1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 4-15-06 Page 3

Happy Easter to all the families back home from the Soldiers of Delta Company!
I would like to start off by thanking all the families and friends of the Death Dealers
for the love and support you continue to provide us during this deployment.

The Company has been moving at full speed in our operations throughout the Dealer area of operations.
The Soldiers have been doing an outstanding job on the long, difficult missions they conduct on a daily basis.
The platoons adapt to their task and keep the enemy on its heels with their focused patrols.
The Division Commander, MG James Thurman, has even commented on the dedication and hard work
each of the Soldiers continues to display during the deployment.

The weather in Iraq is staring to heat up and we are already longing for the days of the cooler winter.
The Soldiers have been drinking plenty of water to acclimate themselves and prevent hot weather injuries.
Special thanks go out to our Soldiers who reenlisted this month. SSG Christopher Flagg, SGT Gary Cooper,
SGT Jason Gibson, and SGT David Rudnick all decided to continue to serve their country once we return to the states.
Our bonds continue to grow as each of our teams relies on every Soldiers’ strengths which make us a stronger family.

The Company’s hard work is evident by the population’s support of our actions in each of the towns.
We have fixed all of the IED holes along a major route in our area that allows both the local population
and our patrols to travel more safely. Work has begun on three of the six schools in our area
and the Iraqi children show their support to the Soldiers as we walk through the towns.
I am so proud at how well our team has been operating and I know that the enemy is afraid
every time they see one of our patrols approach their position.

Please continue to keep praying for our great Soldiers as they approach the hot summer days here in Iraq.

It is a privilege for me to be able to keep the family members and friends who support our Soldiers updated
on what our company has accomplished over the past 30 days. I would like to start by thanking the spouses
and friends that support our company Family Readiness Group (FRG).
They are the ones who help others get through this deployment by taking care of the issues that arise back home.
This has allowed the Soldiers to continue to focus on the mission at hand knowing that their family members
are being taken care of. I would like to personally thank Mrs. Kimberly Parker and the other spouses
for the hours they have volunteered, the phone calls they have made, and the meetings they have attended
to help others get information or address their problems.

This month, I am saddened to say goodbye to our current Executive Officer – CPT Joshua Bohannan.
He has served as a great leader and role model in our company. From running Bradley Gunnery Ranges
as the Officer in Charge at Fort Hood, deploying the company to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California,
and deploying the company in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Josh has always been a hard worker
who got the mission done and took the time to take care of Soldiers. He has always led by example
putting in the time to stay in good physical shape and by treating all Soldiers with respect regardless of their rank or position.
He is a great leader who will be missed. We have been told he will be moving up to work at the Brigade level,
and he will undoubtedly become an asset for that team as he has been for our company. We wish him well
in all of his future endeavors. I am personally thankful to have an XO who was willing to do the less exciting tasks
of covering down on battalion-level meetings, coordinating for all the requirements and resources to support each mission,
and who stayed on top of maintenance, supply and other areas so that we did not experience any issues.

I would like to also highlight a few other special moments over the past month.
SGT Ahmad Smith and SGT Johnnie Wilson – both from SAPPER Platoon –
reenlisted to continue to lead our Soldiers and stay with our team.
SGT Ray Andrade, who has already been leading his squad and doing great work with the 3^rd Iraqi Army Company,
was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant while SPC Jose Lopez, supporting the Brigade engineers,
was promoted to Sergeant. I want to thank these Soldiers for their great work and consistent performance.
They are the reasons we continue to be successful every day.

I would like to close by saying that we are at the quarter mile mark of our race.
We are never sure what we will find around the next curve,
but we do know that the energy we expend getting our mission accomplished will be worth it in the end.
I pray that our Soldiers continue to conduct their missions safely each day.
Each of our subordinate leaders has a few notes below. Thank you.

Friends and family, it has been another good month at FOB STRIKER.
The men are motivated and continue to do outstanding work. I hope that everyone had a good spring break
and enjoyed the time with their children. We continue to send Soldiers home for environmental leave
and it looks like we get about ten slots per month. This is a great opportunity for our Soldiers to relax
and enjoy some time with their friends and families and not have to think about their next mission.
The support that I have seen from the family members has been outstanding.
Although many Soldiers are able to call home, there is something about receiving a letter or package
that brings a smile to everyone’s face. Once again, thanks for the support and have a great Easter!

Hello friends and family of E Company. This has been an eventful month
as we continue to help improve our area of operations. We have seen the Iraqi Army transform
and start to take control of their area – allowing the men of E Company to stand back, mentor and coach
as opposed to executing all the missions themselves.

