Commander’s MessageCommander’s MessageCommander’s Message

T A S K F O R C E W I N G S , 1 0 1 S T A V I A T I O N R E G I M E N T

EAGLE NEWSEAGLE NEWSEAGLE NEWS AUG 2011AUG 2011AUG 2011

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

Command Messages

Company and Troop Updates

Upcoming Events

Family Readiness Info

Inside this issue:Inside this issue:Inside this issue:

Chaplain 2

Rear D 3

Editorial 4

HHC 5

Alpha Company 5

Charlie (Widowmakers)

6

Charlie (Crazyhorse)

8

Delta Company 9

FSC 10

Pathfinder 11

Family Readiness 13

We’ll continue posting great pictures of the deployment on

the public page…159 CAB, 4-

101 AVN REG. Drop me an

email at christo-

pher.albus@us.army.mil

Wings of the Eagle!

Wings 6

Task Force Wings Soldiers,

Families, and Friends

We are at the 6th month mark

and time is going by quickly

since our Soldiers remain busy

on FOB Wolverine. They re-

main busy, but also safe, and

it’s important for us all to tem-­per ourselves as we get closer

to redeployment. We can’t afford to get so focused on

getting home that we don’t concentrate on the task at

hand. Our safety record has

been impeccable due to our

leaders and Soldiers doing the

right thing…even when no one is watching.

The Afghan Ramadan is in full

swing during this month and

we are in the middle of the

Rest and Recuperation (R&R)

leave period. I hope the Sol-

diers and Families are taking

full advantage and everyone

returns safe because every

Soldier and Family member is

important to the mission. We

won’t get anyone new for the remainder of deployment, so

we all are reliant on one an-

other to shoulder the burden

of work.

Christine and I are very fortu-

nate to have such wonderful

Company FRG leaders and

volunteers. Your caring assis-

tance over these last difficult

months has been invaluable

and we have had very few

issues from our Families at

home. Thank you all! LTC Christopher Albus

Command Sergeant Major’s MessageCommand Sergeant Major’s MessageCommand Sergeant Major’s Message Hello once again from the Sol-

diers of ‘Task Force Wings’. The month marks the half way

point for the majority of the

Soldiers in Task Force Wings.

This past month the Task

Force has been busy, we con-

ducted the NCO and Soldier of

the Month Board which was

held on 20 July 2011. The

NCO of the Month was SGT

Dodge from F Co 7-101 the Air

Traffic Controllers and the

Soldier of the Month was SPC

Lowery from FSC. Both Sol-

diers received a Certificate of

Achievement signed by LTC

Albus and myself, and they

also received a $25 AAFES gift

card, three months of free

internet service, a leader’s book, a Task Force Coin and a

one year free membership to

the 101st Airborne Division

Association. These two Sol-

diers will be in the running for

the 4th Quarter NCO and Sol-

dier of the Quarter that will be

held in September.

On the 23rd of July the Task

Force hosted the Brigade Com-

mander’s Conference here at

FOB Wolverine inside of the

new “CSM NCO Hall”. A lot of hard work went into making

CSM Raymond Gibson

Indirect fire gives new meaning to “preach the Gospel at all times.” A few weeks ago FOB Wolver-­ine received indirect fire. The attack occurred during our Contemporary Protestant Worship Service.

Fortunately, our Soldiers are well trained and prepared for such occurrences and SGT Tellier and I

had devised a plan to evacuate the Chapel in case of such an event.

We paused our service at the first loud “bang” of incoming rounds and evacuated all congregants to the closest bunker, which is only a few yards from the rear entrance of the Chapel. From the bun-

ker we heard a few more explosions. Thankfully, none of our Soldiers, civilians or Coalition partners

were injured in the attack.

After several minutes monitoring the radio, and after the explosions stopped, I decided to continue

the service in the bunker. I handed my radio to SSG Williams (one of our EOD Soldiers), and bor-

rowed a Bible from another Soldier. SPC Ross (FSC) held a small light, as it was already evening.

We prayed and I preached.

There were well over thirty Soldiers and civilians in the bunker, and they were all very appreciative

of the message. Sharing God’s Word was an excellent way to pass time as we waited for the “all clear.” I closed the message with another prayer, which was punctuated by the distinctive sound of 30 mm rounds from one of our Apache Helicopters responding to the enemy threat. The next day I

thanked one of the pilots for the dramatic effect.

