TheTHE OFFICIAL DEPLOYMENT MAGAZINE OF THE 172ND SEPARATE INFANTRY BRIGADE

FEBRUARY 2012

Battlecry

OUT OF THE BACKGROUND

Editorial Team MAJ Joseph BuccinoEditor-In-ChiefTF Blackhawk Public Affairs Officer

SSG Charles CrailLayout Editor/Writer/PhotographerTF Blackhawk Public Affairs NCOIC

SPC Robert HollandEditor/Writer/Photographer TF Blackhawk Public Affairs NCOIC

BattlecryTheFEBRUARY 2012

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In ThIs Issue

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Letter from the Editor 3

Blackhawk Briefs 5

The Supporters 7

Black Knights 27

Holding Gains 30

Black Scarves 31

Blizzard 33

Black Lions 35

Leaders Wanted 37

Black Talons 39

This Beautiful Afghanistan 41

TF Gila 43

Thunder Struck 45

Falcons 47

Provintial Learning Center 49

Legacy Continued 51

Chaplain Letter 54

Task Force Blackhawk spent the past three weeks work-ing aggressively with our

Afghan partners to develop their capability for the spring 2012 fight-ing season. We call this the “Team Paktika” concept: working hand-in-hand with the ANA, AUP, ALP, and provincial government to provide a secure, stable, economically viable province.

As most of you know, the insurgent networks in eastern Afghanistan move out of the country during the winter to wait out the extreme cold weather. Meanwhile, we are putting all of our organizational energy into building more lethal, better organized, and more focused Afghan forces. What this means for the mission here in its present state is that every day this winter the ANSF gets stronger while the insurgency gets weaker.

In fact, our Afghan partners are now leading and planning op-erations and by the spring, with Afghans securely in the lead, the insurgents will be completely out-maneuvered. Our focus in partner-ing, mentoring, and training here this past month has been three-fold: First, Team Paktika puts stagger-ing pressure on known insurgent networks. Second, we secure the border by interdicting insurgent movement along known infiltration routes. Third, we secure our most heavily populated districts, denying the insurgents the ability to influ-ence the population.

Over the first half of the deploy-ment, we have seen that Brigadier General Zamary Khan, the com-mander of the Afghan National Army in Paktika, is, by nature, very aggressive. His attitude this past month has been “wherever the

enemy is, I go.”

Brigadier General Dawlhat Khan, the commander of the Afghan Uni-form Police in Paktika, made great strides with his forces during our time here. With the help of Task Force 9E, his patrolmen are devel-oping skills in intelligence-gath-ering and criminal investigations. This past month, Dan Magnowski, a reporter for Reuters, wrote in an article for the Chicago Tribune, “While they are publicly maligned as corrupt, incompetent and drug-addled, the AUP here in Paktika province are proving themselves capable of providing security. Indeed, they have sacrificed unlike any force in the country.”

The provincial governor, the honor-able Mohibullah Samim, continues to lobby Kabul on behalf of his constituents. Mr. Samim works

Letter from the Editor Of Wins and Warfare: The Team Paktika Concept

MAJ Joseph Buccino

daily to bring essential services to Paktika. On January 17th, Samim opened the first-ever library and computer-lab in the province, an initiative focused on increasing literacy. His influence is felt ev-erywhere here, from agricultural initiatives in Zerok to the support for district educational programs in Gomal, Governor Samim is work-ing to transition Paktika to a stable, economically-viable landscape.

The most important achievement of Team Paktika thus far this winter was the initiation and development of an Afghan Local Police (ALP)tashkeil (unit) in Marzak, long

considered a strongpoint and safe haven for the Taliban. The ALP have the support of the local elders and are, thanks to Task Force 3-66, building unit-level skills daily. By this spring Marzak, once a training ground for the insurgency, will be fully in the hands of the Afghan government.

All of this serves as testament to the belief that this brigade is winning. With forward-thinking company commanders such as CPT Jim Perkins in west Paktika, and aggressive, enemy-focused com-manders such as CPT Deshane Greaser in east Paktika, we are

focused on not only the current fight, but on the vision of Paktika post-2014: a province able to gov-ern itself and defend its population against insurgents without U.S. forces.

Be proud of your Soldier and your unit. You, as a supporter of this brigade, are participating in the historic shaping of an influential border province with implications for the future of both the United States and Central Asia. Thank you for what you do to support us, we’ll be back home with you in four months.

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Another month has passed, which means another publication of the fantastic BattleCry Magazine. This month, our Public Affairs Section attempted to cap-ture some of the many faces who work endless hours behind the scenes keeping this brigade moving and they have done a superb job. Although we often only see and hear the stories of the infantry or armor units, this team, this Blackhawk Team is comprised of so much more and we could not accomplish our mission without our team of supporters.

