1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Iraq November 2006 Page 1

Hello again from western Baghdad – for the last time! As we pass our eleventh month of deployment,
the temperatures continue to fall and we look forward to redeployment to Fort Hood with great anticipation.
Although our mission is not done here, it is difficult to not realize how close we are to being reunited
with family and friends in a matter of days.

The past couple of months, we have been in a daily fight with members of Al-Qaeda Iraq
and our Soldiers are continuing to destroy or detain insurgents with greater skill and precision.
As we approach the end of our time in Iraq, the pace of our operations has accelerated
and we have captured more insurgents in the past month than any other time since we left Fort Hood.
Every insurgent cell in our area knows who we are and has been disrupted through our efforts.
Due to our continuous offensive operations – including a battalion attack two weeks ago –
we have maintained the initiative and clearly dictate action in our area.

As I wrote last month, Team Bear continues to serve with distinction while attached to 4^th Battalion, 31^st Infantry
of the 10^th Mountain Division at Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah.
They continue to do great things to our south and we are eager to gather everyone back together before we redeploy.

Throughout the past year, the battalion has clearly earned a name for itself in virtually every facet of combat.
We have detained more insurgents than any battalion in our brigade, found more caches of enemy munitions
and weapons than any other battalion in the division, conducted the best air assaults across the division,
developed the best lethal targeting in the brigade, and we seem to do “more with less” than anyone thought possible.
For example, over the last six months, our battalion area of operations has been greater in size
than the combined areas of the other five battalions in the brigade combined…yet we still have been incredibly successful.

The Regulars have achieved great successes in every endeavor.
No other battalion has served in five different brigades like we have done during this deployment
and Major General Thurman personally thanked the battalion for our versatility in responding
to changing circumstances and achieving effects wherever we have been sent.
He specifically mentioned the battalion and highlighted our accomplishments
to members of President Bush’s National Security Team during a recent meeting.

Our civil affairs efforts throughout the year have helped the people of both southern and western Baghdad
achieve a better life and hope for the future. We have renovated schools, paved roads, installed fresh water networks,
repaired water mains, cleaned canals, repaired electrical systems, installed generators, picked-up trash,
repaired hospitals, and developed farmers co-op programs. Our efforts not only raised the quality of life
for the Iraqi citizens, but also provided jobs for the people, infused money into their economy,
and weakened the grip that the insurgency once had on the population.

As we have learned in the past, taking the fight to the enemy does not come without cost
and this past month was no different. The past 30 days have been a tough stretch for our battalion –
we have lost eight of our heroes and have had several others wounded since our last newsletter.
Second Lieutenant Johnny Craver died on October 13^th when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was attacked with an IED.
In the early morning of October 17^th, Second Lieutenant Christopher Loudon, Corporal Russell Culbertson,
Corporal Joseph Dumas, and Corporal David Unger passed away in a catastrophic IED attack.
Corporal Nathan Aguirre and Corporal Matthew Creed fell as a result of sniper fire on October 22^nd,
and Private First Class Kevin Ellenburg died when the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he was driving was destroyed by an IED.
Memorial services here in Iraq accompanied the passing of each of our heroes
and they were revered in a most fitting manner.

The hardest thing we will ever do is lose one of our own. We grieve for the loss that we feel,
we grieve for the potential that will never be realized, and we grieve for the families that will be broken
because a loved one will not be returning to them. Our hearts go out to each family in the states –
they will never be far from our thoughts and they will always be part of the Regulars family.
It is my sincere hope that the knowledge that they are in our constant thoughts and prayers will,
in some small measure, provide them a degree of comfort.

Our mission must continue here and we must do so with even greater dedication and devotion to what must be done.
The memories of our fallen brothers will spur us on to achieve greater successes than we have attained thus far –
anything less would denigrate their lives and sacrifices. If for nothing else, we will serve with distinction
and courage to honor the memories of our fallen.

I realize that many of you are now looking forward to our return – we are too –
but we must not lose focus on our task at hand. As we prepare to receive our brothers and sisters
from 2^nd Squadron, 5^th Cavalry Regiment of the First Cavalry Division, we will continue our operations
at or above our current level and ensure that the transition does not provide the enemy any respite
or opportunity to gain an advantage on us. It is our responsibility to ensure that our replacements are properly prepared
to execute operations immediately upon assumption of the battlespace and we are accountable for their initial successes.

Although we remain focused on combat and civil military operations, we must also now accomplish specific tasks
to prepare our Soldiers and equipment for movement back to Texas. For example, our advanced party
is already at Fort Hood and making preparations for our return. As specific flight information becomes available,
it will be disseminated to you through the rear detachment and appropriate web sites.

If you have any concerns or issues during the remaining days, please contact Captain Warren Litherland.
He is our Rear Detachment Commander at Fort Hood and his duty is to assist our loved ones in the states
while we conduct our mission here and return home. The Brigade’s Rear Detachment phone number
can be found on the last page of this newsletter. Throughout the deployment, Captain Litherland has done a fantastic job
for all of us – especially during the trying days when the battalion suffers casualties and his personal presence
is required to comfort family members. His efforts have allowed us – and me personally –
to focus the majority of our efforts on the fight in Iraq, confident that he is taking care of so many things for us
at Fort Hood and elsewhere. I could not have found a better Rear Detachment Commander
and I owe him and other Soldiers on the Rear Detachment a debt of gratitude that will be impossible to repay.

