the black horse newsletter (fall 2014 issue no. 3)

12
Profession of Arms and our rich heritage as members of the military service, and to build camaraderie and esprit de corps within the unit. We also celebrated our unit history throughout the evening, with a lineage going back to places like Stuttgart Germany, Corsica France, Japan, and of course Korea. Our common bond as brothers and sisters in arms, and as members of the Profession of Arms, is worthy of reflection and should be a mat- ter of pride for our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families. The Army has defined 5 essential Much has transpired within the mighty Black Horse battalion since our last news- letter was published. We experienced significant lead- ership transition during the summer, executed a highly successful ULCHI FREE- DOM GUARD- IAN Theater- wide exercise in August and SOUTHERN VIGILANCE Counterintelli- gence exer- cise in Octo- ber, wel- comed a new BN Com- mand Ser- geant Major, and added a new Human Intelligence De- tachment, Alpha Detachment. This battalion continues to operate at a high level, con- sistently accomplishing the mission and providing accu- rate and timely all-source intelligence in support of Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea, and com- manders at all levels across the Korean Peninsula. We recently came together as an entire battalion for a Dining-In, a formal dinner and ceremony for the unit which is steeped in military tradition. Our honored guest for the evening was COL (Ret.) Charles Jackson, who com- manded 532 nd MI BN in the late 1980s and is now an Army Civilian serving as the Deputy G2 for 8 th U.S. Army. The Dining-In provided an opportunity to celebrate the characteristics of our pro- fession, and they are: Mili- tary Expertise; Honorable Service; Trust; Esprit de Corps; and Stewardship of the Profession. The festivi- ties, fun, and rich tradition of the Dining-In served to remind us of this bond that we share as U.S. Army professionals, and assisted in strengthening the battalion in areas such as esprit de corps, trust, and stewardship of the profession. I am hon- ored to be a part of this great battalion and to serve alongside competent profession- als such as each of you. I want to thank all the Families of our Soldiers for your service and sacri- fice as wellwe truly ap- preciate everything you do to support our Soldiers and the unit. Black Horse! Battalion Commander by LTC David Elsen, 532nd MI BN Commander Quarterly Newsletter Fall 2014 Issue No. 3 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion The Black Horse Newsletter Inside this issue: Battalion Commander 1 Interview with New BN CSM 2 A Det Transition to 532nd MI BN 3 Families of A Det 4 B/524 ORG Day 4 Southern Vigilance (SOVIG) 5 B Co Black Knights 6 DISE, UFG Deployment 7 HHSC Spartans 8 A Co Volunteers with SAMS 9 Fall Fest 9 Spouse Orientation Day 10 Rising Star 11 Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

Upload: 501st-mi-bde

Post on 07-Apr-2016

215 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

 

TRANSCRIPT

Profession of Arms and our rich heritage as members of the military service, and to build camaraderie and esprit de corps within the unit. We also celebrated our unit history throughout the evening, with a lineage

going back to places like Stuttgart Germany, Corsica France, Japan, and of course Korea. Our common bond as brothers and sisters in arms, and as members of the Profession of Arms, is worthy of reflection and should be a mat-ter of pride for our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families. The Army has defined 5 essential

Much has transpired within the mighty Black Horse battalion since our last news-letter was published. We experienced significant lead-ership transition during the summer, executed a highly successful ULCHI FREE-DOM GUARD-IAN Theater-wide exercise in August and SOUTHERN VIGILANCE Counterintelli-gence exer-cise in Octo-ber, wel-comed a new BN Com-mand Ser-geant Major, and added a new Human Intelligence De-tachment, Alpha Detachment. This battalion continues to operate at a high level, con-sistently accomplishing the mission and providing accu-rate and timely all-source intelligence in support of Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea, and com-manders at all levels across the Korean Peninsula. We recently came together as an entire battalion for a Dining-In, a formal dinner and ceremony for the unit which is steeped in military tradition. Our honored guest for the evening was COL (Ret.) Charles Jackson, who com-manded 532nd MI BN in the late 1980s and is now an Army Civilian serving as the Deputy G2 for 8th U.S. Army. The Dining-In provided an opportunity to celebrate the

