1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 5-15-06 Page 1

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

Unit Updates
2006

1-22 BN CO, CSM, HHC, Chaplain

May 15, 2006

FROM THE COMMANDER

Happy Mothers Day from southern Baghdad! We have completed our fifth month here
and each day is unique with a new challenge. Our Soldiers are doing great and I am incredibly proud of each one of them
and what they have accomplished. As I mentioned last month, we have continued to increase our pace of operations
against the enemy and our collective efforts are having great impacts on the insurgent ranks. We have developed a trust
with the Iraqi people in our area and they increasingly view us as here to help them stabilize and rebuild their country.

Our combat operations have been incredibly successful this month. Of note, we have killed and captured
several “High Value Individuals” in our area and our Soldiers have performed superbly.
We have found more caches of enemy munitions this past month than any other like period since we arrived.
We have also expertly employed virtually every weapon system we have access to – from hand grenades
to Apache helicopter Hellfire missiles. When required, our Soldiers are very lethal.

Although we have been busy reducing the fighting strength of the enemy with traditional tasks,
we have also made great strides in civil actions as well. For example, we have empowered local leaders,
witnessed the emergence of a local government, renovated schools, repaired roads, dug wells,
and cleaned canals for water to flow more freely to the fields. These efforts infuse money into the local economy,
employ people of the area, develop pride in their communities, and reduce the grip that the enemy once had in this region.
Combat operations are important – but those actions alone will not win this war.
Civil military and combat operations must work closely together and in parallel to achieve long-term success in Iraq.

This past month, we suffered one killed in action and eight wounded in action.
We lost Specialist Ronald Gebur of B Company in the early morning of May 13^th
when an IED detonated under the vehicle he was riding in. Our thoughts and prayers are with him,
his young wife Beth, and their son. We will never forget his life and service to the nation.
Although all of our wounded are expected to make full recoveries, Sergeant Adam Moore (D Company)
and Staff Sergeant Rodney Nelson (Military Transition Team) have returned to the United States
due to the severity of their wounds. I continue to be amazed at the medical evacuation system
and I am certain that their skills have saved lives.
Everyone from our young riflemen conducting first aid at the point of injury to our brothers and sisters
at the 10^th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad contributes to taking care of our heroes.
In particular, our young medics are the best I have ever seen in 17 years of service
and I have great faith in every one of them.

We continue to partner with 3^rd Battalion, 1^st Brigade, of the 6^th Iraqi Division
and they routinely conduct operations with us. The Iraqi Soldiers conduct raids, cordon and searches,
air assaults, patrols, and checkpoint operations – to name just some of the things they do.
Unfortunately, our Iraqi partners suffered casualties at a rate much higher than ours this month.
Our thoughts are with them, their families, and the unit. Although the international press gives much attention
to the number of Americans that are killed each day, please remember that Iraqis are also fighting
and dying for their country as well.

The Military Transition Team tasked to help train our Iraqi battalion is headed by Major Chuck Freeman
of the 1^st Squadron, 75^th Cavalry Regiment from Ft Campbell. He and his team of 17 professionals
are the continuous link with our Iraqi partners and they have done an amazing job teaching and coaching them
to be a better unit. Our collective success would not be possible without them
and they are as much a part of the Regulars as anyone else. Major Freeman will be returning to his unit
for the rest of the deployment before we send you the next newsletter and we wish him the very best –
he has been a key player in what we have accomplished to date.

We are all very proud of each one of our Soldiers that reenlisted this past month –
we had another 39 great Americans raise their right hand and recite the oath.
Any reenlistment is special and shows a commitment to our Army and to the nation,
but reenlistment in a combat zone is even more distinctive and shows that our Soldiers knowingly and willingly
accept the risks and hardships associated with our service. It is an affirmation that they are willing to fight
and die for the ideals of our nation. I want to thank all of the family members of those who have reenlisted as well.
Thank you for continuing to support your loved one as he continues to serve –
you all have sacrificed as well and I thank you for your commitment and support.

As many of you know, we will be moving to another FOB in the coming month.
When it occurs, it will be a planned operation and it is in response to a need for our forces
to operate in another area of the country. Our address will change, but we will ensure that the Family Readiness Group
has the required information at the appropriate time. Perhaps the best part of the move will be
that all of us in the battalion will be at the same place for the first time since we left Kuwait in early December.

If you have any concerns or need assistance, do not hesitate to contact the Rear Detachment Commander—
Captain 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 all of us.

