396th TC October 2012 Newsletter

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shipping yard and Entry Con

trol Point (ECP) guards. A

main focus for the 396th TC

providing security for the Na

tional Afghanistan TruckingCompany. From late night m

sions to countless hours in th

motor pool, brothers and siste

in arms have become a family

like no other. Whether its

turning wrenches or pushing

paperwork, every Soldier has

important piece to the puzzle

success. Hell on Wheels has

landed as a well oiled machin

ready to take on any task thatcomes our way. Like many

challenges that have been put

before us, we have met this o

with professionalism and the

will to fight. With our fierce

leadership and faithful Soldie

there is no goal that we canno

reach.

The ultimate measure of a man is

not where he stands in moments of

comfort, but where he stands at

times of challenge and controversy,

- Martin Luther King Jr.

It has been over two months

since the Soldiers of the 396th

Transportation Company (TC)

have placed their boots in the

Parwan providence of Af-

ghanistan. Quick to put their

training to good use, Soldiers

are becoming accustomed to

our new surrounding. Each

task is performed with pur-

pose, direction, and motiva-

tion. While wiping the sweat

off of their brows Soldiers are

prepared to accomplish the

mission set before them. In

the past month the Soldiers of

396th have teamed up with

fellow Transportation Compa-

nies: the 110th TC from Fort

Drum, NY, 1157th TC National

Guard from Wisconsin and 1086th

National Guard TC from Louisi-

ana, to rule the roads of Afghani-

stan. Soldiers are working dili-gently to make their mark in his-

tory and serve our country. Over

the past few weeks, five Convoy

Escort Teams (CET) (Bull Dogs,

Bone Crushers, Outlaws, Dog

Pound, and Rough Riders) have

taken command of their convoy

elements in support of Operation

Enduring Freedom. It is our mis-

sion to provide convoy security for

the delivery of a variety of suppliesall along Regional Commands

(RC) East, North, and Capital

routes of Afghanistan. In addition

to convoy security, Soldiers have

been placed on numerous tasks

around Bagram Air Field and have

become essential to our every day

operation. These tasks include

Making Boot Prints

Hell On WheelsO C T O B E R 2 0 1 2V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

H I G H

R O L L E R

A W A R D S

SPC Roberts

PFC Fellows

SPC Manspile

SPC Halls

SPC Campbell

SPC Alvarado

SPC Rael


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P A G E 2

HIGH OPTANE

Commanders CornerFamily and Friends of the

396th Transportation Com-

pany (TC):

Although separation from

loved ones is always diffi-cult, the call to service for

Soldiers and families in

support of freedom trumps

temporary moments of dif-

ficulty. In a couple of short

weeks, the 396th TC will

have completed one-third of

their current rotation in sup-

port of Operation Enduring

Freedom (OEF). As the

commander of this com-

pany, witnessing the daily

successes and accomplish-

ments of 396th Soldiers is

nothing short of astonish-

ing. Although having been

on ground a relatively

short amount of time, Sol-

diers have swiftly transi-

tioned from joint convoy

operations with units from

the 548th CSSB, to conduct-

ing combat convoy security

escorts mission with only

396th Soldiers. With de-

manding expectations

throughout Regional Com-

mands East, North, and

Capital, Soldiers of the

396th TC continue to oper-

ate at a graduate level. As

struggles and obstacles

arise, this company contin-

ues to strengthen a bond

that will not break.Yourcontinued thoughts and

prayers are appreciated.

CPT Willson

extremely successfully in

delivering vital combat and

retrograde equipment to

there designated locations.

The day and night shifts

perform to a high standard

and react very well on a

daily basis to ever changing

mission requirements. The

unit has traveled over

During the month of

September, the Opera-

tions section has beenmoving at a rapid pace.

We have established

high standards for the

unit when it comes to

mission preparation and

execution. Our Convoy

Escort Teams have been

58,074 miles and conducted

22 escort missions. We will

continue to enforce policyand emphasize maintenance

and safety so that our team

is fully prepared to conduct

missions beyond the For-

ward Operating Base.

1LT Dodge

honed their skills over multi-

ple deployments? As I have

sat back and watched every

member of this organization

perform at a high level on a

daily basis, the answer to the

question came to me, every

Soldier has faced and cur-

rently facing the challenge

with integrity, honor and ex-

alted commitment. To our

family and friends, you

should be proud and in

pure admiration of your

Soldiers currently serv-

ing our great country.

We have faced the chal-

lenge and met it head

on because we know

once we have com-

pleted this task you

eagerly await us. The

challenge is worth the

reward. 1SG Durant

First Hand from the First SergeantWhen we left home and ar-

rived into this foreign land, I

wondered who would be up to

the test, who would take on the

challenge and live up to the

old Army motto of Be All

You Can Be. Having trained

hard and prepared tenaciously

for months eagerly awaiting

this deployment. Would it be

the first time combatants or the

wise old veterans who have


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BULLDOGS

P A G E 3V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

This month, the Bulldogs have been

working hard preparing for upcom-

ing missions. Soldiers have been

working diligently to prepare them-

selves and their Mine-Resistant Am-

bush-Protected (MAXPRO) vehicles

for the next tasking, now matter

what the mission may

be. Although training

was a focus prior to

deployment, the Bull-

dogs continue tosharpen and develop

skills necessary for

mission success in

Afghanistans chal-

lenging environment.

