1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

 

1st Battalion Newsletter

September 2013

BN CO, Chaplain, HHC

 

 

 

 

REGULAR 6 :

Soldiers, Family, and Friends of the Regulars,

After eight months here in Kuwait, this will be our final newsletter while deployed. I think I am safe in saying that
we are all extremely excited to return home to family and the Colorado Springs community. Nine months away from
family and friends is difficult, no matter where you are deployed. For some of our Soldiers returning home in the coming weeks,
this will be their first opportunity to meet their new child. We all look forward to the happy reunion and beginning the
next chapter of our lives.

The “Autumn” temperatures have finally settled in at Camp Buehring with daily highs only reaching about 100 degrees –
extremely nice conditions given the August and September heat. This will make the transition with the incoming Brigade
much easier. Flights begin this week and will continue on every week throughout the remainder of October and beginning
of November. All of your Soldiers should know at this point what Main Body flight they are on, so please communicate with them
to find out for sure when they anticipate to return. Once you know their Main Body flight, you can also call the Raider Brigade Hotline at
719 to get pre-recorded information on the date and time of the welcome home ceremony for each flight.

During our remaining time in Kuwait, we are focused on finishing strong and maintaining a high state of mission readiness.
We look forward to the upcoming transition with 2nd Brigade and will conduct a first class handover to set them
up for success. Finally, we are prepping our personnel and equipment for redeployment and reintegration at Fort Carson.
After the welcome home ceremony each of us will enjoy a 3-day pass before beginning reintegration training.

The Soldiers of the Battalion continue to perform extremely well and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Congratulations
to all 54 of our newly inducted Non-Commissioned Officers. This first class NCO Induction Ceremony was indicative
of the top notch Non-Commissioned Officers in our battalion that really know how to do things right. Once again, great job!
Please take a moment to LIKE us on Facebook. We continue to post numerous pictures to showcase your Soldiers
and their many accomplishments. (Keyword Search: Regulars by God)

Thanks for all that you do! We will see you soon!

Regulars, by God! Deeds, Not Words!

LTC Steven J. Adams

 

 

REGULAR 7 SENDS:

Soldiers, Family, and Friends of the Regulars’ Battalion,

“GET AFTER IT!” The time has finally come for our battalion to begin redeploying Soldiers back
home to Fort Carson. It has been a long and rewarding deployment for everyone. We are very
proud of the many accomplishments our battalion has added to our rich history. The Regulars’ Battalion
can come home proud of our service here in Kuwait due to the hard work of our Soldiers,
NCOs’, and Officer’s. If you have been following us on Facebook and liking our photos you have
seen everything from Small Arms Ranges, Live Fire Exercises, Air Assault Missions, Change of
Responsibility Ceremonies, Change of Command Ceremonies, Expert Infantry Badge Testing, Excellence
in Armor Training, Expert Field Medic Badge Training, numerous promotions and award
ceremonies, and very soon our redeployment closing out with photos of Families reunited at the
special events center back home at Fort Carson.

If you have not been keeping up with us on our Battalion’s Facebook page, I strongly encourage
you to take a look:
https://www.facebook.com/ #!/pages/Regulars-by-God/179874164570. Our
page not only captures our deployment in photos but will also show the professionalism of the unit.
The page is a source for useful and vital information, such as when to be at the Special Events
Center to meet your redeploying Soldier.

Everyone always wonders what to expect after the Special Events Center when my
Soldier gets home. After your Soldier checks in and the ceremony ends they will receive a 72
hour pass. This will then be followed by 10 (working) days of mandatory reintegration training.
However, normal duty days will start as we get back into the swing of daily life back at home station.

Below are some key events and dates for our Families back home to mark on the calendar:

Holiday (3 and 4 day weekends):
11 - 14 Oct Columbus day
8 - 11 Nov Veterans Day
28 Nov - 1 Dec Thanksgiving
6 - 8 Dec (3 day pass after our Ball)

Block Leave dates:
14 Dec - 7 Jan

I again urge everyone back home to get tied into the Family Readiness Group by contacting Theresa Scott at
mail.mil or (719). She will further guide you to your individual company FRG leaders if you have not yet
been contacted.

In closing, the strength of our Soldiers is their Families and deployment has been a tremendous
success because of you. The Soldiers and Leaders are very resilient because of our
Families and their continued support. We all look forward to seeing you all soon. “GET AFTER IT!”

