the grey wolfstatic.dvidshub.net/media/pubs/pdf_1784.pdf · thegrey wolf howl inside: ‘sabers’...

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The

GGrreeyy WWoollffhowl

INSIDE:‘Sabers’ Make Presence Known Pg. 3Chaplain Brings Beach to ‘Grey Wolf’ Pg. 4IPs Graduate from Academy Pg. 8Lone Star State of Mind Pg. 9‘First Team’ Medics Train IPs Pg. 10Santa Visits ‘Blacksmith Families Pg. 10 Radio Station Opens Doors Pg. 11What’s In A Name? Pg. 12

CDR/CSM Corner Pg. 2Soldier on the FOB Pg. 5Chaplain’s Corner Pg. 5Grey Wolf in Action Pg. 6-7FOB Photos Pg. 12

By Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Felt3BCT, 1CD Command Sgt. Maj.

I would like totake a moment and sayhappy New Year to allthe Grey Wolves outthere.

Good, now thatthat’s done…get backto work!!!!

Seriously, I hopeeveryone had as good a holiday as one canhave while thousands of miles away fromloved ones. I know that there are otherplaces I would rather have been, but if Ican’t be with my wife in a hammock, sip-ping margaritas, smoking a big fat cigarsomewhere in the beautiful Caribbean,looking forward to an evening of finefood, dancing and…… then there’s noother place I’d rather be than with myArmy family, doing our nations work.

That being said, I have a few issues Iwould like to address at this time in ourdeployment. With the holidays over,leaves beginning and the doldrums settingin, we are susceptible to complacency andprofessional apathy. It would be unfortu-nate to have someone killed or injured be-cause we let the enemy take advantage ofour lack of attention to detail or we let asafety discipline violation get the better ofus. Tactically, we must remain on our toesat all times.

We now have some experience underour belts in this area of operations during

this OIF rotation. We can’t let that fool usinto developing bad habits or taking short-cuts on our TTPs. We can’t set patternsthat are predictable to the enemy. We mustout think him, out maneuver him and takeaway his initiative. You can’t do that ifyou are complacent about your business.Remember, the enemy only wants to killyou, that’s all. Don’t give him the chance.

As far as accidents go, a vast majorityof accidents occur when a known safetydiscipline is violated. When someone for-gets his seatbelt, takes a bend too fast,uses only two points of contact or doesn’tutilize full personnel protection equip-ment, they are an accident waiting to hap-pen. Take this away from the equationand follow the SOPs that are establishedfor your protection. They may not be themost comfortable rules to live by, but theydon’t exist for your comfort, they exist foryour welfare. I ask you to take care ofyourself, take care of your buddy andwatch out for Murphy.

Keep your head in the game and re-main focused on the mission. If you findyourself in a rut, ask someone to pull youout. No one accomplishes this mission byhim or herself. We are all part of the team,and a good team it is. Grey Wolves aremaking a difference; in Diyala and athome. Your efforts are contributing to thesecurity of our nation.

The world faces a threat today unlikeany we have known before; a global net-work of terrorists that have their ownagenda and it doesn’t include you! If we

do not face this enemy, life as we know ifat home will not be the same. I have saidit many times before, the average Ameri-can doesn’t even realize we are at war; ithasn’t changed his daily life at all. That isusually a criticism of John Q. Public, butin this case it is a compliment to you; theAmerican serviceman and woman. Itproves that your efforts are important, andyou are making difference. If it weren’tfor the few, the many would suffer.

Lastly, I would like to wish everyonegoing on leave a good trip. Please becareful while you’re gone. Don’t abandonyour principles of discipline in terms ofsafety or personnel accountability. Justbecause your on leave doesn’t meanyou’re not a Soldier, you represent your-self, your family and the Army. Do itproudly, with dignity and respect. Have agood time, drink one for me, but be care-ful. I want you to be safe, for your ownsake, as well as your unit’s sake. Every-one is important to the accomplishment ofthe mission. We need you back in onepiece to help us finish the job. Then wecan all return home together. Again, Ithank you for all you do. Having visitedand talked with many of you, I understanda little better how the big green machineworks. Your contributions to its successare appreciated. I am inspired and moti-vated by you everyday, you’re the reason Istill serve.

Live the legend,Grey Wolf 9

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Commander’s Column

‘Hooah’ Corner

By Col. David W. Sutherland3BCT, 1CD Commander

Greywolf!First, I would like to begin this message by

wishing all the members of the Greywolf teamand their loved ones a Happy New Year. Wehave been working long hours for the past threemonths, but our families remain in our heartsand on our minds throughout the long days in

Diyala, Iraq.We have started our Rest and Relaxation program. Some of

our Soldiers have taken advantage of the R&R program to be athome during the Holidays. This is a well-deserved break. I hopeeveryone uses it to recharge and reconnect while applying the samelevel of maturity that I see daily with regard to risk mitigation incombat. Everyone’s support sustains us while we are away. Enjoyyour time off, and come back safely with a renewed vigor.