Training for the month

has included proper utilization of

communication devices and report-

ing procedures. Additionally, lead-

ership has continued to prepare Sol-

diers and equipment for the upcom-

ing winter months. The results

from this tough realistic training

has benefited the Bulldogs in mis-

sions consisting of escorting Na-

tional Afghan Trucking (NATs)

to various Forward Operating

Bases (FOB). These missions areessential in transporting varying

classes of supplies and equip-

ment to support Soldiers and on-

going operations throughout the

Area of Responsibility. Addi-

tionally, these movements have

had a positive economic impact

within the local economy.

SSG Grimes

of Afghanistan. We have been venturing

out to Forward Operating Bases (FOB)

within Regional Command (RC) East. Ithas been a pleasure escorting equipment

and supplies to various units conducting

operations within the region. In addition to

mission, Soldiers have been working tire-

lessly to maintain vehicles and equipment.Outlaws Soldiers would like to give a

shout out to PFC Wheeler for his recent

promotion and to SPC Campbell for being

selected as the September High Roller of

the month for his outstanding contribution

For the month of October the Outlaws

have been busy taking it to the streets

to the team. As the convoy commander of

this Convoy Escort Team, I am very proud

of the work this team has provided to thesecurity of RC-East. We look forward to

many more missions in the coming months.

We would like to wish all a Happy Hallow-

een and to all of the Soldiers and Veterans a

Happy Veterans day. We would also like to

let the families know that you are always at

the forefront of our thoughts and our

prayers.

SSG Bowden

WALL-E (a robot) clears ques-

tionable areas, allowing the mis-

sion to continue. SGT Love has

accepted the responsibility of as-

sisting escorted drivers during

missions and working with the

units interpreter, an essential task

for mission success. These Sol-

diers have performed above the

standard. Motivated and excited

to hit the road; we are ready.

1LT Powers

The Bone Crushers element has

been hard at work for the last

several weeks. The mission has

taken us into the mountains of

Northern and Eastern Afghani-

stan as we provide security for

convoys with various supplies.

Leading the way is SSG Barrero

in the scout vehicle ensuring the

route is clear. His assistant,

BONECRUSHERS

OUTLAWS


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DOG POUND

P A G E 4V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 2

During the past month, the Dog Pound

element has successfully completed mis-

sion to the North and South of BagramAirfield. In addition to conducting com-

bat operations, Soldiers within this ele-

ment have focused on PACBOT (remote

controlled detection robot) and Common

Remotely Operated Weapon system

(CROW) training. Both systems have

increased the Dog Pounds capabilities.

The team has banded together working

late nights in order to complete each mis-

sion successfully. The Dog Pound ele-

ment is ready to take over the roads of

Afghanistan. The team has worked beside

maintenance platoon to ensure the serviceabil-

ity of all vehicles and equipment. Training

and conducting rehearsals have become a part

of every day life. The Dog Pound has

become a family and works efficiently

and effectively beside each other. What-ever the mission is, the Soldiers of this

Convoy Escort Team (CET) will be

ready and prepared when called upon.

SSG Baker

Sergeant, SFC Gasu, and Senior

Mechanic, SSG Stewart, have a

combined 40 years of experience,

with which they are constantly

utilizing to mentor all Soldiers

within the maintenance section.

In addition to maintaining a fleet

of combat equipment, the section

has been tasked with recovery

operations. These Soldiers have

The 396th TC Maintenance Sol-

diers arrived in Afghanistan with

very high hopes and a will to do

whatever the mission had to offer.

The maintenance platoon realized

the mission was going to be one

that they will never forget, but

instead of giving up, Soldiers

continue to exceed expectations

daily. The companys Motor

been recognized

by the BN CSM

for their tireless

efforts. This

section will

never stop work-

ing as long as

there are boots

on the ground!

SFC Gasu

one another to accomplish the

daily tasks.

Recent training on the route re-

connaissance robot called the

PACBOT has successfully been

completed. This device is essen-

tial for inspecting areas of inter-

est. Additionally, Soldiers quali-fied on the Common Remotely

Operated Weapon System

(CROW), which provide safer

gunner capabilities. The Rough

Riders will continue to prepare

and hone their war fighter skills

to accomplish any and all missions

they are tasked with in the upcoming

months of the deployment.

2LT Liberator

This month the Rough Riders

mission focus has shifted to pre-

paring for future convoy security

operations due to the current op-

erational tempo for 396th Trans-

portation Company. Every Sol-

dier is working diligently on mis-

sion preparation, conducting

rehearsals, drivers training, com-munication courses, and vehicle

preparation to ensure that all

equipment is fully mission ready.

The Rough Rider have bonded

into a cohesive element, building

camaraderie, and working with

ROUGH RIDERS

Maintenance


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Congratulations to those

who re-enlisted


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396th TC October 2012 Newsletter

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