page 3 pages 4-5 triple nickel tribune · pdf filecommand sgt. maj. ’s corner. iron fist...

Triple Nickel Team,

Greetings families and Sol-diers of Joint Task Force Triple Nickel. This month has been an

exciting time for the Brigade and we are making pro-gress across our lines of effort and helping transition Af-

ghan Engineers to take the lead. Your Soldiers continue to

accomplish extraordinary feats, and I am extremely proud of all they have done. Their most nota-ble achievements include the construction of a new runway extension, completion of a tacti-cal operations center for a new Infantry Brigade, and various force protection improvements across Afghanistan.

We also continue to partner with our Afghan counterparts and have made significant strides in their development. This month also saw the return of Task Force Comet to Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Our best wishes go out to all Soldiers and families who are now reunited, and we take pride in their accomplishments.

Over the next few months, the Brigade will continue to make preparations for the arrival of our replacements in late September. We are less than 100 days from home! I thank all Soldiers for their selfless service and all Families for their continued support.

We are “Willing and Able.”

- Col. Katers, ‘Able 6’

Message from

the Commander

Colonel Nicholas Katers,

“Able 6”

At A Glance…

TRIPLE NICKEL SERVING AS THEATER

ENGINEER BRIGADE, COMMANDING

ABOUT 5,000 ENGINEER TROOPS

ENGINEER FORCES SPREAD ACROSS

AFGHANISTAN IN VARIOUS ROLES

JOINT TEAM LED BY 555TH ENG.

BRIGADE HQS FROM JOINT BASE

LEWIS-MCCHORD… INCLUDES

ACTIVE, RESERVE, AND GUARD UNITS

FROM ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE

TRIPLE NICKEL FOCUSED ON AFGHAN

ARMY ENGINEER PARTNERSHIP,

GENERAL ENGINEERING SUPPORT, &

COUNTER-IED ROUTE CLEARANCE

FOURTH LARGEST COMMAND UNDER

NATO-LED INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF)

COMMAND SGT. MAJ.’S CORNER. IRON FIST RECEIVES COMBAT PATCH

2

TRIPLE NICKEL WELLNESS CAMPAIGN. TASK FORCE COMET REDEPLOYS

7

HEALTH ADVICE: FIGHT BACTERIA 8

TRIPLE NICKEL CROSSWORD! 9

BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS COMPANY 10

FAMILY SHOUT-OUTS 11

GALLERY: AROUND THE BRIGADE. CHAPLAIN’S CLOSING

12

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN 13

ABOUT THE “TRIPLE NICKEL” 14

Inside this issue…

Issue 6 — July 2013

NEW S LE T TER OF THE TH EATER ENGI NEER B R IGAD E I N AFGHA NI S TAN

J O I N T T A S K F O R C E T R I P L E N I C K E L

Facebook.com/JointTaskForceTripleNickel

That means that in addition to being the senior chaplain of the 555th Engineer Brigade, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Wash-ington state, he’s also become a counselor and motivator to thou-sands of Afghan troops he encoun-ters as he visits the far-flung Ameri-can troops who are responsible now for dismantling NATO bases,

training Afghan army engineers and clearing the roads of impro-vised bombs. It started with a nor-mal part of a chap-lain’s job here, men-toring their Afghan army counterparts,

who are called religious cultural advisers, or RCAs. But Agbere no-ticed that there was a large gulf between the Afghan RCAs and the enlisted troops. Agbere asked per-mission to talk directly to the Af-ghan enlisted men.

“Normally, what we do when (Continued on page 6)

Story and photo by Jay Price McClatchy-Tribune News Service

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan

— In many ways, the war in Af-ghanistan is one of ideas, of narra-tive, of whose story is credible, says U.S. Army Major Dawud Agbere.

If that’s true, Agbere could be the most dangerous U.S. soldier that the Taliban face.

And he doesn’t even carry a gun.

Agbere, 45, is the only active-duty Mus-lim U.S. Army chaplain in Afghanistan and one of just four in the Army. As such, he’s in high demand for holding services, counseling U.S. and NATO soldiers – Muslim and others – and oversee-ing chaplains in smaller units. But in the past few weeks, Agbere has created a new role for himself: a Muslim ambassador from NATO forces to the enlisted soldiers of the Afghan National Army.

Triple Nickel Tribune

555th Chaplain breaks barriers, encourages Afghan partners

U.S. trains Afghans in carpentry and earthmoving … PAGES 4-5

Navy Seabees pave the way for Coalition air power… PAGE 3

“Willing And Able!”

555th Eng. Bde. Chaplain, Maj. Dawud Agbere, visits students at the Afghan Army Engineer School, July 7, in northern Afghanistan.

Building Common Ground

“They just gather

around him like a

rock star...He’s our

secret weapon.”