This is a very important New Year. As Lt. Gen. Odierno statedduring his visit, this is a critical year for both the Iraqis and theCoalition Forces. Our continuing transition into a coaching andmentoring position with the 5th Iraqi Army Division will take a

great leap forward when the 5th IA moves under the control of theIraqi Government. Our job is to ensure the 5th IA is able to conductoperations independently, sustain their forces, maintain their equip-ment, and successfully provide security for the people of Iraq. Thisis no easy task, but our effort at platoon, company, and battalionlevel will ensure they able to transition smoothly.

The Greywolf Brigade will continue to apply a balance oflethal and non-lethal force to assist the Iraqi People. The Soldier’sin the BCT may not always be able to see the immediate effects ofour actions. However, across the Government, the Economy, theSecurity, and the Transitioning of forces they are collectively andholistically accomplishing my intent. This is due to the skills,knowledge, and attributes of our Troopers and Leaders.

Greywolf, thank you for your discipline, confidence, and com-petence towards one another, the Iraqi People, and our mission. AsI’ve said on numerous occasions, there is greatness in our forma-tion. When opportunity knocks, the leaders and Soldier’s in thisBrigade have the vision and perspective to take advantage of thisopening. I know the families at home are as proud of our Soldiersas our Soldiers are of their families.

I’ll see you all on the high ground.Grey Wolf 6

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‘Saber’ Battalion Makes Presence KnownSgt. Armando Monroig5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MUQDADIYAH, Iraq -- When there’s anew sheriff in town, he wants to make him-self known. The 6-9 Armored Reconnais-sance Squadron did just that when theylaunched their first squadron-sized opera-tion of the deployment Nov. 19 in Muq-dadiyah.

Soldiers rolled out for an early morningoperation that included blocking a supplyroute used by insurgents, route clearing,speaking with key leaders at the Joint Co-ordination Cell, and searching for weaponscaches.

All in a days work for the 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 1st Cavalry Division unit outof Fort Hood, Texas. Their tour is just get-ting started but when their year is complete,they will have had an impact by helpingbring law and order to the streets of Muq-dadiyah.

The operation began with the IraqiArmy blocking off a portion of the area ofoperations to attempt to corral any insur-gents who might be in the vicinity, saidCommand Sgt. Maj. Paul Thompson,squadron command sergeant major, a Mid-dleburg, Ohio, native.

Coalition Soldiers then pushed forwardin the direction of the blockade and clearedthe road of any improvised explosive de-vices they found along the way, saidThompson.

Then, two blocking positions were setup, one on each of the two bridges mostused by anti-Iraqi forces, said Thompson.

The bridges were blocked to keep in-surgents from bringing any vehicle born im-provised explosive devices intoMuqdadiyah, said Thompson.

“We cleared that route and started to

knock down a wall that was on one side ofthe route. There were four kilometers of thatwall they use to initiate ambushes, IEDs,and throw grenades over,” said Thompson.

Following the wall demolition, the cav-alrymen cleared a suspected Al-Qaeda train-ing camp. Three caches and two kidnappedvictims were found inside the camp. Noenemy forces were found.

“Some good came out of it,” saidThompson of the operation. “We retrievedsome weapons and two people who other-wise would have lost their lives.”

In addition, four suspected insurgentswere captured.

Despite the limited success of the op-eration, Thompson said improvements need

to be made on the Iraqiforces side, particularly theIraqi Police.

“The (Iraqi Army)around here has beentrained pretty well. Theyoperate very well, havefairly good leadership andare very aggressive. Theydo a really good job,”Thompson said. “The(Iraqi Police) are not quitewhere they need to be.”

Thompson said opera-tions like this are goodtraining for the Iraqi po-lice. He said they will tryto integrate them in moreof these operations to con-

tinue to assist in training them and their newQRF team.

Thompson said an operation of thismagnitude makes a statement to the enemy.

“We’re telling them we’re going to goexactly where we want to go, when we wantto go there,” Thompson said. “If they try tointerfere with us, they’re going to suffer.”

Accomplishing their mission here willbe a challenging task, said Thompson, butcompared to the last time he was in Iraq, thelocals are friendlier and want the coalitionforces to be here.

“They, both Sunni and Shia, want ushere. They just want all this to end. They’redoing what they can do to help us bring itto an end,” added Thompson. “And we owethem that.”

Spc. Bryan Hartung, a Virginia Beach,Va. Native, who is a combat medic assignedto Troop A, 6-9 ARS, has seen first-hand thestruggles of helping the Iraqi people estab-lish a stable government. This is his seconddeployment.

“We’re just trying to get the Iraqi Se-curity Forces up and running and at thesame time keep the city safe,” said Hartung.

Hartung said his unit’s efforts are effec-tive as they are keeping the streets safe forthe locals and for his fellow Soldiers. Heand his battle buddies are out clearing thestreets of IEDs daily.

“The ultimate goal is to get the Iraqigovernment and country on its feet, get IPand IA working so we can eventuallyleave.”

A Bradley fighting vehicle smashes through a wall in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, aspart of a massive operation involving Iraqi Security Forces and Soldiers fromthe 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron. The wall was used by insur-gents as a place to hide vehicle borne improvised explosive devices and asa hiding place for AIF who lobbed grenades to oncoming vehicles.

Photo by Sgt. Armando Monroig, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

A 6-9Armored Reconnaissance Squadron Soldierpulls security during a foot patrol in the downtownarea of Muqdadiyah, Iraq.

