1st 107th Newsletter

B U F FA L O B U L L E T I N
December 15, 2007
Volume 1, Issue 1
“Victory belongs to the
most persevering”
107th
Engineer Newsletter
Special points of interest:
Another day in the Sun...
● Learn about the
exciting DFAC
● LTC Degrote’s
corner on page 8
● I bet you just cant
wait....
1
HSC Engineer Castle
Circular
Buffalo Bulletin
15 Dec 2007
Soldiers receive their well deserved combat patch
Inside this issue:
On November 26th, the 107th
Engineer Battalion held a ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq to
commemorate the 35th Engineer
Brigade wartime service patch.
The units that received the wartime patch were Headquarters
Support Company and Field
Support Company out of
Michigan, the 171st Engineer
Company from North Carolina,
the 237th Engineer Company
from Virginia, and the 1138th
Engineer Company from Missouri. Those in attendance from
the 35th Engineer Brigade included Brigadier General Michael Pace and Command Sergeant Major Ray Harding.
unit patch on the right shoulder
was approved to denote service
in combat with that unit. The
combat patch symbolizes not
only serving with a specific
unit during combat, but also
symbolizes that Soldiers of the
unit are forever bonded to the
past and share a visible statement of shared commitment,
value, and hardship.
Soldiers proudly bear their new
patches that Gen. Pace places
on their right shoulder
The history of the
combat patch dates back to the
end of World War II, when the
wear of a
Newsletter Introduction
3
Concerts
4
Inside scoop on
DFAC
2
171st section
7
1138th
11
FSC Page
12
Commanders corner
6
“The combat patch symbolizes not only serving with a specific unit, but also
symbolizes that Soldiers of the units are forever bonded.”
A very surreal scene at the Chow Hall...
th
Soldiers of the107 are generally well received where ever
they go, especially at our comfortable and extravagant chow
hall here. Never mind that a trip
to our “DFAC” (dining facility) tends to be a big production
complete with a reconnaissance
and a hasty assessment of the
line and means that you will
have to walk across a treacherous 8,000 cubic
yards of shifting gravel to get there, nearly
putting your calves to muscle failure. A frequent DFACer was quoted as saying, “If that
food wasn’t so damn great, I wouldn’t make
the trip”. Soldiers will often time map the trip,
complete with designated rest stops. One Soldier, who declined to comment on this article,
went as far as to eat an MRE instead. So far no
one has injured themselves en route to the chow
hall.
When asked for interviews on our DFAC the following lent a few sound bites:
LT Szczepanek “The trip there makes me feel very
uncomfortable”
MAJ House “We have a Chow hall?”
CPT Nemetz “You could travel the depths of earth
and not find food as splendid as this!”
2
A brief introduction to the 107th BN newsletter
This is the first Newsletter from the 107th Engineer Battalion. Now that we are on the ground
and got our feet wet with our duties, we hope to
provide you, the families and friends that support us, with a bi-weekly newsletter. We have
readjusted the Newsletter Staff and came up
with a talented crew comprised of Soldiers from
all of our companies.
2LT John Trumbull, the Battalion S6, who already does the work of a Captain or Major, has
agreed to take the additional duty on of being
the main collection point of articles and pictures
for this newsletter. He will be assisted by numerous trained Public Affairs Officers within
the Companies, writing articles and capturing
defining moments of this units History in pictures.
of the most important, for every route we
clear, every explosive device we take off
the street, saves other Soldiers, Airmen,
and Marines lives. Always remember that
war is dangerous. In the 107th Engineer
Battalion we do everything we can to mitigate and reduce the risks associated with
combat. Our Soldiers work around the
clock to ensure we have the advantage
when we leave the wire. We wake up
every day trying to live up to our Battalion
motto “Good as Done.” This Battalion is
doing some great things in Iraq. We have
made great strides in the past few months
and continue to improve as time marches
on.
outstanding example of the type of Soldiers
we have in this unit. He was courageous,
reliable, and always did his duty, even in
the face of danger. Please see the feature
article this week on SGT Lambert.
Until the next newsletter, be safe back
home.
Comments and suggestions regarding this
newsletter can be directed to MAJ Steven
B. Burton at [email protected]
Army Strong…sbb
MAJ Steven B. Burton
107th EN BN Public Affairs Officer
Our goals for this newsletter are quite simWhat does the 107th Engineer Battalion do in
ple. We will convey the personal and unit
Iraq? Our main focus in Iraq is to clear the
stories to the family and friends back home.
streets and routes in and around Iraq for ExploIt is our intention to make it informative,
sives hazards (commonly called IEDs). Our
relaxed, and we will attempt to make it as
Line companies from Virginia (237th), North
humorous as possible.
