1st Battalion 22nd Infantry News Update Aug-Sept 2010 page 1

1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

1st Battalion Newsletter

August/September 2010

BN CO, HHC, Chaplain

Regular 6 Sends:

Friends and Families of the Regulars,

I apologize for the extended delay in sending out our first Afghanistan newsletter.
Since we arrived in theater at the beginning of August, the companies have been extremely busy
conducting their reliefs in place with companies from the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment
and transitioning right into extensive offensive operations to disrupt the enemy’s ability to conduct attacks
during Afghanistan’s Parliamentary Elections. Throughout our first two months, your Soldiers have done
a phenomenal job and are making a positive impact every day on Afghanistan’s long term stability.

As some of you might have read in recent news articles, B Company and D Company, supported by Headquarters
and E/Forward Support Company, conducted a combined clearance operation with Afghan National Civil Order Police
and Afghan Border Police in Malajat (southern gate to Kandahar City) to clear out a Taliban sanctuary
they were using to carry out assassinations, intimidation activities, extortion and a variety of other illicit acts
inside Kandahar City. The operation began at the end of August and lasted through the middle of September
with substantial security and infrastructure improvement missions still ongoing. Although we have a long way to go,
the operation was a tremendous success but it was not without a significant cost.

On 30 August 2010, we lost two incredible warrior leaders to an improvised explosive device.
1LT Mark Noziska and SSG Casey Grochowiak, assigned to 2nd Platoon, D Company, were the epitome
of what you would expect from leaders in our Army. It’s hard to put into words what Mark and Casey’s loss
means to our unit, but they’ve left a lasting legacy in the Soldiers they led in combat that will endure forever.
Their loss has steeled our conviction to rid Kandahar City and the surrounding areas of a cowardly enemy
that attacks our Soldiers and preys upon the innocent people we were sent here to protect. Our thoughts and prayer
remain with their Families, friends, and loved ones.

I’ve included Regular Message #3 that captures some of our thoughts about these two great young men
and includes details on their memorial ceremonies. I invite each and every one of you to honor their memory
and the sacrifice they made by attending their memorial ceremony at Fort Carson, Colorado on 13 October 2010.

We continue to make great strides in building the capability and effectiveness of our partnered Afghan
National Security Forces. Most units have built a phenomenal working relationship with partnered units
from throughout the 2nd Brigade of the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP). Our Soldiers are living,
eating, sleeping, and conducting extensive combat operations with our Afghan brothers as we build capacity
in one of the key components to the long term stability of Afghanistan. Even though most of us are living rough
compared to recent Iraq experiences, our hard work has already brought stability to former Taliban safe havens
throughout Kandahar City. You should be proud of this team and your Soldiers…it’s absolutely awe inspiring
to see what they’re doing every day to protect the population and defeat our enemy.

I understand the stresses many of you are feeling with your loved ones being half way around the world
and serving in a dangerous location. As you already know, your love and support is vital to us sustaining our mission.
I encourage each and every one of you to stay connected with our incredible Family Readiness Groups (FRG)
and great Rear-Detachment, led by CPT Brandon Chapman and SFC Clint Battaglia. If you need assistance,
there are abundant resources available through multiple support agencies on Fort Carson and throughout the Army
and Department of Defense…please take advantage of them (we’re all in this together). If you have questions,
please contact our Rear-Detachment or FRGs, they are committed to serving you and our Soldiers.

I’m extremely proud to lead this warrior organization as we fight our Nation’s enemies and bring peace
to the people of Afghanistan. Without hesitation, we’ll pursue our enemies until they are defeated…
we owe nothing less to the Soldiers and Families who have sacrificed so much.

May God continue to bless Task Force Regular, our Families, and our Soldiers.
Regulars, by God!
LTC Clay Padgett
Regular 6

Regulars Family and friends, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the recent loss of two tremendous
warrior leaders from our formation. 1LT Mark Noziska and SSG Casey Grochowiak of 1st Platoon, Delta Company
were killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while conducting a combat patrol near Malajat, Afghanistan
on 30 August 2010. Both Families have been notified and our Soldiers will be honored in a memorial ceremony
on 13 October in the Soldier’s Memorial Chapel on Fort Carson.