Photo by Sgt. Armando Monroig, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


3rd BCT CommanderCol. David Sutherland

3rd BCT PAOMaj. Raul Marquez

[email protected]

3rd BCT PAO NCOIC/EditorSgt. Serena Hayden

[email protected]

3rd BCT PAO Staff WritersSpc. Ryan Stroud, Pfc. Ben Fox

The Grey Wolf Howl is published in the interest of theSoldiers, families and friends of the 3rd Brigade Com-bat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Contents of The GreyWolf Howl are not necessarily official views of, or en-dorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of De-fense, Department of the Army or the 1st CavalryDivision. All editorial content of The Grey Wolf Howl isprepared, edited, provided and approved by the 3rdBrigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Af-fairs Office.

On the cover ...Useful Iraqi PhrasesWhat is your name?

shis-mek?

Chaplain Brings the Beach to ‘Grey Wolf’ SoldiersBy Spc. Ryan Stroud3rd BCT Public Affairs

BAQUBAH, Iraq -- While de-ployed to Iraq in support forOperation Iraq Freedom 06-08,the last thing many 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 1st Cavalry Di-vision Soldiers would expect tosee are images of the beach,surfing or relaxing by the water.While there are palm trees inIraq, the beach is no where to befound.

For Chaplain (Maj.) Dou-glas Fenton, the “Grey Wolf”Brigade chaplain, his goal wasto bring the beach to the Sol-diers.

Fenton, who has personallyfixed up his office to look morelike a surf shop than a chaplain'soffice, wanted a place for theSoldiers to come to relax andfeel at home while they are sofar away from their families.

"I was trying to do some-thing that was really outside thebox for the Soldiers," said Fen-ton. "I knew the Soldiers thatcome in here would be under alot of stress and wanted to givethem a place that looked differ-ent than Iraq."

Fenton has covered hiswalls with surf signs, flags andsurfboards in hopes of raisingSoldier morale.

"I was in Laguna, Calif.,with my wife and we walkedpast a surf shop," said Fenton."Inside the shop was a sign thatsaid, 'Pray for Surf,’ and the sec-ond I saw that sign, I knew thisis what I wanted the theme formy office [in Iraq]."

Fenton and his wife quicklygot started picking up items for

him to pack for Iraq. "My wife and I were later

in a Hollister store, shopping formy son's birthday," said Fenton."The stores are always deco-rated with surfboards and Cali-fornia flags, and I though to myself, I can do better than that."

"We took a California flagand put a surfboard under thebear so I would have a surfingbear," he continued. "And thesurfboard in this room washanging over the bed of my old-est son. He was nice enough tolet me bring it here with me."

Along with surfboard cof-fee tables and Sponge BobSquare Pants stuffed toys, Fen-ton also has a life guard chair,statues and a quilt of old T-shirtshis wife made for his journey.He hopes that when Soldiershave a problem and come to seehim, things like this will helpthem to open-up and talk.

"When Soldiers come inhere, sometimes they are notready to talk about what's both-ering them, so you need some-thing that will help relax them,he said.

"My goal is if somebodysits down, there will be some-thing they can talk about andthen we can ease into what weneed to talk about," Fentonadded.

Fenton said he knew fromthe start his office would be asuccess while packing up for hisunits deployment.

"I knew this was a goodidea when we were loading upour storage containers beforewe came over," said Fenton.

"Everyone was load-ing military equipmentup and here I comewith a surfboard. Justseeing their faces then,I said to myself, 'this isgoing to totally work.'"

It seems Fenton'splans for making peo-ple feel better is al-ready working.

A Soldier, whoseson was having a prob-lem with his father’sdeployment to Iraq,came to talk to Fenton.The Soldier, when hesaw Sponge BobSquare Pants, knew hisson was a fan and gotan idea to help ease hisson’s worries.

"[The Soldier]came over here, sat ina chair that had a surf-board next to it, a mar-lin above the chair anda tiki god next to it,and had his picturetaken with my SpongeBob to send back tohis son," said Fenton.

"Now his son isnot so worried abouthim," he added.

Though the officeis to help cheer Sol-diers up, it is also to help Fentonout when he is feeling down.

"Whether it was snow ski-ing, tennis or other activities,everyone had to leave some-thing behind. This is also to re-mind me of what I love andwhat waits for me once we re-turn [home from Iraq]."

Though some may say he's

crazy for bring a surfboard toIraq, Fenton said he hopes thathe can make a difference andpossibly make things easer inthe Soldiers lives while de-ployed, and that's what's mostimportant to him.

"I just hope it cheers every-body up, even if it is only for amoment," he said.

Chaplain (Maj.) Douglas Fenton,holds the surfboard his son let himbring to Iraq with him in hopes toraise Soldiers’ morale while de-ployed in support of OIF 06-08.

Photo by Spc. Ryan Stroud, 3BCT Public Affairs

A 6-9 Armored Reconnais-sance Squadron, 1st CavalryDivision Soldier relaxes be-fore heading out on a bigmission to Muqdadiyah,Iraq.Photo by Sgt. Armando Monroig, 5th MPAD

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Soldier FOBon the

“What Holiday traditions haveyou continued here in

Iraq?”Pfc. Tony Biernacki

HHT, 6-9 CAV“Singing Christmas Car-ols [over the radio], eat-ing lots of junk food,

enjoying a big meal, andsending presents to family

and friends.”