As many of you know, we have a number of Soldiers headed home in the next few day because of the success we have had training our Afghan partners. Even as our mission here in Afghanistan remains fairly constant, there is much change throughout the provinces; most of that change is seen in the face of the Afghans around us. The Afghan Police and Army units continue to stand up and take a greater responsibility for the mis-

sion: securing the province and defeat-ing the insurgents. There is much to be proud of due to the hard work of all of your Soldiers.

Thank you for your continued support of this brigade. Even as the snow piles around us get higher and higher, our great team of Soldiers, NCOs, and Offi-cers continue to do a superb job leading their fellow Soldiers on missions each day and caring for their battle buddy to their right or left.

Blackhawks!!

THE BLACKHAWKMESSAGES FROM THE 172ND SEPARATE INFANTRY BRIGADE

COL Edward T. Bohnemann

Edward T. Bohnemann

MESSAGES FROM THE 172ND SEPARATE INFANTRY BRIGADE

Dear Families and Friends of the Black-hawks

With our success of mentoring our Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) partners in Paktika province, we are able to send 150 of our Soldiers home early. It is bittersweet to see them go, but a testa-ment to the strides we are making here. These redeploying Blackhawks did their job extremely well with herculean efforts to allow this process to take place. They are responsible for vastly improving the security and quality of life for the Proud Afghans who live in Paktika.

As the snow is coming down and temperatures continue to plummet, the Blackhawks continue to get after it daily. We have been able to devote time that was normally devoted to combat patrols to giving the ANSF much fine-tuned training to make them a more lethal force when the fighting season begins again. The Soldiers are also doing

much to make it more difficult for the insurgents who choose to come back to Paktika in the coming spring. Due to Operational Security issues, we can-not go into detail of all we are doing to prepare for the next fighting season. But rest assured, our ANSF partners will be much better trained than they already were. It will be a bad day for those Tali-ban who may choose to venture into our province when the snow melts.

This is due to our magnificent lead-ers and Soldiers who never take a day off while deployed. This is due to our families support back home that enables these Soldiers to push hard to the fin-ish line with pride. This is also due to everyone that understands this mission is bigger than us. There are reports in the media that insinuate this endeavor is bleak at best. Our Soldiers who are out there every day know we are making a difference here. It is what inspires us to keep pushing on. We can see the obvious

progress from the past seven months here.

As we enter our last 100 days before coming home, this is a dangerous time in any deployment. Our leaders will be vigilant to ensure our Soldiers are taken care of by doing things safely and not becoming complacent. I know this as we have some of the very best leaders in the US Army. COL Bohnemann and I see this everywhere we go when visiting Soldiers throughout our province, which is the size of Vermont. We will not rest until we are back in Germany and see these magnificent Blackhawk Soldiers heading off on some well deserved block leave to reunite with their families.

The Strength of our Soldiers is our Fami-lies; this is what makes us Army Strong.

BRIEFSCSM Michael W. Boom

Michael W. Boom6

SUPPORTERSThough often unrecognized, these Blackhawks are critical to the success of the mission here in

Paktika.

They are the planners, logisticians, analysts, network gurus and other supporting cast roles.

Over the course of the following pages, we have endeavored to capture their likeness, to bring from the shadows the heart blood that makes this brigade successful.

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Black Knight families and friends: greetings from Paktika. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that we are now focusing on the next phase

of our Campaign Plan. This next phase consists of setting the conditions for the Afghan Security Forces and Government to assume responsibility for Western Paktika while simultaneously preparing for the transition of authority to the unit replacing us. As part of this phase and a mark of our successes, the Army has asked us to do more with less. That means we are redeploying the next set of heroes from Afghanistan. Please give them the welcome they deserve as they arrive in Germany.

Over The last several months, we’ve been working hard training and building our Afghan Security Force partners to operate independently. They have accepted this challenge and are moving toward becoming an independent province. Our Afghan partners have come a long way since our arrival in theater. This spring, with our support, the Afghan Security Forces and local Afghan government officials will take the lead in providing services and security for the Afghan people.

I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to the Soldiers and officers of Apache Company. Apache Company has been working hard this cold season to train the Afghan Local Police

SETTING CONDITIONSSUCCESS THROUGH AFGHAN INDEPENDENCE

Black Knights! Mounted and Ready!

in the mountains of Sar Howza and Marzak. Apache Company’s hard work has allowed us to transfer the combat outpost at Mata Khan to the Afghan National Army, thereby increasing the capability and capacity of this province’s leadership.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome CPT Giles and Cynthia Wright to the Black Knight Command Team. CPT Wright assumed command of Blackjack Company from CPT Demarius Thomas. CPT Thomas had done a remarkable job commanding Blackjack. I would also like to extend a warm thank you to his wife Angela for all that she has done for the Blackjact and Black Knight Families. The Task Force is

fortunate that Demarius and Angela will remain with the Black Knights for the foreseeable future.

