TASK FO RCE S APPE R EAGLE

Notes From The

Eagle‘s Nest
From the Task Force Commander
V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

A warm welcome to all Family and friends from Joint Base Balad, Iraq! We have covered a lot 2 8 M ARCH , 2 01 1
of ground (so to speak) since the 326th Engineer Battalion (minus the 887th EN Company) de-
parted from Fort Campbell during a snowy week in late January. Our mandatory training in Ku-
wait went very well and we only had to spend about one week conducting the training before
waiting for flights to our final bases in Iraq. Since our arrival to our new ―homes‖ here, we‘ve
settled in comfortably and assumed control of our mission from the previous unit. On the 14 th of
February, the Battalion officially became Task Force Sapper Eagle as we conducted a transfer of INS ID E TH IS I SSU E:
authority ceremony and assumed control of the engineer missions from the 724 th Engineer Bat-
talion (WI Army National Guard) also known as Task Force Badger. I would like to again rec- HHC 3
ognize the members of Task Force Badger not only for their service here in Iraq, but also for
being great partners and helping us get familiar with our area and the mission. FSC 4

While we are here in Iraq we will provide 34th Sapper Co 6

command and control for route clearance
299th MRBC 7
(getting rid of IEDs) operations, military
bridging operations, and some troop construc- 391st Sapper Co 9
tion. All of our efforts will be supported by
our maintenance, logistics, communications, 511th Sapper Co 10
medical, and other key Soldiers in our Head-
quarters and Forward Support Companies. 591st Sapper Co 12
―Construction and bridging?‖ you might be
wondering. Yes, with the transfer of authority 617th ESC 13
also came the responsibility of providing over-
sight to three additional companies: the 299th ―Flame On!‖ 14
Multi-role Bridge Company (FT Belvoir, VA,
military bridging), the 617th Engineer Support ―Proud to Wear the Patch‖ 15
Company (FT Lewis, WA, construction), and
the 34th Engineer Company (Schofield Bar- CSM / PAO 16
racks, HI, Sappers). Several of these Compa-
nies will be replaced in the next 6 months so
we will be able to welcome new members to
the team.

Task Force Sapper Eagle is the last Engineer

Battalion task force to serve in Iraq. As we all
LTC Kinsman leads HHC and FSC in pushups at know, our military has left a lot of blood,
their patching ceremony. sweat, and tears in this country – and in par-
ticular, the US Army Engineer Regiment (all
Army Engineers…) has contributed immensely to this mission – from helping rebuild the Iraqi
infrastructure to military bridging operations in combat and finally now to partnering with Iraqi
Army engineers as we build their capacity as military engineers. As I said at the transfer of au-
thority ceremony on 14 February, our unit has a unique ―responsibility to close out this mission
on behalf of those who have served, on behalf of those who have fallen, and on behalf of the
families they left behind…we will get the job done…and we will close this historic mission with
an effort commensurate with their sacrifice.‖ I am extremely proud to lead this task force and our
Soldiers should be proud of their service as we will depart Iraq having done our best to stand up
a credible and effective military and a functional democratic government.

(continued on page 2)
 P AG E 2 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

From the Commander (cont.)

At this point in the deployment our Sol-
diers have settled in and have developed a
routine – my goal for Soldiers is to have at
least one ―low battle rhythm‖ day per week
where they can rest and recover and pursue
personal goals while separated from fami-
lies. I‘ve also told them to expect to work
hard throughout the deployment, and that
things may get even more austere as ser-
vices are cut back in preparation for our
departure. In the meantime, all of our
bases have places where Soldiers can go to
use the phone or computer and to relax and
watch TV or movies. I‘ve also told all of
our Soldiers that they need to remember to
take care of themselves through proper diet
and exercise – and to check in with their
loved ones back in the USA. And while
Iraq remains a dangerous place, we are
continuing to train to keep our skills sharp
and always look for ways to minimize the
risk to our Soldiers.

Task Force Sapper Eagle‘s mission has Iraqi Army Strategic Bridging Company Soldiers at the East Taji Bridge
just begun, but already we have accom-
plished a lot of which we can be proud.
From clearing IEDs to improving roads and checkpoints; from bridging missions and logistics convoys to producing accurate and
timely support to all Soldiers in the Task Force, we are looking forward to an extremely successful and efficient mission in support
of Operation New Dawn. When we redeploy we will be confident in the outlook for the Iraqi people, as we will leave behind our
well-trained and extremely capable Iraqi Army partners.

Finally, as of this writing, we are already one quarter of the way through the deployment. I hope that Fort Campbell families will
enjoy the ―Quarter Way There Party‖ on April 3 rd at the Family Readiness Center.

--LTC Patrick Kinsman, Task Force Sapper Eagle Commander

LTC Kinsman with Iraqi Army partners at the East Taji Bridge site
 N O T ES F RO M T H E E AG LE ‘ S N ES T Well, it P AG E 3