Pfc. Lucas J. SweeneyB Troop, 6-9 CAV

“I saved all the mail I wassent and opened it on

Christmas day.”

Sgt. 1st Class Lealofi FaiaiHHT, 6-9 CAV

“I wrote my familyChristmas cards.”

“Buying Christmas giftsfor friends and family.”

Spc. Miguel CastroA Troop, 6-9 CAV

“I saved stockings mykids sent me to openChristmas morning. I

also attended the Christ-mas Eve service at the

Chapel.”

Pfc. John HylandHHT, 6-9 CAV

By 1st Lt. Thomas J. Radabaugh , HHT, 6-9 CAV

Chaplain’s Corner

Custom Made Band rocks the troops

“Grey Wolf” Soldiers enjoy a performance by the Custom MadeBand in the Wood Memorial Dining Facility at Forward OperatingBase Warhorse, Baqubah, Iraq, Dec. 19.

Photo by Sgt. Serena Hayden, 3BCT Public Affairs

As I walk around FOB Warhorse, I am encouraged by what I see. It seems thateverywhere I look I see greatness on the best of days and the worst of days. As a chap-lain, I get summoned to the hospital many times and I’m amazed every time I seethe staff work on Soldiers, Iraqi Nationals, and even wounded enemy soldiers. Theyput forth the same effort and energy, and I feel that I’m standing in the midst of great-ness.

As I listen to the stories of the wounded, one thing is recurrent; they all want toget back into the fight. I’m amazed at their zeal and professionalism; in a word,greatness. As I visit the places the troops work, I see excellence. The heavy equip-ment operators are always working and doing a fine job. The civilians who come hereto support us do an extraordinary job. They do the cooking, general FOB mainte-nance, generator repairs and the cleaning of the bathrooms, showers and port-a-potties. Over all, I would have to say that the enemy’s attempts to demoralize ourtroops, thwart our efforts, or weaken our resolve have utterly failed. I’m not sayingthat we all wouldn’t rather be home with family and friends, but you would neverknow it when we get the call to duty and guys are jumping in their vehicles to recoverequipment, assist in a fight, or support the Iraqi forces in a mission. It’s just awesometo see. Greatness!

Even in sullen times, like when we lose a Soldier, even then, in their pain andgrief they march on, they do their jobs. And when they can they cry their tears, sharetheir stories and then drive on. Greatness!

My commander occasionally reminds us that we are the .05 percenters. That’sthe calculated ratio of the population of the United States that serves to protect anddefend her. We are a peculiar breed of people from every race, every culture, everycolor, every religion and every place in America and we are very proud to be here.Even when it rains here, like today, it feels down right miserable. The mud cakes upon your boots within two steps and your feet gain five pounds each and yet I see peo-ple moving about to go to the gym, MWR, the theatre and just to visit people. Looksare definitely deceiving. For though they look miserable, if you stop and talk you willfind that they are doing exceptionally well, in spite of the circumstances.

So don’t always believe what you hear in the news, or from someone whohasn’t been here. I’m here and I see greatness, from the chapel to the guard towers,from the gates to the ranges, it’s everywhere. Greatness. And we take such strengthfrom you at home. ---I just saw a card from home it says: “Our hands become in-struments of grace—not just tools in the hands of God…but God’s very hands. Youare those hands, fingers emailing us, hands mailing packages, arms embracing ourloved ones for us. The amount of strength and stability we glean from those that wehave left behind can not be measured. Families that have leant their sons, daughters,husbands and wives to answer the call of God and Country are the finest display ofgreatness and nobility. Those who endure the struggles and hardships of single par-enthood and loneliness without complaining are equally displaying greatness.

Chaplain (Capt.) Eric Bey1-12 CAB, 3BCT Chaplain

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GGrreeyy WWoollff In Action

Pfc. Chris Anderson keeps an eye on the street from the secondlevel of an abandoned home in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. Anderson andhis fel low soldiers from Apache Troop, 6th Squadron, 9th CavalryRegiment, Fort Hood, Texas, and the 5th Iraqi Army Division areconducting joint dismounted patrols in the region to clear aban-doned buildings and to suppress insurgent activity.

Photo by Spc. Elisha Dawkins, 92nd Combat Camera

Sen. John Kerry is greeted by Col. David Sutherland (far right) and Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Felt(far left), the commander and command sergeant major of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st CavalryDivision, at a helipad on Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Baqubah, Iraq.

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Grey Wolff IInn AAccttiioonn

Photo by Sgt. Serena Hayden, 3BCT Public Affairs

Photo by Pfc. Ben Fox, 3BCT Public Affairs

Sen. John Kerry is greeted by Col. David Sutherland (far right) and Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Felt(far left), the commander and command sergeant major of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st CavalryDivision, at a helipad on Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Baqubah, Iraq.

