1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 2-15-06 Page 1

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Unit Updates
2006

1-22 BN CO, CSM, HHC, Chaplain

February 15, 2006

FROM THE COMMANDER

Hello from Forward Operating Base (FOB) FALCON and southern Baghdad!
I hope that this newsletter finds you in good health and enjoying the New Year.
Thirty days have passed since the last newsletter and we are one month closer to redeploying to the United States
and being reunited with family and friends. We have been exceptionally busy this past month
and are completely immersed in our operations. The benefit to such a schedule is that time passes very quickly for us –
we find it hard to believe that we have already been gone from Fort Hood for two months!

The task force recently completed the official Transfer of Authority for our Area of Operations (AO)
with 3^rd Squadron of the 3^rd Cavalry Regiment. We are now firmly in control of our area
and our presence is clearly being felt by the insurgents. We have also been able to stretch our arms a little bit on FOB FALCON
as the cavalry just completed their redeployment to Fort Carson. We wish them God’s speed and success in the future.

On a typical day in south Baghdad, the Regulars conduct reconnaissance, combat patrols, raids, cordon and searches,
meet local leaders, interact with the local population, identify and destroy Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) – roadside bombs
– and help train our Iraqi brothers. Additionally, we command and control the task force from our command posts,
resupply forward based forces outside of FOB FALCON, maintain and repair our vehicles,
are prepared to provide indirect fire in support of troops in contact,
and we also guard wherever we have Soldiers living and working.

One of our primary missions is to train the Iraqi Army. Each company interacts with their Iraqi counterparts
on a daily basis and conducts missions as a combined team. B Company, in particular, lives with them in our Patrol Bases.
We have already developed bonds that transcend the required associations and they have become friends.
These friends have fought and died beside us as coalition partners united against the insurgents that wish to destabilize Iraq.

I realize there are questions as to why some of our companies have been attached to other battalions
and we have received the attachment of a company from another unit. Commanders attempt to organize forces
in the best possible manner to defeat the enemy that we face. On a smaller scale, for example,
I take medics from our Headquarters and Headquarters Company and attach them to the infantry and armor companies
for operations. This allows me to place the right skills at the place where they can be most effective and beneficial.

The Brigade Commander does the same thing on a larger scale with the companies in the Brigade Combat Team.
Although we have trained together in the United States, we are task organized during operations here
so that the right skills and weapon systems can be placed at the best place on the battlefield.
It takes a trained and disciplined unit to be able to operate away from their parent headquarters
so I am very proud of each of our companies that is temporarily detached from us.
After being attached to 2^nd Brigade of the 101^st Airborne Division (Air Assault) for the past 45 days,
I have found one undeniable truth – everyone wants the Regulars on their team.
Our Air Assault brothers do not have any tanks or Bradleys assigned to them on a permanent basis
so our heavy armor and steel are welcomed by friends and feared by enemies throughout the Brigade area.

As part of the task organization, we are very blessed to have received D Company, 2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry
as part of the Regulars. They are an Anti-Tank company with HMMWVs and a variety of heavy machine guns
and grenade launchers. I can’t tell you how happy I am that we are serving with them and how proud I am
of what they have accomplished in a very short time. The DAWGS are from Fort Campbell, Kentucky
and are expertly led by Captain Jared Crain and First Sergeant Sean Baker.

Three of our companies – A Company, C Company, and E Company – are temporarily serving with other battalions.
Command Sergeant Major Beal and I get chances to see them frequently and I cannot overstate how well they are performing.
A Company continues to serve with the Division’s Special Troops Battalion and receives rave reviews
for how they are performing their tasks with the Division’s detainees and as they secure key personnel and facilities;
C Company is now attached to 2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry and is conducting decisive combat operations to our west;
and E Company is clearing important routes and training the Iraqi forces while serving with
the 1^st Battalion, 75^th Cavalry Regiment.
All of them are doing great things and representing the Regulars in an outstanding manner.

This month we mourned the loss of two of our own –
Specialist William Hayes of C Company and SPC Sergio Mercedes of D Company, 2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry.
Both of them passed away on February 5, 2006 and they will be dearly missed.
In their memory, we are committed to accomplishing the tasks that have been set before us
and are even more dedicated to our overall success. Anything less would diminish what our brothers have given.

In addition to the two Soldiers that we lost this month, several other Regulars have been wounded in action.
What I want to highlight to you is that our medical treatment and evacuation system has repeatedly saved lives.
I have an incredible amount of faith and confidence in the medical professionals that surround us
and our Soldiers are receiving great care whenever they need it. Additionally, the uparmored vehicles that we operate
and the body armor that we wear have saved countless lives. We even had one of our Soldiers get shot
directly in the middle of the chest – but his body armor deflected the bullet and only left a bruise due to the impact!

Our Soldiers have been fighting the insurgents for the past month and have fought valiantly –
we have already seen award recommendations for valor in our unit. There is no doubt in our area that the Regulars are here
and we are a force that insurgents must fear. You have every right to be proud of your loved ones
and I am humbled to be associated with them—I consider it a privilege to lead them each day.

If you have any concerns or need assistance, do not hesitate to contact the Rear Detachment Commander—
CPT Warren Litherland. His duty is to assist our loved ones in the states while we conduct our mission here
and he is doing a great job for both us and for you.
The Rear Detachment’s contact information can be found on the last page of this newsletter.

