were in preparation for a nine

day platoon level operational

training set consisting of site

security, screening operations,

and platoon attack. Each of the

platoon leaders and platoon

sergeants were responsible to

work with MPRI to teach their

Soldiers the basics of what it

takes to operate as a mecha-

nized infantry platoon. The

training as a whole has been a

tough learning adventure em-

braced by the Company. ARES

Company is widely known for

its willingness to embrace chal-

lenges and overcome obstacles

and this TCF training was no

exception. The Company is

now preparing to reset to con-

tinue to support the Battalion

convoy escort mission.

Alpha Company TF 3-197

(ARES Co.) is nearing comple-

tion of specialized training as a

Tactical Combat Force (TCF).

Upon completion ARES will be

the first Company in the Task

Force to be trained in one of

the many potential mission

sets directed by the 1st TSC

and the 197th Fires Brigade.

ARES Company started the

training with a weeklong infan-

try based training set getting

its leaders prepared to teach

their squad and platoon mem-

bers how to shoot, move, and

communicate as a cohesive

team with little to no infantry

experience as a whole. The

training consisted of advance

rifle marksmanship, close quar-

ter combat, and team and

squad level movement. This

training package designed by 3-

197 BN and L-3 MPRI was

well received by all of the

ARES soldiers. Week two

was focused on the ARES

leaders training their Soldiers

on the same tasks. The train

the trainer concept empow-

ered the squad and team level

leaders to build stronger rela-

tionships with their Soldiers

while learning all of their

team’s strengths and weak-

nesses. The first two weeks

The beautiful Kuwaiti desert

Sharpening The Tip of the Spear BY: CPT Christopher Thompson

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

B Co

Checks In

2

HHC

supports the BN

2

D Co

“So far so good”

3

C Co

Chimes In

3

Guard

Families

4

TF 3-197 Promotes

50 Soldiers

5

MWR Kicks off

2011 concerts

6

TF 3-197 NEWSLETTER J A N 2 0 1 1 I S S U E 2

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

Commanders talk

about their units

A Co conducts a

new type of train-

ing

MWR kicks off

2011 USO con-

certs

Left: Soldiers from

2nd platoon ARES

Co. move through

one of the TCF

lanes .

Right: ARES Co.

prepares for move-

ment at the armor

of God.

P A G E 2

B Co TF 3-197 at FT

McCoy WI

HHC Supports the Battalion BY: CPT Heath Huffman

Bravo Co Checks In BY: CPT Michael Butler

Hello fellow friends and

Family of Bravo Company.

I’d like to take this opportu-

nity to discuss what makes

Bravo Company unique.

First the baseline. Bravo

Company is composed of

Rhode Island and New

Hampshire Army National

Guard soldiers. We have

soldiers from Alpha, Bravo

and Charlie BTRY, 1-103rd

FA, RI ARNG, 1207th FSC,

RI ARNG, C BTRY 3-197th

FA (First to Fire), B BTRY

3-197th FA, and HHC 3-

197th FA, all NH ARNG.

Digging one level further,

we actually have Soldiers

coming from all New Eng-

land states except VT. This

gives Bravo Company a unique

opportunity to share experi-

ences with Soldiers from differ-

ent regions, history and life-

styles. Many of us will create

bonds and friendships that will

extend across multiple state

lines.

Bravo Company Soldiers are

settling in very well at Camp

Buehring. Many are taking ad-

vantage of the educational ser-

vices here as well as some

online courses. There’s a nice

gym that many of our Soldiers

are taking full advantage of and

getting into shape, maintaining

their physique or further condi-

tioning themselves. A typical

day runs from 1300hrs to 0100

hrs and consists of various du-

ties from maintenance of equip-

ment to attending training. The

Chow Hall serves four meals a

day and some Soldiers choose

to take advantage of an occa-

sional Subway Sub or a Star-

bucks Coffee. Most Soldiers

have easy access to internet and

there are plenty of phones to

call home with. The PX has all

the essentials and rarely runs

low of supplies. All in all, this

is a pretty good place to live.

It’s an honor to have the oppor-

tunity to serve with the men and

women of B Co, and together

we are doing great things.

KNIGHT RIDERS!!!

works on and the intelligence

the S2 section is scrubbing for,

but no matter the mission, the

troops need financial support

(S1), Medical, Chaplain, etc, so

our job is to be here for your

troops no matter what mission

or issues arise. All of the sec-

tions within HHC are busy and

providing excellent support to

the 3rd Battalion units and

troops.

