F r o m t h e

C o m m a n d e r ’ s D e s k

form Families of the great

things your Soldiers are

doing. Like all things

though there will be some

areas that could stand im-

provement and we wel-

come and encourage your

suggestions for making the

Centaur Roll Call a world

class publication. Articles

from our Families are en-

couraged and welcomed,

please submit them to our

FRSA, Kimberley Williams

for review.

In closing, I'm incredibly

proud to continue to serve

with your Soldiers, they are

a fantastic group of Ameri-

cans who are clearly proud

of the work they do. I am

humbled on a daily basis by

their dedication to duty and

to their country. We are the

best Battalion in the United

States Army and we are

that way because you are in

it. Thanks for what you do

for your Families and your

Soldiers.

LTC Oeschger

Swift and Bold! As we ap-

proach the one year mark-

ing our return from

Afghanistan we are fortu-

nate enough to be able to

look another year in the

eye here in the United

States before our next

"Climb to Glory". As all of

you know we are preparing

for our next deployment

and for this Artillery

Battalion that means being

able to not only shoot but

to perform as maneuver

and in some cases it may

call for training our Afghan

counterparts. Either

way we will remain flexible

and rest assured your sol-

diers will get the training

they need to be successful

in the mission they per-

form.

If you follow us on Face-

book or you husband or

wife is the talkative kind

you have seen the dedica-

tion your Centaurs have

given to developing these

critical core skills as we

have been out for Table V,

VI, X, and XII exercises over

the past 5 months. I'm

proud to say that while we

have a ways to go we are

now capable of accomplish-

ing our mission of providing

indirect fires for the 1st

Brigade Combat Team

wherever the Nation calls

us to serve. This is no

small feat, we have young

SGTs and in some cases

Staff Sergeants that had

never fired a round, I'm

proud to say that is no

longer the case.

Another area we have been

focusing on is getting our

systems in place to prepare

us for longer redeploy-

ments and upcoming future

deployments. This newslet-

ter is one of those systems

that we are bringing back

on line as a means to in-

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Importance of Army

Families 2

Alpha Battery pushes on

with training 3

Bravo flexes their mus-

cles at LFX 4

Birthdays & Anniversa-

ries 5-6

Golf Co keeps the Batter-

ies going 7

HHB conducts Warrior

Responder Course 8

S W I F T A N D B O L D

The Centaur Roll Call

1 March 2012 Newsletter

P a g e 2 T h e C e n t a u r R o l l C a l l

Headquarters Battery

PFC Walston

SGT Crutcher

CSM Thomas

PFC Palko

1LT Niemerg

PFC Vasseur

SGT Kellenbenz

PV2 Alfonso

CPT Becotte

W e l c o m e s t o t h e 3 - 6 F A F a m i l y ! !

Alpha Battery

SSG Diaz

SGT Glass

2LT Burke

CPL Mays

Bravo Battery

SFC Bejar

2LT Dingbaum

PV2 Cash

Many Volunteers in this

Battalion are here to edu-

cate and help you along the

way and we appreciate

their commitment to the

CENTAUR family. I urge you

to please take advantage of

the programs offered to

you. Some may just find

the experience a rewarding

one that will last a lifetime.

My door is always open and

if you may ever have ques-

tions or concerns please do

not hesitate to let me know.

Thank you for everything

you do.….

CSM Thomas

CENTAUR 7

Swift and Bold!

This month I would like to

discuss the importance of

the Military Family. Often

family members do not truly

understand the significant

role they play in a success-

ful Military career. I person-

ally have witnessed on nu-

merous occasions over the

last 24 years the confi-

dence and vigor a Soldier

can attain from the

strength of his or her Fam-

ily. Many successful mis-

sions can be attributed to

the dedication and under-

standing of a Soldier’s Fam-

ily.

Our Family is about to ex-

perience our next deploy-

ment in the upcoming

year… Being a Resilient

Army Family means know-

ing how to prepare for and

get through a deployment

successfully. An important

part of supporting your Sol-

dier is to prepare for a de-

ployment by knowing what

to expect. Spouses and

Family members who are

engaged in learning about

resources ahead of time

will be emotionally and lo-

gistically better prepared.