characteristics of our pro-fession, and they are: Mili-tary Expertise; Honorable Service; Trust; Esprit de Corps; and Stewardship of the Profession. The festivi-ties, fun, and rich tradition of the Dining-In served to remind us of this bond that

we share as U.S. Army professionals, and assisted in strengthening the battalion in areas such as esprit de corps, trust, and stewardship of the profession. I am hon-ored to be a part of this great battalion and to serve alongside competent profession-als such as each of you. I want to thank all

the Families of our Soldiers for your service and sacri-fice as well—we truly ap-preciate everything you do to support our Soldiers and the unit. Black Horse!

Battalion Commander by LTC Dav id E lsen , 532nd MI BN Commander

Quarterly Newsletter

Fall 2014

Issue No. 3

532nd

Military

Intelligence

Battalion

The Black Horse Newsletter

Inside this issue:

Battalion Commander 1

Interview with New BN

CSM

2

A Det Transition to

532nd MI BN

3

Families of A Det 4

B/524 ORG Day 4

Southern Vigilance

(SOVIG)

5

B Co Black Knights 6

DISE, UFG Deployment 7

HHSC Spartans 8

A Co Volunteers with SAMS

9

Fall Fest 9

Spouse Orientation Day 10

Rising Star 11

Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

I had the privilege to interview Command Sergeant Major Yokum about his past experiences and his views. It was a very informative experience. I came away from the meeting having a much better under-standing, not only of Command Sergeant Major Yo-kum, but of Army life and leadership. Command Sergeant Major Yokum has served in multi-ple technical positions within the MI field as well as various positions of leadership including Instructor/Writer, DISE NCOIC, Strategic Maintenance Supervi-sor, IEW Shop Foreman, Operations Sergeant, Force Modernization NCO, First Sergeant, and G5 Combat Development Sergeant Major. SPC Adams: What was your original MOS and how did that lead to where you are now? CSM Yokum: I came in as a 33T IEW Maintenance Technician, now it's considered a 35T. My first assign-ment was the 2nd BN 5th Special Forces Group. After that I went to 302nd MI BN, Germany. From Germany I went to the 305th MI BN Fort Huachuca, where I was an AIT instructor. Next, I was assigned to the US Army Office of Military Support until being selected to come to the 532nd. Now, on to the more important things that the Blackhorse Battalion cares about in the News Letter: dependents and hobbies. SPC Adams: Okay, well you know how this kind of thing goes. So going in a different direction, do you have any dependents? CSM Yokum: I’m single, no dependents. I never mar-ried. [yet!] SPC Adams: What about hobbies, what do you like to do in your off duty time? CSM Yokum: I'm a huge sports fan. Pretty much any sport, I'll watch. For football, the Saints are my num-ber one team, ‘Who Dat!’ In the Army I've played soft-ball in pretty much every unit I've been in. Lastly, I'm an avid coffee drinker. It's pretty much my only vice. SPC Adams: So what were your main reasons for joining the military in the first place? CSM Yokum: I always wanted to be a Soldier since I was little. I was sold with “be all you can be!” SPC Adams: To go along with my last question, what are your main reasons for staying in as long as you have? CSM Yokum: I love the military. I really like Soldiers and I like the core mission of the military, especially