Carolina (171st), and Missouri (1138th) have the
We start this First Newsletter, in rememdaunting task of leaving “the wire” and travelbrance of our first Soldier Killed in combat,
ing the cities numerous routes in search of ExSGT David Lambert, from the 237th Engiplosives laid by the enemy. These soldiers do
neer Company. SGT Lambert was a great
this day in and day out. Our Field Support ComMAJ Burton in Kuwait
Soldier, and a great friend to many. He did
pany and Headquarters Support Company Solhis
duty
well
and
he
is
missed.
He
is
an
diers spend every day supporting the Line Companies equipment, personnel, and providing
supplies, administrative assistance, maintenance support, intelligence, plans and mission
We wake up every day trying to live up to our Battalion motto “Good as Done.”
control, medical, and everything else they
need to do their mission. Our mission is one
Battalion leadership hard at work
Relaxing at a “Sapper Call”
3
A good deed never goes unpunished
On the 25th of November, Soldiers at the Victory Base Complex (VBC) were treated to a special show put on by the
group called “The Purrfect Angels.” This was a group of dancers and singers which were on tour in Iraq around the
Thanksgiving Holiday. These girls, none of which were lacking in the looks department, are professional models,
NFL Cheer leaders, and professional singers. One performer danced for Madonna, on tour, another toured with the
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and the group was featured in Trace Adkins music video for his hit country song
“honky-tonk be-donky donk.”
Having seen the posters hanging at the chow hall advertising their upcoming concert, I felt it necessary to chaperone a young Lt that was curious in going to see the show. I, having no interest of course, drove this young Lt to
the show on Friday night, where we managed to obtain pretty good seats. The crowd, being young male Soldiers
from 20-25 years old, was fairly well behaved, considering the fact that none had seen their sweethearts back
home for 6-12 months. The performers did an outstanding job, combining everything from tap-dancing to singing
patriotic songs. Later, on the ride home I asked the young Lt. if he enjoyed the singing from the performers that
night. He looked at me, eyes still big and glazed over, with drool still dangling off his lip, and replied “there was
singing tonight?” I was just glad I could be there to drive him home. I don’t think we ever would have seen him
again if I wasn’t.
A Purrfect Angel
They are just so darn
patriotic.
Aaron Tippin comes to our post for a night.
On the 26th of November, Country Music
Sensation Aaron Tippin held a concert just
up the road from our living quarters. Now
if you’re a Country Music Lover, then I
don’t have to tell you who Aaron Tippin is.
He sang a few of his hit songs for the first
15 minutes then stopped the concert. He
began by explaining to us that this is his 5th
Thanksgiving in a row that he left his home
to come to Iraq and Afghanistan to perform
for the Troops. He told us of a story which
I think you will enjoy.
After his first hit single made it on the
charts, he was just reeling with excitement.
One day his phone rang, which would
change his life forever. It was Bob Hope’s
daughter, inviting him to come and tour
with her father in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh,
during Desert Storm in the 1990’s. He
jumped at the chance to tour with the legendary Bob Hope, and it introduced him to
the military in a way he would never forget.
They landed in Riyadh in the middle of the
night. The Cargo door of the C-130
every day. He was introduced that night to
the United States Armed Forces and ever
since then he considered himself part of our
family. I don’t think there was a dry eye in
the crowd. I remember thinking to myself
that here is a guy who truly cares for us and
what we do every day. The concert contin-
“He began by explaining to us that this is his 5th Thanksgiving in a
row that he left his home to come to Iraq and Afghanistan to perform
for the Troops.”
dropped slowly and awaiting him and Bob
Hope were hundreds of US troops. He said
he never forgot that night and he never
forgets the sacrifices that Soldiers, Airmen,
Sailors, and Marines make to this country
Aaron Tippin giving away an autographed guitar to a young Soldier.
ued and the crowd went wild. He ended
the concert by giving away an autographed
guitar to a young Soldier in the audience. I
have been to many concerts in my life, but
I can’t remember ever being to a better one.
Aaron Tippin going to town
SSG Carlson, SPC Cummings, SSG Thibault,
and PFC Harnett showing their true feelings.
