realistic training ‘grey wolf’ explodes onto lanes · just one of the lanes soldiers of the...

Monday, June 5, 2006www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/ “Telling the First Team’s Story”

An Abrams tank crew, from 4th Brigade Combat Team’s 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, makes itsway off Fort Bliss’ Doña Ana Range after completing their qualification table using the new commonRemotely Operated Weapons Station. The CROWS allows a tank crew to fire a remote weapon system frominside the tank without the gunner hatch open. See complete story on Page 21.

Eyes Open(Photo by Sgt. Paula Taylor, 4th BCT Public Affairs)

By Pfc. Ryan Stroud3rd BCT Public Affairs

FORT POLK, La. — With improvisedexplosive devices, townspeople screamingat the top of their lungs, Soldiers adminis-tered aid where they could and regainedcontrol of a hostile village during a combatlogistic patrol lane here.

Soldiers of Company A, 2nd Battalion,82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade CombatTeam, 1st Cavalry Division experiencedwhat they might see on an everyday con-voy trip in Iraq.

The Combat Logistic Patrol lane isjust one of the lanes Soldiers of the “GreyWolf” Brigade will face during theirmonth-long deployment at the Joint

Readiness Training Center.“We completed the combat logistic

patrol in preparation for what we, as a unit,might see if we deploy to Iraq,” said Sgt.Danny McGee, a Soldier with Co. A, 2-82FA after completing the lane May 7.

“[The lane] included convoy move-ment, reacting to enemy fire and dealingwith a hostile environment,” McGeeadded.

To prepare for the training the unitparticipated in, the Soldiers began prepara-tions May 6 to take advantage of someextra battle rehearsal drills. The next morn-ing, they were up a 4 a.m. preparing to rollout and conquer their mission.

McGee said it was a hard morningwaking up early but his guys were up to the

challenge of going out and completingtheir lane training.

“In the morning we did convoymaneuvers as a unit, responding to prob-lems we faced as we traveled down theroad,” said McGee. “If we came underattack, our squad leader would give usinformation of what he wanted us to do. Ifit was to dismount, we did and started ourpatrol.”

As the Soldiers continued their train-ing, they came across a hostile villagefilled with yelling, chanting and fightingby the local populous. The Soldiersapproached in their vehicles and dismount-

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‘‘GGrreeyy WWoollff’’ EExxppllooddeess OOnnttoo LLaanneess

See Lanes 7

Pegasus 6 June 5, 2006

Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, Jr.Public Affairs Officer: Lt. Col. Scott BleichwehlCommand Information Officer: Master Sgt. Dave LarsenEditor: Spc. Joshua McPhieContributing Writers: Maj. Roderick R. Cunningham, Sgt. Jon Cupp,Sgt. Colby Hauser, Sgt. Serena Hayden, Sgt. Robert J. Strain, Sgt. PaulaTaylor, Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins, Spc. Sheena Reyes, Spc. Robert Yde,Pfc. Ben Fox, Pfc. Jeffrey Ledesma, Pfc. Ryan Stroud

Contact Crossed Sabers at 287-6162, 287-9400 or [email protected] Sabers is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents ofCrossed Sabers are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the First Cavalry Division. All editorialcontent of Crossed Sabers is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the 1st CavalryDivision Public Affairs Office.

Summer is typically a time of yearwhen Soldiers and their families moveto new duty assignments, and this oneis no exception.

If you are newly assigned here,you’ve arrived to what we commonlyrefer to as the “Great Place” and I’msure you will soon understand this welldeserved nickname. The fantastic folksof central Texas have always been verysupportive and generous toward themilitary.

If this is your first assignment tothe cavalry, get ready for the experienceof a lifetime. You now have the privi-lege of experiencing the traditions andpanache of the cavalry. For those of youreturning to the Cav, welcome home.

My charge to all of you is simply this– “Live the Legend” of the 1st CavalryDivision.

This division was established in 1921at Fort Bliss, Texas. From its beginning,the “First Team” has been a premiereexample of America’s military might. Theexpectation on all of us is to measure up tothe high standards set by those who wentbefore us and to carry forward that tradi-tion of excellence.

On the east end of this division’sparade field, you will find a monument.This monument testifies to the selflessservice and sacrifice of First Team troopersduring their last major action, a year-longtour in Iraq which brought about the firstdemocratic national election to the peopleof Iraq in January 2005.

During that year, First Team troopersfought insurgents and terrorists, helpedcreate and train an Iraqi army, and workedtirelessly on civil-military projects toimprove the lives of the residents in theIraqi capital city.

That memorial stands as a testament tothe 168 troopers who laid down their lives

during that honorable campaign in thecause of freedom.

I encourage all of you to visit that site,and to take a few moments and rememberthose soldiers, their families, and the manysacrifices and contributions they made to

this war on terror. This division prepares today to

deploy again. Two of our brigades, the1st Air Cavalry Brigade and the 15thSupport Brigade, already have deploy-ment orders to return to Iraq. The restof us are preparing for that same mis-sion.

We must take our training toheart, prepare ourselves mentally andphysically for the rigors ahead, andready our families for the eventualityof deployment.

I thank you and your families forchoosing the profession of the military

and for continuing to serve during this timeof war that we live in.

It’s a great team, it’s our team, it’s theFirst Team. God bless you all and Godbless this great nation of ours.

Soldiers Should Live the Division’s Legend

Retention June 5, 2006

News June 5, 2006

By Pfc. Jeffrey Ledesma1st Ca. Div. Public Affairs

The burning sun’s rays scorcheddown on the convoy as the vehiclesmoved along the dirt road. Rustedbarbed wire traced the boundary of atown. With their weapons drawn, thetroops, sweating in full armor, cautious-ly approached the settlement’s outskirts.The Soldiers’ mission was to pick up theIraqi president and drop off supplies atan Iraqi police station as quickly andsafely as possible.

It was Baghdad, or a place veryclose to it.

Soldiers with Company A andHeadquarters Service Company,Division Special Troops Battalion, 1stCavalry Division conducted these con-voy exercises at a Military Operations inUrban Terrain site in north Fort HoodMay 18.

“Prior to conducting the lane train-ing our soldiers went through culturalawareness, reacting to an improvisedexplosive device, convoy operations,interacting with local leaders, reactingto indirect fire, entry and traffic controlpoint operations, and combat lifesavertraining,” the DSTB executive officerMaj. Christopher Cox said.

Christopher Kendall, a satellitecommunication system operator withthe Extension Detachment, Co. A,DSTB, 1st Cav. Div., said that the class-room instruction was informative, actu-ally going out there and performing theconvoy exercise was a better learningexperience.

After rehearsing, it was time to puttheory into action. Cautiously, the pla-toon set out on a convoy to the MOUTsite. Doing what they were trained to do,they spotted an unidentifiable objectthat seemed out of place.

The classroom lessons came intoaction like a light switch being turnedon. The Soldiers immediately called inan explosive ordnance disposal team to

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(Photos by Pfc. Jeffrey Ledesma, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

Riding in the first Humvee, Spc. Tyler Iversen with Company A, DivisionSpecial Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division provides security with a M249during a convoy training lane at a Military Operations in Urban Terrain site innorth Fort Hood May 18.

Spc. Tyler Iversen with Company A, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1stCavalry Division, leads the way as he mans M249 on top of a Humvee duringa convoy training lane at a Military Operations in Urban Terrain site in northFort Hood May 18.See Convoy Page 5

News June 5, 2006

clear the path of what was later identifiedas an IED. Only then did they continuetheir mission through the mock city.

As the troops rolled through the dustycity streets, they came in contact, not withinsurgents, but with civilians.

Spc. Carmine Moon, a chemicaloperations specialist with Co. A, DSTB,1st Cav. Div., said that having to deal withthe aggressive behavior of the civilianswill pay off in the end because that’s whatit will be like in Iraq.

“The aggressive Iraqi civilians werehard to handle, but we knew we had to beassertive,” Kendall said. “If we weren’t,they could hold up the mission and at thatpoint they become an obstacle you have toovercome.”

Kendall said because everything sofar in the exercise had gone smoothly, heknew something was coming.

Shots rained down on the convoy asthey turned the corner, it was an ambushby acting insurgents.

“When it happened, I knew what Ihad to do and we got out of there as fast aswe could,” said Kendall. “At the time, thepossibility of getting hurt in a real convoydidn’t register with me because my mindinstantly shifted into automatic gearbecause of the training we went through.”

After the convoy rolled away clear ofdanger, Soldiers dismounted and huddledaround a sand table map of the city, madewith dirt and rocks, in one of the build-ings. They went over each step of the con-voy operation from the time they startedthe engines to the second they dismount-ed their Humvees.

Cox said, as part of the two-weekfield training exercise, “the convoythrough the mock Baghdad city wasdesigned for Soldiers to be able to makemistakes and learn from those mistakes tobecome better prepared as they get closerto deployment.”

Kendall said high-speed training likethat doesn’t happen everyday and he feelsmore prepared because of it.

ConvoyFrom Page 4

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From left to right, Spc. Christopher Kendall, Sgt. Andrew Rawlings, and Pfc.Alex Kaufmann, all with Company A, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1stCavalry Division, post up against their High-Mobility Multipurpose WheeledVehicle at a Military Operations in Urban Terrain site in north Fort Hood dur-ing a convoy lanes training exercise May 18. The convoy stopped to pickup the acting Iraqi president.


Sgt. Terry High with Company A, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1stCavalry Division attempts to keep the crowd of civilians surrounding himfrom imposing the mission at a Military Operations in Urban Terrain site innorth Fort Hood during a convoy lanes training exercise May 18.

