1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update 7-15-06 Page 2

I would first like to extend my sincere thanks to the Gator Community for the support shown
to the Soldiers of A Company over the last month during this transition period.
Things have been going very well and the company is currently on a rather steep learning curve.
Over the past month, the company conducted a 35 mile movement to a remote range in eastern Baghdad
for live fire training, completed all preparatory briefings and training,
and has moved to PATROL BASE COURAGE.

We conducted a “relief in place” with the 2^nd Battalion, 22^nd Infantry Regiment which began on June 20^th
and we assumed full responsibility of the Area of Operations (AO) on June 30^th.
The leadership and Soldiers of A Company, 2^nd Battalion, 22^nd Infantry Regiment did an outstanding job
teaching the company about the area and providing new ideas for how to accomplish our goals in a different sector.
Our Soldiers were very receptive and that is extremely important because this area is very different
from the last area our battalion was assigned with respect to both the terrain and the enemy.
Being open to the suggestions of the outgoing unit allowed us to pick up where they left off and continue to excel,
as opposed to making the same mistakes they made in the past.

The living conditions at PATROL BASE COURAGE are not quite as nice as some would like
but that is outweighed by the benefit we get from living so close to the population we are here to protect.
Another major change is the cross attachment of 1^st Platoon to D Company.
The 1^st Platoon Soldiers will bring a new energy to D Company and will continue to excel at any assigned task.
Additionally, we received 2^nd Platoon of D Company, led by Second Lieutenant Bryon Vincent
and Sergeant First Class Kenneth Griffin, as a replacement for 1^st Platoon.
They bring to our company six months of experience that have and will continue to prove invaluable in the future.

We will continue to spend the majority of our time assessing and developing our area of operations
over the next month. The focus of our operations will be continuing to assess the population demographics,
its sentiment towards Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, the availability of basic and essential services,
and on identifying the potential enemy forces operating in and around our area. We have and will continue
to accomplish this goal through engaging the influential leaders throughout the towns and villages
to ensure that we have an understanding of what is happening around us
so we can best determine the proper course of action in the future.

We have had a number of Soldiers that deserve recognition for being promoted over the past month.
Their promotion is a direct reflection of the motivation, competence, and commitment to excellence
that they have shown during their time in service. We look forward to watching these Soldiers progress
through the ranks of the Army in the years to come.

· Sergeant Jameon Avery to Staff Sergeant

· Sergeant Codey Hoefer to Staff Sergeant

· Private First Class Matthew Barnett to Specialist

· Private First Class Jesse Gibson to Specialist

· Private Second Class Roger Epperson to Private First Class

· Private Second Class Kyle Fasig Private First Class

· Private Second Class Gregorio Garza to Private First Class

· Private Second Class Robert Griffiths to Private First Class

· Private Second Class Rodolfo Martinez to Private First Class

· Private Second Class Timothy Schenk to Private First Class

· -Private Second Class David Silbaugh to Private First Class

We also had two Soldiers re-enlist over the past month. Staff Sergeant Codey Hoefer from 3^rd Platoon
and Specialist George Evans, our supply sergeant, reenlisted for Fort Benning, GA.
Staff Sergeant Hoefer will be reassigned to 3^rd Brigade, 3^rd Infantry Division upon return
and Specialist Evans is awaiting his exact assignment. I commend these Soldiers for continuing their service
in the Army and this company and battalion will continue to benefit from their service.

In closing, I would like to say that I could not be prouder of these men.
They have adapted to a very intense operational cycle and have shown nothing but the perseverance
and resolve necessary to win the fight we have in front of us. Every Soldier assigned to this company
is fully committed to leaving this area in a more safe and secure state than we received it.

I hope this letter finds you enjoying your summer at Fort Hood or wherever this letter may find you.
All three platoons of Bears, along with the battalion scout platoon, have moved from CAMP LIBERTY
and settled into the Abu Ghraib Interment Facility west of Baghdad.
For those of you who have not been in touch with your Soldiers, we are not guarding the prison
and have been left nearly untouched by all of the details that normally accompany life on a Forward Operating Base (FOB).
Not that this makes our Soldiers’ lives any easier – because it doesn’t – but it means our Soldiers are able to do the work
they came in the Army to do. Our new home comes complete with a DFAC, PX, internet, gym, and phones –
services and creature comforts that many Soldiers consistently went without the majority of the time in our last area.
We will reside here for an untold amount of time, but are perfectly content for the time being.