BLACK KNIGHTS!

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Lex Neal

KNIGHTS

Afghan National Security Forces

Holding Gains“Every day this winter, the insurgents get weaker while the Afghan National

Security Forces get stronger.”

As winter sets in here along the Pakistani border, the foreign fighters, enemies of Afghanistan, slip back into the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to wait out the ice and snow. “Fighting season” historically resumes in March as the border passes thaw, allowing access back into eastern Afghanistan. This winter, Task Force Blackhawk has been aggres-sively training our partners in the Afghan National Army, Afghan Uniform Police, Afghan Local Police, and Afghan Border Police. We have been building their capacity, focusing their efforts, and preparing

them for the spring fighting season. Meanwhile, our brigade targeting operations continue to pick off the mid-level insurgents that remained in our province, weakening their network.

The results have paid off. Our Afghan brothers are much more efficient, lethal, and organized than they were last summer when we arrived. Insurgents, beware: you will reenter Paktika to a deadly fighting force for which you are unprepared.

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BLACK SCARVESVICTORY IS IN OUR SIGHTS

Black Scarves Families and Soldiers, Greetings from frigid Ghazni Province.

Another month has passed and we are moving along with our mission here in Ghazni. Our companies are doing great with a tough fight out here. Of course, it helps that we are getting great support from the Blackhawks!

We have a great team here in Ghazni with Governor Musa Khan and our brothers in the Afghan Army and Ghazni Police. We are working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Afghan government to clear the area of insurgents to allow Afghanistan to assume primacy for all security efforts here.

We are in the last throes of the insurgency in this critical province. Victory is within sight here and we are having great effects on our battle space. Of course, we couldn’t do this without your support.

We continue to use the Battle Cry magazine to communicate with our Families back in Germany and the United States. Please continue to stay plugged in to this as well as the brigade’s websites. We hope you enjoy the incredible images and stories in this magazine. The brigade PAO section Brian D. Woodall

does an amazing job with this! In early March we will have a PAO Soldier out here covering our units and missions, so we will have some extensive coverage of 1-2 in the March edition.

You should take great pride in the job that your Soldiers are doing. This is a very tough, complicated fight, one that requires a measure of discipline unlike any other conflict the United States has ever been involved with. Your Soldiers are asked to make life-or-death decisions about an enemy that does not wear a uniform and lives and operates among the very innocent Afghans that we are working to support and protect. Often the toughest aspect of the mission here is applying restraint in order to avoid harming innocent Afghans. Your Soldiers have done everything asked of them

and they have done it with integrity, honor, and respect for mankind.

We look forward to a warm reunion with our Families in Germany and the United States. Thank you once again for your great support!

Earl B. Higgins

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SCARVES

BLIZZARDA snowstorm hit eastern Afghanistan the last week of January, blanketing the earth with snow, suf-focating all movement and operations, and leaving a white mess behind it. As always, we bring you the images.

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Families, friends and supporters of the Black Lions:

As we enter the month of February, we begin the final third of our deployment here in East Paktika, Afghanistan. With winter weather upon us, we have ramped up our training as well as teaching and mentoring our Afghan partners. Once spring arrives we will be well prepared to set the conditions for our replacements. We have seen significant improvements among our partnered units, and our efforts will certainly come to fruition when ISAF forces turn over this province to the Afghan Security Forces. Each day we spend in training and partnership with our Afghan allies gives hope of a secure future for the Afghan people.

I am aware that there are reports in the media concerning the future of forces in Europe. Please listen only to official channels as information becomes available. Rest assured that the Army will not make any moves in haste, and furthermore, the Army will continue to support our Soldier’s families throughout any potential transition that is in the future. Your FRG leaders and Rear-Detachment cadre will convey official word of the Brigade’s future as soon as it is available.

Your Black Lions continue to make us proud each day! Despite the harsh winter conditions, our Soldiers are keeping motivated and busy. It is an honor and privilege to serve with these men and women who are so selflessly serving our nation. Out of a population of 312 million individuals, these are some of the one percent who volunteered to serve something greater than themselves. They join a proud lineage of Black Lions who have served their nation in combat, and served with honor!

Love of Country Conquers! Black Lion 6

Friends of the Black Lions:

This month marks the eighth month that we’ve had Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, and even with the winter snows our men and women have kept the momentum going. Over the past couple of months, we have hosted a distinguished list of VIP visitors. All of these high-ranking Generals and diplomats have commented on how well our Soldiers are accomplishing their mission, as well as how disciplined and proud this Task Force appears. In this case, appearances are not deceiving. Our Non-commissioned officers are doing an outstanding job enforcing our high standards, as well as achieving outstanding results across our area of operations. As the final few months of our deployment approach, we will need this backbone of NCO’s to ensure that our

Soldiers do not get complacent.

