The

EAGLE EYE
I S S U E 6 , J A N U A R Y 2 01 1

“eagle pride!”
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FIGHTING EAGLE 06
LTC Christopher C. Prather

For those who don’t know me, my name is Mark Lent and I am the Executive Officer for the Task Force. I
wear many different hats on a daily basis, and one of those is to command the Battalion in the absence of Fighting
Eagle 6. While LTC Prather has been enjoying a well-deserved Rest & Recuperation Leave with his family over the
holidays, the Fighting Eagle Task Force has continued to provide world-class aviation support. In December, we
enjoyed great flying weather and logged some serious blade time. By now, the operation is a well-oiled machine,
and after all this time we know how to work together to get the job done. You should be extremely proud of your
Fighting Eagle Soldiers- they do amazing work day in and day out.

Your Fighting Eagles enjoyed a quiet Christmas Holiday, doing what they do every day- flying, fixing,
feeding, or fueling. The incredible team of Soldiers and civilians that make up the organization did steal away for a
delicious and well-prepared meal at the DFAC, and those whose schedules allowed attended religious services or
otherwise took a short break before returning to the mission.

As we prepare to close the 2010 chapter and look forward to 2011, I notice everyone getting very ex-
cited. They can see the preparations for redeployment, and while everybody knows the pain associated with mov-
ing a large organization across the world on an extremely tight timeline, they all are diving in and getting to work,
because they are anxious to get back home. Many changes have occurred for the year we will have been gone, and
certainly there will be an adjustment period, for all of us and all of you. We are committed to ensuring that we all
have the resources necessary to re-integrate with our families and our communities, and prevent or reduce any
issues that may arise.

Know that as we get closer to coming home, our focus will be on ensuring that our replacements are
ready to assume our mission. That means that to ensure their arrival is seamless, we will be moving out of our
homes so they can move right in. During the critical “last 30 days”, as we go back to living out of our rucksacks, the
communication you may have enjoyed up until this point may be strained by work schedule or computer access, or
even bandwidth. Hopefully, knowing in advance that this may be coming will make it easier for everyone to deal
with.

Rest assured that the Fighting Eagle Leadership is committed to transitioning our mission successfully to
the next Task Force Headquarters (including C/3-126 (MEDEVAC) and B/1-147 ASLT, that will continue on under
new leadership for a few more months) and ensuring that those redeploying get back safely, and that we do our
absolute best to inform you of when your Soldier is going to arrive Fort Riley. Some things will be beyond our con-
trol, but we will pass all the information we have, as it gets closer to the reunion date.

Happy New Year, and we’ll see you soon!

-Fighting Eagle 5
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FIGHTING EAGLE 07
CSM Jake W. Werner

Fighting Eagles and Family,

“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”! I hope

this finds your spirits high as we turn the page on yet an-
other year. This year has been busy to say the least and it
will continue as we roll into 2011; not slowing down until
we return. With the New Year we turn the page on one
chapter and begin another. For the vast majority of War-
riors and Families this spring can’t come soon enough,
LOL. With the many things we have to look forward to
upon getting back home it easy to lose sight of the task at
hand. We must continue to stay diligent and focused on
the mission while taking care of Soldiers and their fami-
lies. The last couple of months of a deployment can be
dangerous for many reasons. We must avoid compla-
cency and stay sharp by adhering to standards and disci-
pline. We’ve accomplished a lot this year and everyone
has done a phenomenal job. I ask that YOU stay on your toes and double check your azimuth. We will be home
before you know it…..

Who hasn’t heard the term “Monday morning quarterback”? Well if you have then bear with me and if you
haven’t then keep this in mind. It is very easy to point out faults after the game or stand on the side lines blaming
others. It takes the whole TEAM to be successful which includes the Coach, the players, the staff, and of course the
fans. Part of a winning team is individuals knowing what their role is and making positive contributions. Not every-
one can be the Coach or the quarterback! The ball doesn’t get down the field without the efforts of everyone and
when there is a member of the team not pulling their wait the whole team suffers. So you ask where he is going
with this! Our Fighting Eagle team is now in the playoffs and it is now more important than ever for us to play as
one. Don’t be that member that stands on the side line or sits in the stands throwing trash.
Since I wasn’t able to reach out to each and every one of you during the Holiday’s I’ve included a little poem for
you.

It was the morning of Christmas and Soldiers scurried around through the dust & sand covering
the ground
The Solders were in Iraq no snow to be found
Rotors were turning, weapons slung with care and “Big Red One” patches were everywhere
Now everyone knew and it was clear, “Duty First” before Christmas cheer
Despite all the work that had to be done, it wouldn’t keep Soldiers from having some fun
The sounds of well wishes and “Merry Christmas” filled the air, but it wasn’t Saint Nick spread-
ing the cheer
The marry voices that could be heard above all, were those who continue to answer the call
So, from the Soldiers of 1st Infantry Division, 1st CAB, and 2-1 on this day we celebrate the
birth of our Lords Son.

Merry Christmas to All and Happy New Year!

Thanks again for all you do, we can’t do it without you. Stay Demon Strong, Eagle Ready, and Duty First.
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FIGHTING EAGLe 09
CW4 Jess McGee

Greeting families and friends,

as we finish another historic month of Operation New Dawn I can’t help but to reflect upon our deploy-
ment and the next few months as our time here is coming to an end. We have completed more milestones in avia-
tion and have surpassed last deployment’s flying hours, passengers carried and cargo carried. This is all because of
the outstanding teamwork your Fighting Eagles demonstrate each and everyday. It is nothing short of remarkable
and speaks volumes of the leadership and skills that our Soldiers possess. As with all things, none of this could be
achieved if it wasn’t for the support we get from you, our families and friends. In keeping with tradition-thank you
for your support.

