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MAY/JUNE

MISSIONB Company, 2nd Bn, 18th Infantry builds combat ready teams through tough, focused full spectrum counterinsurgency operations training.

VISIONPeople are our mission; leading people, taking care of people, protecting people. Our vision never loses sight of our most important asset - our people.

MINDSET

Our mindset is that of the Warrior Ambassador - There is no better friend and no worse an enemy than a Bushmaster Soldier!

COMMAND AND FAMILY READINESS

NEWSLETTER

BUSH

MAS

TER C

OMPA

NY 20

10

18 Miles of “Nothin’ but fun”Soldiers of Bushmaster Company preparing to complete their

first 18 mile “full combat gear” roadmarch. June, 2010

BUSHMASTER CO.MAY/JUNE 2010

NEWSLETTERBushmaster Company is more than just an Infantry Rifle Company - it is a

TEAM and a brotherhood.

Welcome to the Family!

A NEW BREED OF WARRIOR FOR A NEW KIND OF WAR...The world is a dangerous place, and these are dangerous times. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan call for a higher caliber of Soldier - a Warrior Ambassador versed in conventional and counterinsurgency warfare, and masters of the arts of negotiation, conflict resolution and post-conflict development.

Since September of 2001, the United

States Army has changed dramatically. Our

nation has called upon its sons and daughters

to fight, often repeatedly, in far away places.

When we’re not at war, we’re actively training

to go. While it has never been easy to be a

Soldier, it has certainly never been tougher.

Often called, “the three block war”

because of the diverse challenges faced in

Iraq, Soldiers often may be in a firefight on one

block, opening a school on the next and in a

meeting with high level Iraqi and US leaders on

the last.

Afghanistan, with its rugged terrain and

even more rugged people, is no less

challenging. Mountains loom above every

horizon and danger in every valley. History has

looked unfavorably on those who’ve been to

Afghanistan before us; to win it will take an

incredible amount of both skill, and will.

Neither the most advanced weaponry nor

the newest technology will win the wars in Iraq

or Afghanistan; it will take the fearless devotion

to duty, dedication to mission and the

relentless courage of men like those in B

Company, 2-18 Infantry to bring the enemies of

freedom to task.

Wherever our nation calls, these men

stand ready to defend freedom, protect the

innocent and complete the mission, whatever it

might be.

This newsletter seeks to honor those

Soldiers and their families; to recognize their

service, remember their sacrifices and tell their

stories.

EST. 2009

CONTENTS

FEATURE...................................................................................................................................1

MEET THE PLATOON LEADERS...............................................................................................2

JUNE 2010 IN PHOTOS............................................................................................................3

HEROES OF THE BATTLE.........................................................................................................4

FAMILY READINESS GROUP & SINGLE SOLDIER SUPPORT.................................................5

NEWS FROM THE FRONT.........................................................................................................6

UNIT HISTORY AND LINEAGE..................................................................................................7

COMMANDER’S CORNER........................................................................................................8

BULLETIN BOARD.......................................................................................................................9

CHANGE OF COMMAND

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Meet our Heroes of the

Battle on page 4

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Written by 1LT Ryan St. Jean

1500 HOURS 26 MAY 2010SMITH BARRACKSBAUMHOLDER, GERMANY

Meet the Platoon Leaders...Responsible for everything a Platoon does or fails to do, these are the men who

will be leading America’s elite Bushmaster Infantrymen into battle!1st Platoon First Lieutenant Daniel Fisher - “This is it!”

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3rd Platoon, First Lieutenant Paul Anderson - “Lead, Follow, or GET OUTTA THE WAY!”

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BUSHMASTER COOKOUT

JUNE 2010

Heroes of the Battle

Each month the Platoon Leaders, Platoon Sergeants and Squad Leaders of

Bushmaster Company will identify those Soldiers who live the Bushmaster Code, have displayed the Warrior Ethos and

proved the “decisive factor” in taking the fight to the enemy. While we are proud of

all of our Warriors, these Soldiers have demonstrated that they have what it takes to go above and beyond the call of duty.

These are, our Heroes of the Battle.

HE-RO: (NOUN) - A PERSON WHO IS ADMIRED

OR IDEALIZED FOR COURAGE, OUTSTANDING

ACHIEVEMENTS OR NOTABLE QUALITIES

BATTLE: (NOUN) - A SUSTAINED FIGHT; A

LENGTHY AND DIFFICULT STRUGGLE

18th Infantry RegimentThe 18th Infantry Regiment is stationed

out of Smith Barracks, Baumholder,

Germany as part of the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Company B proudly serves in the 2nd Battalion

“VANGUARDS” of the 18th Infantry Regiment.