HHC
is nearing the end of March already. It seems just yesterday
that we said goodbye to our love ones and then boarded the
plane bound for "Operation New Dawn". We quickly met
our training requirements in Kuwait, then pushed north to
begin our Replace in Position (RIP) process. On 14 Febru-
ary, we officially transitioned operational responsibility from
Task Force Badger to Task Force Sapper Eagle. There have
been many questions from our Headhunter families as to what
type of opportunities their Soldiers have at Joint Base Balad
(JBB).
The most frequently-asked question is what type of
educational opportunities Soldiers have on JBB, ranging from
online classes to traditional classes. Many of our Soldiers are
taking full advantage of these opportunities. We have over HHC plays volleyball against 20th Engineer Brigade. From Left: 1LT Blakemore,
ten Soldiers enrolled in classes including English 101 and SGT Taua’i CPT Walker, 1LT Kraus, CPT Gottschalk
Biology 101 and even graduate-level courses. Currently, there
are many opportunities available to help our Soldiers to start or finish their degrees. I would, however, expect these opportunities to
dwindle as we start to transition out of Iraq toward the end of the year.
As this happens, I would expect some of the other services offered to start closing as well. Right now on JBB we have
shopping (Bazaar/PX), a movie theater, and multiple
gyms. Some of the amenities have already started
closing. We have had most of the fast food chains
close their doors for the last time. At the end of Febru-
ary, Burger King and Pizza Hut served there last cus-
tomers on JBB. So I would expect a fast food craving
during your Soldier's leave.
March marked the first month of leave for
our Headhunter Soldiers and Families.
Every Soldier is given 15 days of free leave to any-
where in the world, making for a great opportunity for
the Headhunter Soldier and family. This is an oppor-
tunity to take that vacation of a lifetime or to simply
sit around the house and enjoy the small things in life.
We will continue to send the remainder of the com-
pany on leave over the next six months or so.
I want to share my heartfelt appreciation to
all our families and friends at home. We could not
have accomplished all that we have done so far with-
out your kindness and support. I would also like to
thank our Soldiers for all they have done to enable us
to execute combat operations. More than ever, the
strength of our unit, our Soldiers, and our ability to
operate as a team will carry us over the challenges we
will face in the upcoming months.
—Bennie D. Weaver, HHC Commander

Above: SFC Brown, SFC

Smith, SSG Reed, and Huda
(our interpreter) at Victory
Base Camp, Baghdad.

Left: HHC stands ready to be

patched in March.
P AG E 4 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

FSC
Greetings from the new Company
Commander, CPT Jesse Hougnon. I
am very excited to be the Commander
of the Forward Support Company,
326th Engineer Battalion (Air As-
sault). We are the last Engineer Battal-
ion to enter Iraq for Operation New
Dawn and we will be exiting in a con-
trolled, expedient way. Everyone is
doing well, has settled into their new
living arrangements and is excited to
start the mission. Your Soldiers will
get to see Iraq change through draw-
down and base closures. I am looking
forward to getting to know the Soldiers
and re-laying our stories through the
newsletters and the 326th Engineer
Battalion Facebook page.
—CPT Jesse D. Hougnon, FSC Com-
mander

SPC Jensen and CW2 Haynes work on a vehicle.

Distro Platoon stands in front of an F-15 for SGT Persinger and SGT Marco’s reenlistment ceremony.
 N O T ES F RO M T H E E AG LE ‘ S N ES T P AG E 5

FSC
Even though it‘s only been a month
since we left, the Forward Support
Company (FSC) has already started to
accomplish the Operation New Dawn
mission. The Soldiers of the FSC
called upon their previous deploy-
ment experiences, their desire to suc-
ceed, and our family style of team-
work in order to expedite the Transfer
of Authority with the FSC, 724th
Engineer Battalion, ahead of sched-
ule.
Our time in Kuwait was short, yet
sufficient. The first day started with
the Change of Command Ceremony
between 1LT Lamon D. Whitfield
and CPT Jesse D. Hougnon. We wel-
come CPT Hougnon, his wife Chan-
delle, and their daughter Doriane to
the Forward Support Company fam-
ily. SPC Harris calmly awaits the insertion of a nasopharyngeal airway during a Combat Lifesaver class.
As our mission continues, it will Nasopharyngeal airways are tubes inserted through the nose to aid a patient’s breathing. It ensures an
evolve in support of Operation New open passageway from the nostril through the throat.
Dawn and the Iraqi Drawdown. We
will provide the most up-to-date information as soon as it becomes available.
I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank
the friends, families, and spouses who continue to suc-
cessfully accomplish the mission at Fort Campbell so we
can concentrate on our mission here in Iraq. Thanks
again.
—1SG Frank P. Stiglich

PV2 Cyr works on a vehicle while CPL Patterson stands in the background.

