1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Updates February 2009 Page 1

Well this is it, the last newsletter of our deployment. I can't believe our historic chapter here in Iraq
is finally coming to a close. I can honestly say that your Regulars had an incredibly successful deployment.
We have done what we came here to do and I couldnt be more proud of being a member of such an
outstanding organization.

It seems like only yesterday that we were trying to figure out what city block we were on as we fought our way
into the different areas. The people were frightened and intimidated by the enemy throughout our area.
They would run and hide as we patrolled their streets. Children would put their heads down or run inside
as we walked by and the enemy was able to keep the neighborhoods quiet as they coerced and intimidated
the citizens of West Rashid. However, the persistent and aggressive nature of this Battalion prevailed through
these bad times. These very hard times. The Regulars continued to knock on doors and meet the people of our area
to let them know we were there and would come at a moment's notice if called. We continued to teach, coach
and mentor our Iraqi Security Forces counterparts and led by example to show them how to conduct operations
in this type of environment. We started and completed projects that brought electricity to all the Muhallahs.
We worked with the different councils to prioritize the needs and wants of their particular area and showed them
how to work within their own system to hold their elected officials accountable for promises they made.

We provided over 8 million dollars in small business grants to jumpstart the economy in West Rashid.
Alongside our Iraqi friends we built schools, fixed water pump stations, cleaned their streets, provided
humanitarian assistance in the form of medical examinations and medicine, school supplies for the children.
This battalion rebuilt schools, clinics and market areas that were devastated by sectarian violence.
That was during the day. During the night, the phrase “We own the night” never rang more true
than in our area of operations. The enemy feared us as we hunted them down to kill, capture or push them
out of the area. One at a time or entire extremist cells were taken down on a nightly basis. The safe haven they once had
was no longer here in West Rashid. The hunters became the hunted and we slowly separated them from the populace
and showed the people the true cowards that they were. Most were not fighting for some ideology.
They were preying on the hard working citizens of West Rashid that were trying to provide for their families.
They had a taste of what money could bring and they wanted more. The Regulars made them pay
for their actions as we detained more extremists than any other Battalion in Multi-National Division Baghdad.
Those that we did not capture ran away and are in hiding. During the night, not only did we detain the enemy
we made sure that the resources they had to conduct attacks against us, the ISF, and the citizens of our area
were located and destroyed. We truly “Owned the night”.

This persistence, this aggressiveness gave the people of West Rashid an opportunity to begin the process
of taking charge of their own destiny and enjoying some of the freedoms that they have never had before.
The Regulars provided an opportunity for our ISF counterparts to take back and hold on to the security
that had been gained to stabilize the area. Now the citizens of West Rashid welcome us and our ISF partners
into their neighborhoods. They are not afraid to tell us who may be causing trouble in the area. More importantly
they trust in their own security forces to talk to them about what is going on in their neighborhoods.
Markets are filled with people. Essential services are beginning to come into the area. Not as fast as we would like
but the Government of Iraq feels the area is safe enough now to begin these projects
and make life better for the citizens of West Rashid.

Now I am not foolish enough to think that the incredible gains that were made in security and stability in the area
could be lost in an instant but we have given the citizens of West Rashid a chance. After 3 deployments here
I believe they are more ready than ever to take charge of their own destiny and not allow extremists to take over
their hard fought freedoms. I know that this is a very biased statement but they have that opportunity
because of our great Soldiers and young leaders that never let up on the enemy and never gave up on the citizens
of West Rashid. It was so incredible to be a part of this unit and to see what true American heroes can do
in the hardest of times. Your Soldiers represented the very best of not only this prestigious Regiment
but of the American people as well. As you can tell I am very proud of the Regulars and they truly lived by our motto,
“Deeds not Words”.

It just so happens that the unit that is replacing us is commanded by a very good friend of mine.
LTC Rich Morales and the Ironknights of 1-35 AR have been in country for 11 months now and because of
realignments that are happening throughout MND-B they were tasked to take over our area for their remaining few months
that they have in their deployment. I couldn't be happier to hand this area over to such a disciplined and seasoned unit.
I will leave here knowing that the people of West Rashid are in good hands.

