1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 6-15-06 Page 3

Hello once again to all of the families and supporters of D Company and 1-22 Infantry.
We have completed operations in our old area of responsibility and moved to our new base at CAMP LIBERTY.
Living conditions are just as good – if not better – than they were at our last place.

D Company was busy this past month setting the conditions for our follow-on unit to assume control of the area.
Soldiers from the company conducted two air assaults along the Tigris River Valley this past month
along with cordons and searches, raids, and regular patrols in our area. During our last mission,
the Soldiers were responsible for detaining a valued target and destroyed a cache with the help of intelligence
from Iraqi forces and the expertise of our Iraqi Army counterparts.
It was a great end to our final company operation in this area.

The enemy always has a say in our operations and, unfortunately, this month we suffered
a few more wounded Soldiers in the company and the loss of one of our loved ones.
We lost Corporal West this month to an IED strike and our hearts are with his family and close friends back home.
Corporal West is gone but not forgotten and his memory remains with us as we continue our mission.
All of our wounded are expected to make recoveries; First Lieutenant Brett Wellensiek, Sergeant Brian Hartman,
Specialist James Lewis, Private First Class Siencio Galaraza, Private Second Class Calvin Davis,
and Private Second Class Kenneth Ellis have returned to the United States this past month
due to the severity of their wounds. Our thoughts are with them as they work hard to recover from their wounds.
Our other wounded Soldiers weren’t as severely wounded and they can continue their mission with the company
into our new area. These Soldiers bear the ultimate burden in their service of their country in the fight for freedom from terror.
It is these Soldiers that we honor with our brave from past wars on Memorial Day.

The Soldiers are looking forward to developing our new area of responsibility
and this movement gives us an opportunity for some time to recover before we begin transition.
We will concentrate on preparing our vehicles and equipment in preparation for the next few months.
This company of Soldiers has really molded into a family who depend on each other on a daily basis.
I am incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication each one of our Soldiers has displayed
the past six months and their commitment to continue to do the moral right in a complex environment.
I have faith in our equipment and training to protect us in our operations as the Army continues to provide
the company what it needs to complete the mission.

With our move to CAMP LIBERTY, please remember that our Soldiers address has changed
to make sure they continue to receive the great support from home.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and we will continue to make you proud in all that we do over here.

It is hard to look back and believe that we have already completed six months of our tour –
reaching the midway point of our deployment. The Lord has taken care of us and continues to watch over
all of our Soldiers and family members as we accomplish our mission every day.
I pray that we continue to get the job done and return safely to our families.

Since we have been deployed, I have been amazed at how well our Soldiers are able to perform each mission
I have asked them to accomplish, how much motivation they display when they do their job, and how well
they take care of each other. From the counter-IED training and convoy live fire training –
which the Soldiers did during some wet, cold and miserable days in Kuwait – through the holiday period
from Christmas to New Year’s, to the challenging mission of training and working with four companies
of Iraqi Army Soldiers, and to the sometimes thankless job of securing the same stretch of a main supply route
day in and day out, the Soldiers of E Company have proven to be very special.
They are Soldiers I continue to be proud to serve with and from whom I have learned much as a leader.

I want to thank every Soldier in this company for making my job as a company commander very easy
and very rewarding since my first day on the job. I am thankful to have served with you in this capacity.

This month will be full of transitions and changes for everyone in E Company.
We return back to our parent battalion and say goodbye to 1^st Squadron, 75^th Cavalry Regiment – the “Widowmakers” –
who tool us in as one of their own Troops and worked side by side with us to secure the main supply route
south of Baghdad. We have already sent 23 of our Soldiers to the “Ironclaw Academy” to begin training
on our future route clearance and escort missions. We are also busy completing our move to CAMP LIBERTY
and preparing for the upcoming company change of command by inventorying all of our equipment.
The Soldiers will definitely be very busy during this month.

I thank all of our Soldiers who continue to make our mission a success.
The pride and professionalism you display in your work every day
is a testament to your dedication to your fellow Soldier.

To those that have recently reenlisted, thank you for your continued service to your Army and our great nation.
To those who have earned promotions – congratulations on a job well done.
I always stress that it is a great day when a Soldier moves up in rank as he has displayed a genuine desire
to get the mission accomplished and has accepted the responsibility to lead and take care of their fellow Soldiers.
Keep up the great work! Thank you.

Friends and family, it has been another good month – and our last one at CAMP STRIKER.
The Soldiers continue to work extremely hard and have accomplished every possible mission.
In the past month, we’ve seen several promotions…

We continue to send ten Soldiers home on leave each month and I hope that you are enjoying
the warmer weather and school vacations. Please continue to support our Soldiers with care packages and letters.
Every time a Soldier receives a package or letter, it lights up his week. Thank you for all of your support and God bless.

As we pack up and move to our new home on CAMP LIBERTY, we are taking the time to reflect
on the first half of this deployment. Over the next two weeks or so, we will be preparing for our next
Area of Operations and we will ensure that all of our Soldiers get a little time to rest and collect their thoughts.
We are incredibly excited about having the entire company in one location for a short period of time –
we will be sure to take advantage of our time together.

Our Soldiers are very proud of what we have accomplished over the last six months.
We’ve been asked to do things beyond the typical scope of a forward support company
and our Soldiers have exceeded my expectations every time. We all look forward to establishing our new area and,
once again, making it better than when we found it.

Our Soldiers have come to realize that we have a chain of command that embodies the values
that our country was built on and in a battalion full of pride and history. I feel blessed to work side by side
with our nation's finest Soldiers everyday. There is absolutely nothing that I would rather being doing
than what we are doing right now.

Second Lieutenant Harry Mars to First Lieutenant
Private First Class Laticia Becerra to Specialist
Private First Class Lucas Creduer to Specialist
Private First Class Anthony Doering to Specialist
Private First Class James Etheridge to Specialist
Private First Class Jeremiah Reiff to Specialist

Private First Class Tucker Tracy to Specialist
Private Second Class Binfeng Cao to Private First Class
Private Second Class Alexandrea Gries to Private First Class
Private Second Class Brandon Hall to Private First Class
Private Second Class Nicole Miesbauer to Private First Class
Private Second Class Douglas Steele to Private First Class

We continue to celebrate birthdays monthly and would like to wish a Happy Birthday to the following:

Staff Sergeant Brian Denning
Staff Sergeant Earnest Swift
Sergeant Henry Hubbard, Jr.
Sergeant Calvin Sanders
Specialist Joelle Balthazar
Specialist Michael Dorough

Specialist Charles Sanders
Specialist Tucker Tracy
Private First Class Crystal Gardiner
Private First Class Gregory Metcalfe
Private First Class Edward Somerfield

I continue to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support.
I understand that you, our families, make an amazing sacrifice everyday in support of your Soldiers
and it is you who we draw strength from daily.