I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

HHC 1-2

FSC 3-4

42nd 5-6

370th 7-8

535th 9-10

541st 11-12

Chaplain’s

Corner

13

HHC’s Wolfpack HowlHHC’s Wolfpack HowlHHC’s Wolfpack Howl

J u l y 2 0 1 0 3 r d Q u a r t e r N e w s l e t t e r

The Wolfpack family had a number of officers move up

in rank this quarter. We would like to congratulate CPT

Brandon Eliason, CPT Jacob Hohman, CPT Robert

Etheridge, CPT Michael Frazier, CPT Nassar Jabour,

CPT David Lukefahr, CPT Andrey Takhtovich and 1LT

Agnes Kirkman-Bey. All great officers who have

assumed a role of greater responsibility with the new

rank.

SPC Campbell develops a plan with his team on how to clear a building during MOUT Training.

P a g e 1

Promotions

HHC medics SPC McDonald and SPC Goodman

evaluate SSG Fitzpatrick during the reflexive

fire exercise

54th Engineer Battalion54th Engineer Battalion54th Engineer Battalion

Greetings from Wolfpack 6 and 7, It has been another busy

quarter for the Wolfpack Soldiers! This quarter kicked off

with the Dagger Strike I exercise in which a lot of the HHC

Soldiers, officers and NCOs were involved in support op-

erations in order to qualify squads of the line companies.

This quarter also brought on Dagger Strike II in which the

company deployed to the Grafenwoehr training area. In

addition to the major battalion level exercises mentioned the

company continued to focus their training in tasks within

their military occupational specialties (MOS) as well as

other Soldier skills during Sergeant’s Time Training.

During this quarter, from April to June on some Thurs-

days, the company continued to conduct company level

Sergeant’s time training in which the Soldiers and

NCOs got out of the office to conduct realistic training.

The training was prepared, planned and executed by the

company NCOs and included tasks such as movement

to contact battle drills and dismounted patrol operations

as well as Military Operations on Urban Terrain

(MOUT) operations. During these movements and

operations, Soldiers were challenged with different

scenarios such as enemy contact, which tested their

reaction skills and forced them to practice their com-

munication skills and using a radio to call their higher

headquarters for assistance with their wounded Sol-

diers. The movement to contact drills allowed NCOs a

chance to train their Soldiers how to properly execute

certain movement techniques depending on the terrain.

In the MOUT scenario, the Soldiers were taught how to

properly clear a room in teams of four from point of

entry to the building to clearing every room, treating

casualties they took while clearing the rooms and medi-

cally evacuating the casualties.

P a g e 2

Births

This quarter brought the spring and it also brought additional family

members to four families in the Wolfpack team. We would like to con-

gratulate MAJ Scott Preston and Christy, who had a beautiful baby boy

named Ethan on 01APR2010. CPT Robert Etheridge and Ria who had

a beautiful baby girl named Caroline weighing at 6lbs, 4oz on

15JUN2010. CPT Derrick Johnson and Kara who had a beautiful

baby girl weighing 7lbs, 6oz on 22JUN2010. SSG Chad Fitzpatrick and

Christi who had a beautiful baby boy named Noah weighing 7lbs, 7oz

on 19MAY2010, and SPC Travis Campbell and Taylor who had a

CPT Eliason, PFC Vines and SPC Atian prepare to enter

and clear a room during MOUT Training.

SGT Fitzpatrick and PFC Lee discuss their plan of action during a movement to contact battle drill

There were other Thursday mornings where the Soldiers, NCOs and Officers did

not perform their daily normal support operations and continued to reinforce their

MOS level tasks by conducting low density MOS training. The S1 section fo-

cused on the Soldier readiness process, casualty operations and other administra-

tive tasks and actions that had to do with their MOS. The material section fo-

cused on supply operations at the company level in which they taught the line

company supply sergeants how to properly execute these operations. They also

continued their focus on financial liability investigations and the command sup-

ply discipline program, two programs that require proficiency from all logistic

soldiers. The Command Post 1 and Command Post 2, composed of Soldiers,

Officers and NCOs with different MOS focused on a variety of tasks such as

doing infantry tactics with one of the line companies and daily operations in a

Tactical Operations Center (TOC). The signal section focused on installation

remedy procedures for various signal equipment and joint network set up proce-

dures. The intelligence section put their focused this quarter on intelligence

preparation of the battlefield procedures. The medical section conducted training

in various tasks they were to be tested during their medical recertification as well

as during the competition for the Expert Field Medical Badge. Most of their

tasks were trauma related.

Hails

During this quarter, the Wolfpack family has

grown through the move of Soldiers, NCO’s and

Officers from the other companies as well as

new arrivals. The Wolfpack team welcomes

CPT David Lukefahr, CPT Michael Trickey, his

wife Alice and son Elijah, CPT Christopher

Raisl and his wife Melissa, 1LT Brian

Czarnecki, MSG Jeffrey Derosa, his wife

Christine and their children Alyssa and Madison,

SFC James Wofford and his wife Torlina, SSG

Darrell Hill, his wife Melissa and their children

Charla and Michael, SGT Kyle Keiser, his wife

Crystal Keiser and their children Celeste and

Calleigh, SPC David Johnson, SPC Lucas

Diercouff, SPC John Chan, SPC Jessica Toston

and her spouse Aaron PFC Angel Vargas and his

wife Ebony Vargas, PFC Wesley Miller and his

wife Lauren, PV2 Cameron Nelson and PV1

Casey Rice. All of these Soldiers, NCOs and

Officers are filling key positions within the

company.

