4-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion The Guns Attack Newsletter
V O LUME 3 , I SSUE 2
F EB 2014
Gun 6 Notes LTC Hank Perry
I N S I D E T HI S IS S UE :
Commander of 4-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, LTC Hank Perry
Guns Attack Team, February’s newsletter is full of outstanding events and achievements throughout our Battalion. January flew by as we trained hard and prepared Soldiers and equipment for bilateral partnership missions in the United Arab Emirates. CSM Hurst, CW4 Cosyns and I look forward to deploying Task Force Desert Talon (AH64Ds and UH-60s) to UAE for the partnered missions and overwater gunnery. We will share our UAE experiences in the next newsletter. Needless to say, a lot of time and effort has gone into preparing for the mission. Following UAE, we will send several Soldiers and helicopters to Saudi Arabia as part of Operations Iron Hawk III. Our pilots, crew chiefs and Soldiers are GUNS ATTACK ambassadors representing the Army and the United States throughout the region. Our Soldiers carry the right attitude and experience to execute this responsibility. Our Soldiers are disciplined and dedicated to making every mission successful—I expect nothing less through our re-deployment in April.
Continued on page 2
Bounty Hunters
5
Panthers
6
Diamondbacks
7
Snake Eyes
8
Unforgiven
9-10
Equalizers
11
Rear Detachment
12
SHARP
13
Chaplains Corner
14-16
Retention Corner
17
FRG Corner
18-19
Birthdays
20
GUNS Poster
21
GUN Store
22
Calendar
23
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Gun 6 Notes LTC Hank Perry We are at the point in our nine month deployment that we begin to plan our re-deployment to Fort Hood and our reintegration with loved ones. CSM Hurst and I will lay out the entire process in the next two successive newsletters as well as pass information through Rear-Detachment and the Company Family Readiness Groups (FRGs). Keep in mind that we will not post specific dates and times on Social Media, but will rely on phone calls and direct communication between FRG members. As the commander, I make a point to be a “broken record” on several key leadership areas and messages. From the beginning of our deployment I challenged Soldiers and Family members alike to remain vigilant on four areas of concern--: Mental Toughness, Spiritual Fitness, Physical Fitness, and Communication with Family. How are you doing? Please take a few minutes to evaluate how much or how little you are focusing on these areas. Make communication and fitness (spiritual, physical, and mental) part of your day—every day. Our Battalion Rear-Detachment OIC and NCOIC (CW2 Hughes and SFC Velazquez) are doing a great job working closely with our FRG volunteers and coordinating with COL Mendenhall and CSM Amagliani at Fort Hood. We wish Bravo Company and 3-227th AHB a safe and successful mission at NTC in February. For the remaining months of our deployment, I encourage everyone to STAY FOCUSSED, STAY ENGAGED, and FINISH STRONG! Enjoy this month’s edition of the Guns Attack Newsletter! The companies are doing a great job sharing information about our Soldiers and showcasing their efforts while deployed to Operation Enduring FreedomKuwait. Thanks to our Families for all they do in support of our Army, their Soldier, and this Battalion! As always, it is an honor to serve as your commander. Take an active role in making the Army and this unit better every day!
GUNS ATTACK! LTC Hank Perry
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V O LUME 3 , I SSUE 2
Gun 9 Notes CSM Zach Hurst
Command Sergeant Major of 4-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, CSM Zach Hurst
GUNS!! Another month has quickly gone by and the Guns Team has spent the month bringing in the New Year preparing for our bilateral partnership mission, Desert Talon II in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Soldiers from the GSAB, 42nd CAB and Guns Attack have been busy coordinating, loading containers, prepping ground support equipment, vehicles and aircraft to be transported for our upcoming training exercise. Every Soldier in the Task Force will be ambassadors…from our FARP Soldiers to our Aviators—all should be proud to represent the partnership between the United States and UAE. Congratulation to the following Soldiers and NCOs on their promotion effective 1 February: SFC Parsons, SFC Moore, SSG Marks, SSG Lankford, SGT Reed and SGT Fowler, great job and well deserved. Continue to stay mentally and physically tough, CW2 Hughes and SFC Velazquez are both doing an outstanding job in the rear; don’t hesitate to call either of them, if you need anything.
“GUNS ATTACK!”