The company continues to evolve itself as the leadership changes continue.
This month we received a new platoon leader – 2LT Jon Chychota will assume his duties from 1LT Nate Rawlings.
During the transition 1LT Rawlings will be taking over for me as the XO. I have great confidence and respect
for 1LT Rawlings – he is one of the best officers I have worked with and I know he will succeed in fulfilling the duties
as the XO. It is a sad month for me as I prepare to leave the men of E Company.
It is nice to work with such a great group of Soldiers who constantly perform their jobs with the highest level
of professionalism and competence. I am proud to be a member of E Company and will continue to be as I leave,
and will be forever grateful to the men of this company for helping me grow and become a better leader.

Enjoy the change of season as we move into spring and stay optimistic as every change of season brings us that much closer to coming home. Once again thank you all for the continued support of your Soldiers while they are gone,
and remember to keep them in your prayers as they pray for the difficulties that you face.

The month has come and gone and the Soldiers of Headquarters Platoon keep doing outstanding work.
We have had a great month with the promotion of two of our Soldiers. SGT Jose Lopez was promoted
from the rank of Corporal to Sergeant. This is a large stepping stone in the progression of his career.
As he joins the ranks of the Noncommissioned Officer leadership, he will continue to lead his men
in the execution of demanding missions. SPC Michael Grossman was also promoted
from the rank of Private First Class to Specialist. SPC Grossman has done an outstanding job as a HMMWV gunner
and his attention to detail and knowledge of his weapon system have aided him on every mission.
All of the Soldiers continue to build upon lessons learned since we have been here to make systems we have emplaced better
and more functional. I would like to wish everyone a happy Easter and a blessed spring. God Bless.

March has been another busy and productive month for the Sapper Platoon.
The Sappers have recently expanded the scope of our operations to include conducting mounted patrols
of major supply routes into Baghdad. Along with the increase in patrolling, Sapper elements are still constantly working
with the Iraqi Army leadership to develop their NCOs and Soldiers. The platoon has done an excellent job
in adapting to changes being made throughout the company. At the start of the month PFC Mike Peugh
rejoined the Sapper Platoon from Headquarters as a dismounted Soldier. PFC Peugh also stood out this month
as the first member of the Sapper team to receive his Combat Action Badge. SGT Ahmad Smith and SGT Johnnie Wilson
both showed their commitment to the Army by reenlisting for another term.
Congratulations also go out to SPC Troy Smith and PFC Nicholas McCabe for their recent promotions on April 1^st.

March also started the leave cycle within the Sapper elements. At press time, SPC Aileron Rdiall
and SPC Brendon Crouteau are back in the States while SGT Baldemar Frausto and SPC Troy Smith
have already returned from their much deserved break. Overall, the Sappers are all in good spirits
and doing an excellent job in accomplishing and adapting to the numerous tasks at hand.
I hope everyone is doing well and God Bless!

The Soldiers of Dogpound remained busy throughout an eventful March.
We continue to conduct patrols aimed at securing sections of a major highway leading into Baghdad
and work with the Iraqi Army to train and develop their NCOs and Soldiers. We saw new additions to the platoon
and changes that allowed the Soldiers to focus on different aspects of our complex mission.

The month’s highlights began with two old hands coming (and in one case, coming back) to the platoon.
SPC(P) James Murray and SGT Ed Buendia joined the platoon. SPC (P) Murray comes to us from Headquarters
where he has served as the commander’s driver and will serve as a team leader in SSG Abelardo Tijerina’s squad.
SGT Eduardo Buendia comes from Headquarters as well and has been serving as my gunner in E21.
Welcome to both! SSG Ray Andrade, known affectionately as “Sergeant Ray” to the Iraqi Soldiers,
was promoted to Staff Sergeant – a well deserved promotion for a fine young NCO.

Additional changes saw the reemergence of the armored M113s for some daytime patrols
and time shifts as SFC Harry Williams and his Bradley section covered the graveyard shift.
Their actions ensured that the roads were clear for coalition forces all night long.
SSG Andrade’s section has continued to make great strides working with the 3^rd Company, 4^th Battalion,
6^th Iraqi Army Division, while SSG Parker’s and my sections worked with 2^nd Company
to improve the performance of Iraqi NCOs. In all cases, the Iraqi Soldiers have shown a dedication to duty
and desire to learn. We have supported missions to clean up sections of the highway as part of the overall security
and reconstruction effort, including one mission to remove a monument to Saddam Hussein.
In classic Dogpound fashion, we needed only some C4, our engineer skills, and a little imagination
to ensure the monument was no longer an eyesore for the people of Southern Baghdad.

