Friend of a Friend

SFAT Wives Prove They’re Not Afraid To Get Dirty 2

SFAT Wives Prove They’re Not Afraid To Get Dirty 3

Message from Tara Gasper / Upcoming Events 4

Resources / Support Services 5

Yellow Ribbon / Letter from the Editor 6

Yellow Ribbon Flyer 7

SFAT Mission Statement 8

Inside this issue:

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Volume 1, Issue 6

March 2013

The February newsletter fea-

tured two of our 56th ID SFAT

Soldiers from Mayhem 2A,

SGT Clint Rutherford and SPC

Storm Aguilar who were

wounded in the same attack

that claimed the life of SFC

Nelson Trent.

As both Soldiers continue to

make progress in their recov-

ery, both were surprised to

find that they would be attend-

ing a San Antonio Spurs game

in late February courtesy of a

generous donation.

CPT Doyle, Rear Detachment

Commander for the teams, was

honored to escort SPC Aguilar

and SGT Rutherford to San

Antonio for dinner on the

Riverwalk and to the Spurs

game on February 27th. Doyle

said it was “an excellent op-

portunity to get the guys out

for an evening of rest and re-

laxation.”

Special thanks to the 56th ID

SFAT FRG and Mrs. Weaver

of the 111th FRG in helping

with the coordination of the

tickets for our wounded warriors.

SPC Aguilar’s mom Kim, wanted to give

a heart felt thank you not only for allow-

ing her to attend the game but also to

CPT Doyle for taking time out of his

busy schedule to drive to BAMC weekly

to spend time doing activities with the

Soldiers. “This is and has been a very

difficult time for the Soldiers and their

families. It has made the situation much

easier to deal with.” Both warriors con-

tinue to make progress in their recovery

at Brook Army Medical Center.

Steady Progress

CPT Doyle (RDC), SGT Rutherford and SPC Aguilar

attend the Spurs vs. Suns game in San Antonio on

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Texas SFAT Wives Prove They’re Not Afraid To Get Dirty!

that goal. We went into the week-

end as acquaintances, but we came

away family.”

Ladies met at the starting line in

Army green shirts sporting Rosie

the Riveter with the team name

“SFAT Household 6 Honeys” on

the front and their husband’s name

on the back. Dog tags, green face

paint and American Flag bandanas

accessorized their outfits as they

prepared to run in honor of their

husbands and all the brave Soldiers

of the 36th ID SFAT mission.

Alicia Brooks also played a role in

the organizing of the event and felt

that, “We represented our husbands

well. Running and getting muddy

was such a blast, especially with

this fine group of ladies!”

This untimed event, forced some

ladies out of their comfort zone as

they crawled through muddle tun-

nels, climbed cargo nets, cleared

walls, and plunged into cold, mud-

dy water tanks. Shouts of encour-

agement, laughter and camaraderie

were heard all morning.

Many thanks to Alicia Underwood,

Alicia Brooks, Kathryn Goddard,

Jaime Nevels, and Julia McCarthy

for your time and dedication in se-

curing hotel accommodations, t-

shirts, goodie bags and restaurant

reservations for all of the SFAT

ladies at the event. The team would

also like to thank Jessica Landin for

the American Flag bandanas that

were worn in memory of SFC

The long anticipated 5K run and ob-

stacle course was completed by 31

wives of the 36th ID SFAT teams on

March 23, 2013 in Dripping Springs,

Texas. The run was hosted by “Dirty

Girl” with profits benefitting the Na-

tional Breast Cancer Foundation.

Alicia Underwood assisted in head-

ing up the event and said, “Our goal

for the weekend was to unite the

SFAT wives as a cohesive unit, mir-

roring the camaraderie our husbands

demonstrate as they work together in

Afghanistan. I think we achieved

SFAT Wives high-crawl through the

“Pretty Muddy Stuff” Obstacle

SFAT Wives help each other clear the

“Get Over Yourself” obstacle

SFAT Wives tackle the “Get A Grip”

Obstacle

SFAT Wives prepare for the last obstacle at the Dirty Girl Run in Dripping

Springs, TX

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Texas SFAT Wives Prove They’re Not Afraid To Get Dirty!