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Gun 10 Notes CW4 Sebastien Cosyns
Battalion Senior Warrant Officer of 4-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, CW4 Sebastien Cosyns
2014 has gotten off to a good start for the GUNS Team. We are rapidly approaching February marking the beginning of Desert Talon II; a Field Training Exercise hosted in the United Arab Emirates, between elements of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade and the UAE’s Joint Aviation Command in order to strengthen the US and UAE partnership. Each and every one of us should be proud to represent our nation, our ARMY and our unit. Whether or not we realize it, we are all ambassadors. Seek out and share the knowledge that has been learned over the years with our Emirati counterparts. Fuelers to fuelers, maintainers to maintainers, aviators to aviators…every Soldier within the Task Force has an important part in this exercise. The end state is to walk away a better unit, having made new friends and strengthened the partnership between us by having learned how to work and fly side by side. There will be hurtles along the way, but all will be efficiently and safely solved in order to accomplish the mission. Not an easy feat, but we will succeed! Congratulations to SFC Nelson from C Co for being selected to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School and continuing on to become an aviator. A new world has just opened up for you and you will do great! CW3 Pfeifer, also from C Co, is our latest addition to the Senior Warrant Officer community. Another round of applause for your promotion to CW3. You have done great things for the unit and I have no doubt you will continue to excel and challenge yourself to bigger tasks and will succeed.
“GUNS ATTACK!”
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HHC
V O LUME 3 , I SSUE 2
Bounty Hunters
Commander: CPT David Lorange First Sergeant: 1SG Bryan Oser Bounty Hunters Family, Another month has passed with the Bounty Hunters continuing to train and execute missions here in the Middle East. January has gone by quickly, with the Soldiers preparing for a major training exercise and continuing training in Kuwait. We have been quite busy supporting the GUNS ATTACK Battalion as well as working with our new higher headquarters, the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade. As you can tell from the photos, the Bounty Hunters were able to celebrate New Years Eve by visiting the range and shooting our primary weapons. The weather was excellent, and all personnel who attended the range managed to successfully complete their required tasks before our mandated cutoff time. After completing the range, personnel turned in weapons and enjoyed their day off. Since the beginning of the year, the Bounty Hunters Soldiers have been working towards setting conditions to send the Battalion forward to participate in an exercise with our Middle Eastern partners. This has included conducting Joint Air Attack Teaming with the Air Force, conducting our Final Planning Conference with our partners, and of course packing containers so that we have everything we need while on this operation. Our aviators have also been out flying over the Arabian Gulf becoming more proficient with their overwater attack capabilities and integrating unmanned aerial surveillance systems into our fighting capabilities. We also had some of our replacements from 3-159th come out to conduct overwater flights in preparation for their arrival. This month, we had the privilege to promote our legal clerk, SPC Wilkins, to Sergeant, which was well deserved. We continue to count the days until our arrival back to Fort Hood. We are finalizing our FRG Contact rosters to ensure we have the correct contacts in order to inform you of our arrival, so remind your Soldier of any changes in emails or phone numbers. Thank you for your support, and I will talk to you again next month.
“BOUNTY HUNTERS!�
P AGE 6
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A CO
Panthers
Commander: CPT Andrew Schwilk First Sergeant: 1SG Kenneth Witmer Family and Friends of the Panthers, The pace has resumed and the excitement of what the year will bring has been on everyone’s lips: bilateral partnership missions in the United Arab Emirates, followed by Saudi Arabia, transfer of authority to our replacing unit, redeployment and reuniting with Families; and that is just the first half of the year. During the excitement I’d like to take the opportunity to express the importance of the upcoming partnership mission in UAE. The pilots and crew chiefs who are participating will be Panthers flying into the FARP. ambassadors of the unit, the Army and most importantly for the United States. I know the manner, words and actions of this Company will reflect the greatest traditions of American culture and strengthen the strategic alliance with partnered forces. The stakes are high, but CW2 Belle conducts a post flight I am confident in our team to meet the challenge. after completing his flight. Aside from preparation for bilateral partnership, there has been outstanding work this month maintaining our fleet, and executing the joint air attack mission. Alpha Company had an outstanding 88% operational readiness rate over the last period while conducting the dust landings and overwater flight. We also participated this month in another Joint Air Attack Team (JAAT) with Kuwait Air Force F-18s, Air Force MQ-1 Predators and JTACs, US Army Field Artillery, and USMC F-18s. A JAAT like this might have been the training highlight of the year at Fort Hood. The company has built the proficiency to accomplish the extraordinary as though it were routine. I would like to take this opportunity and congratulate SPC Jarred and his wife on the birth of their first child, William Douglas Jarred, II born on SGT Kim being promoted to Sergeant. the 19th of January. SPC Jarred celebrated by going to the vehicle rollover Congrats. trainer and getting turned upside down a few times. Congratulations again! Another congratulations is in order for SGT Kim. He was promoted on 01 JAN 14. 1SG Witmer and I are extremely proud of the way Alpha Company has persecuted its mission, and the outstanding support of the friends and Family of these great Soldiers. -CPT Andrew Schwilk “PANTHER 06”
“PANTHERS!”
