1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Update March 2010 Page 1

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

1st Battalion Newsletter

March 2010

BN CO, HHC, Chaplain

Friends and Families of the Regulars,

This is our second “Regular Newsletter” for 2010 and I hope it finds you doing great and enjoying
the first couple of weeks of Spring. If you are new to the unit, let me welcome you to the Regulars and Fort Carson…
“The best hometown in the Army.”

Since our last newsletter, your Regulars did an outstanding job during our platoon focused three-week training event
“Raider Blitz” and are fully engaged in preparing for our upcoming deployment to the Joint Readiness Training Center
(JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. “Raider Blitz” turned into a pretty intense training event focused on basic platoon
battle tasks, while simultaneously building capability throughout the units to coach and mentor our future Afghan
counterparts. After watching all of the platoons cycle through the live-fire exercise and most of the other situation training
exercise lanes, I have no doubt that your Soldiers will “win,” no matter the mission.

I’ve included a photo highlighting our unit’s linkage to those Soldiers whose legacy we continue to build upon.
Bob Babcock, current Historian of the 4th Infantry Division and platoon leader in Vietnam with 1-22 IN, came out
and walked a live-fire lane with X Platoon, C Company. I’ll let Bob tell the stories but it goes without saying that his words
to the platoon following the live-fire were relevant and respected. Bob awarded one of our Soldiers a unit coin
for his outstanding job during the live-fire, further solidifying the bond between current and former Regular Soldiers.

Next month’s going to busy with our month long deployment to JRTC; I thank you in advance for your understanding
and support as we take time away from you with your Soldier as we continue training for the challenges that lay before us.
And speaking of challenges, we postponed our 22 mile road march until 05-06 MAY. The 22 miler will give us a good idea
of where we’re at on building the conditioning required for extended dismounted operations over rough terrain.
For interested FRGs, the 22 mile road march will provide a good opportunity to raise money for our upcoming ball.
If you haven’t heard, the Regular Ball is scheduled for 12 JUN at the Antlers Hilton in downtown Colorado Springs…
mark your calendar because it will be an event to remember.

We remain grateful to our FRGs, Family Care Team, and Rear-D Command Team for their selfless dedication
to our Families and Soldiers. Your continued contributions to our battalion and Soldiers will continue to help us build
the “Family Team” during our upcoming JRTC deployment. There are still opportunities if you want to volunteer your time
to support Families in need through our Family Care Team. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact
your company’s FRG representative, the Rear-D chain of command (CPT Brandon Chapman or SFC Clint Battaglia),
or our FRSA (Ms. Ursula Pittman).

We continue to be an organization that thrives in uncertainty through our core competencies and self-confidence.
I hope you remain proud of being a member of an outstanding unit that truly values the contribution of every one
of its Soldiers and Family members. Thank you for all that you do for our unit and the support you provide to your Soldier.
May God bless each and every one of you, the Regulars, and the United States of America.

Regulars, by God!
LTC Clay Padgett
“Regular 6”

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From Hammer 6’s Desk

February has been a busy month for every section and every Soldier of Hammer Company.
This will soon be the standard for the company all the way through our JRTC rotation in April.

The Scouts came back from the Holiday season and went straight into a training cycle. They had a SCOUTEX
in the field to validate all the members of the platoon. It involved a week long exercise in the field sleeping under the stars
practicing their skills to set up and occupy observation points (OPs), which will eventually lead into providing
advanced warning of enemy activity. SSG Ross and SSG Diaz, the Scout squad leaders, maneuvered their Soldiers
in a live fire lane. The squad maneuvered down a corridor and engaged pop up targets with live bullets
practicing alternating fires, bounding maneuvers, and support by fire positions. This provided realistic scenarios
for the Afghanistan deployment.

The Mortars conducted a similar event called a MORTEP. They spent four days in the field honing their skills as motarmen.
The platoon practiced occupying firing points in order to set up the location to fire their large armored tracks.
They then transitioned into a live fire for both day and night missions. At night they fired illumination rounds
that lit up the night sky.

The staff sections deployed to the field in the first part of February to set up the Battalion Tactical Operation Center
(TOC). SSG Kling used all his previous experience in the TOC to help SGM Moser and CSM Costom get ready
to track the platoons conducting lanes during Raider Blitz. It took a lot of man power to set up the large tent
and fill it with all our electronic gear.

Raider Blitz has every BN in the Brigade running lanes to certify the platoons before we head to JRTC.
The mortars have been living out of a tent with a pot belly stove for warmth for a week and a half firing rounds
to support the 1-22 live fire lane. The Scouts executed the live fire lane with the mortars support. In addition to the mortars,
1LT Hartwig was in contact with two apache helicopters for fire support and CPL Pierce and PV2 Ruiz
fired the AT-4 at targets; AT-4s are the army’s replacement to the well known bazooka.

The Scouts then transitioned to two more lanes each involving Key Leader Engagements with Afghan nationals.
On the first lane, the platoon trekked 8.5 miles by foot between two villages. All members of the platoon
had the opportunity at the first village to talk through a translator and find out intelligence about the village,
a very valuable skill to learn now rather than later. On the 8 mile walk to the next village the platoon learned
that LT Hartwig likes to dominate the surrounding terrain. He had SGT Perez on point, scrambling up rock faces
to maintain the high ground. The second village ended up being a fire fight between the platoon and bad guys.
SPC Harmony had the opportunity to practice rendering aid to a wounded police chief in order to make amends
with the villagers.