Right: SPC Holland

and SPC Seadler
P AG E 6 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

34th Sapper Company

28 February 2010 enced vehicle troubles and our Maintenance section stepped
34th Sapper Families, up, dedicating their time and expertise to repairing their issues
with ―NASCAR-style efficiency.‖ PFC Schultz, PFC Barreto,
Happy belated Valentines Day from the entire Titan Family!
and PFC Hughes were recognized and awarded the Army
It‘s great to write again for this March Edition of the Titan
Achievement Medal for their efforts. Certificates of Achieve-
Times. As the 2010 football season has now come to a close,
ment were awarded to SPC Mauro, PFC Johnson for their
we have found many other opportunities to stay busy –
daily support. In truly selfless fashion, SSG Tate and SGT
namely basketball and March Madness. February was a very
Lord emphasized the teamwork necessary to accomplish our
busy and productive month for the Titans. The 34th Sapper
missions resulting from this recognition. Thanks to all of you
Company participated in float bridge removal in northern
for what you do every day. Maintenance Families, be proud,
Iraq. Titan Soldiers from every platoon experienced bridge
your men are outstanding and without them we could not ac-
operations: operating on boats and dismantling 27 bays of
bridge along with the 299th Multi Role Bridge Company complish our mission.
from the US Army Reserves. It was a great professional de- We had several promotions during February and I would like
velopment opportunity for our combat engineers and opened to congratulate SPC Aratari, SPC Craig, SPC Godfrey, and
Soldiers‘ eyes to another of the many missions we engineers SPC Wells on their recent promotions. These are all out-
are called upon to execute. standing Soldiers and 1SG Otero and I continue to expect
The Titans continue great things from all them.
their Route clearance Congratulations to the Coleman
mission, now in sup- and Kempf families for the re-
port of Task Force cent additions to their families.
Sapper Eagle (our SPC and Mrs. Kempf had a baby
new higher headquar- girl, weighing 6 lbs. 15 oz, Ca-
ters – 326th Engineer dence Kempf, born to them on
Battalion). As al- January 5th. SPC and Mrs.
ways, we continually Coleman had a baby boy, weigh-
remain busy ensuring ing 8 lbs. 6 oz, Cayden Coleman
the routes are free of was born January 29th.
IEDs that extremists We welcome several new Sol-
intend to use against diers to the Titan Family. They
US and Iraqi Security arrived from Schofield Barracks
Forces. All the Pla- following their pre-deployment
toons have executed preparation and training. We
especially well in the extend a hearty Titan Welcome
last 30 days, I tip my to PFC Walker, SPC Ebele, and
hat to their efforts. SPC Thayer.
As usual, our Mainte- From 1SG Otero and I, thank
nance and Headquar- you for the support that you
34th's first Re-Enlistment in Iraq: SGT Dalia
ters Platoons are the continue to provide.
silent partners who go unrecognized for their efforts. Without
their combined assistance our vehicles would not roll, our CPT Muehling, out!
radios would not transmit, and our weapons may not fire. I
extend my heartfelt appreciation to SGT Kenny, our untiring
Senior Medic; CPL Barker our night Battle Captain and
Headquarters ―Handy-man‖; SSG Grinnell for his TERP
management, R&R coordinator, mail clerk and a list of other
jobs; SGT Dalia, for his assumption of the Supply Sergeant
duties following our company‘s departure from Hawaii; SGT
Joyner for his reorganization and leadership in the Commo
office; SFC Salladay, for ‗keeping the wheels on the apple
cart‘ as our Operations Sergeant. Additionally, thanks to SPC
Clark, SPC Sampson, and SPC Ortiz for their daily support
conducting a myriad of Headquarters duties.
I specifically want to acknowledge our Maintenance section.
LTC O‘Donahue, our former Battalion Commander, visited
FOB Speicher while conducting bridge inspections and battle-
field circulation. His Personal Security Detachment experi-
CPT Keith Muehling, Commander 1SG Bryan Otero
 P AG E 7 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

299 MRB Company

The winter or rainy season is almost over. Although we had many cold or very cool days through January and February,
for the most part the weather has been relatively mild when it comes to the rainy season. Iraq is still under a drought compared to the
previous years. This bodes well for our bridges in the rivers but we are always mindful that a deluge could come and the rive rs will
rise; therefore, we always keep the platoons in a ready posture to react.
The end of January and beginning of February were very fast paced times for our soldiers. In a two week span we took out
two bridges. March would come in like a lion with an additional bridge removal with few days to prepare. Each bridge mission took
more than 100 Soldiers, and with 30 Soldiers on leave, that left very few inside the wire and not on mission. Those left behind
worked the Tactical Operations Center and Rear Maintenance operations, always as critical an effort as those outside the wire to the
completion of the mission.
January 20th Team Taji had just returned from working with the Iraqi Army Strategic Bridging Company (IA SBC) at
Camp Taji. With little rest they joined the ranks of the rest of the company and prepared to head north. Our mission was to pull the
Sharqat Ribbon Bridge which had been emplaced in 2009 as a bypass while a civilian bridge was being built. 1 st Platoon would have
the lead. Lt Martin and SFC Hall would be in charge of this bridge pull, which would involve a four-day operation to remove the
bridge with the help of a platoon from 34th EN, as well as the Operational Land Owners (OEOs) providing security. The actual
bridge pull would start early morning at 3:00 am on January 23 rd. 1st Platoon moved out from FOB Spiecher to the bridge site. By
8:00 am, the sun broke through the low lying clouds and the frost melted off the nearby fields. The bridge was broken and the re-
trieval was started. Through the course of the long day
and into the late hours of the evening, the company
steadily retrieved bridge parts from the water until
11:00 pm. All said, 120 of the company‘s soldiers
traveled to northern Iraq, pulled a bridge and returned
to JBB without serious incident, except 1LT Martin,
who jumped out of his truck and sprained his ankle
upon arrival at the bridge site.
Less than a week later, 2nd Platoon relocated
to Camp Taji in preparation to remove the Partnership
Mabey Johnson Float Bridge (MJFB). Lt Zega and SFC
Ovalle would be in charge of the bridge pull. The local
OEO and 1st platoon would have responsibility of site
security. We had the pleasure of Mr. Pearson, the Ma-
bey Shore Bridge Company expert on site to give us
guidance. Unlike the ribbon bridge mission of the week
before, this operation would take six work days to com-
plete and would be done in concert with the IA SBC
Soldiers we have been training for the past five months
at Camp Taji. On the first day of operations, 2 nd pla-
toon soldiers removed the decking and ramps. At one Soldiers from 299th work with Iraqi Army Soldiers in preparation for the East Taji
point, one of the Hyex excavators slipped the decking Bridge removal, Feb. 24, 2011
and almost fell into the river. After a couple of hours of
high excitement the soldiers figured out how to retrieve
the Hyex and operations continued. Over the following two days, near and far shore crews under the guidance of SSG Hatfield and
SSG Barge pulled other parts of the bridge ashore then disassembled them. On the fourth day of operations, the Soldiers prepared
the bridge for removal using 6 boats. The boat crew commanded by SSG Clark and SSG Tiso made it look like a well rehearsed
drill, even with the commotion of two boat engines catching fire mid operation. Over the next two days, the bridge would be com-
pletely removed from the river and hauled to Camp Taji. All the while, 1 st platoon maintained 24 hour security on the bridge site and
a team composed of 1st and 2nd platoon soldiers hauled parts and pieces back to Camp Taji for containerization for shipment. With
the high motivation of our Soldiers, the bridge pull was completed two days ahead of Mr. Pearson‘s schedule.
During February, Team Taji would have a change of leadership. What was once the secondary mission of 2 nd platoon has
now come under the control of 1st platoon. As Team Taji is composed of Soldiers from all 299 th platoons, only the leadership
changed. The mission remained the same: to teach the Iraqi Army Soldiers assault float bridging so they can carry on our efforts
after US forces leave Iraq in December. There have been two training cycles since my last update: the first focused on the partner-
ship MJBF Bridge with two days of Ribbon Raft training. Team Taji has done well in their efforts which have enabled the SBC to
build a five float raft with supervision and very little help from 299 th Soldiers. The second rotation focused on Assault Float bridg-
ing. During this phase the E. Taji float bridge would be inspected and repaired in the same manner as the rest of the bridges in the
IJOA, with a culminating exercise of partially removing and replacing the bridge using the SBC as the primary effort on the bridge
site.
 N O T ES F RO M T H E E AG LE ‘ S N ES T P AG E 8

