DEC-Newsletter AI-EE-YAH!

8/8/2019 DEC-Newsletter AI-EE-YAH!

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Inside

3d Armored Cavalry Regimental Newsletter

UpcomingEvents

COL Reginald

E. Allen and

CSM Jonathan

J. Hunt

Feature Story:

Keeping Family

Ties

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 V O L 1 , I S S U E 1

A local Iraqi child waits with his mother at a clinic inthe village of Al Hamza, Iraq, during a medical

assistance event held by King Battery, 1st Squadron,

3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Capt. Miranda Fowler, Squadron Surgeon, Regimental Support

Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, completes a check-up on aIraqi child in the village of Al Hamza, Iraq. Fowler is a member of a

team of 3rd ACR and local Iraqi doctors who worked with King

Battery to bring medical services to the village.

AI-EE-YAH!

A group of Iraqi students raise the Iraqi flag during

the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Al Shitiaa school

in Babil, Iraq Oct. 2, 2010, The school was built by

Iraqi contractors.

Facebook

Catch The

Bug!

Facts From

the Front

New Dawn

Update


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AI-EE-YAH! VOL 1, ISSUE 1

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December 2010

Happy Holidays from COL Allen

Seasons greetings from southern Iraq! This isthe first edition of several monthly AI-EE-YAH!newsletters we plan to send back home to let our

Brave Rifles Families know some of the greatthings your Soldiers are doing here in OperationNew Dawn.

Weve already accomplished a great deal in just

four short months. The Regiment has assisted inopening schools for Iraqi children, improving theinfrastructure in cities and villages, training Iraqimilitary and police, and providing new hope totens of thousands of Iraqi citizens. You can be

proud of your Soldiers, and we are likewise proudof you. We know the great sacrifices you aremaking back home as your Soldiers are deployed.

Know that our thoughts and prayers are withyou always as we finish the mission in Iraq.

Brave Rifles! Veterans!

Seasons Greetings from CSM Hunt

Happy Holidays to all the Family and friendsof the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, As wecontinue with our mission in Operation NewDawn here in Iraq, we are reminded that weare supported by our loved ones back home.

Your support is essential to our success as weput the final Regimental touches on our

mission of completing Americas involvement

in Iraq.

Your sacrifice and faithful support of yourSoldiers has made our time here easier to bear.All of your efforts have reminded us of theimportance of Family during this deployment.

Brave Rifles!


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December 2010

The end of December marks the finalyear of American military forcesinvolvement in Iraq under the currentsecurity agreement. The Brave RiflesRegiment has been busy during themonth of December, working hard toensure that we continue to prepare Iraqfor the eventual U.S. withdrawal. TheRegiment continues to train, share best

practices with Iraqi military and police

units around Iraq, and remind our

leaders and Soldiers that alertness andprofessionalism remain our bestdefenses.

Brave Rifles leaders across Iraq aremeeting daily with leaders in the IraqiSecurity Forces in order to help themstrengthen their personal andorganizational abilities to serve theIraqi people effectively. Most recently,we concentrated on coordination forsupport to the Iraqi military and policeas well as implementing training for the

Iraqi border enforcement authorities.Due in part to these key leadermeetings, heightened security on thepart of Iraqi Security Forces hasresulted in fewer acts of violence in ourarea. Again, the efforts of yourTroopers are the key to providing thetraining, support and confidence thatthe Iraqis need to be self reliant and selfsufficient.

While Sabre Squadron concentratedon conducting meetingswith local

leaders, Tiger and Thunder Squadronsprepared to support our Iraqi Army andPolice partners during the Muslimreligious holiday of Ashura in December.Our task was to advise, train and assistthe Iraqi Security Forces to securekeyreligious shrines and protect the nearlyfour million pilgrims travellingthroughout Regiments turf. Terroristgroups have historically launched highprofile attacks on individuals and holy

sites with the hope of undermining theGovernment of Iraqs remarkable march

toward stability and self-reliance. TheRegiment, with the help of 1

stInfantry

Division and the Iraqi Air Force, was ableto ensure that our Iraqi partners executedone of the most effective large-scalesecurity plans in the countrys recent

history. Due to this assistance, Ashuraobservance was not marred by a singleviolent attack. With this unprecedentedsuccess, our Troopers made a significantand indisputable contribution to the Iraqi

Security Forces.

Another of the important functions ofthe Brave Rifles in Operation New Dawnis to oversee critical improvements to theIraqi infrastructure. Our efforts to buildcivil capacity within the five provincesfor which we are responsible areevidenced in the 144 assistance projectsworth $91,000,000 on which we arecurrently working. These projects aregeared to create more stable local

economies. In coordination with ourIraqi partners, we distributed the firstof four waves of humanitarianassistance packagesof food andpersonal items to thousands ofpilgrims during Ashura, with more tobe distributed to the Iraqi people in thecoming months.

We have all heard the old adage, If

you give a man a fish, he eats for aday. If you teach a man to fish, he eat

for a lifetime. Our Troopers yourTroopersare teaching the Iraqis tofish. Its a slow process, and its a

mission unlike any that has ever beenundertaken by an American (or anyother) Army before. In this historicmission, the Troopers of the Regimentare performing their mission well, andbecause of their efforts, so are theIraqis.

Brave Rifles New Dawn Update


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December 2010

With the units deployment in its fourth month, the

rest and recuperation leave program is well underway.In order to give Families a full understanding of this

program, weve highlighted the main points below inquestion and answer format. We hope that, with a fullunderstanding of the process, your mid-tour visit with

your Soldier can be an enriching, enjoyable experience.

Q: Who can takeR&R leave?

A: All Soldiersprojected to serveat least 270 days inIraq receive 15days of rest and

recuperationleave, which is notcharged againsttheir annual leaveauthorization.

Q: How does theprocess work?

A: Soldiers willdesignate their leaveaddress upon arrivalto Ali-Al Salem AirBase, Kuwait. This

leave address willdefine the final stopwhere the Soldier will

be flow to and fromfor the leave period.If Soldiers travelduring leave theymust return to theairport where theyarrived once the leaveperiod is complete.

Soldiers will not beable to arrive at oneairport and get areturn ticket from adifferent airport.

Q: Can my Soldier takeleave to a place outsideof the continental UnitedStates?

A: Yes. Soldiers goingon leave outside of thecontinental UnitedStates will fly from

Kuwait InternationalAirport to Germany,and from there, they willfly to the airport nearesttheir leave destination.Soldiers traveling abroadwill wear appropriatecivilian clothes for theduration of their traveland must have theappropriate passport for

their destination. Allreturn flight proceduresare the same as thosetraveling to thecontinental UnitedStates. Return ticketsare stamped for return atthe nearest airport to theoriginal leavedestination.

Q: How much advancenotice will our Familyhave of when our Soldierwill be home for leave?

A: R&R leave slots areallocated on a monthly

basis. Soldiers leaving inthe upcoming month

should know by the firstof that month theapproximate day theywill be leaving theater.The date given toSoldiers is the day theywill fly from Iraq to Ali-Al Salem Air Base inKuwait. Once inKuwait, Soldiers willreceive flight information

for their flight out oftheater and theirconnecting flight fromDallas or Atlanta to theairport nearest their leaveaddress.

Facts From the Front:R&R Leave


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December 2010

Army Community Service, Soldier & Family Readiness Branch

Army Family Covenant - Focus on Families

Operation Military Youth Mock Deployment IVI ALSO SERVE

Registration is Limited! Register Your Child Now!

Deployment station points include:- Platoon Assignments- Pre-Deployment briefing

- Hands-on Tactical Gear Demonstration- Camouflage Face Painting- Mock Shot/Dental/Eye Exam- Military Vehicle Static Display- Mini-Road March And more.....

KOS (Kids on Site) child care available.Child must be registered with CYSS to use this service.

For reservations call ACS/SFRB, 288-2794.

*Open to school age children (5 years andolder)

Saturday, 12 February 2011

0800-1300

Comanche Chapel, Bldg 52024

Fort Hood, TX

Registration packets available on

3 January 2011

Bldg 121, Rivers Building

Bldg 16005, Lane Volunteer Center 288-2794

Bldg 18000, Oveta Culp Hobby Soldier Family

Readiness Centeror download the forms at

http://hoodmwr.com/acs/sfrb_mobdep.html

All packets must be received at or faxed toLane Volunteer Center (Fax: 288-3650)

Upcoming Events at Fort Hood


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December 2010

Nature In LightsNovember 19 January 2: Nightly, 5:30 11 pm

Army vs. SMUThursday, December 30, 2010

Gerald J. Ford StadiumDallas, Texas

11:00 a.m. Kickoff

Ask Your MWR For More Information!

Purchas Tickets: 1-877-849-2769

Bowl In The New Year - New Years Eve Partyat the Phantom Warrior LanesDecember 31

10 pm 1:30 am

Reservations begin December 1$70 per lane with free shoe rental (up to five bowlers) includes unlimitedbowling, shoe rental, party favors and pizza

Live DJ, Door prizesTickets are non-refundable

Phantom Warrior LanesClear Creek Road at

Club Hood Family Pasta NightThursdays from 5-7pm

Budget-friendly dining never tasted so good!Each Thursday Night Club Hood hosts a Family Pasta Night in theMesquite Dining Room. The delicious weekly buffet includes spaghetti andfettuccini, marinara and Alfredo sauces, macaroni and cheese, meatballs,bread sticks and a mixed salad.