the Army. It's all about what we do for the nation and that's one of the things that I focus on. Some people enjoy a life of service and at the end of the day that's what being in the military is about. You take pride in what you accomplish for other indi-viduals. Being a Soldier is all about giving Ameri-cans the freedoms that they enjoy, whether you agree with the way they exercise those freedoms or not. I've always bought into the Soldiers Creed, I can relate to it. That's what it's all about and I still like it. If I come to work, five days in a row not liking it, I'm retiring. I've never made it five days, really I haven't made it three days. That's what I tell Sol-diers, "do things you want to do, accomplish things that you want accomplished." SPC Adams: Building off of that, how would you explain your approach to leading Soldiers? CSM Yokum: I believe in always maintaining the moral high ground. Do as I do, not just do as I say. An NCO is the standard bearer. Next is communi-cation, true communication. Communication is a circular event, it's not a one way event. It is talking, actively listening, and responding. The pillar of leadership is communication. You have to talk to your Soldiers and not just talk, communicate. So how do you gauge if you're a good leader or not? It's when people "buy in". So my goal as a leader is to get commitment. Not compliance, I want commit-ment. SPC Adams: What would you say is your method to succeeding or advancing in the army? CSM Yokum: Goal setting. Any road to success school you go to, they’ll say you have to set a goal. You have to set a goal that’s semi-achievable, that’s the first thing. Also, luck and timing, you’ll hear those. Luck and timing are always involved, because there are a finite number of positions. All you can personally do is prepare yourself to the best of your abilities, so that if that position be-comes available, you’re the number one selection. Don’t run away from the tough jobs. If the tough job is there, don’t be the Soldier not volunteering for it. Also take care of Soldiers. Your career will take care of itself. SPC Adams: What is your favorite thing about being stationed here in Korea, so far? CSM Yokum: Korea will round out my World-tour. I can check another location off my bucket-list. It’s always interesting to see how other cultures live their lives.

SPC Adams: Do you have a favorite Korean dish yet? CSM Yokum: Not yet, but as long as it’s meat I think I’ll be okay. SPC Adams: Staying on a lighter topic, what’s your favorite PRT activity? CSM Yokum: I am a huge fan of kettle bells. I love kettle bells and core exercises. I’m all about some kettle bells. SPC Adams: Last question, what advice would you give to younger Soldiers for their military careers? CSM Yokum: Don’t forget that it’s not just about you, it’s all about team. Don’t stab your buddy in the back or step on them to make that next higher rank. Because all you’re doing is setting yourself up for failure and you’re breaking the system. Leadership ad-vice I would give any Soldier: If you have the time, and a Soldier asks you why they’re doing something, explain it to them. If a Sol-dier understands your decision making proc-ess, when you don’t have time to explain, they will understand because they’ve already bought in to your decision making process. He said we have to do this? Got it, we have to do this. Because you’ve already taken the time before, in other instances, to explain why we have to do “X,Y, and Z”. SPC Adams: I feel like I’m taking a class from you rather than doing an interview. Thank you very much for your time.

CSM Yokum: That’s what Sergeant Majors do.

Page 2 The Black Horse Newsletter

Interview with New Battalion CSM by SPC Jordan Adams

Change has been a constant factor for Alpha Detachment over the past six months. Born from the ashes of Alpha Company, 524th Military Intelligence Battal-ion, Alpha Detachment has con-tinued to push forward with a steadfast determination to ac-complish the Human Intelligence (HUMINT) mission despite the ever dwindling numbers of HUMINT professionals. The transition from operating along-side of our counterintelligence (CI) comrades to becoming a self sustaining HUMINT operation has not always been easy, but the Soldiers and Leaders of Al-pha Detachment have proven that hard work, determination, and team work is a formula for continued success. The HUMINT Soldiers of Al-pha Detachment were originally embedded within CI teams in Seoul Military Intelligence De-tachment under Alpha Company, 524th Military Intelligence Battal-ion. HUMINT Soldiers assisted in CI operations while continuing to execute a HUMINT mis-sion. When the battal-ion cased the unit col-ors it became apparent that change was on the way. Initially the HUMINT Soldiers of Alpha Detachment stayed with SMID under B Company, 524th while Alpha Company began the long process of equip-ment turn in. Things changed again in March 2014. Captain Upshaw, the Alpha Company, 524th Com-mander, informed the HUMINT Soldiers that Alpha Company would live to see another day,