The enemy is determined to make trouble for us as we bring stability to Afghanistan, but enemy

efforts have extremely limited effects. Our Soldiers continue to successfully push forward with the

mission, and SGT Tellier and I continue to provide spiritual support. I am continually thankful for

the unique ministry opportunities at FOB Wolverine.

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EAGLE NEWS

the “CSM NCO Hall” what it is today, from the painting of the floor to the conference tables that Dyn-Corps made. This is something that all the Soldiers in the Task Force will benefit from and be

proud.

On the 1st of August the Soldiers of D Company hosted the monthly FOB Ceremony inside of the

Mess Hall here at FOB Wolverine. Everybody enjoyed the fellowship and the chance to set back and

reflect on the events of the past month.

Finally on the 3rd August the Task Force held another monthly promotion board, there were four

Soldiers within the Task Force that were recommended for promotion.

The Soldiers of Task Force Wings are all doing a great job, and will continue to do a great job, be-

cause we are one team. And even though this is the half way point in the deployment, the Soldiers

of Task Force Wings are staying mission focused and thrive of continuing the mission safely.

Air Assault!!

Wings of the Eagle!

Command Sergeant Major’s Message Command Sergeant Major’s Message Command Sergeant Major’s Message continuedcontinuedcontinued

Chaplain Porter’s Message Chaplain Porter’s Message Chaplain Porter’s Message Praise God In All Seasons

CH Jonathan Porter

Page 3

Wings 7

God is clearly at work and is worthy of our praise whether we are seated comfortably in an air-

conditioned Chapel or are standing in a dirty concrete bunker. As we enter the second half of

this deployment I encourage you to praise God for His continued protection of our Soldiers and

civilians, and to continue to keep us in your prayers.

Rocks, Dust & ThingsRocks, Dust & ThingsRocks, Dust & Things As we near the half way point of the deployment, the month of July brought with it some important

events for the Task Force. We celebrated our Nations Independence Day as well as honored four of

our six fallen heroes in the July Eagle Remembrance Ceremony (ERC).

On July 13th the Families of SSG Mills, SSG Osman, SGT Ramos and SPC Patton were present during

the July ERC, where their loved ones were honored. BG Colt, a past 159th Combat Aviation Brigade

Commander, was the presiding General and made the event very special for all the Families as well

as the Brigade. It was a great opportunity for the Families to see where their Hero worked, played

and lived as well as meet each other in an attempt to continue the healing process. We look for-

ward to hosting the remaining two Families in one of the upcoming ERCs. More information will be

announced as dates and locations are finalized.

As pictures are sent back home, one can take notice that most of this country is comprised of sev-

eral different types of sand and dust, though

most has become harder than concrete due to

eons of hot sun beating on the weathered sur-

face. One favorite type, affectionately named

“moon dust,” has the consistency of baking flower that gathers wherever the wind blows and

invokes Soldiers to look like a cameo appearance

of Pig Pen from the “Peanuts” gang. Another chooses to embark on a guerilla campaign

against clean flip flops whenever a Soldier departs from the showers, creating a strange mixture of

mud that stubbornly adheres itself to the footwear only to be removed upon the next trip to the

wash room. My favorite takes on the persona of Walter B. Gibson’s character “The Shadow.” This particular brand is invisible; constantly suspended in the air only to be noticed when sitting at a

computer and realizing that the screen appears to be getting dimmer and dimmer, caked in the ma-

licious disintegrated particles of matter from long ago. Electronics are not the only casualty in this

mission of peskiness;; Soldier’s weapons that though stored in locked rooms or in weapon racks take on the appearance of having been on their own holiday to Tatooine.

The other item that commands the background (and the foreground for that

matter) are rocks. We are boarded on the east by giant upheavals that rise

three-thousand feet or more above Wolverine’s already elevated location. Mul-­tiple sizes of gravel are encountered across the shortest of travels across our

work areas, ranging in sizes from pea to baseball and sizes that spawns won-

derment upon why such an item was indeed imported to a place which is in no

way devoid of awkward material to traverse upon. One Soldier, who was looking for a brighter per-

spective of our new landscape, noticed that in the darkness that if a bright enough light was shown

at the correct angel, some of the stones reflected a light not unlike gems. An idea was formed that

one could break away the supposed crystals and create something of beauty for a loved one back

Editorial by Editorial by Editorial by 1LT Nate Houston1LT Nate Houston1LT Nate Houston

Page 4

EAGLE NEWS

home. Though, upon closer inspection the beautiful pinpoints of light where not the reflections of a

hidden treasure but the eyes of spiders deviously hiding amongst the precarious foot paths.