1LT Baker reenlists SPC Perez on the flight line at Camp Buehring.
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B Co
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Diamondbacks
Commander: CPT Travis Clonch First Sergeant: 1SG Bobby Lucas Diamondbacks Families and Friends, All of us would like to thank our brothers and sisters in arms over in Kuwait for their continued hard work in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Kuwait, especially having to spend time away from their Families over the Holidays. We kicked off 2014 by promoting SSG (P) Haines to SFC Haines. His hard work and dedication as a Diamondbacks Platoon Sergeant was recognized as his wife Dana pinned him at the promotion ceremony. With 2014 kicking off, Diamondbacks started to charge ahead in preparation for the National Training Center (NTC) exercise in February. Our primary focus was on aircraft maintenance and progressions for company and staff aviators in the Brigade. On top of the numerous pilots’ briefs in preparation for NTC, Diamondback aviators had week long training on the MUM-T system by the company that designed it. It was a good refresher for some and a first time experience for many new aviators on the capabilities of the MUM-T system and the vital role it may play in the battlefield in support of both air and ground forces. Diamondback aviators continued to hone their skills in deliberate operations by conducting a screening mission in the AVCATT simulator. Our AWTs learned to conduct area reconnaissance and engaged enemy armored vehicles in the area of operations. We also provided support for the Sabre Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment. We were able to utilize the MUM-T system and integrate with UAS and ground artillery to search and destroy enemy armored targets. Lastly, we continued our support in the community by sending our Soldiers to the annual blood drive at Trimmier Elementary School. Our Soldiers helped the setup and the teardown of the event while manning the blood drive stations for the registration process. PFC Portillo suited up as the blood drive mascot to provide entertainment for the Families who showed up to support the blood drive.
“DIAMONDBACKS!”
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C CO
P AGE 8
Snake Eyes
Commander: CPT Kyle Rogers First Sergeant: 1SG Joseph Mungin fSnake Eyes Family and Friends, After enjoying some downtime during the holiday season, Charlie Company is back at full speed conducting training and partnership missions. This month we executed a week-long gunnery in which crews were able to perform dust landings and joint air attack team exercises with Air Force and artillery units. We have also continued to conduct our overwater missions with the Navy and hope to be able to get more crews deck landing qualified next month. Charlie Company has also been doing integrated training with the Air Force assets here on Ali Al Salem every week and we have CPT Rogers braces himself for a mouth established great working relationships between our services. full of delicious lamb brains.
Throughout the month we have been meeting with our Kuwaiti partners to strengthen our relationships and plan for future training missions. The Kuwaitis invited us to their coalition BBQ where several Snake Eyes Soldiers got to participate in everything from camel rides to hawk demonstrations. Snake Eyes crews conduct gunnery during the Joint Air CPT Rogers even took part in a Attack Team Exercise. traditional Kuwaiti dinner, where he tried some lamb brain. With over half of the deployment down and less than three months left, Charlie Company is continuing to push forward to finish the deployment strong. All the Snake Eyes Soldiers are looking forward to seeing their Family and friends again in just a few months.
SGT Cochran poses for a new Facebook profile picture with a Kuwaiti falcon.
A special congratulations to SGT Cochran, SFC Nelson and CW3 Pfeifer who were all promoted on the 1st of January!
“SNAKE EYES!�
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D Co
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Unforgiven
Commander: CPT Greg Sterley First Sergeant: 1SG Joseph Corr Unforgiven Family and Friends, The holidays now seem like a distant memory. Time sure is flying by with the company being extremely busy with preparations to support Operation Desert Talon II with our partners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Myself and 1SG Corr will be leading a contingent of 26 D Co Soldiers on the mission. The rest of the formation will remain at Camp Buehring under the command of 1LT Payne. Communications on the exercise should not be an issue. All the stops along the way have internet access, but please be prepared if we are unable to call home. Y our loves ones will be well taken care of. The living conditions, food and gym are all above standard and will serve as a nice change of pace for the Soldiers attending. We also just completed our second field training exercise this month. The Unforgiven Team was tasked with establishing a tactical command post, night vision goggles drivers training, a Jump FARP and weapons qualifications on 4 different weapons systems. Every platoon and section participated in the event and our NCOs and Soldiers performed with distinction. Our training plan for this deployment is winding down. This last field exercise was our last major company event on the calendar. We will soon shift towards preparation for redeployment and reintegration. Music to all our ears!