News June 5, 2006

By Pfc. Jeffrey Ledesma1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

The warm Texas beat down on theEngagement Skills Trainer facility wherethe Soldiers split off into two separategroups. One group went over real-life sce-

narios pulled from different place such asBosnia and Somalia, while the secondstepped into a virtual urban combat worldand dealt with ‘shoot or don’t shoot’ sce-narios.

Chaplain assistants from the 1stCavalry Division joined their post-wide

counterparts for a two-day training exer-cise emphasizing close quarter counter-measures and marksmanship at variouslocations on Fort Hood May 11 and 12.

“It is great training, not only for chap-lain assistants, but for all Soldiers,” saidMaster Sgt. Lorrie Nichols, the noncom-missioned officer in charge of the FirstTeam’s chaplain’s office. “If every Soldiercould experience the stimulator it maymake them think a little differently beforeshooting the wrong person or placing otherSoldier’s lives in danger.”

Nichols said the urban combat ‘shootor don’t shoot’ techniques they learnedwere invaluable.

“The stimulator was the most realisticurban combat environment I’ve seenbesides actually being in a combat zone,”said Sgt. 1st Class Craig Gardner,

The chaplain’s operations sergeantwith Headquarters Company, 1st CavalryDivision. Combat situations flashed on thescreen in the stimulator’s arcade-like darkroom.

“In addition to attempting to shootmoving targets we had to deal with the

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Chaplain assistants zero their mock M16 rifles prior to conducting virtual urban combat scenarios at theEngagement Skills Trainer facility on Fort Hood May 11. The rifle stimulator was a part of a two-day training exer-cise emphasizing close-quarter countermeasures and marksmanship.


Spc. Phillip Barry, a chaplain assistant with 2nd Battalion, 5th CavalryRegiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, protects his act-ing chaplain, Sgt. 1st Class Craig Gardner, the chaplain’s operations ser-geant for Headquarters Company, 1st Cavalry Division during an evaluationlane May 12. See Protect Page 7

real-life scenarios, which gavethe exercise a stronger sense ofrealism,” he said. “Obviously,the people who designed itknew what they were doing.”

As dawn seeped throughthe colored mosaic glass win-dows of the Old Post Chapel onday two, the Soldiers returnedfor a one hour refresher classbefore going out to continuetheir training.

The chaplain assistantspaired up, then repetitivelywent over moving off the lineand practiced weapons reten-tion, and weapons disarmingtechniques.

Hypothetical scenarioswere conducted as the Soldierswere asked how they woulddeal with the situations. Themost challenging of the scenar-ios were the ones dealing withchildren.

“Worrying about kids in anurban combat environment issomething you have to do,”Gardner said. “One of thebiggest mistakes you can makeis harm a child, accidental ornot, it has the capability todestroy every bit of good willand trust you built from theground up in an area.”

When deployed, chaplainassistants are engaged in urbanoperations such as visiting reli-gious leaders and in some situ-ations they will be the onlysecurity that might be providedfor the chaplain. Although therewill be other Soldiers in thearea their focus is not on pro-tecting the chaplain.

“The job to protect theonly non-combatant on the bat-tlefield is completely critical tothe Army; so you must have

close combat skills,” said StaffSgt. Daniel Hill, a chaplain

assistant with HeadquartersCompany, III Corps.

“Protecting the chaplain is ourfocus.”

News June 5, 2006

ProtectFrom Page 6

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Sgt. 1st Class Craig Gardner, the chaplain’s operations sergeant for HeadquartersCompany, 1st Cavalry Division, prevents Staff Sgt. Venon Hicks, a fellow First Teamchaplain assistant, from taking his weapon by performing the barrel roll technique.

Sgt. 1st Class Craig Gardner, the operations sergeant for the 1st Cavalry Divisionchaplain’s office, strikes through Staff Sgt. Venon Hicks, a chaplain assistant withHeadquarters Company, 1st Cavalry Division, left shoulder to throw him off his cen-ter of gravity on the field in front of the Old Post Chapel during a urban combat train-ing exercise May 12.


Ironhorse June 5, 2006

By Sgt. Jon Cupp1st BCT Public Affairs

Soldiers from the 1stCavalry Division’s 1st BrigadeCombat Team will soon beexperiencing what has beenlabeled “the most realistic,most stressful” training thattroops on the ground will everface.

More than 4,500 troopsfrom Fort Hood’s 1st BrigadeCombat team departed fortraining exercises at the JointReadiness Training Center(JRTC) at Fort Polk, La.. Thetraining comes on the heels ofApril’s Ironhorse Rampageexercise which prepared thebrigade for tasks which theywould most likely perform dur-ing a future deployment to Iraq.

“During JRTC, we obvi-ously want to build on therecent Ironhorse Rampageevent,” said Maj. Pete

Andrysiak, 1st BCT executiveofficer. “We want to give ourSoldiers confidence not only inindividual skills but collectiveskills as well.”

“This is a capstone eventwhich will prepare our troopsfor any future deployments. Itplaces them in an operationalenvironment which puts stress-es on them unlike any othersthey have ever experienced inany previous exercise,”Andrysiak said.

“The goals of which are toensure that they can handle anykinds of stressful situations thatwill come their way whileoperating in the wartime envi-ronment,” he added.

Along with many standardtraining events such as combatpatrol lanes, search and attacklanes and combat convoy lanesand mortar live-fires Soldierswill also take part in realistictraining scenarios which

involve role-players represent-ing Iraqi forces, the civilianmedia, protesting crowds,insurgents, and other enemycombatants.

Soldiers will take part inseveral scenerios includingtackling the threats of terror-ism, evading and detectingimprovised explosive devices,crowd control, aiding in thetraining of Iraqi forces, human-itarian aid, community projectsfor the “Iraqi” people, rebuild-ing infrastructure and fightinginsurgents and capturingenemy combatants.

The training will culmi-nate in a brigade size force onforce experience that modelsthe entire war fighting environ-ment simulating everythingSoldiers may see on the streetsof Baghdad, from snipers toprotesters, to sites simulatingforward operations bases fromwhich U.S. units conduct their

wartime missions. JRTC training will also

give the brigade staff and itssenior leaders the tools theyneed to make better decisionsand have better command andcontrol while fighting theGlobal War on Terrorism inIraq, according to Andrysiak.Some of those tools willinvolve the employment ofinformation operations and cul-tural engagement training andinclude concepts such as theeffects based.

Many soldiers said theylook forward to the types oftraining they will experienceduring their one-month longdeployment to JRTC.

Sgt. Rodolfo Rojas, aheavy wheeled vehicle operatorfor Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 115th

Troopers Leave for Training Center

See JRTC Page 9

(Photo by Sft. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT Public Affairs)

Soldiers of the 115th Brigade Support Battalion retrieve one of their M88 Track Recovery Vehicles this week at arailhead in Fort Polk, La. prior to their beginning the Joint Readiness Training Center’s rigorous training events.

Brigade Support Battalion, has previouslydeployed to Iraq and encountered manychallenging experiences—one of whichinvolved small arms fire and a vehicle inhis convoy being destroyed by an impro-

vised explosive device. Rojas says he understands the impor-

tance of getting Soldiers trained, usingvenues such as JRTC, to prepare for a pos-sible deployment to Iraq.

“Young Soldiers involved in this needto see it as an opportunity to take advan-tage of all the training they can, especiallyif they find themselves deployed to Iraq thenear future,” said Rojas. “I guess one of thebest pieces of advice to give them would beto pay attention to your surroundings, anddon’t get complacent. That’s one of the rea-sons this training is so important.”

Pvt. Stephen Caudle, a fueler forCompany A (Distribution), 115th BrigadeSupport Battalion, has never reallydeployed to the wartime environment butsees JRTC as the opportunity to learnsomething new.

“It will definitely give me a betterunderstanding of what I’ll do when I’mdeployed, and how my platoon will worktogether if we go to war,” said Caudle.“Any opportunity I can get to learn betterways to do my job means a lot to me, espe-

cially in a time of war, when one of thosethings I learned might mean the differencebetween life or death.”

Capt. Amada Gerding, the brigade’sprovost marshal, will work detention facil-ity operations which include the detain-ment and proper treatment of capturedinsurgents during JRTC scenarios. She willalso work on Iraqi police and security forcetraining assessments.

“As we transition from U.S. to Iraqisecurity forces taking charge of more areasof responsibility in Iraq, the better off weare, and a lot of what we’ll be doing atJRTC will be our gearing up for that,” saidGerding.

Following JRTC, Andrysiak said hehopes 1st BCT troopers have the knowl-edge they need to tackle and avoid anycrises that can arise while deployed to Iraq.

“We want our Soldiers to knowthey’re well-equipped, prepared andtrained,” said Andrysiak. “The last thingyou want if your Soldier rolls out to Iraq isfor him to question whether he has every-thing he needs to be successful out there.”

Ironhorse June 5, 2006

By Spc. Sheena Reyes1st BCT Public Affairs

A year ago, Armyrecruiters from Guam madetheir annual visit to the smallisland of Palau. Staying for justa week, they gave the usualArmed Services VocationalAptitude Battery test whichlead to the enlistment of Pvt.Kayla Obeketang, a fuelerpetroleum specialist fromCompany A, 115th BrigadeSupport Battalion. Even thoughshe passed her test and hadbeen thinking about the mili-tary for quite awhile she hadmixed emotions about leavingher home.

“I wanted something betterfor myself, my family and myson but I knew that it would be

hard to leave them all,” saidObeketang. “I knew that myparents wouldn’t have beenable to afford for my collegeclasses. If I had stayed I proba-bly would’ve dropped out ofcollege and gotten a job work-ing at a little store and that’s notwhat I wanted.”

