Task Force Lobos Newsletter
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Wolfpack this dedication can be seen in
the recent opening of the Night-
hawk Clinic, which provides 24-
hour medical care on the Camp
Marmal flight line (where the
vast majority of the Task Force
works.) This major expansion of
care will help our Soldiers re-
main fit to fight whenever they
need medical attention, without
requiring lengthy travel to the
Camp Marmal living area.
In the Battalion TOC, dozens of
Wolfpack Soldier contribute to
the Task Force mission as they
complete a variety of combat
support roles. Whether main-
taining flight records, planning
missions, analyzing intelligence
reports, tracking operations, or
providing logistical, administra-
tive, or communication support
to the Task Force, our team has
made a big difference in the
Lobos’ successes this month.
I’m happy to say that our Sol-
diers are operating far above
standard, motivation remains
high, and your Troopers are
excelling in their specialties.
Key to our success is your con-
tinued support of your loved
one. Thank you for all you do
and all of your sacrifice.
31 July 2011
Volume 2, Issue 2
TASK FORCE
LOBOS
Featuring updates from:
HHC/Wolfpack 1
A CAC/Vultures
A ASLT/Werewolves
B CO/Blackcats
2
B ATK/Reapers
C CO/Witchdoctors
D CO/ Outlaws
3
E CO/Renegade
F CO/Ravens
Rear Det/Rear Guard
4
LTC Huff and CSM Soliz stand beside PFC
Wiggins and SPC Ruetz of E Company, makers
of the Task Force Lobos sign proudly displayed
outside our Tactical Operations Center.
flawlessly. The small detach-
ment of Ravens confidently con-
trol the Shindand airspace, in-
cluding all military and civilian
fixed wing, rotary wing, and un-
manned aerial vehicle traffic in
the area. Furthermore, our fan-
tastic platoon of CH-47 aircrews
in Shindand are superbly provid-
ing essential heavy lift capabili-
ties to the Assault Helicopter
Battalion with which they serve.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts
of all Lobos, we remain a first
class organization, setting high
expectations, and producing
results every time. The over-
whelming support of our terrific
Family members and FRGs con-
tinues to positively impact the
morale of our Soldiers. We rec-
ognize that our ability to execute
our mission in Afghanistan is
directly linked to your efforts on
the home front. On behalf of
every Soldier, I offer my sincere
thanks for your continued sup-
port. - LOBO6.
Wolfpack Soldiers receive coins from the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral
Michael Mullen.
With just 60 days in theater,
Task Force Lobos has already
cemented its reputation as the
premier Aviation Task Force in
Afghanistan. On a daily basis, I
receive laudatory comments
from our passengers, supported
ground forces, ISAF partners,
and higher commands com-
mending our Soldiers for their
professionalism and dedication.
Whether conducting combat
missions in the skies above
Regional Command-North or
the around-the-clock efforts of
our aviation support companies
to keep the Task Force function-
ing, the Lobos have set the
standard of excellence and
discipline in the 1st Air Cavalry
Brigade.
We achieved a significant mile-
stone for the Task Force on the
4th of July with the execution of
a formal 1st Cavalry Division
Combat Patch Ceremony honor-
ing the contributions of our
Task Force Commander Soldiers in Afghanistan. This
ceremony acknowledged our
deployment to the Afghanistan
combat zone, and officially de-
noted the title “Veteran” upon
each Soldier. The 1st Cavalry
Division combat patch has been
worn by tens of thousands of our
nation’s heroes since World War
II, and is a source of pride for all
who wear it. Even after they
leave the Division, our Soldiers
are authorized to continue wear-
ing the 1st Cavalry Division com-
bat patch on their right sleeves
to indicate former wartime ser-
vice.
Another highlight of the month
was my visit to Shindand, a For-
ward Operating Base located in
western Afghanistan. This trip
afforded me the opportunity to
observe members of the Black-
cats and Raven Companies who
have been attached to Task
Force Spearhead. Without hesi-
tation, I am proud to report that
our detached Soldiers are exe-
cuting their assigned missions
The Wolfpack has been hard at
work over the past month con-
trolling and supporting opera-
tions throughout the Task
Force. With every passing day,
the Team fine-tunes its systems
and processes to more effi-
ciently and effectively help our
sister companies complete their
missions.