Club Hood dining is open to all.$6.95 adults, $3.95 (5-12 years of age) and FREE (4-under)24th Street and Tank Destroyer Boulevard 532-5329

Enjoy the drive through over five miles of holiday-

inspired scenes. Like magic, BLORA is once again

transformed into a winter wonderland for all toenjoy: kids and kids at heart. The 14th Annual

Nature in Lights display will be picturesque and the

experience will be pleasing to the eye! So, drivethrough BLORA during the evenings from 5:30p.m. to 11:00 p.m. to watch as lights twinkle and

glisten with beautiful Christmas colors.


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December 2010

Keeping Family TiesBABIL PROVINCETwo soldiers sit inside a small

office full of computer network routers on ContingencyOperating Site Kalsu and talk quietly under the noisyequipment. Both are fixing the computers and joke witheach other as they look over the screens. The two resembleone another. Their eyes have the same shape and color, andtheir smiles seem interchangeable. Their uniforms are thesame from the boots to the hats and even bear the same rankand name tape. One Soldier a female and the other a male.That is the only obvious difference.

Sgt. Christina Gutierrez, 26, and brother, Sgt. DavidGutierrez, 24, both signal systems support specialists fromMesa, AZ, are currently serving tours together in Iraq.Christina is serving her third tour while David serves his

second, two of which they have served at the same time,separated by their units. They recently had the opportunity toshare a few days together on COS Kalsu.

The two are part of a large family that traces many rootsto military service.

Our father served in the Army as a rotary wing

mechanic, said Christina. We have uncles who have prior

military service, and a couple of our cousins are Marines.Before the Army Christina was working full time and

trying to keep up with school. She said it was then she beganlooking at the Army as an option.

I wanted to make sure my education continued and had

considered serving, Christina said.Christina was the first to join beginning active duty Apr.

23, 2003. She picked 25U for her military occupationalspecialty.

My recruiter told me that I would be working with

computers, and I felt like that would be useful later on,

Christina said.Christina served her first assignment in Germany with

Fifth Corps. She was assigned to their Special TroopsBattalion, monitoring automated connectivity. Her serviceduring this time was a major influence on her brother.

My sister was basically my recruiter, said David. She toldme how good it was, especially being in Germany.

David began his service in the Army Feb. 16, 2005 and,closely following his sisters advice, chose 25U just as she

did. He even managed to get assigned to the same commandin Germany.

I was supposed to go to the same unit my sister was in,

David said. I guess there would have been some conflict

there, so I was sent to a separate unit within the command. At the time David was a specialist and his sister a

sergeant. They agreed that there would have been a problemwith her being his supervisor.

Im sure I would probably let him get away with more

than the average Soldier, Christina said laughing.Both spent time together in Germany traveling and

seeing things around the area where they were stationed.They both deployed to Iraq and were stationed on CampVictory for the entire tour. This marked their firstdeployment where both brother and sister were operating ina combat zone together.

After their tours in Germany, they were assigned to FortHood, TX. Christina was assigned to Headquarters andHeadquarters Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, whileDavid was assigned to the 21st Combat Support Hospital.

My brother deployed before I did this time and has

been operating near Mosul, said Christina. Our

deployment has overlapped, so I will be here after he goes

home.The two always make sure the other is doing well and

try to keep in touch as much as possible.We keep each other motivated by talking about our

plans when we get home, David said. Its still hard to be

away from each other for so long.The two talked about their families feelings about their

service and their future plans.Since we have had so many family members in the

military, our family really supports us and our service,David said. Ive always been really proud of my sister

too.

I will stay in the Army for awhile, Im sure, saidChristina. Im getting a lot of good experience that will

help later on.

David said he plans to stay too but will probably changehis MOS. He said he is looking at a job in electronicwarfare.

We often go long periods of time without seeing each

other, but we are glad for times like these when we get tovisit, Christina said. We will eventually try to get back to

Germany together. We really want to stay close, so I guesswe will just keep trying to follow each other around as long

as we can.

Left - Sgt. Christina Gutierrez and Sgt. David Gutierrez

inspect the cable of anantennae mast.Right - Sgt. Christina Gutierrez and Sgt. David Gutierrez

pose in front of a painted barrieron Contingency OperatingSite Kalsu.

US Army photos by Staff Sgt. GarrettRalston

Featured Story from Iraq


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