1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

 

1st Battalion Newsletter

June 2013

Company D, E/FSC, Rear Detachment

 

 

 

 

Coming up on month number four of our deployment and Dealer remains busy as ever. We’ve done services on tanks,
personal weapons qualification, close quarter marksmanship ranges, gunnery skills testing, platoon maneuver training,
and are currently in the middle of gunnery. Flexibility is the key over here. Dealing with external factors that affect our training ,
the Soldiers of Dealer Company have done a phenomenal job adapting to the changing conditions and continue to “get after it.”
I’m tremendously proud of the Soldiers of Death Dealer Company and look forward to tackling future training and
joint missions with Kuwaiti Forces.

Congratulations to SGT Calixte and SPC Debrum on your promotions, job well done.

I want to thank the Keating family and some of their friends for donating care packages full of some great
“pogey bait” (beef jerky, sunflower seeds, and other snacks). Thank you very much, Death Dealer appreciates
your support!

Thank you again to the families, friends, and children of Dealer Company. Your unrelenting support for your
loved ones keeps us motivated. Thank you.

CPT Christopher A. Reed
Death Dealer 6

 

 

It seems like just a matter of days since I last wrote a few words for this column. Time is truly flying by as we are now
well into the 3rd month of our Kuwaiti deployment. It has been nothing short of hectic here of late as the Company is
performing a large variety of missions and training events here in Kuwait.

As always I am so proud of our Soldiers as they learn, grow and adapt to an ever changing environment
here in Kuwait. The weather has been unpredictable with cool mornings and scorching heat in
the afternoons to booming thunder storms at night. Our recent focus has been the train up and movement
of the Company to gunnery. We were well on our way to retaining the “Top Tank Company”
streamer given to the Company with the top gunnery average when we had to shut down training
due to a large number of camels and camps arriving on our range. This is just one of the many oddities
we are faced with during a deployment that would never happen at home station, and proves just how
adaptive our Soldiers are as always and we are ready to begin shooting again at any moment should
the camels leave.

We are so thankful for the support of the families back home as we could not do this deployment
without you. I know for some of you the days drag, but know what your loved one is doing is very important.
They are working hard every day to accomplish the mission here. They overcome the weather
and every other challenge put in front of them as Dealer Company leads the way for the Battalion as
usual. Thanks for all your continuing support.

“Dealers”

1SG Noyes, Jon D.
Death Dealer 7

 

 

The past few months the Soldiers of Headquarters have been conducting and supporting numerous training
missions. Their efforts during mission essential training have been crucial in the Battalions success in support of
Operation Spartan Shield. In addition, HQ's have travelled on MWR Tours to experience the cultural atmosphere
of Kuwait City.

Headquarters role during these events mainly consisted of logistical support, IE; establishing communications
between the vehicles and conducting weekly maintenance of radio and satellite systems, proving medical
assistance to specific training sites for safety measures, and supplying Soldiers with the proper amount of ice,
water, Gatorade, and meals ready to eat (MRE). The hardworking HQ's mechanics have repaired turbine engines,
replaced fluids, and maintained our company's Abrams and Bradleys since day 1. Great work mechanics!

Aside from training and maintenance, headquarter's has also taken part in Moral, Welfare, and Resiliency
Tours to Kuwait City. Soldiers have visited sites such as, Scientific Center, which offers an IMAX theater and
Aquarium. The Avenues mall that offers world class shopping departments, such as, Dolce & Gabana, Gucci,
Versache, Express and a variety of other popular stores. They have also visited a Golf Course where Soldiers
were able to utilize the driving range or play 9 holes. Lastly, HQ was able to experience a variety of ethnic
foods at local restaurants and cafe's.

Our mission here in Kuwait has been going as planned and we couldn't accomplish our goals with out our
hometown support. So, on behalf of Delta Company Headquarters Platoon, Thank you, to all of the families
who support these fine men, we appreciate you!

Sincerely,
1LT Jonathan Harper

 

 

 

 

During the past couple of weeks, the Soldiers of 1st Platoon have prepared for and
conducted tank gunnery. Everybody in 1st Platoon did a great job. Congrats to D12 for
shooting Distinguished, with SSG Sanchez as Tank Commander, SGT Sweetman as gunner,
PFC McCubbin as loader, PFC Schaffner as driver, only time will tell if they retain
their title, as we still have 5 crews to complete table VI. Their gunnery table VI score
was 993 out of 1000.

Now that gunnery is complete, 1st Platoon is getting ready to go back out into the field
and conduct a Platoon live-fire event, as well as a CALFEX (Desert Centurion). Desert
Centurion is a joint live-fire exercise, conducted with tanks, Bradleys, Paladins, attack
helicopters, and the Kuwaiti Army. The rest of the month of May 2013 will be
very busy, with the majority of the time spent in the field.

