Hello for the second time!

As you know this is our second installment of the Team Bushmaster

Newsletter. This one is a little behind due to the fact we moved back at

the end of June, to our more permanent home at the JRAC.

First off I want to thank all the families and friends for sending the

care packages to the Soldiers. The moral always goes up when they see

a truck full of boxes and mail. Please keep doing what you are doing

and sending stuff this way! As you know the weather is really heating

up over here so temper your goodies with non-melting stuff.

I’m very proud of the work Team Bushmasters put into this mini-

deployment. We were only gone for a little over a month but the

amount of teamwork and accomplishments these guys have completed

is most impressive. Because we are the first team of this type, we had

to literally “cut and pave” the road. Several of the pictures are from the

“construction phase”. The Team gathered the equipment needed to get

up and running. This included getting a big tent, the flooring, tables/

chairs, the air conditioner/heater unit, wired for electricity, and wired

for computers. This was just the big stuff, there are many other smaller

details like doing our actual mission we will hit later.

These guys were impressive! Each Team member brought a unique

skill set which helped out the Team. We had carpenters, electricians,

chief of acquisitions, and general laborers. Could not have done it all

without a team effort. The Team built a Command Post (CP) for which

we could work, plan and conduct operations out of. Very impressive

considering the limited time and resources we had to work with. In

true fashion, these NCO’s and Soldiers got the mission accomplished!

Not only did Team Bushmaster build a CP, but also conducted part-

nered operations with our Afghan National Civil Order Police

(ANCOP). Our SFAT staff worked with the ANCOP staff to plan opera-

tions, track fuel consumption, work with their maintenance elements

and much, much more. We had several team building events with our

ANCOP partners to include volleyball games, soccer games, night Chi

SFAT TEAM 33

NEWSLETTER Special points of interest:

Each Page.

Team Leader

“Teamwork and Accomplishments”

NCO’s

“Work Hard and Play Hard”

“Tomahawk Squad-Leader”

Your Soldiers Pics

1 July 2012

Volume 1, Issue 2

Operation Enduring

Freedom

2012-2013

BUSHMASTERS

Teamwork and

Accomplishments

MAJ Crooks with

His Fathers Day

gift...11pm Coffee?

Greetings, to the Family and Friends of SFAT Team #

33, another month has passed us by. The Team completed

our integration with our ANCOP counterparts the past

month along with completion of our first mission with them

for their “Green” cycle.

I couldn’t be more pleased and proud of the work and

effort put forward by the entire team the past month as we

confronted and overcame many obstacles. As our Afghan

counterparts take the opportunity for some deserved time

off. The team will also get the opportunity for some well

deserved rest and recovery.

As we look to the future, we will be placing the empha-

size for our Afghan counterparts to take “The Lead” with

our advice and guidance. This advisory role is a very

important goal to help the country of Afghanistan move

forward to support themselves with minimal effort from

the U.S. Forces.

We all appreciate the thoughts and prayers from home.

They always keep our spirits high and help maintain the

mindset of what we are here for. I would like to take the

opportunity to extend my own thoughts and prayers to our

fellow SFAT friends and families that are currently

affected by the wild fires in Colorado.

I hope everyone has a good and safe 4th of July Holiday

and take the opportunity to remember what the day is for,

Independence, as that is what we as Soldiers are doing for

the Country of Afghanistan. God Bless.

SFC Richard Darrow

SFAT Team 33 NCOIC

NCO’s Work Hard and Play Hard

SFAT TEAM 33 Page 2

The team getting in some physical fitness during a

cool evening with an Afghan-lead game of soccer.

LT Horvath, SFC Darrow, MAJ Crooks and

CPT Martin discussing future training with their Afghan

National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) Counterparts

My name is SGT Hooper; I am the Squad Leader

for the security squad attached to SFAT team 33. We

are an Infantry squad from B Co 1-23 IN 2ID TOMA-

HAWKS!!! We were attached to the team about 6

weeks ago and it has been a great experience so far.

The team welcomed us and our integration was fast

and easy. Since we joined the team we have moved to

the JRAC and then out to a larger FOB to work with

our ANCOP partners. The Soldiers have enjoyed

working with the ANCOP and have spent a lot of time

with them. Many hours of playing volleyball, eating

Afghan meals and enjoying Chi tea. We all look for-

ward to the remaining deployment with SFAT 33.

Tomahawk Squad Leader

Teams picked. We are READY!!!?

SPC Rani and his new ANCOP buddy.

Your Soldiers PICS

Teamwork

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 2

Fathers Day in

Afghanistan.

1LT Ostruske gladly

opens his care box.

Tyson and SFC Caldwell stop to

take a picture before going into

the PX.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1:

I honestly feel we’ve built a great relationship in a very short

amount of time. I know the Team will never forget some of

these events like the volleyball games. The ANCOP would

kick our butts with just a couple of their guys. They had a guy

who would spike the ball like a pro, but was only like 5’8’’.

Our work over here has not all been sports and playing. Team

Bushmaster and ANCOP spent time on the road visiting their

checkpoints. We’ve visited with all the ANCOP leadership at

each checkpoint and developed fixes with our Team and the

ANCOP leadership. This is truly what the mission is, to de-

velop fixes that are Afghan sustainable and ideas that are Af-

ghan generated. Two pretty simple things that our Team is

charged with.

As this newsletter is wrapping up, our thoughts and prayers go

out to the families at Fort Carson, CO that are affected by the

wild fires. Thanks for all the families and friends who support

the Troops. If you have comments or recommendations, please

feel free to send them to me at Kevin.crooks@us.army.mil . If

you would like to add another family member or friend to the

Bushmaster Newsletter, please send me the email address.

Thanks again and have a Steel Warrior day!

Kevin Crooks

Major, United States Army

Team Leader

CW2 Johnson is politely being asked not

to leave at one of the ANCOP areas.

PFC Morris getting ready to drive his

assigned vehicle.

Your Soldiers PICS

G o t

M a i l

f o r

y o u r

S o l d i e r

First Name, Last

JRAC

SFAT TEAM 33

APO-AE 09355

SGT Bashant

Giving the

Peace sign

after working

a long twelve

hour shift. SPC Buckland wondering if

there can be any more room

on this ANCOP 4x4?

SPC Rani, and SGT Bashant, play

basketball against some fellow US Soldiers and

Civilians during their time off. SPC Rani took

it to the hoop many times from DOWNTOWN!!!

PFC Ford

and SPC

Rodriguez

take a

break from

running

internet

CPT Martin

observing

the training

map that

the

ANCOP has

displayed

1LT Horvath

Wishing SFC

Caldwell

Happy

Birthday!!?

SFC’s

Hard at

WORK!!?

SFC

Caldwell

and

SFC

Darrow

1LT Schwen pondering if

he should play some

basketball

HAPPY BIRTHDAY’s JULY

SGT Bashant

12 July

PFC Guerrero-Vazquez

21 July

SGT Hooper, congratulates newly

promoted Private First Class

Guerrero-Vazquez 1 July 2012

PFC Page is ready for group photo

with three Team 33

Interpreters

SGT McWilliams

caught on camera

CPL Johnson

with his new

sunglasses

on waiting to

start ANCOP

joint training.