Other training the Wolfpack Soldiers conducted was their

involvement in the Dagger Strike I exercise. During this exercise,

HHC Soldiers deployed in to the local Bamberg training area es-

tablished a forward operating base, and provided medical support

and TOC support to squads conducting missions around the area.

Establishing the TOC during this exercise was critical because it

provided the command and control necessary to support the line

company’s squad level operations.

P a g e 3

Another major exercise, the company supported was the Battalion’s Dagger Strike II exercise which was conducted through a

deployment and relocation to the Grafenwoehr Training Area (GTA) in the month of May. The exercise began with a Soldier Readiness

Process (SRP). The staff coordinated with installation activities and created a realistic deployment process for the battalion before deploy-

ing to the GTA. Additionally during this exercise, the company practiced establishing a simulated deployment environment by the estab-

lishing a forward operating base and various local COPs located on ranges throughout the training area, which were occupied by the other

companies in the battalion. This allowed the staff to exercise their administration, logistical, and supporting tasks as well as allowed the

Battalion TOC to develop, establish and practice tracking and reporting mechanisms with the line companies. Other than exercising their

supporting roles, the staff Soldiers, NCOs and Officers participated in various advanced rifle marksmanship training events. These events

consisted of a reflexive fire range, military operations on urban terrain (MOUT) and a virtual simulated convoy operations exercise. The

reflexive fire range allowed Soldiers in the low density MOS, to practice advanced marksmanship techniques and become comfortable in

firing live ammunition. While the MOUT exercise allowed the Soldiers to continue to develop their skills learned during Sergeant’s time

training by being able to establish teams, work together and practice maneuver techniques as they engaged enemy targets within an urban

environment. Finally, the convoy operations training through the use of the virtual battle space 2 (VBS2) taught the Soldiers how to react

to unexpected events such as discovering an improvised explosive device react to enemy contact as well as practice radio procedures while

calling in the different types of reports in order to keep the commander informed of what was going on while the Soldiers were on the

road. Throughout all of these exercises, the medical section was exercised through simulated scenarios where Soldiers role played that

they were injured. The culminating event for HHC during Dagger Strike II consisted of a mass casualty exercise where all the staff sec-

tions, got a chance to react and exercise the tasks they are required to perform during a real life situation. Additionally, it allowed the

medical section to practice trauma and life saving tasks in order to increase their proficiency and better prepare for this type of situation.

Farewells

The Wolfpack family wishes good luck

and a farewell to the following Wolpack

family members: SFC Carlos Sanchez,

who has PCSed to Fort Drum in New

York, SSG Luke Topasna and his family

who have all PCSed to Fort Belvoir in

Virginia, and 1LT Jayson Hensley who has

moved on to the 535th ESC to assume the

duties as the company executive officer.

Additionally, the medical section received a lot of quality training both during Dagger Strike II and their participation in the challenging com-

petition to earn the Expert Field Medical Badge which was held in Baumholder, Germany. Last, but not least, to end this quarter, the unit fo-

cused on getting all of the Battalion medics trained and recertified in their Table 1-8 skills which consisted of three days of classroom training

followed by a week of validation and testing through the use of medical scenario lanes established at the local training area in Bamberg, Ger-

many.

In addition to all of the hard work and training the Soldiers, NCOs and Officers in HHC have been doing, we were able to give the Wolfpack

members some training time consisting of our adventure day training. The adventure day training consisted of a Bamberg History scavenger

hunt where the Soldiers got the opportunity to go out into the city in teams and discover sites they did not know existed. In the end, a lucky

team of four ended up finding all of the sites they were given in the fastest time winning a four-day pass.

In the mist of the training exercises, the company held an organizational day in April. The Soldiers, NCOs, Officers and their families had a

chance to take a day out of the office and enjoy some good food, games and entertainment at Friendship Park. Although the company did not

have any major fundraisers during this quarter, we used the money earned during last quarter’s Pie in the Face fundraiser event to fund the food

and activities of this great event. Some of the children and family members even got a chance to dunk their family member in the dunk tank

that was set up at the event. The Wolfpack team would also like to thank Mrs. Tia Ake for all of her hard work as the FRG leader. She has

stepped down as the leader due to other family obligations. Her hard work, support, for the FRG has been really appreciated, and she will be

missed as the leader. HHC’s FRG team is currently looking for a new fearless leader who will lead the Wolfpack family throughout the rest of

the year.

FSC Spartan ShoutFSC Spartan ShoutFSC Spartan Shout

Hello to all our Spartan family and friends!

The last three months have been quite busy for the FSC. The start of the quarter brought a new first

sergeant, 1SG Bell. The FSC broke him in nicely with Dagger Strike II (DS II) in Grafenwoehr

shortly after his arrival. Here we focused on platoon level training and crew served weapons quali-

fication. Distro supported the BN with their usual ammunition and fuel support. Our Field Feed-

ing section cooked thousands of meals in order the feed all BN Soldiers. Maintenance platoon not

only supported all companies during the event with vehicle and equipment maintenance, but also

managed to run a flawless hand grenade range. Thanks to all the spouses, children, and loved ones

of our Soldiers who supported them during their first big absence from home since the 54th EN

BN’s redeployment. –CPT Ford, XO Farewell

Headquarters Soldiers bid

farewell to the best platoon

sergeant in the battalion, SSG

Smith. His dedication to us

and to the company was

unwavering and true. Ready

for the challenge, SSG

Edwards came up from the

Distribution platoon to fill the

big shoes, however will soon

be leaving us as well for a

coveted instructor position.