So nine months ago,Obeketang made her way to thestates with a determination tosucceed not only for her futurebut for the future of her sonwhom she had to leave inPalau.

“It’s very hard to be with-out my son but I know thatthrough the Army, I can ensurethat he has everything that heneeds. I’m thankful for that,”said Obeketang.

Being from such a small

community, Obeketangexplained some of the differ-ences she noticed coming toAmerica.

“We don’t have malls oranything in Palau and thingsare much more expensive herethan on the island,” saidObeketang. “And there are somany cultures here that you canlearn from and experience. Ienjoy my job as a fuelerbecause I enjoy working out-side instead of at a desk.”

Obeketang plans on mak-ing the Army her career, retir-ing and going back home to bewith her son and family.

“The Army has helped medevelop myself professionallyand has taught me to have themotivation and drive to getthrough hard times,” said

Obeketang. “So even though Ican’t be with my family rightnow, I know this is for the bestso it is well worth it.”

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(Photo by Spc. Sheena Reyes, 1st BCTPublic Affairs)

Pvt. Kayla Obeketang sawthe Army as a way to a bet-ter life.

JRTCFrom Page 8

(Photo by Sft. Jon Cupp, 1st BCT Public Affairs)

Sgt. John Bell of Troop Alpha, 1stBattalion, 82nd Field ArtilleryRegiment unchains a truck on atrain at the Fort Polk railhead.

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Black Jack June 5, 2006

By Spc. Robert Yde2nd BCT Public Affairs

As the Soldiers of the 2ndBrigade Combat Team, 1stCavalry Division made theirfinal preparations last week fortheir deployment to theNational Training Center atFort Irwin, Calif., they tooksome time to remember fallencomrades during an earlyMemorial Day ceremony May11.

The “Black Jack”Brigade’s main body flightsdeparts from Robert GrayArmy Airfield May 17 and will

spend the holiday deployed,returning to Fort Hood at theend of June.

After leading his Soldierson a brigade cohesion run,Black Jack’s commander, Col.Bryan Roberts spoke about thesignificance of Memorial Day.Standing in front of the FirstTeam’s Iraqi Memorial,Roberts said of our country’sservice members, “They don’tgo for glory, honor or fame.They go because they believein freedom and the commit-ment they made.”

Stressing the need forhis Soldiers to remember that

commitment, he added, “Ourfallen comrades have demon-strated that love – that is whatMemorial Day is all about.”

Roberts asked his Soldiersto kneel upon their right knee,as he and Black Jack CommandSgt. Major James Lee placed awhite wreath with the words“Never Forget” in front of themonument, which lists thenames of 168 Soldiers killedduring Operation IraqiFreedom II, 31 of which wereBlack Jack troopers.

“[Command] Sgt.Major Lee and I lay thiswreath, this decoration, to help

bring a shining light upon theirnames,” Roberts said.“Remember, as we go to theNTC … our commitment towin the fight against terrorismand finish what they started.”

Roberts said importance ofthe training that Black JackSoldiers will receive duringtheir NTC rotation over thecourse of the next month can-not be overstated.

“This is the cornerstone forour preparation for Iraq,”Roberts explained, “We will goout and be a disciplined unitthat learns and gets better everyday.”

Black Jack Remembers Comrades

2nd Brigade Combat Team commander, Col. Bryan Roberts and Command Sgt. Major James Lee take a momentof silence as the brigade observed an early Memorial Day at the division’s Operation Iraqi Freedom Memorial May11. The white wreath was placed in front of the monument by the brigade’s placard. The early observance tookplace due to the brigade’s movement to the NTC over the Memorial Day holiday.

(Photo by Spc. Robert Yde, 2nd BCT Public Affairs)


By Spc. Alexis Harrison2nd BCT Public Affairs

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - A little morethan a week separates the 1st CavalryDivision’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team’sarrival here from its journey into the train-ing area known as “The Box.” During thisperiod of time, Soldiers from the 1stBattalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment take timeto keep familiar with what could arguablybe the most important piece of equipmentthey carry – their weapons.

After eating morning chow and con-ducting personal hygiene, Soldiers fromCompany A, 1-8 Cav., gathered themselvesin a shady area to zero in the MultipleIntegrated Laser Engagement Systems gearand refresh their skills on their standard-issue M-16A2 and M-4 rifles.

“For the infantry, it’s life or death. ASoldier’s weapon is quintessential to hismission,” said Sgt. Scott Snyder, a dis-

mount team leader with Co. A, 1-8 Cav. Snyder watched as each of the

Soldiers in his team fired on the zeroingtarget about 50 meters away from them.Afterward, he made minor adjustments tothe MILES gear attached to the weapon toensure his teammates were shootingstraight.

Snyder then went through the sameprocess with his own weapon to make sureit shot straight.

“We keep in mind the fundamentals ofmarksmanship like breathing, triggersqueeze and sight picture,” said Snyder.“We perform function checks. We’re con-stantly disassembling and reassemblingour weapons. We have a lot of new privatesthat have never used weapons like thisbefore. Training like this helps with thebasic understanding of equipment. It alsohelps reinforce having faith in your equip-ment to perform when you need it to.”

“Your weapon is important because it

protects you at any given time,” said Pvt.Mathew Metter, a San Diego native who’snow a Squad Automatic Weapon gunnerwith Co. A. “You don’t necessarily evenneed to shoot it. We try to make it musclememory or second nature. It’s part of ourjob to dismantle our weapon, put it backtogether and know it inside out.”

The “Wolf Pack” Platoon still had sev-eral days before it rolled out to “The Box,”however, the Soldiers eagerly awaitedwhat challenges that lay ahead.

“When we go out to ‘The Box’, pri-vates will engage the enemy, and they’llhear the MILES gear going off,” saidSnyder. “It’s a moral booster to see thefruits of their labor.”

“Training can seem boring sometimes,but when we actually get out into the fieldand actually start our assaults it makes it allworthwhile,” said Metters. “It’s good to beback in Cali’ to get the training we need forwhen we do go back to Iraq.”

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Sgt. Scott Snyder takes aim at a zeroing target while his assistant team leader, Spc. David Schrauger, prepares tomake any adjustments to the MILES gear attached to his weapon. Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 8thCavalry Regiment, took a portion of the day May 24, to zero, and maintain their weapons before their departure forThe Box while at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.

(Photo by Spc. Alexis Harrison, 2nd BCT, Public Affairs)


By Spc. Alexis Harrison 2nd BCT Public Affairs

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - Bags werepacked and vehicles were loaded withequipment, as Soldiers said goodbye totheir families. Within days, more than3,500 troops landed in the arid Californiadesert for a month-long stay.

The 1st Cavalry Division’s 2ndBrigade Combat Team arrived at theNational Training Center in Fort IrwinMay 17.

While in California the brigade will betraining and preparing for its next possiblerotation to Iraq.

Hundreds of vehicles made the jour-ney by rail, while Soldiers with bags in towtook to the skies to arrive at their dusty des-tination.

“Everything went correctly. There

were no missing Soldiers, no missingequipment and no missing sensitive items,”said 1st Sgt. Randel Bettger, HeadquartersCompany, 2nd BCT. “This is my fourthrotation into NTC, and it’s one of thesmoothest transitions I’ve ever been a partof.”

For this rotation into the huge, deso-late training area known as “The Box”,Black Jack Soldiers will face a rotation thatwill be like none before.

The training will be using a new for-mat, which, instead of a major confronta-tional conflict, will center more onForward Operating Bases, said Sgt. MajorJames Lee, Black Jack’s senior enlistedtrooper.

This FOB-based training format willhelp familiarize soldiers with proceduresfor Iraqi deployment operations. From thenew tents being used to the updated com-puter systems and advanced communica-tion capabilities, never before has therebeen such a technological advancement inthe equipment used during an NTC rota-tion.

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment

will be role playing as the opposing forcewhile the Black Jack Brigade is in the field.

“Everybody is excited to see what the11th ACR will throw at them,” Bettgersaid, “We’ll see what happens.”

For many of the brigade’s warriors, atrip to the Mojave Desert for a month isnothing new, however, for many it meanstime away from their families.

“Sacrifice and struggle is the core tolife,” said Cpl. John Androski, a mortar-man with headquarters company, 1stBattalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment. “If Iwasn’t in the Army I’d be away on busi-ness, so it’s no big deal. My wife and Ihave to bridge the gap between us and findcommon ground. It’s tough sometimes, butshe understands.”

During their rotation at the trainingcenter the Soldiers of the Black JackBrigade will face challenges such as directand indirect fire, riots, improvised explo-sive devices, and foreign claims, over thenext several weeks as they prepare for pos-sible deployment later this year.

(Editor’s note: Cpl. Jeff Jackson con-tributed to this article.)

Black Jack Charges into NTC

A Soldier from the 2nd BrigadeCombat Team helps stake down apart of the 2nd BCT’s TacticalOperations Center May 18. Themain body of the Black Jack Brigadearrived to the National TrainingCenter at Fort Irwin, Calif., the dayprior for a month-long training exer-cise.

(Photos By Spc. Robert Yde, 2nd BCT Public Affairs)

Vehicles move down a dusty road outside Fort Irwin, Calif., on their way tothe National Training Center here. Several convoys coming off the railsfrom Fort Hood, signaled the arrival the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd BrigadeCombat Team to NTC May 17.


By Spc. Robert Yde2nd BCT Public Affairs

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Sitting in thegunner’s hatch of his Humvee, Pvt. AdrianVelazquez scans the horizon as his platoonmakes final preparations for the day’s mis-sion.

“It’s going to be a hostile environment– I’m expecting shots fired and IED’s([improvised explosive devices) on theroad,” the San Antonio native said. “Evenif there isn’t, it’s always good to be pre-pared.”

