The Attack Sentinel

Volume 1 Issue 7 September 2011

Table of Contents ATTACK6 SENDS

ATTACK 7 SENDS

TERMINATORS

KILLERSPADES

KINGSMEN

SUGAR BEARS

PHANTOMS

TIGER MAINTENANCE

WARRIORS

Chaplain’s Corner

TF Attack Remembers

TF Attack Gets Outback

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 Family and friends of Eagle Attack: This month I want to re-

flect on the 10th Anniversary of the 9-11 Attacks. The Task Force con-ducted a memorial service to reflect and remember that fateful day. Below are my unabridged remarks… Continue to be very proud of all our Soldiers and all they do to support the Trooper on the Ground… We miss you very much but will see you all very soon…

LTC Rod Hynes

9-11 Remarks

COL Smith, fellow commanders distinguished guests. And Soldiers of Task Force Eagle Attack… Welcome to our 9/11 memorial ser-vice… We felt it was important to execute the ceremony at exactly the 10 year point of the attacks, in real time… It also is fitting that it occurs at sunset here in Afghanistan to honor all those who sacri-ficed on that fatal September day…Today, Americans gather at the Pentagon, near the site of the New York World Trade Center, at Shanksville PA and at hundreds of other places around the country and the globe. United in purpose, we gather to remember the victims of those horrific terrorist attacks against this nation. We also gather to remember those in and out of uniform who continue the fight against those who would harm us. The attacks on the morning of September 11 provided us with an ugly, painful reminder of the hatred and evil -- the rage and resentment -- which resides in the hearts of some. In the days after September 11, we were left to console the inconsolable. In the weeks after September 11, we tried to explain the unexplainable. In the months after September 11, we tried to make sense out of the senseless. And even today, ten years after September 11, we strive to find hope in the moments of hopelessness that still haunt us. Shakespeare said that "Everyone can master grief, but he that has it."

When the al Queda terrorists struck at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, they sought to topple the world’s mightiest symbols of military power and economic prosperity. And while those blows hurt, they did not cripple the far reaching capabilities or the effectiveness of our Armed Services and our financial institutions. United, we grieve for the 3,000 innocent people who perished in those surprise at-tacks against our nation. They came from all walks of life, all races, all ages, and while most of those who perished in the terrorist attacks were U.S. citizens, we must not forget that the victims at the World Trade Center included citizens of dozens of other nations to include 10 Australians. Terrorism threatens all civi-lized nations, not just the United States. Among the youngest victims were three sixth-graders from the Washington, D.C. area. Bernard Brown, Asia Cottom and Rodeny Dickens took American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington’s Dulles Airport on their way to California on a National Geographic-sponsored edu-

cation trip.

Their young lives were cut short when their hijacked jetliner flew into the west side of the Pentagon. Among the oldest vic-tims was retired Master Sergeant Max Beilke. Max was recognized as the last com-bat soldier to leave Vietnam in 1973. Hang-ing up his uniform after a 22-year career as a soldier, Max returned to the Army family as a Department of the Army civilian. For the next 20-plus years, he championed Army retirees rights on Capitol Hill and at military installations across the country until a hi-jacked jet ended his life at the Pentagon. He was 69 years old. Max was meeting with the Army’s top personnel manager, Lieutenant General Timothy Maude, the deputy chief of staff for personnel, when Flight 77 hit the building. A 30-year Army veteran, General Maude was the senior serviceman killed in the terrorist attacks. From the tragedy of the 9-11 attacks, America has found scores of new heroes. Heroes like retired Lieutenant Colonel Rick Rescorla, a 7th Cavalry veteran of the Vietnam War and chief of corporate security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Company at the World Trade Center. Reminiscent of his infantry platoon leader days when his soldiers relied upon his calm demeanor under fire in Vietnam, Rick led evacuation efforts from Tower Two that saved all but six of the 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees working in the building 10 years ago today. Sadly, Rick was last seen re-entering the building in an attempt to find stragglers just minutes before the tower collapsed. Todd Beamer, a passenger on Flight 93, called his wife to let her know about the hijacking and to tell her that he and his fellow passenger were not going to allow their plane to hurt anyone on the ground. He left his cell phone on after saying goodbye. He was heard saying, "Let’s roll" just prior to the passen-gers attacking the terrorists aboard their plane. Flight 93 crashed about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing everyone aboard. The actions of those brave passengers no doubt saved countless lives… And America has found heroes in the 343 New York City policemen and firefighters who sacrificed all when the World Trade Center towers collapsed around them as they struggled to get everyone out. Among them was Father Mike Judge, NYFD.. Father Mike was born in Brooklyn in 1933, his parents were Irish immigrants from County Leitrim.. He became the Fire Department chaplain in 1992, after his predecessor, another Friar at Assisi, died of cancer. Priests and firemen both enter people's lives at point of crisis And they have similar outlooks on life -- it's the need to help, to rescue.