Above and beyond their regu-

larly scheduled duties, Soldiers

are participating in training that

will enhance themselves and

their careers. At any given time

we have troops going through

Combat Life Saver medic train-

ing, Warrior Leader Course,

independent Higher Education

opportunities and distance

learning classes. Leadership is

highly supportive of Soldiers

taking advantage of this active

For those reading this unfa-

miliar with HHC

(Headquarters Company)

operations, we provide the

support and Battalion man-

agement functions for the

line units (A, B, C and D

Companies). These functions

include S1 (Personnel), S2

(Military Intelligence), S3

(Operations), S4 (Logistics

and Supply) S6

(Communications which in-

cludes computer and net-

working operations) Medical,

Chaplain services and Main-

tenance. One of the interest-

ing aspects of an HHC is that

we are a modular force pro-

viding our same services re-

gardless of the actual mission

the line units are conducting.

Naturally, the mission will

dictate the types of vehicles

the maintenance section

duty time to expand their hori-

zons, so hopefully when they

return home they will be even

more adaptable to “the real

world” than when they left.

Also worth mentioning is that

many of the Soldiers are taking

advantage of our close prox-

imity to the 24 hour gym and

are getting in the best shape of

their lives. The S1 section ran

the Company’s first PT test this

week and I am very happy to

report that all Soldiers who

participated have made excel-

lent improvements in their fit-

ness over the last 4 months.

Our hope is that when we re-

turn your Soldiers to you later

this year, they are in better

mental and physical fitness than

when they left.

CPT Heath Huffman pro-

motes PVT Joshua Giles to

PFC after the recent patch

ceremony

T F 3 - 1 9 7 N E W S L E T T E R

P A G E 3 I S S U E 2

to have time to send them home to visit with families and friends. The Soldiers continue to excel at all tasks they are given and do it without complaint.

MAJ. Hall

We all at Delta Company have remained very upbeat with the mission here in Kuwait and Iraq. Many hours have been spent training and preparing for our mis-sions. Most soldiers love to be on the road doing missions and are very pleased with the equipment and training we have received. The RIP training with the 1-124 IN BN was well organized and gave us all a great start.

We have performed many forma-tions to hand out Promotions and Awards with many more to come. Soldiers take time for themselves and with their teams to break up the rigor of the days on mission by

playing many sports and attending college. There are many things for them to do to occupy their time. Camp Buehring has a lot to offer the Soldiers and leaders.

I would like to thank the families of the Soldiers here who support us all in this tour of duty. Without the support, the mission would be much more difficult !

1SG Miller

Delta Company has been very busy since we got here. The company has completed 12 missions and has driven nearly 47,000 miles in Iraq. The Soldiers are staying busy and being safe. The RIP with 1-124 went very well; all the Hurricane Soldiers were professional and help-ful. We have settled in to a good rhythm. The Soldiers do mainte-nance on their vehicles and equip-ment every week when they are not on missions, as well as training on convoy and other mission related tasks. The Soldiers also have free time and spend it in a variety of ways; some Soldiers are attending college, others play intramural sports, and some volunteer around post .

The leave periods are beginning and everyone is looking forward to com-ing home on leave. The Soldiers have all worked hard and deserve this break. We are fortunate to be able

1SG Miller serves the TF

Christmas dinner.

Delta Co. “So far so good” BY: MAJ Steven Hall

Charlie “Sheppard” Co Chimes In By: CPT Adam Burritt

C Co begins TCF training

are outstanding performers in an outstanding battalion. I couldn't be happier with every Soldier's incredi-ble commitment to the unit and the mission. We're getting ready now to transition into a training period where we will stop conducting mis-sions for a short while. This will give us an opportunity to get some world class training provided by subject matter experts that we would never be afforded back in the States. I just want to impart to everyone back home how proud myself and 1SG Ferland are of all of our Soldiers. These troops in par-ticular have been called on to do something far outside their normal

It's been quite a few months since Charlie Company arrived here at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. We've conducted a Relief in Place with an outstanding unit from the Florida Army National Guard (Thank you Combat Company!). We've con-ducted our Transfer of Authority, officially taking the role of Convoy Escort Security for long haul con-voys into Iraq, had our first taste of combat and risen to the occa-sion. We've been awarded our "Combat Patches" (officially known as Shoulder Sleeve Insignia - Former Wartime Service.) Phew... it’s a lot just thinking about it! The Soldiers of Sheppard Company continue to demonstrate that they

scope of military service, and everyone has done an excellent job not only becoming proficient in their new duties, but excelling

at them.

P A G E 4

Sunset at camp Buehring can

be quite a sight if you can

look past all of the sand

Serving in the Guard A Family Affair

BY: CPT Brian Calhoun

TF3-197 is anything but a

typical National Guard unit.

There are Soldiers from

field artillery units, a signal

unit, a forward support

unit, and distribution and

maintenance companies of

a Support Battalion. This

makes the TF very well

rounded and able to do

many missions well. One

thing in particular that

strikes me as both interest-

ing and as a testament to

the Nation Guard family is

just that, family.