but as a HUMINT detachment rather than company. The plan was to move all HUMINT operations to Building 6004, which was the headquarters location for Alpha Company. The first major obstacles included prepar-ing the work space in building 6004 and moving all of the materials from the SMID building at 4833. Simultaneously, Captain Law took command of Alpha Detachment with SFC Sterner as the Detachment First Sergeant, which was challenging since the detachment was es-

sentially operating as a full com-pany with far fewer personnel. Despite the initial challenges, Alpha Detachment moved into the work space and hit the ground run-ning. Alpha Detachment had become the

flagship HUMINT operation on the peninsula, with CW3 An, the 501st Brigade HUMINT Op-erations Cell (HOC) Chief Warrant Officer, spearheading the move to elevate HUMINT production in Korea. Alpha Detachment sur-passed previous HUMINT reporting within the first two months. Alpha Detachment also con-ducted mission training to HUMINT elements throughout the peninsula, including 2nd Infantry Division. Alpha Detachment’s luck changed for the better when the detachment became part of the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion in October 2014. The Battalion Staff set the conditions for the move after the notification from the Bri-gade Headquarters, seamlessly integrating the small detachment into the battalion quickly, and allowing the Detachment to con-tinue its critical mission. Despite some hic-cups along the way, the Detachment has been welcomed with open arms. With what is hopefully the final transition almost complete, Alpha Detachment looks forward to continuing to fulfill the HUMINT

mission as part of a well established and esteemed organization in the Republic of Korea

for years to come.

Page 3 Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

Alpha Detachment Transitions to 532nd MI BN By SSG Guy T. Smi th, A Det IRS NCOIC

In the midst of transitions, it can be easy to forget those behind the scenes, taking care of those near to our Soldier’s hearts. The spouses and families of Al-pha Detachment have persevered over the past 5 months through multiple changes to their service member’s re-porting chain and workload, and they’ve done it in stride. Alpha Detachment’s seven families, five with children, have been ever pre-sent in assisting the unit in helping with events and supporting our Soldiers. The camaraderie they’ve displayed has been an additional asset due to the small size of the unit, and this has been accom-plished despite the ongoing effort to re-build the unit’s Family Readi-ness Group.

During the month of August, Alpha Det was host to augmentees from the Hawaii Na-tional Guard and the Utah National Guard. The fami-lies were instantly welcoming of the Soldiers and made them feel enough at home that they thor-oughly enjoyed their time with us and would love to return in the fu-ture. I could not have accomplished the same effect without their assis-tance. Although we’re a small outfit, the unit’s mascot – The Mohican – is telling of how our unit and our fami-lies take care of one another and persevere despite the continual change around them. We’ll con-tinue to move forward as a whole,

holding on to the history of the 524

th MI Battalion while

embracing the 532nd

MI Bat-talion. In the end, our Sol-diers and their families can truly say “Never Die!” as they have contributed in their own way to the revitalization of HUMINT. within the 501

st MI Bri-

gade. - Mohican 6

and providing fami-

lies with a fun, safe, com-pany event left the Blades family anxious for the next ORG Day.

On 9 October, 71 Blades embarked to Area I’s Warrior Adventure Quest to conduct our Company Organization Day. With a com-pany spread out at six different detachments and one HQ element, consolidating us in one location is not an easy feat. Soldiers and families alike enjoyed the countryside of Korea and its beautiful weather on a day set aside to relax and play just as hard as we work on a daily basis. The day began with zip-lining in a build-up manner to help those with fear of heights work their way up to zip-lining across a river for the final portion. This was followed by an ATV course whose hills pro-vided a bumpy trail begging to be conquered. The day ended with a great BBQ. B/524’s ORG Day proved a success that received a thumbs-up from even the youngest in the group, 22-month old Dahlia Bell. A great day of building espirit de corps within the ranks

