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Page 2 Vol. 1, Issue 1Long Knife News

Long Knife NewsLong Knife NewsFrom the FrontFrom the Front

Command Sgt. Maj.Command Sgt. Maj.Dennis Eger talks toDennis Eger talks tohis Special Troopshis Special TroopsBattalion SoldiersBattalion Soldiersduring the battalion’sduring the battalion’sconvoy live fireconvoy live firetraining Feb. 4. Thetraining Feb. 4. Thetraining lasted Feb.training lasted Feb.2-5. (4th BCT PAO2-5. (4th BCT PAOphoto by Spc.photo by Spc.Creighton Holub)Creighton Holub)

Col. Philip Battaglia ........ 4th BCT CommanderCol. Philip Battaglia ........ 4th BCT CommanderCSM Edwin Rodriguez ............... 4th BCT CSMCSM Edwin Rodriguez ............... 4th BCT CSMMaj. Chad Carroll ............. Pubic Affairs OfficerMaj. Chad Carroll ............. Pubic Affairs OfficerSgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore ... PAO NCOICSgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore ... PAO NCOICSpc. Creighton Holub .. Long Knife News editorSpc. Creighton Holub .. Long Knife News editorPvt. Rebekah Lampman .............. TV journalistPvt. Rebekah Lampman .............. TV journalistLong Knife NewsLong Knife News is an authorized publication foris an authorized publication formembers of the U.S. Army community. Contents ofmembers of the U.S. Army community. Contents ofthis newspaper are not necessarily the official viewthis newspaper are not necessarily the official viewof, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,Department of Defense, Department of the Army,Department of Defense, Department of the Army,Fort Hood, or the 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry Division.Fort Hood, or the 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry Division.Long Knife NewsLong Knife News is prepared by the 4th BCT Publicis prepared by the 4th BCT PublicAffairs Office, 1st Cav. Div., Fort Hood, Texas.Affairs Office, 1st Cav. Div., Fort Hood, Texas.

Fellow Cobras: It is an amazingtime to be a part of this unit rightnow.

The next few months willbe full of challenges and opportu-nities for our brigade. This is thelast time I will greet you as aCobra.

On March 7 at 10 a.m., wewill participate in a ceremony hereat Fort Hood and officiallybecome the 4th Brigade CombatTeam of the 1st Cavalry Division.

We will then be known asthe “Long Knife” Brigade.During that ceremony, we willrecognize the traditions and histo-ry of both our former and newunit.

Our reflagging is part of alarger Army transformation whichhas been dictated by theDepartment of the Army.

The changes associatedwith reflagging will, for the mostpart, be transparent to Soldiers andFamilies. However, for those

minor issues that require changingthe Soldiers’ unit, we will repeat-edly disseminate that informationso all our folks know what to do.

Just as you have con-tributed to the history of the CobraBrigade, you are now set to writethe next chapter of the 1st CavalryDivision’s history.

Our second key event isalso in March: A rotation to theJoint Readiness Training Center atFort Polk, La.

We all recognize this con-tributes to the high operationaltempo and the sacrifices ourSoldiers and Families will make,but I firmly believe it will beworth it because our level of train-ing from the individual Soldier tothe unit level will be superb. Irealize it is not easy on Familiesto have had their Soldiersdeployed to the National TrainingCenter in November and the JointReadiness Training Center inMarch.

However, by the time ourunit deploys to Iraq, there will be

no brigade in the Army bettertrained and ready for its missionthan ours.

I have absolutely no doubtthat a couple of weeks at JRTCwill pay huge dividends byenhancing the safety of ourSoldiers and mission accomplish-ment during our upcomingdeployment to Iraq.

The third and finalmomentous event is that sched-uled deployment to Iraq early thissummer. In addition to providingSoldiers with the training theydeserve, we are working extreme-ly hard to establish a responsiverear detachment organization forthe families here at Fort Hood.

Our Family support per-sonnel, Family readiness groupsand rear detachment leadership arethe best in the business at whatthey do. If you have any ques-tions or concerns – large or small– ask somebody! Ask anotherspouse, a friend, rear detachmentpersonnel, Family readiness group

Commander’s CornerBy Col. Philip Battaglia4th BCT Commander

Change continued on page 11

The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Divisionis scheduled to become the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4thBCT at Cooper Field March 7 at 10 a.m. here.