I also want to thank all of the ladies involved in our Family Readiness Group who help us take care of the home front.
They have selflessly given of themselves in countless ways – especially as we try to take care of grieving families
of our fallen and wounded. They have my undying thanks and I want to thank each one of them publicly now
and personally when I return.

Our Soldiers continue to set the standard in Iraq and I am extremely proud of each one of them –
you should be immeasurably proud of them as well. We have truly made a difference in the world
and have lived by our motto of “Deeds, Not Words.” Please keep all of the Regulars in your thoughts
and prayers as we complete our mission with pride and with honor and soon return to you in the states.

With this final dispatch from Iraq, we will close out our tour of duty here and return home.
Our advance party of Soldiers is already back at Fort Hood and is in the process of preparing our new facilities
for our arrival and establishing systems and accounts for the unit. Within a short time of this writing,
we will conclude our mission here and also return home. This will be the first time in twelve months
that the whole battalion is reunited after so many separations and detachments encountered during this deployment.
It will be nice to finally get everyone together for awhile after being separated for so long.

With our year here almost over, I look back upon the last twelve months and can easily see
how much the unit changed since we first departed Fort Hood in December last year. With each passing day,
we have changed just a little bit, learned just a little bit more, and have grown just a little bit more too.
The experiences we have shared this past year have molded this unit into a great team that still continues to fight
and apply pressure to the enemy – and will do so until the day we depart.

There is no doubt that our Soldiers are anxious to get home and reunite with loved ones
and enjoy some much-deserved time off. Their dedication to the unit and the mission has been incredible,
but there’s no holding back the excitement of finally heading home. Even with this on their minds,
they continue to perform their missions daily, contributing their efforts and talents to set the conditions
for the follow-on unit to succeed from their first day.

Our tour in Iraq has been filled with many successes. The Soldiers have worked incredibly hard
and can leave this place proud of what the unit has been able to achieve during our year.
Each day that passed taught us new lessons that we shared across the battalion in order to improve all aspects
of our fighting force. The Soldiers have refined their skills, improved teamwork, and now operate at peak levels –
able to accomplish anything asked of them at a moments notice. It is an incredible experience
to see them functioning so proficiently and I am honored to have been witness to their achievements.

As we prepare to depart here, we also look back at our fallen comrades – those who gave everything of themselves
performing their mission here in Iraq. We grieve with the families over their loss. They were our friends, comrades,
fellow Soldiers, and now – honored members of the regiment, and we miss every one of them.
No matter what future history says about our time here in this land, those of us who were here with these Soldiers
in the year 2006, know that these Soldiers died trying to make life better for other people.
They were not conquerors or occupiers; they were not crusaders; they were not instruments of a misguided foreign policy.
They were U.S. Army Soldiers – doing their jobs to the best of their ability
in order for our army to complete its mission and return home.

To all of our friends, family, loved ones, and supporters from all across our great country –
a big “Regulars, by God” thank you for your love and support of our Soldiers.
Our days went by just a bit easier knowing that we had your support and encouragement from home.
From Iraq, November 2006 – goodbye; God bless all of you; and God bless America!

I hope that all is well with the families and friends of Hammer Company. Another month has passed,
thereby completing eleven months since we left in mid-December. Does it feel like it has been that long?
Perhaps for some it feels like it has been two years! The weather here has started getting cooler –
daytime highs in 60s and 70s – and we have already had a few rain showers. Those are minor inconveniences,
and we still have a better lifestyle than most of the Iraqis we are here to help.

October was a very sad month for the Soldiers of Hammer Company and the rest of the battalion.
Two of America’s finest – Corporal Nathaniel Aguirre and Corporal Matthew Creed –
were tragically killed by sniper fire while on patrol west of Baghdad on October 22^nd.
Their loss affects more companies than just HHC, as Corporal Aguirre had been a line medic in B Company
and Corporal Creed had been a dismounted infantryman in A Company.
They were serving together on Lieutenant Colonel Osborne’s Personal Security Detachment when they were killed.

Members of the battalion and special guests throughout the 4^th Infantry Division –
including Major General Thurman and Command Sergeant Major Riling – celebrated their life in a memorial tribute
on October 30^th. Their noble sacrifice will forever be remembered and their names will hold the highest honor
in the history of the 1^st Battalion, 22^nd Infantry Regiment and HHC.
Our condolences are extended to each of their families and close friends.
We mourn their loss ourselves, and can only imagine the pain you are feeling in the loss of your sons,
brothers, and husband. The Soldiers and leaders of Hammer Company pray that you take comfort and pride
in the remarkable service that Nathaniel and Matthew displayed each and every day. They will be with always.