The Unforgiven Team conducting ranges for the M9, M4, M249 and M2.
Last newsletter I brought up one of LTC Perry’s “big 4” items for the deployment; Unforgiven Soldiers setup their tent during our Field Training Exercise nurturing of the family. This month and for the 12-15 JAN 2014. next two months I will focus on the rest. As we plan for reintegration with all of you, it is important for us to ensure our physical fitness has increased since our departure from Fort Hood. Simply put, most of us will be planning on taking block leave where physical fitness may or may not be of huge concern to some. We will ensure that our fitness is at its peak when we depart here so that we are able to endure a block leave period with little to no exercise. 100% of the company will take a record APFT beginning 1 APR. This PT test will cover us until October 14, leaving plenty of time to endure the block leave period and to recover. I challenged the company to a goal of an average of 260 points. I know our Soldiers will do their absolute best to attain that goal.
Continued on page 10
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D Co
P AGE 10
Unforgiven
Our FRG is all recovered from the much needed holiday break. We are now planning for a Family day at Boulders in Harker Heights. Look for that event sometime in March. We are also beginning to plan for a homecoming party. Ideas are needed and the Battalion is leaning towards a social event at hanger. Our company mascot, SGT Barry, will be sending out his sixth letter to the Unforgiven children at the end of the month. He has been hard at work with the Headquarters Platoon. Please inquire with my wife & FRG Leader, Jessica, or your key caller to have your child added to SGT Barry’s mailing list if they are not on there. Thank you all for your sacrifice and unwavering patience. Three more newsletters to go and we will once again be reunited.
Sincerely, CPT Greg Sterley Unforgiven 06
Jump FARP Operations.
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E CO
V O LUME 3 , I SSUE 2
Equalizers
Commander: CPT Omar Villafane First Sergeant: 1SG Jose Ventura Equalizers Families and Friends, Greetings again from your E Co Equalizers! This month the Soldiers of Echo FSC have been busy preparing for our BN partnership exercise in UAE while also keeping with the FSC Commanders’ “Train Hard and Be Tactical” philosophy. Your Soldiers took another trip to the range this month for our M249 SAW, and M320 ranges. This month was also big for “Partnership” as the FSC supported JAAT operations as well as convoy support for a C Co/ Kuwaiti escort training exercise. Our Maintainers and DISTRO Soldiers have been hard at work preparing equipment to move to port for our BN exercise. Our Soldiers played a big part in the equipment staging and movement to the port ensuring that the BN is ready to train. The Equalizer Basketball team has taken its talents to the big leagues participating in the Post B-Ball tournament. Our E Co “HOOD STARS” are crashing the bracket with a 5-1 record winning their last two games 63-11 and 48-12. Our guys are poised to make a serious run at the post title. Congratulations to SGT McNeil (PLL Section SGT) , SGT Young (Fuel section Team Leader), SGT Roth (MAINT Team Chief) , and SPC Gabriel (PLL clerk) for gaining their promotable status at this months’ promotion board. We are extremely proud of these Soldiers and can’t wait to tell you about their promotion ceremonies. Speaking of Ceremonies, PFC Palmer and Nguyen were both promoted to the Rank of Specialist, and SPC Bryant and PFC Maria both Reenlisted choosing to continue serving this great nation. Our FRG continues to run forward with its events, “Battalion Walk to and From Kuwait,” which encourages all spouses to log all miles walked, ran, and/or biked over the entire deployment time frame. The event promotes health and fitness but focuses primarily on morale support to all deployed service members in the unit. The participants have logged over 1650 miles towards our overall goal of 7600 miles, which is the distance between Fort Hood and Kuwait. Again, I’d like to thank all of the Spouses, family members, and Equalizers supporters who are participating in this event and I welcome everyone else to join in on the fun. Without you all we couldn’t do what we do. If interested in participating please contact our FRG leader Mrs. Mandi Pfeil at Mandi.pfeil@gmail.com or myself at omar.villafane.mil@mail.mil.
“EQUALIZERS!”