Page 4 The Black Horse

B/524’s Organization Day by 1LT Madelyne Corc ino, XO B/524

The Families of Alpha Detachment

by CPT Jared B. Law, A Det Commander

Children from Alpha Det enjoy a Sum-mer Day during a unit activity

From Left to Right, SSG Chinen (HIARNG), PFC Kim (A Det) and

SPC Tangren (UTARNG) man the grill during a Unit BBQ

From 16-24 October 2014, B/524, 532nd Military Intelligence (MI) Bat-talion (BN), as well as participants from 2nd Infantry Division (ID) 25th ID, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) and the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), con-ducted full spectrum counterintelli-gence (CI) training known as South-ern Vigilance (SOVIG). SOVIG is an annual CI focused training event for all B/524 Special Agents and visiting participants, which focuses on safely and professionally training members of the CI cohort to the standards set forth in the U.S. Army CI community; resulting in adaptive, cohesive, and skilled CI Soldiers prepared to support their units in a variety of CI-related tasks. SOVIG taught new CI Agents the importance of an aggressive CI posture verses the impact of a pas-sive and defensive one. B/524 per-sonnel and additional participants were thrust into a scenario de-signed to challenge them and force them to recognize that they cannot hunker down in a defensive mode and wait for the mission to come to them, rather it taught them to be relentlessly on the offensive. Addi-tionally, this year’s SOVIG incorpo-rated trained analysts from III MEF

(Marine Expeditionary Force) at the Operational Management level. This mission multiplier provided the CI Teams with the valu-able asset of collective analysis. This asset sup-ported them in Military Counterintelligence Collec-tion (MCC) lead develop-ment, identified intelligence

gaps and focused their collection efforts in the areas that will be most productive. SOVIG participants were given the opportunity to display their conceptual knowledge in CI Op-erational Management, CI Overt Liaison, Military CI Collection (MCC), Threat and Awareness Reporting Program require-ments, Covering Agent Program duties and responsibilities, the conduct of information briefs at the staff level, and CI investiga-tions with subsequent produc-tion, dissemination and analysis. SOVIG

helped to identify strengths and weaknesses at the Soldier and team level for evaluation purposes and incorporated lessons learned throughout the exercise to the im-mediate B/524 CI mission. Above all, SOVIG was a leader-ship exercise. SOVIG was char-acterized by a complex mix of CI organizational, situational, and mission demands on a CI team leader. Each team applied per-sonal qualities, abilities, and ex-periences to exert influence on the scenario and the unfolding mis-sion. Difficult and complex situa-tions were provided throughout and established a proving ground for what is expected of the B/524 family. B/524 personnel learned that our colleagues in other Army units and sister services are as dedicated, professional, hardwork-ing, and patriotic as we are, and they deserve our respect and co-operation.

Page 5 Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

Southern Vigilance by CW 2 David K. Ramey, HMID, B/524

A Marine from III MEF conducts an interview with a potential source during SOVIG ‘15

One of the focal points of Bravo Company’s (Read and Resilient Campaign) R2C is to encourage our junior Soldiers cultural explora-tion via planned company outings, small group trips, Warrior Adven-ture Quest, and of course, shop-ping in Seoul. Typically, young Sol-diers come to Korea on a one year tour and see very little of the coun-try outside of their workplace, the barracks, Pyeongtaek and the local “villes” of Anjung-ri and Osan. A typical weekend for Soldiers in that category usually starts with walking out the gate somewhere between 2000 and 2100 before making their way back to post before 0100. The Bravo Company Command team with the assistance of the Family Readiness Group has embarked on an endeavor to bring about a cul-

tural change that will hopefully be-come self sustained as Soldiers share their stories with family, friends, and incoming Soldiers. Our first outing was to Jamsil Stadium, utilizing public transporta-tion from Camp Humphreys to Seoul. Approximately 35 Soldiers and Family Members witnessed the Doosan Bears’ victory over the SK Wyerns. Attending a Korean professional baseball game is quite different from your typical American baseball game. The price of admission, food and bev-erages are less expensive. And what really sets the two games apart are the ‘hype man’ and cheerleaders. The fans really get