Above, Staff Sgt. Jeff Young, a member of the 3rd Brigade CombatTeam, 1st Cavalry Division personal security detachment, pre-pares for a mission in the Diyala province. Young, the truck com-mander, and other PSD Soldiers, are responsible for the securityof the brigade’s commander and command sergeant major.

Left, a Soldier from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, at-tached to 3BCT, walks into the sunset after an air assault missionin Turki Village, Iraq, an area near Balad Ruz.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Samantha Stryker, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


First Class Graduates from New IP Training AcademyBy Maj. Raul E. Marquez3rd BCT Public Affairs

BAQUBAH, Iraq— Approxi-mately 125 Iraqi Police officersassigned to various units in theBaqubah area, graduated fromthe first Iraqi Police TrainingAcademy in Baqubah, con-ducted under the guidance ofcoalition forces from Task ForceBlue and the International Po-lice Liaison Officers, Dec 24.

“Officers from the Emer-gency Ready Forces, the QuickReaction Forces, and BaqubahIraqi Police participated in thistwo-week long training acad-emy,” said Maj. John J. Her-rman, Task Force Blueoperations officer and a nativeof La Crosse, Kan. “Those offi-cers are now ready to assumetheir duties as the rule of lawenforcers here in Baqubah.”

The training for the IP offi-cers was provided by their ownIraqi instructors and SpecialWeapons and Tactics team, oth-erwise known as SWAT, mem-bers, said Herrman.

“Instructors from the Tacti-cal Iraqi Police Academy pro-vided the classroom portion ofthe training; the range cadretaught weapons handling andmaintenance, and SWAT mem-bers assisted with the hands-on

portion of the training,” saidHerrman. “We provided over-sight through the IPLOs and ourMilitary Police.”

Even though the trainingwas only two weeks, this train-ing included classes on demo-cratic policing, the IraqiConstitution, rule of law,weapons safety, proper firingtechniques for both AK-47 andpistols, shoot and maneuver,hands-on defensive techniques,dismounted patrolling as amember of a team, mounted pa-trols, react to improvised explo-sive devices, first aid, andentering and clearing a building,said Herrman.

He also stated that duringthis training, the IPs receivedtheir new uniforms and equip-ment that signifies they are realpolice officers.

“The training academy willcontinue providing classesevery day through the end ofJanuary, and quarterly afterthat,” Herrman said. “They ex-pect to have at least 25 percentof the Baqubah police forcetrained by the end of the thirdtraining cycle.”

“For most police officershere, this was their first formaltraining,” he continued. “Theyhave been out on the streetsmixing it up for years, never

fully understanding the properway to use a weapon, the rule oflaw, the constitution they are tosupport, or how to conductthemselves as a policeman. Wehope that the course turns out amore ethically and tacticallyproficient policeman, able tobetter enforce the laws ofDiyala, and to serve and protectall Iraqis.”

“The Iraqi Policemen aresome of the bravest people wehave ever met,” said an Ameri-can Police Advisor supportingTask Force Blue. “They risktheir lives, and those of theirfamilies, on a daily basis trying

to bring law and order to thestreets of their cities. The train-ing we are providing is designedto save some of those lives andextract a high price from the ter-rorists and insurgents whochoose to attack these officers.”

Maj. Gen. Ghassan AdnanAwad Al-Bawi, the DiyalaChief of Police, attended theceremony, and provided thegraduates a motivational speechon the importance of training,regardless of their years of serv-ice as police officers.

The ceremony concludedwith each IP receiving their uni-form patch.

An Iraqi Police officer receives his IP patch from Maj.Mason W. Crow, Task Force Blue executive officer, dur-ing the graduation ceremony, Dec. 24. TF Blue is respon-sible for training and equipping the Iraqi Police.

Photo by Maj. John J. Herrman, Task Force Blue Operations Officer

3 BCT Senior Counselor Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Helmes3rd BSTB Staff Sgt. Luis Carter 1st-12th CAV Staff Sgt. Jason Folmar

Staff Sgt. Alegray Hamer215th BSB Staff Sgt. Annamarie Conklin

Staff Sgt. Margaret Smothers3rd-8th CAV Staff Sgt. Don Jewell6th-9th CAV Staff Sgt. Richard Erickson

Staff Sgt. Keston Dyer2nd-82nd FA Staff Sgt. Daniel Beltran

‘Grey Wolf’ Retention Team


In Memory Of....SGT Jay Gauthreaux

HHT, 3BSTB3BCT, 1CD

CPL John BartaCo. D, 1-12 CAB

3BCT, 1CD

Texas Soldiers Live in a Lone Star State of Mind By Amanda Kim StairrettKilleen Daily Herald

BAQUBAH, Iraq -- "Home" conjures a lotof feelings during the holiday season andperhaps no one feels that more than FortHood soldiers deployed to Iraq.

The 1st Cavalry Division started de-ploying its forces in August and finished atthe beginning of November.

It is a bittersweet time for the FortHood community because while the FirstTeam troops were departing, it meant thatthe 4th Infantry Division was coming home– a sweet, long-awaited present for thou-sands of families. The last plane of 4th In-fantry soldiers touched down at RobertGray Army Airfield the night of Dec. 18.

Others units across Fort Hood – IIICorps, the 13th Sustainment Command,504th Military Intelligence Brigade, 36thEngineer Brigade – also have deployedtroops.