The Regulars continue to set the standard in Iraq and I am proud to be associated with them—
it is a privilege to lead them each day. I cannot overstate how well our Soldiers are performing,
how important your support is to us, and I cannot tell you thank you enough for what you have done.
Our Family Readiness Group leaders continue to take care of the home front and, without them, we would fail.
I personally want to thank each of them and they have my undying gratitude.
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,

Well, another month has come and gone and it has been another month of exceptional performance
by the Soldiers of the “Regulars, By God” battalion here in Baghdad, Iraq.
Another month of applying incredible pressure against a very determined enemy;
another month of helping the people of Iraq get on their feet and establish their own government;
another month of outstanding service by our Soldiers; and another month that we have been separated from our loved ones.
Again, I am incredibly pleased and proud of all of the Soldiers – each and every day for all they do
and all the things in life they give up in order to accomplish their duties.

Many of you have heard by now that the battalion is preparing to move again.
We will be leaving FOB FALCON soon and heading to our new “home.”
After a short transition with the outgoing unit, we will assume new battlespace in a different part of the country.
There are new challenges that await us there and we are ready to accept those challenges.
We will also be realigned with our parent brigade from Fort Hood and our detached companies will be reattached to us –
something we are happily looking forward to. For the Soldiers – our accommodations will be a bit nicer
and they will have access to more morale-oriented facilities.

We will leave behind a lasting legacy of successes here in “AO REGULARS”.
Our time here seems short, when considering the grand scheme of rebuilding this nation.
But, our successes have been borne on the foundation of sacrifices and long, hot hours given by our Soldiers here.
We have sown the seeds of success for this area to cultivate, to grow, and to learn from.
We will leave behind the evidence of our presence here, in the form of newly re-opened schools,
roads that are now repaired, flowing water, electricity to those who went without,
and numerous other projects beginning now that will be completed after our departure.

Since our arrival here in January, we have been partnered with an Iraqi Army infantry battalion –
the 3^rd Battalion, 1^st Brigade, of the 6^th Iraqi Division. We have worked side-by-side with these Soldiers from the beginning.
We have taught them what we could, shown them the ways of a professional army, and mentored them at every turn in the road.
They have become part of us here. They represent the future of Iraq – a volunteer force of citizens
who want their country to progress into the 21^st century and want the violence to end.
They are also part of our legacy here in AO REGULARS. We will miss them.

And finally, a word of thanks to all of the great people back home in the U.S. who continually amaze me
by their patriotism and love for Soldiers. I am asked frequently, “What can I send the Soldiers?
What do the Soldiers need?” With over 900 Soldiers in the unit, I can probably give you 900 separate answers.
As a general rule – there is probably nothing we really “need,” but everything you send is greatly appreciated.
Thanks for thinking about us and keeping us in your prayers. Until next month, thanks for your great support to the battalion,
and may God continue to bless America.

Regulars by God!

- Command Sergeant Major Richard Beal (Regular 7)

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HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS COMPANY – HAMMER

As the weather turns hotter and the insurgents become more desperate because of our past success,
I am continually impressed by the physical stamina, mental toughness, and selfless service that the Hammer Soldiers
provide to our country and to the Iraqi people each day. The men of Hammer Company have contributed greatly
to the battalion’s successes this month – which have been many.

The Scout Platoon continued to provide the Personal Security Detachment (PSD) to Lieutenant Colonel Osborne
and serve as his security element as he moves around our area. Regular 6 travels daily throughout the battlefield –
talking to local leaders and checking on the troops – and it is the PSD that protects him everywhere he goes.
Our scouts and snipers attached to B and D Companies have conducted numerous missions this past month
to locate enemy caches and to kill or capture insurgents. Their operations along the Tigris River proved highly successful
as they discovered the vast majority of the IEDs that the enemy emplaced. They also found so many caches
of enemy weapons and munitions that insurgent operations have been significantly disrupted.

The Mortar Platoon conducted many escort missions for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team
as they destroyed IEDs that were found throughout our area. They also continued to operate in a company-sized
area of operations, cataloging business, searching for caches, and interacting with the locals to gain intelligence.

The Medical Platoon has excelled at treating the traumatic wounds sustained by our Iraqi Army counterparts,
civilians wounded by insurgent bombs, and our own Soldiers that have been wounded in action.
Particularly noteworthy is the performance of Specialist Matthew Snider who saved the lives of several Iraqi Army Soldiers
that were struck by an IED. Also impressive were the actions of Specialist Matthew Carpenter
as he conducted trauma treatment of one our Military Transition Team Soldiers who sustained gunshot wounds to both legs.

The Bradley Fire Support Teams attached to each company made great progress this month
by identifying basic needs in many villages and recommending projects to improve the quality of life of the people.
Through their efforts, the battalion has submitted 37 projects that will tremendously enhance the local economies
and increase the quality of life in each village.

