The Attack Sentinel

Volume 1 Issue 5 July 2011

Attack 6 Sends

Attack 7 Sends

HHC

Aco

Bco

Dco

Eco

Chaplain’s Corner

Baby Announcements

Reenlistments

Table of Contents

This Army newsletter is an authorized publication for members of the Department of De-

fense. Contents of the Attack Sentinel are not necessarily official views of, or edited by, the

U.S. Government, Department of Defense, or the Department of the Army. The editorial con-

tent of this publication is the responsibility of the Task Force Attack Public Affairs Office,

APO AE 09380

Attack 6 Sends

Attack 6 has prepared a special video on the TF Attack Facebook

page. He would like to offer a warm invitation to the families and

friends of TF Attack to view his special message. The link is

http://www.facebook.com.home.php#!/pages/EAGLE-ATTACK-3-

101-Aviation-Regiment/121845181161557

Attack 7 Sends

I hope this message finds everyone in good spirits as well as good health. I also hope that the kids are all enjoying the last days of summer vacation. The Task Force continues to perform at the highest level, we have earned a great reputa-tion with our coalition partners for our professionalism and commitment to ac-complishing the mission. The month of July is yet another one down, as we quickly approach our halfway point of the deployment. This month we celebrated the 4th of July with a day of activities, starting the day with a 5k Fun Run, a competition of Dodge Balloon Toss and a Hot Dog Eating Contest, and ending with a barbeque in the evening. The 4th of July events turned out great, some would even say the day started out with a few TK Bangs! We also took some time to bid farewell to a few great Americans leaving our formation, CPT Shubin (Bco), CPT Kim (Eco), CPT Rus-sell (S-4), CW4 Hudson (HHC) and SFC Smith (Dco). Each and every one that was farewell played a huge part in the unit's success thus far and each will be missed. The Task Force welcomed a few new members to the team, CPT Bier as the new Eco Commander and CPT Shivers as the Bco Commander, both joining the team with impressive resumes. This month we also welcomed two additional unit's to the team, the "Sugar Bears" joins the team coming from Ft Wainwright, Alaska and the "Phantoms" coming from Illesheim, Germany. The Task Force has definitely grown in size this month, but our focus and professionalism remains the same. To the fami-lies and FRGs of the Sugar Bear's and Phantoms' we're proud to have you as members of our team and look forward to working with you. As always please continue to keep each and every one of us in your thoughts and prayers. "ATTACK 7"

FAREWELLS

CPT Russell

CW4 Hudson

CW3 Henderson

HAILS

SPC Diaz

BIRTHDAYS

SPC Carnley

SPC Hood

SGT Thomas, R.

PROMOTIONS

1LT Edwards

CPT Paulsen

Terminators

HHC Celebrating Our History

In July most of us think about the 4th and the be-

ginning of our country, and how it began with a

single act of defiance. This act was in response to

the need for freedom. Our founders recognized that

people would thrive if given the opportunity to

take part in how they are governed. We are fortu-

nate to live in a country where freedom is cher-

ished and with people who fight to share that free-

dom around the world. I think most of us would

agree that the work the Soldiers of our Army are

doing is nothing less than incredible. These brave

men and women sacrifice time with their families

and give up so much to protect the citizens of our

nation and the people of Afghanistan. The Soldiers

here prove everyday the greatness of the people of

our country. I consider it an honor to be able to

serve alongside such great men and women.

July edition written by CW2 Mike Brown

There is nothing that will put

a smile on a soldier’s face like

receiving mail from family and

loved ones, There is a notice-

able change in atmosphere

every time a mail shipment

arrives. Smiles abound and

quiet reflections of loved ones

and home fill the minds and

hearts of the recipient. Part of

the great strength of this unit

comes from the support from

back home. Soldiers conduct

their assignments knowing their

family is behind them one hun-

dred percent and the constant

stream of mail we receive is a

tangible element of that fact.

Thank you to all family mem-

bers back home who have done

such a exceptional job support-

ing our war fighters here in

Tarin Kowt.

Special points of

interest:

Two promotions took place

on July 4, 2011. Platoon

leader Josh Caldwell

was promoted to Cap-

tain and Crew Chief

Michael Rivard was

promoted to Specialist.