So it is finally here. Our redeployment. Our Advance Party has already redeployed and is working with
our Rear-D to establish our “footprint” in our new Battalion area. We begin redeploying the Battalion the first week
of March and if all goes well we will be closed in on Fort Hood no later than the 20th of March.
After a 4 day pass after they arrive we will go through reintegration training for a few weeks. This training
is very important for all of us as we begin to decompress from a year long deployment in combat.
We will go through medical examinations, classes and After Action Reviews to help in our reintegration
back to our families and getting back to a normal way of life. After this training the battalion will go on Block Leave
for 30 days. I highly recommend that if your Soldier is even coming close to thinking about not taking this leave
that you talk to him or her and make sure that they do. It is much needed and much earned.

I know I have said this a lot but we just could not have even come close to the success that we have had
without the love and support that you provided to your Soldier. The sacrifices that we have all made
during this deployment have been tremendous. Being away from family is hard, being in combat kept us focused
and busy which has helped in our time away. I couldn't even begin to know the challenges that all of you had
while we were deployed but what I do know is that every day, every JSS that I visited I saw cards and packages
that always mean so much to morale. The phone centers and MWR internet cafes were full at all hours of the day
and night. What I am trying to say is you were just as big a part of the Battalion's success as those of us over here
and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
May God bless all of you, the Soldiers of 1-22 IN, and the United States of America.
Deed not Words!!!
Regular 6

Even though we may be coming to the close of this deployment, there are still, and will continue to be,
Soldiers of this Battalion out there everyday doing great things because that is what we ask of them.
There are times when the mission may be business as usual, but then there are times when everyone is required
to pull together to accomplish the difficult tasks. One of those times is now, during our redeployment.
There are oodles of requirements that the companies, platoons and Soldiers must complete in order to leave here
with a sense of completion and success for future tasks. All have done a magnificent job, and even then,
there are some that have gone above and beyond.

Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma and assigned to HHC as a medic is PFC David Lester. He has worked in Alpha Company
as a platoon medic and in the Battalion's Aid Station. PFC Lester has conducted numerous patrols
as a dismounted combat medic not only with the Gator's of Company A, but also with Echo Forward Support Company
and with the Scout platoon. During his time in the Aid Station, PFC Lester was responsible for keeping immunizations
up to date on the 881 assigned Soldiers and for assisting with daily sick call. PFC Lester joined the Army
to follow in the footsteps of his father, Jim Lester, who was also a combat medic during Vietnam.
His hard work has paid off as he will be promoted to the rank of Specialist on March 1st.

Assigned to Company A is PFC Aaron Olivarez. As noted by his Platoon Sergeant, PFC Olivarez is one of the
hardest workers in the platoon, whether he is on patrol, guard duty or work details. He remains motivated
and displays a high energy at every assigned task. PFC Olivarez hails from Runge, Texas and joined the Army
to better prepare himself for a brighter future.

Also joining the Army to better his future is SPC Gil Legaspi. SPC Legaspi is assigned to the Bear's of Company B
and originally from California. He continually receives praise from his Squad Leader for his attention to detail
in preparing for patrols. Also, SPC Legaspi's can-do attitude has not gone unnoticed as he is a team player
by spending countless hours helping his fellow Soldiers. During this deployment, he has seasoned
and matured into a hard-charging young leader.

PFC Thomas Sanford, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and assigned to Charlie Company's Headquarters Platoon,
has served in a number of duty positions and locations during this deployment. While separated from his parent unit,
PFC Sanford was tasked to provide security and as a vehicle driver for two of the Iraqi National Police Training Teams.
During these duties, he has served with distinction in several areas both within and outside of Baghdad.
Most recently, PFC Sanford has been fulfilling duties as an RTO for the command post. With a family background
rich in military history, PFC Sanford joined the Army with a sense of duty to God, Family and Country.

Serving in Dealer Company's third platoon as a vehicle gunner is SPC Ames. In this position, he constantly scans
his sectors of fire, routinely cross-talking with the other gunners of the patrol, to ensure that all areas around his patrol
are secure. SPC Ames has created many sector sketches that outline local dangers and identifies all possible routes
for egress in an emergency. SPC Ames has displayed sound judgment and instilled confidence in his leaders
that he will one day make an outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer.

From Austin, Texas is SPC Adam Fithian. He is assigned to the Killers of Company E as a combat engineer
in the Headquarters platoon. SPC Fithian has taken on many roles such as vehicle driver, RTO
and as an assistant to pay operations during payday for the Sons of Iraq program. His attention to detail
and strive for excellence have directly influenced the success of his company. SPC Fithian joined the Army
as a patriot, fulfilling his desire to do his part for the Global War on Terrorism.