-Col. Nicholas Katers

Triple Nickel Family,

We are in double digits from returning home! Your beloved Soldier, Sailor, or Airman continues

growing ever stronger, and more technically and tactically proficient in their duties. Each one is now the subject mat-ter expert for

their assigned tasks, and every day their efforts produce outstanding results.

It will only be a matter of time before our replacements from the 130th Engineer Brigade will be here to continue building upon the Triple Nickel’s noble mission and lasting legacy.

For those with loved ones in our Brigade Headquarters, and any other service members returning around the same time this fall: Now is a good time to start plans to ensure that your family enjoys the

much needed time together on vacation/leave. Often after deploy-ments, Human Resource Com-mand identifies Soldiers that have been on station for a considerable amount of time and relocates them within about 9 months. So don’t be alarmed if your spouse receives orders to PCS to another location; just remember that this helps keep our Soldiers well rounded and efficient – by intro-ducing them to different units, locations and career-building op-portunities.

Please remember to stay strong and resilient for your loved one. They need all of your support.

Willing and Able, CSM Bryan, ‘Able 7’

Command Sergeant Major’s Corner Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Bryan, “Able 7”

The Triple Nickel Tribune is an authorized newsletter for members of the 555th Engineer Brigade and Joint Task Force Triple Nickel. Contents are not necessarily endorsed by the Dept. of the Army, Dept. of Defense, or United States Government. Content is reviewed, edited, and approved by the Brigade Public Affairs Officer. For questions, comments, or submissions, please contact the Brigade PAO.

Public Affairs Officer: CPT Spencer Garrison [email protected]

“Remember to stay

strong and resilient for

your loved ones. They

need all your support.”

This newsletter belongs to the WILLING AND ABLE members of Joint Task Force Triple Nickel…

Send us photos, stories, and ideas for future coverage, and see your unit’s accomplishments highlighted on our Facebook page and in future editions

of the Triple Nickel Tribune!


Email: [email protected]

Issue 6 — July 2013 Triple Nickel Tribune

By U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Erin Jankowski Task Force Iron Fist Public Affairs

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghani-

stan — The transfer of authority ceremony, officially passing re-sponsibility from Task Force Lum-berjack to Task Force Iron Fist, occurred June 26. A week later, soldiers of the Forward Support Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 4th Eng. Bn., 555th Eng. Bde., received their wartime shoulder sleeve insignia on July 4, denoting service in a combat theater.

TF Lumberjack, commanded by Lt. Col. Jason Kelly, handed over the operational reins to TF Iron Fist, commanded by Lt. Col. Daniel Hibner of Michigan City, Ind., and with it, the engineer mission of construction, route clearance, and Afghan Army engineer training.

In his speech at the patch ceremony, Hibner explained the significance of the day, both as Independence Day, and as a cere-monial day to don the 555th Engi-neer Brigade patch on their right shoulders.

“The same sense of patriot-ism that drove early Americans to fight for independence is in many ways the same sense of patriotism that drives soldiers to serve today,” said Hibner. “The combat patch is something soldiers are authorized to wear every day until they leave the Army, which will remind them of their service to our nation at a time of war.”

The soldiers of the 4th Engi-neer Battalion feel the pride Lt. Col. Hibner discussed. Pfc. James O’Rourke of Orange County, N.Y., a human resources clerk in the Head-quarters and Headquarters Com-pany, said wearing the patch on his right shoulder makes him feel like he has done his actual job.

That feeling was shared by others in the unit.

“It feels good to be a part of the unit and help out with what-ever I can,” said Sgt. Acofaafetai Dominguez, originally from Hawaii of the Forward Support Company.

Newly arrived Iron Fist soldiers receive combat honors on Independence Day

The 4th Eng. Bn. received combat patches at Kandahar Airfield, July 4.

“We are expanding the runway...in order to enhance the variety of aircraft that’s allowed to operate on the runway,” said Steelworker 2nd Class Keith Manning. “ISAF is providing secu-rity for us while we build.”

“With the consolidation of adjacent bases in the area, we are here to build this base up so they can shrink the footprint of everything else around us,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Stocker, NMCB 15’s project leader in RC East.

“This is one of the largest construction projects in Afghani-stan, and the largest for the Sea-bees of NMCB 15,” said Stocker. “Each member was specifically selected for this task.”

The project was completed in several stages. First, force protection of the crew was en-hanced by adding sand-filled HESCO barriers and guard tow-ers. Then, Seabees began by grading the earth around the ends of the runway to ensure the land was level. They then built wooden forms that the concrete would be placed into. Finally,

they cut and tied rebar to place inside the forms, which would strengthen the concrete. After these tasks were completed the forms were ready to receive the concrete.

The construction was fraught with challenges. RC East is currently one of the most dan-gerous provinces in the theater.

“We get indirect fire attacks but once it’s all clear, we keep right on going,” said Manning.