Attack 6 Sends

Attack 6 Sends

Or you have Mike Judge wanting to do that in a spiritual way, and the Fire Fighters wanting to do it in a physical way. On the morning of September 11th, Father Judge responded to the call. He was in

Tower number one, he had just finished giving the sacrament of last rites to a Firefighter when tower number 2 collapsed. The overpressure and debris from that collapse killed him… His firefighter brothers respectfully pulled his body from the ruble and a photographer famously captured the image to be ever etched in our memory. BUT I am especially honored to stand and serve with today’s heroes. There is no other place I would rather be on this day. Serving with you, shoulder to shoulder, in combat on this 10 th anniversary of 9/11. But could there have ever been any other choice for this attack battalion task force… Eagle Attack was the first attack battalion to deploy and fight in Afghanistan. It was 3rd Battalion that fought alongside 10th Mountain and our own Rakkassans in a place called Anaconda. It was 3rd battalion that conducted Air As-saults and Deep Attacks during the invasion of Iraq… Overall the battalion has deployed over 5 times in sup-port of Operation Enduring or Iraqi Freedom. We have been on the forefront of every major phase of the war. Each time we have left our mark largely from the contributions of the 9/11 generation. A generation of Sol-diers who enlisted in the Army because of the attacks on 9/11. Now we would all like to live as we once lived but History will not permit it. President Kennedy said at his inaugural ,”. we shall pay any price, meet any bur-den, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty…” Today’s 9-11 genera-

tion epitomize the words of Kennedy in a manner not seen since the second world war. A generation of volun-teers who stepped up when our nation and the world needed you most. You chose to serve not for personal gain or treasure but for love of country and family. The Nation and the world are grateful. The millions of peo-ple liberated in Afghanistan and Iraq are grateful. And our enemies have taken notice. Generations from now historians will not only write about the great accomplishments of our Soldiers but will finally recognize the mili-tary family. The Military family is comprised of over 1.2 million spouses and over 2 million military children… They make up what I consider to be a National Treasure. Their sacrifice and support may never been truly measured or appreciated. And in the coming years as the campaign in Afghanistan transitions KNOW that much work remains, on battlefields yet to be named and against an enemy to be determined our Nation and our Army will again be put to the test. It is a Test we welcome, a Test we will pass and a Test that will again show the spirit and tenacity of the American Fighting Soldier. Our Swords are sharpened. Our Cause is

Just… And your actions during this deployment, will continue to spread the ligh t o f liber t y in t o t he d ark-

est corners o f t h is Wor ld . And t he Wor ld Will Not ice.