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P AGE 12
Rear Detachment Commander: CW2 Michael Hughes First Sergeant: SFC Luis Velazquez Guns Team, We are now in the new year and with it brings the anticipation of redeployment as the unit continues operations while shifting focus towards planning for the return. The Rear Detachment and the FRSA have begun our preparations to ensure it will be a smooth transition back to garrison. The month of January has brought the Rear Detachment a new addition to the team. Kaylen Aaliyah Nealy was born on 6 Jan 2014 at 1251 to PFC Ferica Nealy. She weighed in at 7lbs 11oz. and was 20.6 inches. PFC Nealy holds a crucial position for the detachment as the S1 Clerk. Additionally, on 16 January, 4-227th ARB and Trimmier 4-227th ARB Rear Detachment and Bravo Company Elementary hosted the 3rd Annual Blood Drive in Killeen. The Command Teams. Rear Detachment and Bravo Company teamed up once again to support this life giving event. To help bring in the New Year, 1 ACB hosted a New Years Reception on 25 January to meet command teams and their spouses. This was a great opportunity for the 1 ACB leadership to foster teamwork within the brigade. It also allowed spouses to connect and meet with the brigade leadership. I believe this will be a great year, especially with the return of our team on the horizon. On behalf of the Rear Detachment, I would like to wish everyone a successful and safe 2014. 4-227th ARB Command Team Spouses.
“GUNS!� PFC Nealy with her baby girl Kaylen Aaliyah born on 6 Jan 2014.
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Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention BN SHARP: SFC LaCresha Riddle BN SHARP ALT: VACANT Guns Attack Family, Starting in March there will be a pilot course for a Sharp Schoolhouse. The class will include the current 80 hour Sharp certification course, instructions to develop leadership, negotiation, presentation and communication skills. There will also be instructions from US Army Criminal Investigation Command, Office of the Judge Advocate General, and Office of the Surgeon General. Having the opportunity to attend this class will provide comprehensive tools for Sharp professionals to use in the performance of their critical duties. The class is an 8 week course that will be available to full- time Sharps and SARCs.
TITLE
RANK FIRST
LAST
LOCATION
4-227 BN SHARP PRI
SFC
LaCresha
Riddle
Camp Buehring lacresha.c.riddle.mil@mail.mil
HHC SHARP PRI
SSG
Yavel
Pereiradiez
Camp Buehring yavel.pereiradiez.mil@mail.mil
HHC SHARP ALT
1LT
Jeremy
Adams
Camp Buehring Jeremy.m.adams.mil@mail.mil
A Co SHARP PRI
1LT
Ward
Baker
Camp Buehring Ward.e.baker.mil@mail.mil
B Co SHARP PRI
CW2
James
Alteffer
Fort Hood
james.altaffer1@us.army.mil
B Co SHARP ALT
SSG
Joseph
Smith
Fort Hood
Joseph.r.smith167.mil@mail.mil
C Co SHARP PRI
CW2
Gregory
Kilpatrick
Ali Al Salem
gregory.a.kilpatrick.mil@mail.mil
C Co SHARP ALT
SSG
Derek
Nelson
Ali Al Salem
Derek.a.nelson14.mil@mail.mil
SSG
Eric
Moore
Camp Buehring eric.c.moore.mil@mail.mil
BN SHARP ALT
A Co SHARP ALT
D Co SHARP PRI D Co SHARP ALT E Co SHARP PRI E Co SHARP ALT
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P AGE 14
Chaplains Corner Chaplain: CPT Robert Caruso Chaplains Assistant: PVT Dezmon Worth
Spiritual Mindfulness of Loneliness, Relationship, and Love
True love does not worry about the distance between, for the heart and soul travels through one’s words. ~Anonymous Dear Friends, Happy Valentine’s Day! February is typically known as the month of love and relationships, so I thought I would dedicate this article to the concept of “true love.” Deployment can cause a person to feel isolated; partners in relationship can grow distant from each other, conflict and dissatisfaction occurs because both sides no longer feel the loving security and closeness of the other. Skype and other means of face-to-face communication become two-dimensional and artificial, which sometimes bring more aggravation and conflict instead of intimate closeness and security between two lovers. Deployment can challenge even the most stable of relationships! We can prepare for deployment, but enduring the deployment inevitably puts stress on all relationships. That is to say, nobody is impervious to the negative feelings of isolation and loneliness that is unique to the deployment experience. That is why I stress in my counseling with married Soldiers to be gentle with their spouse back home. In turn, I invite spouses to do the same with their Soldiers. Our needs for feeling love and intimacy is not so much about what the other can do for us, but what we can do for the other. Indeed, marriage is at its core a mutual selfless giving of one to the other. Each person seeks to meet the needs of the other in a sensuous dance of giving and receiving love. There is a wholeness that is formed in a relationship of selflessness because each gives to the other love, intimate security, and trust. This can only occur when each person values not only the other, but also one’s self—genuine love of the other can only occur if one already has the self-esteem and love for one’s self, and this comes from within. Selfless love of the other is not a dependency but a gift. Meaning, one does not depend on the other for one’s self-worth and value; rather, it is one’s inner self-worth and value that gifts love to the other selflessly and lavishly. I found the article below by Ben Neal posted on Facebook. I resonated with his direct approach and realism about the spirituality of relationships and “true love.” Neal’s message, I believe, indirectly speaks to the unique feelings and experiences Soldiers and spouses go through relationally during a deployment. I invite you to read the article, and hope that it helps your love grow stronger as we move closer to coming home. Peace, CH Caruso