In addition to the enemy factor, the challenges of the build were compounded by envi-ronmental hazards. The site sits nearly 7,300 feet above sea level where breath-ing and labor is made difficult. The altitude and thin air necessitates the need for the heavier helicopters that the Polish military operates to roll along the runway before taking off, which underscores the final and greatest challenge: NMCB 15 is expanding on an active run-way.


“Sometimes when we would lay down our matting a helicopter would fly over and blow it away, so that’s a chal-lenge,” said Builder 2nd Class Jarrod Powell. “We’ve had a few ‘bumps in the road,’ but nothing we can’t handle.”

Powell also added that de-bris kicked up by the rotor wash

sometimes lands in the concrete as it is setting, making it necessary to clean it. Despite all of the challenges they have faced in the two months since they began, Seabees are already ahead of

schedule. The Seabees attribute their

success to a variety of factors. “We’re very diverse,” said

Steelworker 2nd Class Zachary Styer. “We can go anywhere, any climate, any altitude, and build just about anything,”

Styer also said that the Sea-bees’ expeditionary project man-agement and organizational skills were a major factor in helping them get ahead of schedule.

Powell had a simpler expla-nation: drive.

“The first day we got here we got off of the trucks and started making forms and we just kept pushing,” said Powell. “It’s what we do.”

“We’re keeping up our leg-acy like we did from the old days,” Powell said referring to the Seabees’ storied past of com-pleting airfields in record time during World War II and the Korean War. “We want to live up to that legacy.”

“Seabees are famous for building runways,” said Manning. “They know we can do the job and do it fast. This is what we are known for.”

Manning also explained that Seabees learned finishing the runway had the potential to save lives by fully exploiting the assets of air power and mobility. By keeping people airborne and off the roads, unnecessary casual-ties to troops and innocent civil-ians could be avoided.

Stocker openly mentioned the pride for the hard work ethic of his Sailors, saying they truly lived up to the Seabee motto, “Can-Do.”

“These guys know exactly what we they’re doing this mis-sion for. I haven’t had any com-plaints, even when they have been out there until 8 o’clock at night.”

For Manning and his fellow Seabees, living up to the Seabee tradition is in itself a reward.

“Just to know that this is one of the biggest projects in theater, I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be apart of it.”

Seabees pave the way for coalition air power

“Seabees are famous

for building runways.

They know we can do

the job and do it fast.

This is what we are

known for.”

By U.S. Navy MC1 Daniel Garas, Task Force True Grit Public Affairs Eastern Afghanistan—

Another mission accomplished by Naval Mobile Construction

Battalion 15. Their mission: Place over 2,000 cubic yards of concrete to extend an existing runway critical to military operations. With completion of this top priority engineering project, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has extended its ability to protect units operating in the area...

Seabees place and level concrete during expansion of an active coali-tion runway. The project was completed ahead of schedule.

Seabees assigned to NMCB 15 work to expand an active runway in eastern Afghanistan, even as coalition aircraft fly close overhead.

Photo by U.S. Navy MC1 Daniel Garas, TF True Grit Public Affairs

Photo by U.S. Navy MC1 Daniel Garas, TF True Grit Public Affairs


By U.S. Army Sgt. Justin Moeller 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Div. Public Affairs

PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghani-

stan – Soldiers of the 203rd Af-ghan Corps Engineer Kandak with the assistance of soldiers with the 859th Engineer Com-pany out of Pasca-goula, Miss., who work along side Secu-rity Force Advise and Assist Team 4, develop their skills as engi-neers on Forward Operating Base Thun-der, July 2, 2013.

Two of the current projects they have in the works are the construction of a windsock to

provide the ANA with improved wind direction readings on the FOB Thunder flightline, as well as construction of a guard shack.

“They are constructing a guard shack to help with the

force protection around FOB Thunder,” said 2nd Lt. Henry Mackey of Headquar-ters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., and a member of SFAAT 4. Doing pro-

jects like these, he feels, helps them refine their basic construc-tion skills.

Helping to develop the skill

sets of the ANA engineers will provide them with what they need to support themselves as the U.S. presence diminishes.

“The training [and support] that we have received here from the U.S. Army has been perfect,” said 1st Lt. Hazrat Nabi Abdull Raheemzai a soldier with the 203rd Corps Engineer Kandak. “Day by day we are getting more experience in carpentry, electri-cal systems and plumbing.”

The ANA engineers realize that the knowledge they are gaining is necessary to maintain their own facilities; they quickly retain all they are shown.

“The Afghan National Army soldiers learn fast,” said Spc.

Taylor Neitman, native of Biloxi, Miss., and a carpentry and ma-sonry specialist with the 859th Engineer Company, who works along side SFAAT 4. He expresses how the ANA’s lack of mathe-matical knowledge is a hin-drance, yet they persevere and find their own ways around that.