The reflagging process involves three units thatwill shuffle their flags, guidons and unit historicalitems while theirSoldiers will stay attheir respectiveposts.

“We haveproudly served inthe 4th InfantryDivision as stead-fast and loyalSoldiers,” said Col.Philip Battaglia, theCobra Brigadecommander. “Theunit is re-flaggingafter having con-tributed to the proud lineage and history of the IvyDivision. This brigade just went to war with the 4thInf. Div., and when you think about the long andproud history of the division – including D-Day,World War II, Vietnam and Iraq – our Soldiers arevery proud they contributed to the division’s legacy.Fortunately for this brigade, we are joining anotherdivision with an amazing history and proud traditions:The 1st Cavalry Division.”

The first of the three units to reflag will be FortBliss’ 4th BCT, 1st Cav., as it takes the colors of thecurrently inactive 4th BCT, 1st Armor Div. The CobraBrigade will reflag as the 4th BCT, 1st Cav., thisMarch. Finally, the 2nd BCT, 2nd Inf. Div., will reflagas the new 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div., at Fort Carson,Colo.

While the Cobra Brigade’s unit designation andicons will move to new bases, the Soldiers and theirequipment will remain at Fort Hood.

“The reflagging process will be transparent,” saidLynda Nash, the Cobra Brigade’s Family ReadinessGroup support assistant. “One day your Soldier willbe wearing a new shoulder patch.”

However, she added that the brigade’s Soldiersand Families will use different facilities such as the1st Cavalry Readiness Center instead of the 4th Inf.Div. Readiness Center after the reflagging is com-plete.

The brigade’s subordinate battalions are alsochanging their unit designation when the switch from

the Ivy Division toAmerica’s FirstTeam occurs. Theunit currentlyknown as the 1stBattalion, 12thInfantry Regimentwill become the2nd Bn., 7th Cav.Regt. The 3rd Bn.,67th Armor Regt.,will reflag as the2nd Bn., 12th Cav.Regt. The 704thBrigade SupportBn., will reflag

into the 27th Brigade Support Bn. The 8th Squadron,10th Cav. Regt., will become the 1st Squadron, 9thCav. Regt.

The “Strong and True” Soldiers in the 4th SpecialTroops Battalion will maintain their current namingstructure as the 4th Special Troops Battalion, but theywill also receive new distinctive unit insignias alongwith all the other Soldiers in the battalions and thebrigade headquarters.

Every Cobra Brigade Soldier is scheduled toreceive new 1st Cav. Div. patches. They are set toreceive camouflage Velcro patches, unit crests fortheir berets and Class A uniforms and Class A uniformpatches.

The current Cobra Brigade will become known asthe Long Knife Brigade after the switch.

“The traditions will also be different,” said LonniMaddux, the FRG support assistant for 1-12 Inf. Regt.“But you won’t have to get a new identification cardor move. Your children will go to the same schools.”

“The only thing that will change is your Soldier’suniform,” Maddux added.

Vol. 1, Issue 1 Page 3Long Knife News

Cobras to become Long KnivesBy Spc. Creighton Holub4th BCT PAO, 4th Infantry Division

Page 4 Vol. 1, Issue 1Long Knife News

The 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Teamcompleted M-16 and M-9 weapons training, Jan. 18that Fort Hood’s Clear Creek rifle ranges to prepare forits scheduled deployment to Iraq.

For Spc. Johanna Blum, a native of St. Paul,Minn., and intelligence analyst for 4th BCT’s head-quarters company, the training couldn’t have come ata better time.

“With the deployment to Iraq coming up, weare perfecting our Soldier skills in addition to our spe-cialty skills,” Blum said after she completed her initialbrief on the range. “When I qualify with my weapon,it always makes me feel good; it’s something I’m gladto work on.”

It’s Blum’s job to keep track of where theenemy is while her unit is deployed in Iraq, andaccording to this Soldier with a little more than twoyears of military experience, it’s the threat of enemy

contact which makes this training so important.“Making sure we know how to shoot in case

of emergency; that’s what we’re doing out here.”The 4th BCT’s Special Troops Battalion has

made sure its Soldiers are fully qualified on theirassigned weapon. The battalion trained approximate-ly 400 Soldiers with 18,700 rounds of ammunition.

“I’m a non-commissioned officer in this unit,”said Sgt. 1st Class David Groce, a military policemanand range safety officer. “It’s my job to train and leadthese Soldiers and prepare them for combat.”