4
Commander’s Corner
Family and friends,
Well it’s almost Christmas here in
the desert and we all find the day’s
passing by quickly. We are now
half way through this deployment
and spirits among the Soldiers remain high. With the holidays just
a few weeks away everyone is getting in the spirit by decorating our
offices and the trailers we call
home. The Christmas tree arrived
today from the FRG and will be
decorated on Friday in the Battalion Recreation Center.
I am honored to be serving with some
of the finest Soldiers in the United
States Army and you can be very proud of
your service member.
Thanks to each and every one of you for
your support and I wish you and your
families a wonderful holiday season.
LTC Bud DeGrote
Commanding
LTC DeGrote
Sergeant Major’s Corner
TO ALL,
WE ARE ALL DOING WELL HERE. THANKSGIVING WAS NOT THE SAME FOR ANY OF US WITHOUT THE TRADITIONAL
FAMILY. HOWEVER, WHAT WE DID HAVE WAS A GREAT MEAL AMONG CO-WORKERS AND FRIENDS. EACH AND
EVERY SOLDIER HERE SERVED AS OUR FAMILY. FOR ME, I WAS PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE PART OF
THE LUNCH MEAL TO THE SOLDIERS WITH NEARLY ALL OF THE OTHER LEADERSHIP. IT WAS A TREAT FOR ALL OF
US TO SEE SO MANY SMILING FACES. THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS TO ALL FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE
107TH ENGINEER BATTALION BACK HOME (MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, NORTH CAROLINA, AND VIRGINIA) THAT YOUR
SOLDIER HERE IS DOING HIS/HER PART TO ENSURE THAT OUR MISSION IS VERY SUCCESSFUL. IT IS EXTREMELY SATISFYING TO SEE THE TYPICAL PROFESSIONALISM EXHIBITED BY ALL 107TH SOLDIERS.
ON TO OTHER NEWS, WE HELD A NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER AND SOLDIER OF THE QUARTER COMPETITION
ON DEC 4TH. THE WINNERS WERE SGT BELL (NCO) FROM VIRGINIA AND SPC ANDERSON (SOLDIER) FROM VIRGINIA..
THEY WILL GO ON AND COMPETE AT THE BRIGADE LEVEL DECEMBER 20TH. AT THE END
OF OUR DEPLOYMENT, WE WILL THEN SELECT AN OVERALL WINNER. THE WINNERS WILL
RECEIVE AWARDS, PASSES AND RECOGNITION FROM THE 107TH ENGINEER BATTALION,
35TH ENGINEER BRIGADE, AND THE REST OF THE “SAPPER” WORLD HERE .
I WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO WISH EVERY FAMILY MEMBER BACK HOME HAPPY
HOLIDAYS. EVERY SOLDIER WISHES HE/SHE COULD BE HOME WITH HIS/HER FAMILY THIS
TIME OF THE YEAR. OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH EACH OF YOU.
THANK YOU
CSM WAGNER
CSM Wagner
5
A few quotes...
Maj Kline “Everyone at the chow hall eats way too fast”
CPT Etelamaki “The ice cream at the chow hall helps wash down
the apple pie”
MAJ Hallenbeck “Do you think our Gerber tools are there”
SPC Lemire “I wish they served Protein shakes at the chow hall”
CPT Lynn “You ever been to North Carolina, it is really neat”
CPT Gove “Please refer to my graphs on the state of my feelings”
SFC Nora “Chuck Norris would even eat at the chow hall”
SPC Perry “I don't enjoy the cheap silverware here– something
must be done”
The next newsletter will be
coming out at the end of
December.
Because your own strength is unequal to
the task, do not assume that it is beyond
the powers of man; but if anything is within
the powers and province of man, believe
that it is within your own compass also.
We look forward to keeping you
all informed and aware of how
everything is going here in the sun.
newsletter 1.pub
Buffalo Bulletin
107th Soldiers show true
patriotic colors and reenlist
On November 28th twelve Soldiers from the
107th Engineer Battalion extended their
current enlistments and were sworn in by
Brigadier General Michael B. Pace, 35th
Engineer Brigade. The ceremony was held
at the Al Faw Palace on the third floor balcony. Those extending at the Palace were:
Specialists Jamie Joseph, Elwood Niemi,
Melvin Lafernier, Ben Cadeau, Ben Sherlund, Jacob Parske, Drew Vanburen,
Joshua Cadotte and Sergeants Edward Barber, Kevin Bowden, Staff Sergeant Nicholas Palmreuter, and Sergeant First Class
David Lundin. Congratulations to these
Soldiers and thanks to the families for their
support.