Overcoming obstacles like the lack of education shows the drive and dedication that they have for what they do.

“I love my job, that’s why I joined the Army,” said Ra-heemzai. “I get to serve my peo-ple and my homeland. The ex-perience [his soldiers] are getting from the U.S. Army mentoring us is good, I wish we could extend this training.”

“Day by day we

are getting more

experience in

carpentry,

electrical systems

and plumbing.”

-Afghan soldier

Afghan engineers nail down carpentry skills

This Month in History: U.S. engineer saves the Army July 2, 1863 -- 150 years ago -- saw one of the most important, decisive

actions by a U.S. Army Engineer in the history of American war. During the 2nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle on the American con-tinent, Chief Army Engineer Brigadier General G. K. Warren recognized the critical importance of a small undefended hill on the Union Army's left flank. He directed Union forces onto the hill just before the Confederate Army could move in. The fight that followed was hard-fought but ended in successful defense of the Union position, helping ensure victory in a battle that turned the tide of the American Civil War. Essayons.

www.gettysburg.stonesentinels.com

Afghan Army engineers from the 203rd CEK construct a guard hut.

Afghan Spc. Toor Jan welds rebar as he helps fabricate a windsock.


By U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Reanna Johnson Task Force Trojan Horse Public Affairs

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Af-

ghanistan – The Afghan Engineer Coy of the 4th Kandak, 3rd Bri-gade, 203rd Corps completed training on the D7 bulldozer, June 14. The Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers now have the basic skills necessary to effi-ciently operate D7 dozers in military construction operations.

Once the unit fielded the D7 dozers, the Afghan com-mander and first sergeant c o o r d i n a t e d with the Secu-rity Force Ad-vise and Assist Team (SFAAT) for training. The 850th Mo-bile Training Team (MTT), Task Force Trojan Horse, arrived at Combat Outpost (COP) Bande Sardeh to train the soldiers of the engineer coy.

The D7 training included Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services (PMCS), leveling, hasty berm construction, defi-lade construction, and side-hill cutting. The unit was also able to receive supple-mentary training using the backhoe loader, and super-visory training with an emphasis on job site safety and ground guiding.

Private Richard Fry, from North Branch, Mn., conducted the PMCS class. All the soldiers were given a demonstration of the performance steps, con-ducted practical exercises, and after rehearsals an opportunity

to demonstrate their new skills. The end of the first day

concluded with the ANA soldiers getting familiar with basic driving techniques for the D7 dozer.

“The soldiers each began to get the feel for driving the bull-dozer around the motor pool,” said Fry, at the conclusion of the day.

The leveling class was in-structed by Staff Sgt. Michael Peterson, from Janesville, Minn.,

n o n -commiss ioned officer in charge of the MTT, and Sgt. Thomas Gehrke, from Isanti, Mn. Pe-terson and Ge-hrke guided the soldiers as they learned how to level earth with the bulldozer.

The soldiers trained utilizing the bulldozer and the backhoe loader to level the training site.

Once the basic skills of lev-eling were attained, the class moved into the construction of a hasty berm.

“The focus here was to build it quickly to provide force protection as soon as possible,”

noted Peterson. “The class spent one day of training pushing the mate-rial uphill, and one day pushing the material downhill in order to truly achieve a level of efficiency,” added

Gehrke. After mastering the tech-

niques used in berm construc-tion, the class moved to the con-struction of a tank defilade using the slot dozing technique and side-hill cutting.

Building Skills: Afghan Army engineers master

dozer operations, assisted by U.S. trainers

“Upon the completion of the training, all of the ANA sol-diers showed a marked increase in their skills operating a bull-dozer. They now have the skills necessary to use the bulldozer in all of the techniques commonly used in earthmoving opera-tions,” said Peterson at the con-

clusion of the training. “It is great to see the improvements and the can-do mentality from these soldiers and engineer units.”

The engineer coy is planning on using their new skills to ex-pand the COP, install field artil-lery firing positions, and con-struct a small arms firing range.

“...All of the ANA

soldiers showed a

marked increase in their

skills operating a

bulldozer.”

-Staff Sgt. Peterson

Afghan Army Sgt. Jiadon guides a fellow Afghan soldier during operation of a D7 dozer, during construction of a protective berm.

Afghan Army Pvt. Hadbilach becomes familiar with the joystick con-trols of a D7 dozer, during the first day of U.S.-supported training. (Photos by U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Gerkhe, Task Force Trojan Horse.)

U.S. Army Pvt. Fry (right) teaches an Afghan soldier how to check fluids during dozer maintenance.


we talk with the RCAs doesn’t trickle down to the soldiers,” he said. "We talk with their leaders, and they talk to the soldiers, but it’s not the same, it’s not direct."