Becoming more involved in

your Family Readiness

Group (FRG) is one of the

best ways to understand

and enhance your knowl-

edge of the pending deploy-

ment. Keep in mind that

every deployment is differ-

ent and adapting to this

change is key to your suc-

cess as an Army Family.

FRG's were established to

increase the resiliency of

the Unit, Soldiers, and their

Families. They provide prac-

tical tools for adjusting to

Military deployments and

separations and can also

enhance the well-being and

esprit de corps within the

unit. One of the goals of an

FRG is to support the mis-

sion by providing support,

outreach, and information

to Family members.

F a m i l i e s E m p o w e r S o l d i e r s

your Soldiers have been full

throttle since coming off of

block leave on 03 JAN 2012.

The first day back, the battery

immediately immersed itself

in rigorous preparations for

the field. The 9th-12th of

January, Alpha Battery

wasted no time in executing

it’s first field exercise of the

year with OPERATION ROCK

PRECIPICE, where the battery

occupied Training Area 8B

and conducted platoon col-

lective dry fire training over

four days. Upon returning,

the battery had a week to

recover it’s equipment while

simultaneously preparing for

the Battalion Table XII Live

Fire Exercise, a feat in and of

itself. From the 23rd-29th of

January, the battery again

deployed to the field, occu-

pied firing points on Panther

Drop Zone, and successfully

fired 525 artillery rounds

during platoon operations.

Upon completion, the battery

once again began preparing

for its next field training exer-

cise, OPERATION ROCK ICE-

HAMMER. It would be the

first time the battery de-

ployed to the field apart from

the battalion to conduct a

live-fire exercise, but not

without some key supporting

assets from HHB and Golf

Company: Survey, MET, Ra-

dar, and Distro. From the 7th

-10th of February, the battery

occupied training areas 10A

and 10B and conducted pla-

toon level operations and fire

mission processing. Over the

course of the exercise, the

platoons conducted multiple

displacements, both day and

night, while delivering timely

and accurate fires for 1-71

CAV’s observers on OP5. The

battery shot a combined total

of 359 rounds over the four-

day exercise without incident.

Additionally, several Distin-

guished Visitors observed

and participated in the bat-

tery’s live fire training and

were impressed with the

professionalism and

technical knowledge the

“Sons of Alpha” possess.

The men of the “Rock” Bat-

tery significantly improved

their skill sets across the

board in a short period of

time, greatly enhancing the

capabilities and readiness of

the unit. They put it all on

the line, day in and day out

and consistently perform in

austere conditions without

degradation or complaints.

The strength of our Soldiers

is a direct correlation of the

strength of their families.

The “Rock” couldn’t be what

it is today without the support

of it’s families, and the fami-

lies providing outstanding

support. I’m extremely proud

of what we have accom-

plished as a Field Artillery

Battery thus far and am look-

ing forward to future opera-

tions. This is truly a great

organization with a depth of

great Soldiers and families,

and it is a pleasure and privi-

lege to be a part of.

Congratulations to the follow-

ing NCOs and Soldiers on

their recent promotions:

Morrow, Anthony – SSG

Smith, Brian – SSG

Covert, Matthew – SGT

Frechette, Kyle – SPC

Perez, Jimmy – PFC

Scott, Harold – PFC

Bartley, William – PV2

“Rock Solid!”

-ROCK 6

F a m i l i e s o f A l p h a b a t t e r y ,

CPT Clint Hauger

Alpha Battery

Commander

3rd Section, 1st Platoon, Alpha Battery 3-6 FA,

SPC Joshua Duffy (Gunner) operates the

Panoramic Telescope of a M119 105mm

Howitzer during the Battalion Table XII Live Fire

Exercise in January 2012 while SSG Anthony

Morrow (Section Chief) supervises to ensure safe

operations.

Alpha Battery’s PFC Alobaidi receives an

award from 1BCT Commander COL Stephen

Michael in recognition for winning the

Brigade Soldier of the Quarter Board.