Good luck to both of you! The

leadership and motivation

both NCOs brought to the

Soldiers of Headquarters

platoon will be greatly missed.

– CPT Ford, XO

FSC Spartan Softball Team after victory against the 391st HHC .

Field Feeding Section (FFS)

The cooks of the FSC are no strangers to high praise and achievements at the theatre level

and above. SPC Washington outshined every cook in all of 21st TSC by winning their cook of

the quarter. His win was a direct reflection on all of the Soldiers in the FFS. In support of

training, during Dagger Strike II, the FFS provided thousands of meals, working from 0200

through 2100 in order to provide all Soldiers in the battalion with hot meals morning and

night. Also during DSII, the FFS supported a company of Soldiers with our mobile kitchen

trailer, or MKT. This allowed the Soldiers hot meals even though they were far away from

the comfort and convenience of our normal Dining Facility (DFAC). Our Soldiers are always

ready to serve, morning or night, weekend, or holiday. – SSG Daquep, FFS

P a g e 4

Births

The Soldiers of maintenance

welcome their newest members:

CPL Loop and his wife Melonie

were blessed with a baby boy,

Gregory. The maintenance Sol-

diers visited Melonie in the hos-

pital with gifts welcoming the

new Spartan to the tribe.

Maintenance Platoon

Maintenance Platoon has provided maintenance support and wheeled vehicle support for the entire Battalion throughout the entire quarter.

During Dagger Strike I, PFC Starks brilliantly troubleshot and repaired several generators on short notice ensuring the Battalion Command

Post stayed operational 24 hours a day. During Dagger Strike II, Maintenance Platoon flawlessly ran a battalion-level hand grenade range.

Among other events, PFC Starks, SPC Martin, SPC Ealy, SPC Jackson were chosen amongst their peers to represent 54th in the Upper Fran-

conian Partnership March, a march conducted with American and German Soldiers.– SSG Christensen, MNT PSG

FSC’s all-star 1st Baseman, SPC Martin, connects with the ball for a double.

Distribution Platoon

In April, distribution platoon supported the battalion during Dagger Strike I, by issuing ammo and conducting fuel operations and

delivering chow daily. The platoon also supported the battalion during Dagger Strike II out in Grafenwoehr Training Area (GTA)

where they distributed ammunition to numerous ranges, while the fuel section set up a fuel point. While in the field distribution pla-

toon participated in a squad movement exercise. Both squads that participated did an outstanding job during the exercise. During

this time the platoon trained using the VBS2 simulator where they learned convoy movement techniques and react to direct and indi-

rect contact. Distribution platoon turned in the battalion’s ammo after the field while the fuel section made sure that the battalion

was supplied fuel for the return back to Bamberg.

Distro Platoon had four Soldiers participate in a Germany and US partnership day. Here they had to complete a 25K road march while

completing six different staged events. The events consisted of first aid knowledge, land navigation, marksmanship, rowing across a

river, knowledge of military equipment, grenade throwing and obstacle course in a team of five Soldiers. Distro Platoon also had Sol-

diers complete a Hazardous Material Course, as well as CLS certification to better prepare the platoon and the battalion for the up-

coming deployment.

FSC Softball article

Bamberg, Germany. (June 21, 2010) --- The 54th FSC Softball team picked up a 19-4 win over 391st.

In the nine inning game, the FSC red Spartans jumped out quickly with five runs in the first inning. 391st responded as they closed the

gap to 6-4 at the end of the third inning, but FSC quickly widened the gap with a six run fourth inning. That was as close as the Tor-

nado could get as FSC secured the win with four runs in the eighth.

Offensively, 1SG Bell (CA) led the way as he was 2-for-4 from the plate with three RBIs. SSG Evangilista, our welcomed HHC attach-

ment, had a two run homerun in the first inning, while former 18th MEDCOM standout Antonio Martinez (TX) added two solo RBI’s

in the second and fifth innings. SSG Smith (SC) also had three RBIs in the contest with a homerun. As a team, the Spartan’s had 15

RBIs.

With the victory, FSC moves to 2-2 on the season. The Spartan’s remained at 2-2 in the standings. – SFC Martinez, MCS

Hails

New Soldiers to the

platoon include PV2

Reese, SPC Sparberry, PVT

Harris, PVT Moore, PV2

Lubetich, PV2 Quiroga,

SSG Christensen, SPC

Santiago, SGT Brooks from

the 370th, and SGT Otsby.

P a g e 5

42nd Clearance Company42nd Clearance Company42nd Clearance Company

Hello to all new ROCK Soldiers and Family members of the 42nd Clearance Company!

The 42nd Clearance Company recently held its official Unit Activation and Assumption of Command ceremony on 12 May 2010 as the

newest Engineer Company in the United States Army Engineer Regiment. The ceremony, held at Summerall Field on Warner Barracks

in Bamberg, Germany, marked the official activation of the unit, as well as the Assumption of Command by CPT Dave Stalker. Captain

Mike Bradwick served as the Commander of Troops in the ceremony, as the interim Commander during the first three months of the

unit’s activation. The unit’s 2010 activation (last deactivated in Berlin in 1994) marks a continuation of its storied Engineer history, as

well as an entirely new mission set for the unit: Route and Area Clearance. As of 23 June 2010, the Company’s personnel strength stood

at 84% or 160 Soldiers of the 190 authorized via the unit’s Modified Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE).