Since last time I wrote, we have celebrated Christmas and are preparing for the New Year. Christmas was
incredible this year as the Battalion had multiple gatherings around company work areas and even some bon fires,
equipped with smore’s. This year everyone celebrated with grandeur and supported VIP’s in Fighting Eagle fashion.
Some of the pictures in the back of this newsletter will show how our crew members donned Christmas hats and
apparel on the flight line. I will say that it was a sight to see the crewmembers with hats on their helmets. One
crewmember was even wearing antlers. I can say that they looked like they were into the season and smiles were
everywhere.

As we head into our final months of this deployment and New Years, I see the same enthusiasm amongst
the team. In short order we will be having another celebration in HHC. This will include movies and yes smore’s,
with a bon fire. I can’t wait to post the pictures of the gathering and include them in the next newsletter. As we
celebrate we will be celebrating the upcoming New Year. This New Year will bring us home to our families and
friends and much awaited beginnings for all of us. These beginnings will be sweet with tears and hugs as we can
see the light at the end of this deployment.

As we head into the final days of the deployment we

will no doubt remain strong and vigilant in everything we
do. We will keep with the professionalism that has been
expected by the Fighting Eagles. In a few short weeks we
will start moving towards the journey home. This journey
will be marked with celebration and I can’t wait to see eve-
ryone reunited with their families. To my family-thank you
for all you have endured over the last year and I can’t wait
to see you soon and give you a huge hug. Also, to my wife,
thank you for being so wonderful.

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chaplain
CPT Matthew Christensen

“Finish Well”

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

St. Paul wrote the words above as he neared the end of his life. Paul spent the early years of his life perse-
cuting Christians, but through a life-changing experience he spent the later years of his life doing mission work and
promoting Christianity. His life was not easy and his work placed him in several dangerous situations. In his sec-
ond letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:24-28) he described the difficulties in his life:

“Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was
beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift
at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own peo-
ple, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from
false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often with-
out food, in cold and exposure. And apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my
anxiety for all the churches.”

Through all the danger and difficulty, Paul drove on and persevered. Even though Paul’s life was cut short,
probably through beheading (no pun intended!), he finished well. He fought the good fight, he finished the race;
he kept the faith.

A few weeks ago, I made a silly wager with a Soldier. The details of the wager aren’t important, but the wa-
ger itself is. Our wager involved running 10 miles. We plotted the course and planned the event. We set up a wa-
ter point at the five mile mark and on a Saturday morning, we started the run. The problem with our little wager
was that none of us had done any training for the event. Needless to say, the first five miles weren’t too bad.
Miles six and seven were a little harder and by the time we hit miles eight and nine, things were getting downright
difficult. In the end, we fought the good fight, we finished the race; we kept the faith, but it wasn’t easy. Honestly
the only reason that I finished the race was because I had a buddy to the left and right and I didn’t want to let them
down. Ok, honestly they were a little to the front and I kept running simply because I didn’t want to be the one
that quit . . . but my point is that we finished the race, even though it was difficult.

As we come to near the finish line for this deployment, things can get very difficult. We’ve been running
long and hard. We’ve asked our families to run long and hard. We’ve come to the point where it would be easy to
cut some corners, easy to stop and walk, easy to downright quit running. This is where we all dig a little deeper.
This is the point where we look to the left and the right and give some encouragement. This is where we finish
well so that we can say with St. Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

In His Service,

CH (CPT) Matthew C. Christensen

2-1 GSAB, CAB, 1ID

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HHC “headhunters”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Headhunter Family and Friends!
By the time you read this newsletter, it will be 2011! We here at Taji hoped you enjoyed your Holiday Season and the start of a brand new year.
As we enter into 2011, remember that this year brings your Soldiers back home to you. As you begin preparing for our homecoming, we are strong at
work preparing for our replacements to show up. We are diligently preparing ourselves for redeployment and the incoming unit with the necessary tools
to excel at the Mission.

The S4 is currently tackling the huge task of resetting our equipment. RESET is one of the most important tasks for redeployment as this gives
the Battalion the opportunity to repair and/or replace mission essential equipment. Along with RESET we have been planning our movements from Taji,
Iraq to Fort Riley, Kansas. This entails moving over 600 Soldiers, 150 containers to two locations and 34 aircraft around Iraq and the United States. All
efforts of the S4 Section are concentrated on redeploying equipment and Soldiers back to Fort Riley and the Families of the Fighting Eagle Soldiers.

The HHC Supply Section has been busy working vigorously on RESET planning. However, on top of working on RESET, they planned, organized,
and ran a M16/M9 qualification range for HHC as well as some other companies in the Battalion. A special recognition goes
out for the commendable rating they received from USF-I J4 during a surprise IG inspection. SSG Wynn was recognized with
an Army Commendation Medal for the success of the inspection. Also, SPC Julian Owens attended and excelled at the pro-
motion board earning 149/150 points giving him promotable status. The S1 Section and the Orderly Room have been hard
at work gathering all the necessary administrative paperwork to get all the Soldiers redeployed. As the Holiday season
wraps up, S1 continues to be busy as ever sorting mail. A special thanks goes out to the Soldiers working in HHC Orderly
Room for all the support they have given and the cheer they receive when the LMTV drives up filled with mail! The S2 Sec-
tion continues to provide excellent intelligence to the crews leaving the wire. Congratulations goes out to SSG Sykes who
was recently accepted into Warrant Officer Candidate School. Also, we would like to welcome 1LT Morrison to the S2 from
HHC CAB.