into the spirit of the game with es-tablished cheers and chants. The Black Knights warriors had such a great time, requests to attend an-other game were overwhelming. Our next adventure was to the 63 Building which overlooks the Han River in Seoul. It was once the tallest building outside North America and is still the tallest gold-clad building in the world. The 63 Building houses corporate offices, a shopping mall, an IMAX theater, aquarium, wax museum, and the Sky Art gallery. Who would have thought you could spend an entire day inside of one building and love every minute of it; that is exactly what happened to the Black Knights in attendance. Not to be disheartened by the cooling weather the next R2C trip took the Black Knights to Seorak Mountain National Park. Located in eastern South Korea, Seorak-san is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range and is the center piece of Seoraksan Na-tional Park. Upon arrival the atten-

dees exited the bus to find an oasis of Korean culture, ranging from tem-ples, foot bridges, rock gardens, and spectacular sights. Attendees were afforded the opportunity to reach the top of Seorak Mountain either by foot or cable car. Most opted for the cable car which took approximately 3 minutes to reach the peak whereas the highly motivated walk-ers took a little less than 2 hours attributable to the steep terrain and winding paths. Once atop Mount Seorak, Black Knights enjoyed views which cannot described in prose. It is not just enough to ensure that Soldiers can accomplish the mission; it is equally important that they know how to relax and enjoy off time with family and friends. At the end of the day, what Soldiers and family members do outside the work place is as important as the mission when it comes to being Ready and Resilient.

Page 6 The Black Horse Newsletter

B Co Black Knights

During this past summer’s Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2014, a major theater level exercise, Bravo Company’s DISE deployed to Daegu, which is located approxi-mately 4 hours south of USAG Humphreys, for 3 weeks to support the Re-public of Korea Army’s 2

nd

Operations Command – a four star command. Ten Soldiers of the Deployable Intelligence Support Ele-ment took the lead over a 33 Soldier intelligence cell, which included Soldiers from B Co, 524

th Military In-

telligence Battalion, 368th

Military Intelligence Battal-ion, United States Eighth Army Intelligence Cell, and various reserve/national guard components. The intelligence cell led by the DISE worked side by side with Korean counter-parts, providing 24 hour in-telligence operations and analysis for the rear area. Products were shared with the Ground Component Command – Combined Analysis and Control Center and many other intelligence consumers, including United States Eighth Army, 19

th Ex-

peditionary Sustainment Command, United States Forces Korea, and various Republic of Korea military commands. During the de-ployment, the directly sup-ported the security of Non-

combatant Evacuation Opera-tions and Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integra-tion Operations (RSoI). Every day, DISE Soldiers briefed Brigadier General Kim - One Star General from 2

nd Operations

Command - and Major General Enyeard, Deputy Commanding Officer for Combined Rear Area Command, providing up-to-date and high quality information. The generals then used the products provided to brief their bosses, General Scaparrotti – the Commander of United Na-tions Command, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea and Gen-eral Lee – the Commander of 2

nd

Operations Command and Com-

bined Rear Area Command. The exercise did allow for some break time. 2

nd Operations Com-

mand provided a cultural trip to visit various Buddhist temples and the DISE enjoyed a traditional Ko-rean meal alongside our Republic of Korea Army intelligence profes-sionals that worked together dur-ing the exercise. Additionally, the Soldiers enjoyed a hike to nearby Apsan Mountain. They were able to enjoy the beautiful view of the city of Daegu.