The Company’s focus since the Activation and Assumption of Command Ceremony included in-processing new Soldiers to the unit, indi-

vidual training and gunnery, sending Soldiers to schools, drivers training, receiving equipment, and establishment of the unit’s Family

Readiness Group. The Company will conduct its Change of Responsibility Ceremony between SFC Eduardo Ruiz and MSG Hinkle on 01

July 2010 at Summerall Field. The Company will continue to receive key leadership personnel and family members during the months of

July, August, and September.

Specifically, the Company completed its first field

exercise during the month of May in Grafenwoehr, consisting

of seven days of rifle marksmanship, qualification, and indi-

vidual training as a Clearance Company. During this exer-

cise, every available firer qualified on their weapon with 12

Soldiers out of 86 firers earning the expert marksmanship

badge. During June, the Company completed mandatory

annual training classes, its first land navigation field problem

testing the Soldiers on common warrior skills and tasks

(ROCK Situational Training Exercise), its first patrolling field

training exercise, drivers training, as well as specific training

pertinent to its Route and Area Clearance mission. Addition-

ally, the platoons themselves conducted their own separate

training from the Company.

P a g e 6

Captain Dave Stalker receives the 42nd

Clearance Company Guidon, marking his

Assumption of Command

The 42nd Clearance Company’s Activation

and Assumption of Command Ceremony

held on 12 May 2010 at Warner Barracks

First Platoon (1st PLT), led by 2LT Daniel Lotspeich and SSG Michael Slater, spent one week working in a Route Clearance Training

Simulator. This simulator provided the platoon realistic training and a solid skills foundation for its future deployed mission of Route

Clearance.

Second Platoon (2nd PLT) of the 42nd Clearance Company, led by 1LT Jeremy Staggs and SSG Andre Tillman, recently returned from

Mannheim, Germany on a 2-week exercise training on Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). The exercise, for support of the

21st Theatre Sustainment Command’s Warrior and NCO of the Year Competition, taught the platoon basic infantry tactics while operat-

ing in an urban environment.

Third Platoon (3rd PLT), led by SSG Michael Devlin, completed training on Route Clearance equipment and vehicles. Operator and driv-

ers training on the RG-31, the Buffalo, the Husky, and Talon Robots will prove beneficial for the platoon as an early training start on the

equipment pertinent to its Route Clearance mission.

Fourth Platoon (4th PLT), led by SSG Jeremy Lynn, will begin its individual training in the upcoming weeks as it continues to receive the

rest of its Soldiers.

The Field Maintenance Team (FMT), led by SFC Byron Pontious, SSG Jose Nieves, and SSG Marcus Bridges, continues to train and li-

cense the Soldiers of the 42nd Clearance Company on its vehicles and equipment. Additionally, SGT Rumery, SPC Bradley, and SPC

Guirguis will attend training at the Maintainers Route Reconnaissance Clearance Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Headquarters Platoon (HQ PLT), led by SSG Jeremy Lynn focused on the sponsorship and integration of Soldiers and families to the

company. With the company receiving over 60 Soldiers this quarter, this has been never-ending and thankless task. Additionally, two

Soldiers from the medical section, PV2 Jacob Brubaker-Escobar and PV2 Patrick Mullinix, competed in the Expert Field Medical Badge.

Both Soldiers were competitive but fell short of achieving the highly coveted badge.

P a g e 7

Numerous 42nd ROCK Soldiers have completed

tough and challenging military professional develop-

ment schools during the past few months. Specialist

William H. Wheeler completed a tough SAM 31

(Company Armorer) School to serve as the unit Armorer

for the Company. Staff Sergeant Michael Devlin re-

cently completed the Advanced Leader Course in

Schweinfurt, Germany, while Sergeant Benjamin Gol-

gart completed a very important Maintainer Route Re-

connaissance Clearance Course at Fort Leonard Wood,

Missouri. Sergeant Daniel Becerra and Sergeant

Jameson Eisinas completed two weeks of operator and

maintenance training on the mine detector system,

while several additional ROCK Soldiers completed sev-

eral days of familiarization training on the mine detec-

tors, Vector 21’s, and Thermal Weapon Sights (TWS’s).

Sergeant Andrew McGuffey, 42nd Clearance Company

Master Driver, completed one week of familiarization

on the Mine Resistance Ambush Protected (MRAP) ve-

hicle. Sergeant Antonia Collier and Specialist Domi-

nique Vincent continue to receive specialized communi-

cation training on radios and Army electronic systems.

Additionally, Captain Mike Bradwick (42nd Clearance

Company Executive Officer) and partner, Captain Dan

Vitale (541st Sapper Company Executive Officer) com-

peted in the April 2010 U.S. Army Engineer Regiment’s

Best Sapper Competition, where they placed 7th overall,

at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Captain Mike Bradwick and Captain Dan

Vitale’s finish line shot during the 2010 U.S.

Army Engineer Regiment’s Best Sapper Com-

petition. The two placed 7th overall during

the Army-wide competition held in April at

Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

The Company would like to recognize the phenomenal efforts of Private Nathaniel Williamson in earning the Army Achievement Medal

for his honor graduate placement during mine detector training in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Not only did he score 100% on all exams,

but he was recognized for his efforts as the top performing student during the course. The Company also recognizes three individuals

from our FMT for earning the Army’s Good Conduct Medal: SGT Richard Brown, SGT Benjamin Golgart, and SGT John Quinata. Great

work!