The month of December has been full of joy and laughter in the TOC. On a daily basis, the Soldiers of the S3 Section constantly prove to every-
one that they are the best S3 section within the Combat Aviation Brigade. SPC Rosa did an outstanding job this month at the Company mock board and
will be competing in January at the Battalion Soldier of the Month Board. Congratulations to SPC Strugnell, who recently graduated from the Demon
Academy. The Demon Academy was a weeklong course that taught young junior enlisted Soldiers the building blocks for success as a non-commissioned
officer. This course will become valuable when these Soldiers attend Warrior Leader’s Course (WLC) when we return home. The S3 Section continues to
groom its Soldiers into Leaders by promoting PFC Nichols to Specialist and SPC Johnson to Sergeant. Also two new additions
to the shop include CPT Tesauro from A/2-1 and CPT Malkowski from B/2-1. These Captains will take on the responsibilities
of S3 Plans and Battle Captain.

S6 smoothly welcomed C/3-126th (Air Ambulance) into the Battalion's network architecture, providing data, voice,
SATCOM, and other automations capabilities to this very important unit. PFC Buck, who was selected as the January Head-
hunter of the Month, was tasked with the mission of standing up the automations piece of integrating C/3-126th into the
Battalion. PFC Buck performed this mission flawlessly and with great praise from all levels of leadership within the MEDEVAC
Company. By demonstrating high motivation and a 'can-do' attitude, he personally ran a total of 48 NIPR/SIPR lines and
added 15 phones and 22 computers in a limited time span that contributed directly to C/3-126th being able to assume MEDEVAC coverage throughout
our area of responsibility. PFC Buck also created in excess of 40 user accounts, to include key leadership and operations personnel. S6 also got together
on Thanksgiving evening for a BBQ and movie event to celebrate the holiday.

This past month, the Unit Ministry Team went out to remote sites to visit Soldiers. They also conducted an Ap-
plied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) class for Brigade, training 45 Soldiers in Suicide
Intervention. Right now, along with the Medical Section they are conducting redeployment
briefings for 2-1 GSAB. The Medics are hard at work providing excellent care for our Soldiers
and are currently conducting flight physicals throughout the Battalion.
Headhunter 6,
CPT Jordan Earley

Hello Headhunter Families,

As we all have heard the great news, we are rapidly preparing for homecoming. The FRG has had a great few months. We have had several fun socials and
will be having another social on January 22nd. Everyone is invited to attend. We will also be having a luncheon for all family members of HHC on February
5th. If you would like to come, please contact the FRG to RSVP. Please keep in mind that the FRG will be calling to confirm your contact information for
special dates/times of return for your Soldier.

Sincerely,
Charity Lent
HHC FRG Leader

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a Company “wraiths”

Wraith Family and Friends,

Greetings from Iraq! I recently took over command of A Company on the 7 th of

December and am truly proud to say how great the company is performing. Coming
from another company within the battalion is a difficult task as it was hard to leave F
Company and the Soldiers that made up that great team. However, as we all know,
change in the Army is inevitable.

The company is probably busier than ever, flying missions every day, but also
trying to focus on the tasks that will set us up for redeployment. Every one of the Sol-
diers is maintaining their focus on the current mission, but sometimes it’s hard, espe-
cially with Christmas and the pending reunion with our families just on the horizon.

My wife Rachel, will be taking over the FRG leader position until we redeploy.
Please expect a phone call or an email from her in the near future. This “check in” is to
ensure that we have the correct contact information for the families and that we can
pass down information concerning the redeployment activities. I would also like to ex-
tend the opportunity to any of the family members for volunteer positions such as key
caller, or possibly FRG leader in the future. Our goal is to try and inject a little bit of mo-
tivation and camaraderie into the FRG within the next few months to ease the transition
after a yearlong separation.

I look forward to serving the Soldiers and Families of A Company and even more
so to meeting the Families upon our return.

CPT Richard Polen

Wraith 6

Hello and Happy New Year Alpha Families!

I always find myself taking a long range view at the beginning of each year, thinking about all the things that
are going to happen. This year our ‘baby’ will turn four, our wee baby will have his first birthday, and very shortly,
the Soldiers will be coming home. Soon, this time apart will be only a memory.

The FRG will be busy in the next couple of months; hopefully several of you will have a chance to help deco-
rate the hanger and airfield and prepare the barracks rooms for the single Soldiers. It is most important now that
we have current contact information for everyone, as we’ll need to know how to get in touch with each of you with
arrival information.

I can’t wait to meet each of you and look forward to getting to know the Alpha families. We’ll have a meet-
ing early in January – I’ll send out an email with the details. See you all soon!

Rachel Polen

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B company “diesel”

Success has many forms. In Army Aviation, success is a unit’s abil-

ity to safely and consistently get the job done. Army Aviators must forge a
strong foundation in safety, standards, and mission execution. Soldiers
learn early on that such a base is built only through positive habit transfer.
Experience shows that a hard won reputation can easily be thrown away.
Knowing the importance of consistency each mission, Diesel has continued
to invest in its Soldiers through a skilled cast of Instructors. Bravo Company
Soldiers have built their foundation one flight at a time.

A single flight requires a team effort. Each Soldier’s training, of

course, goes back to flight school for Pilots and Advanced Individual Train-
ing for Crew Chiefs and Flight Engineers. Diesel Standards, headed by CW3
Brian Green and SSG Alan Moody, conducted Readiness Level Progression for each crewmember. This progression is done to
set a baseline expectation for everybody, but to also train mission tasks. It is as extensive as it is thorough. Flight Engineer In-
structors and Instructor Pilots take pride in developing each crewmember. There is a sense of responsibility present in each
instructor as they know they are building teammates.