Sergeant Ipatzi’s condition has improved to the point where he was allowed to fly back to the United States
from Germany. He is back in the Ft. Hood area and will continue to recover there.
It is a blessing that he is recovering well from his injuries.

The Scouts have done an incredible job while serving under the command of A Company.
They consistently find enemy ammunition and equipment caches, detain enemy insurgents,
and protect the people of Iraq from insurgents and sectarian violence. Sergeant First Class Brian Snyder
took over as their new Platoon Sergeant and Sergeant First Class Gil Nail is now training Iraqi Army Soldiers
with the Military Transition Team (MiTT). Sergeant First Class Snider was a Platoon Sergeant in A Company
where I had the pleasure of being his commander for twelve months.
The Scout Platoon will definitely benefit from his experience and leadership abilities.

The Headquarters and staff sections have really gone above and beyond all expectations
to run this battalion efficiently and with no disruption to combat operations. Their efforts will prove to be
most important when the order finally comes to get ready and leave Iraq. We are starting to see some new faces
around the battalion area and know that it won’t be much longer. Our S1 and S4 sections are working hard
to get them organized and settled, and we are all moving out of our trailers and into tents to make room for them.

The Medics recently re-located to a new aid station that they share with 1^st Battalion, 23^rd Infantry medics –
but their service to Soldiers and workers has not changed. They still demonstrate their competence
each and every day and our detached medics provide the assurance that patrol leaders need in the event
they have an injured Soldier. We don’t like our medics to have a lot of experience,
yet they can definitely be counted on in a time of need.

The Mortar Platoon had an extremely productive month. They found several IEDs –
preventing injuries or damage to equipment – and detained numerous insurgents.
They are still attached to Team Copperhead and add a highly skilled platoon of combat power
to an already effective and lethal tank company. It is a pleasure to hear of their successes from Captain Ed Kennedy
and I am sure you can read more about the mortar platoon in the Copperhead section of this letter.

The company has had a surge of re-enlistments since the start of the fiscal year on October 1^st.
This is due in large part to the availability of options – and the medics have benefited the most.
They are going off to places like White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Brooke Army Medical Center
in San Antonio, Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, and Fort Huachuca, Arizona after we return to Ft. Hood.
Others are changing Military Occupational Specialties to be Military Policemen and Helicopter Mechanics.
I am very proud of all of them for their decision to volunteer a few more years in the defense and service of the United States. Congratulations to the following Soldiers who have reenlisted since the last newsletter:

· Specialist Deney Bryant (S4)

· Specialist Christopher Bussaeus (FECC)

· Specialist Edward Dinapoli (S2)

· Specialist Christopher Eckert (S3)

· Specialist John Ellery (Medics)

· Specialist Dustin Hartshorn (S2)

· Specialist Artur Liamin (Medics)

· Specialist Jacob Lutje (FECC)

· Specialist Jonathan Nguyen (HQ)

· Specialist Bryan Ortega (FECC)

· Specialist Todd Roe (S3)

· Specialist Larry Splane (Medics)

I hope you all have a wonderful month of November. Happy Thanksgiving, and please be safe if you travel.
You can be assured that our focus is still on our mission, as it is the best way we can take care of everyone
and return home safely. Thank you for your continued support of Hammer Company.

Emotional excitement and anxiety fill the air as reunion preparations are underway at your house.
We will be home within the month. The day we have dreamed of for so long is finally within reach.
How wonderful this moment will be when our eyes meet in the gym and, after a few long minutes,
we melt into a sea of happy tears and deafening shouts of joy. This is the event of reunion,
but how about the process of reintegrating? What will it be like at your home
as you joyfully struggle to complete your family picture once again?

Consider for a moment a jigsaw puzzle. It takes time and energy to put all the pieces of the puzzle together
and frustration sets in when we discover that one piece is missing and we cannot complete the picture.
During this deployment your family has been functioning without the “whole picture” complete.
Some families may have deliberately left this “hole” in the family picture alone while others found “stuff” to fill it.
We will all discover the reality that everyone has changed and things will not be as they were.
The piece does not fit into the family picture the same way as it once did. We want to fit into the picture
so we must do some negotiation, compromise, and gentle nudging before things are complete.
The process of reunion will be as smooth or rough as you choose to make it.
Now is the time to begin reversing the mental and emotional process of “dealing with deployment”
as your loved one – the missing piece – comes home.

There are many “tips” for homecoming and reintegration out there. Take advantage of the wisdom of others.
Please do not try to do it all yourself. You are not the first person to deal with deployment separation
and you are not the only person dealing with reunion. You do not have to “reinvent the wheel.”
Attend the redeployment briefings offered. You will gain invaluable insight into what will take place
in the coming days, weeks, or months. Please do not gamble with this high stakes time of reunion
and ignore the advice of those who have done this before.

I close this newsletter article with two questions you need to keep in the forefront of your minds
during this time of reunion excitement. An honest, well thought answer to these questions, every time you ask them,
will help ensure a smooth transition as we seek to take our place in the family picture again.

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.” –Matthew 6:33-34