And so another day of training beginsat the National Training Center for the mil-itary police officers of the 1st CavalryDivision’s 2nd Brigade Special TroopsBattalion.

Since the “Black Jack” Brigadearrived at Forward Operating Base Detroit,the MPs have been busy.

“There have been nights where wewent to bed at 12 a.m. and were back up by3 a.m.,” explained Spc. Jon-Erik Bradford,an MP platoon driver.

However, for most of these Soldiers,the long hours are just part of the job.

“I enjoy being in the field more than inthe rear,” added Bradford, whose fatherwas also an MP in both the Army andMarine Corps.

After several days of running escortmissions and various types of lane training,May 30 marked the platoon’s first opportu-nity to plan and execute a raid mission.

“It’s a platoon size raid on Wadi AlRa’id to intercept the movement of aweapon cache,” Staff Sgt. Jeff Chovansaid, explaining the day’s mission.

The MPs convoyed for an hour and ahalf along the dusty desert roads beforereaching the outskirts of the village.

Before entering the village, a recon,which included the platoon and squad lead-ers, was sent out to survey the scene. Basedupon their observations, the MPs were ableto make adjustments to their initial planbefore converging on the village.

While Soldiers from the platoon’s 1stsquad led the raid, clearing buildings andapprehending several suspects, Soldiers

from the 2nd squad set up a detainee hold-ing area and prepared to collect evidence.

As detainees were brought in, theywere searched for contraband, briefly ques-tioned and photographed.

“We look for any kind of intel – paperswith caches written on them, as well asexplosives, weapons, or propaganda,” saidSgt. Rebekah Withers, a team leader with2nd squad.

“We photograph the search so theycan’t say that we did this or that to them,”explained Bradford, who, along with hisdriving duties also served on the crimescene investigation team.

“The CSI team is designed to come inafter a building is cleared to document thepeople and the evidence,” added Spc.Shane Allen, a 2nd squad gunner.

Anything that is taken from a detaineeis annotated on an evidence form.

“That way they can’t say we confiscat-ed something and did not give it back,”Withers said.

As the 1st squad continued to securebuilding after building, the MPs eventuallycompleted their mission, unearthing thelarge weapon cache that they had been sentto find.

“From what we’ve been told this isvery realistic to what we will be doing in

Iraq,” Chovan, the platoon sergeant, saidafter the raid.

For many of the Soldiers in Chovan’splatoon this was the first time that they hadthe chance to conduct this type of mission.

“It was a good experience of workingtogether –first time clearing buildingstogether,” said Velazquez, who has beenwith the platoon for just three months.

In the short time that he has been withthe unit, Velazquez says he has learned alot.

“They’re always on me – not becausethey don’t like me, but they want me tolearn,” he explained. “In this platoon,everybody helps you no matter what.”

“The new Soldiers are learning theway it happens,” Chovan said of hisyounger Soldiers.

Not only are his Soldiers learning theirindividual roles, but the platoon is learningto operate as a collective unit, Chovanexplained. The mission was a success, butChovan quickly pointed out that there weremany aspects that there were many aspectsthat could improved but acknowledged thattraining is all about practice, evaluationand improvement.

“Today was a great training event,”Chovan said. “Everybody got better -everybody learned something.”

NTC Offers Real-llife MP Training

Military Police Officers with the 1st Cavalry Division’s, 2nd Brigade SpecialTroops Battalion fill out and review evidence forms at a detainee holdingarea at Fort Irwin, Calif.

(Photo by Spc. Robert Yde, 2nd BCT Public Affairs)


By Staff Sgt. Kap Kim2nd BCT Public Affairs

FORT IRWIN, Calif –Sgt. Gonzalo Casarobles, asquad leader with Troop C, 4thSquadron, 9th CavalryRegiment, 2nd BrigadeCombat Team, 1st CavalryDivision, wakes up everymorning and goes one-by-oneas he checks each of hisSoldiers’ personal equipment.

The El Monte, Calif.native will check to see if theyhave all of their weapons, nightoptical devices, and enoughwater in their hydration system.He said he ensures each of hisSoldiers have everything theyneed to operate at the NationalTraining Center at Fort Irwin. Itis all a part of what his unitdoes to get ready for their dailymissions known as the pre-combat checks and pre-combatinspections.

“I have to check … tomake sure no equipment islost,” Casarobles said. “I haveto do this until it’s almost mus-cle memory – get them into thehabit of always checking theirequipment.”

After making sure hisSoldiers are OK, Casaroblesand the crew will go to theirmotor pool and start their pre-ventive maintenance checksand services.

For his driver, Pvt. JustinBlackmon, the job is to checkalmost the entire 1064A2Mortar Track Vehicle’s per-formance.

According to Blackmon,his checks include almost 100different items, and if any ofthe track’s components are notin working order, he said hewill immediately have one ofthe unit’s mechanics fix thedeficiency.

Troopers Focus on ‘Little’ Tasks Before Missions

Pvt. Justin Blackmon (left) and Pvt. Josiah Whittingham, with Troop C, 4th Squadron,9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, make suretheir 1064A2 Mortar Track Vehicle’s M67 Sight is in proper working order during theirpre-combat checks and pre-combat inspections.

(Photo by By Staff Sgt. Kap Kim, 2nd BCT Public Affairs)

Casarobles’ crew spendsalmost a couple of hours every-day inspecting all of the track’scomponents.

“We check, and then some-times we double check,”Casarobles said. “We do this sowhen we roll out, we haveeverything we need and noth-ing is breaking or falling off.”

The unit’s message of theirPCCs and PCIs resonates to thelowest level. Pvt. JosiahWhittingham, a Troop C, 4-9Cav. mortarman, said he fullyunderstands that performing thesometimes tedious task of mak-ing sure all of his sensitiveitems are “dummy corded” andthat all of the equipment isfunctional is one of the most

important tasks of the day.“It’s the little things that

count,” the Canton, N.Y. nativesaid. “Our platoon sergeantmakes us know that everythinglittle thing counts, and that wehave to know it.”

According to 2nd Lt. JuanCantu, a platoon leaderassigned to Troop C, 4-9 Cav,all the checks they performalways have mission accom-plishment in mind.

“All this is very impor-tant,” the Houston native said.“You want to make sure youdon’t forget anything when yougo to war – when you go tocombat. So you can perform themission.”

Whittingham also said the

mission is the only thing on hismind when he checks his equip-ment.

“When it comes down to it,things have to be combat ready.It eliminates the stress,”Whittingham said. “When wego to war, we need to focus onour mission and not our equip-ment. We can’t compromise themission.”

Aside from the mission,Cantu also added that force pro-tection is paramount when itcomes to the attention-to-detailchecks.

“You just can’t put time ora price on anyone’s life,” Cantusaid. “This is one of thosethings you have to train to stan-dard.”

Grey Wolf June 5, 2006

By Pfc. Ryan Stroud3rd BCT Public Affairs

FORT POLK, La. – Soldiers from the3rd Brigade Combat Team have been par-ticipating in Iraqi Cultural AwarenessTraining since their arrival to the JointReadiness Training Center April 27.

The training, which teaches Soldiersabout the customs and courtesies of theIraqi culture and country, helps prepareSoldiers for the interactions they willencounter in “the Box,” the training areawhere Soldiers will experience situationssimilar to what they would see if deployed.

“We want to win the mind and heartsof the people of Iraq, we don’t want to turnthem against us,” said the Iraqi culturaladvisor who taught the class. “That is whyI teach this class, to give a better under-standing to our Soldiers.”

The five-section course covers manyimportant issues including language, cul-ture and traditions of the Iraqi people, saidthe advisor.

The classes also teach Soldiers phras-es they can use when coming in contact

with the Iraqi people.“We teach them about basic everyday

things in Iraqi life,” she said. “We teachthe Soldiers phrases they can use whileinteracting with the Iraqi Culture.”

“We feel it’s also important to teachabout numbers so Soldiers can find addressto homes or businesses,” she added.

Another important lesson Soldiersmust learn is the interaction with familyleaders, the advisor said.

“We don’t want the Soldiers to acci-dentally disgrace the family in any way, sowe give pointers on how to approach a sit-uation with the family leader,” she said.

“These classes help the Soldiers whenthey are working a check point or whenthey are searching homes,” the advisoradded. “They can be used at any time.”

The advisor also added she felt it wasimportant to teach Soldiers about the histo-ry of Iraq and locations and sights of theIraqi landscape.

“[The Soldiers] are going into a differ-ent country and we want them to know alittle about Iraq’s past,” she said. “If theysee an old ruin, we want them to know

what that is and why it’s there, why it’simportant to the Iraqi people.”

Soldiers who attended the class alsorealize the importance of the class.

“I think we need to see more of theseclasses” said Staff Sgt. Luis Carter,Headquarters and Headquarters Company,3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion.“They are helpful and informative.”

“I enjoy taking these classes becauseyou always learn something new, they’reinteresting and they help you become moreprepared for what you might see or dealwith while in Iraq,” said Pfc. Andrea Guai,HHC, 3rd BSTB.

The advisor, who said she wasimpressed at how much impact the classeshave in a field environment, said sheenjoys teaching and working with Soldiers.

“The Soldiers are doing a major thinghelping [the Iraqi people] out,” said theadvisor. “They are sacrificing their lives togive Iraqi civilians democracy. That’s awonderful thing.”

CCuullttuurraall AAwwaarreenneessss EEdduuccaatteess SSoollddiieerrss

Staff Sgt. Luis Carter, Headquartersand Headquarters Company, 3rdBrigade Support Troops Battalion,3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1stCavalry Division, enjoys a snack ashe listens to the class on Iraqi cul-ture.