Beyond training, Maintenance Test Pilots ensure the aircraft is ready for the flight. CW2s Dan Hodge, Wes Jen-
kins, and Todd Misurelli carefully tend to all the aircraft. They work hand in hand with each crewmember to ensure inspec-
tions are up to date, the aircraft get the tender love and care they need, and any impromptu maintenance is taken care of.
The Maintenance Test Pilots provide their experience 24 hours a day, and take great pride in their product given to the flight
crews.

Mission planning is extensive to ensure deliberate operations. Two pilots spend time planning each mission, building
the required products, and ensuring a quality control for each plan. Finally, the day of the flight, three crewmembers ensure
the aircraft has undergone a daily inspection that takes on average two hours to complete. Pilots show early to brief the plan
for the flight and to conduct pre-flights. All of these processes run smoothly, but safety and excellence require constant atten-
tion. Bravo Company pursues excellence through a team effort.

The Army teaches units to be prepared for the next mission. In aviation this takes the form of more experienced crew-
members sharing with those with less experience. Instructors compound learning by putting in the legwork necessary to teach
and maintain the standards that ensure safety. December was a month where all of these investments showed returns. In
short, crewmembers have passed important milestones in their careers. CW2s Drew Streit, Jeff Bledsoe, Benjamin Martin, and
C.J. Mather, for example, became Pilots-In-Command. SPC Cody Kresser and SGT Thaddeus Walz became Flight Engineers. As
pilots learn and progress to become Pilots-in-Command, Crew Chiefs pursue the role of
Flight Engineer. Each new position is earned, but each has increased responsibilities.
Bravo Company has grown by investing in its younger crewmembers.

Success can truly come in many forms. For Bravo Company, solid training ensures
that each Diesel Crew is best prepared for each flight. They stand ready to accomplish
each mission safely. Reputations are built through repetition. Flight-by-flight, and day-by
-day, Diesel has accumulated more than 7000 hours of flight time. Since March of 2010,
the Chinooks of Bravo Company have moved 3.8 million pounds of cargo and nearly
66,000 passengers. These staggering numbers can only be earned one flight at a time.
Ensuring each crew executes to standard has created a credibility that units around Iraq
have come to rely upon.

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c Company “boomer”

Commander
Boomer Family,
Alas! The New Year is here! I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas surrounded by
family and friends. Here, most of us were surrounded by our deployed families, but had our loved
ones back home on our mind. Hopefully, you were able to talk, or even Skype with your Soldier on
Christmas. On Christmas Eve, CSM Werner, 1SG Simmons, myself, and an entourage of other indi-
viduals flew to each team site to spread some Christmas cheer. It was great to see all the Boomer
Soldiers in such great spirits. Every team site had a plethora of holiday snacks and care packages
that had been sent from home. I was able to present each Soldier with a Company coin for all their
hard work and dedication that they have shown through the deployment. I would like to thank the
Company and Battalion FRG’s for the stockings and cards, as they were much appreciated by all.

For the first time since I have been in command, I have no new baby announcements for
this month! As we head into January, we find ourselves conducting redeployment tasks and prep-
ping for our highly anticipated return to Fort Riley. Please continue to be strong and send encouraging words to your Soldier. Our job is not yet done,
and we must continue to stay focused and safely perform our mission.

Sincerely,
MAJ Sam Fricks
Boomer 06

First Sergeant
“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what joy injured Soldiers have knowing
MEDEVAC is on the way. Dashing to the aircraft, dual engine start; the thought of saving Soldiers
lives is joy in our heart.” Okay, probably not going to make the top 100 hits, but it is what we do.
And we do it extremely well! December is here and almost gone, which means we are even closer
to the people we love. The work we do here does not compare to what our loved ones do back
home. Not only do you have to take care of home, kids, finances, make sure everything is in order
for the holidays, go to school and work but you have to make sure your loved ones here are taken care of. To the spouses and significant others of the
Boomer soldiers who are deployed, know that we are humbled and very appreciative of what you do and chances are, we would not trade places with
you. Too much work in what you do. Lol

Although we are getting closer to the end, we must remain vigilant and focused on the mission. A big part of coming home safe is the contin-
ued use of OPSEC (Operation Security). Information will be posted and sent out at appropriate times to ensure we arrive safe. Don’t be alarmed if you
ask your loved one for information and he/she does not know. We definitely need your help in ensuring whatever information you do get is not posted
on Facebook or in any other chat area.

Keep the pictures of the little ones coming. I wish you all could see the smile on your spouse’s face when they start showing off the baby pic-
tures. All I ask is that you all make sure they have that same smile when they change the diapers when they get home. Lol
Some Boomer Humor:
Rene was sitting down next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, "What's on the TV?" I said, Dust". The next night I was looking at TV
and sleeping in the garage. Rene was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0
to 150 in about 3 seconds." I bought her a bathroom scale. Later that day I had to stay at SSG Werts house in the
spare room. A little something from our hearts for the people we Love back home:
As long as the wind keeps on blowing,
my Love for you will keep on growing.
Your Love has forever set me free,
all I ask is that you keep Loving me.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year; Happy Holidays

Team Speicher
Holiday greetings from COB Speicher. As Christmas approaches the sounds of Christmas music fill the air
and holiday decorations abound in each office. There is no limit to the amount of cookies and treats that continue
to arrive in the mail on a daily basis from the good folks back home. With the month of December half over, morale
remains high as the Soldiers of Charlie Company have directed their attention to the conclusion of college football
and the BCS bowl games. With the new year approaching fast, thoughts are slowly turning toward our return to Ft.
Riley and our loved ones. We also celebrated a birthday this month. SGT Steven Graham turned the big 30 this
month. Happy birthday SGT Graham, and we’ll see everyone soon.
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c Company “boomer”

Team Mosul
With another month down, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have kept busy
here at Mosul with our mission, daily duties, and beginning to prep for re-deployment. With the summer heat finally
subsiding, the weather has been extremely good to us with an average daily high in the 70’s which has made all activi-
ties much more enjoyable.