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The Truth About “True Love.” By Ben Neal Do you believe in love? I’m talking about that deep down, life changing, earth shaking, always-and-forever kind of love—the stuff of poetry and legend. Many people are skeptical, and for good reason. Today’s culture isn’t very fertile ground for romance. With social media, text messaging and online dating, we’ve revolutionized communication but we’ve lost the art of relationship. There are very few success stories. (Sometimes it seems like there are very few people having real, face-to-face conversations anymore!) But I believe. Scratch that. I know. True love is real—deep, unconditional, lasting love. The reason it is so rare is because it is so misunderstood. Most people’s idea of “true love” looks something like this: Mr. or Mrs. Right is waiting out there somewhere, “the One” they are destined to be with. And that special someone is looking for them too, and it’s only a matter of time before they meet each other—and of course, they’ll both live happily ever after. Hogwash! Happily ever after doesn’t exist. And God didn’t hand pick one special person just for you. In fact, the whole idea of finding fulfillment in someone else is an illusion. The truth is, love can only be found within. Most people who are looking for love “out there” are actually just running away from loneliness. They constantly settle for less than what they want, and less than what they deserve, because their greatest fear is to be alone, grow old alone and die alone. The fear of loneliness prevents us from experiencing real intimacy. True love lies beyond that fear. We have to face what Louis C.K. call the “forever empty,” the unquenchable sadness deep within us; the ever present knowledge of our own mortality, that in the end we all face death all alone. The truth is that real love requires real inner work that most people just aren’t interested in. It requires that we first be happy in our solitude; that we come to know ourselves, accept ourselves and love ourselves. We have to find our peace of mind, find our purpose, our passion, our joie de vivre. It requires that we lay down the ego’s defenses and be naked and vulnerable; that we give up our planning and fantasizing about the future and live in the Now. Only then are we really ready to love. When you fully grasp that tomorrow is not guaranteed—that this moment is truly all that we have—there is nothing to do but give everything you’ve got, expecting nothing in return. In fact, you know in advance that your heart will be broken. You will be lied to, you will be taken for granted; you will be hurt and disappointed. Sooner or later, between here and your deathbed, you will have to say goodbye. You know it, you accept it, and you love anyway. Continued on page 16
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Chaplains Corner Real love is divine. It comes from a relationship with God, a dance with emptiness which takes us beyond the human self, beyond the ego’s petty games to know a timeless love; to taste the fullness of joy. W H AT W E C A L L “ TR U E L O V E” I S TH AT R A R E A N D S A C RE D U N IO N TH A T H AP P E NS W H E N TW O P EO P L E JO I N IN T H I S D A N CE TO G E T H E R . It is a friendship, a love affair and an act of worship. Passion, lust, affection, caring, trust, respect and devotion all become part of an exquisite surrender. Lovers merge with each other and with the vast, wild universe. Neither knows for sure if it will last a weekend or a lifetime. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is this moment of oneness—holy and beautiful. It contains eternity.
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Retention Corner GUNS, As battalion operations continue Soldiers are still taking advantage of the wide range of reenlistment opportunities as they become available. We broke in 2014 by reenlisting four Soldiers for a variety of reenlistment options. No matter the reenlistment incentives they all decided to remain with the Army and continue their great service to the nation. Starting 1 February 2014 the deployment bonus in Kuwait will be reduced and the Army will begin making changes to current retention policies. No matter the changes the command always wants to thank the Families for supporting your Soldier and being part of the team. Please visit our Facebook page to view more reenlistment pictures. -SSG LeFaire
“STAY GUNS�
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FRG Corner Coming Home
Very soon, Guns Attack will be returning from deployment, mission accomplished! The Soldiers will have received several briefings in theater in preparation for their return to Family and friends. The Rear Detachment will conduct briefings for Family members at Fort Hood, to ease the re-union process. These briefing will take place in late March. There will be several dates/times to choose from, allowing participants to attend a session suitable to their schedule. Child care will be available to those children enrolled in CYSS. If you are not enrolled, now is the perfect time to do so. Registration can be accomplished at Parent Central Services at Bldg 121, 761st Tank Battalion Avenue. The phone number is 254-287-8029. Operating hours are Mon-Tues, Thurs-Fri 7:30 am – 4:40 pm and Wed, 7:30 am – 3:30 pm. Briefing dates, times, and locations will be announced at a later date.
