1-27th Infantry “The Bark”

U.S. ARMY Volume 3, Issue 2 March 2011

Wolfhound News and Events!

Have a Happy Easter!

Start preparing for the upcoming 1-27 Infantry Ball, shortly

after the Wolfhounds return to Hawaii!

CSM Coleman visits the Wolfhounds

On February 2nd, 2011 the Deputy

Commanding General for Operations

Senior Enlisted Advisor of Iraq,

Command Sergeant Major Arthur

Coleman, flew in for a brief visit

with the Wolfhound Battalion. CSM

Coleman has been proudly serving

the United States Army for more

than 30 years, and was previously

assigned to Company B, 1-27 IN as a

Platoon Sergeant. During his visit to

COB Speicher, CSM Coleman talked

with Soldiers working in the Battal-

ion and enjoyed a lunch with CSM

Higgs, the company First Sergeants

and Platoon Sergeants. CSM Cole-

man talked on issues concerning the

status of US troops in Iraq, the new

physical training programs the Army

is reviewing, and many other impor-

tant issues that Soldiers will be intro-

duced to. After the lunch, CSM

Coleman visited Borzoi Company

and talked to the Soldiers about their

mission and his time previously

served in their company many years

ago. The Wolfhounds were proud

and honored to have such a distinct

and devoted leader take time out of

his schedule to visit and talk. Once a

Wolfhound, always a Wolfhound!

TOP: CSM Coleman congratulates a select few Borzoi Soldiers on their per-

formance during the deployment

ABOVE: CSM Coleman talks to Bravo Company Soldiers about his time in

Co. B, 1-27 IN

CSM Higgs and CSM Coleman shake hands shortly before CSM Coleman’s departure back to his

Headquarters

Speicher Super Bowl Weekend

Volume 3, Issue 2 March 2011

Page 2

VS

SUPER BOWL

6 FEBRUARY, 2011

The Super Bowl is a time known to

many as an opportunity to enjoy

the company of friends, and em-

brace your favorite (or sometimes

second favorite) team either defeat

or be defeated by the opposing

team. Many deployed Soldiers

greatly look forward to the day

when the Super Bowl is played,

because it means that they can en-

joy 2 beers of their choice at the

dining facility. This year, that day

was on February 7, 2011. The eve-

ning of the 7th the Wolfhounds

selected a few NCO’s to work at

the serving table, and set up for the

upcoming event. Opening at

11:30pm, the dining facility pre-

pared for the late night influx of

Soldiers ready to sit down, watch

the game, and drink beer. Once the

game aired on AFN (Armed Forces

Network) television, the festivities

began, and Soldiers from all over

Speicher embraced the company of

each other to watch the Green Bay

Packers play against the Pittsburgh

Steelers. Lasting into the early

hours of the morning, Soldiers

from each of the four 1-27 IN com-

panies made there way into the

dining facility to enjoy two se-

lected beers. The Speicher Super

bowl was a time of great camarade-

rie and enjoyment, and will be re-

membered by all those who at-

tended.

ABOVE: THE GREEN BAY PACKERS SHORTLY BEFORE THEIR VICTORY IN THE 2011 SUPERBOWL

Fight Night!

Page 3

Volume 3, Issue 2 March 2011

February 25, 2011 brought 2 na-

tionally recognized Ultimate Fight-

ing Championship fighters to the 1-

27 IN Battalion. Mike Swick and

Kyle Kingsbury, along with two

ring girls, Amber Nichol and Nata-

sha Wicks, flew in from the states

to visit Soldiers on COB Speicher

for a couple of days. The two fight-

ers traveled to different battalions,

talking about their past fights, shar-

ing their knowledge and skills, and

demonstrating some UFC fighting

techniques to eager, young Soldiers.

During their visit with the Wolf-

hounds the Swick, Kingsbury and

the 2 ring girls ventured out with

the Soldier’s from the TAC to fire

some rounds down-range with a

variety of weapons at the Wolf-

hound’s desposal. After a long

morning with the TAC, all four

guests returned to the 1-27 Battal-

ion and were welcomed into the

Wolfhound’s ―Combatives Room‖.

Both fighters demonstrated a vari-

ety of fighting styles, techniques

and moves, on each other and a

couple of lucky volunteers. Some

Soldiers volunteered to fight these

two well-trained fighters, as well as

be demonstrators for the different

TOP LEFT: SOLDIERS FROM 1-27 LINE UP TO HAVE

PICTURES AUTOGRAPHED AND MEET THE UFC

FIGHTERS AND RING GIRLS

LEFT: SWICK, KINGSBURY, NICHOL, WICKS, SOL-

DIERS FROM THE 1-27 TAC, AND HEADQUARTERS

COMPANY ALL POSE IN FRONT OF A CONTROLLED

DETONATION ON SPEICHER

locks, take-downs, arm bars,

and submission moves. The

Wolfhounds were honored to

have these 4 individuals come

and share their experiences and

knowledge with us, and we

look forward to watching them

in upcoming fights on the Ulti-

mate Fighter!

