Task Force Lobos Newsletter

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: