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94th BSB NEWSLETTER

“STRENGTH & HONOR”

November 2010

94th BSB DEPLOYS TO AFGHANISTAN ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

~~~Hello from FOB Shank!~~~ It took a while for all of us to get here, but we are all finally settling in to our new home away from home. Spirits are high and our Soldiers are performing magnificently. Our mission is to sustain the Patriot Brigade Combat Team while partnering and training with the 5th CSS KANDAK Battalion of the Afghanistan National Army. Our Battalion also provides the base security with our Base Defense Operations Center (BDOC) and all life support with our Mayors Cell. On any day, we work alongside Sol-diers, Sailors, Airmen, civilians, contractors, and Host Nation personnel that call FOB Shank home. Additionally, we have Jordanian Soldiers, CZECH Republic and Nevada Agricultural specialists, and Afghanistan National Security Forces by our sides. FOB Shank is quite a melting pot!

BATTALION COMMAND & STAFF Standing: 1SG Harvey, SFC Sanders, CPT Labio, 1SG Hamilton, CPT Mi-chel, 1SG Rumph, CSM Judkins, LTC Coston, SFC Clothier, MAJ Savoie, CPT Smith, MAJ Brown, 1SG Peters, 2LT Abel Seated: CPT Maier, MSG Davis, CPT Simpson, 2LT Brooks, CPT Erale, CPT Wandembergh, SFC Breaux, SSG Mitchell MAJ Mitchem

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CSM Melissa Judkins says goodbye to CPT Ryan Labio and CPT Dawn Wandembergh at FT Polk

2LT Deem bids a fond adieu

Additionally, some of our Army gear we need for our mission was also pilfered, but we have procedures to replace these losses. We have taken over all the supply, mainte-nance, transportation, and medical care for the brigade and our FOB neighbors, and our work is essential, demanding, and rewarding – all at the same time. Work has kept us very busy. Our Relief in Place and Transition of Authority (RIP/TOA) with the 173rd BSB from Germany was outstanding. Unfortunately, some of the containers we shipped from Fort Polk were pilfered as they were shipped thru Pakistan. Some of our Soldiers lost a portion of their personal gear; however, we have procedures in place to file a claim so they will be reimbursed just as you do during a PCS move. Additionally, some of our Army gear we need for our mission was also pilfered, but we have procedures to re-place these losses. We have taken over all the supply, maintenance, transportation, and medical care for the brigade and our FOB neighbors, and our work is essential, demand-ing, and rewarding – all at the same time Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we have much to be thankful for. I’m thankful to be serving with such an amazing team of Soldiers supported by outstanding Families. Thanks for what you do for us every day! Strength and Honor! LTC Tony Coston

LTC Coston and CPT Smith MAJ Brown congratulates MSG Haywood on her promotion

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From the Desk of the 94th

BSB CSM We are just about all here and settling into our new routine. The Soldiers have performed outstanding during the Relief in Place (RIP) with the 173rd BSB on 30 October, 2010. Our Soldiers arrived on ground here in Afghanistan with enthusiasm and professionalism. Soldiers are aggressively taking over tasks in such a manner that the outgoing unit was impressed. The professionalism was shown across the BSB from the Private to LTC. We have all come to make a difference for the people of Afghanistan as we support the 4th Bri-gade, 10th Mountain Division. The 94th Soldiers are truly impressive to step back and watch. They conduct day to day operations for our FOB and outlying areas. I was on the flight that had a long delay in Bangor, Maine with about 80 of the BSB Soldiers, and they were troopers through the four day delay. There were no complaints about the long delays—just elation for having more time to communicate with their families before leav-ing the States. Every Soldier in the Battalion is fully engaged in his or her new position, and they are already finding time to improve their fitness by hitting the gym. I couldn’t have more confidence in the Sol-diers to my left and right. They truly make my job one of the most re-warding that I have ever had. We are preparing for Thanksgiving. The Soldiers will have a treat: LTC Coston and I will be serving Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for everything you do. We cherish the support we are re-ceiving from our families and friends at home.

CSM Judkins

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Main Body 3 of the Patriot Brigade

left Ft Polk in buses on Wednesday, October 20th expecting to ar-

rive at FOB Shank in the normally allotted time of 48 hours. Un-

fortunately, things did not go as planned. The flight carrying __

94th BSB Soldiers arrived in Bangor, Maine just a few hours fol-

lowing departure from Alexandria, LA. Yet upon arrival, the flight

crew chose to land using the auto-pilot landing system. The auto-

pilot landing, though safe and secure, was unusually rough, and at

least one of our Soldiers remarked that he had never landed so

hard. Due to the landing, the plane had to go through repairs

which eventually stranded Main Body 3 in Bangor International Air-

port for four days and three nights.