Our commitment to the mission, to the Iraqi people, to the Iraqi Army, and to each other grows stronger each day.
Our efforts and success are only possible through your support – I thank you for that and we cannot do it without you.
Please keep all of the Regulars in your thoughts and prayers. Regulars, by God! Deeds, Not Words

—Lieutenant Colonel Craig A. Osborne (Regular 6)

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FROM THE COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR

Hello Folks,

After two months in theater, the Regulars are well established in our sectors and have settled into the “routines”
of daily life deployed. After what seemed like an eternity, the unit we replaced finally left the FOB
and is enroute back to the USA. We wish them a safe journey home and thank them for their service.
There is still much work for us to do, not only regarding repairing and maintaining our living and working facilities
here on the FOB, but in our battle space as well. As expected, the Regulars have done a tremendous job at handling both so far.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that say a lot. When I walk around the base camp,
here and at the other two FOBs where Regulars call home, it’s easy to tell who the Regulars are versus the other Soldiers
on the camps. It’s not easy to tell Soldiers from one unit to the next since we are all in the same uniform
and sometimes wear the same patches. But, as a general rule, I always see our Regulars in the proper uniform
with the proper equipment. They stand tall and their steps are long and purposeful. They salute smartly
and are cheerful in their greetings with their heads and eyes looking forward, not toward the ground.
They’re quick with a good story and always seem to have one. They look like Soldiers; they act like Soldiers;
I am always extremely proud of their professionalism and honored to be part of the team.

Top ten things heard around FOB FALCON this month:

10. “How much longer will we have to wear body armor to the chow hall?”

9. “Hey, have you seen my eyewear?”

8. “What do you mean, ‘we’re moving again’?”

7. “Somebody go find SSG Oliva.”

6. “Are those vehicles STILL stuck in the mud?”

5. “Come see this – I think 1SG Wright is going to kill the XO this time.”

4. “When is 3/3 ACR leaving this place?”

3. “Where’s my mail, %^&*$#@?”

2. “I have guard duty, again?”

1. “Come on Bear…what’s up with that?”

To all of the families of our Soldiers, friends, and veterans of the regiment – continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Thanks for all of the great packages of support from home. Soldiers ask for so very little.
Don’t forget us and don’t let our Nation forget us as we accomplish impossible feats for our country daily. Until next time…

— Command Sergeant Major Richard Beal (Regular 7)

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HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY – HAMMER

Family and Friends of Hammer Company,

Your Soldiers performed magnificently this past month as the battalion assumed responsibility for one of the toughest areas
in Iraq. On 1 February, the battalion assumed control over much of the farmland and some of the small villages
in southern Baghdad, an area that terrorist networks are attempting to use as a staging ground to launch attacks
against coalition forces. Hammer Company has been instrumental in denying the enemy the ability to do that.

The Scout Platoon provides the Personal Security Detachment (PSD) to the battalion commander,
serving as his security element as he moves around the battlefield. Additionally small teams of scouts and snipers
are attached out to other companies to provide specialized reconnaissance and sniper expertise to locate and target insurgents.

The Mortar Platoon provides the battalion’s Quick Reaction Force, which is often required to secure
the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team (EOD) as they render enemy emplaced Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) harmless.
The Mortar Platoon and EOD provide safe passage on the roads for the rest of the battalion.

The Medical Platoon provides battalion level care at FOB FALCON by maintaining the Battalion Aid Station,
as well providing combat medics in the field. They take great care of us.

The Fire Support Team provides teams to each company to plan and conduct fire support missions
and to serve as civil military liaisons between our battalion and the local populace.
The Fires and Effects Coordination Cell works in the battalion command post
to coordinate the Battalion’s lethal and non-lethal effects.

The Command Group, Staff, and Headquarters Section continue to write plans, manage logistics,
and generally do everything else that is required to keep the battalion functioning, which is no easy task.

Our admiration and thanks go to SGT Perez (S1), SGT Ryno (S3), and SGT Pollock (Headquarters Section)
for reenlisting in our Army and to their families for their continued dedicated support.

Congratulations to the following Soldiers who were recently promoted or passed their promotion boards:

– Promoted to Sergeant: SGT Etter (Scouts), SGT Newkirk (Scouts), and SGT Hayes (Fire Support)

– Passed the Staff Sergeant Board: SGT Lyles (Headquarters Section)

– Passed the Sergeant Board: SPC Adkins (S3), SPC Vinson (S4), SPC Sanders (Commo), and SPC England (Scouts)

Happy Anniversary to SPC Keith and his wife Erin who celebrated their ninth anniversary on January 19th.

Our hearts are with you as you continue the difficult task of everyday life at home without us there to help.
We admire all of your strength to keep things going. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers
as we continue to defeat a determined enemy in this area.
Know that the men of Hammer Company will live true to our motto of “Deeds not Words.”

God Bless You,

—Captain Craig Childs (Hammer 6)

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FROM THE CHAPLAIN

As we proceed on with the mission here in Iraq I am struck by the awesome nature and majesty of our God.
As Psalm 46 says God really is “an ever present help in times of trouble.” The divine protection and presence afforded us
by God allows us to exude the confidence required to accomplish our tasks and to win with decisive action.
No doubt the enemy is out there seeking destruction; but we are firm in our resolve to win
since we know the cause of justice and liberty is always right.

The sacrifices we make today will pave the way for our children and our grandchildren to look proudly at the greatness
which is our American heritage and help preserve the legendary status of the United States Soldier
as a “guardian of freedom and the American way of life.” Everyday I am humbled by the mighty commitment of your Soldiers
as they bravely seek to “support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”
and you can be proud of their actions here.

We thank you and think of you as you motivate and inspire us with your selfless service and great sacrifice back at home.
May God bless you and keep you in His steadfast care. Until we meet again…

—Chaplain (Captain) John Hill

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