While the mortars were shooting and the Scouts were training, the TOC was being set up and getting its digital systems
on line. The newly formed Assault CP, LTC Padgett's drivers and gunners, helped erect the TOC tent. Once up,
S6 went to work hooking up the phones, internet, and computers. CPT Spencer and LT Denning took over the role
as Battle Captain, tracking the movements and reports of all 6 companies. Meanwhile, in a different tent,
the S1 with SSG Feliciano and CPT Behler at the helm, continued to track all the personnel and files of Soldiers
in and out of the field. All these tents and barracks spaces was a logistical nightmare for SFC Zelinsky and SSG Kincheloe .
They kept their heads about them and got everyone the supplies and housing they needed in order to provide a little comfort
to the field.

The S2 department with CPT Madetzke and 1LT Heifetz controlled the Afghan citizens employed by the Brigade
to create a realistic environment for Soldiers. SGT Debb went out of his way to help coordinate language and culture classes
for everyone in the BN. We all learned a lot about customs and some simple phrases like how to say hello, salam,
and thank you, tashakor. PV2 Franks, who just arrived, got his mind blown away by just how much information
passed through the TOC and S2 department. He kept his wits about him and will be a great Intel analyst for the BN.
On February 27th, the 1-22 treatment medics conducted Landing Zone (LZ) and air MEDEVAC operations
in conjunction with a UH-60L Helicopter crew from the Wyoming National Guard.

The training focused on LZ establishment, patient packaging, ground-to-air radio contact, and patient extraction
from the UH-60L flight platform. Additionally, the flight crew gave a brief class on their team’s capabilities
followed by a question and answer session. The medics took full advantage of C-334’s recent deployment to Afghanistan,
asking them about the reality on the ground, no-fly conditions for MEDEVAC missions, and the procedure
for MEDEVAC flight authorization.

It has been a long month for Hammer Company. We survived the snow and below zero temperatures that befell us.
It ended up being a good test of our character and allowed us to work out a lot of kinks through practical applications.
The company as a whole worked on language skills and integrating Afghan nationals we had hired for role players,
direct fire, indirect fire, communication systems, reporting, cold weather training, and learning how to operate at night
with our night vision goggles. The medics even worked in a 16 mile road march in-between advanced medical training
with Doc Sacheli.

The company wishes 1SG and Mrs. Lambert a happy 15th wedding anniversary. SSG Jordan, of the medics,
reached his goal of being promoted to SFC this month CPL Gill is following right behind him and will be the medics
newest NCO. Congratulations to the new Hammer babies born to the Varcasias who had a boy, the Rojas
and their baby girl, the Brobecks and their boy, the Wilcoxes and their baby boy, and the Shields new bundle of joy.

The next obstacle on our path to deployment is our JRTC rotation in April. I’m not sure Raider Blitz totally prepared you
for this. We will be far from home without the ability to run out of the field to take care of family problems and run errands.
Our connectivity there by phone and e-mail will be limited. A majority of our information coming from JRTC
will be from FRG channels. If you are not plugged into the Hammer FRG please get in touch with me
so I can get you on our distribution list to help keep you informed. Get ready to be independent for a month
while your Soldier deploys.

-Hammer 6

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Greetings Fellow Regulars,

It’s hard to believe that we made it through the blunt end of the cold and snowy Colorado winter,
which was a first for many of us Regulars who come from much warmer and sunnier states such as myself.
However, here we are with spring just around the corner and summer not too far ahead.

I’d venture to say that many of us usually don’t mark time simply from weather season to weather season.
I’ve noticed that we in the military generally choose to mark time in segments, from those spent with our loved ones,
to those spent apart due to training events and deployments.

This past month has been particularly busy for our Regulars family. This month included Raider Blitz,
a field training exercise that saw our Soldiers in the field for the majority of three weeks. During this exercise
I had the honor of spending much time with the incredible Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry.
As I made my away around to the different companies, I was, yet again, thoroughly impressed with the high caliber
of Soldiers that we have in our battalion. This truly is the best unit that I’ve ever had the honor to be a part of
and am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside so many great Soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers,
and Officers. For those used to the Army and its operational tempo, Raider Blitz was yet another time period
spent a part from our loved ones due to Army training requirements. For those brand new to the Army and/or Fort Carson
it was probably a challenging three weeks. Yet no matter what category you fit in, this was certainly a good
training exercise for our Soldiers and families. Each and every one of you persevered and made it through.
We made it through Raider Blitz and now it’s each of our responsibilities to make it through, best we can,
our upcoming JRTC rotation.

Please know that none of you are alone in the difficulties you may be facing. We have a Battalion filled
with caring Soldiers and Spouses who stand willing and able to assist you if ever need be. As Soldiers
we would never leave a fellow Soldier alone on the battlefield. As Regulars we will never leave a fellow Regular,
be it a Soldier or Family member, whenever they need us. We are all in this together, from now until the end
of our deployment.

As Abraham Lincoln so eloquently said during our Civil War: “Together we stand, but divided we fall.”

REGULARS BY GOD!
DEEDS NOT WORDS!
Chaplain Satterlee

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