This will be my last newsletter as the platoon leader since we are welcoming 2LT Jon Chychota as the new Dogpound 1.
2LT Chychota took over as platoon leader on 10 April and quickly showed his intelligence, desire to learn
and quick sense of humor. 2LT Chychota grew up in Kansas, the son of an Army Field Artillery officer,
and graduated from the University of Kansas in December 2003. He comes to us having completed the longest,
and one of the most impressive stretches of training I have ever seen. After completing Basic Training
and Officer Candidate School, LT Chychota completed the Engineer Officer Basic Course and the Sapper Leader Course
at Fort Leonard Wood before heading to Fort Benning where he completed Airborne and Ranger Schools.
LT Chychota is an outstanding young officer, and the Soldiers of Dogpound are in good hands.
On a personal note, I want to thank all of the Soldiers and families of Dogpound Platoon for making this past year
one of the best of my life. It would take much more than a paragraph to properly thank you all
for the impact you have had on my life through your kindness, generosity, and of course, for the trust you placed in me
by sending your husbands, sons and brothers into combat under my charge.
Please continue to support the Dogpound Soldiers as they accomplish wonderful things here in Baghdad.

This past month has not been much different than the last one – the team has been very busy
performing maintenance on our equipment. We continue to put in long hours in our motor pool
and it really reflects because our Bradleys and HMMWVs keep meeting their mission requirements every day.
I want to congratulate SPC Lorenzo Franklin on the birth of his newborn and for reenlisting this past month.
SGT Maria Rodriguez and her Soldiers continue providing excellent support for the BTB.

A challenge for us this month has been compensating for the loss of one of our maintenance tents.
It was completely destroyed by one of the unforgiving storms in our area. Although difficult at times,
we continue to support our engineers while putting our motor pool back together.
The NCOs and Soldiers of our team have maintained their high spirits
and they know that this is really just a small bump in our operations.

SPC Franklin and PFC Martin Ferrifino are getting to enjoy some well deserved down time in April
as they go on environmental leave. SPC Nathan Kaelin will soon be taking some time off as well
and he is planning to spend some time with his folks back in Washington State. I want to thank all of our Soldiers
for the superb job they do every day and to all the families back home for the letters and care packages
that we look forward to every month. Thank you and God bless.

March was a busy month for the Eliminators. We are constantly growing as a team
and establishing our role in Task Force 1-22 Infantry. About 1/3 of our Soldiers have taken environmental morale leave
and have all returned refreshed and ready to move forward with our mission. Occasionally, we have the opportunity
to send Soldiers on passes to the International Zone in Baghdad to enjoy a few days of down time.
We continue to make our home better than we received it.

As our missions change, so does our interaction with the Iraqi populace.
Our Soldiers have had the unique experience of helping an Iraqi Public Order Force establish a checkpoint to standard.
Our Soldiers periodically inspect the checkpoint and give a hand to the Iraqis who are constantly trying
to make their life and country better. Interacting with the Iraqi people and experiencing their culture
have led us all to a better understanding of what we stand for and why we are here.
To name a few accomplishments, our Soldiers have recovered over 25 vehicles;
pushed critical supplies to forward troops several times a week, fixed over 60 combat vehicles,
and emplaced blocking positions in order to deter Anti-Iraqi forces from transporting munitions across Baghdad.

We have had the opportunity to promote several Soldiers
in the last month. The following Soldiers were promoted
with an effective date of April 1, 2006:

· SSG John Huck to SFC

· PV2 Michael Martinez to PFC

· PVT Alexandrea Gries to PV2

The following Eliminators’ Birthdays will be celebrated
on the 15^th of April:

· 1LT Joseph Baumbach

· SFC Damon Howard

· SFC Michael Roddy

· SGT Damion Dunbar

· SGT Timothy Lyon

· SPC Michael Kruger

· SPC Paul Nunez

· SPC Johnathan Page

· SPC Manuel Rose

· SPC James Weatherly

· PFC Robert Green

· PFC Ryan Kiser

· PV2 Joshua Majestic

Everyday is different and our Soldiers are doing amazing things. You should be very proud of your Soldier.
I think about what our Soldiers and their families give up everyday and thank you all for your support
as we do our part in making Iraq a better place.