(Photos by Pfc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd BCT Public Affairs)Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, ask ques-tions to the Iraqi Culture Advisor about customs, languages and beliefs ofthe Iraqi civilization during a class at the Joint Readiness Training Center,Fort Polk, La., May 3.


By Sgt. Serena Hayden3rd BCT Public Affairs

ETOILE, Texas – After amonth-long deployment to theJoint Readiness TrainingCenter at Fort Polk, La., goinghome to family and friends wason the minds of many“Greywolf” Soldiers as theybegan redeployment opera-tions.

The morning of May 23,Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion,8th Cavalry Regiment, loadedbusses and prepared for theapproximately six-hour busride home.

However, for a group of 56Soldiers, the six-hour rideturned into 16.

After driving for aboutthree hours, the bus began tooverheat. After cooling downtwice and trying to continuehome, it finally broke downnear the town of Etoile, Texas.

The thermostat and waterpump had gone out.

The Soldiers were strand-ed – or so they thought.

“Why me? Why my luck?”were some of the thoughts Sgt.1st Class Jamie Favreau saidcrossed his mind as the busbroke down — until he and theSoldiers met Lori Maner, anEtoile resident who turned theunfortunate breakdown into ablessing in disguise.

Shortly after the bus brokedown, Maner walked outsideher house and noticed thegroup of Soldiers.

Little did the Soldiersknow, they were a blessing indisguise for her, too.

Easter Sunday, Maner’s19-year-old son, Kody, waskilled in a car accident close towhere the bus broke down. He

was a commissioned fire fight-er, working with the Etoile FireDepartment.

“My son was a hero and soare each and every one of [theSoldiers],” Maner said. “Itmade me feel like my son sentme 56 hugs.”

Introducing herself, Maneroffered to help the Soldiers ifthey could make it a few moremiles to the Etoile fire station.

“I knew if I could get themthere, I could get them home,”Maner said.

After the Soldiers arrivedat the fire station, RichardLenius, Kody’s boss, andKevin Holden, a fire-fighter,began arranging for a new busand coordinating with the localelementary school so theSoldiers could feel more com-fortable, more at home.

The Soldiers were trans-ported on the town’s school busfrom the fire station to theschool. It took three trips tomove the Soldiers and all theirgear.

With their rucksacks andweapons, the Soldiers filed intothe school cafeteria.

The Soldiers spent the dayinteracting with the students –playing football, teaching themabout the Army and helpingteachers pack their classroomsfor the end of the school year.

Meanwhile, Maner, theLadies Auxiliary Club andother members of the commu-nity met at the fire station tomake a home-cooked meal forthe Soldiers.

They brought the food tothe school and served it in thecafeteria line.

“They made us feel athome. The town opened uptheir arms for all of us,”

Favreau said as he braggedabout the spaghetti, peach cob-bler and cakes the town provid-ed for them. “It overwhelmedme that people would do thatfor so many of us.”

Although it overwhelmedFavreau and the other Soldiers,the citizens of Etoile said theydidn’t think they were doinganything unusual.

“[The Soldiers] take careof us, why shouldn’t we takecare of them?” Maner said.“There is no way any of uscould turn our backs on them.”

“These guys serve for usevery day,” Lenius said. “It wasjust a pleasure to be able to help

out.” After about six hours, the

new bus arrived and theSoldiers continued their jour-ney home.

For both the Soldiers andthe citizens of Etoile, Texas, itwas a memorable day.

Since the Soldiers left,Lenius said his 10-year-old sonhas been planning his militarycareer and studying theSoldiers’ manual he was given.

“I’ll never forget them,”Favreau said. “I will never for-get the people of that town. Ifthere is any place to breakdown, it’s definitely Etoile,Texas.”

BBrrookkee-ddoowwnn BBuuss……

CCoommmmuunniittyy OOppeennss AArrmmss ttoo SSoollddiieerrss

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rdBrigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, are serveda home-cooked meal made after their bus broke down inEtoile, Texas, May 23.

(Photo by Sgt. Serena Hayden, 3rd BCT Public Affairs)

ed to help make peace in the village. Theyworked side-by-side with the Iraqi Policeand Iraqi Army.

Just then, explosions from IEDs androcket propelled grenades started to go off.The townspeople screamed, scrambledaway and took cover wherever they could.Shots were fried and the Soldiers tookaction, returning fire in the direction oftheir attackers.

Soldiers moved through the villagesearching buildings and vehicles for anyother possible enemy while others tendedto the wounded. Injured Soldiers andIraqis were evacuated to a safe zone wherethey could be treated.

Interpreters with the unit were speak-ing in Arabic, trying to find out informa-tion from the villagers. The Soldiersmoved quickly to help the interpreters whowere in need of assistance.

After re-establishing peace in conjunc-tion with Iraqi forces, the mission endedand the Soldiers continued their learningprocess through an after action review.

During the AAR, Maj. John Van Hook,JRTC Combat Service Support and observ-

er controller for the lane, said the Soldiersworked well and he was proud.

“The guys did great. I am verypleased with their action through the lane,”said Van Hook. “They defeated five snipersthat were hidden in the village. Because oftheir actions, they couldn’t be defeated.

“Out of all the units that I have seencome through, these guys were the secondbest unit out of all of them, and I’ve seen alot,” Van Hook added.

After the training was complete,

Soldiers gathered back into the vehicles,talking about the experiences they just hadand how real they felt.

“It’s the most realistic I have everseen,” said Spc. Robert Gamet, Co. A, 2-82FA. “I was at JRTC two years ago and it’seven more realistic and better now.”

It was a different feeling to be hit byan explosive device and to be knocked outof the scenario, he said, but all of theSoldiers learned from the experience andwill be better prepared and ready for thenext time.

For those who have been to Iraq inpast deployments, the lane was a reminderof what things were like at time overseas.For those who have not deployed, it was awake up call, said McGee

“I feel it was good training for thosewho have never been to Iraq,” said McGee.“It gave those Soldiers a chance to see lifeover there. It gave them a better insight.

“The training was very useful. It evengave the new leadership a good amount oftraining and learning. Some of them wereleading for the first time and stepped up tothe challenge,” he said.

“With this training, it makes me morecomfortable to take the newer guys to Iraqwith us,” said Garnet. “Now they haveseen what problems they might have toface and deal with. We all now know whatwe have to do.”


ConvoyFrom Page 1

Soldiers of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, pull their HMMWV off the road to secu-rity for a possible attack and to provide a secure lane for passing vehiclesat the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.

(Photos by Pfc. Ryan Stroud, 3rd BCT Public Affairs)

Soldiers from C Troop, 6th Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, along with members of the Iraqi Army, try to calm citizensafter a vehicle born improvised explosive device detonates in the village ofMosalah, May 9 during the Combat Logistics Patrol lane at the JointReadiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La.

Hostile Villagers, IEDs Test Soldiers’ Skills


By Pfc. Ben Fox3rd BCT Public Affairs

FORT POLK, La. – The Soldierslocked and loaded live rounds. There wereno range fans. The area of fire was wherev-er the “enemy” was. This was as real as itcould get, but it wasn’t real.

The Soldiers of the 3rd BrigadeCombat Team Personal SecurityDetachment, 1st Cavalry Division, con-ducted a convoy live-fire exercise toenhance their warrior skills during theBrigade’s Joint Readiness Training Centerrotation at Fort Polk, La.

“The more you do it [train], the moreit becomes instinct,” said Cpl. DanielLopez, a PSD team leader.

The range had a 360 degree range-of-fire to make the scenarios as realistic aspossible. The lane also had advancedpyrotechnics and pneumatic machine gunsto simulate incoming enemy fire.

Vehicle born improvised explosivedevices, “enemy” contact left and right, airsupport and casualty evacuations were allintegrated into scenarios within the course.

Spc. Clarence Spencer said this wasthe first convoy live-fire exercise he hadbeen on and it helped him to identify whathe needs to work on as a Soldier.

Lopez said the lane taught him that

even though the team started with a plan ofaction, they had to improvise based ontheir situations. The team was placed inchaotic situations to see how they wouldreact.

In one scenario, a vehicle broke downand had to be towed out of the kill zone,causing the convoy to stop and pull securi-

ty while they worked on the vehicle.Combat Patrol, Search and Attack, and

Area Reconnaissance lanes were also con-ducted during Grey Wolf’s deployment toJRTC.

SSeeccuurriittyy DDeettaacchhmmeenntt CCoonndduuccttss LLiivvee FFiirree

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division evacuatea “casualty” from the battle field at a convoy live-fire range at the JointReadiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La. The live-fire exercise had a 360degree range fan, making the experience as realistic as possible.

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division pull secu-rity while other members of their unit evacuate a “casualty” from the battlefield at a convoy live-fire range at the Joint Readiness Training Center, FortPolk, La.

(Photos by Pfc. Ben Fox, 3rd BCT Public Affairs)

Soldiers from the 3rd BrigadeCombat Team receive “enemy” fireat the convoy live fire range at theJoint Readiness Training Center,Fort Polk, La. The range includedadvanced pyrotechnics to simulatean actual battlefield experience.

Long Knife June 5, 2006

By Sgt. Paula Taylor4th BCT Public Affairs

FORT BLISS, Texas – What could besafer than rolling across the battlefield in asteel tank? How about being able to fire aremote weapon system from inside thetank without the gunner hatch open?

For members of Company D, 2ndBattalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, this sys-tem has arrived. It’s called the CommonRemotely Operated Weapons Station. The2-12 Cavalry is the first unit in the U.S. tohave this system and is the only unit in theworld to have it mounted on Abrams tanks.