P a g e 8

During the Company’s recent June 15th Army Physical Fitness

Test, the following Soldiers excelled, earning the Army Physical

Fitness Badge for physical excellence: PV2 Brauer, SPC Mains,

PV2 Parson, PV2 Weir, PV2 Williamson, PV1 Gonzalez, PFC Wil-

son, CPT Bradwick, CPT Stalker, SGT Bruny, SGT Golgart, SFC

Ruiz, SPC Haag, and 2LT Lotspeich. Job well done!

In closing, the Company will continue to work hard during the upcoming months on not just training, but also the reception and integration of family members moving over from the continental United States. The 42nd Clearance Company Family Readiness Group now has its own email account: 42ndFRG@gmail.com. We would like to welcome aboard Ms. Carolyn Devlin and Ms. Amanda Cavalari as leaders of the 42nd FRG.

Captain Mike Bradwick’s helocast shot during the 2010 U.S. Army

Best Sapper Competition. The 42nd Clearance Company plans to

send 10-20 deserving Soldiers to the Sapper Leader Course in the

fall, which includes this type of specialized training.

Company FRG BBQ (25 June 2010) at Pendle-

ton Field

Battalion Organization/Family Fun Day (02

July 2010) at the post Softball and Recrea-

tional Fields

FRG meeting at the post bowling alley (22

July 2010) at 1600

FRG Calendar

Hails

Dustin Bearden, Daniel Becerra, Justin Botticher, Richard Brown, Robert

Caldwell, Dannie Daniel, Michael Devlin, Richard Figueroa, Kalen Fisher,

Thomas Fountain, Catrell Godfrey, Benjamin Golgart, Cole Healer, Darrion

Hicks, Joel Hinkle, Cecil Ingle, Jonathon Inthirath, Shamal Lewis, Tigearnan

Lord, Wendell Mains, Joseph Martinez, Gerardo Montes, Jose Nieves, Hernan

Osorio, Joshua Robertson, Elias Ruiz, Scotty Sexton, Andre Tillman, Dominique

Vincent, John Wilkinson, Jamie Wilson, Jonathan Adams, Kevin Bailey, John

Carver, James Davis, Lindsey Felding, Matthew Foster, Elias Garza, Alejandro

Gonzalez, Anthony Guirguis, Edward Hagen, Kirk Haney, Neal Hendrickson,

Christopher Lashley, Sean Meyer, Vincent Moreno, Jason neal, Isaac Noble,

Joshua Owens, Anthony Quartararo, Kevon Riley, Obed Rivera, Derek

Robinson, Nicholas Rumery, Jeremy Saavedra, Christopher Shipman, Michael

Spitler, Joseph Teresi, Eric Terry, Lee Turner Jr., Kelulau Ucherkemur, Ezra

Wilson.

370th Apocalypse Now370th Apocalypse Now370th Apocalypse Now

Greetings to the friends, families, and Soldiers of the 370th Sapper Company.

Since we spoke last, we have encountered numerous significant events. One major event

was the decision in May to reorganize from three sapper platoons to two. This created

many challenges on top of the rigorous training the company would be expected to exe-

cute. Leaders and Soldiers had to learn to work with others they had never worked with

before and they had to learn fast. Despite the challenges we successfully competed with

two platoons instead of three! This will greatly improve the way we will operate when

deployed. We will be able to give Soldiers time off, and allow proper rest for injured Sol-

diers. For the month of May the battalion deployed to Grafenwoehr, Germany to certify

the platoons and ensure they are ready for the company validation in August. The two

highlights of the Grafenwoehr rotation that will be discussed are gunnery and validation

lanes.

The 370th Sapper Company spent five days con-

ducting various weapon ranges in the Grafen-

woehr training area during the recent field exer-

cise ―Dagger Strike II‖ qualifying on the major

weapons systems. One day was spent in the Ba-

varian rain at the hand grenade range where Sol-

diers practiced with Simunition-grenades on five

qualifying lanes before getting the chance to

throw two actual M67 grenades at the grenade

pit. The 370th spent four days at the crew served

weapons range firing both in daylight and at

night. Both platoons actually spent a night at the

range guarding the ammo and keeping it open in

order to facilitate the night-time gunnery. Sol-

diers slept in tracks, the warming shack, and the

guard tower. Approximately 18,000 rounds

of .50 caliber ammunition and 15,000 rounds of

7.62 ammunition for the M240B machine gun

were fired. The weapons fired on this range were

the M2 machine gun which fires a .50 caliber

round, the M240B firing a 7.62mm NATO round,

and the M249 SAW (Squad automatic rifle)

which fires the 5.56mm NATO round. The ma-

jority of the time was spent qualifying with the

M2 and M240B weapons systems, which were

mounted on top of M113 armored personnel car-

riers. In order to qualify, Soldiers had to effec-

tively engage targets as far away as 1000 meters

with both the M2 and M240B. The closest targets

were the 400 meter targets – still a considerable

distance. During this pop-up target phase of

qualification the Soldiers had approximately 175

rounds available to engage 9 pop-ups in 3 to 5

round bursts of fire. With such a demanding

load a few of the weapons systems broke down

under the strain and had to be sent to the armory

to be repaired.