Congratulations to

these Killer Spades!

Best Killer Spade Competi-

tion postponed indefi-

nitely. More to follow...

Hate to See You Go

The Killer Corner

whole are immeasurable.

He is a mentor and friend to

all of us in Alpha Company.

The Widowmakers of Char-

lie Company are receiving

one hell of an asset. His

presence there will surely

bolster the maintenance

capability of the attack com-

munity at Wolverine and

diminish the population of

insurgents in the local area.

CW2 Ed McCaskey will be

leaving us here at TK to

provide his maintenance

expertise to our sister com-

pany at FOB Wolverine.

Special Ed is a Maintenance

Test Pilot in Alpha Com-

pany and while we hate to

see him go, his skills are

needed elsewhere in the Bri-

gade His contributions to

the mission and the unit as a

Killer Spades News Letter, July 2011

"Army helicopter pilots are God's own

lunatics" - Joseph Galloway Vietnam War; correspondent

In the Midwestern

United States, ranchers

have had a continuous

problem with coyotes

killing their livestock. In

response, the ranchers

have been shooting the

overpopulated coyotes

on sight. When the con-

servationist got wind of

this practice, they called

for a meeting with the

local ranchers to discuss

some possible alterna-

tives to killing the coyo-

tes. One conservationist

suggested, “We can trap

the coyotes, sterilize

them, and release them

back into the wild.” Be-

wildered and slightly

confused, an older

rancher sitting in the

back of the room with a

cowboy hat on and a

plug of chew in his mouth

replied, “Son, the coyo-

tes aren't having sex with

our sheep, they’re eating

them.”

Mike Brown’s Humor

Killer Spades of the Month

CW2 Brian Ayers

The honor of Killer Spade of the Month is awarded to two spectacu-

lar individuals this month.

SPC Jose Cruz

- Member of A Co. since March

2010

- Serves as a company Mainte-

nance Test Pilot

- Enjoys early bird breakfast,

AARP discounts, and bath salts.

- memorable quote, “Guys. I think

it’s going to rain..I can feel it in

my hip.”

- 2nd deployment with A

Co.

- Serves as a company

Crew Chief

- Runs a part-time barber

shop in the maintenance

office, offering reasonable

prices and quality service.

- memorable quote, “I like to

think of my hair styling as

pieces of art...breathtaking

art.”

Ed, we wish you good luck at

Wolverine. Be safe and we’ll

see you back at Ft. Campbell.

We are saying goodbye to SFC

Jarrett Smith after 18 months of

dedicated and faithful service

to Delta company. SFC Smith

was recently accepted into the

Green-to-Gold program where

he will be afforded the oppor-

tunity to finish is bachelors

degree and commission as a

2nd Lieutenant in the United

States Army. SFC Smith has

chosen to finish his course

work at Austin Peay State Uni-

versity in Criminal Justice. We

wish him the best of luck with

his future endeavors.

While we say goodbye to one,

we are welcoming four new

members to the Tiger Team:

PFC Daniel Kent, PFC Marc

Rendle, PFC Robert Helm, and

PFC Robert Courtney.

Out With The Old– In With The New

Making It All Happen

Our Soldiers have been hard

at work this past month,

laboring feverishly day and

night to maintain our fleet of

aircraft. In the world of pi-

lots the fun stops when the

fan stops. But, in Delta Com-

pany the fun is just begin-

ning. From wrench turners to

wire chasers, from sheet metal

to armament, everyone from

headquarters support to the

guys on the line are working

to keep the Task Force’s air-

craft in the air and in the

fight. The Soldiers of Delta

Company are fundamental in

supporting the commander’s

capabilities and once again

we rose to the challenge.

These Soldiers embrace ad-

versity and always seem to

find a solution. This cohesive

team of professionals contin-

ues to set the standard for

success.

TIGER MAINTENANCE

JULY Birthdays:

SPC West— 12th

PFC James—14th

SPC Cruz—15th

PFC Gideon—

17th

PFC Johnson—

23rd

SSG Maki—25th

Air Assault!