Congrats to the recent promotion of Specialist Calixte to the rank of Sergeant! It is
well deserved. Congrats also to SGT Weaver and PV2 Martinez for making homemade
PB&J sandwiches. It lifted our spirits. Last, but not least, congrats to all the Soldiers of
1st Platoon for making gunnery a memorable event, for attacking the range, for doing
a great job, and for working well as a team.

1st Platoon Leader
1LT Derek Harris

 

 

 

 

 

It has been three months since we first put boots on the ground here in Kuwait. The operations
tempo has been steadily increasing with more and more training being added to the calendar.
Currently, the Soldiers of 2nd Platoon are engaged in tank gunnery. Last week we completed
gun table V and are preparing to finish up with gun table VI, the final table that qualifies you as a tank
crew. Every Soldier has been training hard and the competitive spirit is alive in Delta Company with
every crew attempting to take the honor of top tank.

With gunnery soon coming to an end, the Soldiers of 2nd Platoon have the platoon live fire to
look forward to. This live fire exercise will demonstrate the true destructive capabilities of a tank
platoon and will test each individual crew as they work together as a cohesive unit to take down targets.

Despite all the training that is going on, the Soldiers of 2nd Platoon still receive time off and get
the chance to go on off post MWR trips to Kuwait City. The MWR trips are a great tool in maintaining
our Soldiers’ resiliency. The trips are a welcome day off from work and a chance to get out and experience
an entirely different culture. Soon every Soldier will have been off post and we will start
conducting platoon MWR trips.

Finally, I would just like to take a moment to thank all the family members and loved ones who
support their Regular Soldier on a daily basis. Without your support we could not do what we do.
Knowing that we are fully supported by you allows us to focus on the mission at hand and stay 100
percent in the fight. We are looking forward to coming home but in the mean time your continual
unconditional support is still needed and we will see you soon.

2nd Platoon Leader
1LT Travis Gerbatsch

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Platoon, Dealer Company has now spent almost three months at Camp Buehring. In the past month they have conducted
training both in preparation for tank gunnery as well as preparing as a ground force in case of a contingency operation
in the region. The training has included taking part in ranges such as Close Quarters Marksmanship and Close
Quarters Battle, as well as conducting Maneuver training and EST marksmanship which have prepared the Platoon’s tanks
and soldiers for gunnery and upcoming Platoon live fires.

During Close Quarters Marksmanship 3rd Platoon was instructed on how to conduct a series of movements and then
engage a target. This training included both walking and firing as well as turning and firing. Once the basics were mastered
the Platoon was instructed on how to quickly transition from their primary M4 or M16 rifle to their secondary M9
pistol in an efficient manner and engage a target. On the last two days of the week 3rd Platoon conducted Close Quarters
Battle, which consisted of tactics such as entering and clearing a room, and the proper steps for egressing once a building
was clear. During the live fire portion of the training 3rd Platoon showed marked improvement from the beginning of
the week and showed a noticeably higher level of competency in small arms infantry tactics.

Tank services also continued in the past month, with the soldiers finalizing repairs on tanks and continuing to prepare
themselves for gunnery through the use of simulators such as AGTS and EST. The Platoon then took place in Battalion Gunnery
which was a chance for the crews to qualify and distinguish themselves among their peers. 3rd Platoons tanks averaged
a 918 during Tank Table VI, a number that is credited to the hard work and preparation at both the individual and
crew levels.

The Platoon would like to congratulate Specialist Debrum, who was promoted from Private First Class to Specialist, as
well as to all the Platoon members who took place and qualified in their first tank gunnery. Lastly a thank you should be
given to each soldiers’ wives, children, families, and friends who continue to support and remember the Platoon each
day, your support is appreciated and does not go unnoticed.

3rd Platoon Leader
2LT Joshua Reed

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

ELIMINATOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS:

Greetings from Kuwait. As the temperatures begin to increase here in Kuwait so does our operations tempo. The company
has accomplished so much since March providing support for the battalion’s Unstabilized Gunnery , company
maneuver training, and squad live fire training. All while supporting the events mentioned above your Soldiers have put
a lot of hard work into their own training to be ready to meet any challenge they may face.

Supporting an Un-stabilized and Stabilized Gunnery for a Combined Arms Battalion of M1 Tanks and M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles
is not an easy task, but the Soldiers of Echo Company not only met the standard, they exceeded it. The cooks set up
their Containerized Kitchen to provide hot breakfast and dinner providing nutritious meals and increasing morale in the
infantry and tank companies while they were qualifying with their vehicles. The distribution platoon has done a phenomenal job
moving critical supplies, fuel, and ammunition across 217 square miles of training area. Their ability to be on time and on target
has force multiplier, allowing the other companies to train without interruption. All of the equipment that allows us to do our job
would be useless were it not for the effort the maintenance platoon puts in each day fixing vehicles and performing services
to prevent further breakdowns. They even achieved the rare feat of having a non mission capable report with
no vehicles on equipment on it.