This past month, our team NCOIC, SGT Ethan Rogers, instructed and certified all of the Soldiers at our team
site on the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support course. This course consists of instruction on airway ob-
structions as well as CPR certification on adults and infants. SGT Rogers’ excellent instruction is one of the many examples of excel-
lent work that our Soldiers in Mosul perform on a daily basis.

In celebration of Thanksgiving we had an afternoon grill out and movie night. Every-
one had a great time relaxing and enjoying the afternoon. We have continued our weekly tradi-
tion of movie night every Friday night which is an event that we all look forward to. With the
Christmas season upon us, we have put up our Christmas tree in the day room and are partici-
pating in a secret Santa gift exchange as well as holding one of our traditional afternoon grill
outs. We would like to wish all of our family and friends back home a Merry Christmas and a
happy New Year! That is all for now…..until next month.

Team Kirkuk
Another exciting month has gone by at Kirkuk. We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal at the lovely Cav Country
Café (CCC) - our little diner here next to our living area. Although we missed being at home, we were lucky to eat our
Thanksgiving meal together. We look forward to our next Thanksgiving at home! And now we are looking forward to
opening up the many presents on Christmas that loved ones from back home have been faithfully sending to us.

We welcomed two new members to the DUSTOFF family this past month: SGT Giersdorf and his wife Abby had
Gavin Matthew Giersdorf at 8 lbs., 3 oz., and 21” on November, 5th. SGT Jellison and his wife Elysia had Lucas Ryan Jellison at 8 lbs., 6 oz., 21” on Novem-
ber 20th. They were both lucky enough to make it home for the birth of their babies, and they are counting the days to get back home to see their new-
born children. We congratulate both these families.

As has been the case the last two newsletters- the weather has been absolutely gorgeous this time of year in
Northern Iraq. We have truly enjoyed this nice break after the warm summer. It is starting to get slightly colder here as the
winter approaches, but we are sure it is not nearly as cold as Manhattan or Junction City these days!

We always maintain proficiency in our MEDEVAC duties by conducting training flights. Our crew chiefs make sure
our aircraft stay in tip-top shape, medics stay up to date on their medical tasks with training, and pilots constantly study to
stay on top of their game while out here. We are very serious about the mission, but we also have a lot of fun doing
it. We are honored to provide MEDEVAC services to the true heroes on the ground out here in Iraq.

Until the next newsletter- stay safe and we’ll be coming home soon!

Team Talafar– By: SPC Godbee

November is becoming a bug in the rearview mirror now and December is upon us. There’s no doubt
winter has hit our region of the country. Some of us are pulling out our cold weather gear. We welcome the colder
weather with open arms. It is a sign that we are getting that much closer to being home with our loved ones. We
welcomed back SGT Melton and SSG McGhee from R&R and have welcomed SPC Godbee from Speicher. The mis-
sion level is low here at Team Talafar. With that we have had several Point of Injury (POI)
training events to help keep all of us here at the top of our game. We have also had several
joint training exercises with the firefighters here. Weekly classes are constant and profi-
ciency training flights are very frequent. We constantly do small things to raise morale, such
as cook outs, volleyball games between enlisted and officers, play our own little games and
just try to keep things as stress free as possible. We also appreciate everything everyone is
doing for us back home. The care packages and small things that are sent are very much
appreciated. We thank everyone for their love and support. With the deployment end get-
ting ever so close, we are getting more and more eager for the end of every week. However,
we keep in mind that we must keep focused on the mission and each other’s safety. As a
strong team, everyone continues to help each other out with anything that may come up.
The one thing that doesn’t change for us while we are here is each other. For us, it is one
team and one mission which we are always ready to serve: MEDEVAC.

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C CO 2-1
2-1 Gsab rear detachment

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C/3-126 “witch doctors”

T hree months after leaving the cool September temperatures and early colors of the northern New Eng-
land Fall foliage, Soldiers of C Company 3-126 Aviation (Air Ambulance) have settled in and fully assumed their
MEDEVAC mission for northern Iraq. The four Forward Support Medevac Team (FSMT) sites at Alasad, Balad, Kalsu
and Taji took control of their areas dur-
ing December with the final team at
Camp Taji taking over the calls in mid
December.
The first month of operations for the
“Witchdoctors” has proven to be event-
ful and successful for the first ever mis-
sions using the new Mike Model HH60
helicopters.

FROM THE FIRST SERGEANT…

On behalf of all the "Witchdoctor's" here in Iraq and our families, I would like to take a moment to send a
holiday message to all. The Soldiers of Company C 3-126TH Avn (AA) have currently gone through our first full
month in Iraq, and this first month has been very busy for all. Every unit member has been fully engaged with their
individual & additional unit responsibilities to the fullest. All team sites have been performing our "MEDEVAC" mis-
sion for several weeks now and are performing our mission in an outstanding and professional manner.

Across our entire unit locations we continue to improve our work and living sites, this will continue through-
out our stay in Iraq. The health and welfare of our Soldiers and families continues to be my primary concern and I
will continue to keep close watch on all.