Commander’s Notes

The Tiger Team is con-

tinuing to beat the heat

and keep our aircraft

flying. With the addition

of aircraft at the base, it

has kept everyone busy

and hard at work. We’ve

had the honor of con-

ducting many promo-

tions and awards so far

and hope to continue the

trend the rest of the de-

ployment.

Promotions:

SPC Johnson

SPC West

SFC Nichols

CPT DiLena

July Birthdays

1 – SPC Farver

2 – SPC Ehrenberg

5 – 1SG Moore

19 – SPC Vander-horst

30 – SSG LeBlanc

31 - SPC Hollenback

Significant Events

28 June - SGT Bujcs

reenlisted for 6 years.

1 July - PFC Burgess

was promoted to SPC

8 July - PFC Stamper

was promoted to SPC

Commander’s Corner

Soldiers and families of

Echo Company, it is an

honor and privilege to have

the opportunity to command

this company. Thank you

for the warm welcome. I

look forward to the months

ahead. Warrior 6 signing

in. - CPT Bier

Feel free to send any

questions or “shout outs”

for the

Warriors to

chad.m.tyson@us.army.mil

You may find your ques-

tion in the next edition.

E CO

Warriors Family and Friends,

On 7 July Echo Company welcomed a new Commander, CPT Joie Bier. CPT Bier

is a native of Pleasanton, Kansas. CPT Bier enlisted in the Army in 1993 as

an Apache Helicopter Mechanic. In 2006, she was selected for and graduated

from Officer Candidate School. She is married to CW3 Ervin Bier, stationed at

FT Rucker, and they have two teenage daughters, Susan and Lauren.

Recognition

E Co welcomes new Commander

Warriors were recognized this month for their accomplishments. SGT Raphael received the Army

Achievement Medal for winning the Battalion NCO of the quarter board. SPC Cordova received

the Army Achievement Medal for winning the Battalion Soldier of the quarter board. SPC Deler-

son, SPC Vanderhorst, SPC Farmer, and SPC Alexander received the Good Conduct Medal for

three years of exem- plary service. SSG Clark, SSG LeBlanc,

SGT Aviso, and SGT Cline received Task Force coins for their

performance during the Army Accident Prevention Survey

Inspection. SGT Halverson and PFC Carrick received Task

Force Coins for their performance with rewiring the Delta

Company Hanger. Well done Warriors!

The E Co Warriors continue to do an outstanding job in supporting the Task

Force Attack mission. On the 4th of July E Co headquarters platoon hosted a

BBQ for the Task Force. Over 100 Soldiers were fed! Soldiers from the main-

tenance platoon rewired not only their own working area, but also Delta com-

pany’s working area. The distribution platoon kept busy planning for a Jump

FARP mission. Keep up the great work Warriors!

Taking care of business

As always, thank you for your continued support. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we

focus on the mission here. Continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Until next month…..