8th Section “Ocho”, 2nd Platoon, Alpha

Battery 3-6 FA, led by SGT Michael Stratton,

fires a round from Panther DZ during the

Battalion Table XII Live Fire Exercise in

January 2012.

15 days. The Sons of Alpha

have successfully fired over

700 safe and accurate artil-

lery rounds and conducted a

Battery level live fire exercise,

the first in the five years

since I have been in the Bat-

talion. Continue to support

your Soldiers as we continue

to get back to the basics of

field artillery and remember

the first word in Field Artillery

is FIELD!

I would like to start off with I

have no idea what happened

with winter; however, I have

enough sense and have been

stationed here long enough

to still be weary of Old Man

Winter at Fort Drum. With

that said, I cannot tell you

how proud I am of the Sol-

diers in Alpha Battery. Since

coming off Christmas Block

Leave approximately 45 days

ago, we have successfully

gone to the field for a total of

I would also like to take

the time to show recognition

to PV2 Alobaidi who was rec-

ognized as the Brigade Sol-

dier of the Quarter and repre-

sented the battery and bat-

talion at the Division Soldier

of Quarter Board placing

second. A job well done!

-ROCK 7

T h e f i r s t s e r g e a n t ’ s

c o r n e r

N e w s l e t t e r P a g e 3

P a g e 4 T h e C e n t a u r R o l l C a l l

16th of February

which focused on

the same tasks

from the January

Field Exercise in an

attempt to increase

familiarity with Pla-

toon level opera-

tions and to in-

crease the speed at which the

howitzer sections and FDCs oper-

ate. Supported by the forward ob-

servers from 1-87 Infantry, the

Battery’s performance was out-

standing. The Battery fired over

350 rounds safely and accurately

and increased both the speed and

proficiency in which they con-

ducted fire missions from January.

The Battery also executed the con-

struction of a Platoon Firebase

during this exercise which is a skill

that an overwhelming majority of

the Battery has not executed previ-

ously. The construction process

was a great learning experience

for all involved and turned out to

be a great success in the end. Sol-

diers were able to see the practice

put into action and see where they

need to improve for the next at-

tempt.

In the coming months, the Battery

will continue to increase its artil-

lery proficiency as it participates in

Battalion and Brigade level live fire

exercises. The first of these will be

a Battalion exercise from

the 5th-9th of March where

Platoons will be tested on

their ability to maneuver

across the battlefield and

provide fire support in the

process. Platoons will also

be evaluated on their ability

to evacuate casualties, re-

act to enemy attacks and

many other skills that are

required when operating in

a deployed environment.

During the BCT Fire Support

Certification Exercise (April

29 – May 11), the

Battery will be pro-

viding indirect fire

support to Infantry

and Cavalry Battal-

ions throughout the

BCT as they maneu-

ver throughout the

battlefield and con-

duct operations on

objective areas. The

Battery will also es-

tablish Platoon level

firebase in order to

incorporate lessons

learned during the

Battery LFX on February 13th-16th

and to continue improving the

skills required to defend an artil-

lery position area.

I am continually impressed with

the work that our Soldiers are do-

ing on a day to day basis as they

continue to improve skills that the

Battalion has not focused on in

over two years due to deployment

schedules. The Soldiers in Bravo

Battery are a motivated and dedi-

cated group of professionals that

are among the best that I have

had the pleasure of working with

during my career in the Army. I am

fully confident that this Battery will

become among the best in this

fine Division and that the Soldiers

will be more than capable to ac-

complish any mission that they are

tasked with in the future. I send

my thanks to all the family mem-

bers who continue to support this

fine organization and look forward

to the upcoming months of train-

ing and other social functions with

the Bravo Battery family.

Ryan W. Graf

CDR, B/3-6 FA

Bulls Deep!

