Beast Report B RAVO 1 06 TH F MSU
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
COMMANDER’S
CORNER / DET SGT’S
CORNER
1
MONTH OF NOVEM-
BER
2
BEAST ACTIVITIES 3
THE DAILY BEAST 4
BEASTS ON DEPLOY-
MENT
5
SNAPSHOTS 6
BEAST MODE! 7
BIRTHDAYS 8
Volume 3, Issue 10 NOVEMBER 2014
Congratulations Beasts for all of your hard work, training,
and perseverance over the past month! A visit to Beast
Country will immediately impress upon any individual the
amount of pride and dedication you all have in your job and
the place in which we work. I am extremely proud of our
Soldiers and deeply honored to be among team Beast. As
the month of November comes to a close, ensure you spend
some quality time over the upcoming Thanksgiving Holi-
day with your family. For those of you whom are single or
have family back home, be sure to pick up the phone (or
computer) and talk with your loved ones. Don’t forget our
unit and FRG Thanksgiving potluck on the 20th. Come out
and enjoy some home-cooked food and camaraderie with
your surrogate Beast family. The holidays are also a time to
give back and be thankful. Open up your homes to those
Beast and Big Army family members that are perhaps on an
unaccompanied tour. Happy Thanksgiving to all and be
sure to STAY SAFE!
The holiday season is once again upon us. Thanksgiving is
a time to reflect on all the things you have to be grateful
for. Some may be wondering what they have to be thankful
for. You have plenty to be grateful for, no matter how great
or small; we all have something to be thankful for. It could
be the house you live in, the clothes on your back, the food
that sits on your dinner table or the air you breathe. While
you may not feel as fortunate as the next person, you have
to be grateful for the things you have. The holidays are a
time for giving, look deep inside yourself and do something
kind for someone else; not because you feel obligated to
but because you want to make a difference in someone’s
life. It does not have to be in the form of money, a nice ges-
ture can go a long way. Make a plan to spend quality time
with your family this Thanksgiving. Put away all the elec-
tronic devices and distractions and talk to one another. Play
a board game, play tackle football, or create a new tradi-
tion; whatever you decide to do just have fun and enjoy
yourself. I want to wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Commander’s Corner
Detachment Sergeant’s Corner
MONTH OF NOVEMBER
Beast Report Page 2
November is the eleventh month of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one
of four months with the length of 30 days. It was originally the ninth month of the an-
cient Roman calendar until January and February were added. November retained its
name from the Latin novem meaning "nine". November is a month of Autumn, or Fall,
in the Northern Hemisphere, and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
The United States and Puerto Rico observe Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving
Day, on the fourth Thursday of the month. It became an official Federal holiday in
1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national
day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heav-
ens". Also, there are reports that the original Thanksgiving proclamation was signed
by George Washington. As a federal and public holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving is
one of the major holidays of the year. Together with Christmas and New Year’s,
Thanksgiving is a part of the broader holiday season.
The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was cele-
brated by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag to celebrate the colony’s first successful
harvest in the New World in 1621. This feast lasted three days, and it was attended by
90 Native Americans (as accounted by attendee Edward Winslow) and 53 Pilgrims.
The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating
"thanksgivings"—days of prayer, thanking God for blessings such as military victory
or the end of a drought.
SGT CHANDLER’S REENLISTMENT
Beast Report Page 3
During the month of October I took a personal and professional leap towards my
future within the Finance Corps and the United States Army by raising my right hand and
taking my oath of reenlistment for five additional years. I plan to continue to move for-
ward within the Army ranks and reenlist again in five years for an indefinite period of
time. With this reenlistment I am able to proceed to my next duty assignment in Fort
Shafter, Hawaii; which will be a great experience in the islands of paradise.
I strongly advise all soldiers to look within themselves and make that long-term
decision of whether the Army is right for them. I hope to see more reenlistments while I
am still stationed here in Germany. The Army is not just a job and a paycheck, it is a
commitment which was started on your original enlistment and should be continued for-
ward.