370th Soldiers qualifying on the M2 .50

Cal. Machine Gun from the turret of an

370th Soldiers setting up M2 .50 Cal. Machine Gun firing positions for Battal-ion familiarization fire exercise.

P a g e 9

Upon completion of the weapons ranges

the 370th participated in Dagger Strike II, a battal-

ion level training exercise in Grafenwoehr, Ger-

many to certify the platoons. We conducted several

IED Lane iterations, a convoy live fire lane, a dis-

mounted live fire range, a MOUT exercise, a demo

range and multiple small arms weapons qualifica-

tion ranges. All of the lanes were designed by ex-

perience of veterans from Afghanistan to simulate

the conditions that we will most likely experience in

the upcoming deployment. The company came

together quickly and performed superbly at all the

tasks presented, and continues to build toward the

Mission Readiness Exercise in Hohenfels, Germany

in August.

ABOVE: Spc. Jeremy Argiro, begins the decontamination phase at

one of the combat testing lanes during Expert Field Medical Badge

testing June 10 at Baumholder Training Area.

Mommy and Me play date June 30th 1000

@ Friendship park.

Battalion Organizational Fun day July

2nd 0800 to 1630 @ Softball field.

Jailhouse fundraiser during garrison 4th

of July celebration July 4th 1900-2100 @

Pendleton field.

FRG Meeting July 7th 1800 @ The Regi-

mental room by the aid station.

Two 370th Soldiers qualifying on the hand grenade assault course

P a g e 1 0

FRG CalendarFRG CalendarFRG Calendar

RIGHT: 370th Soldiers practicing recovery operations on a pair of

M113s

From CPT Durbin:

Hello to the Soldiers and Families of the 535!

School is out, the sun is shining, and the Soldiers of 535 are as busy as ever.

As you may know, we are training hard to get ready to assume a new mission in sup-

port of Operation Enduring Freedom. Although we are still a Construction Company,

the Army has tasked us with supporting Route Clearance Operations. We are still

training on construction, but we are also doing Route Clearance tasks. Because we

are doing Route Clearance, we have collapsed the platoons and created two super

platoons. 1st Platoon is led by 1LT Puddicombe and SFC Speelman. 2nd Platoon is led

by 1LT Jung and SFC Rodriguez.

Of course, we have had several personnel moves. CPT Raisl has moved on

to work wonders in the S-3 shop. 1LT Hensley has taken over as the XO. SFC Carter

has taken over the Company Operations Section. SSG Marshall has moved to be a

Squad Leader in 1st Platoon. 2LT Harkess will be in charge of the Intelligence Sec-

tion.

Thank you to all the spouses and families for your support while we were in

the field. Strong support while we are away makes a huge difference. A special thank

you to the ladies who had delicious cupcakes waiting for us when we returned.

535th The Cutting Edge535th The Cutting Edge535th The Cutting Edge

Soldiers participating in the icebreaker at the June FRG Meeting.

1SGs Corner,

Hello all. My name is Martin Moore the new First Sergeant for 535. I’m coming from 3rd Sustainment Command

Expeditionary, Ft Knox, Kentucky. I’m originally from Elizabeth Town, Kentucky and this is my first time serving in

Europe. I’m really excited to be here in Bamberg and I heard this is the best post in Europe and from what I have seen the

rumors are right. Everyone here has been friendly and helpful while I have been getting settled in and the unit is moti-

vated.

I’ve been in the Army for over 21 years and I have had a lot of experience with Soldiers and their Families. I believe in strict

standards and hard training so everyone will come back from deployment. I am, however, approachable and anyone

wanting to talk about anything is welcome and my door is always open. I look forward to meeting all the families so I can

learn more about my new Soldiers. If you see me around please say hi.

FRG CalendarFRG CalendarFRG Calendar

July 2 – BN Organization

Day

July 3-16 – Block Leave

July 4 – Independence

Day Fundraiser

July 16 – Spouse Lunch

July 20 – FRG Meeting

end of July – August –

Training in Hohenfels

and Grafenwoehr

August 3 – FRG Meeting

September 14 – FRG

Meeting

P a g e 1 1

I have some things to talk about that

has happened since I have been here which I

think is worth mentioning. First I want to let

you know that PFC Kurtis Weaver, PFC Greg-

ory Mosser, and PFC Ruban Lopez have earned

the coveted Air Assault Badge from Air Assault

School known as the ―10 toughest day in the

Army‖. Also, PFC Gregory Mosser represented

the 54th Engineer Battalion at the Brigade Sol-

dier of the Quarter Board where he achieved

second place among the best Soldiers in the

brigade. Sergeant Pedro Barbosa won the Bat-

talion NCO of the Month Board and is prepar-

ing to win the NCO of the Quarter Board. Ser-

geant Kevin Reed completed the Warrior

Leader Course securing his place in the NCO

Crop. Finally PV2 James Hogan earned the

very hard to get Expert Field Medical Badge.

The achievement is very notable because less

than 20 percent of competitors earn this medi-

cal badge. The participants are evaluated on

over 20 medical tasks and cannot make any

mistakes and as a PV2 (with less than a year in

the Army) he is definitely setting the standard

for all his peers.

More events are yet to be planned for this quarter, so make sure you are on the FRG email list to receive our updates. (Email 535frg@gmail.com to get on the list.)