1LT Noziska joined the Army to follow his life’s ambition; to serve this great Nation as a Soldier. Mark entered
the service at a time of war knowing full well that these times would likely find him deployed to a combat zone,
a challenge that he welcomed head-on. When the time came to make the decision about attending Ranger School
or deploying with his platoon, it was an easy call for Mark…he would deploy with his men and lead them in combat.
Mark’s funeral is set for 1000 this Friday (17 September) at the Curren Funeral Home in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Regular Family and friends are welcome.

SSG Grochowiak was serving on his fourth combat deployment and fully understood the dangers before him.
This certainly didn’t slow him down as he instilled an air of confidence in his men through tough and focused training.
Casey always lead from the front and wasn’t afraid to push his men to their limits. He was sure hard training
and the bonds he formed with his Soldiers would bring them home safely. Casey’s funeral is set for 1100
this Saturday (11 September) at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California.

These heroes will always be remembered for their dedication and sacrifice. Their Families will remain in our hearts,
in our prayers, and a permanent part of our Regular Family. Our faith and our strength in each other will help us
to endure this tragic loss and steel our conviction to accomplish this mission. We will grieve appropriately,
and I encourage all Soldiers and Family members, if needed, to take advantage of the counseling assets
the Army provides. Most importantly, I urge you to keep their Families and friends in your thoughts and prayers
during this difficult time.

May God bless each and every one of you, your Families, and our Soldiers while we take the fight to the enemy.
Regulars, by God!
Regular 6

Friends and Families of the Regulars,

From the “Regulars” Command Sergeant Major’s corner comes greetings and salutations. As always,
straight to the point: what will this year bring for you the readers of this newsletter, our loyal family members,
and the “Regulars By God” Soldiers who are volunteers, not draftees, and who find themselves in a foreign land
with foreign faces that possess foreign ideas? What accomplishments will define you as an individual, as a son
or daughter of a deployed Soldier, and what actions and achievements will define our phenomenal and
beautiful spouses and girlfriends who are so dearly missed? Who is the success arbitrator who determines
what success looks and feels like, your deployed Loved One and you! Your Soldiers are performing magnificently
with bravado and with the self-confidence of a winner, truly because of your unshakable and incomparable support!

On a sad note, memories of turbulent events are so often selective or unrecognizably distorted, but the loss
of 1LT Noziska and SSG Grochowiak was neither. Some may say it is time to leave Afghanistan and that may be true,
except abruptly leaving would not be paying respect and honor to two Great Americans and their Families.
There is no skepticism or need to persuade in our formation; completing our mission as winners is the only way
to honor our fallen! Thus, let us reminisce about our fallen for they are in the Lord’s House now and please
remember we are simply mere mortals with hopes and dreams!

Regulars, by God!
CSM Samuel D. Coston
“Regular 7”

**********************

From The Commander's Desk:

Greetings Hammer Families,

The Hammers have officially taken over operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Our transition with the
1-508th, 82nd Airborne was informative and fruitful. They only occupied the battle space for 2 months
before we got here but made some huge improvements to the living conditions to help set the conditions
for our arrival. When they arrived, there was nothing; as we got here, we had tents, T-walls, and showers.

As usual, HHC is spread all across the battle space because of the specialty services we can provide.
The majority of our company lives here on ANCOP with me. We work with and live along side of a very
professional force of Afghan personnel. All missions are done with the ANCOP (Afghan National Civil Operations Police).
All we have to do is ask for support and they spin it up for us.

Other sections of the company have been farmed out to help with operations across Kandahar.
The Mortars, minus SGT Harrington and his 5, are working for CPT Hedtke in Charlie company training ANCOP
how to run a check point. The Mortars have been increased with the Sniper section to build their numbers
after we sent SGT Harington to Dealer Company to run a hot gun. The Scouts are now COL Martindale’s
Personal Security Detachment to get him around the battle space.

We are working hard to improve what we have. Some of our projects include getting a chow tent erected,
new shower trailers, improving the road with gravel, making new guard towers, and improving some hard stand
buildings in order for us to live out of, to include working showers. All this will take some time, but each month
we plan to make drastic improvements to our living conditions. Rest assured we won’t stay rustic forever.

I know a lot of you back home are worried about us. Take comfort in the fact that we are very welled trained.
It amazes me each day as I watch the hardcore Soldier start to develop in the troops. This is what we signed up for.
Each one of us took an oath in order to be a Soldier. I’m just happy I have an opportunity to do the job
the army spent millions of dollars to train me and the Hammer Soldiers to do .

