1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Unit Updates July 2008 Page 3

Dealer 6

Dealer 7

The last month has been an extremely fast paced month with the pursuit of fractured enemies.
We are now in a race with time to return a new normalcy to the population
before the insurgents are able to regroup and resume full scale operations.
With the help of the local population and the improved Iraqi Security Forces,
we are making meaningful progress each day.

This month we bid farewell to our Executive Officer, Captain Matthew Moosey
who has left to become the Executive Officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company.
He has been replaced by the former White Platoon Leader, 1LT John (JP) Policastro.
The new White 1 is 2LT Joseph Cederstrom. Both Lieutenants are transitioning seamlessly
into their new positions. Additionally I would like to congratulate SSG Christopher Flagg
on his selection to receive the coveted Sergeant Audie Murphy Award.

Late last month, Squadron target #8 surrendered to Team Dealer and was turned over
to the Iraqi National Police to be prosecuted by the Iraqi Criminal Courts. He stands accused
of numerous sectarian murders, acts of intimidation, rapes, and thefts.
When word of his arrest spread, hundreds of families from the community went to
the National Police Battalion Headquarters to provide sworn statements and evidence.
Since his detainment, the criminal element harassing the people in the Saha Apartments has decreased markedly.

On the 4th of July, the local community held a significant Reconciliation Meeting
between Sunni and Shia where all groups congratulated each other on their willingness and
success in ridding the area of terrorists, militia, insurgents, and criminals. The local leaders
jointly committed themselves to working with Coalition Forces and the National Police to ensure
that all those committed to destabilizing the area were defeated and unable to reconstitute.
The following day a Special Group Criminal approached Dealer to reconcile.
This was followed by the reconciliation of the Squadron #7 target.

To help the local population and improve the security situation simultaneously,
we recently conducted a civil affairs projects to clear the Saha Sewage Canal of overgrown reeds and debris.
This helped security as it denied a favorite hiding spot for weapons and body dumping location to the enemy.
The community was appreciative as this canal was known to spread disease
and many children have died from falling in the canal while playing.

White Platoon has quickly adapted to their new battlespace. After being in battlespace a week,
White seized a cache consisting of a rocket propelled grenade launcher and explosives
that Special Groups Criminals had been forcing a local family to hide. Upon further investigation,
White was able to link the cache to two specific Special Groups Criminals and arrest them later that night.
White followed success with success seizing a second cache of explosives the next night.
Earlier this month, while conducting a routine mission to secure the movement of our logistics package
to our Coalition Outpost, we received a local national TIP that an IED and rocket cell leader
was near the convoy. White Platoon immediately dismounted from their vehicles and
ran into the neighborhood to the target house where they arrested the leader of the most dangerous cell
in the area. Acting on another local national TIP, White Platoon seized two caches
consisting of an IED and multiple forms of explosives and ammunition.

Based on a local national TIP, Blue Platoon found a cache consisting of weapons
and critical pieces for indirect fire systems. After the leaders of the Special Group Criminals fled,
late last month, Blue Platoon was quickly able to identify and detain the de facto leader of one of the cells,
preventing that cell from quickly reorganizing.

Our attached platoon, Creek, from the 10th Mountain Division was attacked by an IED
that destroyed one of their vehicles. Thanks to the quick reaction of the crew, nobody was injured
and three Special Group Criminals who conducted the attack were immediately detained.
Based on a local national TIP, Creek discovered a cache consisting of multiple artillery rounds and IED parts.
Shortly thereafter they found a cache of rocket propelled grenades. Acting on another local national TIP,
Creek was able to identify and detain the #9 most wanted Special Group Criminal
for 4th Battalion, 64th Armor, who had conducted four IED attacks in the past month.
Creek had the dubious honor of having the strangest mission of the month
when the balloon from FOB Falcon crash landed on a local national’s car
and had to be recovered in a timely manner.

Perhaps most significantly this month, the local Iraqi Police have markedly improved
after an intensive effort to partner our operations with theirs for at least twelve hours a day.
They have gone from having no respect among the population, being unable to execute their duties,
and suspected of being an extension of the militias, to gaining local respect,
executing their duties effectively, and ridding themselves of those whose loyalties lied with a militia.