February and March mark the final months of leave for our Soldiers. If your loved one hasn’t been on leave yet, he or she will be soon. I know you look forward to being reunited with your Soldier for a well-deserved R&R. For those who already took leave, there is not much time left on this tour. In just a few months our Task Force will begin sending Soldiers home. Please pay attention to your FRG for the latest, and most accurate information. I promise you that as soon as we can publish specific dates of arrival that we will do so through the FRG channels. However, for us over here, the fight

continues. I can also assure you that the Soldiers and leadership of this formation are focused on taking the fight to the enemy and ensuring all of our Soldiers return home safely. Thanks for your continued support for your Soldier.

Love of Country Conquers!

Black Lion 7

FINAL THIRDTF 2-28 SEES THE FINISH LINE AHEAD

Joseph CornelisonJohn Meyer

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LIONS

2D BATTALION28TH INFANTRY REGIMENT

BLACK LIONS

LEADERS WANTED!

LOVE OF COUNTRY CONQUERS!

IF YOU HAVE wHAT IT TAKES TO LEAD SOLDIERS, DEpLOY, FIGHT AND wIN, THEN VOLUNTEER TO SERVE AS A BLACK LION LEADER. THOSE

wARRIORS DEMONSTRATING MASTERY OF THE BASICS AND DISCIpLINE ARE GUARANTEED A 12-MONTH ASSIGNMENT wITH THE 28TH

INFANTRY REGIMENT. LIMITED VACANCIES AND OppORTUNITIES REMAINING. ACT NOw!

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Disciplined leadership is the cornerstone of the 2nd Bat-talion, 28th Infantry Regi-

ment; discipline to set and enforce the standards the Black Lions have worked for generations to establish. From the basics of every day train-ing to the most advanced missions along the volatile Afghan-Pakistan border.

It is only fitting that this month three outstanding non-commissioned of-ficers from Task Force 2-28 were selected by the 172nd Infantry Bri-gade’s command sergeant major to

lead infantry companies in combat.

1SG James Mastrodomenico has been a prominent character in the brigade for the past few years. A beast of a man with the personality of a rock-star, he has been profiled on ESPN Sportscenter and can be found inventing new physical fitness routines for his Soldiers.

1SG Daniel Martinez has evolved as a leader in this brigade., from serv-ing as a platoon sergeant in C Com-pany 3-66, to now serving as their most senior enlisted as first sergeant.

Between those roles he was also the head trainer and master gunner for the entire brigade.

1SG Gus Reiley is no stranger to leadership. Through multiple com-bat tours he has amassed 48 months as a platoon sergeant, an amount of leadership time nearly unheard of in today’s Army. Since deploying he has been the battle NCO tracking action across 2-28’s battle space in the battalion’s nerve center. He now leads a company of infantry for 1-2 Infantry in Ghazni Province.

SUPPORT THE BRIGADEPROFESSIONAL LOGISTICIANS DRIVING THE FORCE

with the United States, ensuring that they do not injure any innocent civilians, applying an incredible measure of care to the art of warfighting.

While I am on my soapbox, I’d like to present a tip of my hat (well, my cold-weather watch cap), to my supporters and logisticians. Throughout this edition of “The Battle Cry,” you see images of the heroes that support the heroes. While they may not always carry a heavy ruck up OP Twins or expose themselves to danger, these guys and gals support the fight from behind the scene, making sure that the riflemen of Task Force Blackhawk have all the beans and bullets they need to accomplish their mission and come back to the COP safely every day.

Blackhawks, I love all of you. I really do. You have earned the respect of all of United States Army Europe. You have earned the imagination of the American public. You have done everything that has been asked of you and you have done it with dignity. May God bless you and keep you safe.

Black Talon 7

Stronger Professionals and Families Together!

Blackhawk Families, Friends, and Supporters:

It has been an exciting first 60 days of the year thus far. The Soldiers here are doing great and morale continues to skyrocket. As for me, your trusted Suport Battalion Comand Sergeant Major, I am refreshed, just back off a relaxing R&R leave. Coming off that leave, with your great Soldiers out here motivating me, I feel like a young man at 42-years of age. I passed by LTC Brad Enugard, the Support Battalion Commander on my way on, as he was on his way back to Germany on leave. He expresses his regards and I know he’ll have a great letter for you next month.

With the friendly preface out of the way, I’d like to focus my commentary on the performance of the brigade as a whole here. This is a deeply challenging fight we have here in this strange border province. From difficult terrain to tribal strife to crushing poverty, this place represents a series of challenges for our Soldiers and leaders. In fact, it is just this curious blend of complexities that brought the Soviet Union to its knees. In the face of such adversity, the brigade is succeeded here, as evidenced by some of the stories in this magazine. What is amazing about this is how we are winning.