“The CROWS mount on the tankgives an urban advantage so the tank com-mander doesn’t have to stick out of thehatch,” said 2nd Lt. Sean Henley, a platoonleader with Co. D, 2-12 Cavalry.

Improved safety is a major feature ofthe new weapon mounting system. Itallows a tank commander remain inside thetank, permitting him to see more of what’sgoing on inside the turret, said Staff Sgt.

Zachary Balancier, a tank commander with2-12 Cav. By being inside the tank, a tankcommander can watch their gunner andloader and communicate with them direct-ly versus relying solely on the intercomsystem, he added.

Another benefit of the CROWS sys-tem is its accuracy.

“You can put the first four or fiverounds on target versus the old systemwhere you had to walk your rounds into thetarget,” Balancier said.

To keep the weapon steady and assistwith accuracy, the system has two axis-sta-bilized mounts. It also has a sensor suiteand fire control software to allow on-the-move target acquisition and first-burst tar-get engagement. The sensor suite permitstarget engagements under day and nightconditions and includes a daytime videocamera, a thermal weapon sight and laserrange finder.

“The laser range finder sends a signalout and back to the CROWS, which allowsa good ballistic solution and range to tar-

get,” said Henley. “It uses a joystick tomaneuver left and right. You can also zoomin and out to see the targets.”

Ceramic plating is used to protect theCROWS from 7.62 mm rounds and blastsfrom improvised explosive devices,Henley said.

In addition to being accurate anddurable, Henley said the new system canhold five times as many 50-calibermachine gun rounds as the old system.

CROWS can also support are theMK19 grenade launcher, M249 semi-auto-matic weapon and the M240B machinegun.

“There are units in Iraq that have theCROWS mounted on HMMWVs, but ourunit is the only one to field it on theAbrams tanks,” said Balancier. “Thedesigners are taking a lot of feedback fromus in this gunnery. They are going to use usto set the standards for the other tanks thatget the CROWS system.”

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CCaavvaallrryy FFiirreess TTaannkk-mmoouunntteedd CCRROOWWSS

Staff Sgt. Zachary Balancier, range safety officer with 2nd Battalion, 12thCavalry Regiment, climbs atop an Abrams tank at Doña Ana Range after itscrew completed their gunnery. Balancier is checking to ensure theweapons systems are clear before allowing the tank to leave the range atFort Bliss, Texas.

(Photos by Sgt. Paula Taylor, 4th BCT Public Affairs)

An Abrams tank crewman inCompany C, 2-12 Cavalry fires a 50-caliber machine gun during gunnerytraining on Doña Ana Range at FortBliss, Texas. One of the weaponssystems being fired for the first timeat the range is the CROWS system.

Long Knife June 5, 2006

“Long Knife” Hones Planning Skills at NTCBy Maj. Roderick R. Cunningham4th BCT Public Affairs Officer

“We are what we repeatedly do.Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but ahabit.” — Aristotle

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Commandersand staff from the 4th Brigade CombatTeam, 1st Cavalry Division varied theirstandard collective training regimen ofoperation planning, assault drills and houseclearing at Fort Bliss by participating in aLeadership Training Program, 14-22 May.

Brigade leadership received instruc-tion and critique during a nine-day deploy-ment to the National Training Center[NTC] at Fort Irwin to prepare for anupcoming NTC rotation in August andfuture deployment.

The mission of the LeadershipTraining Program is to simultaneouslycoach, teach, and mentor brigade staffs,battalion staffs and company commandersin order to set conditions for their NTCrotation, to support time-constrained mis-sion planning and trends reversal, saidMaj. Scott Patton, Leadership TrainingProgram Chief.

LTP focus is to maximize time con-strained military decision-making process[MDMP], train integrated staffs withoutthe friction of actual combat situations, andfocus on baseline doctrine and “best prac-tices from theatre”, said Patton.

We also attempt to reverse trends fromIraq and Afghanistan, set the conditions fora successful NTC rotation and deploymentto Operation Iraqi Freedom/OperationEnduring Freedom, and build the team, hesaid.

“As the movement officer of this oper-ation, I quickly became aware of the inher-ent challenges of deploying the brigade’sstaff and equipment,” said CPT WilliamHamilton, Brigade Assistant S3.

“This is a great experience, it allowedthe staff to integrate and develop as a teamand allow us to create new standard operat-ing procedures [SOP] and validate our cur-rent SOPs,” he said.

The staff received several classes onsubjects such as cultural awareness, joint

effects, improvised explosive devices,logistics management, trends in NTC andIraq, targeting, understanding the enemy,and IED prevention to name a few.

The staff faced multiple challengesthroughout the nine-day exercise. Theyworked 18-hour days conducting severalstaff battle drills, accelerated MDMP,orders preparation, battle tracking, com-bined arms rehearsal, combat service sup-port rehearsal, and conducted a recon ofthe battle space within NTC.

“This exercise allowed us to come outof the crawl phase and enter the walk phaseas a staff. It allowed the battalions andbrigade to have better internal and externalconnectivity,” said CPT Brian Bauer,Bravo Company, Special Troops Battalion.

“Brigade can’t communicate withoutmy unit’s Enhanced Position LocationRadio System [EPLAR] and Re-transmis-

sion assets,” he said. “This experiencesolidified my role within the brigade.”

The Leadership Training Program cul-minates with the battalions’ and brigade’sleadership and staff conducting combatoperations using the Joint Combined ArmsTraining System. The computer systemfights the battle digitally forcing the unit’sleadership to respond to various scenarios.

Following the JCATS combat opera-tions the LTP coaches conduct an all inclu-sive after action review, flushing out theshortcomings and success of the LongKnife Brigade.

“Overall training provided by the LTPstaff solidified my staff operating process-es, as well as, upper and lower coordina-tion,” said LTC David Whitaker, 27Brigade Support Battalion Commander.“This experience was absolutely worth thetime and effort, invaluable,” he said.

Major Richard Root, 4th Brigade Combat Team intelligence officer, briefsthe enemy situation to the 4th BCT commander using a sand table, a repli-cation of the battle space for the Combined Arms Rehearsal at theLeadership Training Program on Fort Irwin, May 20.

(Photo by Maj. Roderick R. Cunningham, 4th BCT Public Affairs)

Warrior June 5, 2006

By Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins1st ACB Public Affairs

The convoy had made itmore than halfway through itsjourney with no incidents, butthat was about to change.

With increasing insurgentactivity in the area surroundingthe forward operating base, theSoldiers were on high alert.

Upon heading back to theFOB, the forward air supportfails to see some insurgentshiding in wait for theconvoy.The insurgents wait toattack until the last vehiclemakes its way through theirpath. They attack it with feroc-ity and kill everyone.

The other vehicles hear theattack, but what should theydo? What do you do?

These are some of the

questions that should beanswered in training beforeunits head “down range” toIraq. Training scenarios likethis one, are all part of deploy-ment preparations for theSoldiers of Headquarters andHeadquarters Company, 1st AirCavalry Brigade, 1st CavalryDivision.

The morning of May 12was the beginning of convoyoperations training for the sol-diers, headed up by instructorsSgt. 1st Class Noe Barrera, the1st ACB supply noncommis-sioned-officer-in-charge, andSgt. 1st Class Mark Jackson,the brigade’s senior humanresources manager.

The initial training theSoldiers receive is very basic,considered the crawl phase,with more intense and complex

training slated for the nearfuture, said Barrera.

The training included sim-ulated air support, communica-tions, battle drills, weaponsclearing procedures for forwardoperating bases and more, saidJackson.

The crawl phase is basical-ly a starting point for the newSoldier who hasn’t beendeployed yet and a refresher forthose who have alreadydeployed, said Barrera.

This training stressed situ-ational awareness and commu-nication skills between the tac-tical operations center, the airsupport and within the convoyitself, said Jackson.

“The Soldiers were veryreceptive to the training theyreceived. Everyone took thesimulation seriously,” said

Jackson. “This training lets you get

a feel for what it’s really like tohave more than one vehiclecommunicating between eachother at the same time,” saidSpc. Heriberto Rodriguez, from1st ACB operations.“Communication is key whilein a real convoy,”

Rodriguez has alreadydeployed to Iraq with his previ-ous unit. Even though he hadalready been in live convoys,Rodriguez said he found thetraining beneficial.

Pvt. Nichell Sauls, anintelligence analyst for thebrigade, has only been in theArmy for one year and has notdeployed yet.

“This training is actuallypretty fun,” said Sauls. “Thelast time I received any convoytraining was in basic trainingand it was very brief. Thistraining was great because Iknow how to communicatewith the rest of the convoy.”

“These training activitiesnurture confidence in the indi-viduals so that they becomebetter Soldiers,” said Barrera.“I would rather the Soldiersmake wrong decisions now,while we are training, than lateron when we get down range.”

Although the crawl phaseof convoy training is over, thewalk and run phases are fast onthe Soldiers’ heels. The nexttwo phases will test theSoldiers more and better pre-pare them for Iraq, saidBarrera.

The 1st Air CavalryBrigade is one of two brigadeelements in the 1st CavalryDivision currently on deploy-ment orders. They are sched-uled to deploy sometime in latesummer.

Before You Can Walk …

Aviation Troops Crawl Through Convoy Training

Pfc. Teofilo Lumabao, an operations Soldier from Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, heads out in a light mediumtactical vehicle as a part of a convoy operations training mission May 12 on FortHood. Soldiers received training on how to react to improvised explosive devices,blocked routes and disabled vehicles.