All these achievements and improvementsm have brought normalcy and the defeat of the insurgency
in the area within sight. It is a testament to the leadership, professionalism, capabilities of our soldiers
that all this has been conducted without having fired a shot in anger.

Killer 6

Killer 7

I hope this letter finds you all well and enjoying the start of a hot Texas summer.
Today is only 120 degrees out here but even during this hot weather our Soldiers remain strong as always.
We received several new Soldiers in the Company this month and we have made some internal changes
between the platoons. As we continue our hard work in the area we finally start seeing
the fruits of our labor. The essential services continue to improve; the electrical power gets better every day,
we continue to create projects and security has increased tremendously.
We can see all this as we continue to patrol our areas and see an increase of people in the market areas and
children playing in the soccer fields and utilizing the gyms and other recreational areas in the neighborhoods.

So, I am really proud of the progress and all the hard work that our Soldiers have and continue to do in the area.
Our quality of life here at the JSS continues to improve every month.
We received a new SPAWAR system that allows us to have better internet communications
with our loved ones back at home. We have also received new gym equipment that allows our Soldiers
to improve and maintain their physical fitness. So, as you can see it only gets better every month.

Last but not least, as you all probably already know, this is my last letter.
I will be changing command early next month. It’s been a pleasure to serve your Soldiers
and your families for the last 26 months. I have never had a more satisfying job than this one.
I want to thank you for all the support you have given me, my family and
most importantly, our Soldiers. I will always have you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Please continue to support your loved ones as they continue to serve with courageous professionalism,
and I promise that I will continue to do everything in my power to accomplish our mission
while ensuring the safety and welfare of those you hold dear.

We are enjoying the temperate summer temperatures ranging from around 85-120+ degrees daily.
Despite the warm climate we have a lot of positive news this month.
We welcomed a new supply Soldier to our ranks, PV2 Errickson from Wisconsin,
and we regained some of our mechanic support. We had to give up SGT Chamberlain,
who is now with SPC Delgado and SPC Peters on FOB Falcon, but SGT Trejo,
SGT Franklin, and SPC Gurrola are now with us. Not to mention, we swapped
out Sapper PLT Soldiers on the NPTT detail. We brought SGT Self, SGT Cabel, SPC Munns,
and PFC Soto-Gomez back with us and sent SGT Brown, SPC Smith, PFC McFadden,
and PFC Tinsley to handle the requirement.

We are also making some changes in manning by sending the youngest Soldiers to the line platoons
to get experience, and replacing them with more experienced Soldiers for HQ PLT.
In addition, we had 4 Soldiers Re-Enlist this month; congratulations to SGT Trejo, SPC Dill,
SPC Rolfing and PV2 Strachan. Last, but not least, I would like to congratulate SGT Brooks and SPC Johnson
on their success in the promotion board. We hope we get to promote them very soon.

As for our current MWR situation, we upgraded our MWR resources significantly.
We received new gym equipment, computers and phones. The computers and the phones
should be operational by the end of the month (the tech support is on site right now).
Once the system is operational, the Soldiers will have twice as many phone and computer stations to utilize.
This will correct the recent deficit in communications.

In closing, please be strong and continue your support for our Soldiers.
They are working hard and doing a great job. God Bless

Eliminator 6

Eliminator 7

Family and Friends, on behalf of the Soldiers assigned to the ELIMINATOR Company,
I bring you greetings from the mild 118° summer skies of Baghdad, Iraq.

Another month has come and gone. We have surpassed the 4 -month mark and the ELIMINATORS continue
to be blessed. I have started to tighten the discipline standards in our area because of the time that we have been here.
Doing the same thing for four straight months tends to make Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers
very comfortable and complacent. This is my BIGGEST fear. So with this in mind,
I am trying to foster an environment that will not allow our Soldiers to get too comfortable over here.
More importantly, thanks to the commitment to excellence our Soldiers have taken, this should not be a very difficult task.

Make no mistake about it; our Soldiers continue to carve their names into the historical aspects of this operation.
I ask that you continue to encourage them and pray for us all. We will continue to do the same for you.

