1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Updates 2009 Page 2

(Gator 6)

(Gator 7)

Gator Families and Friends, I send you this FRG Newsletter with strong anticipation
that it will be the final one sent during this Gator deployment. The excitement of the Soldiers
and Families alike have certainly raised morale to an all time high here at Joint Security Station Aamel in our final days.
The normally arduous task of packing bags and connexes has been conducted this last month with not one word
of animosity or complaint. Smiles are prevalent, spirits are high, and post deployment plans are being finalized;
these proud Gators are preparing to come home!

This last month has found the guys extremely busy with several critical missions that all occurred back to back.
The first mission started mid-month as your family members started preparing the security posture for the
Provincial Council Elections that occurred successfully on January 31st. The Gators worked tirelessly to confirm
the locations of all polling sites and then pitched in to emplace barriers in just 3 days. Following the barrier emplacement,
the guys jumped right into 24 hours a day patrolling and cleared every election site. The outcome was pure success
as the elections occurred flawlessly with zero attacks or disruptions.

Following this mission, the Gators geared up to help ensure a safe and secure religious holiday event called
the Arba'een Pilgrimage, in which all participants walk down to Karbala during a 10 day span.
This again required extensive patrolling to deter the enemy from attacking the unsuspecting pilgrims.
No pilgrims were attacked in our area of operations and the Gators claimed yet another victory to add to its lineage.
At the conclusion of the Arba'een Pilgrimage security, the Gators entered their final offensive stage to disrupt the enemy
in support of the battle hand over to our replacement unit. We visited homes of historical bad guys, passed out fliers
containing their pictures and rewards, and maintained a full court press to counter their every move.
I couldn't be happier and more proud of how these men performed, stepping up to the challenge and
pushing through adversity and very little sleep to see the mission through to the end.

By the time you get this we'll all be in transit and we'll have a new mission: to get home!
However, we are currently spending every waking minute we have handing off all of the knowledge we have gathered
during our yearlong deployment to our replacement unit. As the men search through their large stores of brain data
to pass off the best techniques and practices they have developed this year, they have started to reflect on all the
good times they spent together in this country far from home where they have relied on each other and formed
strong bonds of brotherhood. Some memories are great and some are sad, but make no mistake, all the memories
are now a part of who these men have become, what they stand for, and what they will forever believe.

It is with deep regret to inform you that we lost one of our own this month, CPL Stephen Scott Thompson.
Please keep CPL Stephen Thompson, his family, coworkers, and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
He was the quintessential friend and Soldier, and for that he will forever be sadly missed.

The outpouring of support was amazing this month and was certainly stepped up as the final packages were sent
to family members before the cutoff date. We cannot thank you enough for keeping us in your thoughts & prayers
and ensuring we were kept well supplied with the creature comforts from home. I have never seen support in this magnitude;
yet, as I look across the ranks of these great men, I start to understand. Through them I see the family and friend
network that really cares, reflecting the selflessness and generosity that I see in these men every day.
Our thanks will never be enough; we will forever be in debt to you all.

This month we have seen several promotions of our great Gator Soldiers! These men have earned these new ranks
through their display of hard work and perseverance during this deployment. We are very proud to watch them grow
in their professional development and here to support them as they continue to learn about this profession of service
and develop into our future leaders. Please help us in congratulating the following:

SPC David Laughinghouse
SPC Jeff Morel
SPC Joshua Sheriff
PFC Richard Schoelkopf
PFC Jose Gomez

This, our final month in Iraq, brings to an end yet another extremely successful deployment by the Gators
of 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment. There are great reports and a lot of talk throughout the ranks and across
different units about the success your loved ones are responsible for here in Baghdad, Iraq. They will forever be
connected to a successful part of history, defending our country's security and giving democracy the opportunity
to flourish here in Iraq. Our homecoming is right around the corner and I know that the anticipation of our arrival home
is growing each day both with our loved ones at home and here within our deployed Gator family.

I want to wish you all the best of reunions with your loved ones here in a few weeks. I hope this finds each and
every one of you doing well and thank you again for the outpouring of thoughts, prayers, and constant support
throughout the deployment. You are the reason we made it through. Take care, be safe, and we'll see you all soon!

CPT Ed Kennedy (Bear 6)

1SG Cameron (Bear 7)

As I write this note we are in the middle of the relief in place with the new unit and by the time you read this note,
we'll be done! In case you missed all the recent notes, the Bears will be back in the states very soon
after a long hard year.

