1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Unit Update July 2008 Page 1

Well another month down, and all I can say is WOW!!! Your Soldiers have done
such a tremendous job this month. This is the quietest month we have had
since taking over the area. We have had such great success over the past few months
that the enemy has either been detained or just plain left. This has allowed us to turn our focus
on developing projects throughout the area. Our biggest focus has been
on trying our very best to provide electricity to the people. The biggest complaint from the citizens
is no electricity to run their appliances. Specifically the air conditioners.
As you can imagine in 130 degree heat I think we would all like some A/C to cool us down.

The Iraqi are extremely patient and really do appreciate the hard work that the Soldiers
of this Battalion have been doing for them. The area has changed so much
since we first came into the area. Kids come out to meet us on patrol, parents
come to talk to us about what is going on in their neighborhood and the “angry young men”
as I call them are beginning to not be so angry as we continue to engage them and try to help them find jobs.

One of the biggest indicators that thingsare beginning to really turn for the better,
is people are no longer afraid to point out those that are causing trouble
or even better they take us to where caches are hidden. To top that sometimes we don’t even have to
come outside our Combat Out Posts as they bring the caches to us. It has just been incredible
to see and be a part of. The support you have given to your Soldier
has allowed them to make all this happen and I can’t thank you enough for,
letting us get your Soldiers ready to deploy and then you getting them ready to deploy
and now the continuous support that you give to them and the tremendous difference
that makes in all of our lives over here.

As I said, things are going well but that doesn’t keep us from being ever vigilant
and on guard of any enemy trying to push back in to the area.
As this was one of the worst areas during the sectarian violence and a supposed
safe haven outside of Sadr City, the enemy wants to come back. However,
I am happy to say when they do come back they usually don’t stay long or we detain them.
The area has changed and the people of the area don’t want these people back
and they are no longer afraid to tell us if anyone new has come into the area. The aggressiveness
and the incredible reputation the Battalion has developed in and around Baghdad
has made the enemy look for other areas for safe haven. They know they run a huge risk
of being detained if they come into our area and the tremendous performance of my staff
to continue to monitor and plan for enemy coming into our area has allowed for the great success of our companies.

The Battalion Staff is an incredible group of young men and women that work countless and thankless hours
to make sure that those of us that go “outside the wire” everyday have the most up to date information that is possible
in this very fluid environment. Again I am so proud to be a part of an organization that is made up
of quiet professionals that demand excellence of themselves first above all else. This is a unit
that is not only a conglomeration of true American Heroes but a unit that has become a tight knit family
throughout the challenges and successes that we have had. Lifelong bonds are being built here
every day and it is awesome to see and be a part of.

As I have stated before. None of this could be accomplished without your love and support
of your Soldier. Knowing that all is okay at home gives us the strength and courage to go out and
have the success we have had. Your Soldier may not tell you, but I will. Thank you for that support.
I would ask that you help me with one particular issue that seems to be becoming a trend.
Please enjoy the time you have with your Soldier when they are back on EML, but I ask
that you get your Soldier back to us when EML is over. We deployed into theater short of personnel
and we need every one of our Soldiers out there supporting each other. This being my third tour to OIF
I know that it is so hard to let them come back but we need them desperately
and that allows someone else to enjoy their time with their Soldier on EML as well.
So again please have a wonderful time with your Soldier when they come home for EML
but please get them back to us so we can continue mission.

I continue to be just so impressed with our Soldiers and their professionalism since coming into country.
Every day the Regulars are out on point making life in our area just a little better than
the day before, be it a band-aid on a skinned knee of an Iraqi child to detaining those that want to
do us harm and stop the process of peace and democracy in this country.
As I said at the start of this letter. WOW!!!
Thanks again and may God bless all of you, the Soldiers of 1-22 IN, and the United States
of America.

Once again, I find that writing about the accomplishments of the Soldiers in this Battalion
is much more worthwhile for me than writing about anything else. So, like
June’s newsletter, I will talk about a few of our Regulars that have performed exceptionally well this month.
This is not to take away from any other Regular’s hard work, for they all are giving maximum effort.
And oh-by-the-way, did I mention that it is hot? Yeah, it’s pretty warm to say the least.

