1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Updates March 2010 Page 3

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

1st Battalion Newsletter

March 2010

Company D, FSC

Dealer Company Families and Friends,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is CPT Ethan Olberding and I assumed command
of Delta Company on February 1st. Assuming command of combat Soldiers is a privilege, and one that I take seriously.
I am dedicated to ensure that our Soldiers are prepared to conduct any mission we receive. Furthermore, I am determined
to build and maintain a solid Family Readiness Group that provides information about upcoming events
and provides opportunities for Family Members to get involved with this unit.

The Soldiers of Dealer Company completed fantastic training events in February. They qualified on vehicle mounted
weapon systems, began training platoon-level operations, and participated in a Brigade-wide three-week exercise
called Raider Blitz, that culminated with establishing a company defense in austere weather conditions.
The Brigade exercise provided opportunities that tested every Soldier mentally and physically. Moreover, these Soldiers
not only faced difficult training scenarios, but encountered frigid temperatures as well. I am extremely impressed and proud
of the Dealer Soldiers. They continue to master those skills and techniques that will ensure our success
in future operations.

The month of March will bring more opportunities to hone our skills. We will conduct language training
to prepare Soldiers to converse with the Afghani people, pack equipment for our deployment to the
Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana in April, and continue to train the basic skills all Soldiers need
to be confident on the battlefield. My wife, Sarah, and I are extremely approachable and welcome any suggestion
you may have about how to solidify our Family Readiness Group. I look forward to working with you
and communicating with you over the coming months.

Bottom line, your Soldier needs your support and so does this Company.

I wish you the best.
CPT Ethan Olberding
Dealer 6

The Dealers at Raider Blitz
By: 1LT Kyle West, 2nd Platoon Leader

During the month of February the Dealers completed our Brigade exercise coded named RAIDER BLITZ.
This event tested our abilities with realistic scenarios that we may encounter during our deployment.
One of the most valuable training events proved our opportunity to work with Afghani Nationals. These role players
taught important lessons on culture and language. Our Soldiers conducted a variety of missions that replicated
many of the situations units face in Afghanistan. Training events consisted of meeting with village elders to build rapport
with the local populace, dismounted operations over harsh terrain, mounted operations, and culminated with
a challenging platoon live fire exercise. Platoons employed attack helicopters, mortar fire, and all of their direct fire
weapon systems. The live fire exercise required leaders to think quickly and implement tactical plans to ensure success.
Each Soldier performed superbly. They definitely exceeded our expectations. We completed Raider Blitz
with many lessons learned that will help strengthen our unit.

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Welcome new Soldiers and Family members to the Forward Support Company and 1-22 Infantry Regiment.
As you already know, we continue on a rigorous path of training leading up to our JRTC rotation in April.
I have included our March and April training schedules in this newsletter so you have a good understanding
of upcoming events. The dates for JRTC are tentative and various Soldiers and leaders throughout our company
may leave earlier or return later than these posted dates (April 6th-30th). As always, I appreciate your support and flexibility.
I also wanted to publish the block leave schedule to afford you the knowledge of when you can expect your Soldier
to take leave if they choose. The block leave schedule is from June 19th-July 11th this summer. It is important for us
to take this time off and spend it with those that we care about. Those that do not have enough leave built up
can still take advantage of having half-day work schedules as well as four-day passes. I will enforce a minimum leave balance
of 8 days going into the deployment. This allows the individual to have enough leave built up to take both mid-tour R&R,
and have leave available upon return from Afghanistan. Thanks for the continued support for your spouse
and the challenging mission we have ahead.
REMINDER: Tax season is upon us. Fort Carson Tax preparation agents are available for free at building 6285 on Fort Carson.

Family Events and Fundraising:
There are currently no scheduled fundraising events for our FRG. Our FRG account balance is $485.21.
We are looking forward to this month’s Family get together at the YMCA. The YMCA will offer free trial memberships
to those that attend and have great deals for service members and their family members. If you have questions
or would like to attend please contact Kayla or Ana. They are listed in the POC section of the newsletter.
Company shirts are available to both Soldiers and Family/Friends. They are gray Under Armor “type” long sleeve shirts
and display the 1-22IN BN crest on the front and have the Eliminator mascot and motto on the back. The FSC guideon
is also printed on the sleeve. T-Shirt costs are $20 each or $30 for two and are available in medium through XL
with limited quantities in small and XXL. POCs for t-shirts can be contacted at the FSC orderly room.
Looking forward to this spring, many of us have sons and daughters in school along with some graduating from high school.
It is my intent that Soldiers and parents be afforded the opportunity to attend parent teacher conferences as well as
graduation ceremonies. Graduation dates for the Colorado Springs area generally take place between the dates of
May 18th-29th. I encourage Soldiers and spouses to inform me through their chain-of-command if they have a son
or daughter graduating in another state so that they may attend.

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