All stateside Tricare Service Centers will close on 1 April. All Tricare enrollments and information will be done on the web. Enroll at www.tricare.mil/callus. For Tricare Prime, use www.tricare.mil/enrollment
ACS Calendar of Events http://hoodmwr.com/acs/iro_calendar.html
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FRG Corner FAMILY READINESS SUPPORT ASSISTANT Charles Lyons (4-227 ARB) Charles.lyons2.civ@mail.mil Office: 254-553-7486 Cell: 254-290-0730 Bldg 87016 Rose Bud
MILITARY FAMILY LIFE CONSULTANT Eddie Rayford Cell:254-317-3517 Bldg 87016 Rose Bud
FORT HOOD MWR TIME Would you like Fort Hood Family and MWR information, news, events, facilities, maps, publications, programs, services, social media and more, designed for access on your mobile device? Well, we have a free app for that! Search "Fort Hood MWR Time" in Apple’s App Store or iTunes to download this great resource right to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. iTunes.com/Apps/FortHoodMWRTIME
FAMILY READINESS GROUP CONTACTS As always, continue to stay engaged with your company FRG Leaders on upcoming events and useful resources with the Battalion and local area. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, do not hesitate to contact your company FRG Leader or our Battalion Senior Advisor, Mrs. Julia Perry at mrsjuju11@earthlink.net TITLE
FIRST
LAST
SPOUSE
CELL
4-227th ARB BN SENIOR ADVISOR
Julia
Perry
LTC Perry
254-319-2448
mrsjuju11@earthlink.net
HHC
Amber
Goodwin
1LT Goodwin
864-328-6345
amkgoodwin@gmail.com
A COMPANY
Ashton
West
SPC Benjamin
817-791-0872
aco.4227.frg@gmail.com
B COMPANY
Kim
Clonch
CPT Clonch
615-481-4689
ktclonch@gmail.com
C COMPANY
Barbara
Wade
CW2 Wade
706-593-7862
bullardwade@hotmail.com
D COMPANY
Jessica
Sterley
CPT Sterley
716-830-1070
Unforgiven.frg@gmail.com
E COMPANY
Amanda
Pfeil
SPC Pfeil
901-277-1608
Mandi.pfeil@gmail.com
4 -227 T H A T T AC K RE CON N AISS ANCE B AT T A LION
P AGE 20
4-227th ARB February Birthdays RANK
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
BIRTHDAY
SFC
HINES
JOHNATHON
2 FEB
SPC
OATIS
NEHEMIAH
2 FEB
SPC
OUK
DARA
2 FEB
CW4
LEIPOLD
MICHAEL
4 FEB
SGT
NOYOLA
DAVID
5 FEB
PFC
VOELCKER
JASON
7 FEB
CPT
JAZMIN
CESAR
8 FEB
SGT
STADELMAIER
RYAN
8 FEB
1LT
KIM
TYLER
9 FEB
SPC
MITCHELL
JEFFREY
12 FEB
PFC
ODEL
JORDAN
12 FEB
SPC
WILLIS
JAMES
13 FEB
SGT
DANIELS
DUSTIN
14 FEB
MAJ
MILLER
MARY
15 FEB
SPC
BRYANT
WILLIE
16 FEB
PFC
AGLA
KOSSI
16 FEB
PFC
COGDELL
JONATHAN
16 FEB
SPC
HENDRICKSON
LANDEROS
17 FEB
CW2
CHESWORTH
JEFFREY
18 FEB
CW2
GROVENSTEIN
WHITNEY
19 FEB
SGT
OGDEN
CASEY
19 FEB
CW2
STUEBBE
ANDREW
20 FEB
SPC
RODRIGUEZMARTINEZ
MANUEL
20 FEB
SPC
ABIRASNIETTELOUIS
CARLOS
22 FEB
CPT
STERLEY
GREGORY
25 FEB
SGT
YOUNG
SNEZHANA
25 FEB
SGT
WILSON
KEVIN
26 FEB
CPT
VILLAFANE
OMAR
28 FEB
PV2
CRESPO
EMMALY
28 FEB
4 -227 T H A T T AC K RE CON N AISS ANCE B AT T A LION
V O LUME 3 , I SSUE 2
GUNS Poster
4-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion “Operation Enduring Freedom-Kuwait 13-14”
4 -227 T H A T T AC K RE CON N AISS ANCE B AT T A LION
P AGE 22
The Gun Store is still accepting orders! Stickers, Velcro patches, youth sizes, and supersizes are also available. Guns Attack!!!