Soldiers ready to reup
6
171st Sapper
171st SAPPER
“BULLDOGS”
15 Dec 2007
THE ENGINEER CASTLE
Special points of interest:
• 171 Soldiers facing the unknown
• Safety of the Soldiers is priority number one
• Iraq a safer place
The appropriateness of
the turreted castle as a
symbol of the Army
Corps of Engineers is
readily apparent. The medieval castle is inseparably connected with the
word fortification. It
stands so proud and stern
through the test of time
and so do those who so
proudly carry the castle
crest, as we have fortified
the 171st Engineers place
in history.
The proud members of
the 171st Engineers carried the crest proudly
through the rigors of
Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin, setting many
standards that will be
hard for others to
follow, while growing into a combat
ready “family.”
The 171st moved its
forces to the Iraqi
theater toward the end
of September 2007,
taking over for the
130th Engineers out of
Puerto Rico. Away
from family, friends,
and working with new
unfamiliar equipment,
the 171st have overcome all obstacles
while finding and destroying numerous
hazards and made Iraq
a safer place.
It has been said that
“War is a test of wills.”
If so then the battle is
already won for the
strong willed Soldiers
that have lead the way
in clearing the routes
in Iraq and making
things safer for all who
travel behind them.
This dedication to duty
has amplified the fear
in the enemy and the
hopes and dreams of
the local populace.
Alex Nelson
7
Page 8
1st Platoon
Caption describing picture or
graphic.
Lead by one of the best officers in the battalion 1 LT
Robert Felicio the platoon has
cleared over 1365 km and
safely destroyed many IED s.
This great platoon really
showed what they were made
of when they were called on
to assist fellow infantry comrades. Their primary mission
was to help make the roads
safer for the Infantry Soldiers
to conduct their mission of
driving Al Quaeda forces
from the neighborhood. This
also helped make the area
safer for the local Iraqicitizens to do things like going to
work or taking their children
to school. The impact of First
Platoon’s mission was apparent within the first week of
operations as the Soldiers
began to see children walking
to and from school without
their parents escorting them.
The help to the citizens was
also easy to see as people
began to greet the Soldiers
with waves instead of looks
of concern. Since the first
week of operations, the rest of
the 171st Sapper Company
have all assisted with the operations taking place in East
Rasheed and the area is now a
much better place for people
to live.
streets and rebuilding their
homes. For the first time I
actually can see that Iraq was
a beautiful place at one time
and I know will be again
soon. The pride in the people
of Iraq is showing in all areas
as even the curbs of the
streets are being rebuilt. The
children are playing again and
even though dangers are still
prevalent in the city you can
see the kids are finally able to
be kids again. I am very
proud that the 2nd platoon
was able to be apart of making the streets safer place for
everyone. We also know our
job has only just begun so we
drive forward watching our
sectors and clearing path to
the future of a safer Iraq.
forces in Iraq. During their
travels 3rd Platoon also
sought to reach out and win
the hearts and minds of the
people of Iraq. On Thanksgiving Day, the members of
3rd Platoon visited several
needy families and delivered
to them several boxes filled
with children’s cloths and
toys. The family stated that
this was the first time that
anyone had ever did this for
them and expressed their
gratitude for the gifts. 3rd
Platoon walked away from
the experience with a new
perspective toward the nation
and the people of Iraq.
2nd Platoon
2nd Platoon
Its bigger than us. I think that
is the biggest thing that I have
learned since coming back to
this country. The first time
out of the wire I seen the
trash all over the streets and
just the overall filth that was
out there was sad. As we continue our missions I find less
trash on the streets and now
have found the local Iraqi
people out cleaning the
The future is bright
3rd Platoon
SGT. Oxendine with the future of Iraq.
3rd platoon lead by 2LT Brisson and SFC Rice have become a constant force in the
fight to regain the streets of
Iraq. They have traveled over
1200 km in a combat zone
clearing the streets for all
whom travel them.
Many were found and destroyed further protecting the
local populace and coalition
8
Page 9
First Sergeant Tobin
So far, the Mobilization and
Deployment of the 171ST
Engineer Company (Sapper)
has been a great success. It
began when the Company
Leadership and representatives of each platoon took
additional time away from
their families to participate in
the Leader’s Mobilization at
Ft. McCoy only to be followed by the main body. The
beginning of this ride began
with Days of briefings and
classroom instruction given to
us by the 4th Cavalry Train-
ing Brigade of the 1ST US
Army. This was just the beginning of what was to come
during the Battalion Mobilization. The second month at
Ft. McCoy featured our conducting collective training as
platoons and companies in
support of the battalion mission.