The 4th Brigade Soldiers were thoroughlybriefed by Groce prior to going onto the range, andevery Soldier cycled through familiarization proce-dures with their assigned weapon before the qualifica-tion phase began. Now that Groce, Blum, and the restof the battalion have completed marksmanship train-ing, the unit is preparing for the 4th Brigade’s sched-uled training in mid-March at the Joint ReadinessTraining Center at Fort Polk, La.

Cobra Brigade shoots rifles, carbines

Spc. Johanna Blum, a military intelligence analyst assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team’s headquarters, checks hertarget during rifle zeroing Jan. 18. (4th BCT PAO photo by Sgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore)

By Sgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore4th BCT PAO, 4th Infantry Division

Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion completes marksmanship training

Vol. 1, Issue 1 Page 5Long Knife News

Approximately 40 single Soldiers from the 4thBrigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, gath-ered at Boulders Sport Climbing Center in HarkerHeights for a day ofteam building Jan. 25.

The Soldiers of 3rdBattalion, 67th ArmorRegiment, and 1stBattalion, 12th InfantryRegiment, enjoyed theday of rock climbingcourtesy of their battal-ion chaplains whoorganized the retreat.

“Sometimes otherbattalions have ways ofdoing things that arebetter,” said Chaplain(Capt.) EdwardTolliver, 3-67 ArmorRegt.’s chaplain. Hepointed out that the twobattalions are almostexactly the same,except that 1-12 Inf.Regt. has a commanderfrom the infantrybranch, and 3-67 ArmorRegt.’s commander isan armor officer.

To encourage theSoldiers from the dif-ferent battalions towork together, theBoulders staff startedthe day by teachingnew climbers how to belay for their buddies, or con-trol the amount of slack the rope has when theclimber wants to come down the mountain.

As the Soldiers grew comfortable, 1-12 Inf.Regt.’s senior noncommissioned officer, Command

Sgt. Maj. George Zamudio, issued a challenge,announcing that he would give a coin and a day off tothe first Soldier to climb a nearly straight, almost-baresection of the wall.

Pfc. Marcus Pearce, a forward observer assignedto the 1-12 Inf.Regt. headquarters,immediately got onthe wall, but start-ed to tremble lessthan 10 feet fromthe top. The chap-lains later toldPearce thatZamudio was stillgoing to give himthe prize for mak-ing it the farthestup the wall.

After someindividual climb-ing, Tolliver gath-ered the Soldiersfor the classroomportion and spoketo the CobraSoldiers aboutbuilding supportteams and makingsure family mem-bers know where toturn.

“This is not asolo sport,” thechaplain said aboutthe ongoing war.He remindedSoldiers to look out

for each other and to help a friend when they need abreak from guard or other duties.

He also encouraged the Soldiers, especially thoseembarking on their first combat tour, to read up on

Cobras scale rocks as team4th BCT chaplains organize single Soldier retreatSpc. Allison Churchill41st Fires Bde. PAO

Soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, on arock climbing wall try to keep a ball with them as they climb in a commu-nication exercise at Boulders Sport Climbing Center in Harker HeightsJan. 25. The Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, and 1stBattalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th BCT, had the day away from theoffice courtesy of a single Soldier’s retreat sponsored by the battalions’chaplains. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Allison Churchill, 41st Fires Bde.PAO)

Boulders continued on page 6

Page 6 Vol. 1, Issue 1Long Knife News

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67thArmor Regiment’s headquartersrecently conducted an uparmoredHMMWV M114 gunnery live fireexercise from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1.

Approximately 90 Soldiers,who make up the headquarters, firesupport team, scouts, medic, andmortar platoons, participated in thelive fire exercise.

During the gunnery portionof the live fire, crews successfullyidentified targets and executedproper fire commands duringengagements from both the offenseand the defense. Defensiveengagements presented targetsranging from 500 meters to 800meters. The offensive engagements

allowed the uparmored HMMWVcrews to close the distancebetween themselves and the enemyto eventually destroy that enemy.

Each gunner had to qualifyon the M240-B and the M2 .50caliber machine gun before they

could go down range and engagetargets.

“It was a good thing wewere able to shoot and get somehands-on experience with theweapon systems we are going to

Gunnery prepares Cobras for Iraq

M1114 HMMWV trucks stand ready for convoy training during the last week ofJanuary. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Daniel Zimmer, 3-67th Armor Regiment)

war and battle so they’d be better prepared for theworst case scenario.