As a student of history, I can tell you for certain that no army ever, EVER, in the history of warfare has fought an insurgency with the amount of honor and self-imposed restraint that I see out here in this brigade. An insurgency, by nature, fights in the shadows, preying on the weak and then hiding amongst the population in civilian clothes. Against this brutal backdrop, your Soldiers maintain the values that the world identifies

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Terry Burton

TALONS

BEAUTIFULAFGHANISTAN

THIS

Afghanistan’s isolation allows it to serve as a natural canvas for Nature to display her brilliant colors, shapes, and sites. We bring you the dazzling visuals of Mother Afghanistan in all her majesty.

BEAUTIFULAFGHANISTAN

THIS

Afghanistan’s isolation allows it to serve as a natural canvas for Nature to display her brilliant colors, shapes, and sites. We bring you the dazzling visuals of Mother Afghanistan in all her majesty.

Assalamu u alaikum (as-salam-u-alay-koom), good day and may peace be upon you from Afghanistan. Hope this finds you all well

and in good health as we reach the peak of the winter season. The weather is deceptively cold here. I would like to express a special thanks to the Rear Detachment Company for it unwavering support to the Gila Family members and deployed troops. You are doing an outstanding job taking care of the Army’s most important assets (Family) and making this deployment run as smoothly as possible. Thank you. I would also like to say, “Thank you” to the company Family Readiness Groups for their preparation to welcome home redeploying Soldiers. The morale of the Soldiers has continued to rise as we have surpassed the mid-point of this deployment.

The winter snows have arrived and added some challenges but you can rest assured the negative impacts on our operations to strengthen the ANSF have proved to be minimum. Our Soldiers continued to successfully train the Afghan Local Police to build their law enforcement capacity. Soldiers also continue to train the ANSF in medical, maintenance and communication courses, which has reinforced their sustainment capabilities. You can be sure, there has been no shortage of operations as our Soldiers continue to take part in combined operations with

our counterparts. Construction Sappers continue to rebuild critical economic road networks to increase Afghanistan’s economic sustainability. We cannot leave out the Military Intelligence Soldiers or the Signaleers who have been invaluable to all the Task Forces by providing key and essential enablers to all of their combat operations.

Looking forward into the next few months, we will continue to train and increase the ANSF capabilities to become more self sufficient and generate enduring capacity. The Task Force will also be conducting

planning for the redeployment and reintegration with our Families to ensure an uninterrupted welcome home and reuniting of our Soldiers and Families. With all the growing concerns of our Family with the release of recent information of rebasing the Brigade from media reports, we ask that you be patient as the Command Team awaits to receive official information. Again, thank you for your continued unwavering support and please remain vigilant, situationally aware and safety conscious of your surroundings for your role is truly important to the Soldiers and our mission success.

First to Cross! Blackhawks!

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THE GILA CONNECTIONSOLDIERS, SAPPERS, SIGNALIERS, ANALYSTS & MPs

Jason Stewart

CHANGEof

COMMANDThe winds of change continue to blow across the snow-swept landscape of Afghanistan. From the air the terrain takes on the look of shifting sands as valleys are filled with snow and mountains of ice rise up off the hilltops.

As the landscape of Paktika shifts, so do the leaders of the Blackhawks. Taking advantage of the slower optempo ushered in by winter’s chill, company commanders, first sergeants and platoon leaders step down from their elevated posts of responsibility to make way to give other leaders the chance to show their mettle at the reigns.

From the 172nd Support Battalion to Task Force 3-66 and TF Gila, Soldiers said goodbye over the past few weeks to their leaders who have taken them into and through combat over the past few months.

Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 172nd Infantry Brigade bid farewell this month to CPT Chistopher Myer who has sat at the helm of this unique company for the past 18-months. Leading the personnel for the entire brigade headquarters takes a high degree of ingenuity and tactful persuasion.

“With 1SG Micheal Lambert at his side,” said LTC Jayson Gilberti, TF Gila commander, “CPT Myer has been instrumental in making this brigade a success in Afghanistan.”

CPT Peter George has stepped in to take command of Headquarters, Headquarters Company.

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FALCONS

The Super bowl proved to be a real morale booster, particularly for all of my fellow Giants fans as we celebrated a victory on the gridiron. Patriots fans sobbed into their sodas and chips, Soldiers of HHB and Service Battery were able to come together and enjoy a fresh-cooked meal provided by SFC DuRusseau and SGT Cowley of HHB. Soldiers on outlying COPs and FOBs took time to enjoy a peaceful night of football and fun with their brothers in arms.