The commander of the 555th, Col. Nicholas Katers, saw a photo of Agbere speaking to a battalion of young Afghan soldiers, who appeared to be hanging on every word. He went out in the field with the chaplain and immediately saw the potential of what he was doing, and he began encouraging Agbere to speak to more Afghan troops.

"They just gather around him like a rock star," Katers said re-cently. "He’s our secret weapon."

Now Agbere, who grew up in Ghana before emigrating to the United States in 1995, travels al-most weekly to Afghan bases, using his deep knowledge of the Quran to make connections.

He is fighting several things on these trips. For one, he’s trying to weaken the effects of Afghani-stan’s ethnic divisions, which are among the most serious threats to the central govern-ment. He also tries to counter the messages of radical religious leaders and insurgent commanders who twist the meaning of the Quran.

Many Afghans are illiterate and look to their religious leaders for guidance about how the world works. The extremists take advantage, telling people things like NATO troops are just here to kill Muslims, that it’s their religious duty to kill the foreigners, that suicide bombings are allowed under Islam, and that it’s OK to kill other Muslims if those Muslims are fighting the insurgency. Such brain-washing has led to some of the so-called "insider attacks" in which

(Continued from page 1) Afghan soldiers and police officers kill their U.S. and NATO allies.

When Agbere talks with them, the Afghan soldiers are often startled just by the existence of an American officer who is a Muslim religious leader. They are even more surprised to hear what he has to say about the relationship between Islam, their job as soldiers and the U.S. and NATO troops who are mentoring them.

Last week, Agbere, a perpetu-ally cheerful father of six with a gap-toothed smile, flew from his home base, Bagram Airfield near Kabul, by plane and then helicopter to the Afghan army’s engineer school in the far north of the country near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

His brigade doesn’t have a direct role with the engineer school, which is mentored by Ger-man troops. But it has close ties to the school because of its work with training engineers in the field. The school’s commander, Col. Ahmadullah, has a reputation among NATO leaders as one of the

best officers in the Afghan National Army. Even with model lead-ership, however, there is a gulf between the Afghan officers and the mostly uneducated enlisted men. Agbere told Ahmadullah that his religious and cul-tural advisers can help bridge that gap, par-

ticularly if they were to do as Ag-bere and other U.S. chaplains often do, walk among the men as they do their work, be it in a motor pool or barracks, and just engage casu-ally to see how the soldiers and units are doing.

Agbere made himself an ex-ample, walking from class to class, talking to the Afghan soldiers in groups and chatting up many of them individually.

In front of a motor grader, a

group of soldiers who’d been learn-ing about construction machinery lined up and Agbere introduced himself. They’d been warned, but one soldier still couldn’t believe what he was hearing as Agbere recited from memory a part of the first verse of the Quran, Islam’s holy book. He instantly broke disci-pline, murmuring down the line, "This American, he really is an imam!"

Agbere’s focus is on verses from the Quran that support the ideas of working together and saving lives. He doesn’t promise them victory – many are worried about what will hap-pen after the last NATO combat units are gone at the end of 2014 – but he stresses that the outcome of the war depends on ignoring their ethnic divides. Working together for the future of the country is some-thing that has firm underpinnings in their religion.

"Who is responsible for mak-ing Afghanistan great?" he said.

"Us!" came the reply, the enthusiasm behind it at least partly because some of their officers were listening.

Later, Agbere said it was cru-cial to underline that knowledge is important to Islam and link that with their training. That helps them understand that their work, even as, say, mechanics, is a religious duty.

At the end of his talks, Agbere always asks if the Afghan soldiers have questions. During a recent trip to an Afghan base in the east-ern part of the country, one soldier asked about the morality of killing a fellow Muslim who also was a suicide bomber.

Agbere cited passages from the Quran to show that Islam wants its followers to build, not destroy.

"What you are doing is build-ing, you are trying to help society, to help your people experience normal life," he told the young soldier. "So these people who are

destroying are going against what the religion is talking about, and if you can prevent them from de-stroying, that is your jihad as a soldier."

The commander of the unit came up afterward and told Ag-bere that he had broken down a barrier. The soldiers didn’t even ask their own officers such questions, he said.

At the engineer school, Ag-bere repeatedly cited a verse in the Quran that talks about how Allah created a diverse population of men, women, nations and tribes, but that what makes one person

better than another is not those kinds of differences but, as he interprets it, the good things in your heart, and the proper deeds that you do. He linked that to the need for the soldiers

to work together for their unit and country, rather than to dwell on ethnic and tribal divisions.

Ali Muhamed, a young soldier from Ghor province in the central part of the country and a member of the Hazara minority, was among several who paused in the middle of a class on clearing mines to lis-ten. He said later that Agbere’s words made good sense.

"It was clear from the things he said that when we are working together and helping each other, that it is the same as praying," he said.