May God Bless you all and our great Task Force…

Attack Air Assault

Attack 7 Sends

September was full of outstanding food, amazing entertainment and a memorial cere-

mony to honor those lost on September 11th 2001. We be-

gan the month when Outback Steakhouse came and made

over 3,000 meals to support Soldiers of Task Force Attack,

and the rest of Forward Operating Base Tarin Kowt. Along

with Outback, the musical group Goldilocks played an

amazing set that everyone enjoyed song after song. In-

between sets comedian Andrew Hendrickson gave us as-

sorted jokes and punch lines to laugh at, and everyone, Sol-

dier to civilian, had a spectacular time. That particular day

was a great get away from the stressors of deployment,

and we thank the entire staff of Outback Steakhouse,

Goldilocks, and Mr. Hendrickson for their time and consid-

eration for the soldiers of our Task Force.

In addition on September 11th Soldiers from Task

Force Attack and our coalition partners joined together to

pay homage to the innocent people and events of 10 years

ago. We had two soldiers SPC Rojas and SPC Stamper from our very own Task Force

give speeches on how this day effected their lives, and its’ role in helping them decide to

join the United States Army. They did an outstanding job, and were soon followed by

the playing of taps and a Halo ceremony which represents a missing man formation.

The events of September 11th remind us of how strong we can be as a nation, and how

strong you, our family members truly are when our country asks us to answer the call.

As we push our way farther into the deployment we are greeted by fall and the

weather changes that come with it. The days are slowly becoming shorter, and the

early mornings colder. We welcome this change in seasons as it means were are getting

closer and closer to seeing you our loved ones and family members. Our soldiers con-

tinue to work hard day in and day out fulfilling their duties and continuing to support

the troopers on the ground. We appreciate everything they and their loved ones do to

commit their time and lives to Operation Enduring Freedom.

Thank you for all of your continuing support from home and we keep you in our

hearts. Please stay strong in realizing that our deployment is finally on its’ downward

slope and we will be home soon! Attack!

-Acting Command Sergeant Major-

1SG Henson

Terminators

HHC

FAREWELLS

SGT Compher

BIRTHDAYS

MAJ Tyquiengco

SFC Busbin

PROMOTIONS

SPC Flanders

On September 11th we commemorated the 10th

year Anniversary of the brave men, women,

fallen comrades and family members lost on a

devastating day for our country. In the midst of

this time we’re able to reflect upon the

"WARRIOR ETHOS‖. In great support of the

mission, Soldiers and families working together

as a team, have been truly instrumental in mak-

ing us the complete unit. As we continue with

the deployment, I ask that we continue to work

hard and maintain high spirits. It takes effort

from all of us to be successful.

I’d like to welcome our two new HHC Soldiers,

SFC Busbin and SPC Pellegrino. SFC Busbin

recently arrived from BDE Rear-D as the ME-

DOPS NCOIC and has assumed the position as

the SILK Aid Station NCOIC. SPC Pellegrino re-

cently came to us from 86th CSH at

Fort Campbell and become apart of

the SILK Aid Station. He and his wife

Margarite are expecting a baby boy. They have already

proven their dedication to HHC and the Task Force and

we look forward to serving with them.

Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to a superb NCO

and Medic this month as well. SGT Compher was se-

lected to move to the TF Fighting Aid Station. He served

as a Terminator for 8 years. He served two tours in Iraq

and is currently finishing a second tour in Afghanistan.

SGT Compher’s personality and dedication to the battal-

ion will be truly missed.

HAILS

SFC Busbin

SPC Pellegrino

Thank You!

To all the family mem-

bers back home who

constantly stand by us

through thick and thin.

We could not do what

we do without you. Your

constant messages

through e-mail, and your

care packages keep us

driving forward in our

mission.

Thank you from the

bottom of our hearts.

- Killer Spades

9/11

As we all take a mo-

ment to reflect on the

events that took place that

tragic day ten years ago,

we are overwhelmed with

pride that we are where we

are defending the rights

and freedoms of the best

country in the world.

Our pilots who flew on

9/11 were more than happy

to fly each crew chief a

flag in the stowage bay of

their aircraft.

mixers. We somehow always

had a constant supply of

freezer pops also.