30
23 25 24
16 18 17
Gem and Jewelry Show (Austin, TX)
President’s Day
Veterans’ Day
119 10
Garland Labor Day Event (Garland, TX)
Labor Day
342
Community Services – Blue Community Events – Blue FRG Information – Yellow FRG Information – Yellow Army Exercises – Red Holidays – Orange Miscellaneous – Orange Army happenings - Green Army happenings - Green
January October August 27 26 28
Monday
17 19 18
10 12 11
Comal County Fair (New Braunfels, TX)
453
27 29 28
24 26 25
Texas Oklahoma Fair (Wichita Falls, TX)
Kid Care Fair (Alan, TX)
Tuesday
18 20 19
11 13 12
564
28 30 29
Titus County Fair (Mount Pleasant, TX)
25 27 26
Healing Hands forAffair Arthritis A Christmas (Dallas,Texas) TX) (Austin,
Wednesday
19 21 20
12 14 13
Autumn Fest Canton Trade Days (Little Elm, TX) (Canton, Texas) Thanksgiving Day
26 28 27
Houston Fine Art Fair Fairfield Market Days (Houston, TX) (Fairfield, Texas)
Grape Fest The Precast Show (Grapevine, TX) (Houston, Texas)
ND
897
21 23 22
Pecan Street Fall Festival (Austin, TX) Austin Holiday City-Wide Garage Sale (Austin, Texas)
Austin Spring Home Seguin Trade Daysand Hanukkah Garden (Seguin,Show TX) (Austin, Holiday Texas) Training
Gruene Fall Market Days Bastrop SamiExpo Show DFWBraunfels, Family (New TX) (Bastrop, Texas) (Dallas, Texas) Houston Hot Sauce Festival (Stafford, TX)
March30 281
Salado Christmas Stroll (Salado, Texas)
15 17 16
Reflections of Texas Abilene Bridal and Art Show Quinceanera Showcase (Luling,Texas) TX) (Abilene,
1098
Blue Moon Expo Psychic Fair (Dallas, TX)
December2921
Troy Winter Farmers Market (Troy, Texas)
22 24 23
Christmas Merry Hearts andFestival Crafts Kolache Dallas Fall Cedars Sunday AustinShopapalooza ChocolateTX) Festival Marketplace (Caldwell, (Dallas,Arts TX) and (Austin, Texas) Crafts Show (Mart, Texas) Georgetown Fall Market (Giddings, Texas) Days New Braunfels Market Days (Georgetown, TX) Fhosc Holiday Bazaar (New Braunfels, Texas) (Killeen, Texas)
27 29 28
SchertzHome Fest and San Antonio (Schertz, TX) Garden Show (San Antonio, Texas)
20 22 21
International Accordion Training Holiday Fredericksburg November Festival Trade Days (San Antonio, TX) Valentines Day (Fredericksburg, Texas) Jewelry and Bead show Fredericksburg Spring Brazos Valley Worldfest (Live Oak, TX) Trade Days (College Station, Texas) (Fredericksburg, Texas)
September 231
Sunday
Bazzar Vendor Market RockNight Holiday UFCRound 169 Fight Watch How Super Bowl XLVIII Watch Austin Bridal Expo (Gainesville, TX) Market PartyDay Party (Austin, Texas) (Round Rock,Texas) Texas) (Fort Hood, (Fort Hood, Texas) Salado Holiday Market AsianDays Festival (San Anotnio, Texas) (Salado, Texas)
February3112
Saturday
BellAnnual County City-Wide 22 Country Dallas HomeHill and Garden SaleSale DollGarage Show and Show Texas) (New(Belton, Braunfels, Texas) (Dallas, TX) Georgetown Holiday Fall Market Day Sherwood Forest Market Days Faire (Marble Falls, TX) (Austin, Texas) (Georgetown, Texas) Veterans Day 5K Run/Walk (FT. Hood) 13 15 14 14 16 15
Collin County Home and Austin Marketplace Training Holiday Garden (Austin,Show TX) (Allen,Summer Texas) Arts Lakewood Fun Fun Fun Fest Faire (Austin, Texas) (Dallas, TX)
Brazos Ballet ValleyNutcracker Fair and Houston Hood Howdy Expo Market (Fort Hood, Texas) (Bryan, Texas) TX) (Houston, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo (San Antonio, Texas)
Fall Marketplace Austin (Austin, Texas)
Christmas Magic (Wichita, Texas)
All Saints Day
November31 301
786
29 31 30
Friday
675
Thursday
September November February 14 13 13
4 -227 T H A T T AC K RE CON N AISS ANCE B AT T A LION V O LUME 3 , I SSUE 2