Though we physically live in such an odd land, our minds are not about what the current landscape

is made of or insects that watch us from hiding spots. Soldiers ignore the dust and rocks that sur-

round them and instead reflect upon the drawings of a little son or daughter received in a care pack-

age, the pictures in our email of Family smiling from home wishing us well, or the last phone call or

web cam session which ended with the lasting words of “I love you.” It is because of the support of our Families and loved ones that enable Soldiers to do their jobs regardless of how strange the sur-

roundings are that which we now call home.

Though that doesn’t keep Soldiers from being creative anyway. I heard that the Attack Company is planning on putting in a flower garden along their newly created porch. They said that they “need to see something green around here. This monochromatic scheme has got to go.

Rear Detachment Command TeamRear Detachment Command TeamRear Detachment Command Team Families of TF Wings,

Here we are in the middle of the heat of August and we are still very busy attending to numerous

tasks and planning a few extremely important events. The September ERC is scheduled for 14

September 2011 and will be the focal point of our efforts over the next few weeks. The Runkle

Family as well as the Bohall family will be attending this most special event. The division will be

providing these two families the opportunity to gain insight into the service lives of these two

great heroes as well as providing some assistance in promoting the healing process. We are look-

ing forward to meeting these two Families and talking with them.

Last month we were honored to receive Mr. Paul Wiley and Mr. Cliff Reeder. These two great

warriors were gracious enough to travel to Ft. Campbell and present a hand crafted walking cane

to CPT Buller. The event was attended by numerous members of the Rear Detachment Team as

well as Mrs. Royar and Mrs. Albus and family members of CPT Buller. The work and craftsman-

ship Mr. Reeder put into this great piece of work was astonishing, it was easy to see that he put

his heart and soul and great thought into this most meaningful project. Mr. Reeder is a WWII

Veteran who is dedicated to making and presenting as many of these working masterpieces as he

is able, he has given dozens away as his way of honoring the sacrifices of our injured service

members. He is a true inspiration and a great patriot who we are honored to spend time with.

August has been busy here. MG Campbell relinquished command of the 101 Division to MG Mc

Conville in a highly publicized and well attended change of command ceremony on the Division

Parade Field. Mg Mc Conville is a veteran Screaming Eagle, having served our great Division nu-

merous times. We are excited to have him as our Division Commander.

School is well under way all over the area, as the heat of summer presses on we are reminded to

be extra vigilant as our streets and sidewalks are populated by many school aged children coming

and going to classes. It is very important to keep a watchful eye on our comrades in arms most

valuable and precious commodity.

Please keep in mind that the Task Force Rear Detachment is always ready and willing to assist by

simply calling (270) 798 4015.

Page 5

Alpha Company ComancherosAlpha Company ComancherosAlpha Company Comancheros

HHC HawksHHC HawksHHC Hawks

CPT Brandon Ortmann

Hello Comanchero Family,

We are now over half way through this deployment, and Alpha Company has continued to be a

valuable asset to Task Force Wings and the Zabul Province. Our reliable operational tempo and

constant logistical coordination has been superb throughout the first half of OEF XI-XII.

The biggest news of the month was the transfer of Sergeant (Promotable) Alexander Williams to

Delta Company where he will be a part of 4th Battalion’s Quality Control program. Sgt. Williams was the longest standing Comanchero in the company, maybe the history of the company. Sgt Williams’ care and concern for his soldiers is the standard that all NCO’s should aspire to. SGT Williams has done everything there is to do in Comanchero land including OPBAT in the Bahamas, POTUS in

tions Officer and CPT Daniels

is traveling to Hawaii to pro-

vide valuable operational tac-

tics, techniques and proce-

dures to our replacement unit

and then heading off to the

Aviation Captains Career

Course. Thank you, gentle-

men, for your hard work and

commitment to making opera-

tions here at FOB Wolverine

successful. We wish you well

on the next phases of your

careers!

A new addition to the Hawks

aid station is Specialist Mi-

Greetings Hawk Families!