Our great team of medical pro-
viders continues to show that
the daily medical readiness of
the Lobos Family is their num-
ber one priority. Evidence of
Task Force Lobos, Regional Command-North, Afghanistan
Vultures
July has been an extremely busy month for
the Vultures. In just that one month, the
Vultures flew over 600 combat hours, mak-
ing Alpha Company the leading flight com-
pany in the Task Force for July. The hard
work of all the pilots and especially the crew
chiefs allowed the Company to be so suc-
cessful. Maintenance crews and our main-
tenance test pilot, CW2 Fyffe, are working
endlessly throughout the day and night in
order to keep the Vulture aircraft up and
operational for mission.
Along with completing missions in Regional
Command-North, Alpha Company continues
to train and build competent combat crews.
CW3 Dulin and CW2 Schubbe demonstrated
their expertise as pilots and have become
the newest Vulture Pilots-in-Command. PFC
Rucker and SPC Gibson completed progres-
sion with ease and now serve as our two
newest door gunners executing VIP, Air As-
sault, and Air Movement Operations. The
company currently has 6 more crew chiefs
undergoing progression training along with
several pilots who are steadily advancing to
full mission readiness.
In celebration of the 4th of
July and the completion of
the Lobos’ first 30 days in
country, the 1st Cavalry Divi-
sion Combat Patch was
awarded to all members of
Task Force Lobos deployed
in Afghanistan. A total of 11
Soldiers from Alpha Com-
pany received their 1st Cav-
alry Division combat patch
for the first time. Congrats to
all those combat vets! Also,
congrats to 1LT Markle, and
1LT Tankiewicz, platoon
leaders in Alpha Company who received
much deserved promotions to Captain on 1
July.
Special thanks to all Vulture Family mem-
bers and friends for your continued support
of our mission. Your letters, emails, and
care packages are much appreciated!
After two very fast-paced months, the Black-
cats are working at full capacity. Every day,
our Soldiers are executing
critical missions throughout
Regional Command-North,
often with aircraft from our
sister companies as our
wingmen. Our excellent
crew chiefs and pilots con-
tinue to impress our sup-
ported ground units with top
notch air assaults and
cargo transport services to
meet their needs.
On July 4th, Task Force
Lobos awarded 1st Cavalry
Division Combat Patches to
all deployed Soldiers. This symbol of service
in a warzone is a huge source of pride for all
of our Soldiers.
We’re happy to report that this month the
Company moved into permanent living quar-
ters, and our Soldiers have wasted no time
hanging curtains and laying rugs in their
personal areas. Small things like posting
pictures of loved ones and displaying a few
small items of personal memorabilia can
make a tent begin to feel like home.
1SG Wagner and I consider it a high honor
to serve with such a fantastic group of avia-
tion professionals. We extend our thanks to
our Family members for your continued sup-
port of our mission. Blackcats!
Blackcats
One of the major morale boosters over the
last month came about when CW2 Caudle
contacted pilots who flew with A Co, 227th
Aviation Regiment during the Vietnam War
and obtained their unit symbol. This sym-
bol represents heritage linking us to one of
the most prestigious aviation units in the
Vietnam War, and can now be seen on the
pilot doors of every Werewolf Blackhawk.
This bond between A Co aviators, past and
present, is a relationship that we will con-
tinue to foster as we remain in contact with
these heroes from our past.
The month of July marked a major mile-
stone in the deployment as we participated
in the Task Force Lobos Combat Patch
Ceremony on July 4th. It was an honor to re-
ceive this symbol of wartime service and we
know that all of you are equally proud.
We continue to improve our company footprint
and personal living areas as comfort items pour
in daily from
home. The sup-
port from home
is a major moti-
vating factor for
our Soldiers, and
makes a big dif-
ference in unit
morale. Thanks
so much for your
support!
Werewolves
The Werewolves are running strong in sup-
port of numerous missions across RC-
North, Afghanistan. With systems estab-
lished and motivation high among the for-
mation, we are continually meeting the
requirements of this high paced OPTEMPO.
Whether at Camp Marmal or stationed at
outlying bases, we are proudly upholding
the 1ACB standard and doing an excellent
job. The professionalism and flexibility of
our crews is making a huge impact on the
continued stability of the region and the
professionalism and dedication is fre-
quently recognized by our ISAF passengers.
Page 2 TASK FORCE LOBOS
CW2 Jason Dallas stands next to a
newly painted UH-60L.
Pilots and crew chiefs post in front of a CH-47F at Camp Marmal.
CPT Espinoza stands in front of the Vultures formation after awarding the
1st Cavalry Division Combat Patch to the company.
