1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 6-15-06 Page 2

I wanted to take one final opportunity to bid you all farewell.
A couple days ago we said goodbye to First Sergeant McDermott as he is off to the next step in his outstanding career.
He will spend the next year attending the Sergeant’s Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.
He made a tremendous impact on the Gators over the past two years and will be dearly missed.
We all wish him well and a quick return to a Command Sergeant Major position
where he can get back to training and leading Soldiers.

I want to thank you all for an incredible year as Gator 6. The most rewarding time in my military career
has been the last twelve months when I had the humbling opportunity to command such a fine collection of Soldiers.
I am deeply indebted to you all for your support, recommendations, guidance, and willingness
to help me make the company a better unit. It has truly been an exciting adventure, and leaving will be very difficult.
Please know that I will always make myself available to help you and the Soldiers of A Company with your needs.
Also, please take the time to keep me updated on your lives as well.

At your earliest convenience, please welcome Captain Drew Conover and First Sergeant Willis to the company.
They bring a new energy to the company and will provide a strong command team for the Gators.

My name is Captain Drew Conover, the commander for A Company “Gators”.
I am both very humbled and extremely proud to have the opportunity to lead the finest company in this battalion.
I would like to sincerely thank Captain Troy Parrish and the leadership of this company for their hard work
and focus over the last year. Their tireless efforts to consistently uphold and exceed the standard in all aspects
of Soldiering have set the conditions for success during our remaining months in theater.

The first major event upon the Gators is the transition back to our parent unit – Task Force 1-22.
The Soldiers are eagerly awaiting their return to the Regulars and are fully prepared to execute the transition
as rapidly as possible. Prior to assuming our new Area of Operations (AO), the company will conduct numerous
marksmanship training events, advanced medical training for most of our Soldiers, and live fire training at a remote range
in eastern Baghdad. We will culminate with a battalion led reintegration course for our company.
The purpose is to share experiences and lessons learned by Soldiers across the battalion and brigade
focusing on what has been effective over the last six months and the latest techniques
and practices used by the insurgents to attack our forces.

Lastly, I would like to talk a little about our new home. We will be moving to PATROL BASE COURAGE.
This means all Soldiers assigned to A Company would live off of CAMP LIBERTY and forward in the area
on an established company patrol base. The patrol base has a substantial amount of force protection in place
to prevent and deter enemy attacks. It has tents with air conditioning which are used for all living areas,
a weight room, a dining facility, and an MWR site. The tents all have concrete barriers surrounding them
for added force protection measures. Additionally, there is a maintenance facility,
a building for a company command post, and latrines and showers.

In closing, I do not assume that this transition will be easy for the company.
The Soldiers will have to adjust to a new mission, leadership, requirements, and an operational tempo
that will be far different from that experienced over the last six months. Much will be demanded of the Soldiers
in the coming months and I have the utmost confidence that all will rise to the challenge
and leave our assigned area in a safer and more secure state than we received it. I ask that you continue the same support
for the Soldiers demonstrated over the last six months – it is always appreciated and needed.

I hope this letter finds you well as we bring the sixth month of our deployment to a close.
The past month has been a particularly difficult one for B Company. We have mourned the loss of Specialist Ronald Gebur
on May 13^th and Corporal Bobby West on May 30^th. Specialist Gebur – of 2^nd Platoon – was from Delavan, Illinois
and is survived by his wife Bethany, son Gage, and parents Debra and Larry.
Corporal West – of 3^rd Platoon – was originally from Beebe, Arkansas
and is survived by his parents, Linda and Ricky West.

We gathered on May 19^th and June 6^th, respectively, to pay our final respects and share memories of our fallen comrades.
We feel their loss deeply, but we continue the mission they have left behind; we do so looking out for one another,
realizing the best way to thank our brothers in arms is to succeed in the mission they began with us and return home
to enjoy the comforts of the life for which they sacrificed their own.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with Specialist Gebur’s and Corporal West’s families.

In the most recent weeks, we have been busy with both continuous operations and preparation of our equipment
for the move to CAMP LIBERTY in Baghdad. This has required added work on the part of all of our Soldiers,
but all have anxiously awaited the move and are prepared for the challenge of our new area.
As we depart South Baghdad, you should know that your husbands, sons, and fathers have endured
an extremely demanding five months in a particularly dangerous part of Iraq. They have done so intelligently,
with hard work, discipline, and distinction. You have every right to be extremely proud of the fact
that they are not only Soldiers serving in Iraq, but are making a significant difference
for the people and against the insurgency here.

With the upcoming move, First Lieutenant Nate Wilson, Sergeant First Class Daniel Oberwegner,
and the great tankers of 3rd Platoon – who have served with the Bears since January – will rejoin D Company.
Third Platoon has performed remarkably well securing a key route for both Coalition Forces and the local population.
During a recent visit by Brigadier General Maffey – the Division’s Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver –
he commended them for their outstanding work. Their reassignment to D Company will bring with it
a much awaited change of pace from their sometimes monotonous route security operations.

With the loss of D Company’s 3^rd Platoon, we are looking forward to our own 3^rd Platoon rejoining the Bears.
This will be the first time since Kuwait that we will have the entire Company together and – barring any changes –
we will remain together for the rest of the deployment.