Page 7 Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

Deployable Intelligence Support Element

(DISE); UFG Deployment August 2014

DISE Soldiers pose for a photo op during their UFG ‘14 morale trip

Good Day Spartan family and friends! The Spartans have been operating at a break neck pace this last quarter completing criti-cal readiness training and exer-cises to maintain our ability to “FIGHT TONIGHT!” On 29 July, a group of our soldiers com-pleted a Sling Load Training Ex-ercise in support of 3-2 GSAB. This training not only allowed

our soldiers to learn valuable Sling Load Operation skills, but also gave the 3-2 GSAB CH-47 crew an opportunity to practice their Sling Load Skills. On 12 August, over 45 Spartan soldiers took part in a Chemical, Radio-logical, Biological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) range, com-plete with a walk through the gas chamber, and potentially lifesaving MOPP Level 4 train-ing. In other training news, HHSC completed major collec-tive tasks within company Mis-sion Essential Task List (METL) Task 3 (Protect the Force), when 15 HQ and motor pool Soldiers executed (Operational Decontamination) OPDECON training. HHSC also fulfilled ma-jor collective tasks within com-

pany METL Task 1, when we con-ducted vehicle recovery training with B/532. In addition to successful training, the HHSC Spartans also worked diligently to support ex-ercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian here at Camp Humphreys, as well as in Daegu, and Yong-san. The HHSC Spartans work hard, but make time for fun too. This quarter HHSC has taken team building to another level. In addition to the NCO’s vs. Officers Flag Football Game, the various cookouts, and our continued Lira Or-phanage visits, HHSC also sent 24 Spartan Soldiers to Warrior Ad-venture Quest Zip-Lining Course.

Page 8 The Black Horse Newsletter

HHSC Spartans

Over the last few months, Al-pha Company Soldiers have made significant contributions to the Brigade Partnership Project with Seoul American Middle School. Since July, Soldiers have accumulated more than 750 hours working on various projects from area improvement to working with students and organizational fund-raisers. In July and August, SGT Pav-lat led a small team of Soldiers in painting more than twenty doors at Seoul American Middle School to correspond with military branches of service. Buildings that were previously known by numbers are now referred to as the “Army Building” or “Marine Building.” The buildings can be seen by all who pass by and par-ents have stated that the project added character and presence to

the school. In September and October, Alpha Company Soldiers assisted with two fundraising events. During September, Seoul American Middle School hosted their biggest fundraiser of the year known as the “Walk-a-thon.” For this event, stu-dents solicited contributions and in return they walked a prescribed course for a two hour period. Alpha Company Soldiers were on hand to provide water and a rest station for the students. In a great opportunity for family collabora-tion, Alpha Company’s SFC Be-cerra was able to support the event as his daughter participated in the fundraising walk. Halloween is a big event for base residents and local national visitors. Alpha Company Soldiers gave back significantly this October by helping with two Haunted House events. SGT Forbes led a team of 6 Alpha Company Soldiers in assisting

with the Seoul American Middle School Haunted House, and SGM Johnson super-vised a joint service team in conducting the USFK J2 Haunted House. Both events were great successes. Not only did they increase the morale of service members and families on Yongsan garrison, they allowed Americans an opportunity to share holiday traditions with our Korean partners.

1SG Farina brought his award winning chili for the crock pot cook off. Family members raved for days about the euphoric smell of the perfectly cooked ground meat and white beans. One soldier even tried to lick the crock pot once the chili had all been eaten, so it is no surprise 1SG Farina’s chili took the gold.

The biggest win and most surpris-ing was Alpha Company’s victory in the Battalion football tournament. SPC Wedmore played two excellent games as quarterback and was key in orchestrating several plays that put Alpha Company’s team well ahead. A special thanks goes to CPT Ryckman’s beard, for inching out several yards of valuable turf during the final match.

SGT Henderson and her professional

At this year’s 532nd MI Battalion Fall Fest, Alpha Company took home the prized Black Horse tro-phy after many hours of hard competition. SGT Le and SPC Ji-ang were key

components in bringing home the tro-phy, as they challenged Korea’s best ping pong players. The final set was back and forth against HHSC with Al-pha Company winning the first game but HHSC coming back with a win in the second game. SGT Le and SPC Jiang brought their best for the final game and took the title 21- 11.