B r a v o b a t t e r y

“...thanks to all

the family

members who

continue to

support this fine

organization…”

2012 has started off as a promis-

ing year for the Soldiers of Bravo

Battery as they continue to im-

prove their skills as artillerymen in

support of 1BCT, 10th Mountain

Division. Prior to block leave, how-

itzer sections along with fire direc-

tion centers (FDCs) completed

their section level qualifications

for the first time in over two years.

With the start of the New Year, the

Battery progressed to conducting

Platoon level training in prepara-

tion for the Battalion’s Platoon

Live Fire Qualification from the

23rd-29th of January. The Battery

performed superbly despite ad-

verse weather conditions firing

over 500 rounds safely and accu-

rately and qualifying both firing

Platoons and FDCs. The Battery

was commended on its profession-

alism and proficiency by the Dep-

uty Commanding General of Op-

erations COL (P) Clarke during

their execution of this exercise.

The Battery conducted an internal

Live Fire Exercise from the 13th-

SGT Roy and SGT Cudal conducting a direct fire mission

on January 26 2012.

P a g e 5 N e w s l e t t e r

Alpha Battery

Christopher & Suzette

Davis

Bravo Battery

Joshua Byrd & Amanda

Neary

Joshua & Amber Dozanti

Dakota & Megan Miles

Headquarters Battery

Keith & Leigha Anderson

Dustin & Jessica Ellis

Joseph & Vanessa Frazier

Michael & Jennifer

McSurdy

Brady & Emily Smith

Phillip & Megan Spence

M a r c h A n n i v e r s a r i e s

Lovely Caranay

Jennifer DeLozier

Sarah Herrera

Kayla Richert

Golf company

SPC Michael Forrester

Headquarters Battery

Christina Hackler

Candace Heriger

Wendy O’Connor

Amy Tiner

Cora Valencia

M a r c h B i r t h d a y s

Alpha Battery

PFC Osama Alobaidi

Suzette Davis

SGT Mitchell Hallock

SPC John Lundgren

PFC William Mahler

SGT Gerardo Quintana

PFC Nicholas Shelton

Kiara Smith

Bravo Battery

Ta’Shania Abbate

T h e C e n t a u r R o l l C a l l P a g e 6

Bravo Battery

Brittney York

Headquarters Battery

Kathryn Anderson

Nicole Billman

Vanessa Frazier

Stephanie Hicks

Tracy Reed

Ruthie Van Orman

Alpha Battery

SGT John Barilani

SPC Jacob Brandon

SGT James Bratton

SPC Christopher Davis

SGT Brandon Harrian

2LT Kyle Helm

Pamela Rodriguez

SGT Christopher Ross

PFC Harold Scott

A p r i l B i r t h d a y s

Headquarters Battery

Francis & Pamela Ciar-

rocchi

Aaron & Ashley Griggs

Hector & Lori Luna

Gary & Analicia Monte-

negro

Jeremy & Angel Reed

Alpha Battery

Jesse & Wendy McGowen

David & Kelly Caulfield

Nicholas & Jana

Townzen

Bravo Battery

Daniel & Ta’Shania

Abbate

George & Tasha Wishork

A p r i l A n n i v e r s a r i e s

P a g e 7 N e w s l e t t e r

G O L F C O M P A N Y

This year has already been

a busy one for Golf Com-

pany! We have deployed

to the field in support of

the Battalion during Janu-

ary’s Table XII Gunnery.

The Soldiers performed

extremely well in less than

ideal weather conditions

providing continuous logis-

tical support. The Distribu-

tion Platoon logged over

11,000 miles on the road

in the training areas dur-

ing the six day exercise

delivering hot meals,

6,500 gallons of fuel, and

over 1,200 ammunition

rounds to the firing batter-

ies. The maintenance pla-

toon provided direct main-

tenance support to the

Battalion’s wheeled vehi-

cles, generators, and how-

itzers. The vehicle recov-

ery team was also called

upon several times to re-

cover vehicles that be-

came stuck as a result of

the harsh driving condi-

tions. The highlight for the

Guardians during this ex-

ercise was the opportunity

to conduct field feeding

operations for the first

time in nearly two years.