Regimental LineageThe 18th Infantry has a significant history

and lineage, dating all the way back to 1861 when it was constituted and organized at Camp Thomas, Ohio.

The 18th Infantry has seen combat in

nearly every conflict in American military history, including:

The American Civil War

The Indian Wars

Spanish-American War

Philippine-American War

World War I

World War II

Vietnam

Southwest Asia

1LT Morgan JordanThe Executive Officer of an Infantry Rifle Company is an often thankless job - a position no one wants to serve in, and where you learn more about what it takes to manage a small unit than anywhere else.

We recognize 1LT Morgan Jordan as a Hero of the Battle for his incredible efforts in B Company as the XO.

It was through his hard work and leadership that B Company was recognized as the model for Command Supply Discipline within the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Captain Owen KochEver the selfless leader, the former commander of B company, 2-18 Infantry, CPT Owen Koch is loved and revered by his troops for his outstanding leadership, passion and commitment to excellence. Accepting a position in the “Old Guard,” wasn’t an easy decision for Owen, though in the end he relented as it had always been his dream to serve there.

For his service to Company B, dedication to the Soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers, we honor the former Commander as our Hero of the Battle.

Ser!ant Salas

In the June NCO of the Month board, SGT Salas proved Bushmaster Company leads the way by stealing top honors from some of the Battalion’s very best, and brightest young stars.

Always wearing a smile, Sergeant Salas is a fantastic leader of our young Soldiers and a model for other NCO’s to emulate.

For his professionalism, dedication to duty and outstanding representation of Company B., we honor this outstanding NCO as a Hero of the Battle.

Your Family Readiness Group and Single Soldier Support...

YOUR FRG

VOLUNTEER LEADER

Name: Betsey Mercado

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

Contact Info:

mercadocbit@msn.com

THE FAMILY READINESS GROUP (FRG) AND SINGLE SOLDIER SUPPORT GROUP SERVES THE SOLDIERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not personal, it’s business.” In the Infantry, this couldn’t be more untrue. Our business IS personal. Our business is about people. Leading people, protecting people and taking care of people.

Bushmaster Company takes this to heart, and the Soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers and leaders never take people for granted. We consider ourselves a family.

While information is important, our Family Readiness Group exists for a greater purpose than just “passing information” along - Bushmaster FRG enhances the combat readiness of our troops by ensuring families and loved ones are prepared for any situation during the absence of their

Soldier.

We ask that all the families, spouses and loved ones of our Soldiers show their support for the team by getting involved in our organization!

FRG NOTESNext FRG Meeting:

10 June 2010B Co “Fraternity Days”

Chapel AnnexTraining Schedule

10 June - 18 Mile Roadmarch & Company BBQ “Fraternity Day”16 June - 2-18 Inf. Organizational Day

17 June - 5 July - Max Leave8 July - 21 July - PLT STX9 July - Tea Time Java Cafe14 July - FRG Meeting

YOUR COMPANY FRL

Name: SSG John Mullen

Leaving the Bushmaster Family is SSG Glenn

Cummins and replacing him is SSG John Mullen. SSG Mullen has 19 years of military experience which we will all rely upon extensively to

ensure our families and loved ones are well taken

care of!

TRAINING

Future Training Notes: Following Company Leave in June, Company B will execute Platoon Situational Training Exercises (STX) - tough, realistic scenarios which will put our Soldiers and their leaders to the test. This training will stress both lethal and non-lethal approaches and set the foundation for our success in any combat situation.