299 MRB Company

Operations to move to Camp Taji also got underway this month. Soldiers are packing their CHUs up and sending unnec-
essary items home in preparation for the move. The Headquarters
Platoon is stripping our building at JBB while the Support Platoon
is packing up the Maintenance building. Every soldier, some more
than others, is working daily on some aspect of the move. Even
Team Taji had a hand in our move. During the ―Days of Demon-
stration‖ when the IA Soldiers were unavailable for training, the
team cleaned and painted our new company building and straight-
ened out the new MP/Bridge Park at Taji. The move will continue
through the end of March, as the Iraqis would say ―Inshallah‖ (if
it‘s God Will) we‘ll be at full operations from our new home away
from home at Camp Taji.
It‘s never a dull day in Iraq. Operations are like the weather: wait a
minute and your mission will change. Such was the case at the be-
ginning of March. We ended up with our 5th bridge mission of the
deployment, a mission that was moved to sooner on the calendar
versus later, as usually the case. We had expected to remove the
East Taji ribbon bridge from the Tigris River in May after we were
Iraqi Army Strategic Bridging Company Soldiers
done training the IA SBC. Word from higher headquarters was
different, and on the evening of the 1st of March we received a
phone call to have the company remove the E. Taji Ribbon Bridge by the 5 th. This led to spooling up 1st platoon for the removal
and within two days they dropped their mission to the north bridge and were onsite prepping the bridge for removal. At the sa me
time, 2nd platoon headed south with the 7th Dive Team to inspect and repair the eight bridges, thus leaving the company area once
again virtually empty but for the TOC and rear maintenance teams. The 4 th of March would bring another ―Day of Demonstra-
tions‖ which halted most operations. 2nd Platoon would be stuck at FOB Kalsu waiting for permission to roll. This gave the in-
spection team a chance to regenerate from mechanical problems, and 1 st Platoon an opportunity to work on courses of action to
pull apart the E. Taji Bridge which has been in the water for seven years.
At 4:00 am on the 5th, 1st platoon left Camp Taji for the bridge site. Work on the bridge began at 6:30 am and continued
throughout the day. Under the guidance of SGT Ciminohurt on
the river, the build crew devised unusual ways to disassemble the
lower lock drives to avoid cutting bays that were difficult to re-
move. By the day‘s end, only two of the 30 locks could not be
undone, and were prepared for cutting on the 6th. While 1st pla-
toon worked on the Tigris River at E. Taji, 2nd platoon traversed
the central provinces below Bagdad repairing the anchorage sys-
tems on two floating MJFBs over the Tigris River. Due to our
excellent communications section, everyone knew what was
happening even over the hundreds of miles that separated the
Company. On the morning of the 6th, 1st Platoon headed back out
to the bridge site. The soldiers put their heads together and with
some more thinking dragged the two sections of bays up on
shore, where they could completely disassemble the lock drives,
thereby freeing the last four bays for retrieval without one lock
cut. The platoons would meet at day‘s end in the new Taji motor
pool, each having completed their missions without incident or
accident, a fitting end to 30 days of intense operations. Training the Iraqi Army Strategic Bridge Company at the East Taji
The month of February has come and gone. I would be amiss if I did not take the time to mention the glue that keeps this company
rolling. Never in the limelight of bridge operations is the staff of the HQ building and the few senior mechanics that don‘t roll on
missions. These 40 or so soldiers have a different kind of mission. They keep us paid, clothed, equipped, talking over the air-
waves, and rolling down the road. Their mission is steady and never ending. Without them we could not have accomplished the
many things I‘ve talked about.
As the company heads into the last three months of deployment, we see the last of the R&R leave soldiers head out. We‘ll keep
training the Iraqi Soldiers and maintaining the bridges from our new home away from home at Camp Taji, and wait for the arrival
of our replacements. Of course change will happen, and new missions will arise to keep us busy.