The first night, after receiving free chow from the terminal’s res-

taurant, the Soldiers enjoyed themselves by watching DVD’s on

their laptops, playing cards, chatting, and reading paperbacks. The

Soldiers eventually camped in the terminal or slept in one of six

rooms used for personal hygiene and sleeping quarters.

Main Body 3’s Long, Strange, Trip...

SPC’s Vorachek and Schwartz

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Whew! How time flies! It seems like just yesterday that the

company was completing our JRTC rotation. Now, we have settled into life in

Afghanistan. Summer has turned to fall and so many things have changed.

Our commander has changed and CPT Rachel Smith is serving as HHC

commander and Mayor of FOB Shank. Congratulations to our prior com-

mander, 1LT Michael Simpson being promoted to Captain. He took on a new

position in the S-4 shop and we are very happy for him.

After JRTC, we immediately had to begin to pack up our items and prepare

for Afghanistan. We were able to spend as much time as possible with our

families and have began our deployment. We spent the first few weeks learn-

ing from 173rd BSB and now we are in the driving seat.

The Command Group has stayed the same and the company has headed

up the Mayor’s Cell. FOB Shank has officially earned a new mayor in CPT Ra-

chel Smith and Deputy Mayor 1SG Peters and has the mission of supporting

the FOB and its many entities and tenants. The Hawks have taken over!

the Mayor’s Cell

CPT Smith, SPC Campbell, SSG Polnett, SGT Mbiki, SPC Rodriguez SFC Logan, SPC Lindsey, 2LT Budd, PV2 Spann, PFC Joseph, SPC Govan, 1SG Pe-ters, SFC Joseph, SGT Montano, SFC McClain, SFC Fredgren, SGT Madrigal, SGT Chapa

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The second through fourth days were occupied in much the same fashion as the first. Soldiers played spades, chess, and handheld video games with noticeable enthusiasm, and a set of dominoes made a rather noisy appearance as well. On Thursday morning, Protestant services were held in the baggage claim area being led by the 94th BSB Chaplain. Throughout the layover in Bangor, our Soldiers were provided with free food by an outside contractor, though the terminal’s New England Clam Chowder and Double Cheeseburgers did seem to make their way onto the plates of our hungry travelers. As is characteristic of American Soldiers worldwide, no one seemed to complain. There were, of course, a few grunts and groans when the announcements came saying, ―One more night,‖ but all in all, Main Body 3 accepted things as they were, ad-justed fire, and did the best they could with the situation as it was. When the plane met safety standards on Saturday, October 23rd, Main Body 3 was flown into Bulgaria for fueling and change of flight crew. One hour later, the plane arrived at Manas Air Force Base in Kyrgyzstan. After a day and a half at the AFB, our Soldiers loaded into a C-130, and on Monday, October 25, Main Body 3 finally arrived in Afghanistan carry-ing weary but motivated Soldiers ready to do their jobs in 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.

SFC Cardenas, 1SG Peters, CSM Judkins, and SSG Young

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Hello families! Well,

it’s that time of the year

again… Your Soldiers have

been doing some out-

standing training here at

Fort Polk and JRTC in

preparation for our upcom-

ing deployment to Af-

ghanistan.

At JRTC, we ran six

convoys during force on

force with no simulated

casualties. We successfully main-

tained 100% accountability of sol-

diers after each indirect fire attacks and moved thousands of gal-

lons of fuel and thousands of rounds of ammunition safely to the

Forward Support Companies.

Since JRTC, we have loaded all our equipment into containers

and sent them down range, sent every soldier to the Soldier Readi-

ness Process to be medically ready for deployment and prepared

for our new Army’s MultiCam uniform issue. The new uniforms

your soldiers will wear are all fire resistant, and even have insect

repellent sewn into the fabric. These new uniforms will allow us to

be safer in operations and more lethal to those wishing us harm.

Here on FOB Shank, we have run convoys, maintained equip-

ment, and trained for the missions that we are given. We have ze-

roed our weapons (made sure the sights are correct), and we are

prepared and willing to contribute to the Patriot Brigade with all

due diligence. Thanks for all you do back home, and keep the

packages coming!

OUTLAWS of ALPHA-Co

Commander CPT Logan Maier, SFC Trauth, and SPC Petty

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Dear Friends and Family,

Afghanistan is beautiful, mountainous, and much colder than Ft. Polk.

We have arrived and Soldiers are settling in and getting used to the alti-

tude. Missions started right away with the Ground Support Equipment

section repairing what feels like every generator on our base. Service and

Recovery Soldiers have been on several missions and have already recov-

ered everything from Mine Resistant Armor Protective vehicles (MRAPs)

to Mercedes trucks. In the short two weeks we have been here, all sec-

tions have seen their share of work.