After the short class, the Soldiers headed back foran afternoon of team building exercises. In one area,teams had to get off the stairwell and across 10 feet offloor with only pot holders, or “lily pads,” to stand on.The teams typically had two fewer pads than Soldiers,which made for creative crossing strategies.

Another station saw teams trying to keep a largeball on top of an open container with eight ropesattached. If one person pulled suddenly, the ballwould fall off.

The exercises help teams build teamwork, com-munication and trust, said the center’s general manag-er.

“Trust goes along with the battle buddy idea,”said Trey Oliver, Boulders’ general manager and aclimbing team coach.

The general manager explained that more andmore chaplains having been bringing Soldiers to theclimbing center for retreats in recent months. Oliverhas been working in climbing centers and designingteam-building retreats throughout Texas.

The single Soldiers said they appreciated theattention paid to their particular issues.

“Most single Soldiers don’t have their familyhere,” said Sgt. Adiesa Hall, a truck driver assigned toCompany F, 3-67 Armor Regt. She added that sheplanned to help her family research resources to makethe brigade’s upcoming deployment easier.

Other Soldiers saw the retreat as a much-needednetworking tool.

“It gets people out of their rooms and aroundother people,” said Pfc. Albert Ross, a combat engi-neer assigned to Company E, 3-67 Armor Regt.

The battalion chaplains added that all CobraBrigade Soldiers should contact them for future singleSoldier and married couples retreat dates.

From Boulders on page 5

By 1st Lt. Daniel Zimmer3-67 Armor Regt., 4th BCT PAO

Gunnery continued on page 7

Watch the new 4th BCT on 1st Cavalry Division’s Cav. Country on the Pentagon Channel

Vol. 1, Issue 1 Page 7Long Knife News

Soldiers and Family members of the 4th InfantryDivision’s 4thBrigade CombatTeam recentlydonated their timeand efforts to helprenovate the GirlScout ServiceCenter in Killeen.

FifteenSoldiers andFamily membersof the CobraBrigade’s 704thBrigade SupportBattalion sanded,painted, replacedbroken window-panes, patchedcracks and fixedwater damagedspots as well asrefurnished furni-ture.

“I enjoy giving back to my community andwant to help in anyway I can,” Pvt. Martell Wilsonsaid.

When program managers from a local GirlScout center casually mentioned their 40-year-oldbuilding was in desperate need of renovations,members of the battalion jumped at the opportunity

to support the community that supports them.“As a support battalion, our mission is to sup-

port the brigade in a variety of ways,” saidCommand Sgt.Maj. HarryLockamy, the 704thBSB’s senior enlist-ed Soldier. “But it’salso important andfitting for us togive back to thecommunity thatsupports us.”

The programcenter serves asoffice space forproject coordinatorsas well as a meet-ing and conferencecenter for ongoingGirl Scout activi-ties. Due to thenon-profit status ofthe organization,budgeting for reno-

vations and repairs was extremely limited. Theorganization was able to save considerably thanks tothe time and service of the volunteers.

“We are all very excited about the help wereceived,” said Rhonda Hersey, a program managerwith the center. “The Soldiers’ response and the out-come of the support are more than expected. Wecould not have done this as quickly without them.”

Soldiers help Girl Scouts

Volunteers and Girl Scout Service Center members pose outside theGirl Scout Program Center of Killeen after completing the work for the day.Front Row: Pfc. Darwin Reyes, Pvt. Martell Wilson, Pvt. Jessica Lucas, Spc.Eric Williams, Sgt. Ronald Lakowski, Pfc. Eva White and Rachel Barnard.Back row: Rhonda Hersey, Spc. Shannon Black, Pfc. Curtis Dethample,Angela Lockamy, Spc. Dominique Fulton, Pfc. James Curtis, Sgt. JosephBonnette, Spc. Joseph Meinders, Spc. Jeremy Parker, Cindy Simerly andPvt. Barbara Morris. (Courtesy photo from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4thInfantry Division)

By 1st Lt. April Baptiste704th BSB, 4th BCT PAO, 4th Infantry Division

704th Brigade Support Battalion helps renovate Girl Scout Program Center

fight with in Iraq,” said Pvt.Arnold Cobi, a mortar platoon,Soldier in the battalion head-quarters.