—CPT Michael Lay, CDR 299th EN Co (MRB)

 P AG E 9 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

391st Sapper Company

Hello from Joint Base Balad! Three long months after we left Idaho and the Punishers are going strong! This past month has
been our busiest yet, as we have made it into Iraq and received our mission set from our higher headquarters.
Our three line platoons have completed the handover from the
unit we replaced, and are running the show now. Day to day they conduct
one of the most relevant missions remaining in theater and continue to
display their professionalism, skill, and proficiency at their jobs. Their
ability to assume this dangerous mission and operate successfully is a testa-
ment to the training they have conducted over this past year and the inher-
ent dedication and love they have for their fellow Soldiers. I am proud to
serve with these brave men and consider it a honor to observe them operate
in a combat zone!
Our Field Maintenance Team (mechanics) has been hard at work
as usual. As the platoons continue to push out every night conducting their
route clearance patrols, the burden on the mechanics to keep the equipment
running is that much greater. Optimizing their time and resources avail-
able, mechanics have been teaming up with the line platoon operators to
install essential parts, conduct services, and troubleshoot various problems.
A tremendous accomplishment for them this month was their ability to
adapt to the new vehicle equipment and configuration with little problem.
Without their hard work, the platoons would be severely limited in their
movement to conduct missions.
Our supply section
has also been busy this month Above: 1LT Moreno and SFC
keeping track of property and Bouy of 3rd PLT/391st Sapper
equipment and trying to en- Company dismount during 06-
sure the line guys have every- Feb-2011 route sanitation mis-
thing they need to do their sion in order to coordinate with
mission successfully. CPL local Iraqi Army for partnered
Flegel showed up just in time traffic control on Route Tampa.
to help out the Hammer, and
they are working as a pretty
Middle: SSG Watkins utilizing
good team. The Hammer
his art skills to brandish the
continues to go above and
391st Sapper Co TOC with
beyond the call and makes
mine and 1SG‘s job too easy. their logo.
About a week ago
we held an official combat Below: 391st does pushups
patch ceremony to formally after a Company formation.
recognize our Soldiers as they
take their place in the long,
esteemed history of the 20th
Engineer Brigade. The Sol-
diers who have never been to combat will now
wear the patch of the 20th Engineer Brigade
proudly on their right shoulder. Those Soldiers,
who already have a ―combat patch‖, can now add
this to their collection and have earned the right to
wear it. We got some good photographs from the
ceremony that we can share with the families.
I am very grateful for the support and
friendship of our FRG members back home.
Thank you for what you do every day to keep the
home front safe and happy. We thank the families
and friends back home for all the words of encour-
agement and the never ending boxes of goodies.
It is great to see a Soldier‘s smile when they re-
ceive mail from home. Thank you all for your
support and prayers! God Bless!
—CPT Ryan Strong, 391st Commander
 P AG E 1 0 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

511th Sapper Co, “Reapers”

Hello from sunny Camp Liberty, Iraq to our families, our NCO ranks. SSG Aaron Ochoa was promoted to the rank of
friends and loved ones. We are just over 2 months into the Sergeant First Class. This is a huge achievement for him and is a
deployment so far and all is going well. The company had a credit to his tactical and technical expertise as a Non Commis-
successful relief in place with our counterparts, the 228 th Mo- sioned Officer. Also, this week, the 511 th sent 4 Soldiers: SPC
bility Augmentation Company (MAC) from the Pennsylvania Daniel Kaiser, SPC Levi Lim, CPL Daniel Moe and SPC Russell
National Guard. The 511th is currently attached to the 1-63 Pope to the monthly promotion board. All passed and will be pro-
Armor Battalion from FT Riley, Kansas and is responsible for moted to the rank of Sergeant soon! This is a great credit to their
clearing the routes for the locals and United States Forces and future potential as they join the NCO ranks and also to their super-
for training our Iraqi counterparts from the 6th and 17th Iraqi visors for the great mentoring that they gave them.
Army Field Engineer Regiments. This month we said our goodbyes to 1LT Stephen Kraus.
The platoons are staying busy on and off duty. Most He has been a cornerstone of the 511th Sapper Company for the past
take advantage of the 24-hr gyms, the great MWR facilities or two years. First he served as the Platoon Leader for 2 nd Platoon
by taking college classes. It is good to see the Sappers break- during our deployment in 2009 and then Stephen served as the
ing a mental sweat! company execu-
1st and 3rd Platoon tive officer. He
have been busy will be greatly
conducting route missed by all the
clearance patrols Soldiers and key
and are doing a leaders that he
fantastic job of worked with in
keeping the routes the company.
safe for everyone. His replacement
2nd Platoon has is 1LT Robert
been partnered Putnam. Bobby
with 17th Iraqi comes to the
Army Field Engi- Reaper family
neer Regiment and from our sister
is constantly busy company, the
conducting part- 5 91 s t S app er
nered route clear- Company where
ance missions with he served as the
their Iraqi counter- 3rd Platoon
parts. The Mainte- Le a d er. 1 LT
nance section so Putnam has big
far in the deploy- shoes to fill but I
ment has been the know that he is
MVP. SSG up to the chal-
Rodriquez and his lenge and will do
young mechanics a fantastic job!
work miracles on a In closing, I want
daily if not hourly SPC Cox saws through a palm tree. to thank all the
basis ensuring that fa milie s an d
all of our route friend stateside
clearance equipment is fully mission capable. The headquar- for your thoughts, prayers, sacrifice and constant support. I am
ters section is behind the scenes ensuring that the line platoons proud every day to see our Sappers conduct their daily missions.
have all the supplies they need, all the communications equip- They are the consummate professionals in all that they do and are a
ment working and maintaining situational awareness of all great credit to their families, the Army and the United States.
activities that impact the company. My hat is off to all the —CPT Hoeksema AT THE BREACH!
Sappers in the company, they make me proud every day with
what they accomplish!
The company recently took part in a rite of passage
for all combat Soldiers, the ―Patch Ceremony‖. This is where
all the Sappers get their 20th Engineer Brigade combat patches
and proudly display them on their right sleeves. This is big
deal to all the Sappers that have not deployed before, now they
don‘t feel like ―newbies‖!
This past week we had some great news stories in
N O T ES F RO M T H E E AG LE ‘ S N ES T P AG E 1 1