It was snowing the morning I left for Ranger School. I remember feeling fatigued and slightly neurotic, the former because the night prior I had conducted a meticulous layout of the packing list that had kept me up later than expected, the latter because I had consumed a good amount of coffee to wake myself up. Nerves probably played a role too. The washer fluid in my car was low and every once in a while a loud ring from the dashboard distracted me from the conversation I was having with my friend, who was riding in the passenger seat and who would watch my car while I was away. I drove cautiously towards Frankfurt through the snow on the Autobahn. In many senses, that car ride was indicative of the experience that followed, that is, a coagulated blur of images, half-memories, and events. To begin with, there was the Worm Pit that we swam through while negotiating an obstacle course in the first days of the Pre-Ranger Course I attended prior to reporting to Ranger School. We had to keep a low profile to avoid getting tangled up in the razor wire over our heads and the RIs—Ranger Instructors—found excuses to make us go through twice. It was January and the water was so cold that it

stole my breath. It felt like I was drowning. Then there was the first time I “droned”, slang for being so tired that your body shifts into autopilot mode and you move and act like a disoriented, inhuman robot. This was during the fifteen mile ruck march from Camp Rogers to Camp Darby, at one point

during which I hallucinated that I was marching not with fellow Ranger

candidates, but with massive Nazis wearing enormous trench coats rather than rucksacks.

Later on, when we were conducting missions in the

Darby training area, the RIs would make us stand outside in the

freezing cold next to huge generators that were hooked up to fluorescent lights. This time it was not me but the generators that droned— droned for hours as we stood desperately trying to stay awake while studying our Ranger Handbooks. Every once in a while, when the RIs weren’t watching, a candidate or two would sneak over to the exhaust pipes attached to the generators, caring more about warmth than toxic fumes. This would usually precipitate a smoke session that killed time before we were allotted our hour or two of sleep.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE...

BY: 1LT DANIEL

FISHER

THE LESSONS AND EXPERIENCE OF RANGER SCHOOL

THIS IS OUR STORY. NOW TELL US YOURS!!!In future newsletters, we

would like to start a column titled, “Letters from Home” - and it will be your way to communicate directly with the heroes

of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry. Don’t be bashful - you are part of the family and we want to hear your story!!!

As is the case for many, Mountain Phase was the toughest segment of Ranger School. I felt beaten down physically from both the Pre-Ranger course and the brutal conditions of Darby and eventually I began suffering from “rucksack palsy,” which is when the muscles and tendons in your neck are so exhausted that you cannot lift your head. I recall that at the end of one mission I ran one kilometer down a dirt road to a truck link-up point, my neck bent forward and my chin deep in my chest. I cannot describe how utterly tired I felt in the mountains of Northern Georgia, other than to state, simply but truly, that those were some of the most difficult weeks of my life. I was glad when I finally moved on to Florida. So was my father when I called him at four in the morning to tell him the news. I felt strangely at home during the final phase. This was probably because my mother grew up on the Florida coast and I had a lot of good memories from visiting my aunt and my grandma in Melbourne. Ranger School follows the tried and true “crawl, walk, run” training philosophy and, between a complex mission set that included both key leader engagements and more kinetic urban raids, I began to genuinely enjoy the training. The days were hot and we were all suffering physically from the previous two phases. It was almost impossible not to fall asleep while lying in

the prone. The nights, in contrast, were pleasantly warm, and, with the exception of having to don our night vision devices—which by that time we all associated with extreme fatigue—our limited visibility missions were considerably more fluid and in many cases actually environmentally agreeable. Additionally, we were over the proverbial hump. Graduation came and went. It seemed like

it was intended more for attending family members than for the

students. I was bored, hot, and ready to move on. In this sense, I suppose it mirrored much of the school itself. The lessons I learned were valuable and numerous, but

three stand out in my mind. Firstly, I know my equipment

better. Secondly, I think tactically now in ways that I never did before,

from the flexible employment of major casualty-producing weapons on the objective to the art and science of conducting successful basic combat missions. Lastly and most importantly, I know that I can operate, and with the right mindset flourish, under conditions of extreme adversity. I do not know what Afghanistan will be like, nor can I articulate what specific challenges we will face. Despite this uncertainty, and above and beyond the hard lessons, Ranger School imparted an attitude. In relation to the deployment, that attitude is best summated by three simple words: bring it on.

THIS IS NOT OUR FATHERS

WAR

THIS IS NOT FOR THE WEAK OR FAINTHEARTED

THIS IS NOT JUST A STORY

THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE TASK

RANGER SCHOOL

CONTINUED

Privileged to Serve!On the 26th of May 2009 while traveling in a

convoy from Panjshir to Bagram Air Base in

Afghanistan, disaster struck my last unit. A suicide

car bomber detonated against the traveling convoy,

mortally wounding four of my Provincial

Reconstruction Team members. My commander, Lt

Col. Mark E. Stratton II, MSG Blue Rowe, SrA

Ashton Goodman and an Afghan team member

Samaad Munsif all gave their lives, so others might

live and complete the mission.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t lose a

moment or two thinking about these fallen heroes

and the impact they had on my life. Exactly a year

to the day after that tragic attack on my unit I

assumed command of Company B, 2nd Battalion,

18th Infantry and the day will always remain a

bittersweet memory.