The last three days of theexercise, were dedicated to aconvoy live fire exercise.Platoons moved out in a stan-dard convoy formation then

went through multiple engage-ments with multiple targets,which allowed for dismountedoperations.

Platoons were engagedby simulated sniper fire from atwo-story building. Later theSoldiers were engaged in asimultaneous attack from troopsand trucks in the open.

As one section sup-pressed the enemy, another unitdismounted and engaged theenemy in the two-story build-ing.

The training is preparingthe 3-67 Armor Regiment’sSoldiers for the real life combatthey may see when they deployto Iraq this summer.

From Gunnery on page 6

Page 8 Vol. 1, Issue 1Long Knife News

“Give me one reason that would cause you to notlove your spouse,” asked Chaplain (Capt.) WalterMarshall, the chaplain assigned to the SpecialTroops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4thInfantry Division, during one of the classes at theunit’s marriage retreat in Austin, Jan. 18-19.

“Adultery,” replied Melissa Cates, wife ofStaff Sgt. Ken Cates of the brigade’s headquarterscompany.

Marshall fired back with a lesson from theKing James Bible entitled, “agape love,” which isthe Greek translation for “true love.” Marshallexplained how according to the lesson, there isabsolutely no reason to withhold love from your

spouse.The Cobra Brigade’s chaplain team utilized

various lessons and techniques during the weekendretreat to teach 39 couples from the Special TroopsBattalion how to establish and maintain a healthyrelationship.

The two-day event consisted of a series of lec-tures conducted by Marshall, including communi-cation techniques and pre-deployment.

“This is something we do,” Marshall said. “Wecome together as a team of chaplains to helpstrengthen our Soldiers and their families.”

Each battalion within the brigade has similarmarriage retreats on their training calendar to com-plete prior to deploying to Iraq later this year. Thisretreat, held at the five-star Lake Way Resort andSpa was free to Soldiers and spouses courtesy of

Cobras give retreatBy Sgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore4th BCT PAO, 4th Infantry Division

Chaplain (Capt.) Walter Marshall, the 4th Brigade Combat Team’s Special Troops Battalion chaplain, speaks toSoldiers and their spouses at a recent married couples retreat in Austin. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class DamianSteptore, 4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)

Cobra Brigade’s Special Troops Battalion shifts training toward healthy marriages

Vol. 1, Issue 1 Page 9Long Knife News

Staff Sgt. Carlos Hinojosa and his wife, Sgt. Valarie Hinojosa, a human resources specialist assigned to the 4thBrigade Combat Team’s headquarters, play pool at the brigade’s Special Troops Battalion’s married couples retreat inAustin. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore, 4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)

III Corps and Fort Hood.“This was one of the commander’s concerns,”

said Chaplain (Maj.) Edgar Bennett, the 4th BCT’sbrigade chaplain referring to the brigade com-mander, Col. Philip Battaglia. “This was importantto him before we leave for deployment.”

Bennett also said the brigade has plans to domore couples’ retreats when the unit returns fromIraq.

For couples such as Tanya and Sgt. 1st ClassCarnell Brockington, another retreat is somethingto forward to when the brigade completes itsdeployment.

“We both have a chaotic schedule,” TanyaBrockington said. “With two teenagers at homeand both of us working full time jobs, along withour car-detailing business there is rarely any timefor us.”

for married couples

Page 10 Vol. 1, Issue 1Long Knife News

According to Sgt. JonathanStaab, Fort Hood’s 15-dayWarrior LeadersCourse was likegoing through asecond basic train-ing.

The fieldartillery Soldierassigned to BatteryB, 2nd Battalion,77th Field ArtilleryRegiment, was rec-ognized as hisclass’ distinguishedhonor graduate.

“We woke upat 4 a.m. everymorning for physi-cal training,” Staabexplained. “Therewas lots of goodinstruction; Ithought it wasgoing to be abunch of fieldtraining, but it wasmore classroom orientated.”

The WLC Soldiers wererequired to pass two exams onArmy leadership, lead andinstruct a physical fitness ses-sion and complete a land navi-gation course within a pre-scribed time.

Staab, along with 320Soldiers between the ranks ofspecialist through sergeantgraduated the course, at FortHood’s Howze Theater as heearned the top honors Feb. 7.

“It felt good,” Staab said,referring to being recognized asdistinguished honor graduate. “Iwas standing there (delivering

my acceptance speech) with alleyes on me and I felt like astallion.”

