month the number of promotions was simply stunning! Adding up the numbers gives us nine promotions and an academy slot...not too shabby DUSTOFF. Running through the list of the recently promoted includes: 1st Lieutenant Phillip Walker-promoted to Captain, 1st Sergeant Jeffery Pinnell-selected to attend the Sergeants Major Academy, Sergeant Cory Rodgers-promoted to Staff Sergeant, Sergeant Wesley Price-promoted to Staff Sergeant, Corporal Amanda Mosher-promoted to Sergeant, Specialist Sara Nichols-promoted to Sergeant, Specialist Jonathan WillsWho knew that kissing an alpaca was worth 10 promoted to Sergeant, Specialist Daniel Denisonpromotion points? Apparently it was worth it. Congratulations SSG Cory Rodgers!! promoted to Sergeant, Private First Class Robbie Meadepromoted to Specialist, and Private First Class Robert Knight-promoted to Specialist. Whew! What an incredible list of long overdue promotions. These promotions were hard earned, well deserved, and in keeping with the finest traditions of promoting our best and brightest. Congratulations to you all in taking the next step in your illustrious careers! This months awesomeness (if that’s not a real word it should be because it’s the only way to describe this next tidbit) doesn’t stop with promotions. After much uncertainty and doom-and-gloom news about crewchief jobs being blocked for re-enlistment, we had three people who were able to re-enlist and stay in the Army as crewchiefs. Sergeant Sara Nichols, Specialist Patrick Wilson (a.k.a. The Daywalker), and Private First Class Randall McDonough all re-enlisted this month and do not have to learn a new trade. Pat Wilson was also able to swindle his way through the retention system, and was able to secure a choice-of-duty-station option with his re-enlistment-he’ll be headed off to Ft. Belvoir, SPC Patrick “Daywalker” Wilson Re-enlistee and Ginger ambassador to the U.S. Army VA for his next duty assignment. We also had one of our flight operations Soldiers re-enlist this month. Specialist Dedrick Bellinger also fell into the category of folks with blocked jobs for re-enlistment, and he opted to change jobs in order to stay on with the Army for a few more years. He will be trading in his flight ops job to learn the new trade of mortuary affairs, and just in time for Halloween mwaahaahaahaa! As a company, we have swept the Battalion by storm and our crewchiefs won both the Non-Commissioned Officer of the Month board (Sergeant Andrew Herndon) and Soldier of the Month board (Specialist Stephen Culver.) Great show gentlemen! This months promotion board attendees will be Sergeant William Burgdorf and Specialists Michael Gibbs and Richard Collier. Good Luck guys, study hard, and make us proud!
SPC Stephen Culver: Winning hearts and minds...and Soldier of the Month boards!
The company store is now up and running. For every item ordered, two to five dollars is donated from the purchase price to our company fund for our big welcome back event. Multiple items are available for purchase and include an array of items including t-shirts, hoodies, kids clothing, mouse pads, and coffee mugs. Customers who have already placed orders have replied that the order was accurate and shipping was quick and hassle free. To visit the company store and order items go to: http://www.cafepress.com/arcticdustoff To order items with the design “Dustoff...often misunderstood” featured in last month’s newsletter (first page, bottom left hand corner) visit: http://www.mockingbirdink.com 1 of 2 Logos available at the company store and click on “Dustoff” located in the grey box on the left of the page. We do not collect any donations from purchases on this site but I’ve had multiple questions about the design and where to order from so I decided to mention it here for everyone to enjoy. So we’re well past the halfway point and by the time you read the next newsletter the number of days until we’re home will be down to the double digits. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a deployment and we’ve experienced everything from moments of sheer terror to moments that are so boring you don’t think they’ll ever be over with. In this beautiful country we’ve experienced the extreme differences in seasons, each one seemingly worse than the last. We’ve gone from soaking wet, windy, raining, flooded Afghanistan to “Popping Smoke!” Marking the landing zone for the MEDEVAC helicopters to come broiling hot, windy, dusty, poo pond scented in and pick up the wounded Afghanistan and soon we’ll be dealing with freezing cold, windy, snow covered Afghanistan… yay. Standing the test of time and in true DUSTOFF fashion, we will plow through (no pun intended) whatever this landscape throws our way and keep doing what we do best: saving lives. We’ll be home soon and until then, thank you, thank you, a million times over—THANK YOU for all that you’ve done to keep things running smooth on the home front. You have done wonderfully with the task you’ve been dealt and we couldn’t ask for a more intelligent, amazing, and indestructible Household 6. We love you!