That, Agbere said later, is the kind of result that justifies his use of Islam to reach the young sol-diers.

"It changes the narrative," he said. "It’s the last thing they expect to hear from someone in this uni-form, and it’s the last thing the enemy would tell them."

Jay Price is a reporter on

special assignment in Afghani-stan for the McClatchy Washing-ton Bureau. He has embedded twice with JTF Triple Nickel.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/Jay_Price/

Chaplain breaks down barriers, encourages Afghan partners

When Agbere talks

with them, the

Afghan soldiers are

often startled just by

the existence of an

American officer

who is a Muslim

religious leader.

The commander of

the unit came up

afterward and told

Agbere that he had

broken down a

barrier.


By U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Pride HHC Commander, JTF Triple Nickel

The United States Army is

an organization comprised of Soldiers and their respective Family members. Like the Army, the strength of the Triple Nickel lies not in resources and the power of its equipment, but in the resiliency and the readiness of those assigned and attached to the unit.

The smallest unit in the Army is the team, but the small-est--and quintessential--unit in life is family. Just as we train, resource, and enable the team to be successful, we must continue to train, resource, and enable the military family to be resilient. Relationship issues, financial strain, and complex health chal-lenges limit the comprehensive fitness of many of our Soldiers and their Families and degrade

Resilience of Soldiers and Families is key to unit readiness

Task Force Comet redeploys, completing mission as engineer command in northern Afghanistan

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan — Soldiers of the 573rd Construction Management Team, Task Force Comet, concluded their deployment July 11 with Colors-Casing and End-of-Tour Awards Ceremonies. TF Comet, part of the 555th Eng. Bde., is led by Lt. Col. John Richards and Master Sgt. Bryan Hinzman. The team served as the command element for U.S. engineer units across northern Afghanistan, overseeing route clearance, base construction, and partnership with Afghan Army engineers.

our combat readiness. Our obli-gation as Willing and Able, Ready and Resilient (W.A.R.R.) leaders is to do everything we can to change those conditions by building trust with our Soldiers and by mentoring each through personal and professional chal-lenges. Finally, we must inspire the next generations of Ameri-cans with genuine concern and steadfast professionalism.

This W.A.R.R. campaign will help to provide greater focus on building resilience and wellness in Soldiers and Family members. The Brigade Commander estab-lished the Wellness Working Group to support the Army's Ready and Resilient Campaign.

Photos courtesy of TF Comet

(1) Unity of Command: Engaged Leadership (2) Offense: "Connecting the Dots" (3) Maneuver: Outsource to Experts (4) Objective: Be a Triple Nickel Warrior

Four Principals of W.A.R.R.


Battle Grounds

CPT Zaal H Paymaster Pfc. Alicia Baum

A Public Service Announcement from members of the JTF Triple Nickel Medical Team...

Bacteria are EVERYWHERE (seriously) and can cause SEVERE illness.

Many bacteria form spores — tough, durable “seeds” that can withstand extreme abuse.

Escherichia coli (E-coli) Salmonella Staphylococcus

The Enemy Common Bacteria

On a hard non-porous surface bacteria can live for a few hours. On soft, wet surfaces bacteria can live for days (such as on a

sponge), weeks (such as on clothes), or even months (in the case of carpet). When these items smell “funny” or “sour” that means they are full of bacteria producing a foul smelling gas.

Money can host bacteria for several weeks at a time, and if used frequently (like $1, $5 and $20 bills) can be re-infected over and over again.

Hands represent the number one vehicle for bacterial transportation, due to the amount of things touched.

Hand Sanitizer Must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective. Kills most, but not all, bacteria by altering the pH levels and penetrating the cell wall. Does not kill viruses.

Warm Water and Hand Soap The physical action of hand washing removes the pathogens from your hands. Soap doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria, but, as an emulsifying agent, it removes the dirt and oil that the bacteria and viruses attach to.

Streptococcus

Weapons

Causes sore throat, painful swallowing, high fever, fatigue, headache; causes Strep throat

30 different species, can infect the skin and cause boils/abscesses; could be

the super-bug MRSA

Major cause of food poisoning, often found in under-cooked meats and eggs, high risk of infection in poor countries.

Normally harmless and live in the intestine; some are pathogenic and can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting


ACROSS 4. ANA Eng. School Cdr. 5. Forward Operating Base 8. ANA base in Paktya 9. Engineer task force in north 10. Union Army Chief Engineer 11. __ 4th, Independence Day

DOWN 1. Pfc. Baum threw a horse__ 2. Hindu __ Mountain Range 3. Hand sanitizer kills it 5. Iron __, 4th Eng. Bn. 6. Seabees expanded it 7. D7 (construction vehicle)

There’s help when you need it…

Crisis Intervention Hotline Warriors: Need someone to talk to, or have a buddy here who needs help? The Crisis Intervention Hotline is staffed 24/7. If you need to talk to a counselor, you can reach them from any NIPR phone by dialing 1-1-1. You can also reach Crisis Counselors by Afghan Local National Phone by dialing 070-113-2000, (wait for tone) then 1-1-1. Also reach Crisis Counselors by NIPR email at [email protected].