“Regulars by God”

“Deeds Not Words”

Command Sergeant Major Timothy Edwards
Regular 7

 

 

 

 

When I considered where we are at in the deployment process these upcoming days and weeks ahead, I thought
it applicable to share one of Aesop’s Fables with you called “The One-Eyed Doe.”

A Doe had had the misfortune to lose one of her eyes, and could not see any one approaching her on that side. So to
avoid any danger she always used to feed on a high cliff near the sea, with her sound eye looking towards the
land. This meant she could see whenever the hunters approached her on land, and often
escaped by this means. But the hunters found out that she was blind of one eye, and hiring
a boat rowed under the cliff where she used to feed and shot her from the sea. "Ah!"
she cried with her dying voice. Moral of the Story: Stay Alert Stay Alive!

Soldiers of the 1-22 Infantry Battalion have done a wonderful job in support of Operation
Spartan Shield and have excelled at everything from individual competitions, gunnery exercises,
EIB Qualification, Commander’s Cup, and most recently the ongoing EFMB Qualification
process. Let’s not become complacent now.

During this very busy yet exciting time of making preparations to redeploy, transferring of
property, and multiple movement pieces, it is essential to remember that the mission is
not yet complete. The Regulars have come too far to let down our guard when it comes to
safety, PCCs, and PCIs this close to returning home. I encourage you to remain extremely
vigilant at all times, keeping both eyes open, and also looking out for your battle buddies.
Keep doing the right things, even when no one is looking and avoid trouble!

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like
a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Deeds, Not Words!

 

 

 

 

Hammer Company Soldiers, friends, and family,

Hello Hammer Families! I know we are all ready for this deployment to end! The countdown is getting shorter and shorter
as we prepare for our Soldiers to come home.

A few things I would like to talk about is reintegration and homecoming. Reintegration is a stressful time. I know we will
be happy to be home and you will be happy for us to be there, but it is still stressful. We must find our place in the
home after being bachelors for the last nine months. For at least the first couple of days, I feel like I am a visitor
in my own home because I don’t want to mess with Wendy’s schedule and routine. It usually takes me a few days
to adjust. Wendy and the kids say that they feel like they are walking on eggshells too since I have been gone and
they had their own thing going on. This is normal. This is the conclusion of my eighth deployment and some things
never change, we learn to adjust, that is the power of the Army Family.

Before we redeploy, we will be doing some classes to help get your Soldier ready to come home. Reintegration is
one of the classes. I will explain to them that you have been running the house while we have been gone and that they
need to respect that. The worst thing we can do is criticize anything and/or try and make changes to your routine.
Hopefully they listened and didn’t drone off.

Something else I am going to talk with them about it financial planning. It is more of a risk for our Single Soldiers
than our Married Soldiers, but they don’t need to go try and spend all of the money they saved up for the last nine months in
one weekend. This is a good time to set aside a nest egg for themselves for emergencies or for their future.

The biggest and longest topic of discussion is going to cover the issues that may truly become big issues; alcohol,
domestic violence and drugs. I will continue to hammer home that they will not be able to drink Colorado Springs dry in the
first 72 hours they are home. Their tolerance for alcohol is greatly reduced and they need to drink responsibly. Furthermore,
we will talk in great detail about preventing domestic violence, both him on her/children and her on him/children. I will not
tolerate any form of domestic violence and my rule is that I place a No Contact Military Protective Order on the Soldier, move
them in to the barracks for a minimum of seven days and rescind their off-post privileges. This will be followed by counseling
from not just their leadership, but also with ACS and Family Advocacy counselors. We have been gone for 9 months, the last
thing anyone wants is more separation. Finally, marijuana may be legal in Colorado, but it is still illegal in the Army for Soldiers to use.

Finally, I am emplacing a 100 mile radius travel restriction the first two weeks your Soldier is home. We have not
been driving much for the past nine months and I don’t want anyone to attempt to drive for longer than they are used to.
Furthermore, we have to do mandatory reintegration training the first two weeks we are home so no one will have time to
travel too far. 100 miles still has Denver within it’s radius so it shouldn't affect anyone too bad.