V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 6 http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

SFAT Household 6 Honeys completed the Dirty Girl 5K Run and Obstacle Course in

Dripping Springs, TX on March 23, 3013.

Trent. After leading the group in

prayer, Landin said “The bandanas

that we wore during the Mud Run

were, in honor of SFC Nelson

Trent. He gave his all for our coun-

try. John 15:13 says, ‘There is no

greater love than to lay down one's

life for one's friends.’ SFC Trent

laid down his life for his buddies,

and the wearing of the bandanas

was the least that we could do to

honor his sacrifice for our country.”

The team would like to thank Ms.

Emilee Ayers and Ms. Pam Cox for

volunteering to photograph all of

the moments at the event. Your

photos are a priceless memory that

each lady will treasure for years to

come.

Despite the chilly morning tempera-

tures, and gloomy skies, the ladies

pushed through all 13 obstacles and

completed the 5K run as a unit.

The friendships formed and memo-

ries made from this weekend will

be everlasting for all of these ladies.

Brooks also commented, “I know

that bonds were formed [here] that

can't be broken!”

Way-to-go SFAT Household 6

Honeys!

SFAT Household 6 Honeys conquer

the “Runaway Bride” obstacle.

HH6 Honeys use teamwork to quickly

clear the “Amaze Yourself” obstacle. HH6 Honeys high-crawl through the “Pretty

Muddy Stuff” obstacle.

Ladies pause for a quick muddy picture in between

obstacles at the Dirty Girl Run

Photos courtesy of Ms. Pam Cox

Thank you to all the SFAT ladies who allowed me

to join them in their bonding experience at the Elec-

tric Run on 30 March in Austin. I donned my $25

worth of dollar store glow in the dark bracelets and

necklaces, my neon tights, and spent 3 hours paint-

ing my "NEON BABES .... ROLL OUT" shirt in

glow in the dark paint and GLITTER. I and 3 other

ladies painted our faces with glow in the dark face

paint like a true neon warrior. We arrived at the ven-

ue, surrounded by tens of thousands of pulsating,

glow in the dark clad runners, ready to take on the

course at full speed. We waited for our heat, and

SFAT Wives Are At It Again! Upcoming Running Events That We Want to See You At!

Austin Diva Dash

Date/Time: April 20, 2013 / Heat: 0945 non-competitive wave

Location: Walter E. Long Park, 6614 Blue Bluff Rd., Austin, TX

Contact: Julia McCarthy at 512-461-0274 if you are interested in joining

American Hero Run

Date/Time: April 21, 2013 / Heat 8:00am

Location: 2200 W. 35th St, Austin, TX (parade grounds of Camp Mabry)

Contact: Jennifer Merrill at jmerrill2@hotmail.com if you are interested in joining

Message from Tara Gasper, Senior FRSA Texas ARNG

SFAT Wives participate in the “Electric Run”

benefiting Leukemia Texas in Austin on March 30,

when they counted down "....3....2....1....GOOOO" we shuffled

with the rest of the crowd. Then a space broke open and we

began to jog the track... down the hill, up the hill... THEN I

came to a very quick realization, I was going to need to do a

little more than sit behind a desk and type on a computer if I'm

going to hang in there with you ladies (especially if there are

obstacles involved) for the next race. Enough being said about

my lack of physical fitness prowess. I want to thank you for

being the example of how our Family Readiness Groups are

supposed to work. I have seen nothing but support for each

other, nothing but keeping each other positive, staying the

course of a tried and true military wife and family that would

make your Service Members proud. Proud of how you carry

yourselves as not only ladies, but as true Guard wives and

Guard Families. Taking turns being someone to turn to, know-

ing that when you are having a "difficult" day, you have some-

one to turn to. Thank you ladies for being an example that I

will use for years to come, for being a shining (and sometimes

muddy) beacon of grace, humility, compassion and a flash of

sparkly and spunk. If y'all will have me, I'd be honored to run

(let's be real, walk) with you again. Cheers!