FRG Section:

April, May, and June have passed

since the last newsletter. We did our best, and

hopefully succeeded, to have an eventful quar-

ter. We had social get-togethers, fundraisers,

and some combined family and Soldier activi-

ties. While the company was in the field for

three weeks in May, we started Playdates and

Spouse Walks. The Playdates were a hit, so

we’re trying to continue them once a month.

My favorite activity this quarter was

the Adventure Day Barbecue the beginning of

May. The Soldiers spent the morning golfing

or doing an urban land navigation course

downtown, then Soldiers and families met up

at the golf course for a barbecue. The weather

wasn’t the greatest, but it was enjoyable to

have free hamburgers and chat with other

people in 535th.

As always, we appreciate your sup-

port during fundraisers. Our last fundraiser

alone raised almost $200. This could not be

done without the amazing spouses who bake

and the hungry Soldiers who choose to buy

our food. We’re hoping to get a trip planned

with the money we’ve raised.

Jessica Holley laughs at an idea while trying to come up with things you can make with a coat hanger (icebreaker).

Teams participate in an icebreaker

P a g e 1 2

541st Outlaw Round up541st Outlaw Round up541st Outlaw Round up

P a g e 1 3

1st Platoon:

The second quarter of this year has been a busy one for 1st Platoon. We started the quarter

off with a strong performance in Dagger Strike I. Our two squads (SQD) went out and had

a couple of the best times on the X-Mile Ruck March. The Squad STX Lanes were no dif-

ferent, with SSG Jones and SGT Gire leading the way, both of 1st PLTs squads had excel-

lent scores throughout the exercise. In the end all of our Soldiers gained a better under-

standing of the engineer tasks that they need to know in order to be prepared for future

4th of July fundraiser

1215 to 1430 at Pendleton

Field.

Ladies Night July 17th

1630 to 2130—Dinner

and a movie!

FRG Meeting July 22nd

1800 @ YRR

FRG Meeting August

19th 1800 @ YRR

541st Soldiers participating in the X mile ruck march during Dagger Strike I

FRG CalendarFRG CalendarFRG Calendar

Once Dagger Strike I was over the platoon moved into services. Over a two week period our Soldiers worked with mainte-

nance personnel to find and fix deficiencies in all of the platoon’s equipment to include everything from our M113 to our

personal weapons. Next the platoon went to Grafenwoehr for Dagger Strike II, from 11 May 2010 to 27 May 2010. Through-

out those two and a half weeks 1st PLT ran through several route clearance missions, and for most of them without the

squad leader who were at Advanced Leader Course (ALC). So without the squad leaders, all the team leaders stepped up and

performed admirably in their place. CPL Joseph and CLP Webster both took control of 1st SQD while SPC Salt and SPC Tho-

mas took lead of 2nd SQD. All the team leaders quickly took control and performed above and beyond their positions all get-

ting AAMs for the effort they gave. Also while at Dagger Strike II 1st platoon went through some gunnery ranges. Several

Soldiers qualified expert on the M240B, M2, Mk19, and the M16/M4

Since 1st platoon’s returned from Dagger Strike II we have had many new faces in our formation. We would like to welcome

all those new Soldiers and their families to Bamberg and the 541st Sapper Company.

Also the Soldiers have all been busy going to and preparing for several classes including Drivers Training and R2C2, as well

as pulling QRF duties as the platoon moves into the third quarter we will continue to train hard and prepare ourselves for

our next deployment.

P a g e 1 4

3rd Platoon:

During the last several months, 3rd Platoon has

again put forth maximum effort into all of the

company’s training events and has come out

stronger and more prepared for deployment.

We would first like to welcome new Soldiers

and their families to our team - SGT Malone,

SSG (P) Alekseiunas (the new Platoon Ser-

geant), SPC Olivares, PV2 Burley, and PVT

Herbert. These new Soldiers will greatly aid

the Platoon for the train-up and deploy-

ment.3rd Platoon had two squads participate in

Dagger Strike I, which focused primarily on

squad cohesion, infantry tactics, and route

clearance. The 72-hour exercise tested the

mettle of every Soldier, as they were tested

both physically and mentally. Our squads took

1st and 3rd places on the X-Mile Ruck March

lane, arguably the most difficult of the entire

competition. Every Soldier came out of the

rotation more in tune with engineer tasks and

each squad discovered just how effective a

small unit can be when working and progress-

ing as a team.

Following Dagger Strike I, the

Platoon had a brief rest period before

Dagger Strike II began in early May. The

main goal of Dagger Strike II was to build

upon the skills and teamwork developed

during Dagger Strike I and use it in a Pla-

toon setting. The entire battalion de-

ployed to the Joint Multinational Readi-

ness Center at Grafenwoehr for approxi-

mately two and a half weeks. The battal-

ion rear-detachment functioned for the

first time, simulating a real deployment.

The Graf missions were intended to mir-

ror missions in Afghanistan, with realistic

reporting procedures, convoy briefings,

and debriefs following each mission.

Some of these missions focused on route

clearance and building clearance tactics,

two skills that the Platoon will need for

the upcoming deployment. We also par-

ticipated in a number of ranges and

honed our individual weapon skills.

Above: 541st qualifying on the M240B machine gun Below: 541st Outlaw

climbing giant ladder on the confidence course during Dagger strike I.

Overall, after spending weeks together in close proximity and learning each others’ strengths and weaknesses, 3rd Platoon came out

of Dagger Strike II as a much more effective unit.