During the last week in June, in conjunction with our move, we conducted relief in place operations
with three company size elements of the 10^th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, NY.
During this time, we began to become familiar with the people and operations in our new area.
The change has been a welcome one thus far. We have been particularly pleased to find numerous paved road surfaces –
these make our operations safer and more effective. We’ve also found the people to be generally more welcoming
and friendly than we are accustomed. The society of people we work to secure is still a primarily an agrarian one.
We focus not only on improving security in the area, but also improving the population’s quality of life
by way of our efforts to improve essential services and the local economy.

As we have passed the halfway point in the deployment, almost all Soldiers who deployed with the battalion
in December have now been home on Environmental Leave and our newer Soldiers
will be given the same opportunity in the coming months.

Congratulations the following Soldiers who have earned promotions this past month:

Second Lieutenant Jamar White to First Lieutenant
Sergeant Andre Allen to Staff Sergeant
Sergeant Joshua Scheelar to Staff Sergeant
Specialist Ricardo Otero-Diaz to Sergeant
Private First Class Donny Brock to Specialist
Private First Class Aaron Cosper to Specialist

Private First Class Steven Pierce to Specialist
Private First Class Brian Smith to Specialist
Private First Class Justin Wagenschutz to Specialist
Private First Class Min Yu to Specialist
Private Second Class Jeremy Stephens to Private First Class

Finally, I’d like to congratulate Specialist Joshua Milstead on his decision to reenlistment in the Army.
He will continue his service as a Chinook mechanic upon our return from Iraq.
We thank him and his family for their continued commitment and sacrifice.

I ask that your thoughts and prayers continue to be with our Soldiers – particularly our wounded
who are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, and Fort Hood.
Thank you all for your support of the Soldiers of Bravo Company.

After leaving 2^nd Battalion, 502^nd Infantry, our Soldiers reintegrated themselves with our parent battalion
and caught up on some much needed maintenance. CAMP LIBERTY living is luxurious compared
to that of the Water Treatment Facility; with the Soldiers having several amenities they were not privy to in the past.
Soldiers are within walking distance from the best PX in the country, a great dining facility, and top notch MWR facilities.
Every Soldier currently has a trailer to live in with air conditioning and furniture, a drastic change
from living on a tank or uparmored HMMWV. Although our current mission has us living at Abu Ghraib,
each Soldier has these amenities waiting for them when we complete our mission in the coming weeks.

About three weeks ago, we received a new mission to conduct security operations at the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison.
Upon arriving, we were thoroughly trained in our mission by C Company, 1^st Battalion, 87^th Infantry.
Since then, our Soldiers have been working together with A Battery, 4^th Battalion, 42^nd Field Artillery to secure the site.
Each platoon has a separate task which keeps them working throughout the day.
The consistent schedule gives the Soldiers ample personal time
and allows them to work on improving their vehicles for future operations.

As far as living conditions, they are comparable with that of Camp Liberty. We live in renovated buildings,
and space is not an issue despite up to four Soldiers per room. Some Soldiers have even outfitted their rooms
with gaming/living room style arrangements. Every room has been cleaned and outfitted with electricity
and air conditioning. We are blessed to have an extremely active civilian contractor unit
that is willing to repair any faults at any time. As far as amenities, Abu Ghraib has a dining facility
comparable with CAMP STRIKER and an MWR with enough computers and telephones.
Many Soldiers have been spending their free time getting some much needed physical training –
the gym at Abu Ghraib has excellent equipment with more than enough machines.

Although we are not currently conducting active patrols like some others in the battalion,
the mission at Abu Ghraib is a special assignment tasked to us by the battalion.
The mission was given to our company because of the confidence the Battalion Commander has in our Soldiers –
you should be proud of your loved ones for their notable work over the past six months.

Success is also to be shared with the Soldiers of Chaos, many of whom have been recently promoted:

These Soldiers were promoted due to their outstanding potential and performance over the last year. The company gives much thanks to their families for supporting these exceptional Soldiers.

Although it is difficult to be away from those you care about, the support from Soldiers’ families is one of the most integral parts to completing our mission.