Being greasy from sun-screen is thankfully over, but

now we are about to embark

on the season of chapstick.

The time for flight line pool

parties has come to an end,

but there is a lot of fun we can

have in the cold too.

Here Comes the Cold Summer time was pretty

hot, but we kept cool with

pool parties on the flight line,

and water balloon fights with

Bravo company. We also

would sit on the back deck

and have cigars when time

permitted. We always drink

plenty of water, and thank goodness for flavored drink

A Co. Killer Spades

We have reached Sep-

tember, and even though it

is a new month it still feels

like groundhog day every-

day. We come to work, fix

broken aircraft, and go

back to our rooms to do it

all over again the next day.

We try to break up the

day to day routine with

movie nights in the crew

shack, telling jokes, and

enjoying a fine cigar when

we have time. We con-

stantly have to keep each

other motivated to stay on

mission. It is hard some-

times, but at the end of the

day it seems to be all

worth it because we are

one day closer to going

home.

Eye of the

Crewchief

Killerspades pictures of the Month

Bunker Party PMS Party

Every once in a while we all

congregate in a bunker and con-

verse how the war is going. So

far, it is going very well for us!

Crew chiefs all gaggle on

one aircraft to inspect the

major components. If there

is something not right then

they fix it before it flies

again.

As it gets colder, the number of

Joes around the burn barrel will

increase. And so will the re-

quests for hot cocoa powder.

As it gets colder, I am laugh-ing at these local fighters who

only wear thin, non-Gortex

clothing…...man are they going

to be cold!

"If men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail."

- Ulysses S. Grant "A high school diploma fixes what a college degree brakes."

- Any Crewchief

Hello Kingsmen Family and Friends!As September comes to an end in Tarin Kowt,Afghanistan it is somewhat apparent that fall ison its way here. The temperatures are nowcomfortable in the day and even a little chilly inthe morning when the crews get after their earlymorning missions. Soon enough winter will bearound the corner and redeployment will beknocking at the door. In the meantime, theKingsmen are still going strong and maintain agreat attitude as we provide world class supportto our ground brothers. Morale remains high asmissions go around the clock each day. The mostrecent morale booster was the reinstatement ofthe hot water in the living area. The Kingsmennow, do not have to worry about catchingpneumonia while washing off the filth of aday’s hard work. In Tarin Kowt, it’s the littlethings the mean the most. Most importantly, on11 September 2011, we were able to take timeout to remember our Nation’s losses in the 9/11attacks ten years ago. Please enjoy the recenthighlights in lives of your Kingsmen.

New Born King-baby!The Kingsmen would like to congratulate Gordonand Loke Sarazen on the birth of their new babyboy Kanoa Kahekilimaikekai Sarazen. Kanoa isdoing well and keeping his Mom and Dad busyand up all night. We wish you all the best andKanoa a long life of happiness!

9/11 Memorial CeremonyOne of the major events in the month ofSeptember was the Task Force Attack 9/11Memorial Ceremony, Fly-over, and Barbeque.the Kingsmen played a major role in making it asuccessful day in remembrance of the of thenearly 3,000 fallen Americans on 11 September2001. The ceremony marked the 10th

anniversary of the events that took place at theWorld Trade Center towers in New York, City,the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and Flight 93in Pennsylvania. The ceremony started out withthe TF Attack Commander, LTC Hynes, and hisacting CSM, 1SG Henson, placing a flowerbouquet by the flags in honor of the fallen. TFAttack also had two Soldiers from the battalionspeak on how the events of 9/11 called them toservice and changed their lives. LTC Hynesprovided the crowd of over 200 U.S and