At all of our team sites the Witchdoctors are spending the holidays in the best spirits. Our means of communica-
tions with our families and love ones are pretty good for the most part, although at times interrupted for short pe-
riod of time for normal maintenance and upkeep. I encourage all Soldiers and family members to keep up the great
lines of communications on a continuous basis as this will increase
awareness for how we are all doing in a timely manner.

Currently our battalion has been one of the best supporting ele-
ments that I have had the pleasure to work with over our past de-
ployments. They have proven to be a great bunch of professional
Officers and Noncommissioned Officers which makes our unit’s mis-
sion that much better.

Respectfully,
1SG Kris A. Sample

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d Company “roughnecks”

M erry Christmas to all our families back home!! The holidays are upon us and with Thanksgiving passing only a few weeks
ago, the excitement of Christmas is in the air knowing that it is right around the corner. This season brings us one step closer to coming
home and that indeed is improving morale on all levels. Our stockings are hung by our CHU’s with care, Christmas trees are popping up
in our company areas complete with the latest holiday trappings and ornaments to boot and the Christmas baking of our loved ones at
home have already started to appear in the mail. We were hoping for a “White Christmas,” but that will probably have to wait till we get
back to Riley! May this letter remind you of how much we are thinking about all of you back there keeping the home fires burning as you
await our return and hopefully bring you up to speed on what’s been going on over on this side of the world.

ELVES in SANTA’s WORKSHOP

Never have I seen such committed professionals as these Soldiers of Delta Com-
pany. Our aircraft hangars particularly this month are consistently full with Shops and Maintenance personnel alike doing what
they do best to crank out the next aircraft for a mission which is only shortly followed by a broken one that comes back from mis-
sion desperately needing some TLC. It’s an ant farm of activity, like elf’s working in Santa’s workshop cranking out toys for the
coming Christmas season. Our Soldiers are washing aircraft, inspecting them constantly, replacing radios or engines, hammering
out or riveting sheet metal and the like, and all in short order, one after the other in an effort to continue the capabilities of this
Brigade to fight and win our nations’ wars. Last month our maintainers helped support 2 different company’s need to fly over
1000 hours a piece due to the demand for aviation assets in our area of operations. Both companies are on pace to duplicate the
1000 hour mark this month also! It would be an egregious error to think that this amount of flying could be sustained or even
possible without the support of each one of your Soldiers. The 2-1 Fighting Eagle Battalion flew over 3,200 hours of flight time by
the end of November, our highest month this deployment and our maintainers worked off just under 6,000 maintenance faults
during that timeframe, as well as our CH-47 maintenance section completing 2 – 400HR phase inspections on the side. Their ef-
forts are truly remarkable and a credit to their creative ability and talent in each of their respective fields of expertise. They are a committed team and do their jobs with the
utmost professionalism and degree of excellence this battalion has come to expect.

“SOLDIERS IN THE SPOT LIGHT”

Delta Company this past month has been a flurry of change. In our formation, many are distinguishing themselves for their tireless work and dedication to do
above and beyond what’s asked of them. Among such individuals are PFC James Roach and SPC Jesse Sampson. Both earned the Maintenance Awards of the Month and have
been selected based on their performance and maturity to fly as door gunners for Alpha Company 2-1 to help aid some of their critical personnel shortages and help support
the VIP and Command and Control mission that A/2-1 does without fail every day. We are sad to see them go to our sister company, but know that they will do very well in
this new family they are stepping into.

Our Delta Co Team witnessed several promotions as well. On the 47 Maintenance side of the house, Christopher Schmidt was promoted from PFC to the rank of an
E4 (Specialist). The 60 Maintenance group saw PFC Joshua Lee promoted from the rank of PFC to SPC and Shops Platoon witnessed Ian Gardner progress in his career to the
rank of SPC as well. All three Soldiers have done an incredible job and are ready for increased responsibility. Congratulations to you and your families!

In the coming weeks and months more information will be posted through Rear Detachment and the Company FRG’s regarding work schedules and block leave
dates upon our arrival so continue to stay plugged into those for information. As of right now the Fighting Eagles’ first period of block leave will be 19 March – 03 April. The
second period will be 30 Apr – 15 May. Our work schedules from the time we get back will vary and more guidance will continue to come. For the first several weeks upon
our arrival back at Fort Riley during the Reintegration Training period, the work day will be from 0800-1200 Noon. Following the first block leave period, Soldiers during the 4
week Resiliency Training time will be expected to show from 0600-0700 for PT; then 1000-1430 for work. Following the 2nd Block leave period, the normal work schedule of
0630-0730 PT; then 0900-1700 will commence. This is only to give you a heads up on what to expect when your Soldier returns home and to prepare accordingly.

Thank you for all your mail, packages, letters and the like that continue to
boost morale and put a smile on our faces. Going home with a box under your arm
after a long day of working on aircraft can be just the motivation and encouragement
that speaks directly to our hearts (and stomachs!) that only you can provide. Thank you
so very much for all your support, your prayers, love and understanding that you give us
on a daily basis as we finish what we started back in March. Delta Company is strong
and resilient, because they are backed and supported by the strong and resilient fami-
lies that hold them up each day through email, phone calls and daily prayers for safety
and a quick return home. We’re almost there and with less than 2 months to go, we
shall be home before you know it. Thank you for all your sacrifices and service to help
us do this mission we’ve been asked to accomplish; we could not do it without you.

Attached are a few pictures from the Christmas Party Obstacle Course-our D CO Maintenance Soldiers who took 1st place!