PFC William Kim is assigned to the Battalion’s Scout Platoon. There he works as both a driver
for an up-armored vehicle and as a Scout dismount. PFC Kim never had driven a vehicle prior to the Army.
Now, he has distinguished himself as one of the best drivers in the platoon as he has
learned to navigate and maneuver the busy streets of Baghdad. Recently, during a mission,
PFC Kim was the key Soldier in bringing down (wrestling) and detaining a man twice his size.
Pretty darn good for a Soldier only weighing 115 lbs. Sounds like the Scouts have a modern day version
of Mario Andretti and Rocky balled up in one!

SPC Corey Downey who is assigned to Company A, 2nd Platoon is an upbeat Soldier
who displays a positive attitude in all that he does. Whether he is doing his job to ensure
that all of the platoon’s vehicles are properly maintained and ready to go at a moment’s notice
or he is out on a patrol keeping a sharp eye for anything out of the ordinary,
SPC Downey is maintaining a high level of motivation under extreme and adverse conditions.
Also, SPC Downey has become a master at clearing cache sites by conducting thorough searches
and leaving no stone unturned.

Bravo Company has a duo of standouts this month. Both of which were essential
to the initial triage and evacuation of SPC Giddings, who was wounded earlier this month
while on guard duty. CPL John Robinson was right on the scene and took charge
by making the call to the Sergeant of the Guard, reestablishing local security, moving Giddings
out of the position and providing initial aid to his wounded buddy. SPC Richard ‘Doc’ Newton
was there next, as he grabbed his medic gear and moved quickly from the Aid Station.
Doc Newton administered life saving treatment to SPC Giddings' wound so professionally
that both 1SGCameron and myself were told by caretakers and surgeons at the
Combat Surgical Hospital (CSH, pronounced ‘cash’) that the initial aid given to SPC Giddings
was executed to the highest of medical treatment standards and was very critical to the outcome
of the follow on surgery. Good job guys .

Assigned to Company C as the Commander’s driver is SPC Byron Talent.
He is being applauded this month not only as a driver, but also as an RTO.
As if being a commander’s driver isn’t a job in itself, when the commander dismounts,
usually in a time of high activity, he calls SPC Talent to relay his directives
and messages to the company command post. Sometimes being an RTO can be like a punching bag,
you get hit from both sides. But, SPC Talent does a good job of holding his own
and supporting his commander when he needs him.

Dealer Company’s standout this month is a newcomer and a Platoon Leader.
2LT Joseph Cederstrom was initiated to the fight real quick when on his second day
of leading a combat patrol his platoon received a tip on the location of a target that was in their area.
His platoon took action and detained the individual. But that’s not all for his second day.
The platoon then happened upon and uncovered a cache, a good sized cache.
Finding caches is a very good thing because it takes munitions and weapons out of the hands
of the bad guys. Pretty good for a day in Iraq, even more as his second day as a PL!

PFC Ryan Purdy is a Tanker assigned to Company E from Charlie Company.
Currently serving as a driver, PFC Purdy has continuously stood out among his peers.
He displays an initiative that mirrors that of someone with more rank on his chest.
He also maintains his vehicle in tip-top shape and always displays good military bearing.
PFC Purdy is doing what all leaders ask for, staying disciplined and doing his job
to the best of his ability.

Echo Forward Support Company’s SPC Christopher Pherigo has distinguished himself
as a Fuel Specialist by providing critical support to Dealer Company. To this point,
he has issued Dealer over 25,000 gallons of fuel and other petroleum products.
Because of what SPC Pherigo does, he keeps our vehicles rolling.
Without his services, we would go through a pair of boots every 3 months!
SPC Pherigo further contributes by serving as a gunner for a vehicle that conducts Combat Logistics Patrols.
This again is critical to the functioning of this Battalion. He provides security
to the CLP as it is delivering essential supplies and equipment to the outlying COPs and JSS.

The above mentioned Soldiers have performed with distinction and have represented the Regulars very well.
As I am out and about on the battlefield, I will present these hardworking Soldiers
with a Battalion Coin, a very small token of appreciation to thank them for what they have done.
They are a big part of all the tremendous things this Battalion is doing
and they represent the Regulars very well.

Thank you for all that you do to support your Soldier and this Battalion.
God bless our Battalion, all of our families and God bless the United States.

