1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 5-15-06 Page 2

I will start this letter by saying that our time serving with the Special Troops Battalion (STB) is quickly drawing to a close.
The first five months of this deployment have proven very challenging, very rewarding,
and have given this company the opportunity to develop an appreciation for the hard work
that units other than 1-22 IN participate in. The Paratroopers from B Battery, 3^rd Battalion, 4^th Air Defense Artillery
of the 82^nd Airborne Division have arrived. They have accepted their new assignment with open arms
and an energy that is certainly necessary for the tasks they will pick up in a couple of days.
The Gators have been more than happy to train them – let’s hope they uphold the standard we have instituted.

Of course, as we depart, we have to say farewell to the STB battle squads that First Lieutenants Chris Thelen
and John Sabia and their platoons worked with on a daily basis. The Red, White and Blue battle squads
accomplished a large number of patrols in the Baghdad Area without any significant setbacks.
The squads are an integral part of the battalion’s mission, and they will continue to transport the division’s staff
around the battlefield for the remainder of the year. Due to mission requirements and a desire to respect the Iraqi culture,
we were blessed with the addition of four very knowledgeable and hard-working female Soldiers.
Staff Sergeant Komlofske, Sergeant Tran, Specialist Mack, and Private Second Class Davila
each helped make our job easier to accomplish because of their work ethic.

This month, 3rd Platoon provided security for a performance by the Charlie Daniels Band.
That was the most notable VIP visit, though there were others for which we provided security.
The most memorable event was a video teleconference with students from Pottsgrove Elementary School
in Pottstown, PA. We had a great time answering their questions and describing what it is that we do here.
It was certainly a treat to see young kids in the U.S. who seemed very excited to see and hear from deployed Soldiers.

Recent recipients of the Gator of the Week are: Staff Sergeant Timothy Mosteller, Specialist Bryan Hart,
Specialist Joshua Reed, Specialist Brian Todd, Private First Class George Evans,
and Private First Class Norman Herman for selflessly installing twelve sets of additional armor protection
on our Bradley Fighting Vehicles; Sergeant Ryan Curry for filling in as the unit armorer for three weeks,
re-enlisting, and stealing the NCO of the Month honors from the Special Troops Battalion;
Specialist James Pilgreen for developing a mounting bracket for “DANGER” signs on the backs of our vehicles;
and Private Second Class Sergio Fulgencio for tirelessly turning Soldiers and leaders away at the dining facility entrance
who failed to meet the requisite standard for entry. All of these Soldiers may have been nominated
for outstanding performance for a certain week, but the entire company is commended on a daily basis for something.
We reward the weekly recipients of the award a trip to Qatar for four days of rest and relaxation.

During the last month, we have provided several critical services to the Special Troops Battalion.
We helped train new units on the Escalation of Force, conducted up-armored HMMWV drivers training,
marksmanship ranges, security company training, and helped them find missing equipment.

Congratulations to Sergeant Craig Steiner and Specialist Zachary Mayhew on their recent promotions.
Congratulations to Specialist Roger Kelley for passing the promotion board and being recommended
for advancement to Sergeant. Congratulations to Staff Sergeant Gersain Garcia and Staff Sergeant Mark Little
for extending their current enlistments by one year. All of these Soldiers have demonstrated exemplary performance
in the accomplishment of their missions and are a great asset for the Gators and the U.S. Army.

The Soldiers of B Company have been very busy in past weeks as we expanded the area we patrol in
and increased our number of operations to stay a step ahead of our enemy as the weather begins to heat up.
Most of the Soldiers in the company deployed to conduct extended duration operations along the Tigris River
with Soldiers from the Iraqi Army. These missions, coupled with temperature that have hovered around 120 degrees
took a mental and physical toll on all involved, but were well worth the exhaustion.
One Soldier remarked that if his spouse could feel what his feet felt like,
she wouldn’t complain about him going fishing ever again.
The Soldiers were extremely successful in locating enemy caches of weapons and materiel.
The subsequent destruction of these will undoubtedly make life a bit more difficult for the insurgents in the future.

As we conduct operations, I am consistently impressed with the level at which the Soldiers and platoons perform.
They are truly becoming masters of their profession. The demands of the mission, mid-tour leave,
and the like have forced many Soldiers to perform duties that were once foreign to them.
In doing so, each Soldier has demonstrated great aptitude, flexibility, and dedication to their fellow Soldiers
and the company. The pride you have them is more than justified.