Over the last several months,

the Soldiers of HHC have re-

ceived quite a few packages

from several organizations,

including the USO, Girl Scouts,

Boy Scouts, Operation Home

Front, as well as from our

friends and families. Recently,

we received a very unique and

rather large box from a very

good friend of Task Force

Wings, Mr. Paul Wiley. So,

soon we will have a fully opera-

tional twelve foot diameter and

three and a half foot deep

swimming pool that all

here can relax in after a

hard day at work. Stay

tuned to Facebook for

pictures in the near fu-

ture!

This month HHC will be

saying goodbye to two

more outstanding soldiers:

CPT David Daniels and

CPT Isaac Gregory. CPT

Gregory will be taking

over as Task Force At-

tack’s FOB Signal Opera-­

chelle Wilson, our newest

medic. She has already been

doing great things by having

taken over the Eagle First Re-

sponder program. We have

high hopes for SPC Wilson and

wish her well in her new posi-

tion. Welcome, aboard!

At our FOB ceremony on Au-

gust 1st, two awards were pre-

sented to our flight surgeon

Captain Peter Dinh. CPT Dinh

was awarded the Army Com-

mendation Medal and Army

Achievement Medal for his ser-

vice to Task Force Wings. Con-

gratulations, Doc!

On behalf of all of the Sol-

diers in HHC thank you to

everyone back home for your

continued support through

emails, packages, letters,

cards, pictures, drawings,

wishes, and prayers. We miss

you all!

Hawk Assault!

Legends abounded about the construction abilities

of CW3 W.B. Allison. Those who have known him

for some time tell stories of elaborate furniture, a

concrete workout bench and even a pizza oven.

This past month, in a whorl-wind of sawdust,

lumber, and power tools W.B. Proved that the man

does in fact live up to the legend. In his spare time

he created our new company deck. Complete with

porch swing, hammock, and Christmas lights. This

masterfully built deck has become the center point

for Charlie Company gatherings and some days I've

even contemplated moving my office out there. W.B., thank you for your outstanding work, we

really are enjoying the space you created.

Page 6

EAGLE NEWS

Charlie Company Widowmakers Charlie Company Widowmakers Charlie Company Widowmakers

Maryland, NTC, OPT not to mention four combat deployments with the company.

In just over eight years with the company Sgt Williams has made a great numbers of friends and

has some good memories. One of his favorite was simply heading to the bowling alley with his fa-

vorite Crew Chiefs in 2003 to celebrate receiving their first deployment orders. Alpha Company and

Sgt Williams would like to thank his wife Angela, and their children David, Daniel, and Andrew for

everything they have given to the Army over these past eight years. They will all be dearly missed

and their efforts for the company and the Comanchero Families were greatly appreciated.

Also happening this past month Captain Steve Sanford, Captain Mark Kopanda, and Captain Craig

Kormannshaus have recently been promoted! This is well deserved for three Comancheros that

always do their absolute best, continuing to better themselves as individuals and the company as a

whole. Also occurring this month, Captain Kormannshaus has officially received the coveted status

of Pilot-in-Command. This is an honor for any Army Aviator, requiring hard work and determina-

tion.

Finally, the Comancheros added on to our living space this month thanks to Paul

Wiley and the Comanchero Association. What we added was a 1700 gallon swim-

ming pool to bathe the Afghan heat away. CW2’s Latham and Saucier were the first to put it to use, but it is a welcome addition for the entire company.

From all of the Comancheros, thank you for your continued support from the home

front, we love you and miss you very much.

Shoot ‘em in the face!

COMANCHERO 6 COMANCHERO 7

CPT Waters 1SG Harstine

Alpha Company Comancheros Alpha Company Comancheros Alpha Company Comancheros continuedcontinuedcontinued

CPT Erik Waters

Page 7

CPT Bobby Kelly

Once again, I'd like to farewell and welcome

members of Charlie Company. SGT Snedeker

has transferred to D Company, the aviation

maintenance company. He has devoted fours

year of his service to Charlie Company, ensur-

ing top notch care of all the aircraft weapons

systems and electronics. This move is to a

position of much greater responsibility. We

wish you the best as you take this next step in

your army career. In SGT Snedeker's place,

SPC Ramos is now our Company Armament NCO. Also, welcome to CW2 Ed McCaskey, a Mainte-

nance Test Pilot that has moved from A Company, Task Force Attack. Both of you are proving to

be truly valuable additions to our team. Welcome, to both you and your families, to Charlie Com-

pany.