For the Fort Hood soldiers overseas,their deployment kicks off with the holidayseason and "home" is represented by thefew things they could take with them: pho-tos, mementos and memories.

This is 1st Lt. Alphie Sachnik's thirdholiday-season deployment and he tried tomake himself feel more at home by sendingout Christmas cards and shopping for pres-ents online. Sachnik brought photos of hiswife, two kids and his mother-in-law'schickens with him to Iraq. He included thechickens because his kids like to pet themand it reminds him of home.

He will get through the holidays bythinking not about what he's missing, butthinking about what he gets to do next year.

Staff Sgt. Charles Armstead does thesame thing. He knows that home is some-thing that's there, but being in Iraq, he can'ttouch it. It's hard, Armstead said, but he fo-cuses on what he wants to do with his fam-ily when he gets back.

Home is represented by onething for Staff Sgt. James Baxter.His wife recently e-mailed him aphoto of his 2-year-old son, whofell asleep under the Christmastree while waiting for Santa.

Soldiers and their familiesare used to change, but as anyTexan – or Texan soldier for thatmatter – will tell you, Texas ismore than just "home." It's a stateof mind that can bring a bit of theLone Star State anywhere, evenif that anywhere is more than7,000 miles away in Iraq.

That Texas bond helps createcamaraderie during a deploy-ment. When a soldier finds an-other Texan, it creates a certainkinship, Sachnik said.

"I'm always happy to meetanother Texan," he said.

Coming from a state that hasfood in its shape and Texas ver-

sions of everything from beer to pickuptrucks, finding pride isn't too hard for thesesoldiers. In fact, Baxter said that being atrue Texan means having untiring pride.

Non-Texan soldiers will say somethingbad about the state and immediately threeor four Lone Star soldiers will come to itsdefense, he said. If you're going to talkabout Texas, be careful, Baxter warned.

"And make sure you're not standingnear any true Texans because they will in-vite themselves into the conversation andyou probably do not want to hear what theyhave to say," he said.

Texas has its Texans and Texans don'tput up with anyone who messes with home,Sachnik.

Armstead is always in competitionwith his soldiers pretty much every dayabout whose home is the best, he said. It'snot hard for him to prove his devotion to hisstate: he has a tattoo of his beloved Texas.

Baxter loves his state so much becauseof the variety. He was a recruiter on theArkansas-Oklahoma border and, nicely put,didn't think there was a whole lot to do.

"Consider it a privilege to come toTexas," Baxter said.

Pfc. Tommy Johnson says people im-mediately know he's a Texan when theyhear him talk. Baxter, Armstead and Sach-nik all have a light, smooth Texas sound, butit's Johnson who's got the drawl the word"y'all" was made for.

Johnson gets a hard time "all the time"about his accent, he said.

Being a true Texan is all about prideand representation, the soldiers said. John-son said he doesn't see the kind of prideTexans have in a lot of other states. Anyonecan be a "regular Texan" as long as he or shehas pride in the state, he said, but a "trueTexan" must be born in Texas.

To Armstead, being a true Texan meansto represent the state in every way possible,no matter if he is in Iraq or the Gulf Coast.

1st Lt. Alphie Sachnik and Pfc. Tommy John-son, 1-12 CAB, share memories of Texas andtheir families back home. "I'm always happy tomeet another Texan," said Sachnik.


SPC Jonathan SchillerCo. E, 215th BSB

3BCT, 1CD

SPC Richard SmithCo. E, 215th BSB

3BCT, 1CD


‘First Team’ Medics Train Iraqi PoliceBy Pfc. Ben Fox 3rd BCT Public Affairs

BAQUBAH, Iraq – The combat lifesavercourse is a common course for Soldiers totake.

It is taught by combat medics and cov-ers a wide array of simple, yet effective,techniques Soldiers can use to keepwounded warriors alive until further helparrives.

This same course was taught to IraqiPolice in Baqubah, Iraq, Nov. 28 and 30 bycombat medics from the 3rd Brigade Com-bat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

“I’ve done CLS classes before, but thisis a whole different ballgame,” said Spc.Courtney Morris, Medical Company C,215th Brigade Support Battalion, one of themedics who taught the class.

Back at Morris’ home station, FortHood, Texas, she said teaching the classwas easy since her students understood thelanguage she was speaking and could relateto her culturally.

Here, Morris, a native of Phoenix, ad-mitted the language and cultural barrierswere hard to get past and prevented themfrom teaching the same way they do in gar-rison.

“Here we have to get a feel for eachgroup,” she said. “We have to adapt as wego.”

To get through the barrier, Sgt. DarrellCrews, another medic who taught the class,

said he used visual aids and spoke throughan interpreter.

“As long as they are willing to listenand understand, I am more than happy to bepatient and work with them,” said Crews, anative of St. Peters, Mo., adding that thegroup of IPs was attentive and quick tolearn.

The medics taught the IP members sev-eral procedures such as how to treat headwounds, abdominal wounds, insert intra-venous fluids, stop bleeding and clear air-ways.

Due to time constraints, the class hadto be skimmed down to the bare basics, saidCrews, but even with these basic skills, theywill have greater ability to support them-selves.