I have also been asked about Paternity Leave and Block Leave. Paternity Leave is a case by case basis. Tell your Soldier
to talk to me about it and we will set it up after they are done with Reintegration Training. For the younger Soldiers, I am
recommending that we make the first 10 days of their Block Leave their Paternity Leave so that they are not charged all 25
days. For the older Soldiers with a lot of leave days, I am considering whatever they submit, within reason. Block Leave has
been set by COL Tyler, the Brigade Commander, as 14DEC13 to 07JAN14. That is set in stone and you can start buying plane
tickets now if you like, however, I ask that you set you return ticket for 05JAN14 in case there are travel issues.

Here’s to the countdown to redeployment! /salute

Respectfully,
CPT Anthony Thies
HAMMER 6

 

 

Hammer Families,

Hello once again to the families of “Hammer Co”. The last phase of the deployment
is now upon us, REDEPLOYMENT. I want to thank you for your patience and all you have
done to support your spouse during the deployment. Ensure you congratulate your significant
other on a job well done during Operation Spartan Shield. We are currently conducting
tasking that will enable the Soldiers to have smooth transition before their departure.

The Brigade just celebrated it’s 50th Birthday on the 24th of August. 1-22 IN was
awarded the Raider Brigade Trophy for the third year in a row. The Regular Battalion will be
conducting a NCO Induction Ceremony for all Soldiers who have been promoted into the
NCO Corps during the deployment. This Induction Ceremony is a pivotal time in a Soldier
career. It is a gateway that will, without a doubt, change 15 NCO’s career path or outlook.

Thank you again for all the hard work taking care of the families in the absence of
your spouse.

Sincerely,

1SG Edward L. Mills Jr.

 

 

Hello fellow Hammers and Families,

For those of you I do not know, let me take a quick moment to introduce myself. My
name is CPT Anthony Chung and I took over for CPT Jon Gonzales as the HHC Executive Officer
this past April. I am married to Elizabeth Brumbaugh who is the Charlie Company FRG leader,
where I was previously the 3rd Platoon Leader and the Charlie Executive Officer. It has been a
learning experience transitioning between an Armor company to a Headquarters company, and
I would like to thank all the families who have helped welcome Lyzzy and the Soldiers, NCOs,
and Officers of HHC who have made the transition that much easier.

These past months have been quite hectic. We continue to train at the highest level.
If I could take pictures of most of the vehicles in the HHC motor pool or take a picture of the
deadline report, you might be able to see a small glance of just how busy the Soldiers have
been since arriving to Kuwait in February. My supply sergeant, SSG Pico, and I have had numerous
training exercises to resource. These exercises include a multitude of field problems, a
MORTEP run by our Mortar Platoon, a SCOUTEX and Spur Ride ran by our Scout Platoon, and
many others I guarantee your Soldiers will relive with you when they get back. It has been a great
learning experience, especially for those younger Soldiers and this being their first deployment.

We are looking forward to returning home to Fort Carson, Colorado and being with our loved ones again. We are
busy continuing to train hard, while at the same time beginning the process of loading our containers with equipment and
personal belongings to send back to Colorado. These connexes should be expected back after the Christmas block leave, so
we will look forward to that in this upcoming year. I look forward to meeting many of you at future functions such as the 1-
22 IN Ball and other HHC or BN outings that we will be holding. Until then, keep marking days off your calendars and we will
be home sooner than we know it! HAMMERS!!!!

Respectfully,
CPT Anthony Chung
HAMMER 5

 

 

Medic Platoon, HHC

Friends and family of the Medical Platoon,

The Medics continue to push ahead with their plans to conduct full spectrum training for the Expert Field Medical Badge
(EFMB) starting on 21 SEP. We will begin to train solely for EFMB, to include studying for the rigorous exam. In preparation
for the training initiative, the Medics have had to solidify and coordinate all processes for the return home. This included
packing and preparing all equipment for transport home.

The Medics are looking forward to the EFMB competition starting on 05 OCT. Once the competition begins, the sole
mission will be competing. Along with Land Navigation and the Exam, EFMB will test your Medics’ skills in weapons, CBRN,
and medical testing lanes. The most grueling event will be the final 12-mile Road March, which we will be required to complete
in 3 hours. The Medics have been training every Saturday in preparation for that event.

You should be extremely proud of what your Blood Medics have accomplished thus far! Soon, we will all be home
and your Soldiers will be integrating back into your lives!