Congratulations on making it to August! We have finally reached the halfway point of this deploy-ment. I hope the time for those of you back home continues to pass as quickly as it does for us here. Stay safe and good luck in the new school year!

CPT Bobby Kelly

Widowmaker 06

Welcome to Task Force Wings!

Congratulations to

SSG Ringold

CW2 Bennett

Page 8

EAGLE NEWS

Happy 4th of July to the entire Crazyhorse

Family! Here at FOB Wolverine, Task Force

Wings celebrated the holiday with a fun-

filled day of events that brought together

the entire FOB, including our civilian support

personnel. Crazyhorse ran the tug-o-war

event and finished in second place in the

hotdog eating contest with a valiant effort

from CPT Jordan Glover and CW2 Jeff Ke-

own. SGT Joshua Bucholtz and CW2 Shane

Burkhart won in the raffle and received gift

certificates to the FOB PX. Also as part of

the festivities, we had the privilege of pro-

moting 1LT Klint Knutson to captain and

awarding CW2 Yossarian Silano with a Task Force Wings coin for his outstanding contributions to

the Wings targeting process. Congratulations to all.

Summer is now fully upon us and that means some long, tough

days both here and at home. The kids are out of school and con-

stantly under foot, the crew chiefs spend all day in the scorching

sun, and our aviators cannot wear their Army Combat Shirts on

more than two flights without stinking up the command post. The

good news is that our camaraderie remains strong and our morale

is high. One event in particular brought us all together a little

closer this month. As you all probably know, Crazyhorse recently

lost an aircraft. We learned many lessons as a troop from this

incident and are lucky that the crew’s only injuries were a few bumps and bruises. It certainly caused us to reflect on how much

we mean to one another. We recommended two of our finest,

CW2 Shane Burkhart and CW2 Jason Smith, for Valorous Air Med-

als for their exceptional handling

of the situation from the air. In

true Air Cavalry spirit, they ran

the entire recovery operation from the extraction of the crew, to

the insertion of the Pathfinders, and the controlling of numerous

other supporting aircraft, all while still in harm’s way. Crazyhorse would also like to acknowledge the quick and decisive efforts of

Task Force Wings and Task Force Thunder as they responded

superbly to take care of our boys.

Finally, we welcomed four new additions to the Crazyhorse Family

this month: 1LT Kathryn Bertanzetti, CW2 Corey Creighton and

his wife Natale, CW2 Tom Ewers and his wife Sarah, and CW2

Devan Williams and his wife Erin. All are fitting in well and we are

happy to have them onboard the Crazytrain. Try Me!

CPT Clifton Rogers

Charlie Troop CrazyhorseCharlie Troop CrazyhorseCharlie Troop Crazyhorse

Crazyhorse FOB security force

CW3 Jesse Allen helps CW2 Chad Carpenter celebrate his birthday.

Our crew chiefs are number one!

Page 9

Hello to the families of Task Force Wings and the Desperado Team from FOB Wolverine. We have

finally reached the half way point of the deployment. Some would consider the deployment down-

hill from here on out. I believe it’s good to have a sense of accomplishment, but I ask the soldiers and families of Delta Company to continue to provide outstanding maintenance and support for the

remainder of the deployment. Every soldier in Delta Company continues to provide above Army

standard maintenance and dedication to the mission. The Desperado’s would like to welcome the Sugar Bears from Alaska to Task Force Wings and the Desperado Team. The Desperado’s gladly welcomed an additional 11 maintainers to the team to provide maintenance support for three Ch-

47D Chinooks. The Armament platoon has been doing a fantastic job providing maintenance and

technical assistance to Charlie Troop and Charlie Company fixing weapons systems. They also pro-

vide support at the refuel point re-arming aircraft 24hrs a day to provide timely support in order to

accomplish the mission. The AH-64D maintenance section has been busy working on phase mainte-

nance and will not allow any task to get in their way.