Crews and Morris often treat IPs attheir aid station on Forward Operating BaseWarhorse, said Crews, adding that many ofthem would be in better condition if theywere treated with the basics skills theylearned in the course before they came tothe aid station.

Learning these techniques will helpsave more lives of the IPs who are often hithard in Iraq, said Crews.

As combat medics, Morris said teach-ing the IPs these techniques is the most im-portant mission they have.

“You can give a man a fish and feedhim for a day, or you can teach a man to fishand feed him for a lifetime,” Morris said,referring to the old saying.

Morris said teaching the Iraqi Policethese skills is essential to helping them be-come self-sustaining.

“We want them to be able to take careof themselves when we aren’t around,” shesaid.

During a combat lifesaver course forIraqi Police, Spc. Courtney Morris,Medical Company C, 215th BSB,teaches Iraqi Policemen how toproperly apply a bandage inBaqubah, Iraq.


By Amanda Kim StairrettKilleen Daily Herald

Santa came in combat bootsSaturday afternoon to the 215thBrigade Support Battalion, 3rdBrigade Combat Team´s Christ-mas party at Clarke ElementarySchool on Fort Hood.

He was a popular celebrity,being mobbed as he stepped offof the Fort Hood Fire Depart-ment´s truck and making hisway to the crowd waiting forhim curbside.

Battalion leaders wanted tomimic last year´s Christmasparty, which was a big hit, saidCapt. Sanci Stone, battalion rearcommander.

Each child got a wrapped

present from Santa´s bag. Andfamilies could decorate cookies,make holiday crafts, take awhack at Christmas piñatas andeat food prepared by each com-pany´s Family ReadinessGroup.

Klara Searles and HannahTaylor sat at the cookie table,taking the time to frost and dec-orate cookies as if they wereworks of art. Carefully concen-trating, each applied a helpingof frosting and blanket of candysprinkles to complete their mas-terpieces.

The event was a chance forfamilies to gather and have a lit-tle fun, Stone said. It was also away to boost morale when head-ing into the holidays, because

the battalion is spending theseason in Iraq having deployedtwo months ago.

Single soldiers from thebattalion also came out to manthe event and enjoy the festivemood.

Phyllis Kirklin, wife of bat-talion commander, Lt. Col. RonKirklin, said Saturday that shewas happy to have the familiesat the party.

Staff Sgt. Denise Bullard,rear officer in charge for Head-quarters and HeadquartersCompany, compared the eventto a family reunion because ofthe closeness of units´ families.

She said the event providedan outlet for kids to get togetherwith others who are experienc-

ing the same things, like a par-ent´s deployment.

The event was also a wayto show families that the battal-ion cares about them. It givesthem the feeling that, "`Whenmy soldier leaves, I will betaken care of,´" Bullard said.

And she knows how impor-tant that feeling is. Her husband,1st Sgt. George Bullard of the3rd Brigade´s 2nd Battalion,82nd Field Artillery, deployedseveral months ago.

Bullard´s mother came tostay with her and the two at-tended the weekend Christmasparty.

"It did my heart some goodto see everyone here," Bullardsaid.

Santa Visits ‘Blacksmith’ Families


Radio Station Opens Doors, Provides Freedom of SpeechBy Spc. Ryan Stroud3rd BCT Public Affairs

BALAD RUZ, Iraq -- In a citywhere there is no means for re-leasing information to its peo-ple, coalition forces havedeveloped a project to give thepeople the chance that manyAmericans take for granted –the privilege of free speech.

The ribbon cutting cere-mony for the Al Noor radio sta-tion, also known as the “TheLight,” located in Balad Ruz,Iraq, opened its doors to manywith high hopes and happyfaces from the Iraqi Army andpolice department, city officialsof Balad Ruz and members ofthe 5-73 Cavalry Regiment,82nd Airborne Division.

“This is a great day forBalad Ruiz and its people,” saidMayor Mohamed Maroof Al-Hussein, mayor of Balad Ruiz.“I think this is a new stage forour city and a new way to serveour people.”

“This is a free station,” hecontinued. “The people can saywhat they want. The people canspeak freely.”

With the help of 5-73, thecivilians will now be able tohere the news and get more in-formation in their homes otherthan what the terrorist want toput out, said Al-Hussein.

“I remember the first nightwe were here [at Forward Oper-ating Base Caldwell] and hear-ing Iranian broadcast in Englishto target the American Sol-diers,” said Capt. John Pratt,Company B, 404th Civil Af-fairs. “These terrorists weregetting their message out andthe people here didn’t have away to get their’s out.”

“This is a pro-governmentradio station that is to counter

act what the ter-rorists are say-ing,” said theMyrtle Beach,S.C. native. “Italso lets the peo-ple know whatthe coalitionforces are doingin their area tohelp them.”

Pfc. TimothyBramhall, amember of 5-73,and said this mis-sion was one ofthe most impor-tant missions hehad been on. Notjust for the coali-tion forces, butfor the Iraqi peo-ple, said theBronx, NY na-tive.

“This is a chance for thecity and its officials to reach outto their people,” Bramhall said.“It is also a chance for us to letthem know we are here to helpthem and try to make Balad Ruza better place.”