The state of the company is
strong. We completed the
Mobilization and have now
completed more than two
months in Iraq in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
These have been successful
months for us as a Company
in particular and a Battalion
as a whole. As always, we
Soldiers of the 171ST Engineer Company (Sapper) of the
North Carolina National
Guard will do our duty with
pride in our mission.
1st Sergeant gives instruction
during a field exercise at Fort
McCoy
“Better to fight for something
than live for nothing.”
~General Patton~
Captain Lynn
Captain Lynn leads by example even in the hardest conditions.
He would also like to thank
SFC Nelson for being the best
looking Sergeant First Class
in the company.
Cpt. Lynn prepares his grenade at Fort McCoy
9
171 Sapper Co
Unit # 43481
APO AE 09344-3481
Headquarters
Headquarters the company brain trust
The Headquarters Platoon is led by
1LT Patrick Henderson, it consists
on many sections. The sections of
Headquarters Platoon include Supply, Armor, Maintenance, NBC,
Medical, and Operations. The
mission of Headquarters Platoon is
to help facilitate the line platoons
in accomplishing their missions.
LT Henderson
Saddam’s former parade ground
in Baghdad's Green Zone
3rd Platoon
1st Platoon
“Sapper calls Rule!”
10
1138th
SAPPERS
171st Sapper
15 Dec 2007
As this is our first article to the folks back home since we have arrived in Iraq, I would like to take
this opportunity to get all of you up-to-date.
When we arrived at the end of September, it was hot, sunny, and dusty. Now, in the middle of December, it is cool, sunny, and dusty. The temperature is definitely more bearable, and we have seen
some very beautiful days here in the last couple of weeks. Of course, being from Missouri, it’s still
hard to believe that it’s the middle of December and we haven’t had one night below freezing.
Thanksgiving for us was difficult here, as I’m sure it was for all of you back home. We all miss our
family and friends in the states, and any holiday just enhances that. But, at the same time, we try to
make the best of it. The Dining Facility (DFAC) served the standard Thanksgiving fare, and it’s
always a good thing to see the “higher ups” serving the troops. As we come up on the Christmas
season, it will again be difficult, but each holiday we reach, and each month that goes by on our calendars, signifies a shorter amount of time before we are all re-united.
We have seen 2 reenlistments (SPC Pavon & SPC Garcia), promotion of almost all of our privates
(E-1 to E-3) to Specialist
(E-4), promotion of SPC Helm and SPC Blades to CPL, and promotions of 2LTs Ortega and Zinn to
1LT. We have also seen the departure of SSG Cureton (who went home for a family emergency),
and the addition of SPC Williams (medic) and 2LT Sciarra (new 3rd platoon leader).
Most of our days are spent either on missions or prepping for missions, but we have plenty of time
for getting together for video game matches, hanging out at the MWR facility for pool, ping-pong, or
foosball, or just getting together for cookouts.
All in all, we are all making the best of our time here. We appreciate all of the support that we have
been receiving from family, friends, acquaintances, and businesses back home, as is evidenced by the
large piles of packages that come in everyday. A letter or postcard from home is always well received, and is never taken for granted.
We will keep you updated on how things are going
here, as this will be the first of many articles coming
from the 1138th.
1LT Zinn
Operations Officer
Our new wall, ready
for the MO touch
11
171st Sapper
Field Support
Company
15 Dec 2007
Greetings from the 107th FSC (Field Support Company), Iraq. This is our first newsletter
since we have been activated. We have a lot of catching up to do to get all of you up to speed on
who we are, where we are, what we are doing, and what we have done! I will be giving you all of
that information in these newsletters. First off, let me tell you that we are all doing well here in
sunny Iraq. We have settled in nicely (with only a few road bumps), and are all working well in our
jobs. For this newsletter, I plan to give a description of our Company, and what kind of missions we
have. I will talk briefly about what we had to do to get here. (We will get into more detail on that in
later editions.) Also, I am going to talk about what we are doing now on a day to day basis.