511th Sapper Co, “Reapers”

Hello to the families, friends, and alumni of the
511th family. First, I would like to thank you all for
the support that you have given to our Soldiers as
we have transitioned from home station to Iraq.
The letters, packages, and e-mails really mean a
lot, and it helps keep all of our spirits high. The
sacrifices that all of you have made are extremely
important to us as we are conducting our mission
in Iraq and it will never go unnoticed. I am proud
of our FRG and the commitment that it has in pro-
viding awesome support to our Soldiers and their
families. Next, I would like to tell you that the
living conditions for your loved ones are pretty
good. Despite what you may have been told, this is
not your great grandfather‘s Army anymore. I can
assure you that we all have been provided with the
best facilities possible to
accommodate our day to Top: PV2 Johnson and
day activities. It was my PFC Haky pose for a
intent to enclose a few picture with 17th IA
pictures for you to see how engineer soldiers at JSS
we live. However, I could Deason prior to a part-
not get pictures of places nered route clearance
like the gym, the dining mission in support of
Operation New Dawn
facility, the laundry facility
or the PX. The good news Middle: 511th Soldiers
is that these are very secure wield chainsaws used to
areas on our base and our chop up palm trees.
Soldiers feel safe when
they are consuming quality Below: 1SG Richardson
meals, getting a good pins new rank of re-
workout in, or looking for cently-promoted SFC
Ochoa
the perfect Valentine‘s Day
card. Plus, I did not want to
take a chance on getting
billy clubbed by the security forces around these
areas for taking pictures in a secured area. Over the
past month I have become more and more awed by
our Sappers. To my great comfort, I have found
that our Soldiers are prepared and well trained for
the tasks that lie before us. Our Soldiers are relying
on their training and genuinely ‗doing the right
thing‘. Like our brothers before us, I expect noth-
ing but the best and I know our time here will re-
sult in mission success. Last, I would like to thank
1LT Kraus for a job well done during his tenure in
the 511th performing duties as a Platoon Leader
and as the Executive Officer. I appreciated his
efforts and having a key role with my transition
into the company as the First Sergeant. He will be
missed. At the same time, I welcome 1LT Putnam
to the company as the new XO and all of the quali-
ties that he brings to the table having worked with
him before. Again, thank you for all that you do
and the sacrifices that you all are making. —1SG
Richardson AT THE BREACH!
P AG E 1 2 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

591st Sapper Company

Greetings from Camp Taji! The Sappers of the 591 st Engineer Company
have settled into to a quasi-routine during the last 45 days or so. Each
platoon‘s schedule is a little different but it basically consists of sleep,
physical training, mission, wash, rinse and repeat. The Soldiers do get
free time and have a few options as to how they use it; some go to the
gym, others watch movies (we have a movie shop conveniently located
across the street from the company) while some enjoy X-Boxes, lap-
tops, and PlayStations. All of our needs are located within walking
distance: besides the movie shop we have a laundry facility, the con-
tainerized housing units (known as CHUs), and the dining facility are
all a short walk from the company. All in all, we are situated pretty
well.
Since we have arrived several Soldiers have been promoted: SPC
Plasket, PFC Mousso, and PFC Membreno, so congratulations to these
well-deserving Soldiers. We have one NCO and three Soldiers attend-
ing next month‘s promotion board so good luck to them as well.
A special shout goes to the newest member of the 591 st Family--Mason
Green, son of SPC Green.
Until next time,
1SG Skidmore, out.

Above: 1/591st Sappers visit one of Saddam's many palaces

in Baghdad.

Left: Saddam's Palace - Soldiers from 1/591 EN CO (From

Left: PFC Mead, PFC Hutchinson, PFC Brown, E.) take a
tour of one of Saddam's many palaces located on Victory
Base Camp, Iraq.

Below: 1st Platoon of 591st Engineer Company train and

rehearse battle drills. Continual practice of battle drills
are a key to proficiency during battlefield situations
 P AG E 1 3 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

617th Engineer Support Company

Last month CPT Kennedy passed the 617th guidon to me on the 15th of February. I feel truly proud and honored to have the opportu-
nity to command such an excellent company. As this is my first newsletter as the commander I want to say hello to all the Tr ailblazer
families. I would like to extend a thank you to CPT
Kennedy, CPT Pilley, 1SG Tupua, SSG Figueroa,
and SPC Lopez for all the work they had to do to
make the change of command and inventories a suc-
cess. I would also like to thank all of the Soldiers of
the company; they worked hard both on the invento-
ries and at the change of command ceremony. The
past month has been a hectic one with all the inven-
tories and trips to visit Soldiers and see all of the
company‘s equipment. Now that the company no
longer has to focus on change of command invento-
ries we can once again focus on our primary mission
of construction.