Reapers
Volume 2, Issue 2
Outlaws
As July ends, the Reapers cap off another suc-
cessful month of combat operations. July has
been a hot one, but morale remains high and
the Reaper Soldiers continue to focus on the
task at hand. Bravo Attack remains at the tip
of the spear supporting coalition ground units
all over Northern Afghanistan. The Reapers
have built an impressive reputation for set-
ting the standard in regard to excellence,
safety, and teamwork
There were a number of highlights from the
month, beginning with the combat patch
ceremony on the 4th of July. This ceremony
marked one month in country for the Task
Force. All Reapers now proudly wear the 1st
Cavalry Division combat patch as “veterans”
of Operation Enduring Freedom. Also, the
Reapers promoted their Platoon Leaders,
1LT Christopher Beckwith and 1LT Gregory
Foley, to Captain in early July.
Our Soldiers were finally able to move from
transient barracks into permanent quar-
ters, giving Soldiers more personal living
space while off duty. The influx of care
packages from home has allowed many
Soldiers to personalize their living space,
and has improved the quality of life for all
door decorations that identify each shop.
Slowly, our workspaces are becoming more
comfortable and effective places to con-
duct business. Also, the Soldiers have now
officially been moved into their permanent
tents and have begun to personalize their
individual bunk areas.
We have had the pleasure of promoting
many of our hard working Soldiers to posi-
tions of greater responsibility this month.
Congratulations to PFC Bowman, SPC
Pittman, SPC Singletary, SPC Burns and
SPC Thompson.
Everyone enjoys receiving the care pack-
ages and letters from home that so many
Outlaw maintenance has had an extremely
busy month completing daily maintenance to
keep our fleet operating. We’ve also focused
on continually
improving our
maintenance
areas. The
shops, mostly
air condi-
tioned at this
point, now
display sheet
metal office
symbols and
of you have sent on a regular basis. I know
everyone is extremely grateful for the time
and effort that each of you place into collect-
ing and shipping the items we receive. The
support from home has been tremendous
and I would like to thank each and every one
of you for what you allow us to do here in
Afghanistan.
As we all settle into our daily routines and
prepare for the months ahead in Afghanistan,
you can rest assured that your Soldiers will be
well cared for and the mission will be accom-
plished to standard without fail.
Outlaws!
a seamless integration with ground
forces and medical services provid-
ers at evacuation sites. Building
relationships, whether through formal
training or through informal social
events, is key to this process.
Special thanks to all of the family and
friends who have sent dozens of care
packages to our Soldiers. Please
know that these individual acts of
kindness have a huge impact on our
Soldiers’ morale and are sincerely
appreciated. Your tremendous sup-
port is keeping smiles on our faces
and enabling the Witchdoctor team
to complete the mission every day.
Thanks for your support!
Greetings to the Witchdoctor Family! Our
deployed Soldiers are happy to see the pass-
ing of July and are hopeful for a slight re-
prieve from the scorching temperatures of
Summer in the weeks ahead. The team has
been extremely busy providing life-saving
MEDEVAC support throughout Northern Af-
ghanistan and training with our coalition
partners. We’ve also invested our time in
improving our company living and working
areas to increase workspace efficiency and
effectiveness, as well as personal comfort.
At each of our sites, our Soldiers continue to
integrate with our third country coalition
partners. The success of our mission to
save the lives of injured Soldiers depends on
Page 3
1SG Parras congratulates SPC Kniss
during the Battalion patch ceremony.
Witchdoctors
Our Camp Marmal team (from L to R: SFC Williams, SPC Corley,
CW4 Petersen, SSG Salge, SSG White, SPC Quintero, CW2 Bland,
CW2 Kosmack, CPT Bodensteiner, CW2 Esch, and CW2 Stewart.)
Reapers. Thank you for your outstanding
support!
The Reapers are looking forward to the chal-
lenges of August , and our continued 24-hr
support of combat operations, including
multiple air assaults and air-to-ground sup-
port missions for our NATO allies. Every day
we are reminded just how important the
Reaper capabilities are to the success of our
ISAF partners, giving us pride in what we do.
SPC Joshua Tykla backs up a Reaper AH-64 Apache from
aircraft parking on a typical Afghanistan afternoon. Sunset over Camp Marmal, with the crew chief
tent visible in the foreground.
It’s been another non-stop month at Camp
Marmal, and your Renegades have stepped
up to the challenge in every area!
The Maintenance Platoon is setting the
standard on
a daily ba-
sis. Our
Soldiers
technically
inspected
over 130
pieces of
equipment
this month
and ser-
viced 12
generators that support daily operations in
three different locations on Camp Marmal.
They also organized over 800 lines of shop
stock, repaired fabricated parts, installed
security devices in military vehicles, and
crafted guidon stands for fellow companies.
Now that’s busy!