Remember, you aren't alone! Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Kimberly Hackbarth, 4th SBCT., 2nd Inf. Div. Public Affairs

Finish. You’ve returned to the base. Great job!

Try the maze. Follow the white boxes.

Start here

It’s also a maze! (Yes, a ridiculously easy one.)

Help the Triple Nickel engineers

get to their base, the red castle!

JTF Triple Nickel Presents...

A Maze ‘N’ Crossword Challenge

It’s a crossword puzzle! HINT: EACH ANSWER CAN BE FOUND INSIDE THE NEWSLETTER

(Maze: Ages 1-8) (Crossword: Ages 8 and up)

About this Photo: Those traveling to

northern Afghanistan are treated to beautiful views of the Hindu Kush

mountain range, as shown here during a flight in early July to

Mazar-e-Sharif. (Photo by U.S. Army Capt.

Spencer Garrison, JTF Triple Nickel PAO.)

The 555 Able Soldier & Family Fund helps support our Triple Nickel Soldiers and their Families during their times of greatest need, assisting those deployed and Families of our Fallen troops.

The Able Fund recently commissioned world-renowned combat artist Patrick Haskett to create a print titled “Clear-Hold-Build.” This print, shown above, depicts the 864th Engineer Battalion constructing a combat outpost in Afghanistan.

This print is being offered at $80, with proceeds going directly to the Able Fund. More information, including how to order, is available at 555soldierfund.com.

Sales of artwork benefit the 555 Able Soldier and Family Fund


Greetings families and friends of the Triple Nickel HHC.

The unit is continuing to press forward with the mission here in Bagram Afghanistan. The summer is near its peak and temperatures are rising. We are currently sustaining operations during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and our Brigade Chap-lain, Maj. Agbere, has proven to be a huge asset to the theater of operations at this time. One of only four Islamic Chaplains in our Army, Maj. Agbere travels across the five different regional com-mands to advise senior com-manders, counsel coalition Sol-diers, and provide spiritual guid-ance to Afghan security forces who share his faith. He provides cultural awareness training and indispensible perspective for Soldiers who wonder what this period of intense spiritual focus is about for the millions of Mus-lims worldwide. We’re grateful to have Maj. Agbere and thank him for his tireless effort and commitment to serving others.

One of the best weekly events that members of the company participate in is the Financial Peace University 13- week course, provided by Dave

Ramsey. Every week, about 45 Soldiers, officers, and senior leaders gather to discuss the importance of emergency funds, financial planning, investing, and building a strategy to be self-insured. Also in recent weeks, the unit celebrated the 4th of July with a joint barbeque with our Air Force teammates on the JTF Triple Nickel compound. We enjoyed the traditional taste of barbecue grilled chicken and ribs, challenged one another at games of horse shoe and corn hole, and enjoyed movies and music. Finally, another great team building event is the monthly airfield runs that mem-bers of the unit complete to-gether. Soldiers and leaders in the company wake once a month to run approximately eight miles around the airfield to maintain strong physical fitness.

We look forward to closing out our wartime mission in Af-ghanistan, but remain ever de-voted and committed to mission success. We continue to ask for your love and support!

Strength in Numbers!

-Capt. Matthew D. Pride Commander, HHC

Brigade Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC)

Soldiers and Airmen assigned to JTF Triple Nickel enjoy some food during the brigade headquarters’ 4th of July barbeque.

Photo by Capt. Spencer Garrison, JTF Triple Nickel

To Sgt. Mike Schultz of the 833rd, West Des Moines, IA: We are so proud of you, Michael! We miss you, stay safe and hurry home! We love you! -Mom and Dad I'd like to make a "shout out" to my husband, Maj. Flint Tyler, XO, 878 Eng Bn., Our Anniversary was 17 July... "Happy Anniversary my love! You are missed terribly and loved even more!" —Randa Tyler To Pfc. William B. Jones, 321st Engineer Co., from Houston. A big shout out goes to my soldier son, I love you and miss you dearly. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for your service. Shout out to SFC Obadiah Meyers, 833rd Engineer Co., Dallas Center, IA. We love and miss you. We will keep singing until the day you come home! Love, The Meyers 7 Message for my Soldier, Pfc. Martinez, 87th Sapper Co: Hey Love! I am SO proud of you! We miss you everyday and cant wait for you to come home! BE CAREFUL! Te quiero mucho! XOXO —Aleena

Hi Mom! Love you! Regards, CPT S. Garrison :D

Family Shout Outs


To BU1 Benjamin Pettitt, NMCB15, Belle Plaine, Iowa: We love you and are so proud of the amazing job you and your crew are doing over there! As always stay safe, and we can't wait for you to come home! To 1st Lt. Matthew Hosford, 833 Eng. Co., Dunkerton, Iowa: We love and miss you Daddy! We are anxiously awaiting your return. Love, James, William and Isaiah

Photo by 1st Lt. Jon Flowers

Thank you Families for your love and continued support

Welcome home 20th Engineers!