We increased our proficiency with our M2 .50 Caliber, and M240B 7.62mm machine guns; doing multiple ranges to include
an unstabilized gunnery of our own. This training will be vital to our success should we be called upon us to respond to contingencies
in the region. There have been great opportunities as well to train with our Kuwaiti partners. Some of our Soldiers participated in joint
medical training and joint urban operations. The Eliminators have been outstanding at building professionalism and enhancing regional
stability while training with our regional partners.

I want to thank you all again for the sacrifices that you make on a daily basis while your loved one is deployed. Our nation has asked
a lot from our Army over the past ten years of conflict and none of that would be possible without your love and support.

ELIMINATORS!

DAVID A. KLINE
CPT, LG
Commanding
“ELIMINATOR 6”

 

 

Eliminators Families:

Hello to all the families from Kuwait. The last three months have been very busy with arriving here and getting right to work by supporting
the 1-22 IN Regulars Battalion. The Soldiers did an outstanding job with adjusting to the warm weather and the high tempo
that we operate at every day. The same discipline and motivation has carried on from FT Carson to here.
What a great start!

From the first day of touching down here in Kuwait our Soldiers have been signing for and inventorying their equipment and ensuring
that everything works properly. We started off with a few days of weapons training followed by a few more days of shooting
and qualifying with personally assigned weapons.

We immediately went into Battalion Gunnery. Our Cooks are doing superbly preparing hundreds of meals a day to ensure all Soldiers
get the good hot Army chow that we have all come to love. Our Distribution Platoon has delivered thousands of gallons of
fuel, tons of rations and, of course, they keep the entire battalion supplied with ammunition. The maintenance platoon has serviced
more than 60 vehicles to keep the entire battalions fleet up and running. Last but not least our HQs platoon keeps it all in check by
tracking all the moving pieces.

We hope to build upon the success we have had so far and, we look forward to hearing from you and sharing pictures of our
training. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.

Eliminators!

CHRISTOPHER D URRUTIA
1SG, USA
First Sergeant

 

 

Greetings Family and Friends of Eliminator Company,

Hello again from Kuwait! I hope this correspondence finds you well in Colorado Springs and
around the US. As spring thaws out the US, it is getting very hot on this side of the world. Our Soldiers have
been working through the heat preparing food, working the supply channels, staffing the orderly room, and
running the arms room. In addition to our normal operations, we have been supporting the Battalion’s
Bradley and Tank Gunnery for several weeks now. This entails maintaining a fully functional field Tactical Operations
Center (TOC) and the field feeding section preparing two meals per day out of the Containerized Kitchen (CK).

The Arms Room meanwhile has responded at all hours of the day in order to ensure that sensitive
items are issued and received with full accountability. They have also prepared for and passed inspections by
the Battalion, Brigade, and US Army Central Command to ensure that physical security guidelines are up to
code. The orderly room has also put in some wild hours as they have been conducting split operations
between the TOC at Range 8 of the Range Complex and the orderly room back on Camp Buehring. Finally, the
supply section has worked meticulously with our new Supply Sergeant, SSG Babers, to sort out alterations to
the property book with our Rear Detachment element. I know I speak for the entire company when I say that
their hard work, while often unsung, has played a critical role in the mission.

While we are working extremely hard, we have also found time to immerse ourselves in the activities
Camp Buehring has to offer. As you can see from the pictures, basketball, softball, ping pong, pool, karaoke,
and poker are but a few of the activities that our Soldiers have enjoyed. We look forward to seeing you soon.

1LT Thomas Travers
Eliminator 5

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings Families:

Three months down! We have continued to remain extremely busy since the last newsletter. For most of the
platoon, the majority of our time has been spent in the field while conducting beneficial training. So let us apologize upfront
if you have not been able to communicate with your loved ones as often as everyone would like. Nonetheless, you
are always in our hearts and on our minds.

Over the last month or so, we have been supporting the line companies within the Battalion as usual, but we have
also been conducting training which focuses more specifically on ourselves. For example, every Soldier in the platoon has
qualified on their individual weapons, whether it be an M4, M9, or M249. In addition, many Soldiers have conducted
familiarization and qualification ranges with the MK19, M240B, and M2 weapon systems. These qualifications, along
with other self-focused training, culminated last week while we conducted an Unstable Gunnery. During this time, our
Soldiers were excellent as every gun truck passed the qualification standards. This was a difficult and unfamiliar task
which would not have been possible without a high level of motivation and commitment to excellence across the platoon.