Hello Roughnecks!
We’re getting closer to welcoming home our Soldiers! Mine is leaving on January 5 from his R&R and I’m looking forward to being able to say “See you next month!” when he
leaves. If you’re in the local area, our last FRG meeting of the deployment will be Tuesday, January 25 in the Yellow Ribbon Room starting at 6pm. We’ll be giving out more
details about the redeployment and making our banner to hang for the Welcome Home Ceremonies. If you’re not in the local area and planning to relocate, start making
plans NOW! Rentals off post are already starting to go fast and the list for on-post housing is getting long. Also, please remember to tell the FRG when you do get back to the
local area so we can update our information so you can be notified about your Soldier’s status as they begin their journey home. As for parents of Single Soldiers, other fam-
ily members, and friends—if you plan to come for your Soldier’s Welcome Home Ceremony, let us know if you need help finding hotel accommodations, etc.

Stay warm the rest of the winter! Miki Fett

D Co FRG Leader roughnecksfrg@gmail.com
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e Company “hellbenders”

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of the Family and Friends of the Hellbenders,

We are headed into the Holiday season with our heads up. We are all missing our loved ones, but the bonds that have been built over the year
here in Iraq are helping us through the season. Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made for your service member. I am honored to get to spend
my Holiday season with this outstanding group of Soldiers. Since last month, the Hellbenders have stayed busy supporting the Turkey trot and Christmas
Party and helping our Coalition brethren with the maintenance of their combat vehicles. Our Soldiers stood out and continue to excel at all that they do.

The Soldiers of Echo, both from the maintenance and the Distribution Platoons, came together to assist the new unit in the Battalion. We not
only helped them with our normal support but we also helped them emplace and secure a movable landing pad. The hard work of our Soldiers and their
efforts to make the new unit feel welcome, did not go unnoticed. The Company Commander and the First Sergeant of C/3-126 have gone out of their way
to let SFC Johnson and myself know that they truly appreciate the support that they received from our company.

Being as it is almost Christmas, I can’t leave out the story of our Company Christmas tree. The Battalion was lucky enough to receive live Christ-
mas trees sent from the states to us. Echo Company received one and the Soldiers in the Orderly room decided they would put it out side and decorate it
with the ornaments we had that would not be destroyed by the weather. SGT Miller was asked what he thought of the tree and it being almost Christmas.
He replied that it did not feel like Christmas without snow. SPC Fasano used his creative mind and used some of the resources we had around the com-
pany and decorated the tree with artificial snow. The Holidays being here is seen by a lot of the Soldiers as both a good and a bad thing. They are glad
they are here because that means that the deployment is almost over but sad because they do not get to spend the Holidays with their families and loved
ones. The Hellbender Company is a Family and we will get through this but the Family we build in the Army will never be able to replace the Family we left
back home.

Merry Christmas to All and to all a Happy New Year!

Hellbender 6 Out

HELLBENDER OF THE MONTH

PFC Quamarkus Williams Motivates as the Step Aerobics Instructor
Headquarters Platoon’s PFC Williams Shows Off His Leadership Abilities

PFC Quamarkus Williams is one of many Soldiers who have come to realize that physical fitness is a great
way to increase morale. With his newfound knowledge, he has been on a mission to motivate others as the Camp Taji
Step Aerobics Instructor. PFC Williams, who is from Tallahassee, Florida, has been in the Army for two years now,
and has grown tremendously during his short stint. After graduating high school, he joined the Army as a way to gain
self-confidence. This now outspoken Soldier has certainly achieved his goal and more. Since the beginning of the
deployment, he has obviously grown stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually.

PFC Williams leads the way as the instruc- due to popular demand, the class is now conducted on a daily basis, rather than the previous three day a week
tor for the Camp Taji Step Aerobics In-
structor.
In June, PFC Williams decided to assist in the physical and mental PFC Williams created three new steps to
add a little variety to the workout.
strengthening of others by volunteering as the new step aerobics instructor.
Prior to redeploying, the previous instructor approached PFC Williams, requesting that he become the new instruc-
tor for the class. When asked about being selected to take on such a large task, Williams stated, “she thought I had
the most motivation and drive to carry out the mission”. ‘Carry out the mission’ is an understatement of his role
and accomplishments thus far. Since becoming the instructor, not only has the attendance grown drastically, but
schedule. In addition, he created and implemented three new steps to add a little variety to an already challenging
routine.

When discussing why he initially began attending the class, he noted, “I really enjoyed the workout. I LT Brown, SFC Maldonado, and the large
thought it was a great motivational exercise class where you could let go and release all types of energy”. When following participate in PFC Williams' in-
asked about his favorite aspect of being the instructor, he indicated that he enjoys watching others having fun and tense workout during a Wednesday Step
receiving all the positive feedback from the Soldiers, as well as the civilians that also attend the class. PFC Williams Aerobics class.
has been approached by multiple attendees, thanking him for his efforts, which resulted in their increased PT
scores, decrease in weight, and the wealth of self-confidence they’ve gained. Deployments can be very stressful
with the increased workload and separation from loved ones, but the efforts of Soldiers like PFC Williams definitely
make it easier to cope and remain motivated.

For his dedication and, PFC Quamarkus Williams is this month’s Hellbender of the Month!

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f Company “phantoms”

S eason’s Greetings to everyone! I am pleased to report to all family members,

readers, and friends that the magnificent Soldiers from F Co are doing a phenome-
nal job at all three locations. We continue to provide a unified effort of air traffic
control and maintenance support throughout theater. It is pride in the mission,
pride in self accomplishments, and pride in serving our great country that continues
to motivate us to success.