Sgt. Christopher Pigue, 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th

Engineer Brigade, lifts up his daughter, Kyla, 2, during his

homecoming ceremony Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at

Cameron Field at Fort Hood. The 20th Engineers served as Task Force Lumberjack, part of JTF

Triple Nickel. (Photo by Catrina Rawson, The Herald.)


Around the Triple Nickel

This past month

Camp Shaheen – Soldiers at the Afghan Army Engineer School listen intently to Col. Ahmadullah, the school commander, with Triple Nickel Chaplain, Maj. Agbere.

who, few weeks ago, paid the ulti-mate sacrifice in the service of his country. Indeed, the phrase “ultimate sacrifice” is a fitting de-scription of that extreme act of selflessness that military service sometimes exacts from its mem-bers.

That is because sacrifice is a sacred concept denoting giving up something of value for a higher cause or calling, for which I believe the self-denial act of giving one’s life for the good of others ranks as the highest sacrifice. And that call-ing, for us in uniform, is love for country.

While some of us may never experience the fate of PFC Milliard wearing this uniform, the decision to wear this uniform is not only a testament to our willingness to the same, but the very act of wearing it on a daily basis is in itself a sacrifice of a higher order, second only to the ultimate sacrifice.

Triple Nickel Family,

Helen Keller wrote that happi-ness is not attained “through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” For the person

in uniform, there is no higher “fidelity to a worthy pur-pose” than the commitment to serve one’s coun-try, even at the

extreme cost of his or her life. Nathan Hale, a 21 year-old

Continental Army soldier perhaps best captures the true spirit of the selflessness that is military service in his memorable words before he was hanged by the British during the American Revolutionary War, “I regret that I have only but one life to give for my country.”

Earlier this month, in line with time-honored military tradition, we observed a memorial ceremony to honor the service of Pfc. Milliard,

Chaplain’s Closing, Maj. Dawud Agbere

Sacrifice: Giving oneself for the good of others

Defending Freedom for All

Bagram Airfield – Sgt. Adam Villegas and Sgt. 1st Class Calvin Cunningham, both from the 10th Survey and Design Detach-ment, grapple with one another, July 6.

Bagram Airfield — Pfc. Alicia Baum, a medic assigned to HHC, JTF Triple Nickel, focuses intently as she tosses a horseshoe during July 4th festivities outside the brigade headquarters.

The morning sun peeks over foggy mountain tops during a flight over the Hindu Kush mountains in northeastern Afghanistan.

Southern Afghanistan — Afghan Lt. Col. Osman, commander of the 205th Corps Engineer Kan-dak, holds his unit colors as he poses with U.S. Col. Nicholas Katers and Lt. Col. Daniel Hibner.

Farah Province — During a U.S.-Afghan Army partnered patrol in Shewan Village, soldiers discovered a child chained inside his home. The boy said his father and uncle had gone away with the Taliban and left him chained to prevent him from telling others. The Afghan engineer company first sergeant, from 2nd Bde., 207th Corps, unlocked the boy’s chains, and the boy stayed by the Afghan soldier’s side during the remainder of their patrol, thanking them along the way. The Afghan unit was supported by U.S. Soldiers of the 307th Engineer Battalion.

Photo by U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Erin Jankowski

Photo courtesy of U.S. Army 1st Lt. Alessandra Braun, Task Force SAW Public Affairs

Photo courtesy of Task Force SAW Public Affairs

Photo by Sgt. Maj. Daniel Kelch, JTF Triple Nickel


Photo by U.S. Army Spc. Andrew Cuadrado, JTF Triple Nickel


We are the Triple Nickel… The 555th Engineer Brigade, currently

serving as the Theater Engineer Brigade in

Afghanistan, with about 5,000 Engineer

Service Members operating across the

country. Our pride is each unit comprising

our Joint Task Force—each with

their own storied histories, some

dating to the Civil War. This team

of teams serves as a diverse,

capable force that lives out our

motto, “Willing and Able!”


Our Mission: Deploy in support of the International Security Assistance Force and, at the invitation of the Government of Afghanistan, provide theater engineer support to include development of the Afghan National Army engineer force, ISAF troop construction, and route clearance, to help build a pathway to peace and prosperity for the people of Afghanistan.

Questions or comments? Email

Capt. Spencer Garrison

Public Affairs Officer

[email protected]

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