On May 13^th, we lost Specialist Ronald Gebur of 2^nd Platoon while conducting operations along the Tigris River.
There will never be adequate words to express our sorrow and what he has meant to us since he arrived to the Bears
in November of 2004. He was one of us, fought with us, and will always be with us.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, their young son, and their families in Illinois as they grieve for his loss.
We will never forget the sacrifice that he has made and we will continue to serve with a renewed commitment
to seeing the mission through to a successful end. Anything else would diminish the sacrifice that our brother has made.

Congratulations to the following Soldiers who have earned promotions.

Sergeant Michael Gonzalez to Staff Sergeant
Sergeant Steven Miller to Staff Sergeant
Corporal Robert Harden to Sergeant
Specialist Stephen Fink to Sergeant
Specialist Brian Hastings to Sergeant

Finally, I’d like to say goodbye to Sergeant First Class (Promotable) Michael Willis,
who will be departing the company when he returns from leave at the end of this month.
After seven months of service to the Bears as 1st Platoon’s Platoon Sergeant and then Platoon Leader,
he will depart the company to assume duties as the First Sergeant of A Company.
His promotion is well deserved and he will bring a great deal to the Gators.
Without a doubt, he is one of the most competent and professional NCOs in the Army.
Although he will be sorely missed by the platoon and company alike, it will be good to have him in A Company
fighting alongside us. On behalf of the Bears, I’d like to thank him and his family for his unparalleled dedication.

Thanks to Erin Jones who continues to provide great service to the families of B Company.
A special thanks to all who were able to participate in the Video Teleconferences with your Soldiers.
We hope to continue to have these available in the future. I trust this letter finds you and yours well.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers for our Soldiers.

Happy Mothers Day everyone! I saw an awful lot of letters being written home this past week
so I am confident that I speak for the entire company in wishing all of you a Happy Mother’s Day.
I’d like to thank all the friends and families who have sent packages for the Soldiers as well as gifts
for the children in the local area – your generosity and thoughtfulness are much appreciated.

We had the honor of promoting several Soldiers in C Company this past month.
Justin Twombly, the second Platoon Leader, was promoted to First Lieutenant.
Specialist Elton Gonzales, Specialist Christopher Kingman, and Specialist Jeremy Tate were all promoted to Sergeant,
entering into the Noncommissioned Officer Corps.

This past month, Staff Sergeant Michael Singleton, Sergeant Dario Noguera, Sergeant Manuel Sanchez,
Sergeant Jeremy Tate, Specialist Jose Dorado, Specialist Min Htut, Specialist Christopher Leo,
and Specialist Rodolfo Perez all reenlisted. I personally want to thank all the families of the Soldiers
who have made the decision to continue their service in the United States Army.
On April 29th, Major General Thurman took the time to reenlist seven of our Soldiers in the Division Headquarters.
Major General Thurman thanked them for their continued service and expressed his appreciation for their contribution.
It was a terrific ceremony and attendees included Colonel Pasquarette, Division Command Sergeant Major Riling,
Lieutenant Colonel Osborne, Command Sergeant Major Beal and many other Chaos Soldiers
to include 1SG Jerry Salvante and me.

Tactically, we continue to achieve success in our area. We have successfully severed a main enemy supply route
which has disrupted terrorist efforts. We have also made such a positive impact on the local people
that they have begun to express a willingness to help us defeat the insurgents in the area.
They warn us of IEDs that they see by placing stones across the road in front of the devices.
They have also come to our checkpoints and passed us written notes as well as verbally telling us about IEDs.
This has all been made possible by your sons and husbands being kind to the children as well as respecting
and honoring the Iraqi customs and beliefs. The Soldiers in C Company will always be remembered
in a positive way by the people here.

As you have probably heard from your loved ones, there will soon be a task organization change.
C Company will be going back to 1-22 IN under LTC Osborne. There are a lot of questions to be answered –
well above the company-level. You can be confident that as soon as we are informed of more details
we will inform you and your spouses. As far as mailing addresses, I assure you that all mail will be routed properly
and I will send the new address to the FRG. Although we have enjoyed working with our brothers
in the 101^st Airborne Division (Air Assault) over the last few months,
we all look forward to reuniting with the rest of the Regulars.