THE DAILY BEAST
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PFC Nalukwago: My First Deployment
Leaving for Hohenfels and knowing that I was going to be away from home and
the ones that I love was very overwhelming. I talked to my mother and brothers and
they were all very encouraging. I think my mother took my departure the worst because
she says a special prayer for me in church and puts in a prayer request daily. Going on
deployment didn’t sink in until we boarded the plane. I am, however, glad for the oppor-
tunities that I will gain. I like my experience thus far and am learning more about my-
self. I am setting very high expectations during the deployment and optimistically I will
achieve the desired goals.
The Bravo Beasts deployed to Kosovo last month for a 9-month tour.
Here’s a little insight into how things are going for them over there.
Beast Report Page 5
PFC Messouli:
I am enjoying my time thus far in Kosovo. It snows in the morning and is sunny
in the afternoon. The trip to Hohenfels was pleasant; I slept all the way there. Upon ar-
riving in Hohenfels we were given rooms to sleep in. I had really good chicken gyros
for 5 Euros. Dinner was outstanding most days because there were pop-tarts and other
pastries which were delicious! We initially conducted PT in the afternoon but then be-
gan doing morning runs. We had opportunities for recreational fun which we spent by
bowling. SSG Willis is a really good bowler! On the second to last day in Hohenfels we
had a barbeque. I made many friends and even met a Moroccan SFC who was stationed
in Hohenfels.
We left Hohenfels early in the morning for Kosovo, but didn't fly out until the af-
ternoon. I had the opportunity to fly first class because I helped with the baggage detail.
Good deeds are rewarded! After we arrived in Kosovo, we got on buses and drove from
the airport to the base; it was a long ride. On the way to the base, we drove through
some beautiful cities. Once we arrived at Camp Bondsteel, our predecessors were there
to greet us. They gave us keys to our rooms and helped us move our bags. The next
morning we went to our new office to begin training. It’s cool to work in an actual
“office”. On Halloween we did 5k hill run in the morning and we dressed up later in the
day which was fun. PFC Carreon had the best costume as he was a clown. We’ve also
done a lot of volunteering since we got here despite a busy schedule. Time goes by
really fast; I can't believe it has already been a month since we left Kaiserslautern!
Beast Report Page 6
BEAST SNAPSHOTS
Sgt Chandler and his son Brian all ready for Halloween
We said goodbye to 1LT Lopez, SSG Williams, and SPC Schafer
Bravo conducted JMSC virtual training to simulate FMST missions
Beast Report Page 7
LT Young’s Marathon
On November 9th I successfully completed my first marathon. I had the opportunity to
travel to Athens, Greece to compete in the Athens Authentic Marathon. It had been my goal to
run a marathon and I knew it would be a challenge. Upon arriving in Athens I was welcomed
with warm and sunny weather. I met up with my friend from the 266th FMSC, 2LT Marc Skill,
who also was running the marathon. The Athens Marathon is rich in history as it traces the
original marathon route. The marathon follows the original route that Pheidippides ran in 490
BC from Marathon, Greece (hence how the phrase “marathon” originated) ending in the
Panathinaikon Stadium which was the 2004 Olympic Stadium. It was a challenging course and
I was in a lot of pain during the end of the race but I never walked. Finishing in the Olympic
Stadium felt surreal. Over 10,500 runners from 80 countries showed just how much of a world
event this run was. I may not have been able to speak the same language with all the runners
but we shared a common bond - we finished a marathon together.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Beast Report Page 8
MORE FUN FACTS
Discovery to the Eastern World of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus on
November 19, 1493. Originally populated for centuries by the aboriginal
people known as Taino, the island was claimed by Christopher Columbus
for Spain during his second voyage to the Americas on November 19, 1493.
On August 3, 1990 President of the United States George H. W. Bush de-
clared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage
Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage
Month
National Adoption Day is celebrated on November 22nd this year. A num-
ber of courts and communities in the United States come together to finalize
thousands of adoptions of children from foster care. More than 300 events
are held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in November, in all
50 US states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to finalize the adop-
tions of children in foster care. In total, more than 40,000 children have
been adopted from foster care on National Adoption Day.
This month also holds the annual events known as No Shave November,
and Movember (Moustache November), involving the growing of mous-
taches for charity and to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as
prostrate cancer, as well as other types of cancer and even depression.
NOVEMBER
25th SPC GOMEZ