TOP RIGHT: SSG CHEEVER, AND SOLDIERS

FROM THE 1-27 TAC DETONATE EXPLOSIVES

SET ON A DOOR, TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR

CAPABILITY TO THE UFC FIGHTERS

ABOVE (LEFT TO RIGHT): KYLE KINGSBURY,

AMBER NICHOL, NATASHA WICKS, & MIKE

SWICK

RIGHT: ONE OF THE UFC RING GIRLS

PREPARES TO FIRE A .50 CALIBER SNIPER

RIFLE AT THE RANGE

Commander’s Corner

Page 4

Aloha from Iraq! It is with great honor that I introduce

myself as the incoming commander of Able Company

as CPT Matthew Hills assumes the duties as MG Ber-

nard Champoux’s Aide-de-Camp. I’m CPT Andrew

Gardner from Charlestown, RI.

I graduated from the United

States Military Academy in

2005 and in May 2010 I was

assigned as the 1-27 IN Battal-

ion Assistant Operations Offi-

cer.

CPT Hills wanted me to express

his sincere gratitude and appre-

ciation for serving with such a

fine group of Soldiers. He

stated that it was the most re-

warding experience and that he

wished everyone the best as we

continue our mission. His pres-

ence will be missed and I will

work hard to maintain the high

Able standards and its proud

tradition.

4th Platoon’s SPC Leonard M.

Heiniger competed against his

peers across the Battalion and

was selected as the Wolfhound

Soldier of the Quarter.

As always, 2nd Platoon receives accolades from other

battalions on their stellar performance as they train

Iraqi Army Soldiers.

1st, 3rd, and 4th Platoons continue

their hard work with escorting the

Provincial Reconstruction Teams and

supporting our local Iraqi Security

Forces.

I am proud to be a part of this Able

Team and I look forward to meeting

and getting to know the rest of the

Able Family upon our return in June.

- CPT Gardner

Able Company with CPT Hills

3rd PLT executes marksmanship training.

1st PLT visits the Bayji Oil Refinery

during one of their missions.

CPT GARDNER

INCOMMING COMPANY COMMANDER

Company News

Aloha! We hope everyone en-

joyed their Valentine’s Day this past

month and a short month brings closure

to another month here in Iraq...only four

more to go!!! Although it was a short

month, there was still plenty to keep us

busy here in beautiful Iraq. Operations

continued from day-to-day and kept us

busy for the most part. We are also in

the final stages of closing down FOB Dagger and re-uniting 4th Pla-

toon with the rest of the company. This is a much anticipated day and

we cannot thank 4th Platoon enough for their sacrifice and hard work at

FOB Dagger.

However, Borzoi Company’s most significant achievement this

month was taking first place in

the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry

Regiment Squad Competition.

SSG Shackleford and the mem-

bers of his squad competed in a

day long competition designed to

test each squad’s physical fitness,

teamwork and ability to perform

common combat related tasks.

SSG Shackleford’s squad smoked

most of the competition, but was

tied with a squad from the Recon-

naissance Platoon going into the final event. The final event and tie-

breaker was the squad that could complete the most repetitions of the

225-lbs Bench Press. The event started off in a close race, but SSG

Shakleford’s squad dug deep and motivated themselves to perform twice as many repetitions as the

other squad and take home the victory. We

would like to congratulate and thank SSG

Shackleford, SGT Buonya, SGT O’Dell,

SPC Gordon, SPC Hernandez, SPC

Sandoval, SPC Wells, SPC Wickens and

PFC Walker and wish them the best of luck

as they compete in the Brigade Squad

Competition later in March.

We wish all the friends and families

of Borzoi Company our very best and we

thank you for your continued support. We

will continue to post our accomplishments

on the Borzoi Company Facebook Page to

keep everyone back home abreast of the

great things your soldiers are doing here in

Iraq.

Page 5

Company News Commander’s Corner

Teaching Iraqi kids how to ―hang loose‖

SSG Shackleford on the 225-lbs Bench Press

SSG Shackleford’s squad being recognized for winning the battalion squad

competition by the Battalion Commander and Battalion Command Sergeant Major

Commander’s Corner

Page 6

Aloha from the Bayji Oil Refinery:

Winning hearts and minds

This has been an exciting month for the men of Coldsteel. Several of the Com-

pany’s key leaders have taken mid-tour leave, and mid-level leaders have stepped up

to take charge of the Company. Not surprisingly the Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers of

Coldsteel Company have weathered this challenge

with ease as several NCOs and Junior Officers have

performed exceedingly well in roles of increased

responsibility. Most notably, SFC Holi and SFC

Inabinet performed very well while filling in for 1st

Sergeant Tui. CPT Morinaga is currently on his

own well deserved leave, and 1LT Bockstanz, the

Executive Officer, has assumed command until he

returns.

Each Platoon continues to work hard to enable our Iraqi counterparts to improve

security in the Bayji and Sharqat Qadas. 2nd Platoon has led small units tactics train-

ing with our Iraqi partners to build on the success of the Brigade Mobile Training

Team that lived at the BOR while training a local

Iraqi Army unit last month. These combined training

events have not only increased the ability of the Iraqi

Army Soldiers to provide security, but have also

built rapport with our Iraqi Security Force counter-

parts. 1st and 3rd Platoons have continued to work

diligently with the Iraqi Police to improve security in

the urban areas of Northern Salah ad Din, while also

pulling many late nights to protect other American

units as they move through our operational environ-

ment. Our MGS Platoon has continued to represent our Battalion and Company with

distinction while detached to the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment in Diyala

Province.