Chaplain’s Corner By Chaplain (CPT) Todd Cheney

Avoiding the Relationship Rut, Part 2 Last month I addressed the first of two most common problem areas that military marriages have problems with—communication. This month I want to address the second potential re-lationship pitfall, which happens to be the most stressful, and that is finances. The latest financial statistic, according to USA Today, is the population demographic of 19-24 year olds shows that the national average of unsecured debt (i.e. credit cards, personal loans, etc.) sits at $22K. In other words, young adults are addicted to plastic! This is on top of the fact that many within this demographic already have large sums of college repayment loans in excess of 60K. That is a mountain of debt to climb every single month when starting out in life with a new career, and possibly new family. The following are some practical tips to avoid the relationship rut related to your family finances: First, sit down with your spouse and share your financial goals, aspirations and follow through with a reasonable plan to achieve them. There is a leadership adage I am fond of re-peating—if you aim at NOTHING you will be sure to hit it everytime! In other words, in order to have some measurable financial success you must set goals. For instance my wife and I have set as our number one priority before we turn 60 (our desired retirement age) we want to be completely out of debt including any and all home mortgages. That leads to the second tip and that is pursuing, with tenacity, a debt free lifestyle. Several years ago I counseled a couple that is financially strapped because they had a house mortgaged, two cars financed, substantial credit card debt, and most of their furniture financed. Now that is a terrible way to live! If you are going to avoid the debtor’s dungeon you must, you absolutely need to live within your means!! For instance, my wife drives a 10-year old SUV. Could we afford a nice 2011 Cadillac Escalade on my captain’s salary? Sure, but I would rather put $300-400 a month to a ROTH IRA (Individual Retirement Account) rather than to an asset that immedi-ately depreciates once I drive it off the car lot. I am referring to the principle of delayed grati-fication and living by contentment with the material blessings God has given me (Philippians 4:11, 12). This means you must incorporate the third tip which is live each month within a set budget. Most couples I counsel wrinkle their nose at the notion of maintaining a monthly household budget, but a reasonable budget assists a family in achieving their financial dreams (see Financial Self-Help Guru Dave Ramsey, www.daveramsey.com). Fourth and fi-nally, invest for the future. Recently USAA in their Money Matters quarterly reported that most Americans do not begin to plan for retirement until their forties. That does not give most married couples the time or opportunities to eliminate debt or save substantially in a retirement fund vehicle such as a 401K or IRA. The earlier you can begin to sock away for retirement, the better! Kristin and I have been saving for retirement since we were in our twenties (even on a meager minister’s salary!). By the time we retire, prayerfully, we will have a lucrative nest egg in our respective retirement accounts and then we can enjoy the fruits of many years of labor. The bottom line: finances takes dreaming, goal setting, and discipline! Avoiding the relation-ship rut requires hard work in both communication and finances…go for it!

Congratulations!

To all of the Soldiers and their

new arrivals during the

deployment

Bco: SPC McAlister adds another to the

Kingsmen Roundtable

Dco: SSG Miller had a baby cub earlier

this year

HHC: CPT Galloway and wife Laurie had

a baby boy, Jace on 25 Feb 11

Aco: Mr Johnson and his wife and Mr

Queen and his wife, each welcomed a lit-

tle “Killer” to the Killer Spade family

Addison May Lestienne

Born: 19 May 11

Isabella Layne Gorman

Born: 12 July 11

Scott Kothman Jr.

Born: 9 July 11

Olivia Wright-Faith Murphy

Born: 6 July 11

Austin Steven Bujcs

Born: 15 March 11

Echo Company New Arrivals

Congrats on the Reenlistments!

Jump FARP? Yes Please!

By: SSG Leblanc

If you are a 92F (Petroleum Supply Specialist) a Jump FARP mission is more excit-

ing than finding two prizes in a box of Cracker Jacks. It gives the Soldiers of the Echo Com-

pany Distribution platoon the opportunity to implement training and skills that they have

honed and sharpened over the years, use equipment that is made specifically for such mis-

sions and it is a break from the daily norm.

Employing a Jump FARP encompasses many different skills that the Soldiers in Distro are trained in. Several mem-

bers of the Distro platoon are Air Assault, Pathfinder or Sling Load Inspectors Course qualified. They will rig, inspect and hook

-up all the equipment needed for the Jump FARP mission. The platoon sling load equipment is not used as often as our other

equipment; however, it is inventoried and inspected bi-annually at a minimum. This ensures that it

is ready to be put into use at a moment’s notice.

Perhaps the best part of a Jump FARP mission is that we are able to use the Ad-

vanced Aviation Forward Area Refueling System (AAFARS). The AAFARS is a modular, portable,

four-point refueling system that can provide filtered fuel at fifty-five gallons per minute to each of

four nozzles. Everything needed to refuel the aircraft within our Task Force is packed into one Tricon. Once the Tricon and

500 gallon fuel drums are sling loaded to the Jump FARP location the FARP can be fully operational and able to issue fuel in

one hour. This enables our aircraft to be closer to their objectives, refuel faster and more effectively support Combined Team

Uruzgan.

The Soldiers of Distro platoon will work hard to ensure the AAFARS is ready for

any mission. They reconfigured the inside of the Tricon so they can reverse pack the

system for a more timely set up. We are ready and look forward to supporting Tack Force

Attack with Jump FARP missions. Air Assault!

Happy 4th of July

Task Force Attack