From my fallen comrades I gathered some of

the most important lessons on leadership I have

ever received. My commander, Lt Col. Stratton

genuinely cared about every single member of our

team; he made it a priority to make the time to get

to know all of his Soldiers, Airmen and leaders, and

spared no effort to provide his team with

outstanding leadership. Lt Col. Stratton was truly

privileged to serve and his very personal example

will not soon be forgotten. From SrA Ashton

Goodman and MSG Blue Rowe I learned the

importance of family, of professionalism and of

enjoying the most out of every moment. From our

fallen Afghan comrade, Samaad Munsif, I saw

firsthand just how important our mission in

Afghanistan really is - he was willing to give his life,

not only for his countrymen, but ours.

While I miss my comrades dearly, I know it is

my duty to honor their sacrifices by giving all I have

as the Commander of Bushmaster Company to the

Soldiers I am charged to lead. These Soldiers

deserve, and will receive, nothing short of my very

best.

I would like a moment to thank the

commander of the 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry, LTC

Matthew Eichburg and his Command Sergeant

Major, CSM Dwight Dooley for giving me the honor

of serving their Soldiers as a company commander.

Also, I would like to thank the families and

spouses of Company B, 2-18 Infantry. These young

men are America’s Heroes and I cannot thank you

enough for allowing them to serve at my side. Your

sacrifices, and their service, do not go unnoticed.

These young men are your husbands, your sons

and for some of you, your children. I consider all of

them, and all of you, a part of my family. I will take

care of them as such.

Last, I would like to honor CPT Owen Koch,

and 1SG Galindo, the former commander of

Bushmaster Company and the current First

Sergeant. It was through their hard work and

dedication that the standard of excellence was set

and the foundation to succeed was laid.

I am truly privileged to serve, and look forward

to leading the young men of B Company, 2nd

Battalion, 18th Infantry. Stand at our side, and join

us as we build the team we will take to complete

any mission, in any place, at any time.

~ CPT MERCADO

MEET THE COMMANDER“Have gun. Will Travel. Results Guaranteed”

Captain Chris Mercado, a native of San Antonio, Texas enlisted in the Army in 1997. In 2004 he earned his commission through ROTC at the University of South Dakota.

Captain Mercado has twice served in combat. First, as a Combat Advisor in Baghdad, Iraq and later as an Operations Officer in Panjshir, Afghanistan on a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

Captain Mercado assumed command of Company B., 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment on 26 May 2010 at Baumholder, Germany.

Besides reading and writing, Captain Mercado enjoys traveling and immersing himself in foreign cultures. Though not fluent in any foreign languages, Captain Mercado has found a smile requires no translation.

Captain Mercado has been married for nearly ten years, and he and his wife, Betsey, have two children, Isabelle Ann and Tristan Alexander.

CORNERCOMMANDERS

BIRTHDAYS

WE WISH OUR WARRIORS A HAPPY

BIRTHDAY!

AILEEN FRANQUI! 6 JUN

ARIN CUMMINS!21 JUN

Type to enter text

Volksmarches:June 12- Sportplatz in Schwedelback (67685)

Events at Baumholder/German Community:June 11: Five Finger Death Punch- 9 PM at Hall of Champions

July 4: Independence Day Celebration Starts 3 PM

Unit Events:June 16: Unit Organizational Day

June 17 - July 6 Unit MAX Leave

July 8 - July 20 Platoon STX

July 14 Family Readiness Group MTG

ANNIVERSARIESLET US NOT FORGET OUR SWEETHEARTS AND WIVES!!!FRANQUI’S !

12 MAYALLISON’S!

22 MAYLADERAS’!

5 JUNTUCKERS!

1 JUL

THE BULLETIN BOARD

THE BUSHMASTER CODE DISCIPLINE STRENGTH HONOR FRATERNITY

We are disciplined

first - at all times and in

all places. Our Soldiers set the standard for others to

follow.

Strength of mind, strength of heart and strength of will. Where others might fail, you can

count on Company B.

Never lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate anyone who

does.

Our Soldiers and their loved ones are all part of the

family. We take care of family.