The Desperado Team hosted the FOB Ceremony on FOB Wolverine for the month of August. The

AH-64D and UH-60M maintenance teams were given certificates of achievement from Wings 6 for

their outstanding dedication to maintenance in support of Task Force Wings. SPC Doustou provided

a 5 minute slide show for the Task Force displaying the Desperado Team in action over the past few

weeks. This slide show can be found on facebook under the Desperado link below. SGT Moore

from Quality Control hosts a Salsa Night every Saturday. Every week he continues to increase par-

ticipation throughout the Task Force. This allows the soldiers to relax and boost morale during their

down time. Families of the Desperado’s please visit the Desperado facebook site to see your soldier in action. Please feel free to make request and I will ensure the request is fulfilled. We will con-

tinue to contribute pictures so that you may have an opportunity to see your loved one. Below is

the link to the Desperado facebook website http://www.facebook.com/pages/Delta-Company-4-101

-Desperados/207571439267533

The Desperado Command Team is grateful to all the families and we will continue to update fami-

lies in the upcoming months. I would like to say thanks to the Desperado FRG Team for their con-

tinued outstanding support during the deployment. Thank you for your service and your sacrifices.

Without your support, we would not be the team we are today. The true unsung heroes are the

family members who wait patiently for the love ones to return home. Thank you and God Bless.

-Desperado Command Team

Delta Company Desperados Delta Company Desperados Delta Company Desperados

CPT David Hampton

Promot ionsPromot ions PFC JONATHAN FLEMING PFC RAPHEAL JACKSON SPC JAZMIN HAMILTONHOR-TON SPC MYLES LOUGEE SPC MICHAEL LASERINKO SPC ANTHONY MARCKETTI SPC ADAM WALTERS SPC KARL ALLEN

SPC DANA SCOTT SPC LAWRENCE ALEXANDER SPC LYNN SCHELL SPC JOSEPH CANO SPC JAMES ROBERTS SGT RUSSELL HOLLAND SGT CHRISTIAN DYKES SGT JEREMY ANDERSON SGT KRISTOFOR WHITE

SGT DAVID OJEDA SGT BROCK WHISLER CPT CRAIG KORMANNSHAUS CPT MARK KOPANDA CPT MARISSA TOUW CPT KLINT KNUTSON CPT STEVEN SANFORD CPT LUKE LEININGER

Page 10

EAGLE NEWS

FSC Workhorse FSC Workhorse FSC Workhorse

flawlessly conducted the daily

test on the fuel tanker and

both Soldiers received a coin

from COL Royar for cross-

training and learning skills

outside of their Military

Occupational Skill (MOS).

The Maintenance Platoon

continues to provide main-

tenance support to the coa-

lition forces on the FOB. In

addition to their daily main-

tenance load, the Mainte-

nance Platoon has part-

nered with the Afghan Na-

tional Army (ANA) to teach

them preventive maintenance.

Headquarters has cleaned up

the Class I/ IV Yard and is

now leading the battalion in

leased container turn in. The

efforts of CPL Hurd and her

team will save the unit demur-

rage charges in the future.

This month we recognized

several Soldiers for their ac-

complishments and promo-

tions. SPC Lowery repre-

sented Workhorse in Task

Force Wing’s Soldier of the

Hello from Wolverine

Workhorse is still going hard as

we approach the halfway mark.

Halfway through a deployment

can be a difficult time for units

because they get comfortable

and sometimes complacent. To

avoid this Ground Hog Day

syndrome from happening to

the Workhorse team, we rotate

Soldiers to other sections and

continue to conduct training.

The Entry Control Point Section

recently recertified on Eagle

First Responder (EFR). SGT

Rutherford and SGT Hixson

attended MRAP Recovery Vehi-

cle (MRV) Training in Kandahar

to ensure our recovery is pre-

pared at any moment. SGT

Rhodie, who has successfully

served as the task forces

ground parts liaison, was re-

placed with SGT Thorson, and

the Distribution Platoon

continues to rotate out of

the Jump FARP in North-

ern Afghanistan. We are

doing what we can to

stay focused and trained,

in turn keeping the mis-

sion fresh and interest-

ing.

During their last

rotation to the FARP, PFC

Allen taught PFC Bustos

how to conduct the Aqua

Glow Test, a test used to

ensure the fuel is safe for

aviation use. PFC Bustos

Month Competition and took

home the first prize and title.

SPC Mascarenas won the Hero

of the Week and was recog-

nized by LTC Albus and CSM

Gibson at the FOB Ceremony.

SPC Moss received a hard

earned waiver and was pro-

moted to Specialist, and PFC

Land, PFC Beacham, and PFC

Gillani advanced to Private First

Class. Well done all.

It is always great to hear news

from home. This month

we received word of a

new Workhorse baby.