Australian service members with some thoughtsand remarks on the 9/11 events and how wecurrently are fighting the war on terror. Hisspeech put a positive perspective on ourcontinued battle in Afghanistan and Task ForceAttack’s deployments in support of OperationEnduring Freedom. The final highlight of theceremony was the missing man formation fly-over. Four helicopters, one UH-60M, two AH-64Ds, and a CH-47D did a low fly-over of thecrowd as the final notes of Taps echoed acrossthe Task Force area and the lone Apache movedout of the formation to the west symbolizing themissing man and the somber loss of the greatAmericans on 9/11. The Kingsmen crewsconsisting of CW2 Morgan Stanley, CW2 ChaesEdwards, SGT Tyler Tardiff, and SPC JoshuaDillon led the “V” shaped formation across thecrowd. Great job gentlemen executing a perfectformation and being time on target! The daysevents ended with a BBQ in the Task Force picnicarea. Lastly, I want to thank both platoonleaders CPT Greg Lewis and CPT CassandraPerkins for planning and organizing the entire9/11 Memory Ceremony and BBQ!

Thank You Kingsmen Families!Recently, we received an awesome banner fromthe Kingsmen Family Readiness Group and hungit up next to the company command post. Someof the Kingsmen spouses gathered to make abanner for the deployed Kingsmen Soldiers byadding a little note, message, or drawing to theirloved one on a company banner. All theKingsmen Soldiers read and enjoyed thecomments and drawings from the spouses andchildren. Thank you for the morale boost!

In Closing…I want to thank every family and Soldier for theirsacrifice thus far. Continue to stay strong and Iwish you all the best .

Opera Non Verba!

1SG Eddie D. Smith“Kingsmen 7”

CPT Luke T. Chivers “Kingsmen 6”

Task Force Attack welcomed Bravo Company 1-52 the Sugar Bears to Tarin Kowt earlier

this month. The company’s interesting name of “Sugar Bears” started back in April of

1971, when General Foods allowed the company to use their Post Sugar Crisp “Sugar

Bear” trademark. Bravo Company 1-52 has kept the name Sugar Bears throughout a

number of deployments including to Pakistan and now Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan.

Although they just arrived at Tarin Kowt, preparations for the Sugar Bears’ arrival have

been in the works for months. One of the major hurdles that was being tackled was the

location for their parking area. At a hover the massive Chinooks can produce winds up

to 70 knots, which have the potential to cause a lot of damage to nearby aircraft. Once

the parking situation was resolved it was onto building the CP and living accommoda-

tions for the new arrivals.

The Sugar Bears come to us from 1-52 Aviation Regiment stationed in Fort Wainwright,

Alaska. Needless to say the weather is a little different here in Tarin Kowt, but the Sugar

Bears know a lot about high altitude flying. They perform one of the most unique peace-

time missions: High Altitude Rescue Team (HART) in Alaska. This knowledge is impera-

tive for Afghanistan’s harsh environment which is one of the most demanding to fly in,

especially when dealing with missions such as sling loads, passenger movement, and

cargo loading. As soon as the Sugar Bears landed at Tarin Kowt they were being put to

work. Their first project was to help Echo Company in establishing a new jump farp at

one of the nearby FOBs. With the large amount of power and lift capability of the Chi-

nook, the jump farp project was completed without a hitch.

The Sugar Bears have also been flying daily

passenger and cargo movements with the

Kingsmen Blackhawks. Having the Chinooks

at Tarin Kowt has already shown to be a great

asset. On behalf of Task Force Attack we wish

the best of luck to the Sugar Bears and their

deployment here at Tarin Kowt.

B Co. 1-52 Sugar Bears

Greetings,

First off, I’d like to say that it is

both an honor and a privilege to

be a part of TF Attack. For those

of you who don’t already know,

the Phantoms hail from Hilde-

sheim, Germany and are as-

signed to the 3-159th Attack Re-

connaissance Battalion, 12th

Combat Aviation Brigade. On very short notice, the Phantoms quickly

mobilized in order to join TF Attack and the rest of the 159th CAB in the

fight for Afghanistan.

For CW3 Bibbee and SFC Clancy, this deployment marks the fifth time

they have been asked to leave their homes and their families to serve

our country in combat. I personally thank you and your families for the many sacrifices you have

made.