Some of our Soldiers are redeploying early as the Afghan National Security Forces assume more control and responsibility.

Command Sergeant Major Sligh and I would like to thank these returning Soldiers for their selfless service and dedication to duty during Operation Enduring Freedom 2011-2012. I would also be remiss if I didn’t thank these Soldier’s families and loved ones

back home; your constant support keeps our hearts warm in the cold Central Asian winter.

Falcons First!

Cold snow and blowing wind have marked the last month of operations for the Falcon’s First Battalion with

one of the worst winters on record for Paktika Province. Despite the slow days, intermittent resupply and sub-freezing temperatures our Soldiers remain dedicated to the mission of providing close fires for Task Force Blackhawk.

The Soldiers of Service Battery spend more time outside protecting our FOB, through any weather conditions, than any other Soldiers in this Brigade. I want to especially thank SGT Christian and SPC Kohn. They saved the life of an Afghan Uniformed Policeman with immediate first aid. Without their training, he surely would have died before he could receive treatment.

We battle extreme conditions every day but the Soldiers never falter in their performance of their duties, as shown by the actions of SGT Christian and SPC Kohn. I don’t have the words to express how proud of them I am. Wherever I go, Falcons First Soldiers are leading the way in standards, motivation and professionalism.

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PAKTIKA WINTER1-77 FA BATTLES RECORD BREAKING COLD

Christopher Cardoni

FALCONSFIRST

TF Blackhawk AND government

celebrate opening of Provincial Learning Center

Depending on which survey you read, the literacy rate in southeastern Afghanistan’s

Paktika Province is between four and twenty-four percent. Those same surveys show the percentage of women who can read is even lower. The provincial government, in partnership with Task Force Blackhawk, decided to take steps toward raising those numbers.

More than 150 Afghans and Ameri-cans joined together to celebrate the completion of the Provincial Learning Center (PLC) in the prov-ince’s capital city of Sharan Jan. 17. The PLC is connected to the public library and provides books, newspapers, DVDs and internet ac-cess, among others, all free to local Afghans.

“I like the internet the most be-cause the internet lets us see all around the world and I’m con-nected with everybody around the world,” said Zhereddin Zaki, a 23-year-old high school graduate and Sharan resident.”

The facility is the 16th PLC built in Afghanistan. Paktika’s edition provides 600 books in Dari, Pashtu and English. It will also serve as a meeting place for youth groups and a place to hold classes on reading and Internet communication, said U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson, Coordinating Director for Develop-ment and Economic Affairs, who spoke at the ceremony.

“One of the most encouraging things about Afghanistan, and spe-cifically in Paktika, is the increas-ing level of literacy among the children,” he said. “We’ve noticed there’s a very strong demand for the services the PLC and Sharana Public Library provide.”

Construction on the PLC began in June 2009. The government over-saw construction during the two-and-a-half year span of the project.

“We have to take care of this facil-ity; we should take positive benefits from it, not damage it,” said Gov. Moheebullah Samim, Paktika Prov-ince’s governor. “This center will

be used as a learning center where our young people will benefit from the library’s books and will be able to study and learn.”

“I know the importance of this cen-ter. Most of the young men here, if they’re educated, don’t know the international language. We want to establish computer courses to strengthen that.”

Zaki is one of those young men who said the venue already pro-vides him that international con-nection.

“We’re finding the information about the world and what’s going on,” Zaki said. “For example, we found out about what was going on in Libya months ago, as well as what’s going on in Pakistan. If we don’t use the internet here, we don’t have access to the world and what’s going on. It’s also important to find out more information from the media as well and the internet helps us do that.”

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Legacy Continued: leading from the frontIn February, four more of the brigade’s most capable non-commissioned officers were accepted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. The club is a private U.S. Army or-ganization for enlisted non-commissioned officers whose leadership achievements and performance merit special recognition.According to FORSCOM Reg. 600-8, para-graph 1, members must “...exemplify lead-ership characterized by personal concern for the needs, training, development, and welfare of Soldiers and concern for families of Soldiers.”

Each battalion screened, evaluated, and selected the NCO’s that met these requre-ments. The selected group then went in front of a rigorous board examination process lead by Command Sergeant Major Boom. In the end, four were awarded entry into the elite group.

The following individuals were accepted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club on February 16th, 2012 and are authorized to wear the distinguished SAMC medallion.

