LONGRIFLEs WEEKLYA publication of the 2/138th FAR

Happy New Year! This should be an outstanding year since 2013 will be the year in which the battalion returns to Kentucky! Time may start to drag for some of you now that you have sufficiently mastered a majority of the

skills needed for your force protection duties. I challenge you to keep yourself occupied and not waste the remaining months of this tour. As LTC Elliott stated in the previous newsletter we are a third of the way thru and it will be late May before you know it. I recommend creating a list of short-term and long-term goals detailing what you still want to accomplish. This approach can help you keep focus as we get closer to the end of this deployment. See how much you can accomplish before you leave Africa and continue to excel and strive for greatness upon your return to Kentucky.

~Capt. Christopher FitzwaterCAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - Deploying to Africa has been full of new, unfamiliar sights for most Kentucky Soldiers. For many in the Kentucky Artillery Regiment, comfort of a familiar sight was found in the display of two historic artillery pieces, but their condition didn’t sit well with Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 2-138th Field Artillery Regiment, based out of Carrollton, Ky.

The unkempt cannons immediately drew the attention of Sgt. 1st Class Ricky Sacra, of La Grange, Ky. and Staff Sgt. Ken Wininger, of Dry Ridge, Ky. The two developed a plan, in coordination with Navy Seabees, other Soldiers

in the regiment and even a few local nationals to paint the cannons, improve the grounds where they are displayed, and create signage that explains the history of the artillery p i e c e s .

“As soon as we [arrived in] Djibouti, we realized they needed improvement,” Sacra said. “Since we are an artillery unit, we couldn’t possibly leave

CPT’s Corner

Happy New Year! Make sure to start the year off right by maintaining your fitness routine and healthy eating habits. If you haven’t started either of these, now is a great time to do so. The new year gives you a fresh start to work on areas that need

improvement.Make sure to be taking advantage of the education benefits that are available to you. Remember that most of us are entitled to $4,500 per fiscal year for college classes. Don’t waste your time by playing video games in your CLU all day and being a ‘cluser’ or sitting around doing nothing at 11 Degrees every night. Use your extra time to better yourself, take some college classes. If you have any education questions, visit the camp education office which is located behind the Green Bean.There are also many different programs available here to learn a foreign language, whether it be distance learning or going to a class here on camp. Knowing a foreign language can open many doors for people, especially for Soldiers.Keep working toward accomplishing your goals and stay positive. ~1SG Ray Fortier

1SG Thoughts

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Kentucky Guardsmen preseve artillery heritage in

AfricaStory and photos by 1st Lt. Mike Lowry

January 4, 2013Volume 1, Issue 12

DJIBOUTI - Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 2-138th Field Artillery, work on the final touches of painting the two M3 cannons that are displayed on a prominent corner of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.

Longrifles WeeklyPage 2

the cannons in the condition that they were in.”

On a prominent corner of the 2-138th Field Artillery Regiment’s area on Camp Lemonnier, now sit two M3 cannons, which are two of the roughly 2,500 manufactured toward the end of World War II.

Soldiers from Charlie Battery, 1-161st Field Artillery, a Kansas Army National Guard unit, originally found them discarded during their deployment to Djibouti in 2011, and displayed them. The harsh African sun and heat degraded the appearance of the cannons, and made them appear as though they had not been cared for since before they were put on display.

“They looked like they were salvaged from the Kansas unit, but [not much was done] to them. We wanted to preserve the history of the cannons, and give Camp Lemonnier more insight in to the history of the Field Artillery”, Wininger said.

In keeping with age old artillery traditions, the two even named the cannons, Pain and Agony.

Chaplain ReflectionsThe first line of the 2-138th Field Artillery Lineage and Honors reads: “Constituted 21 January 1839 in the Kentucky Militia as the Louisville Legion and organized at Louisville, Kentucky.”The Lineage and Honors is impressive reading material. As you read through the list of campaigns you will discover some of the places the 2-138th has served overseas, here are a few: Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, New Guinea, Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, France, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In a matter of months, the countries of Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Comoros will be added to the unit’s distinguished history. The 2-138th FA will be celebrating its 174th birthday on January 21st. Your family, friends, and the rest of the 138th FiB family look forward to celebrating the 175th birthday with you in person in January 2014. Until then, fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

~Chaplain Jay Padgett

*Task Force Longrifles would like to thank Chaplain Jay Padgett for providing this weeks Chaplains Reflections from Kentucky.

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DJIBOUTI - Soldiers from Task Force Longrifles paint an M3 cannon on Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. This and one other M3 cannon had been originally found by a Kansas National Guard Unit and had been put on display.

Photo of the Week

DJIBOUTI - Task Force Longrifles Soldiers practice Juu-Kempo, a form of martial arts, at Camp Narasino with Japanese Self-Defense Force Soldiers on Dec. 28, 2012. (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Toru Takenaka of the Japanese Martime Self-Defense Force)

Soldier to Soldier • Any Soldier interested in participating in a shout-

out should stop by the Public Affairs office located in building 150, Monday through Friday from 1300-1600. POC is Capt. Van Horn, ext. 4807.

• Any Soldier interested in volunteering for Troops and Teachers on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, contact 1st Lt. Weiler in building 150 or ext. 5031

• The Chaplain’s Office will be collecting donations of 550 Cord from now until further notice. Any Soldiers interested in making donations can stop by building 150 between 0900-1600.

Tip of the WeekPortion control is a an important concept when you’re trying to lose weight and keep it off. When eating a typical serving size of meat, it should be about 3 ounces or the size of a deck of cards. A standard serving of grains or raw vegetables is about the size of a

tennis ball or fist.

People who eat 5 to 6 small meals a day are much more likely to maintain portion control because they never become too hungry.