Rebecca Ann Ringold

was born to SSG Ringold

and his wife, our FRG

Leader, Lori. Congratula-

tions on the new family

addition.

Until next time……Drink the Kool-Aid.

Workhorse 6

CPT Katrina Grimes

Torch Families and Friends,

As the month of August passes us by, we have hit the half way point of this deployment. The com-

pany continues to make an immense effect, both here in the Zabul Province and down in Kandahar.

PFDR Wolverine News:

During the past month, we have continued to hold Battle Position Osman and with great effect. We

are conducting joint patrols with the ANP from this position. The ANP, from their knowledge of the

area and the intelligence they gather, are the driving force for the vast majority of our missions. We

have drastically lowered the effect that the insurgents have had in the past from this position. The

local villagers are now free to go about their business without fear and Route Duck is still open for

local traffic. The eventual end state is that the ANSF completely assume Battle Position Osman and

execute their own missions from that position. We have also, once again, began partnered patrols

with the ANA around the local area. This is to deny the enemy of their ability to conduct any type of

attacks on Wolverine.

In the past month, the PFDRs at Wolverine have been recognized, not only at the Task Force level,

but at higher levels for their outstanding performance. Recently, CPL Dykes, CPL Holland and SPC

Ojeda were promoted to Sergeant and PFC Tolbert was promoted to Specialist. These promotions,

for both the PFDRs at Wolverine and KAF are not easy to come by. The frame of mind of the com-

pany leadership is that this is a job of ability and not of rank. These promotions show that these

individuals have proven themselves capable of doing the duties of the next highest rank. SPC Mon-

son, representing TF Wings, attended the Brigade Soldier of the Quarter Board. Although he didn’t win, SPC Monson did extremely well.

PFDR KAF News:

This month has been a good month for our detachment. We’ve been fortunate enough this month to have a good mix of training, missions, and down time. The guys are doing well and are doing great

things over here. Here’s a short summary of what we’ve been up to this month.

Starting off the month right, our team leaders began a program of hip pocket training to continue

with our new soldier’s development, as well as to keep the old guys sharp. Classes mainly focused on the fundamentals of both being an infantryman as well as being a pathfinder. Addition-ally, SSG Platt

has been working heavily with our ANCOP SWAT brothers to bring them up to speed on what it takes

to plan a mission on their own. He’s been making great strides with them and they are beginning to get down the fundamentals. With a little more time and hard work, they will be capable of not only

executing their own missions, but planning them as well.

Additionally, we conducted training with the ANCOP SWAT on the Rule of Law here in Afghanistan.

The course covered the basics of the Afghan legal system and what the standards of evidence collec-

tion are. A valuable course in the end—for both the ANCOP SWAT and us and it should help to en-

sure that any insurgents the ANCOP SWAT detain are properly prosecuted in the Afghan legal sys-

tem.

Our guys have been doing more than sitting in the classroom this month though. They’ve been work-­

Page 11

Pathfinder CompanyPathfinder CompanyPathfinder Company

CPT Mark Herlick

Page 12

EAGLE NEWS

ing hard both inside and outside of the wire. We’ve been fortunate enough this month to be able to really get outside of the wire and speak to the locals to hear their concerns and to get a feel for the

area.

Well, that was July in a nutshell. Keep those letters and care packages coming, and know that we’re doing well over here and making a difference.

v/r

CPT Mark Herlick and the Pathfinder Company

Pathfinder Company Pathfinder Company Pathfinder Company continuedcontinuedcontinued

AWARDSAWARDS Army Achievement Medals

SPC GARY VAIL SPC MICHAEL ANDERSON SPC DAMEKAS EUBANKS SPC DAWN GOSS SPC DAVID NICHOLSON SGT GEORGE SHEETZ CPT DAVID DANIELS PFC GEORGE BECK SGT JOHNNY ALLEN SPC JOHNNY SABQUATHONE 1LT RYAN CANNON

Air Medal SPC KRISTOPHER FLETCHER CW2 ANDREW MCCOWEN 1LT CRAIG KORMANSHAUS CPL DAVID O’CONNELL SPC KARL CROTTS

Combat Action Badge

CW2 JASON FLORES CW2 KYLE DAVIS

Army Accommodation Medal

SGT ROBERT DELEONGUERRERO CW2 MICHAEL MCCLAIN SPC BLAKLYN EVANS SPC JON MCMILLEN PFC LYNN SCHELL

Combat Medic Badge SGT ROBERT HOGELAND

Combat Infantry Badge SPC MARK MONSON SPC RUSSELL HOLLAND PFC ROBERT TRUE PFC BRIAN SILVA PFC MACKENZIE WILSON PFC MICHAEL GULLET PFC ANDREW SEARS