In addition to their busy patrol schedule, several Coldsteel Soldiers took part in the

Battalion Squad Competition at COB Speicher. The

Company selected two Squads, led by SSG Fox

and SSG Rayala, to represent the Company. The

competition consisted of various physically and

mentally challenging events, including an Army

Physical Fitness Test, foot march, weapons assem-

bly, and medical tasks. Both Squads represented the

Company well, demonstrating the competitive spirit

we have all come to expect of a Coldsteel Soldier.

This month Coldsteel promoted three Soldiers to the rank of Sergeant. Our three

new NCOs are SGT Bourgeois, SGT Lopez, and SGT Ramirez. These three Soldiers

have made outstanding contributions to the unit, and we look forward to seeing them

succeed as leaders in our organization. Also this month, SGT Hassler re-enlisted and

1LT Walters traveled back to visit the BOR to give him the oath. SGT Hassler has

been an important part of Coldsteel since 2008, and we are fortunate that he is going

to continue to serve in our ranks. A special congratulations goes out to SFC Inabinet,

and his wife Judy as well as SFC Hansen and his wife Meghan as both couples gave

birth to children this month. The Company bid farewell to 1LT Gonzalez before he

moved to 2-11 FA, and we welcomed 1LT Justin Figueredo this month.

Lastly, I know many of you are aware of the attack on the Bayji Oil Refinery that

took place on 26 February. While many of the

details are still pending investigation, I can tell you

that the attack took place more than a mile away

from our living quarters, and no American forces

were involved in the attack. The men of Coldsteel

reacted bravely to protect the Company as events

transpired, and the Company continues to conduct

patrols out of the Bayji Oil Refinery.

1LT Bockstanz

Coldsteel 5

SGT Hassler’s re-enlistment.

Page 7

Watch for Upcoming Issues:

April 2011– Medics

May 2011– S4

June 2011– S6

Commander’s Corner Life in the S3

S3 SOLDIERS, NCO’S & OFFICERS

MAJ Chris Choi— Battalion S3 (Operations Officer)

SGM Christopher Grant— Battalion Operations

Sergeant Major

CPT John Foster — Battalion Assistant S3/ Fire

Support Officer

1LT Matthew Concepcion — S3 (Air)

1LT Lowell Garthwaite —- Battalion Public

Affairs Officer (S7)

1LT Matthew Wolfe — Battalion Civil Affairs

Officer (S9)

1LT Brandon Shelstad — Brigade Liaison Officer

SFC Patrick Branagan — Brigade Liaison

SFC Les Miller —Battalion Fire Support NCO

SFC Kenneth Love— Night Battle Captain/ S3

NCOIC

SSG Eric Vancour — S9 NCOIC

SSG Jeremy Beer— Day Battle Captain

SSG George Barbary— Linguist Cell Manager

SSG Manuel Isbell— Electronic Warfare Officer

SSG Zechariah Smith — Joint Base Balad Liaison

SSG Dusty Lamborn — Battalion Ammo/

Contracting NCO

SGT Jamie Jimenez— Day TOC Shift NCOIC

SGT William Berendt— LSA Mayor

SGT Dustin Lapolla — Night TOC Shift

NCOIC/ Fires NCO

SPC Brad Patronick—- Battalion Chemical NCO

SPC Jesse Weber— BFT Operator

SPC Brice Wood — Forward Observer

PFC James Clark—- CPOF Operator

PFC Seth Elsayed—- Forward Observer

PFC Jason Tomlinson — Radio Operator

Above: The new 1-27 IN Battalion S3, MAJ Chris Choi, and SGM Christopher Grant, Battal-

Left: Tactical Operations Center

(TOC) Day Shift. From left, SSG

Beer, SGT Patronick, PFC Clark, SPC

Weber, PFC Tomlinson, SGT

Jimenez.

Above: TOC Night Shift. From left, SFC Love, SPC Wood,

PFC Elsayed, SGT Lapolla.

Right: CPT Foster, Battalion Fire

Support Officer, outside of the Fusion

Cell.

The 1-27 IN Battalion S3 Section is responsible for

planning and running the Wolfhounds’ current and future operations. The new OIC, MAJ Choi, and the

Operations Sergeant Major, SGM Grant work hard

to coordinate the Battalion’s actions and disseminate orders and information to the entire Battalion. The

hard- working Soldiers in the in the Tactical Opera-

tions Center (TOC), conduct business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, tracking patrols and ensuring

that the Battalion’s efforts are synchronized between its companies and platoons. The members of the

Fusion, or Future Operations, Cell plan upcoming

missions and publish and disseminate written orders for the rest of the Battalion. The Battalion S3 Sec-

tion has done a great job making order out of chaos

and the whole Battalion looks forward to the orders

they will publish for our redeployment to Hawaii.