We are looking forward to summer block leave so we can tour Europe and visit our families back in the US. We have another long

training event for most of August, so enjoy summer while it lasts!

P a g e 1 5

Sunday

Catholic Mass 0900 [Chapel] Lutheran 0900 [Family Life Center]

Protestant 1100 [Chapel] C.O.G.I.C 1245 [Chapel]

Free Gospel 1500 [Chapel]

Tuesday

Catholic Mass 1130 [Chapel] Catholic Congregation Night 1800

[Chapel]

Friday

Catholic Mass 1200 [Chapel]C.O.G.I.C. 2000 [Chapel]

When God said of Adam and Eve, ―The two shall become one flesh,‖ he was not speaking only of physical oneness. In marriage, all of life is to be shared, and communication is the vehicle by which we attain this kind of intimacy. If we don’t feel that oneness with our spouse maybe we aren’t communicating with them the way we ought to be. We cannot read each other’s minds. If your spouse is to know your thoughts, feelings, and desires, then you have to communicate them. A marriage without communication is like probing in a minefield...sooner or later something blows up. This communication is vital to married couples as well as those dating, join us in the upcoming couples and singles seminars in learning how to understand yourself and your loved one and communicate that love more effectively.

Chaplain’s CornerChaplain’s CornerChaplain’s Corner

Sunday 0800 Catholic [High School] 1030 C.O.G.I.C. [High School] 1330 Free Gospel [Chapel] 1630 Protestant (AWANA) [Chapel and HS] Tuesday 0930 Catholic Women of the [Chapel] 1900 C.O.G.I.C. Bible Study [Chapel] Wednesday 0700 High School Bible Study (Breakfast Included) [Family Life Classroom] 0900 PWOC Protestant Women of the Chapel [Chapel] 0900 Spanish PWOC “The Power of a Positive Spouse” [Chapel Activity RM] 1500 Middle School Bible Study [Family Life Classroom] 1900 Protestant Bible Study [Chapel] Thursday 1130 Protestant Men of the Chapel (Free Lunch Provided) [Chapel] 1500 Middle School Club Beyond [JFK Gym] 1730 High School Club Beyond [JFK Gym] 1800 Protestant Men’s Bible Study [Chapel] 1900 Gospel Bible Study Friday (1830 Dinner) 1945 Christian Bible Study [Bamberg Hospitality House]

Religious Education

54th En Bn UMT

CH Robinson

PFC Vines

469-8467

469-8701

54th ENGINEER BATTALION Marriage Enrichment Seminar

Edelweiss Lodge and Resort

POC: PFC Vines- DSN:469-846754th Chaplain’s Assistant

Food, lodging , transportation and child care provided

Limited rooms available contact the

BN UMT to sign up

Worship

P a g e 1 6

FRSAFRSAFRSA

Hello!

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is AJ Hashimoto. I am the Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA) for 54th Engineer Battal-ion. As the role of FRSA is relatively new to the Army, I’d like to take a moment to give a brief overview of how the FRSA can support the unit and the FRG:

The Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA) is a recently established position in the family readiness support structure. This position represents a new concept for the Army in Europe that is being met with high regard and appreciation.

Army leaders understand the importance of the FRG and how “taking care of families” affects mission readiness. When FRG leaders were asked what would make their job easier, the overwhelming response was more help. Because so many military spouses are working, recruiting volunteers to help FRG leaders is difficult. With the idea of “changing dynamics” in mind, the concept of a paid assistant position was created. The FRSA’s main duty is to provide the com-mander or RDC, the Family Readiness Liaison (FRL), and FRG leader with administrative assistance in support of family readiness programs and activities. FRSAs also work closely with community resource agencies to provide appropriate referrals for the commander, Rear Detachment Commander (RDC), FRL, FRG leader, and family members.

While the primary responsibility of FRSAs is to provide assistance to the commander or RDC and FRG leader, they are also available to help families and Soldiers within the scope of their position description. The FRSA should be thought of as an extension of the FRL and FRG leader. This position was not es-tablished to take over FRL or FRG leader responsibilities, but to provide assistance, information, referrals, and follow-up on all areas of family programs. FRSAs are to help develop and distribute unit newsletters, announcements, and flyers. FRSAs will also ensure telephone trees, e-mail trees, or both are estab-lished, kept up-to-date, and used so that family members can be contacted in a timely manner. The FRSA can help with completing volunteer forms and with family readiness planning and training, and serves as a POC for referrals to community agencies.

The FRSA position, when used properly, will strengthen the FRG.

I’m excited to be a part of the 54th Engineer Battalion Family and I enjoy immensely working with your FRGs. If you have any questions or would like to stop by, my office is located in the Soldier service center building. You can reach me via email at: aj.hashimoto@eur.army.mil or telephone DSN 469-9311/Cell Phone 01622733288.

Check out our battalion facebook page, just search 54th-Engineer

-Battalion in the facebook search engine and become a fan!

Want to learn more about

USAG Bamberg and the Army?

Sign up for Army Family Team

building classes through the

ACS. Fun, informative classes

with free childcare! Call me to

find out more!

PEP—People encouraging people is a program pre-

sented by the Army Volunteer Coordinator at USAG Bamberg. It’s 5

days of fun, learning and the best part shopping. Free childcare is

provided and it’s a wonderful way to get acquainted with fellow

spouses and the USAG Bamberg community. For more information

call Kimberly Millner at the ACS 0951-300-7777.

PEP