As always, each section within the platoon has been receiving and completing missions every single day. Our
cargo squad has continuously transported food and water over a month long Battalion Gunnery. Our fuelers have spent
the most time in the field, as they have operated a fuel point for the duration of Gunnery. Finally, our ammo squad has
had their hands full as usual supporting numerous ranges for the Battalion. They have drawn, issued, received, and turned in
more types and quantities of ammo than any of us would have imagined.

We would like to conclude this month’s newsletter by welcoming our new Soldiers, SSG Jeanpierre and SPC
White, and their families. Also, a very deserving congratulations to SGT Ortiz, SGT Wittkopp, SPC Rodriguez, and SPC
Tobeck, all of whom have recently been promoted. We are so grateful for all of you, and this mission would not be possible
without your continued love and support. Thanks much.

-1LT Matt Long
&
SFC Harold Kramer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Maintenance Families!

Once again, your maintenance platoon Soldiers and NCOs have set the standards high here for all other
maintainers to follow. They have provided over 5,000 man hours of work throughout the battalion, while
honing in on their own Warrior tasks and battle drills. Some of the latest training has included driving on the
off road terrain vehicle course and mounted live fire qualifications.

Don’t let that fool you; they have also had some friendly competition while playing games of football,
Frisbee, and squad level races. We have also been exercising our resiliency by hosting platoon barbeques
and cheering on our soldiers that play on our company softball team.

The weather here has started to heat up, but the soldiers are making sure to drink plenty of water and wear
sun block when working outside for extended periods of time.

On a personal note, this will be my last newsletter as the Maintenance Platoon Leader as I am moving up to
company Executive Officer for Echo FSC. It has been a pleasure serving with your Maintenance Soldiers and
getting to know some of the families that support them. I wish you all the best of luck in the future!

GO ORDNANCE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Regulars, Families and Friends,

It’s hard to believe it’s been four months since the first flight of Regulars left Colorado. Even with the temperatures rising
into the triple digits, the Battalion continues to do an outstanding job as they train and partner with our
local regional allies in the Middle East. Meanwhile, back here on Rear Detachment, we continue to do everything we can
to support the Soldiers and Families still here in the United States. Whatever we can do to help; whether
it’s assisting the families of Soldiers deployed or assisting Soldiers back here as they transition out of the Army,
our doors are always open and our Rear D Cadre are prepared to help.

There’s no getting around the fact that deployments are tough on a lot of families. One of the great resources we have on post
to assist families is Jim Moore, our embedded Military Family & Life Counselor who works at 1st BDE
Headquarters. He can be reached at 719-306-5954 and can provide assistance during these stressful periods.
Staff Sergeant Rimgale, our Command Finance NCO, is also available to assist families in managing their budgets
and is our liaison to the Army Emergency Relief fund. For those who haven’t
met him yet, our Brigade Chaplain is Captain Marc Shim; he can be reached at 719-.

I’d like to applaud several of our Unit spouses for recently being recognized during at the Fort Carson Volunteer
Awards. Wendy Thies, Lisa Ingram and Sandra Smith all received the Columbine Volunteer Awards. Mrs. Valarie
Adams was also recognized as one of five Fort Carson Volunteers of the Year. These awards were earned thanks to
these ladies contributing hundreds of hours to support the Regulars’ Soldiers & Families. Congratulations and
thanks for all the hard work you do!

On June 21st at 3pm, we’ll be holding a picnic and Battalion FRG Meeting at Iron Horse Park on Fort Carson. This
event will have activities for the kids, so be sure to bring them along. We’ll be posting more details on the
“Regulars by God” Facebook Page. On June 22 at 10am, there will a virtual Town Hall on the Raider Brigade Facebook
page. We’ll have folks from both Fort Carson and Kuwait standing by ready to answer your questions. Even
though it’s months away, the Regulars are also pleased to announce that we’ll be having our Battalion Ball at the
Antlers Hilton on December 5th. It’ll be a great event to celebrate the conclusion of the deployment; we hope to
see you there.

As always, myself and the Rear Detachment NCOIC, Sergeant First Class Lant (719-), are always available
to help the Soldiers and Families 24/7. My phone (719-) is always on; in the event that I can not be
reached, please contact Battalion Staff Duty (719-) and they will get a hold of me. Deeds, Not Words!

Captain Oliver Nakad
Rear Detachment Commander

 


 

 

 

Hi, my name is Theresa Scott your Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA). As an FRSA I will maintain
continuity and stability of Family Readiness Groups as our unit undergoes changes from unit deployments,
to our volunteers and leadership. I will provide operational and logistical support to the Chain of Command,
Read D, and volunteer FRG leaders. I will continue to serve your FRG leaders by taking on the administration
burdens so that your FRG leaders can concentrate on performing outreach to soldiers and their families
in the command, thus preserving stability on the home front, especially during periods of deployment.
You can also find us on Facebook by searching “Regulars By God

Theresa Scott, 1-22IN FRSA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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