This month’s newsletter will highlight the Distribution Platoon.
On that note Eliminator 27 (SFC Victor Garcia) sends:
The other day First Sergeant Allen asked me what are my goals for Distribution Platoon
while we are deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I want to inform all family members
of Distro Platoon of my goals. Let me start by saying that Distro Platoon has come a long way
since the first day I took over as Platoon Sergeant. I recall our first PT formation
as I inspected from left to right, I saw SPC Villalobos (need a haircut),
SPC Fizia (need a shave), PFC Salazar (smiling for no reason), and SPC Green
with boxer underwear underneath his PT shorts and finally seeing one of my NCOs
SGT Sipley with Michael Jordan sneakers on for PT. I took a deep breath and I said to myself
“God where did you bring me to.” Right after that I knew I had a lot of work to do.
My first goal was to bring this platoon together and unite them
and make them feel part of a team, part of a family. I quickly gathered my NCOs and my Soldiers
and I spoke with them and I continued that as time went on.

I would talk to my Soldiers while they were inspecting their vehicles and issuing out POL products
in the motor pool. I wanted them to get a good feel for me and show them that I truly cared.
Once we deployed to the National Training Center in California, the Platoon was coming together slowly
as we learned to work together and conduct convoys and weapons training.
I immediately started noticing everyone’s strengths and weakness as a Platoon and individually.
One of the issues I addressed was that they were not working together as a team.
I had two SSGs pretty much running the same section. I quickly made some changes in our sections
making SSG Washington in charge of vehicles and transportation for the Platoon and the Battalion,
and SSG Norton in charge of all ammunition operations. I put SGT Juarez in charge
of the POL section, sort of a last minute change however; he has done a great job at it to date

Once we got back to FT Hood we added a new member to the team, 1LT Kalaher.
I honestly thought I was going to bump heads with this Officer due to him being Infantry,
coming from another company within the battalion. I was wrong about LT Kalaher;
he was the missing link in the platoon and we make a strong team together
and more importantly we share a lot of common goals and views about this platoon.
He has been the best platoon leader I’ve had in my career in the Army and I am happy
he is part of this team.

By this time I gradually noticed the change was a good one and things started to fall into place.
What I want for the Platoon is not much, just to be “all you can be,” the Army’s motto
at the time I joined the military. What I want to accomplish is to mentor,
train a platoon of Soldiers to become “Quiet Professionals.” What I mean by that,
is a platoon that is disciplined, physically and mentally tough and capable of being the best
at what they do on a daily basis, which is conduct Combat Logistics Patrols
and accomplish all missions in a professional manner and become more tactically proficient in our jobs.

I want all my Soldiers and NCOs to be able to take college classes and get promoted during this deployment.
Soldiers and NCOs to do the right thing while no one is around, mentor my SSGs
to become great Platoon Sergeants and my Sergeants to become great section Sergeants
and to appear before the Audie Murphy Board. I would love to be able to motivate my Soldiers
to become NCOs and NCOs to become Drill Sergeants or Recruiters to do something
different in the Army besides deploying and be able to see the other side of the Army.

I would like to bring the old traditions back to this platoon such as conducting Drill and ceremonies,
NCOPDs and weekly SGTs Time Training to be able to teach my young Soldiers and NCOs
on how to conduct classes in a professional manner. They truly are great Soldiers and NCOs;
I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. To be honest a lot of these things
I have written down in this message, the more I realized how much this platoon has already accomplished.
They only needed some guidance, motivation and someone that truly appreciate and cared about them.

My #1 goal as the Distro Platoon Sergeant is to be able to bring all my Soldiers home alive to their families
and loved ones. It is my biggest challenge and would be my biggest accomplishment.
I have grown to be attached to this platoon and now it has become an extension of my family.
I push my NCOs and Soldiers hard every day to keep them focused but I also must admit
they also keep me focused too. I am glad 1SG Allen made us write about our goals as leaders,
because it has truly opened my eyes. This has given me the opportunity to think about
what is important to me and realize how lucky I am to be a leader of fine Soldiers. “WE ALL WE GOT”

In closing, your letter mail, care packages, and e-mails continue to play a vital part
in the health, welfare, and morale of our Soldiers.
Please continue to pray for us and show your support and we will do the same.

Leadership Quote of the Month:
“A good leader inspires others with confidence
in him; a great leader inspires them
with confidence in themselves.” --
Anonymous