Sergeant First Class Michael Epstine, Bravo Company 3-66, Task Force 2-28

Staff Sergeant Kevin Gettys, Charlie Com-pany 3-66, Task Force 2-28

Staff Sergeant Joshua Parker, Bravo Com-pany, Task Force 3-66

Sergeant Olga Burgos, Bravo Company, 172nd Support Battalion

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Most DecoratedAudie L. Murphy was the most decorated Ameri-can Solldier of World War II. During twenty-seven months in action in the European Theater he re-ceived the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s high-est award for valor, along with 32 additional U.S. and foreign awards including five awards from France and one from Belgium. Murphy’s heroism is leg-end in NCO circles. He has been the subject of popular music, movies, and books. Audie Murphy always led his Soldiers from the front. Now, four Blackhawk NCO’s fall in line with his incred-ible legacy.

BESTOF THEBEST

Deployment, Reunion and Marriage: Expectation Management

Believe it or not, we are actu-ally in the final stretch of this deployment. Now, before you

start to celebrate please remember that there are still plenty of missions for the great Soldiers of Task Force Blackhawk. It is certainly too soon to get complacent, but it is not too soon to begin planning for a successful reunion. Within the next four months, just about every one of the Black-hawks will have redeployed back to Germany. For some of you, that idea is very exciting and you cannot wait for that day to happen. For you, the day your Soldier comes home will be like a dream come true. However, not all people look forward to redeployment. I realize that may sound strange, but the reality is that many people are afraid of redeploy-ment because they are not sure how smooth the process will go, and they are not prepared for the changes that have taken place. Though I do not be-lieve it is a good idea to fear reunion, I certainly do suggest that we approach this time with some caution and prepa-ration. Preparation for reunion, on behalf of both Soldier and spouse, is the subject of this article. Before we discuss planning for reunion, we must examine the effect of deployment on Families. Deploy-ments change all parties involved. Whether this is your first deployment or your fifth deployment, it is an abso-lute given that the event has changed you. You are only being disingenuous with yourself if you believe otherwise. I know this deployment has had an impact on me, and I will not be the same husband and father that returns. I also know this deployment has had a tremendous impact on my wife.

She, too, is not going to be the same woman I left, and not just because she is celebrating her birthday later this month (Happy Birthday, Love!). My kids have changed as well, both physically and emotionally. My son is at least four inches taller than when I left, and he is changing almost ev-ery time I see him. My daughter has gotten ten years smarter during this deployment. If you do not believe me, just ask her. She has already fig-ured out that she is smarter than me. The reality is that all of us that have weathered this deployment will not be the same people when we return. On the positive side, many of us have dropped some unnecessary pounds while out here. I have always liked that aspect of deployments. For the families, many have learned new skills and abilities while taking care of the home. So in that sense, not all the changes are negative. In truth, most of the natural changes that occur during deployment are not negative. They are instead a necessity of making it through the deployment. The problem comes with how those changes that have occurred are interpreted once reunion happens. I have spoken with many of our Soldiers that have gone home for R&R leave. Many of them told me afterword that their leave was not this wonderful and blissful experience that they were hoping for. In fact, for many it was a real struggle. This does not surprise me, as reunion is tough, and if you do not spend time preparing for it, it will be even tougher. Reunion is tough because all of us always do a better job of looking back than we do of looking forward. For a

good number of couples, the time prior to deployment is like a second; for some a third, fourth or fifth; honey-moon. During the weeks and months leading up to deployment, couples typically work hard to maximize their time together, and they work hard to promote a positive and peaceful envi-ronment. Many take a really awesome vacation for the block leave prior to deployment. It is often a very positive time in the marriage, and it should be just that. Then we deploy. For the spouse left behind, there is nothing fun about deploying at all. It puts a strain on all marriages, even the best ones.

The biggest issue influencing this strain for many is that they get used to not living as a couple. I go to bed alone. After almost 23 years of mar-riage, I am rather accustomed to going to sleep with my wife beside me. However, after I have been deployed for a month or two, I relearn how to live like a single man again. That is neither good nor bad. It is simply reality. You see, deployment forces all of us to learn new routines and new ways of conducting our daily affairs. My wife and children have had to pick up many additional duties around the house. All of us have grown rather

Chaplain Kevin Forrester

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accustomed to our current situation. That does not mean that we like our present reality, but learning to make the best of it requires that I accept it. It requires the same of my family members. So, we have this honeymoon period prior to the deployment, then we de-ploy. The last thing that is imprinted on the hearts and minds of the couple, other than the pain and sadness of having to say goodbye, is that we just had a wonderful time together and the marriage is great. Then we spend the rest of the deployment looking back at that great time we had before we left. We rely on those good memories we made to get us through the lonely spots that occur in every deployment. This is normal, natural and there is nothing unhealthy about it. When we come back for R&R and for redeploy-ment, we think it is going to be just like where we left off. My friends, this makes for a recipe for failure because you will never recapture what you had prior to deploying. Every-body has gone through a period of transformation and come out on the other side different. Even if you did not deploy, you would not be the same person after a year. Life changes all of us. Deployment speeds up the change process. So, how can you embrace these changes and avoid the post-deploy-ment snags in a marriage? Once again I declare that I have an excellent readership because that is the perfect question for you to ask at the exact right time. It is almost as if you knew what I was thinking. Well, you can avoid having issues by openly commu-nicating your expectations as well as your frustrations. To make the process work like it should, you must have a plan. Most people usually do have a plan. The problem is they fail to com-municate that plan and then get their feelings hurt when the plan does not materialize.