“WINGS” CALENDAR“WINGS” CALENDAR“WINGS” CALENDAR

16 Sep TF Wings Picnic 5:00 p.m. Wilkes Park FCKY

Just inside gate 6 on Polk Road

14 Sep Eagle Remembrance Ceremony 4:00 p.m. Div HQ or FRC Honoring 1LT Runkle and SGT Bohall

21 Sep CARE Team Training 6:00 p.m. FRC

6 Oct FRG Meeting TBD TBD

18 Oct CARE Team Training 6:00 p.m. FRC

10 Nov FRG Meeting TBD

Page 13

H a p p y “ A u g u s t ” B i r t h d a y s H a p p y “ A u g u s t ” B i r t h d a y s HHC CW4 KYLE HILL SFC BURNETT LACY CPT ISAAC GREGORY SPC CHRISTOPHER DOPLER CPT PETER DINH Alpha Company SPC GUSTAVO MIRANDA CW3 MICHAEL WICK CW2 TODD WOLFE SGT PAUL WINGARD SPC JARRETT GIBSON Charlie Company CW2 JONATHAN ALESHIRE Charlie Troop CW2 JASON FLORES SGT JOSHUA ALLISON SGT ROBERT DELEONGUERRERO CW2 SHANE BURKHART

CW2 JONATHAN BENNETT CW2 DOUGLAS PHELPS Delta Company SGT THOMAS BRAUN 1SG JOHN CARLSTON CPT DAVID HAMPTON PFC IAN BOYD SGT DOUGLAS STOREY SPC GABRIEL GLUSKI SPC ROBERT GANN SGT RICKY PHIFER PFC WILLIAM CRABTREE SPC CASEY WILSON SGT RYAN WILLIAMS FSC Company SGT DONALD RHODIE SFC MICHAEL EASTON SGT JUSTIN ADAMS SGT RANDY GARTH PFC SAMUEL SWANN

SPC ALONZO JONES SSG LEILANI HARTLEY PFC RODNEY AKINS SPC MICHAEL MOSLEY Pathfinder Company SGT RUSSELL HOLLAND SSG JOSEPH KINSLEY SPC ANTHONY MARCKETTI SPC MICHAEL THOMPSON Soldiers from Rear D PFC NAIM CHEATHAM PFC JOHN RAY SSG WILLIAM MILLER SPC ANTHONY ROJAS SPC MARK WRIGHT CW2 ADAM MILLER CW2 DANIEL THOMPSON SGT GEORGIA THOMAS

HHC

Brenda Ortmann hawkassaultfrg@gmail.com

Anna Pena akcowgirl71446@yahoo.com

ALPHA COMPANY

Shannon Saucier airbornerangewife@gmail.com

CHARLIE COMPANY 3-101

Niki Kelly c3101frg@hotmail.com

CHARLIE COMPANY 7-17

Stephanie Vendl crazyhorsefrg@hotmail.com

DELTA COMPANY

Hylan Hampton hvhampton@gmail.com

FSC

Lori-Ann Ringold loriann_hollywood@yahoo.com

Crystal McCallister Crys-tal.McCallister@amedd.army.mil

PATHFINDERS

Barbara Cato cato075@yahoo.com

FRSAFRSAFRSA

Family Readiness Support Asst. Debbie Bush

Office 270-412-7867 Cell 931-436-8773 Deb.Bush@us.army.mil BDG 7941 New Clarksville Base Suite 204 Room 208 (second floor)

Family Readiness Group Leaders Family Readiness Group Leaders Family Readiness Group Leaders

The Eagle News is intended to provide helpful information for the families of 4-101. We will e-mail it to whomever our Soldiers

want to keep informed. Of course this includes the spouses and families at Fort Campbell, but also includes parents, grandpar-

ents, or anyone our Soldiers want to receive a copy of the Eagle News.

This newsletter is a publication of the 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment and contains official information. The inclusion of

any unofficial information has not increased the costs to the Government, in accordance with DoD 4525.8-M “DoD Official Main Manual”.