The 21-year-old fieldartilleryman from Lewiston,Idaho, graduated the coursewith a 99.85 grade point aver-age and he broke the unofficial45-minute record time for com-pleting the III Corps Non-Commissioned OfficerAcademy’s land navigationcourse by finishing in 44 min-utes.

“Sgt. Staab is an outstand-ing asset to the United StatesArmy and especially BravoBattery,” said 1st Sgt. Jonathan

Ballard, the battery’ssenior enlisted serv-ice member. “I’mhonored to have thedistinguished honorgraduate in myranks, and not onlydid we have the dis-tinguished honorgraduate, but we alsohad three Soldiersrecognized on thecommandant’s listduring the sameclass.

“That lets meknow we are leadingour Soldiers in theright direction,” headded.

Staab said whenhe’s home on leave,he likes to hunt andgo snow boarding,but when he’s here at

Fort Hood with his fellowSoldiers, his focus is on the 4thBrigade’s scheduled summerdeployment to Iraq.

“I try to lead from thefront,” Staab added. “That issomething they teach at thecourse.”

Staab received an ArmyAchievement Medal, twoplaques and numerous certifi-cates of achievements for hisleadership during his III Corps’Warrior Leaders Course class.

Sgt. Jonathan StaabBattery B, 2-77 Field Artillery Regiment

Cobra earns top honors at WLC4th BCT Soldier recognized as Distinguished Honor GraduateBy Sgt. 1st Class Damian Steptore4th BCT PAO, 4th Infantry Division

The mortar platoon assigned the1st Battalion, 12th InfantryRegiment, 4th Brigade CombatTeam, 4th Infantry Division,fired 330 rounds of 120mmmortars at Curry MortarComplex from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.

Cobra Brigade Soldiersdirected and observed therounds during day and nightmissions during the two-daylong live fire exercise at CurryMortar Complex.

“Training exercises likethis one are an excellent way toreinforce the core abilities ofheavy mortar and Fire SupportTeam assets,” said 2nd Lt.Jaison D. Desai, a mortar pla-toon leader assigned to the bat-

talion. “Combined trainingallows both battalion assets toenhance the lethality of immedi-ate, responsive indirect fires.”

The training began withthe weapon systems registrationon the morning of Jan. 30.Company B’s fire support non-commissioned officer, Staff Sgt.Vincent Notto, registered theweapons before the observingSoldiers cycled through firemissions, adjusting rounds ontoselected targets before request-ing permission to fire.

As darkness fell on theimpact area, fire supportersplanned infrared illuminationmissions over suspected enemytargets. The Soldiers adjustedthe rounds to deliver the desiredinfrared effect as observers

called in the missions.The call for fire lasted

well into the night as artillerySoldiers expended the infraredrounds while directing highexplosive, point-detonating andmulti-option fuse setting muni-tions underneath the illuminatedimpact area.

During the last day oftraining, observers directed pri-ority targets and time-on-targetmissions before expending theremaining rounds.

With the 4th BCT’sscheduled deployment for earlysummer, the mortar training wasparticularly relevant. In Iraq,the mortar teams’ mission willbe to deliver accurate, timelyand safely coordinated indirectfire.

Vol. 1, Issue 1 Page 11Long Knife News

1-12 Launches Mortar TrainingBy 1st Lt. David Collins1-12 Inf. Regt., 4th BCT

personnel or an agency on post. Just like theSoldiers who look out for each other, so too mustfamily members help each other during the deploy-ment. Chances are that any issue you have hasalready been dealt with and someone knows theanswer.

I encourage all Soldiers and Family membersto register for the Virtual Family Readiness Group atwww.armyfrg.org. See your Family readiness grouprepresentative for instructions on how to register.Once registered, you will be able to access all kindsof unit-specific information such as photos, videos,newsletters and redeployment information not opento the general public.

Additionally, our new public-accessible web-site has a wealth of valuable information materialavailable athttp://www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/units/4bct/4id/index.htm. Our brigade personnel work diligently to

make these sites valuable sources of information toour friends and families.

In conclusion, I thank each Soldier andFamily member in this brigade for your service anddedication.

As you go about your busy lives, I urge youto take a moment and think about what you do andhow it makes a difference in the lives of others. ForSoldiers, maybe that moment is when you put on theuniform each morning; for Family members, it maybe when your Soldier returns home after a long dayfor a Family dinner.