(Photo by Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins, 1st ACB Public Affairs)


By Sgt. Robert J. Strain1st ACB Public Affairs

For 35 students from Belton’s WaskoHigh School, a well deserved break meantputting in some hard work with membersof the 3rd Battalion, 227th AviationRegiment of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade,1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood’sLeadership Reaction Course May 18.

It was a well deserved break from theday-to-day routine of classes, said WayneCummings, the Communities-in-Schoolmanager for the high school.

But it wasn’t all fun and games.According to Cummings, the students must

have points in leadership in order to gradu-ate – and completing the LRC is one wayto earn those points.

For the Soldiers of the 3-227th, as wellas Fort Hood, it was a way to show the sur-rounding communities some of the thingsSoldiers do, said Lt. Col. Michael Shenk,the commander of the 3-227th. “It’s a wayto break down the fences between us.”

In addition to building good relationswith the surrounding communities, theinteraction builds foundations for recruit-ing future Soldiers into the Army, said 1stLt. Samuel Wilbourn, the officer in chargeof the course.

It has been two or three years since the

school had been through the LRC, andthere were one or two students that havedone it before, explained Cummings.

“They’re learning the meaning ofbeing a team player, and how to work as ateam,” said Cummings. “They don’t knowit, but they are learning a little about lead-ing too.”

The course, which was run by volun-teers from the 3-227th, is designed so thatan obstacle cannot be completed alone, thestudents are given an obstacle and someitems with which to cross the obstacle, and

Aviators Help Students Build Leadership

Wasko High School junior Jessica Kilgore slips into the water after the boards supporting her collapse at FortHood’s Leadership Reaction Course May 18. The goal for Kilgore and her team is too cross the obstacle withouttouching the water or anything painted red.

(Photo by Sgt. Robert J. Strain, 1st ACB Public Affairs)

See Students Page 23


it is up to them to figure out how. One of the school’s seniors

has been looking forward to com-pleting the course since his brothercame home talking about it the lasttime the school was here.

“I’ve been looking forward tothis for a while,” said JonathanAbshier.

All of the obstacles completedby the students had water under-neath them to add to the difficulty.

The murky green water didn’tbother the students too much, how-ever.

“A day like today – you justwant to get in the water,” saidAbshier, referring to the warmtemperatures and clear skies.

StudentsFrom Page 22 (Right)

Three students from Wasko HighSchool in Belton demonstratetheir ability to work together andattempt to hoist the crate to thetop of the wall at the LeadershipReaction Course on Fort Hood.About 35 students from the highschool negotiated the courseMay 18 while learning about lead-ership and working as a team.

(Below)Janette Curtis, a senior at WaskoHigh School in Belton, checksout a M-4 carbine rifle during abreak from the LeadershipReaction Course May 18 on FortHood. About 35 students fromthe high school came out to thecourse to build teamwork andleadership skills.

(Photo by Sgt. Robert J. Strain, 1st ACB Public Affairs)


By Sgt. Robert J. Strain1st ACB Public Affairs

Soldiers from the 1st Air CavalryBrigade’s 1st Battalion, 227th AviationRegiment recently got a chance to train upon their skills – both flying and groundskills.

The 1-227th Soldiers participated in afield training exercise with the 1st CavalryDivision’s 1st Brigade Combat Team to pre-pare the 1-277th for their rotation to the JointReadiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.,and later for their deployment to Iraq.

The training focused around the dis-mounted operations, which are operationsoutside of the battalion’s flight duties, suchas convoy skills, weapons training, culturalawareness and media interaction.

“Every single Soldier is going to beaffected by Iraqi culture,” said Lt. Col.Christopher Walach, the 1-227th command-er. “Every Soldier needs to know how torespond and talk to the media in their lane.”

“We went out there for the sole purposeof honing our skills on the dismounted sideand forward operating base operations as wewere working with the ground brigade,”Walach said.

The battalion’s Soldiers tried to doeverything as closely as possible to futuremissions, including being set up near aground brigade, such as the 1st BCT, Walachsaid.

“It was a model of what we’re going todo in Iraq,” he added.

While Soldiers trained on operations onthe ground, pilots took to the air, flying sev-eral types of missions.

The pilots flew convoy escorts, aerialreconnaissance and attack missions, saidCapt. Ryan Welch, an AH-64D ApacheLongbow helicopter pilot and commander ofCompany B of 1-227th.

“Any time we get to work with groundunits, it’s an added benefit for aircrews andthe ground personnel,” Welch said. “Becausewhen it comes down to it, we are always thesupporting effort for the ground troops.”

“The familiarity and the brotherhoodthat you build between air and groundstrengthens your combat capability,” Welchsaid.

““FFiirrsstt AAttttaacckk”” PPrreeppaarreess FFoorr JJRRTTCC

(Photo by Brent Green, Round Rock Express)

Cpt. Ovid Villarreal, Jr., 1st Battalion 82nd Field ArtilleryRegiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, throws the firstpitch before the Round Rock Express home game, May 31 atRound Rock, Texas. The pitch, an inside corner strike to aright-handed batter, didn’t help the Houston Astros Triple-Aclub in their loss to the Memphis Redbirds.

Strike


By Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins1st ACB Public Affairs

With an upbeat tempo to her walk, Pfc.Kimberly Taylor brightens people’s liveseverywhere she goes. This same attitudeflows over into her talent for singing.

“I’m humble, but I’m ambitious andI’m energetic,” said Taylor, a signal sup-port systems specialist from HeadquartersSupport Company, 615th Aviation SupportBattalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade,1stCavalry Division. “I know I have what ittakes to do whatever needs to be done toaccomplish any mission, and inspirewhomever, whenever.”

After attending five different highschools as a “regular adopted kid,” Taylorgraduated and joined the Army right away.With the war on terror raging, a quiet life inher home town of Shreveport, Louisiana,would have been easier. However, Taylorsaid she chose to join the Army becausesomething deep down inside inspired herto do so.

“I had dreams about being in theArmy,” she said. “I wanted to give it every-thing I had.”

Growing up singing since she wasseven years old, 12 years later she is still atit and going stronger than ever.

“I write songs, I make music,” saidTaylor. “It’s what I do.”

Taylor was not shy about her goalseither. With the First Team being her firstassignment, it didn’t take long for her toaudition for the 1st Cavalry Division Band.

“My NCO told me that the 1st Cav.Band was at the Warrior Way PX,” shesaid. “I went there and sung for them onthe spot.”

In no time at all Taylor had set up anaudition. She sang for Chief WarrantOfficer Three Glen Nardin, the 1st CavalryDivision Band commander, and walkedaway with an acceptance letter.

“I was walking around with a bigKool-Aid smile that day,” she said.

With her new assignment coming upwithin the week, Taylor is still lookingtowards her other goals.

“I do plan on joining the Soldier

Show,” Taylor said. “I really, really want todo that before I get out of the Army.”Taylor’s said her ultimate goal is tobecome a contemporary Gospel artist.

Taylor said being a part of the FirstTeam has inspired her. Taylor said she hasenjoyed her experience since being hereand likes being part of such a legendarydivision.

“There is something special aboutbeing in the Cav,” she said. “It’s like theyhave so much support, so much love fortheir Soldiers.”

With a possible upcoming deploy-ment, Taylor hopes that sharing her talentswhile over in Iraq will help the morale ofmany Soldiers.

“To think that you can be in front of allthose Soldiers that are in Iraq, in the heat,working on guard shifts for hours, that youcan change their mood just by getting upthere – doing what you love, what you’regood at – is a great feeling,” said Taylor.

Well on her way to accomplishing hergoals, Taylor is not selfish or arrogant.

Actually, she is quite the opposite. Taylorsaid she plans on spreading her joy with therest of the Soldiers she comes in contactwith and the people she meets beyond theArmy.

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Pfc. Kimberly Taylor is a signal support systems specialist withHeadquarters Support Company, 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st AirCavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

(Photo by Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins, 1st ACB Public Affairs)

People June 5, 2006

By Spc. Joshua McPhie1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

When he first joined the Army, Sgt.Paul Baker saw the military as a way to getsome money. Now he said he sees it as acareer.

Before Baker enlisted in the Army hewas a poor college student attendingNavarro Jr. College near Corsicana, Texasand studying to be an English teacher.After a few years of college he realized hecouldn’t afford to get married.

“Originally I came in the Armybecause I wanted to get married,” he said.“We couldn’t get married because I didn’thave any income.”

Baker started his Army career workingin a post office and discovered that he likedArmy life. He later changed jobs, and nowworks for the systems automation section1st Cavalry Division’s headquarter.

Now after three reenlistments and 10years in the Army, the 33-year-oldRiverside, Texas native said he likes beinga Soldier and doesn’t see any reason to getout.

“If I didn’t like my job I wouldn’t stayin,” he said. “You’ve got to look at the pos-itive. There’s fun somewhere in your job,you’ve just got to know where to look. Ifyou’re not having fun, then the military is

not for you.”He said he sees the military not only as

something fun but as a good way to support

his family. He not only has a good job andmarketable skills, he has also been marriedfor ten years.

“The military has given me everythingI have,” he said.

Baker and his wife, Julie, have fourchildren, ranging from ages 10 to eightmonths. He said Army life has exposedthem to diversity.

“We’ve been all over the world andseen just about anything you can imagine,”he said.

With at least another decade to go inthe Army, Baker still has a few places hewould like to go.

“I wouldn’t mind going back toGermany again,” he said. He also said hewould like to go to Fort Lewis, Wash. “Ifigure I’ve got Washington D.C., so I mightas well go to the other side of the country.”

Even though it is still years away,Baker is looking at ways the Army willcontinue to help him when he gets out. Oneprogram that interests him is Troops toTeachers, but he hopes he won’t need it.

“Hopefully, by the time I get out of theArmy I’ll have my degree,” he said.