We had a successful relief in place (RIP) with the 173rd Brigade Sup-

port Battalion, and their Bravo Company was a professional unit that we

worked with easily. Many Bulldog Soldiers have found themselves serv-

ing as a critical part of base defense whether they are watching cameras,

supervising construction, or working at the gate. Although this is not part

of our usual maintenance mission, the Soldiers have embraced their mis-

sions and are serving enthusiastically. Be-

yond our mission, Bulldogs find time to fol-

low sports, use the internet, and watch mov-

ies. We are fortunate to live on a base with

several amenities, and the food is delicious

and plentiful. We are still awaiting our last

flight of Soldiers, but soon the team will be

forged, and we will be ready for any mission.

Thank you for your support, sacrifices, and

all that you do for us.

CPT Michel, Bulldog 6

B-Co

“Bulldogs”

Commander CPT Renee Michel and 1SG Norris Rumph

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SFC Walton, SPC Evans, WO1 Lotz, and a glowing WO1 Stoude-meire.

SPC Carlile and SGT Driscoll

SPC Glenn actually smiling!!!

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Life in C-co

CPT Labio and 1SG Hamilton

Friends and families of Charlie Company: We’ve made it here to Afghanistan!

All of our hard work (and your support) leading up to our deployment continues

to pay off as we assume responsibility and take charge of our mission here as part

of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) XI.

Our first deployers were CPT John Williams, CPT Stephanie Stressman, SGT

Gene Choie, and SPC Carprisha Davis. They deployed early to set the condi-

tions for the remainder of C-Co to arrive, inprocess, and integrate smoothly. We

thank them and also Charlie Company, 173rd BSB “Lifeline” for preparing for our

arrival and transition.

We’ve made some new friends with other folks working in our aid station. The

909th Forward Surgical Team (FST) out of Fort Lewis, WA is led by MAJ John

Provenzano and SFC Daniel Biesiadecki. MAJ Michael Burpee and SSG Catod

Todd are part of an Air Force Combat Stress Control (CSC) team that augment

and work in conjunction with our Behavioral Health team. CPT Erik Johnson

and SGT Robert Dixon use their Occupational Therapy (OT) skills to run the Re-

habilitation Center, also known as the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI)

clinic.

SFC John Hlebik was selected to run the PX here on FOB Shank, and he has al-

ready helped improve the inventory and selection there. SGT Horace Amos is

the brigade’s medical liaison at Bagram and provides all of us with visibility on

patient status and medical supplies. SGT Reginald Edmond is our lead and liai-

son with our partnered Afghan National Army (ANA) unit and is already setting

the stage to allow us to train and develop their skills and confidence. In addition,

we are also working with Jordanian and Czech units in terms of medical support

and training.

SSG Nelson

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SPC Christopher McBurney, SPC Daphne Young, SPC Tabatha Freeman,

SPC Sharon Bigler, PFC Jamie Maple, and PFC Cassandra Mangarero have

provided outstanding medical care to our brigade: in the aid station, on convoys,

and in and around other areas occupied by our other battalions.

Congratulations to SGT Michael Tylor and SGT Jason York on their promo-

tions on November 1st. We also congratulate SSG Richard Dennull and his wife

Desiree for the new addition to their family, Allison Dennull, born on October

27th.

Many of you have probably heard that one of our doctors, CPT Matthew Zak,

was injured as a result of enemy action within a week of our arrival. He is doing

well and in good spirits. He is currently at Brooke Army Medical Center

(BAMC) at Joint Base San Antonio for rehabilitation. We continue to keep in

touch with him as he remains part of the Charlie Company family.

You may also have heard that many of our containers and personal items were

pilfered between leaving Ft Polk and arriving here. We’ve had an overwhelming

amount of help and support, and we appreciate it!

We are taking orders for our company sweatshirts. Please contact your Soldier

or our FRG leader, Jeri Boor, if you are interested. Our Facebook page con-

tinues to grow by the day. We will continue to upload pictures and post updates

as often as we can. Join by searching for “Charlie Med.”

Thanks again for your support; we couldn’t do it without you!

CPT Ryan Labio, Scalpel 6

PFC Malish and SPC Boya show SSG Boor some “love”

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CHAPLAIN’S CORNER Religious Programs on our side of FOB Shank:

Protestant Worship Service: SUN 1000

Catholic Mass: SUN 1130

Protestant Fellowship: SUN 2030

Bible Study/Fellowship: WED 1900

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn

harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving

celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiv-

ing were celebrated by individual colonies and states. In 1827, the noted

magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale—author, among

countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—

launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Abra-

ham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863 with a proclamation entreat-

ing all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who

have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil

strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving

for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every

year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in

an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s plan,

known derisively as Franksgiving, was met with passionate opposition, and

in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the

fourth Thursday in November.