SGT Strothkamp arrived for the Battalion run as Ghost Rider and was proclaimed best costume. More than 8 rolls of aluminum foil were sacri-ficed to convert the company bicycle into a motorcycle worthy of the comic book hero. In the end, SGT Stroth-kamp’s outfit was so convincing that several children asked for his auto-graph.

squad of artists carved the most amazing pumpkin MSG Alexander had ever seen. MSG Alexander even proclaimed that he had never seen ears on a pumpkin before and it was clear Alpha Company’s pumpkin squad had creative talents unmatched by anyone on the Korean peninsula.

In all, the Battalion Fall Fest was a great event that was enjoyed by many Soldiers and Family Members. All of the members of Alpha Company look forward to defending their title in the upcoming Spring fest and are already hard at work on a multitude of different sports, preparing for anything to be thrown their way for the next competition.

Page 9 Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

Fall Fest

Alpha Company Volunteers with Seoul American Middle School

532nd MI BN hosted a Spouse Orien-tation Day to provide spouses with an opportunity to learn about the battal-ion’s mission, experience a day of the Soldier’s life in the Army and build a spirit of family and camaraderie by participating in multiple briefings and events. A total of 12 spouses and 1 parent participated. The day began with Physical Readiness Training (PRT) . The group was given step by step instructions on how to get into formation and sound of in ca-dence. Afterwards informative briefs were given by the Battalion Commander, B Co Commander, and HHSC Commander followed

by a tour of a company area. Spouses had an op-portunity to try MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), many were pleas-antly surprised by the taste. The group was then led to the motorpool where an unclassified DISE Display was set-up and briefed, an OP DECON demonstration performed, and spouses had an opportunity to try on MOPP Gear.

The last event and training experience of the day was weap-ons familiarization at the Engagement Skills Trainer, which was a huge hit with the spouses. Spouses gained a sense of what their Soldiers do on a regular basis and developed new relationships with other spouses within the battalion.

More pictures are located on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/532nd-Military-Intelligence-Battalion/514167185284248

Page 10 The Black Horse Newsletter

Spouse Orientation Day

Spouses familiarize themselves with the M9 at the EST

You can watch the online broadcast at http://www.armymwr.com/recleisure/promotions/operation_rising_star.aspx Each round will be broad-cast on December 7, 9, 11, & 13 at 8 am EST. On-line voting will be open of 24 hours following each show. 50% of the competitor’s over-all score will come from the web-viewing and broadcast audience and 50% from the scores of the three judges. Audience members both online and in-person will be

Black Horse BN would like to congratulate Mrs. Jackie Gollihar, wife of WO1 Steve Gollihar (TCAE OIC) of B Co, 532nd MI BN who won the USAG-Humphreys “Operation Rising Star” competition and was selected as one of the six overall finalists to compete in San Antonio, TX beginning on 07DEC14. Operation Rising Star (ORS) is the US Army Family, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation’s premiere vocal competition that showcases the talent of Soldiers and their Family Members. ORS is in its tenth season and supports the Army’s commitment to de-liver high quality programs for Soldiers and Families that support resilience.

able to cast their vote by logging onto www.OpRisingStar.com. The 2014 Operation Rising Star Win-ner will be revealed on December 13, 2014 at 8 am EST.

Page 11 Fall 2014 Issue No. 3

Spouse of 532nd MI BN Soldier wins USAG

Humphreys’ Rising Star Competition

DISE Soldiers and Spouses pose for a photo op following the DISE overview brief

Spouses join Soldiers for MOPP gear training

532nd MI BN: https://www.facebook.com/pages/532nd-Military-Intelligence-Battalion/514167185284248

HHSC: https://www.facebook.com/pages/HHSC-532nd-MI-

BN/154673991217914

A Co: A Co, 532nd MI BN (Closed Group page)

B Co: https://www.facebook.com/532blackknights

B/524: (Closed Group page)

A Det: https://www.facebook.com/ACO524?fref=ts

Unit Facebook Pages

Fall 2014 Issue No. 3