Before passing off this area to a new unit, the Bears spent the last month in Iraq continuing to keep the pressure
on the enemy and assisting the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to improve. One of the most notable events was
the completion of the Provincial elections that were marked by no attacks of intimidation or disruption.
This was no small feat and was a direct reflection of all the hard work the patrols put in to help the ISF
secure the polling sites and the surrounding area. This past month was also marked with the completion
of the Ashura holiday celebrations, where again, there were no attacks in the Bear AO as a direct result of their efforts.

In a ceremony out at JSS Sadiyah, LTC Elledge recognized the Bears with end of tour awards for their
outstanding achievements during this rotation to Iraq. Many Bears received Army Achievement Medals,
Army Commendation Medals and a few received Bronze Star Medals. These small tokens mark the significant
contributions the Soldiers made to the lasting security of Iraq all throughout Baghdad.

This past month we had a few more promotions and I want to congratulate the following Soldiers:

Private First Class Nicholas Cerbone to Specialist
Private First Class Daniel Clark to Specialist
Private First Class Keahi Holder to Specialist
Private First Class Yuinth Lang to Specialist
Private First Class Ian Tierney to Specialist
Private First Class Matthew Wheeler to Specialist

This being the last newsletter from Iraq, I will go ahead and congratulate ahead of time the promotions for March:

Private Second Class Logan Sweeney to Private First Class
Private First Class Arthur Haun to Specialist
Private First Class Patrick Lynch to Specialist
Private First Class Raymond Martsteller to Specialist
Private First Class Kevin Miller to Specialist
Private First Class Miles Palmer to Specialist
Private First Class Jas Rivara to Specialist
Private First Class Jonathan Wiggins to Specialist
Corporal Alexander Williams to Sergeant
Sergeant Abraham Hernandez to Staff Sergeant

I would also like to congratulate the following Soldiers and their families for deciding to reenlist
and to continue their careers in the Army:

Private First Class Joseph Tabb
Specialist Bobby Turner
Sergeant Gerargo Valasquez

Melissa Marler is still the Bear FRG Leader, please do not hesitate to email her.
I cannot stress enough that if you haven't updated her with your contact information and things have changed,
you need to get a hold of her. About 72 hours out from your Soldier coming back to Texas you'll get a phone call
based on the numbers we have on file.

This being the last newsletter we'll send out from Iraq I want to take a second to thank you all for your support
of the Bears. This being my third year long deployment I know that being over here is difficult on the Soldiers,
but we all realize that being left behind is not any easier. I can't thank you enough for your efforts to take care
of everything back stateside and I am truly in awe of all that you do back there while we are over here.

Although we are almost home, please continue to keep all of the Bears in your thoughts and prayers.
Captain Ed Kennedy (Bear 6)

Snake 6

Snake 7

With only a short time left, Charlie Company is extremely anxious to step off the plane in Fort Hood, Texas.
Everyone's talking about where they are going for block-leave and looking forward to spending time with family and friends.
There are still plenty of tasks to complete before we make our final steps to redeployment. The mission is still clear
and Soldiers will be tested to remain as focused as they have been for the past 12 months. Our replacement unit
has arrived at JSS Jihad. They are a very experienced company, who will do well in our area.

The year started out with an extremely high operations tempo. Soldiers were busy conducting raids during the night,
finding bad guys, and putting them in jail. It then slowly evened itself out towards the middle as we became
very involved with “microgrants”, rebuilding infrastructure, and providing stability to the Iraqi people.
When looking back, the past year has gone by rather fast. There were months that dragged on and on,
especially the summer months. However, the months when we closed down COP 881 and moved to JSS Jihad flew by.
The hard, hot, summer months were difficult but the Soldiers of Charlie Company fought through because
they were able to see the good in everything hard. It's seemed as if we've been in a constant state of trying
to make things better within every boundary set. The hard work and dedication of every Soldier in this company
can be seen by looking back at all the accomplishments that they have achieved. The Soldiers and NCO's
of the company have worked tirelessly and are in fact the best. There are not enough good things that can be said
about our NCO's and Soldiers in Charlie Company that will truly reflect their hard work.

For many Soldiers who have been deployed to Iraq in the past, it's been very apparent how much Iraq has improved
over the past several years. In the past year alone, these improvements are immeasurable. The trust between
Iraq Security Forces and the Iraqi people has improved greatly. They have become more independent and
conduct successful operations with little to no guidance from us. The Iraqi government is gathering strength
and their legal system is working. It's still a long road ahead for Iraq, but the Soldiers of Charlie Company
have been a part of a very delicate period of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Without a doubt, they have made a difference.

Thank you for all your support and prayers. Everything you've done for us is greatly appreciated.

We all look forward to seeing you when we step off the plane, pull up in the bus, and make our final march
down the parade field in Fort Hood, Texas. Thank you!