The Soldiers in the field

feeding section worked

continuously day and

night to prepare hot morn-

ing and evening meals

that were outstanding and

enjoyed by everyone in the

Battalion.

In February, the Company

supported the firing Bat-

teries during their respec-

tive live fire exercises. We

also participated in small

arms weapons qualifica-

tion, Warrior First Re-

sponder training, and the

Battalion’s “Commo Acad-

emy” conducted by the

Battalion S6. Some mem-

bers of the Company at-

tended the 10th Brigade

Support Battalion’s Valen-

tine’s Day Ball held at The

Commons and enjoyed a

great night of dinner and

dancing. We are currently

in preparation for the Bat-

talion’s Table XII Gunnery

from March

05-10. The

rest of the

month of

March will

have the Com-

pany involved

in various pla-

toon level

training events

preparing for

the upcoming field exer-

cise in April. The Company

just welcomed back WO1

Clyde Elliott from Warrant

Officer Basic Course and

are excited that two of our

Guardian Soldiers, SSG

Nickesha Hibbert and SPC

Markeeshia Neal, were

selected to the Fort Drum

Culinary Arts Team and

will be participating in the

37th Annual Military Culi-

nary Arts Competition in

Fort Lee, Virginia from

February 24 thru March 9.

~Guardian 6~

SGT Gary Tarter (right) and PFC Kevin Hirons perform maintenance on a heater during the January

Table XII Gunnery.

SSG Randy Randolph (right) checks his uniform as SGT Matthew

Howard (center) converses with 1LT Nathan Carpenter at the 10th

BSB Valentine’s Day Ball.

Background Picture: Distribution Platoon, Golf Company, loads a flat rack with ammunition residue on the back of a Load Handling System (LHS) on the final day of the January

Table XII Gunnery.

nel since the summer. The hard

work and full participation will con-

tinue until this end state is

achieved

By: SGT Benjamin Hackler

From February 7th to the 10th, 3-6

FA Soldiers took part in Warrior

First Responder Training. This in-

tensive, 40 hour course involves

training Soldiers on advanced first

aid techniques that can save a

casualty’s life out on the battle-

field and during training missions.

The focus is on treating the top

three casualty producing injuries

in a wartime environment: life-

threatening arterial bleeding, air-

way blockage, and open chest

wounds. Soldiers must pass an

extensive, informational and sta-

tistic-based knowledge test, as

well as a rigorous hands-on sce-

nario that simulates treating a

casualty in a stress-induced envi-

ronment. The instructors from

HHB, 4th platoon medics, got

“inside the heads” of the partici-

pants and effectively portrayed

this environment at the Fort Drum

Medical Simulation Training Facil-

ity. This state-of-the-art facility in-

cludes a litter obstacle course to

simulate casualty evacuation and

a casualty “battle environment”

that allows Soldiers to practice the

skills they learned on life-like

“casualties.”

Soldiers are required to attend this

course on a yearly basis, as part of

an Army-wide campaign to de-

crease the time a battle casualty

is treated for life-threatening inju-

ries and evacuated from a hostile

environment to a Medical treat-

ment Facility. The 3-6 FA medics

have adopted their own approach

to this by providing real-life hands

on training that has been proven

to work in their recent deployment

to Afghanistan. There is also an

extensive knowledge base within

the platoon ranging from recent

experiences in Afghanistan, highly

trained medics pursuing higher

education in the medical field, and

other medics who have had duty

assignments at Medical treatment

facilities and other line units. 3-6

FA is currently working towards

training 100% of their personnel

and has trained over 100 person-

H H B

W a r r i o r f i r s t r e s p o n d e r c o u r s e

( F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2 )

Students await orders to lift the casualty from the “head man”

* The head man is the litter team leader

SPC Meneses and PFC Elwood act as OPFOR for an

upcoming attack on the students

One of the litter teams attempt to keep the casualty

level while entering the “river obstacle”

* for safety reasons, no water is used during winter

An overhead carry is used to keep the casualty out of the

water. A wet casualty can increase the chance of shock.

T h e C e n t a u r R o l l C a l l P a g e 8