Take a look at the pictures at the back of this article for a quick tour of where we live and what we do.
Next month I’ll post the new pictures of all the improvements we have made.
I hope you all back there have hung up a yellow ribbon.
-Hammer 6

From the desk of Hammer 7

Well we have started our mission here in Afghanistan and we are off to a great success. I do hope
that you will keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we meet the daily challenges here in Afghanistan.
Let me start with saying mail and the whole logistic package will be slow, but we are running the mail
to your loved ones as quickly as possible. I will continue to do my best to see that the mail and support packages
get to all the Soldiers. This alone is a motivation factor. But most of all, you back in the states please send something
to one of our great Soldiers to let them know you are thinking of them. Trust me, when a Soldier gets a box or letter
you see it on their face…they had a good day.

Things aren’t that bad here but again this is not Iraq!!! A lot of the comfort built up there is not here yet.
We have over 60% of our Soldiers who have never been deployed and they are doing a great job!
I am proud of all them for adapting to their new environment.

I will ,as 1SG, ensure every one of my Soldiers first have a safe and secured environment, a clean location
to rest their head, and for each of them to understand I am here for them. I am observing some of our Soldiers
who get mail and identifying those who have not yet received any. I could use your help once I indentify those
who don’t get any mail. Drop me an email if you are willing to write someone a letter and I will ensure you get
a Soldiers name.

I try to push all of our Soldiers so they remain focused on the mission, while I listen to any and all issues
that they may have. I am here not only for your Soldier, but also for you back in the US. Understand I am telling them
to take it “one day at a time.”

As First Sergeant, I am the last in bed and the first one up every day. Understand we may not have the comforts
of home, but we try to provide reasonable living areas. I’m working to get an Internet station and the MWR set up;
it has yet to arrive. Until then, our S-6 has one lap top and a phone line to be used. I say again, ”one day at a time.”
Those are my daily words to all of you.

The Commander and I will continue to work hard to improve the life support. A lot of construction projects
are coming up next month. Hammer Soldiers are making a difference; from the East to the West,
a Hammer soldier is there.

Signing off for now…..Hammer 7

**********************

Dear Family and Friends of the 1-22IN “Regulars by God”,

It is my privilege and honor to write this sitting at our Battalion Headquarters in Kandahar City, Afghanistan.
I say so because I truly do feel blessed to serve among such a wonderful group of 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment “Regulars by God” who have committed the next year of their lives to selflessly serve a cause
much bigger than themselves. They truly are the best and brightest this nation has to offer.

For those of you who are wondering how we have been doing since we began this deployment a few weeks ago,
I am glad to report that the guys are out here doing all the great things that they trained long and hard to do.
They have already made a great name for themselves amongst our Coalition brothers as well as making progress
with the local populace that we are living amongst. I have no doubt in my mind that we will succeed in this mission
that we have been tasked by our nation to do, and in a year both Afghanistan and America will be better off
and safer due to the hard work that your Soldiers will do this year.

During our deployment, I encourage everyone, from the Soldier downrange to the Family member back home,
to set goals for themselves. Areas in your lives that are good places to have goals include, but are not limited to:
professional goals with your work, personal goals such as staying in or getting into better shape, and spiritual goals
that would have you grow closer to God. The setting of positive goals will ensure that this year is a year of growth
for us all, and that in a year we are all much closer to who or where we would like to be in our lives than we are now.

August 30, 2010 is a day that will be forever etched in the minds of every single member of the 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry "Regulars by God". That day, two of the finest Warriors America had to offer, 1LT Mark Noziska
and SSG Casey Grochowiak, were taken from us. In the wake of this great loss, I have seen the Soldiers
of this Battalion unite in ways that can only happen through persevering through great sacrifice, loss, and hardship.
Those who remain in Afghanistan will honor the selfless service and sacrifice of our two Fallen Brothers
by finishing the mission in which they gave their lives.

For the rest of our days on this earth we will all remember the great men that they were and how our lives
were enhanced, and our unit is stronger, for them having been a part of it. We will continue to put on our faith in God,
knowing full well that God will not allow us to go through any obstacle that we cannot get through, as long as
we place our trust and gain our strength in Him. We will continue to be there for each other, as the family that we are,
until the last Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment redeploys sometime next summer.

May the Lord continue to bless the Soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers, Officers, Families,
and Friends of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, Regulars.

REGULARS BY GOD!
DEEDS, NOT WORDS!
Chaplain Chip Satterlee

**********************

BACK