In TF3-197 we have many

sets of siblings including

two sets of twins, several

fathers and sons, an uncle

and niece, cousins, a mar-

ried couple, and many rela-

tives by marriage. What

makes this special also

makes it even more difficult

for the families of these

Soldiers. While the Soldiers

benefit from the close bond

of family to help them

through the deployment,

their families carry a larger

burden than the rest of the

TF. The families of most of

the Soldiers deployed with

the TF have to deal with the

separation from a single

loved one; the families of

these soldiers are dealing

with separation from two

or in some cases more

loved ones. Below is a list

of Soldiers that are cur-

rently deployed with an-

other member of their fam-

ily. I’d like to say thank you

to the families of these

Soldiers for dealing with

the extra burden of having

them here at the same

time.

As any Soldier who is here

or who has ever deployed

can attest, it is far easier on

us being deployed then it is

on our families who are at

home keeping things run-

ning.

(This list is as close as I

could get to complete and I

apologize if I left anyone

out.)

A Co

1SG Scott Canavan (Brother) SFC Matthew Canavan HHB 197th FiB

SPC Anthony Tropea (Twin) SPC Joseph Tropea A Co

SFC Beliveau (Daughter-In-Law) PFC Deslie D Co and (Son) ex-

pected soon as a replacement

B Co

1LT Jeffery Seavey (Brother In-Law) SPC Michael Judkins C Co

PFC Anthony Iapicca (Brother) SGT James Giggey 1207th FSC

SGT Juan Ocampo (Brother) SPC Biran Ocampo B Co

SGT Brandon Westgate (Son) PFC Jordan Westgate A Co

SPC John Turner (Brother) PFC Nicholas Dumont B Co

C Co

SFC Edward Wiggin (Cousin) SGT Darin Briggs C Co

SPC Brandon Hughes (Brother) SPC Cody Leonard C Co

SGT Charles Crocker (Married) SPC Jacinta Guerreiro C Co

SPC Chad Martin (Brother) PV2 Jonathan Brouillard C Co

SPC Kaitlin Rorick (Twin) SGT Anthony Rorick TF 3643rd CCC

PFC Colin Ladd (Brother) PV2 Daniel Ladd D Co

SPC Tyler Mailhot (Cousin) PFC Andre Mailhot D Co

D Co

SFC David Penn (Son) SPC Kenneth Penn C Co

SFC Donald Fortier (Niece) PFC Theresa Fortier D Co

HHC

SGT Gregory Zieroff (Son) SPC Zachary Zieroff

When learning to navigate

the camp everything is based

off of its location from the

water tower.

T F 3 - 1 9 7 N E W S L E T T E R

TF 3-197 Promotes 50 Soldiers By: CPT Brian Calhoun

P A G E 5 I S S U E 2

TF commanders were very busy this past month catching up on promotions that have taken place since the start of the de-ployment. Fifty Soldiers, from all five companies, were pro-moted in separate formations held recently. What that means is one in twelve TF Soldiers are wearing a new rank. The dates listed below next to each name are the Soldier’s new Date of

Rank (DOR). That is the official date they were recognized at their new grade even if the ac-tual pinning on of the new rank took place on a different date. The DOR is used for many things in the Army such as pay, time in grade for seniority over Soldiers of the same grade, and for meeting minimum time in grade requirements before be-ing promotable to the next

grade. Being promoted is always a big deal whether it’s from PVT to PV2 or Captain to Major. Con-gratulations to all of the Sol-diers and keep up the great work.