1st Platoon has been busy providing all of the move-

ment support for both CPT Kennedy and me to visit
all the work sites. While moving us around they
were able to deliver repair parts to both 2 nd Platoon
in Kirkuk and 3rd Platoon in Irbil Province multiple
times this past month. Not to mention the countless
amount of mail they were able to bring to the Sol-
diers helping to keep morale high. In Kirkuk, 2 nd
Platoon was busy improving checkpoints throughout PFC Sorg guides a BHL
the city conducting force protection upgrades and
drainage improvements to support the Iraqi Army.
3rd Platoon continues to fight the weather and austere conditions in the Irbil Province as they conduct road repairs in support of the
Department of State. While throughout the month the Headquarters Section and the Field Maintenance Team were busy in battle track-
ing, conducting inventories, and supporting the construction efforts of the company.

During this busy month three Trailblazer Soldiers reenlisted with SGT Espinoza reenlisting here at Ballad and SGT Herlik reenlisting
down at Taji as he was busy helping to train the
Iraqi Soldiers on horizontal construction. By
far SPC Berger had the most exciting reenlist-
ment as he was able to reenlist on a helicopter
flight. STAY ARMY!

As the 10th month comes to a close the company

looks forward to the 82nd Engineer Company‘s
arrival, but not the inventories we will have to
do again. Even though we are so near the end
of the deployment we all will need to keep in
mind that there are still two more months of
hard work ahead. As the amount of time away
grows the continued support and participation
for the FRG is still needed.

I look forward to working with all the Soldiers

of the company and meeting the families of
these great Soldiers.

- CPT Korman, Commander

SFC Windsor, PSG 2nd PLT 617th Over looking the job site in Kirkuk as the platoon improves one
of the Combined Check Points in late February 2011 (photo by 1LT Rachel Neasham)
P AG E 1 4 V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 1

Flame On! Route Sanitation in Taji

On 22 Feb 2011, the 391st Sapper Company using a trailer-mounted flamethrower, or burn trailer, cleared trash and brush over-
growth from the East Taji Standard Ribbon Bridge (SRB). This mission was part of a larger mission headed by the 299th Multi-Role
Bridge Company (MRBC) to train the Iraqi Army Strategic Bridge Company how to emplace, remove, inspect and repair an SRB.
CPT Burch, the Construction and Bridging Officer In Charge for Task Force Sapper Eagle went on this sanitation mission and wrote
the following story describing his experience:
It was a dark and cool morning. They always are. Those hours between when your alarm clock tells you it‘s still dark, but
you‘re waking up anyway and when you‘re suited up and rolling out on mission as part of the team. I felt it, but my mind was on
events to come. Today would be a great day.
Mission: clear out vegetation and trash around a float bridge to prepare for the bridge removal. Plan: dispense fiery justice
upon terrorist vegetation and trash using the fear-inducing flame trailer… AKA the flamethrower.
With a smile on my face, I utter my statement of approval, ―Yes, today is a good day to burn.‖ Unfortunately the rational
side of my brain had to remind me that it was windy and this
brush was dry. ―The island is uninhabited and unused, we are
OK.‖ said the bridge platoon leader. As the actual operator be-
gan to burn, we all knew that the flames weren‘t going to stay in
one spot. And sure enough we could hear the heavy crackling
sound as the fire slowly traveled down the shoreline.
The other shore was another story. Houses lined in a
row. Many children stood and watched from far away. We
couldn‘t burn, but again the platoon leader stated it was OK.
They didn‘t need to burn that side after all. I was disappointed
there would be less smoldering punishment dealt upon the
weeds of darkness, but I was glad to see we were doing the right
thing.
The operator continued to burn everywhere the bridge
team needed, but there was one very excellent problem. We only
needed one of the two trailers, and we weren‘t allowed to bring
back a trailer full of fuel. I couldn‘t hold back a smirk when I
thought, ―all these rules in the army, and one finally brightens
my day.‖ We had to expend the fuel the only way we could… CPT Burch invokes his firey vengeance upon some reeds.
more burning.
All the fun of the day peaked to a climax when anyone who wanted was allowed a chance to operate the flamethrower. How
delightful. Many who know me well, know this was not my first time wielding the power to enslave evil in a flame-laden curtain of
death. But, it had been a long time. I took hold of the apparatus and welcomed the familiar rush of adrenaline. I felt my muscles tense
in anticipation of the pressure of flowing fresh fuel. The stream
of napalm poured forth across the pilot light and roared to life.
Bright red-orange flames surged into the brush enveloping every
twig and stick nearby. Simultaneously, pupils constricted and
exposed skin was warmed. Wielding a firearm, while empower-
ing, is nothing compared to wielding fire in your arms. A squeeze
of my fingers had the power to unleash a living hunger to con-
sume at will… and then other soldiers got to ―train‖.
We waited for the flames to die off, packed up and
headed back to base. It was a great experience, and the mission
was a success. I want to say thanks to the 391st Sappers and the
299th Bridge Company for giving me that opportunity.
—CPT Brian Burch, Construction and Bridging OIC

SGT Post (391st Sapper Company) clears reeds to assist 299th MRBC in
their bridge removal
N O T ES F RO M T H E E AG LE ‘ S N ES T P AG E 1 5