For some, this is their first deployment. Recently the Phantoms conducted a Patch Ceremony to

award these individuals the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia – Former Wartime Service, otherwise known

as the combat patch. CPT Moran, CPT Kohl, CW2 Holzman, SFC Priest, CPL Bolton, SPC Burrage,

SPC Chapman, SPC Greene, SPC Gurung, SPC Shomaker, SPC Thebault, and PFC Carter – Wel-

come to the Club!

I would also like to recognize our newly promotable warrant officers: CW3(P) Bibbee, CW2(P) Hil-

liard, CW2(P) Ponce, CW2(P) Harlin, and CW2(P) Kisinger. Also recently promoted was SPC

Shomaker. Congratulations to all!

As I write this letter, SPC Thebault and his wife, Elizabeth, are expecting their second child any day

now. We are all ready to welcome another angel to the Phantom family.

It has been, and continues to be, an honor to serve with the best. Thanks to the Quickstrike Battal-

ion for making us who we are, and to TF Attack for accepting us as their own. We look forward to

joining this team and doing what we do best. ATTACK!

CPT Aaron Kia ―Phantom 06‖

We’re already a few months into it and

time is flying swiftly by. Soon we will

be back to our loved ones. The Phan-

toms are doing great. I'm honored to

be their First Sergeant and incredibly

proud of each one of the Soldiers in

this organization. Their professional-

ism and sense of duty is clearly an indi-

cation of the leadership provided to

them prior to my arrival to the com-

pany. The Phantoms represent the ex-

ceptional quality of Soldiers assigned

Tiger maintenance has

welcomed some new

members to the team this

last month. Maintenance

Platoon welcomed PFC

Camille Zagaja, a 15R

AH-64D maintainer.

Armament Platoon wel-

comed PV2 Zachary Ho-

gan, PFC Joroghe Ash-

ford, PFC Henry Gomez,

and SPC Sean Pickett–

15Y AH-64D armament,

avionics and electrical

repairers. Headquarters

has welcomed 1LT Jef-

frey Donis, a UH-60M

pilot. With operations in

full swing we are grate-

ful to add these new as-

sets to our team and they

have all hit the ground

running.

New Faces

Promotion to Master Sergeant

COL Royar made a special trip

this month to promote MSG

Dale Bailey. CSM Thom was

also in attendance to participate

in this momentous occasion.

We are extremely proud of

MSG Bailey and the success he

has found throughout his ca-

reer. He continues to distin-

guish himself as an outstanding

NCO.

TIGER MAINTENANCE SEPTEMBER

Birthdays:

SGT Grelle- 1st

SSG Morales- 5th

PVT McCorker-

6th

CPL Reasoner-7th

SPC Kilpatrick-

28th

Air Assault!

Commander’s Notes

This month has flown by!

It won’t be long before we

will begin our prepara-

tions to return to home.

We are looking forward to

continued success as our

soldiers continue to raise

the bar every day. Con-

gratulations to all those

we had the privilege of

promoting this month and

there are many more to

follow!

Promotions:

MSG Bailey

SPC Johnson

SPC Liebman

PFC Helm

PFC Zagaja

TIGER MAINTENANCE

TIGER MAINTENANCE

September Birthdays

9 - SPC Soe

11 - PV2 Carrick

Significant Events

PFC Burgess was

promoted to SPC

PFC Mills was

promoted to SPC

SGT Tomasek received the Good Conduct Medal

Congrats Warriors!

Feel free to send any

questions or “shout

outs” for the Warriors

to chad.m.tyson@us.army.mil

You may find your

question in the next

edition.

E CO

WARRIORS

Warriors Family and Friends,

The mission is steady and your Warriors

continue to do an outstanding job. The R&Rs are

getting fewer, the days are getting shorter, and the

weather is starting to get cooler. We can see the

light at the end of the tunnel, yet remaining vigilant

to our jobs still left to do. As always, thank you for

your continued support. We appreciate your pa-

tience and understanding as we focus on the mis-

sion here. Continue to keep us in your thoughts and

prayers. Until next month…..