Without a doubt, the Distribution Platoon is
making the mission happen. Our 24-hour
operations at FOB Meymanah and Camp Mar-
mal are a continuous test of our Soldiers’
physical and mental strength. Together, they
have issued over 210,000 gallons of fuel
and are maintaining accountability for ammu-
nition valued at over $2 million.
The Headquarters Platoon supported Camp
Marmal by issuing an overwhelming 1.3 mil-
lion gallons of water for sanitation purposes.
Our supply system has ordered uniforms and
other equipment for our hard working
Renegades. Our dining facility on the air-
field has improved their daily menu by pro-
viding a variety of cold cuts and healthier
choices for our hungry Lobos.
Our Renegades have performed exception-
ally! Renegades are staying motivated and
as August arrives, they are excited for the
commencement of R&R. We’re also plan-
ning an end-of-month BBQ and awards
ceremony for our Soldiers.
To the Families, thank you for your support
and everything you do. I know this deploy-
ment is just as difficult for those on the
home front as it is for those in Afghanistan.
The Renegades would not be the unit it is
today without the support you provide from
back home. For that, 1SG and I thank you.
Renegades
Also this month, our team at Kunduz partici-
pated in Fire Awareness training with repre-
sentatives of the German firefighter team.
Learning versatile and effective skills, Team
Kunduz learned to extinguish fires using a
variety of available resources.
At each Fox Company outlying site, we have
received continuous praise from supported
Aviators. During the change of command for
the German SATCO (Senior Air Traffic Control-
ler) , the outgoing German Major responsible
for ATS in Northern Afghanistan devoted a
portion of his farewell speech to our team.
He stated that our troopers “form the back-
bone and provide continuity to the German
ATS efforts, resulting in excellent support to
Aviation assets.” The Commander of the Air
Force unit at Shindand recently sent a very
kind message to me thanking our Soldiers for
outstanding support to the Afghan Air Force
training program. Additionally, COL Novalis
and LTC Huff have made repeated comple-
ments to tower operators at Meymanah,
Kunduz, and MES. Great work Ravens!
Ravens
Greetings again from your Rear Detach-
ment Team! We’ve had a busy month pre-
paring Soldiers to join the Task Force in
Afghanistan, including medical processing,
uniform issue, and completing predeploy-
ment training. With our first group of late
deployers already on the ground in Afghani-
stan, Rear Guard remains committed to
supporting our deployed forces in every
way that it can.
We’re equally committed to facilitating
services and issue resolution for Lobo Fam-
ily members. Part of that commitment is
planning exciting events to help foster a
sense of community among our spouses
and Family members. For the month of
July, we enjoyed a day of fun in the sun at
the Task Force Lobos Pool Party. We were
happy to have a huge turn out of Family mem-
bers seeking relief from the intense heat of
July. Thanks to everyone who contributed
their time in making this event a success!
The children thoroughly enjoyed making
waves in the pool, soaking up the sunshine,
and munching on cotton candy. If you were
unable to participate, please stay tied in with
your company FRG leaders for details on up-
coming spouses’ events in August!
I’d like to make a quick pitch for an amazing
Army program that has already benefitted
dozens of Lobo Families. Child & Youth Ser-
vices on Fort Hood provides up to 16 hours
of FREE child care per child per month for
Families of deployed Soldiers. This is a fan-
tastic way for parents to take a break away
from the kids to participate in FRG events,
take care of errands, or spend time with
friends. If that sounds like something you
would be interested in receiving, call CYS at
254-287-8029 for more information.
Finally, we want to send out our sincere
thanks to our amazing company FRGs! We
have gotten so much positive feedback about
the level of involvement by FRG leaders and
the quality of the
events available for
our Families. If you
have not taken the
time to become
engaged with your
company FRG, we
encourage you to
do so today!
Rear Guard
Fox Company has had a productive and
exciting July. The month started with
unique 4th of July celebrations at each of
our forward operating sites. Out in Kunduz,
our Ravens enjoyed a large BBQ with their
German partners. At Camp Marmal, the
local EOD team put on a brief “fireworks”
display using flares and some choice pyro-
technic devices after sunset. Soldiers at
Meymanah took on our coalition partners
in a 4th of July volleyball competition, earn-
ing a commendable third place. Finally,
our Ravens serving in Shindand enjoyed a
fantastic meal at the base Dining Facility.
Perhaps most memorable for the day, our
Soldiers had the additional honor of receiv-
ing the 1st Cavalry Division combat patch.
PFC Harrell and SPC Roman
conduct an aquaglo test.
Fox Company Troopers receive the coveted 1st
Cavalry Division combat patch. From left to right:
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