Baker still carries the dream of teach-ing although he is now considering teach-ing computers instead of English.

“I want to teach something,” he said.“I’ll probably teach what I know.”

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Sgt. Paul Baker, a software analystwith the 1st Cavalry Division’s sys-tems automation section, initiallyjoined the Army to be able to afford awedding. A decade later, he nowlooks forward to another decade ofservice.

(Photo by Spc. Joshua McPhie, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

Thanks

(Photo by Sgt. Colby Hauser, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

Wendy Fil, the first lady ofthe 1st Cavalry Division,presents a certificate ofappreciation to KestinJoslin, for the Fort HoodThrift Shop’s donation of$2000 to the 1st CavalryDivision Layette Volun-teers Program May 17.The Layette programdelivers a gift bag to eachFirst Team baby born atDarnell Army CommunityCenter.

People June 5, 2006

By Sgt. Colby Hauser1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

A long time ago, in a townfar from Fort Hood, a quiet pro-fessional was born. Like manyyoung Americans, the Armywas an answer to a calling anda solution to an age old prob-lem.

“I wanted to serve mycountry,” Master Sgt. CraigColeman, the 1st CavalryDivision’s information opera-tions noncommissioned officerin charge, said.

“But, I also didn’t want toend up in a dead end town witha dead end job,” he added.

For over 13 years Colemanhas reaped the rewards of oneof the Army’s most unusual but

critical professions.“When I went to the

recruiter, he showed me a filmof PSYOPS [psychologicaloperations] in the field and said‘these guys mess with people’sheads,’” he said.

“So I figured that’s theplace for me,” Coleman added.

It also afforded him otherunusual opportunities, likejumping out of planes.

“I really wanted to goAirborne, so it was a good fit,”he said.

Upon joining the ranks,Coleman began the quest ofbecoming a part of one of thespecial operations trinity. Thishas afforded him many oppor-tunities to deploy and practicehis craft.

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Master Sgt. Craig Coleman, a native of Waverly, N.Y., is the 1st Cavalry Division’s information operations noncom-missioned officer in charge. As a psychological operations planner, Coleman is responsible for providing PsyOpsplanning for the division.

(Photo by Sgt. Colby Hauser, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

From Joint Task ForceAssured Response, which pro-vided emergency evacuation ofthe American Embassy inLiberia, to Operation EnduringFreedom in the Philippines, hehas put his skills to work, wag-ing the information war inevery environment around theworld.

“They [the public] thinkeverything happened inAfghanistan but it didn’t,” hesaid.

Still, Coleman said hisfavorite operation was one ofgreater importance, though notwell known.

“When I was with SpecialOperations Command, Pacific,East Timor was separating fromIndonesia,” he said.

Coleman said whiledeployed, he was able to con-ceptualize, plan, implement andsee the mission all the waythrough to the country’s firstdemocratic election.

“The programs we hadstarted were taking place on tel-evision and radio,” he said. “Tosee something I had plannedfrom start to finish felt prettygood.”

Now, Coleman is preparingfor yet another deployment. Andso this quiet professional beginsagain the process of waging aninformation war.

“PsyOps products, if usedcorrectly and in a timely man-ner, are a lifesaver for both ourside and the enemy’s side,” hesaid. “That’s why I serve.”

People June 5, 2006


“Sexual Assault is not onlyan individual’s problem, but itquickly becomes a readinessissue,” said Sgt. 1st ClassCeletia Carroll, the 1st CavalryDivision’s Sexual AssaultResponse Coordinator.

Luckily, the division has inplace a team of Soldiers andcivilians to help prevent, dealwith, and overcome the effectsof sexual assault through theSexual Assault Prevention andResponse Program.

“Coming up in the ranks,I’ve seen so much of it,”Carroll said. “I’ve watchedpeople allow incidents to gounreported because they didnot know what services wereavailable to them or they weretoo embarrassed to do any-thing.”

A key in the fight againstsexual assault starts withawareness and education. Oneof SAPRP’s prime purposes isto educate Soldiers about sexu-al assault and the agenciesavailable to assist them.

Sexual assault training isnow a quarterly trainingrequirement to re-emphasizesimply things such as keepingdoors locked, being aware ofyour surroundings, and payingattention to what you drink andhow much you drink, becausealthough some of the thingsmay seem obvious, often peo-ple suppress their instincts andlet their guard down, sheadded.

“Classes are designed toinstill the ability to possiblyrecognize signs before thingsget to the point of a sexualassault,” she said. “In the class-room we are trying to get awayfrom basic slide show presenta-

tions and get soldiers moreinvolved by performing skits toget a better understanding.”

In addition, each brigadehas an assigned deployableSARC and conducts leadershiptraining in an ExecutiveSeminar.

Carroll said there is aSexual Assault segment in theExecutive Seminar that pro-vides leadership with an aware-ness of the program, preventivemeasures, reporting proceduresand basic guidelines of what todo when an incident is report-ed. The seminars also empha-size ways to avoid re-victimiz-ing the victim.

One of the major purposesof the program is to get victimsto come forth and reportassaults and to obtain the helpthey need, she said.

SAPRP offers two ways toreport an incident of sexualassault, restricted and unre-stricted reporting. Restrictedreporting allows victims toconfidentially disclose thedetails of the assault to theSARC or a health provider, andbe able to receive medicaltreatment, counseling, and vic-tim advocacy without prompt-ing an official investigation.Even though a victim maychose restricted reporting, theymay elect to switch to unre-stricted reporting at anytime.

“It’s important for victimsto know someone is there tohelp see them through to theend,” she said. “We don’t makedecisions for them, all we do ismake their options known andlet them tell us what they wantto do.”

Besides getting medicalattention for the victims, victimadvocates also point them inthe right direction to deal withpsychological issues through

social work services and chap-lains.

“A big part of recovery forsexual assault victims is to beable to gain some means ofself-determination,” Maj. JasonDuckworth, the deputy divisionchaplain, said. “It is veryimportant for victims of sexualassault to take back the controlin their lives and to do that theyneed to be self-driven.”

Serving two main func-tions in dealing with the after-math of sexual assault inci-dences, the chaplain officeoffers counseling and refersvictims to other resources.

“When sexual assault hap-pens a victim is more than like-ly to be physically, emotionallyand spiritually effected by theoccurrence and counselinghelps address all those issues,”Duckworth said.

FFiirrsstt TTeeaamm FFiigghhttss AAggaaiinnsstt SSeexxuuaall AAssssaauulltt“You don’t fix sexual

assault issues in five minutes,”he said. “The ultimate or ideallong range goal is to transforma victim into a survivor andthen into a thriver – someonewho thrives for life.”

In addition to the counsel-ing services, chaplains are agood source of references toother services such as legal.

“Depending on the severityof what has occurred a fullrange of actions are available,from no action to adverseadministration action to a court-martial.” Capt. Daniel Everett,a 1st Cavalry Division seniortrial counsel, said.

Everett said if a crime issubstantiated, a command willlikely pursue punitive actionsand that the facts and circum-stances determine what theproper charge should be.

People June 5, 2006


The Texas sun settled down to a dimorange glow. With the wind whistlingthrough the flags that lined the edges of thetrack, a torch was passed and used to lightthe Greek pillar signifying the start of thegames. Athletes from 12 central Texascounties were introduced as an echo ofcheering followed.

Spc. Jonte Scott, the BetterOpportunity for Single Soldiers representa-tive with Headquarters Company, DivisionSpecial Troops Battalion, 1st CavalryDivision exchanged her free time for thesatisfaction of volunteering at the Area 12Texas Special Olympics May 5 and 6.

“It’s important for the Army to be hereto show Soldiers care about the surround-ing communities,” Scott said.

Scott held the flag from the VirginIslands on the first day during the openingceremony. As she marched out onto thetrack she heard some of the excited athletesclaim the different flags as where they

were from, which brought a smile to herface, Scott said.

Judy Kilpatrick, the director of theArea 12 Texas Special Olympics, saidwatching the flags blow in the wind andhearing the audience cheer as the athleteswalked down the track made the openingceremony one of her favorite parts of thewhole 2-day event.

On the second day of activities, Scottwas cheering on the sidelines and assistingin the awards ceremonies.

Taking time to cheer for the athleteswasn’t hard for this former high schoolcheerleader.

“Volunteering my time is worth thesmiles on their faces when they get theirshinning moment,” Scott said. “It’s inspir-ing to watch all the hard work these ath-letes put in pay off in the end as they standon the podium to receive their medals.”

She said when she wasn’t placing amedal around an athlete’s neck or organiz-ing awards on a display tray, she was soak-ing in the competitive atmosphere.

Scott said when she watched the ath-

letes run around the all-weather track sheflashed back to high school when she rantrack herself.

Scott remembered all the training thatwent into competing in the 4x1, 4x4, 200-meter dash and 100-meter dash.

“Just like in the real Olympics, theseathletes have trained really hard to be here.Along with the other criteria prior to get-ting here they had to compete in othermeets,” Kilpatrick said.

“Through these athletes’ human spiritand competitive drive I’ve learned no mat-ter what odds are against you, you can stillexcel,” Scott said. “And the drive to excelis human nature.”

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After congratulating Kalyn Kopechof Midway, Texas, for winning hersilver medal, Spc. Jonte Scott posedfor a picture with the silver medalistat the Area 12 Texas SpecialOlympics at Fort Hood May 6.Kopech won her silver medal in the25-meter assisted walk.

A group of athletes danced the lunch hour away on Hood Stadium’s all-weather track during a noon-time get down at the Area 12 Texas SpecialOlympics May 6. The Area 12 Texas Special Olympics took place May 5 and6.


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