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. -Lao Tzu
Big Happenings in OCTOBER: Birthdays
October 2nd - CW3 Pat Morrow October 4th - SPC Aaron Halcomb October 10th - SSG Garrick Morgenweck October 13th - CW4 Dave Mozden October 15th - SPC Pat Wilson October 19th - SSG Nicholas Pearson October 27th - SPC Adam Robinson
Anniversaries October 18th - Jettadia & Tiffany Bush October 20th - Orlando & Irma Rodriguez
Until next time‌
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!! CW2 Matthew J. Grove DUSTOFF pilot and newsletter-writer-guy
You can never have too much eye protection...or fashion!
Brahmans Photos
Safe Trip Home Brahmans!
Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment Charlie Company Soldiers Run the Army 10 Miler In the early morning hours on October 2nd, C Company 1-171‘s Kandahar group ran the Army Ten-Miler. C Company is a National Guard unit composed of the three states-New Mexico, Arizona, and Minnesota (or jokingly called ―NAM‖). Although the unit conducts Medevac operations in RC-SW, there is always a small presence in Kandahar at Mustang Ramp to obtain aircraft parts and supplies from the battalion and perform aircraft maintenance that is not possible at other FOBs. In a perfect blend of the 3 states, all six individuals came together for the Army Ten-Miler run. They spent the months prior fitting in running whenever possible. SSG George took the early bus in to work to have time for her coffee and run. CW4 Otremba ran after work around the flight line when possible. CW2 Russell ran at the outer FOBs to burn off excess stress. On October 2nd, the group came together to cheer each other on throughout the race and to go the distance. When SSG Najar finished (and she wasn‘t last), she announced ―I‘ve never run that far in my life!‖
Pictured from left to right: Supply Sgt SSG Najar, Blackhawk Mechanic SGT Thevenet, Maintenance Test Pilot CW4 Otremba, S-1 SSG George, Pilot CW2 Russell, and LNO 1LT Vance
B CO 1-52 SUGARBEARS One of the latest things to pass the time is Fantasy Football and I would be lying if I said that the leagues are not in full swing. Soldiers came up with some interesting names for their teams. Some of the more interesting team names are the Poo Pond Pirates and the Who Dat Nation. Of course there would be no trash talking for any of these games. We recently bid farewell to our Australian brethren. They were sent off in style. There was a large cook-out complete with a roasted pig. We tried to introduce them to washers but they were not very interested in playing. During the going away speech their commander made some very insightful quotes. He informed us that we were the one with the accents, and that we would need a green card and visa to come to their side of the hangar. Everyone got a huge kick out of his comments. He did say that if we want to leave the Chinooks for them he would be more than glad to take them off our hands. Being around each other every day, you learn a lot of little things about one another. Like who is a morning person and who is not. 1SG and myself are members of the not a morning person club. You also learn some more interesting facts about people. For instance, PFC Yetman is scared to death of needles. No one realized this until he had to receive his flu shot. With a little duck tape and some ingenuity, SFC Sauer and SSG Potter finally convinced him to take his flu shot. There are several challenges that the different locations have came up with to occupy Soldiers time. At Wolverine they have a 101st perimeter run challenge. If you complete 101 runs around the perimeter you win a free shirt and an award. Keep in mind each run around the perimeter is about 4.2 miles. We have several Soldiers that are working their way to completing this challenge. TK is developing things for themselves. They have invented the cookie and ice cream diet. This caught on when one of the Pilots (name will remain classified) mentioned that he had lost 15lbs by following this diet. Needless to say, the diet has spread like wildfire. I am not totally convinced. We will see during this month’s Physical Fitness test!
B CO 1-52 SUGARBEARS
B CO 2-135 AVN
Greetings from the FNG‘s of Kandahar – the Mile High Muleskinners! The calendar days keep falling by the wayside and that is just fine by the Mile High Muleskinners! R&R season is in full swing and many Soldiers are happy to be able to enjoy some great Husker football games in Nebraska! The mission pace continues to keep everyone busy with either flying or fixing the mighty CH-47D. Another highlight this month was a visit from the Sergeant Major of the Army and the Sergeant Major of National Guard Bureau- who is also an avid Husker fan! As the weather continues to cool two of our Soldiers took it upon themselves to organize a winter coat drive for the children of Afghanistan. So far nearly 50 boxes of little kid coats, gloves, and hats have been delivered to our orderly room. Once organized, we will coordinate to get these distributed the best way possible. Thanks to all of those that have supported this effort! It was a busy month and apparently we were all too busy to take pictures, but we‘ll try and do better for next month‘s report! Thanks for all of your continued support!
CPT Wilhelm – ‗Skinner 6 ‘
1SG McBride – ‗Skinner 7