Tara Gaspar

Sr FRSA, TXARNG

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Supporting Young Children Through Challenging Times Training

This full-day, interactive workshop examines the social emotional needs of babies and toddlers; the impact of stress on early childhood brain development; and the implications of complicated deployments, paren-tal injury, and parental loss for very young children. Location/Date: Camp Mabry / April 29th, 2013; 8:00am—4:00pm For questions contact: Julie Ramirez at 512-782-1235 or julie.a.ramirez12.ctr@mail.mil

Military OneSource

Military OneSource continues to be an outstanding resource for our families. As the month of March closes and April approaches, the Month of the Military Child is planned for. Please visit Military OneSource for events going on during the month of April as we spotlight our youth.

For more information go to: https://apps.militaryonesource.mil/

Child Care Aware of America: www.naccrra.org

Operation Military Kids – Texas:

http://www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/statePOCHome.aspx?state=Texas

SitterCity Military Program SitterCity is a program that is funded by the Department of Defense and provides free services to military families. SitterCity helps you find Babysitters for after-school, school vacations, extended work hours, special needs children, and last minute care needs. They also help you find Senior care, pet care, house-keepers, tutors, full time or part time Nannies for infants and young children. All the care providers are certified CDH/FCC care providers. You can also run background checks, see references, and see caregiver profiles and reviews from other military parents. For more information got to: www.sittercity.com/dod

Military Kids Connect (MKC) Military Kids Connect is an online community of military children (ages 6-17 yr. old) that provides access to age appropriate resources to support children all the way to a parent’s or caregiver’s return. MKC of-fers informative activities, fun games, helpful videos, and interesting user surveys that can reinforce un-derstanding, resilience, and coping skills in military children. MKC is an initiative of the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) that was founded in 2008 by the department of defense. For more information go to: https://www.militarykidsconnect.org/

Resources / Support Services

Page 5 V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 6 http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Dear SFAT Families and Friends,

It is my distinct pleasure to be asked to write the monthly newsletter for the 36th ID SFAT

State families and friends while our Soldiers continue to fight in Afghanistan. I am al-

ways looking for ideas or events to be included in the newsletter, and I encourage you to

email me with those stories. I appreciate your patience in the delay of publishing this

month’s newsletter as we ensured a smooth transition of responsibilities regarding The Arrowhead Insider.

I hope this newsletter finds everyone well and in good spirits. I look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully-

Jennifer N. Merrill

SFAT Editor

jmerrill2@hotmail.com

Another Yellow Ribbon event is quickly

approaching!

Please see the flyer on page 7 and register

in JSS today!

Letter from the SFAT Editor

Yellow Ribbon Event

Page 6 T HE AR R OW HE A D I NSI DER

V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 6 Page 7 http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Our Mission

The 56th SFAT REAR DET conducts rear detachment operations in

support of Task Force Arrowhead deployed to Operation Enduring

Freedom from September 4, 2012 until the completion of the mission

in order to allow the 56th SFAT Teams to accomplish their mission.

This will be accomplished by providing direct support, outreach, and

information dissemination to SFAT Families in order to create a cli-

mate of mutual and continued support to the 56th SFAT Soldiers.

Texas Quote for March

“I love Texas because Texas is future-oriented, because Texans think anything is possible. Texans think big!”

- Senator Phil Gramm

651 N Red Bud Ln.

Round Rock, TX 78665

5 6 T H I B C T S F A T R E A R D E T

Do you have a story or event that you want to share with the families

and friends of the SFAT teams? Send me your pictures along with a

with a short explanation of the picture or event you are wanting

promoted, and all consideration and efforts will be made to publish

your story!

You can also send us your questions or concerns through our Facebook

page at: http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Phone: 512-388-6329 ext. 7974315

Fax: 512-218-2156

miguel.morenoscott@us.army.mil

Together Tomorrow

56th SFAT

For suggestions and feedback contact:

Jennifer Merrill

56th SFAT Newsletter Editor

jmerrill2@hotmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowhead

Insider

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