The Fire and Effects Coordination Cell continues to support the battalion with indirect fires.
In the past 30 days, they have directed ten area denial missions and six counterfire missions.
Sergeant First Class Stephan Battiest will be on leave for the majority of May where he will spend time with his family.
His wife, Lisa Jeanne has a birthday on the 15^th of May. Second Lieutenant Matthew Parsons’s wife, Jennifer,
had a birthday on the 1^st of May and one of Sergeant First Class Paul Nice’s boys had his 5^th birthday on April 23^rd.

The Command Group, Staff, and Headquarters Section planned, coordinated, supervised, and supported
several highly successful combat operations this past month. The battalion found numerous IEDs and enemy caches
which significantly disrupted the enemy’s ability to launch attacks in our area of operations.
It takes a lot of thankless, behind the scenes work to keep the battalion running. The men of the Command Group,
Staff, and Headquarters Section continue to serve as quiet professionals and to the lead the battalion to victory.

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

Promoted to Staff Sergeant – Staff Sergeant Jason Pollock (Headquarters Section), Staff Sergeant Antoine Jordan (Medics)

Promoted to Sergeant– Sergeant Michael Kannitzer (Scouts), Sergeant Ivan Santillanes (HQ Section),
Sergeant Jeremy Sanders (S6)

Appointed to Corporal – Corporal Timothy Carr (S3), Corporal Luis Venegas (Medics)

Passed the Staff Sergeant Board – Sergeant Lino Presas (S1)

Happy Anniversary to CPT Joseph Latendresse and his wife Ivy – they celebrate their two year anniversary on May 15^th.

Happy Birthday to the following Hammer Soldiers who have recently celebrated birthdays here:

Specialist Keith Gomez – April 19^th
First Lieutenant Christopher Burciaga – April 22^nd
Major Joseph Holland – April 30^th
Specialist Timothy Yingling – April 30^th
Sergeant Major Noe Salinas – May 14^th

We love you all and thank you for all of your prayers and support.
Each day we are making our area a little better than it was before.
We are capturing and killing terrorists, finding and destroying their weapons,
helping to build better essential public services, and preparing Iraq’s civil and military leaders
to assume full responsibility for security of their country and development of its future.
The men of Hammer Company remain faithfully yours and “Steadfast and Loyal.”

—Captain Craig Childs (Hammer 6)

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FROM THE CHAPLAIN

Spring is such a wonderful time of year. The grass is green, the trees are full, the birds are flying
(so do the mosquitoes), and change is all around. It is the season of change and new life.
These last few months have been wrought with change. How you deal with these changes determines the end result.
What do I mean by this? You can either choose to be positive or negative about your change.
One thing I have learned about Army life is to expect and learn to adapt to change.
Learning to adapt to change is seeing this as an opportunity instead of an obstacle.
“How am I supposed to see being away from my loved one as an opportunity?”
By trying your best not to dwell on the circumstance of separation, but rather seek to discover new places,
new things, and new ways of long distance communication, broadening oneself and living each day to its fullest potential.
I realize this is easier to write and say than it is to do. Let me give you an example.

In the old family movie, Pollyanna, we find a little orphan girl around ten years old who goes to live with an aunt.
The aunt is very practical, but not very people oriented and neither are the townsfolk.
They are stuck in their ways and so resistant to change that they complain, argue, gossip
and cannot even see the good out of life. Pollyanna seeks to change this through her positive attitude toward life
in spite of losing her parents. Her positive attitude toward “happy texts” in the Bible even changed the preacher
and made him more encouraging instead of “hellfire and brimstone.” Her father taught her early in life
that the attitude of a person is infectious and a good attitude is better to spread around
than the poison caused by being negative all the time. An old Hebrew saying says “a joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” I used to hear the phrase,
“You can just get glad in the same pants you got sad in – it’s up to you.”

The truth is that a joyful heart is one of contentment in any and all circumstances
and it is only an attitude adjustment away. Oh, at the end of the movie we see Pollyanna paralyzed from a nasty fall
and not very positive about life without walking. Do you know what happened?
The very same once pessimistic townsfolk all came to her house in the hopes of cheering her up. It worked!
Her attitude began to change by being around those she once helped. Our attitude spreads to those around us
and Pollyanna helped change the whole outlook of an entire town. I urge you to lean on each other,
encourage one another, share meals together, enjoy life together and do your best to make the most of this deployment.
Unwrap each day as if it really were a present and live it. Do not allow a broken spirit to dry up your bones.
The choice is yours…

—Chaplain (Captain) John Hill

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