Plans only succeed if they are both thorough and communicated. I need to be able to tell my wife my plans and expectations. She needs to be able to communicate to me her plans and expectations. It is virtually guaranteed that we will not come up with match-ing plans or matching expectations. This is where the process starts to get tricky. If I am so determined to see my plans and desires be realized that I make no accommodation for what my spouse or kids want or need, then I am operating out of purely selfish motives. No family thrives in the midst of selfishness on the part of its members. I need to be able to have open and free discussions with my wife about what I want and what she wants. I must also be able to include the kids in the process, but their desires do not hold nearly as much weight as those of my wife. Part of that discussion must fo-cus on needs. There are things that she will need from me that build her up. I have to figure out ways to do that for her. There are things I need from her that will help me find my place again in a family that has functioned without me. In the same way there are things that my children need from me and I need from them. Ultimately, success-ful families thrive in giving of self to others. It is very important here to be able to distinguish between desire and need. Both have their place, but needs must have priority. Once we have identified our needs and wants, we can begin to make a plan on how we will meet them. The plan must include some measure of time. Most couples find that the euphoria of reunion will carry them through the first couple of weeks. However, this feeling wears off. When it does you need to fall back to your prior plan-ning. Keep in mind, the plan must be focused on giving as well as receiving. Another thing that is necessary in the process is that each spouse must al-

low for and expect that the other has changed over the course of the deploy-ment. A good mindset to have when approaching reunion is to assume most things are going to be different in your home, your spouse and your children. Then after you realize that not everything is different, thank God for the things that remain familiar. Do not try to make your home run like it did prior to deployment right away. Do not rush to change things, and do not rush to change yourself or your spouse. Instead, be accepting and ap-preciative of all the changes that were made to get through the deployment. So, we have seen that reunions are usually not that easy. However, it is very much possible and even likely that you will survive the reunion and reintegration of the family into a whole unit again, but the process works much better for all if thoughtful consideration, planning and discus-sion is part of the process. That needs to start now and continue until about 120 to 150 days after reunion. If you are going to have a major life change in that 120-150 day period following deployment, such as a PCS move, then the time required could be extended. The important thing is to start now with the discussions. It will be a good gift to each other. I’ll end this article with a side note. If your marriage was not as healthy as you would have desired prior to deployment, the deployment will not make it better. That is a false hope and an unrealistic expectation. If you were having issues prior to deployment, it may be best for you to seek the help of a professional after the deployment. There are many wonderful resources in both the Grafenwoehr and Schwein-furt communities such as chaplains, behavioral health and the Military Family Life Consultants. All these resources exist for you. Make them part of your planning process.

God bless.

Stay Tuned Over the next five months, the Bat-tle Cry staff has plenty in store for the Families and supporters of this

brigade. In March, we are sending one of our public affairs Soldiers out to Ghazni to embed with Task Force 1-2 and Char-lie Company, 9th Engineer Battalion. As a result, the March Battle Cry will contain plenty of stories and photos of the Black Scarves. Our April magazine will focus on the 172 Support Battalion and 1-77 Field Artillery. In May, we will release videos of the brigade’s spring operations in Paktika. In June, we will close out the deployment with a special reunion edition.

Also in the works is a 300-page deployment year-book featuring all Soldiers and all units across the brigade. The book will be an on-line feature, simi-lar to this magazine, with an option to order a hard copy. The book should serve as a keepsake for you and your Family, capturing all of the operational highlights from the entire year-long deployment, with new images and stories that have not yet been released!

The Blackhawk brigade has become legendary across the news media. Your Soldiers are rock-stars and international media outlets can’t get enough coverage of your Warriors. In March and April, Fox News, the Washington Post, and CNN, among others, will come back out to Paktika to cover the brigade’s oper-ations. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and we’ll let you know when the coverage will air or appear online. As always, we’ll have all the coverage captured on our “Blackhawk Nation” site.

Continue to monitor our brigade Facebook page for timely in-formation from the leadership in Paktika, updates from units, and new pictures of your Soldiers. We are continuing our “Blackhawks: From Mundane to Insane” video series with units from across the brigade. If your Soldier or unit has not appeared in the pages of this magazine, please be patient as we make our way across the brigade to provide equal coverage everywhere. Please send any feedback or questions to the staff here at: 172sib-pao@gmail.com.