Doing what you do – to include our Families– is something in which you should take great pride.

Our nation has issued its call, and you, unlikemany others, have answered that call and done yourpart.

I am proud to serve with each and every oneof you.

Cobra 6 out!

Change continued from page 2

Page 12 Vol. 1, Issue 1Long Knife News

The 4th Brigade Combat Team’s Special TroopsBattalion conducted convoy live fire training to famil-iarize the unit’s non-combat arms Soldiers with convoysand battle drills.

While most of the Cobra Brigade’s battalionsare combat arms units, this battalion, nicknamed theSpartan Battalion, is filled with Soldiers in communica-tion and military intelligence career fields, who regular-ly train in small but specialized groups, not the wideopen fields of Fort Hood.

“The Special Troops Battalion Soldiers are greatat doing their specialized jobs and creating the back-bone of this brigade,” said Maj. Lou Morales, the battal-ion’s training and operations officer-in-charge. “But weneed to stress the duality of our jobs.”

He explained that the STB’s personnel are bothspecialized technicians and Soldiers at the same time.The combination leads to accomplishing the mission

safely and effectively. The teams left the battalion motor pool with

blank rounds to use when dealing with simulated ene-mies and situations their commanders feel they may runacross during the upcoming summer deployment toIraq.

After working through several scenarios, theconvoy reached the live-fire range, performed a dry runand then received fresh ammo for the live-fire portionof the training.

“This is good training because I’ll be doing thisas well as doing my mechanic job,” said Pfc. GabrielHatches, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to theSpartan Battalion’s headquarters company.

Hatches and the rest of the Cobra Brigade haveone more major training event to complete; a trip to theJoint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., thatruns from mid-March to mid-April. The brigade is alsoscheduled to deploy in support of Operation IraqiFreedom this summer.

Spartans learn convoy tacticsBy Spc. Creighton Holub4th BCT PAO, 4th Infantry Division

The 4th Infantry Division’s 4th BrigadeCombat Team hosted Bulgarian Lt.Gen. Ivan Dobrev at Sugarloaf Multi-Purpose Range as part of his visit toFort Hood Feb. 5.

The purpose of Dobrev’s visitwas to gain a better understanding ofhow the U.S. Army has transformedand the importance of the non-commis-sioned officer to military operations.

“During briefings at III Corpsheadquarters, we managed to exchangeopinions on the transformation of theU.S. Army,” said Dobrev through histranslator. “This experience has beenvery valuable for transformation of theBulgarian Armed Forces. We are cur-rently undergoing transformation also.”

The Cobra Brigade’s 1stBattalion, 12th Infantry Regiment,

demonstrated their preparations for Iraqand specifically, convoy live fire train-ing, to the general. Maj. Chuck Rush, 1-12 Inf. Regt., operations officer, andSgt. 1st Class James Powell, a platoonsergeant from Company B, 1-12 Inf.Regt., briefed Dobrev, Brig. Gen.Frederick Rudesheim, III Corps rearcommander and Lt. Col. Mark Nelson,acting 4th Brigade commander, beforeconducting the training.

“This is a great to opportunityto showcase our Soldiers and NCOs tothe Chief of Staff of the BulgarianArmy who is here, among other things,to get ideas for developing their ownNCO Corps,” said Rudesheim.

Rush first provided the generalswith an overview of the live fire processand highlighted the role of NCOs indeveloping and executing the training.

“The training today was devel-

oped by NCOs because they are theones leading patrols in Iraq,” he said.Rush then turned the briefing over toPowell who demonstrated the best ofwhat the NCO corps has to offer.

1-12 Inf. Regt.’s live fire waspart of the brigade’s larger training planin preparation for the unit’s scheduleddeployment to Iraq in summer 2008. Itis a time of tremendous change for thebrigade, which is scheduled to reflagfrom 4th Inf. Div. to 1st Cav. Div. onMar. 7 in a ceremony at Fort Hood.Three members of Dobrev’s staff alsoattended the training: Brig. Gen.Dimitrov Torlakov, Col. Serguey Lalovand Lt. Col. Ivaylo Bratoychev. Theirweek long visit to various Army instal-lations reaffirmed the value of the U.S.-Bulgarian military relationship andencouraged communication betweenthe militaries’ leaders.

Bulgarian General visits CobrasBy Maj. Chad Carroll4th BCT Public Affairs Officer, 4ID