Until next month (when we all are back!),

2LT Jay Jerman
“Blood 6”

SFC Adam Silvis
"Blood 7"

 

 

 

 

 

Scout Platoon, HHC

Friends and family of the Scout Platoon:

As the summer comes to an end the temperatures continue to drop to more comfortable levels. Although the cooler temperatures
are appreciated, it has not changed the high operational tempo that your Soldiers have maintained throughout the deployment.
Scouts and Snipers have continued to improve their current locations for future operations in the two countries we currently
operate in. Their hard work and dedication has set conditions for a successful transition between units in the upcoming weeks.

The main focus of late has been on security operations while ramping up property accountability and equipment pack out.
Your Soldier’s focus naturally moves toward redeployment as containers and personal equipment are packed.
The upcoming weeks will be filled with operational and administrative redeployment tasks in order to rejoin the Battalion,
and in turn, fly back to Fort Carson.

At Camp Buehring, Kuwait Scout Soldiers continue to aid the Battalion with ongoing operations. Over the past month,
Soldiers have executed maintenance, reset and accountability for company equipment. They have also been instrumental
in aiding the company with preparations for redeployment to Fort Carson.

As we approach the end of deployment we ask the families to continue to support your Soldiers as you have over
the past 8 months. Your strength and courage enable your Soldiers to maintain focus for a safe redeployment. As always,
we appreciate your sacrifices you have made and continue to make for your country.

1LT Brandon Landes
“Comanche 1”

SFC Michael Anderson
“Comanche 4”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends and family of Thunder Platoon,

As summer draws to a close, we find your Thunder Men continuing their mission in the waning Kuwaiti heat. Despite continued
sandstorms and cooler temperatures (~110F), your Soldiers have worked tirelessly this past month to maintain the fight and further
develop themselves as professional Soldiers. The month of September witnessed the platoon continuing their mission while preparing
for redeployment in the future. During this month, your Soldiers executed four major training events; Call for Fire training,
a Gunner’s Examination, the Best Mortar Competition, and Platoon Maneuver Training. The Gunner’s Examination tests the proficiency
of the gunner in five areas: mounting the carrier mounted 120mm mortar, making small deflection & elevation changes, referring
the sight and realigning aiming posts, making large deflection and elevation changes, and reciprocally laying the mortar.
Impressively, each Soldier in the platoon qualified Expert, scoring between 90 and 100 percent. The Best Mortar Competition was a
platoon-internal competition designed around the numerous tasks of a 120mm Mortar Crew; the competition tested the crews’ ability
to prepare a M121 Mortar System for operations, and execute follow-on fire missions. SGT Kyle Dorsey’s crew came out on top,
earning them a 3-day trip to Camp Arifjan, and their name on the BMC plaque back at Fort Carson. Finally, Platoon Maneuver training
increased the movement & maneuver skills of each crew, as well as occupation skills and basic mortar tasks during day and
nighttime operations.

Although our main focus has been primarily structured around maintaining professional skills, we have not forgotten that resiliency
is extremely important to the welfare of the platoon. Several of your Soldiers have been given the opportunity to travel to
Qatar, a rare and incredible opportunity. The trips were received well by all who went, and are consider to be an unforgettable experience.

As we look to the near future, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss two key events: homecoming & reintegration. As
most of you already know, Reintegration is an extremely stressful time for everyone. While exciting, this can be a tough time for you
and yours while you struggle to find a place in each other’s lives. For 9 months you have been living apart, and now, each of you
have your own schedule and routine. It is important to remember that tensions may be high for both spouses, and especially for children,
as they adapt to the change of the new “normal”. In order to create a smooth transition for both family and Soldier, the company
will be receiving classes to help prepare them for their return home.

Each day in this platoon, I find myself inspired by the fortitude, resiliency, and capabilities of these young men to shoulder any
task. As always, we would like to thank all of you for your continued love and support of your Thunder Mortarman! You are the
force behind the fight!

Until next month,

1LT Samuel Flohr ----------SSG Richard Harrington
“Thunder 6”
------------------------“Thunder 7”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**********************

 

 

 

 

 


NEXT PAGE

BACK

Home | Photos | Battles & History | Current |
Rosters & Reports | Medal of Honor | Killed in Action |
Personnel Locator | Commanders | Station List | Campaigns |
Honors | Insignia & Memorabilia | 4-42 Artillery | Taps |
What's New | Editorial | Links |