Promotion List TF 3-197

HHC AYERS, JOHN PV2 to PFC 20101221

HHC GILES, JOSHUA PV2 to PFC 20101113

HHC LACOMBE, RUBENCE PVT to PV2 20101209

A Co. SWAN, NICHOLAS PV2 to PFC 20101026

A Co. ESTAVILLO, BYRON PV2 to PFC 20110106

A Co. PLAISTED, ROBERT PV2 to PFC 20110119

A Co. COMBS, DONALD PFC to SPC 20101223

A Co. NASH, RYAN SPC to SGT 20101208

A Co. COLCORD, RICHARD SPC to SGT 20101214

A Co. MOREL, DANIEL SPC to SGT 20101208

B Co. PAQUIN, ZACHARY PVT to PV2 20101026

B Co. HEINCY, DONALD PV2 to PFC 20101026

B Co. FOURNIER, NICHOLAS PFC to SPC 20101024

B Co. LABONTE, TRENT PFC to SPC 20101026

B Co. LABOSSIERE, MICHAEL PFC to SPC 20101026

B Co. DONOVAN, WILLIAM PVT to PV2 20101026

B Co. HANSON, ERIK PFC to SPC 20101112

C Co. FAUCHER, JARRET PVT to PV2 20101111

C Co. PEACE, BRYAN PVT to PV2 20101102

C Co. LADD, COLIN PFC to SPC 20101213

C Co. JOHNSTON, ETHAN PFC to SPC 20100731

C Co. BROUILLARD, JONATHAN PV2 to PFC 20101028

C Co. BUTLER, GARY PV2 to PFC 20101101

C Co. CHANDLER, JENNIFER PV2 to PFC 20101027

C Co. SOUCY, WILLIAM PV2 to PFC 20101027

C Co. KEY, JEFFREY PFC to SPC 20091219

C Co. SWEENEY, JEFFREY PFC to SPC 20101026

C Co. BELL, KENNETH PV2 to PFC 20101102

C Co. CLARK, JEREMY PV2 to PFC 20101116

C Co. DAY, BENJAMIN PFC to SPC 20101027

C Co. LABELLE, SHAUN PFC to SPC 20101026

C Co. MINARD, TROY PFC to SPC 20101026

C Co. HEATH, JASON PV2 to PFC 20101101

C Co. SADIK, MUSTAPHA PFC to SPC 20110122

C Co. SCHWAB, ANDREW 2LT to 1LT 20101110

C Co. SCHULTZ, HALEY PV2 to PFC 20110119

D Co. DELISILE, MORGANA PV2 to PFC 20101026

D Co. CAREY, ZACHARY PFC to SPC 20101112

D Co. THOMPSON, KEVIN PFC to SPC 20101216

D Co. LADD, DANIEL PVT to PV2 20101109

D Co. BARR, JENSINE PV2 to PFC 20101026

D Co. BURKE, BRIAN PV2 to PFC 20101109

D Co. MAILHOT, ANDRE PV2 to PFC 20101026

D Co. VANWINKLE, CURTIS PV2 to PFC 20101109

D Co. MASON, NICHOLAS PVT to PV2 20101107

D Co. PENN, KENNETH PFC to SPC 20101109

D Co. KAZAKIS, STEVEN PV2 to PFC 20101028

D Co. PLANTIER, MATTHEW PFC to SPC 20101026

D Co. BLAD, ROBERT SFC to MSG 20101216

D Co. HALL, STEPHEN CPT to MAJ 20101216

hands to the beat of the songs. It was

truly great to see the Soldiers and Ma-

rines stationed here having a genuinely

good time. Joan Jett has dedicated a lot

of her time to U.S. Soldiers and for that

I salute her! Here’s to many more years

On Sunday January 9th the MWR concert

series returned to Camp Buehring as

country star Kellie Pickler and rock and

roll legend Joan Jett shared the stage in

front of a large crowd of Soldiers and

Marines. Kellie Pickler wowed the crowd

with her incredible voice and genuine

support for the troops playing several of

her hits including “Best Days of Your

Life” and “Red High Heels” acoustically.

“Red High Heels” was sung as a duet

with a Marine picked from the audience

and let me say I hope he’s a better Ma-

rine than a singer. Joan Jett and a single

Blackheart (Kenny Laguna) closed the

show doing several of her rock hits. As

she took the stage the MC stated this is

her 30th tour with the USO and man can

she still bring it. Soldiers of all ages were

singing along to “I Love Rock and Roll”,

“Crimson and Clover”, and “I Hate My-

self for Loving You” while clapping their

of Joan Jett and to what I hope will be-

come a tradition for Kellie Pickler as well.

I think there’s hope for that because she

and her husband did spend their honey-

moon with several thousand of her fans

here in the desert.

A Rock-N-Country Good Time BY: CPT Brian Calhoun

Joan Jett rocks Camp Buehring

Kellie Pickler belts out some lyrics

during her set

TF 3-197 is made up of several units from

NH including 3rd BN 197th FA, 744th

FSC, A & B COs 3643rd Brigade Support

BN, and 372nd Signal Company. It has

also been augmented by members of 1st

BN 103rd FA, RI ARNG and soldiers from

the 1st BN 124th IN, FL ARNG that vol-

unteered to stay on for another year.

If there is anything you would like to see

in our future issues please contact us and

we will try to oblige.

BRIAN.P.CALHOUN@kuwait.swa.army.mil

AWARDS SGT Jeremiah Crosby - Army Achievement Medal (AAM) SSG Trevor Small - Army Achievement Medal (AAM) SPC Joseph MacDonald - Army Achievement Medal (AAM) SGT Jason Westcott - Army Achievement Medal (AAM)

Stay tuned for more awards in the coming is-sues. They take time to process and we have

several on the way.

CPT Brian Calhoun

HHC TF 3-197

Camp Buerhing, KU APO AE 09330

TF 3-197 Contact Information