Congratulations to the following Soldiers who have earned promotions this past month:

Specialist Paul Bennett to Sergeant
Specialist Harry Cortes to Sergeant
Private First Class Robert Brodie to Specialist
Private First Class Brandon Davis to Specialist
Private First Class Matthew Pooley to Specialist
Private First Class Johnathan Roth to Specialist
Private First Class Thomas Tonar to Specialist
Private Jonathan Thompson to Private Second Class

I’d like to say goodbye and thanks to Blue 1 and Blue 4 – First Lieutenant Ramon Ruiz
and Sergeant First Class Vernon Wippert – who will both be departing the company
when we relocate to CAMP LIBERTY. The company’s longest standing Platoon Leader and Platoon Sergeant duo,
they have led their Soldiers through a great deal during the past 14 months. Fortunately, they will both remain
with the Regulars – First Lieutenant Ruiz is being reassigned as A Company’s Executive Officer
and Sergeant First Class Wippert is moving to the Battalion’s S3 Section.
On behalf of the Bears, I’d like to thank them and their families for their service and dedication.

This month, we also welcome the arrival of Second Lieutenant Christopher Tsao and Second Lieutenant John Matheny.
They will serve as Platoon Leaders in 1^st Platoon and 3^rd Platoon, respectively.
Also, the Bears welcome Staff Sergeant (Promotable) Miguel Delossantos from A Company –
one of the longest serving members of the battalion – who will serve as the Platoon Sergeant in 3^rd Platoon.

I ask that your thoughts and prayers be with our wounded Soldiers who have returned to the states –
Private First Class Siencio Galarza, Private Second Class Calvin Davis, Private Second Class Kenneth Ellis,
and, in particular, Sergeant Brian Hartman who is currently experiencing a challenging recovery
at Walter Reed Army Medical Center following the same IED strike that killed Corporal West.

Our transition is moving us out of the tents at CAMP STRIKER and into the “rich neighborhood”
on CAMP LIBERTY. The Soldiers are quite pleased with their living trailers and all the amenities
that CAMP LIBERTY has to offer. Over the next week or so we will be conducting some maintenance,
inventories, and some refresher training. The intent of the next week is to refocus the Soldiers
and prepare them for the challenges they will face on our next mission. By the end of the month,
we will be transitioning our operations to a forward location at the Abu Ghraib Internment Facility (AGIF).
We will be providing security for the installation in the near term until it is returned to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice.
I took all the platoon leaders on an initial reconnaissance of the facility and everyone was quite pleased
with the living conditions. It will have new challenges for us but it will also provide the men a little break
from the rough living conditions along the routes we have been securing and the patrol base that we have been living at.

On the 10^th of June we had our final formation at CAMP STRIKER.
Lieutenant Colonel Haycock, the Battalion Commander of 2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry,
spoke to the company and expressed his appreciation for all the hard work and dedication
of the Soldiers of Charlie Company. He also wanted to tell the Soldiers how much we will be missed
and how proud he was to have us as part of his team. Lieutenant Colonel Haycock
then recapped some of our great accomplishments to include establishing security –
allowing local contractors to finally feel confident in the security of the area. This, in turn,
encouraged work on the three schools in or sector including painting inside and out, installing plumbing,
and new desks and school supplies. The children are on summer break for the next two months
but are very excited about the improvements.

Lieutenant Colonel Haycock also emphasized the import role that our company played in the tactical fight.
Our blocking positions along a key route and the disruption we inflicted upon the enemy
was monumental to his battalion’s success. He concluded by sharing his appreciation for the physical
and mental toughness the men displayed while conducting continuous operations – some lasting for over 20 days straight.
As we left, we turned our schools, patrol base, and other projects over to our brothers of A Company,
2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry from the 101^st. I am sure they will see to the completion of each one of them.

I had the honor of promoting quite a few Soldiers this month and I am very proud of them.
It is a special month when 18 Soldiers get promoted in a company of only 89 men;
however, the large number does not take away from the individual’s accomplishments to earn the promotion.

Sergeant James Bishop to Staff Sergeant
Sergeant Jose Garcia to Staff Sergeant
Corporal Gary Ruhl to Sergeant
Specialist Elton Gonzales to Sergeant
Specialist Christopher Kingman to Sergeant
Private First Class Gerald Blank to Specialist
Private First Class Russell Culbertson to Specialist
Private First Class Adam Fondren to Specialist
Private First Class Glenn Frechin to Specialist

Private First Class Anthony Harris to Specialist
Private First Class William Henderson to Specialist
Private First Class Herman Johnson to Specialist
Private First Class Rodolfo Perez to Specialist
Private First Class Bob Ward to Specialist
Private Second Class Shane Barrows to Private First Class
Private Second Class Ron Hanner to Private First Class
Private Second Class Rosalio Sosa to Private First Class
Private Second Class Corby Turle to Private First Class

This month we also sent eight Soldiers to the promotion board – all eight of them successfully met the rigid standards
and were recommended for promotion. This success rate was due to our senior NCOs working hard
to ensure our Soldiers achieved success. The dedication displayed by these eight Soldiers and their Senior NCOs
was quite impressive under the operational restraints they were under. Congratulations!