All of our Warriors here are doing a great job so please allow me recognize
a few for their recent accomplishments. SSG Hatcher located out of Mosul has re-
cently reenlisted for 4 years and continues to impress with his successful ways. SSG
Miller out of the Taji group has been accepted into Drill Sergeant School. This is
another fine example of how versatile the Phantoms are. SPC Forrester and SPC
Colvin both received accolades from General Austin when he presented them with
US Forces-Iraq coins recognizing their success during operations here.

And last but not least, I would like to take a moment and thank CPT Richard
Polen and his family for all that they have contributed in the success of F Co. We
have come a long way since their arrival and what the Polen family has meant to
our organization can’t be expressed in words. CPT Polen has assumed command of
A Co and Rachel has accepted the responsibility as the FRG leader for A Co. Both of
you will have continued success and I wish you the best. We welcome Pam McKay
as the new FRG leader for F Co 2-1. She is an excellent choice and well prepared to
handle the mission of family readiness for the Phantoms.

CW2 Freeman, Robert

I believe the saying goes something like this; “It’s never goodbye in the Army, only until we meet again.”
In early December, Rick left the Phantoms to take command of Alpha Company, which means that Alex, Lukas and I are headed
that direction as well. Rick told me early on that one of the best things about commanding a company is the direct connection and influ-
ence you have with the Soldiers. We have truly enjoyed getting to know all the Phantom families and welcoming several new additions
during our time with Fox. As some of the families are moving back, I’m seeing those new ones again, and can’t believe how much they’ve
grown.

Thank you all so much for letting us be a part of your lives for awhile. We’re excited to have a chance to get to know more fami-
lies in Alpha, and we will always remember our time with Fox. I hope you continue to participate in FRG activities and support each other
as we all finish up this deployment.

Until we meet again,

Rachel Polen

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2-1 Gsab rear detachment

Happy New Year!
At this time, we are on the final stretch of the deployment. I know tensions are high with the excitement and anticipation of the
return of your loved ones. We are preparing everything for their return daily. In the month of February, there will be a Brigade redeploy-
ment operations phone number that can be reached 24/7 at 785-239-6565. This will have the most recent updates on flights, manifests,
and any information on delays, or weather, ect. Please note that you will be contacted by the rear detachment or your FRG with your Sol-
dier’s flight information before the Soldiers are set to arrive. However, if you have further questions or have heard of certain delays, this
would be the best number to call. Soldiers will be returning February through early March, depending on which flight they will belong to.

Rear Detachment will be conducting a 100% phone contact with all families in early January. Please note that if you receive a call,
it is to confirm we have your information correct so we’ll be able to notify you when your Soldier is returning. If you haven’t received a
call by 15 January, please contact your FRG Leader or our FRSA at 240-1325.

In the month of January, the Combat Aviation Brigade is hosting a Spouse and Family “Reunion Resiliency Training” session. It will
have great training to increase preparedness for the Soldier’s transition home, and building family strength. Additionally, there will be
briefs by commanders on topics to include OPSEC, timelines for redeployment, expectations, finances, and question/answer sessions. The
times and locations are listed below. Please note the evening sessions also include children’s training. If you have any questions, would
like to register, or want any more information, please contact our FRSA, Rae Waller or your FRG.
Thursday, January 6, 2011, 6-8pm at NEW ACS Bldg # 7285*

Monday, January 10, 9:30-11:30am at the ACS Annex Bldg #1020 (Huebner Rd)

Monday, January 10, 6-8pm at the ACS Annex Bldg #1020 (Huebner Rd)

Tuesday, January 11, 6-8pm at NEW ACS Bldg # 7285*

Wednesday, January 12, 1-3pm at NEW ACS Bldg # 7285*

Wednesday, January 19, 1-3pm at NEW ACS Bldg # 7285*

We also have a facebook page now, which has photos and the newsletter posts on it. If you would like to see what’s new through
that, you can search “2-1 Fighting Eagles.”

To those returning to the Fort Riley area, have a safe trip back here, and we are excited to see you all and greet our Soldiers and
Heroes upon their return!

Happy New Year Fighting Eagle Families!

Hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas – and now the Eagles are truly on the downhill slide for getting the Soldiers home
safely. January the FRG’s will have more information for the date/time of your Soldiers return and what to expect for the ceremony and
pick-up procedures. We will also have guidance for hanging of banners and other important details. Rear-Detachment will be making a
100% contact prior to the return of the Soldiers as well. Expect to be contacted – so we are certain to reach you to let you know when
your Soldier arrives – and of course if there are delays. The Advance Party will start in February already – so we are less than 60 days of
getting people back from Iraq.
If you are planning on moving back to the Fort Riley area – start looking now – because housing will be at a premium. This will
be the first time in a long while that all the Brigades will be back – and housing will be hard to come by. Please do not forget to keep
your FRG Leader informed of your move, address, and phone numbers.
December has been a fairly easy month for the weather in Kansas – but be vigilant for possible weather in January. If you en-
counter snow and ice, go slow – and make sure your headlights are on so others can see you (from the front and rear) as well. There are
a few happenings in January that will be a lot of fun. On 28 January there will be a “Women’s Conference” at the RCC. There is free
childcare and there are several classes to choose from. Register early for best choice of classes. Registration ends 21 January. Get more
information at www.rileymwr.com. Also, Outdoor REC has a Colorado Ski Trip with the date and time to be determined. Check the
MWR website for updated information.
If you have any questions about the redeployment, be sure to contact your company FRG Leader or myself at
bwerner@allegiance.tv. A New Year – means all things are made new! Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Blessings,
Brenda Werner – BN FRG Co-Leader
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