Hammer 6

Hammer 7

August is upon us, and as a father of three, my mind drifts towards the back-to-school hubbub.
Melissa is already starting to scan the PX for school supplies and the three teenagers we have
already started their pleas for “what everybody else is wearing this year”. Before you know it
the kids will be back in school and with that will come new challenges – new teachers, new classmates,
and new routines. Not everyone in the battalion has children, but I think
we all have children in our lives in some form – siblings, friends’ kids, youth at church, etc.
With about a month to go, I encourage you to enjoy the time you have with the children
in your lives while their minds aren’t saturated with learning new mathematical formulas
and new socioeconomic concepts. In the grand scheme of things, we have them for what really is a short time,
so we would do well to enjoy them and influence them in a positive way while we can.

This has been another busy month for the Hammers. The company turned in
some of its vehicles and drew new ones. After taking a careful look at the new vehicles,
I realize that much thought goes into the equipment we receive in order to make it safer for our troops
to do their jobs. I’m thankful we have smart engineers and committed civilians looking out for us.
Morale in the company has been good this month; it’s hard not to laugh sometimes
at the things the Soldiers say and do. Along with a lot of hard work
(don’t let them fool you) there are good times and memorable moments throughout our days.
Some days we just have to look a little harder than on other days.
I’m sure it is the same on the home front.

SPC Streb, SPC Malarchik, PFC Rimerez, SPC Roundtree
and PFC Jones at Camp Liberty using teamwork to attach
a tow bar to one of the unit's MRAP's.

Congratulations to our Soldiers who were promoted this month. I’m proud to see
our young Soldiers learn and grow, then step into the NCO ranks.
Congratulations are also in order for those who received awards this month.
Your loved ones work hard and certainly deserve the recognition they receive.
It’s an honor to be counted among America’s finest men and women.

As always we miss you all and keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
We couldn’t do this without you. Till next month, keep the Hammers in your hearts
and prayers and we will keep you in ours. Melissa and I appreciate all you do.

My wife pointed out to me, we are now in the single digits of this deployment.
The time has gone by quick and will continue to do so. Because of a quarterly Suicide Prevention requirement,
I have visited every Soldier with in our Battalion to exclude those who are currently on leave.
Reflecting on the Soldiers of 1-22 Battalion, I can say honestly say they look great,
a little tired from either patrols or pulling tower guard, but outstanding!
A lot of them are loosing weight because of the heat and lack of quick “grab & go” type foods;
some are beefing up with nutritious meal supplements; and a few are gaining weight. I don’t know how!

Some COPs have new computers, and the others are awaiting their installation which means
no free phone calls home but Skype is available. Speaking of calling home; my daughter informed me
that mama had parked my truck in the garage and then she closed the garage door on the back
end of it. As any good insurance adjuster would, my daughter took pictures of every angle
telling my wife “What big trouble she was in,” and “Wait till dad hears this . . .
he’ll be so mad, you know how much he loves his truck!”
Now I want to stop and ask you, the reader this question, How would your spouse handle this?
Would he/she yell at you to the point that we all could hear it from Iraq to Texas?
Or would they slam the phone down on you in anger. I point this out because I have overheard
many of arguments from this end and it doesn’t sound pretty.

If you are the recipient of those angry words, all I can say is I am sorry.
I know you are doing the best you can without a break from your husband.
I hope you are making the best financial decisions with the extra money we are receiving
while we are over here and you are getting ahead or even eliminating some bills.
But regardless of your situation, you don’t need the extra added pressure.
But I ask one question? Can someone argue with themselves?
No, we can’t and some of us were raised to provoke our spouses in an argument so we can vent our anger.
Because we weren’t allowed to be angry! The other simple fact is,
keeping our circumstances in proper perspective. As soon as my wife heard my daughter
telling on her, she got on the phone and explained to me what happened.
To which I asked her is she was ok? “Yes,” was her reply?

I then went on to let her know that I knew she didn’t mean to do it. That it was a simple mistake
and the truck can be repaired (Oklahoma City was hit by a hail storm and the
truck was waiting to be repaired anyways). But I had to CHECK my attitude and ask a simple question;
“What can or could I do 6,000 miles away? and Does it really matter in five years?”
If this sounds like many of your conversations or how you wished your conversations could be.
Let me end by saying that I’ll be available for counseling (after leave) and we will be having
FREE marriage retreats once we get back. We can give you tools that can help you out in this area.