Balad Ruz, which is prima-rily farm land, is currently be-hind in technological progress.Pratt feels this is a big chancefor the government to prove toits people that changes in theeconomy are just waiting tohappen.

“This is a primarily agricul-tural community and this isproof that Balad Ruz’s new gov-ernment, along with theprogress that is being made inIraq, that the city is able to takethat first technological step tobettering their economy,” saidPratt. “This means more jobsand growth for the community.”

After the ceremony, specta-tors were given a tour of the

new facility and talked with thenew employees. The station,which is now up and running,will start operations at 7 a.m.and end at 1 p.m., and willchange its hours when employ-ees are further trained.

Though the hopes ofprogress are high, Balad Ruzgovernment officials and thecoalition forces primarily hopethe radio station raises aware-ness and the morale of the Iraqipeople.

“I hope this new servicewill encourage other cities tostart stations to better serve theirpeople,” said Al-Hussein.

“I hope the [Iraqi citizens]feel good about this,” saidBramhall.

“I hope it gives them achance to say what they want tosay. I think its better for themto hear information from theirown people then from us.”

“It’s also their people get-ting the chance to reflect their

own points of view,” he added. “It’s a chance to let those

out there know that they are notalone with their views. Thereare others also that feel the waythey feel.”

Bramhall said he hoped theIraqi people would understandthis freedom to say what theyfeel.

“Something we, as Ameri-cans, forget about at times – ourright to freedom of speech,” hesaid.

“They will now know whatthat’s like.”

“This radio station is forthe people,” Pratt added. “It’s away to put out informationabout what’s happening in theircommunity to better serve thepeople.”

Employees of Al Noor arecurrently sending out flyersacross the city to promote thestation and begin its mission ofinforming the people.

Members of the Iraqi Army and police department, Balad Ruz govern-ment officials and Soldiers from 5-73 Cav., join the Balad Ruz mayor,Mayor Mohamed Maroof Al-Hussein, in the ribbon cutting ceremonyopening the doors to the Al Noor radio station, Dec. 18.

Photo by Spc Ryan Stroud, 3BCT Public Affairs


Photos From the FOB...

Got Photos?If you’d like to see your photo in The GreyWolf Howl, e-mail Sgt. Serena Hayden [email protected].

What’s in a name?‘Operation Etoile’ Holds Special Meaning for ‘Warhorse’ BattalionBy Capt. Gregory Stopyra3-8 Combined Arms Battalion

BAQUBAH, Iraq -- When 3-8 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rdBrigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, was planning futuremissions to support the local Iraqis in their area of operation, onemission got special attention from the Soldiers of the “Warhorse”battalion, and received a special name.

The mission was to clear and level an area of ground often usedby insurgents as a hiding area while they emplaced improvised ex-plosive devices on a heavily traveled road a couple hundred meterswest of Baqubah, in the Diyala province. These attacks would oftenput local nationals, Iraqi security and coalition forces at risk, and theSoldiers from the 3-8 CAB felt something had to be done to preventthese insurgent attacks.

With the help of the 92nd Engineers, from Company E, 3-8CAB, Warhorse devised a plan to clear the ground in the area. Themission would involve leveling two large dirt mounds used to stageattacks, demolish an old tower used as a lookout, and clear backtrees and brush often used for hiding. The engineers, also knownas “Rough Riders,” would then convert the resulting leveled groundinto a soccer field for the children in the surrounding villages.

With the plan and operations underway, the only thing left wasgiving the mission a proper name.

In selecting a name for the mission, the leadership of Warhorsedrew from an event that happened nine months earlier.

The Battalion had just completed their deployment preparationtraining at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, La.They loaded busses and began the long 11-hour journey home toFort Hood, Texas. One bus, however, had its journey cut short dueto maintenance issues. It just so happened that the bus broke downin the small Texas town of Etoile.

The town, with an official population of 70, quickly sprang tolife to help the stranded Soldiers. The town converted a section ofthe local school into a make-shift lounge for the Soldiers, whilemany of the other troops took the opportunity to play games with

the children on their break from school. At a moments notice, thecommunity voluntarily whipped up a magnificent spaghetti feastfor the hungry Soldiers. This was their way of saying “thank you”and giving a little something back to the heroes who defend andserve their country.

The community’s help was not forgotten.The Warhorse leadership decided upon the name of Etoile for

this operation. This French word for “star” now represents atremendous success for the Warhorse Battalion.

The Rough Rider engineers used nine bulldozers to clear theground and constructed a soccer field. Other Soldiers from thecompany met with families and children from a small village lo-cated just south of the construction project to hand out blankets,clothes, and toys.

Etoile, a name that represents a small town in Texas whosepeople reached out to help the Warhorse troops, is now shared withan operation that helped many small villages in Iraq.

During ‘Operation Etoile,’ a bulldozer from the RoughRider Engineers clears the area to construct a soccerfield for children in the Diyala province.

Photo by 3-8 Combined Arms Battalion

Submitted By Bill Roebuck, Proud Father of Spc. Christopher Roebuck, 3BSTB, 3BCT

While conducting combat patrols, a convoyfrom the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav-alry Division, drives into the sunset in theDiyala province.

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