Proud to Wear the Patch

Over the past two weeks, the PSD, or Personal Security Detail, has escorted the Battalion
Commander and Battalion Command Sergeant Major to every platoon in the Battalion in order to
award each soldier with their combat patch. The combat patch is awarded one month into the de-
ployment for service in a combat zone.
By receiving the shoulder insignia,
every soldier officially became a part of history
for their contribution to Operation New Dawn. 20th Engineer Brigade Patch
The patch is placed on the right shoulder to rec-
ognize the soldier‘s participation in combat operations. Soldiers are not entitled a
combat patch, they have to earn it. A tradition that dates back to World War I, the
―combat patch‖ was originally donned by the 81st Infantry Division. By World
War II, all Army units had a unique combat patch. The 20th Engineer Brigade
patch is red and white, with a castle tower in the middle representing the Corps of
Engineers. The four white areas resemble the letter ―V‖ for Victory as well as the
Roman Numeral 5. All four of them together add up to 20 for the 20th Engineer
Brigade. The tower represents heavy construction, and because it is placed on a
square, it alludes to the establishment of bases. Additionally, the breaks in the
border represent open lines of communication.
On September 1, 2010, the United States Army reached a milestone in
Iraq as they transitioned from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn.
The Obama Administration decided to change the name to reflect the changing
role of American Forces in the country. US Troops now work hand in hand with
Iraqis as the US Army prepares them to take over their own security, and establish
a self-sustaining Security Force.
The combat patch is more than just an award; it symbolizes the sacrifice of each
soldier and their families, and their willingness to fight. It‘s about the soldiers
who have come before us, and those soldiers fighting alongside us now. A soldier
can wear any unit patch they were awarded, regardless of whether they are still
Squad Leader SSG Reed patches 1st Squad, PSD serving under that unit. The Brigade Commander, COL Richard Kaiser, how-
(From left: 1/4 of PFC Gray, PFC Ketzer, SPC Allan,
SPC St. Germain).
ever, mandated that all Soldiers falling under the 20th Engineer Brigade wear
their patch proudly for 7 days to represent the unit and what we are doing here in
Iraq. After that, each soldier can chose which patch he or she wears.
For some soldiers, this is their first combat patch; their first time in a combat zone. For others, it takes two hands to count
the number of times they‘ve received a patch. Regardless, Operation New Dawn represents a new mission as the US Army begins
stability operations centered on advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.
This is the first of many awards
that will result from this deploy-
ment. Task Force Sapper Eagle
has a bright future, as they work
to set up the ISF to take the lead
in securing their own country.

—1LT Erin Hanley, PSD PL

Left: Squad Leader SGT

Hardwick patches 2nd Squad,
PSD (from left: PV2 Creamer,
PV2 Young, SPC Dixon).

Right:
Squad Leader SGT Martin
patches 3rd Squad, PSD
(from left: PV2Parks, PV2
Garcia, SPC Magofna).
 CSM Hart
Air Assault!

www.facebook.com/#!/pages/326th-Engineer-Battalion-AASLT/335444835833

—CSM Hart CSM Kendrick (20th EN BDE) patches CSM Hart

What Is a Public Affairs Officer?

Greetings, families and friends of Task Force Sapper Eagle. My name is 2LT Isabelle Morse. I am
the Assistant Intelligence Officer as well as the Public Affairs Officer for the Battalion. As the Public Af-
fairs Officer, it is my job to "tell the story" for Task Force Sapper Eagle. I collect photos from the Compa-
nies and post them on Twitter and the Facebook page. I collect articles from the Companies and compile
them into a newsletter. I will also be coordinating with hometown media to release stories about our Sol-
diers to the newspapers, television stations and radio stations of their homes.
Recently, I have received several complaints from family members concerned that they are not
seeing photos of their loved ones on Facebook. There are a variety of things that can happen to keep your
...or search for “326th Engineer Battalion (AASLT)”
http://www.twitter.com/326engineer_BN

Soldier‘s photo from being published:

1. The biggest problem we run into here in Iraq is a slow internet connection. Because I have to screen and
post all the photos myself, I have to gather those photos from the companies that are located on all the sepa-
rate FOBs. Often, the internet connection will not allow the Companies to send me more than a couple of
photos. Occasionally, I get to travel to these FOBs to photograph the Soldiers—or I get other Soldiers from
HHC who travel to outlying FOBs to take pictures and bring them back to me. Because of the low number
of photos available, I have not yet received pictures of every Soldier in the Task Force.
2. Most non-route clearance missions occur during the day and the route clearance missions occur at night.
Because of this, if the mission from HHC happens the day after your Soldier was on mission, your Soldier
is probably sleeping and not available for photographs.
3. Some Soldiers do not wish to have their photos posted on Facebook or Twitter.
Join our Facebook page!

4. We are no longer authorized to take pictures inside buildings. If your Soldier works inside the TOC, there
is a lower likelihood that I will receive a
picture of him/her.
Follow us on Twitter!

Additionally, I have received

complaints that I am favoring HHC on the
Facebook page. This is not true. The fact
of the matter is, I am located with HHC so
the majority of photos available to me are
of HHC Soldiers. My primary job as an
Intelligence Officer does not often leave
me time to travel to other FOBs for the
purpose of photographing Soldiers.
As Task Force Sapper Eagle
settles into its battle rhythm, we hope to
have an easier time gathering photos of all
the members of the Task Force.
—2LT Isabelle Morse, AS2/PAO