As a food service specialist assigned to the Forward Support Company, SPC Zamora Beltau has performed duties
in the Food Distribution Yard on FOB Falcon. This duty ensures that the cooks at all of the forward outposts
are provided enough rations to feed over 500 of the Battalion's Soldiers two hot meals per day, plus many other
extra food items. It is a continuous job that helps lift the morale. SPC Beltau is originally from Guam
and he joined the Army in order to receive educational benefits and to become a US citizen.

All of the Soldiers that I have mentioned are doing a tremendous job and because of their hard work and dedication,
they will receive a Battalion Coin from me. They, along with the rest of the Battalion, truly emphasis the Battalion's motto
of “Deeds, not Words.”

Once again, thank you for supporting your Soldier and the Battalion during this deployment.
God bless all of our families, our Battalion, all of our fellow military service members deployed
and God bless the United States.
Deeds, not Words, ~Regular 7

Hammer 6

Hammer 7

As February comes to an end, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
This has been an exciting month for the Hammers, especially the latter part. This month we are reminded
by the Battalion Commander to stay switched on. We are careful and remain vigilant and focused on the tasks ahead
as we begin to transfer the fight to our replacement unit, paying careful attention to give them all the knowledge
that we have about the mission here and challenges ahead for them.

I hope February has been a good month for you folks at home; I assure you we have squeezed all we possibly can
from it. The Hammers worked hard this month and I'm really proud of them. In addition to staying focused
on the mission at hand, building transition plans, and drafting schedules to hand over the fight, this month
we began shifting our property around for handover inventories, for reset
(in-depth inspection and repair), and for packing to redeploy. All our lives have become increasingly busy
and I'll have to say this month has simply flown by.

This month we finally got the opportunity to say “Thank You” to the men and women who have worked hard
since the day we arrived. We conducted awards ceremonies over a few days at different locations
to make sure we were able to get to everyone. It's always humbling to present an award to a Soldier
because I know how hard they work each day – it's an honor for me to just be counted among them.
The men and women in the Headquarters Company really are extraordinary people who, month after month,
do extraordinary things.

March will come with all its challenges and victories. The unit will redeploy and we will all face the associated
challenges together. Once we return, the Hammers will conduct a series of events to include reintegration training,
administrative/personnel updates, household goods reception, motorcycle training (if your Soldier is a rider),
and others to insure all our medical, legal, financial, and personnel records are current. That process will take
a couple weeks then we will conduct safety inspections of our personal vehicles and get ready for a
much deserved leave period over the month of April.

As always we miss you all and keep you in our thoughts and prayers. We couldn't do this without you.
Until we return, keep the Hammers in your hearts and prayers and we will keep you in ours.
Melissa and I appreciate all you do.
Hammer 6.

Well FRG members, this is the last Newsletter. When we got here, the year before us looked like
climbing Mount Everest, but instead of being focused on the destination, we dug down deep and focused
on each mission one at a time, one day at a time.
The first picture was taken back in May at Alpha, at one of our church services. The area is now covered
with gravel and Container Housing Units (CHUs) are placed there. The next two pictures were taken the 1st week
of February at Bravo and Delta. The MWR Computer lab is where Bravo and the PSD team talks to their family.
The second picture is when 1SG Cameron and another Bear Soldier played football before they took us their AO.

Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times; it the worst of times.” That is what I think of this last year.
We had a great time, we accomplished a lot of missions; kept our morale up while making the country of Iraq
safer for themselves while they take ownership of their country. But it also was the worst of times;
we lost three Soldiers in two incidents. I honestly wished we had not lost one. Our latest causality was wounded
by an unseen bullet which ended his life two weeks ago. Continue to uplift and pray for
CPL Stephen Thompson's family.

As I close I would like to thank each and one of you, who not only prayed for their Soldier, but also prayed
for our Unit and myself. Because of all the love and support we had back home, to include 1st Baptist Church;
Port Natchez, Texas, by providing us with goodie boxes, George Foreman Grills, and Prayer, we finished the race
set before us as the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG) Do you see what this means—all these pioneers
who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down,
start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began
and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—
that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.
And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith,
go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through.
That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
I AM REGULARS BY GOD