September 11, 2001 was a day that will always be in the back of

each and every Soldier’s mind. September 11, 2011 was a day of

remembrance for the Soldiers here on FOB TK. The task force

reflected on the 10th anniversary with a memorial ceremony.

There was a great sense of pride in having the opportunity to serve

our great country for the cause of the close to 3,000 lives that were

lost that day. Our hope is that the mission we are accomplishing

out here will prevent another September 11, 2001 from ever hap-

pening again.

Outback Steakhouse visited us this

month. For some Soldiers, this was the

first taste of home in months. Outback

served over 2,000 steaks to the Soldiers

and contractors of FOB TK. Once every-

one was fed the band Goldie Locks along

with comedian Andy Hendrickson

performed. Next time you're in a Outback

thank them for supporting us.

We will be defined not by the lives we led until the 11th of September but by the

lives we will lead from now on. - Bill Moyers

A Time of Paying It Forward

By Chaplain (CPT) Todd Cheney His name was Adam Kinser, who hailed from a quaint farming community in the heart of the Sac-ramento Delta called Rio Vista, California. He was the quintessential American high school boy—handsome, bright, athletic, and popular. Adam came from a great American family—they were devoted to their faith, loved their neighbors and gave back to their community. Adam, also deeply patriotic, wanted to serve his country and enlisted in the US Army one year after graduating from Rio Vista High School. It was during his time of basic military training at Fort Jackson, SC when the 9/11 attacks occurred. Like most young

American Soldiers, Adam had no idea the sacrifice his country would ask him to make for the cause of freedom in a distant land.

Fast forward to January 2003, Adam approaches me one Sunday after church service and informs me that his reserve unit has received a deployment order to support Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. Additionally, he requests if I would be willing to perform his wedding to his fiancé Tiffany. Naturally, I was delighted since we had been meeting regularly for pre-marriage counseling. In April, Adam and Tiffany became husband and wife and the following month Adam departed for Fort Bragg, NC for final train up. Tiffany flew out to North Carolina on the last weekend before Adam deployed and as God would have it she conceived and discovered this blessing seven weeks later that they would be expecting their first child. Adam came home for R&R during Thanks-giving of 2003 and the new proud-to be-parents were privileged to see their baby on an ultrasound—which increased their anticipation of the end of Adam’s tour and the arrival of a new baby boy.

Sadly, Specialist Adam G. Kinser never came home. Adam, along with the rest of his squad, were given a mission to secure a cache of weapons. All seven of them walked into an explosives-laden booby trap—and all seven of them lost their lives—January 29, 2004, days from Adam’s 21st birthday. Adam did not get to celebrate his first year of marriage and he never met his baby boy, later named Adam in his memory.

The 9/11 attacks had a devastatingly direct impact on the families that lost loved ones in the planes and in the buildings that were the plane’s intended targets. The events of 9/11 have also greatly affected those of us who wear our nation’s uniform. Furthermore, the tragedy of 9/11 has affected those who directly support our Soldiers—their families and close friends. 3-101 Aviation has deployed to combat five times since September 11, 2001. Some of our Task Force Attack Sol-diers were serving our country at the time of the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon, and many others have answered their nation’s call since. This one thing is true for all Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coastguardsmen: this is a time of paying it forward. What do I mean? Whether it is remembering the history lessons you learned in junior high about the War for Inde-pendence, knowing someone who departed into eternity at ground zero, or losing a friend due to be-ing killed in action for defending our nation at a time of war—the sacrifices made before, during and after September 11th calls us collectively to pay freedom forward for the benefit of generations to come.

9/11 may have changed our country. Specialist Adam G. Kinser’s sacrifice changed my life.

TF Attack Remembers

TF Attack Gets Outback!