The 107th FSC is broken up into three main groups, Headquarters, Distribution, and MainThe Motorpool – Our Vision of Paradise tenance. The Headquarters Platoon is responsible for the administrative details of the Company
such as supply, NBC, the armorers, the First Sergeant, and the Company Commander. These are
the people responsible for running the company as a whole, and keeping us supplied with uniforms,
weapons, and ammo. The next group is the distribution platoon. Distribution is made up of fuelers,
water treatment specialists, and heavy equipment drivers. They have four primary missions: 1. Is to
make sure that all of our trucks and generators stay full of fuel all the time. 2. Is to move equipment
and supplies from point A to point B. 3. Is to make sure that we are supplied with fresh water at all
times. 4. To manage our POL (Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants), they make sure we have all of the
various greases, oils, antifreeze, etc. that we need to keep the motor pool operational. Distribution
has been extremely busy with these missions. In between missions, they have been working on their
respective areas in the motor pool. They have been doing projects such as building a new roof for
their building, and tearing down some old dilapidated shacks.
Marching in Ft. McCoy
Meeting of the minds
The Maintenance platoon of the FSC is broken into a number of different sections. These
include: Maintenance Control, Maintenance, Welding, Recovery, Air Conditioning, Power Generation, and TAMMS. Maintenance Control lives up to its name, it is responsible for dealing with the
line companies (the companies that run the route clearance missions) if they need to evacuate their
equipment to a higher level of maintenance. Maintenance Control deals with the contractors, FSC
maintenance, and any external customers looking to have us do some work for their organization.
The Maintenance section is where all of your mechanics are established. They work on FSC company equipment, and any equipment that is fed to them from Maintenance Control. The FSC also
backs up the RCE (Route Clearance Equipment Repair) section full time with three mechanics The
welding section is there to build any number of items that we need to complete our mission. Projects
such as: turret mounts, fire suppression boxes, light mounts, add-on armor kits, etc. (There are really
too many to list). The recovery section is affectionately labeled “tugboat”. They are the Soldiers
who bring back the broken vehicles. Think of them as AAA on steroids. And, they don’t even
charge their customers. Talk about service with a smile. The recovery Soldiers also do the Hotwashes (see below), and RCE services. The Air Conditioning section is pretty self explanatory, they help keep us cool. Fortunately as we arrived in the fall, this has not been a big
deal. The weather has been more than tolerable with 80 degree days, and 40 degree nights.
The Power generation section has the responsibility of making sure that all of the sections
have electricity to plug their tools (and radios) into. They have done an excellent job to date,
and are doing a good job keeping the lights on. Finally the TAMMS (The Army Maintenance
Management System) section is the group that keeps all of the parts coming to the mechanics,
and keeps track of who has what vehicle. A VERY important group. Thank You TAMMS.
12
Home sweet home
Living quarters while in Kuwait
Trip to Iraq via C-130
Whew… a lot of explaining to describe a bunch of guys who fix stuff. In addition to all to all of that, 107th EN BN has given the
107 FSC responsibility over all of the other maintenance organizations in the battalion. They consist of three Sapper Engineer companies.
Their maintenance teams are setup in a RCE (Route Clearance Equipment) group. They are the people who fix the trucks that go out on our
battalion’s primary mission every day. If they need assistance, they evacuate to the FSC.
th
The trucks that we fell in on over here were all over the map as to condition. We have some brand new trucks, and some trucks
that have really seen their fair share of action. Needless to say, these trucks keep us busy everyday. We are getting to know each truck
personally. We initially had a lot of breakdowns, and electrical issues that kept us working 2-12 hour shifts, 7 days a week. Fortunately, we
have been able to get the upper hand on these vehicles, and slowed our schedule down somewhat. We also do a “hotwash” on all of the
returning missions. This entails ensuring that the vehicles are in top notch shape for the next mission. Any small repairs are done on the
spot, and any repairs that are going to take longer are sent down the RCE section for repair. The Hotwashes are done by the Recovery Section, and the RCE section. In our spare time, the maintenance individuals (from all the companies) have been organizing, cleaning and
building.
Thanksgiving dinner
Building Teamwork skills
This is brief overview of our structure. Ask your Soldier where he falls into this company, and you will be able to follow their progress
over the course of the deployment! For future newsletters I hope to focus more on the Soldiers and the individual groups. I will cover the
steps we had to take to get here, such as Leaders Mob, the main body leaving the armory back in July. What Mobilization was like at Ft.
McCoy (It was a tiring two months that was for sure), flying out of Ft. McCoy to Kuwait. Then ultimately flying into Iraq. Once here we
had a replacement program with the current Battalion, (called a RIP TOA), and have since moved on to normal day to day operations. But
that is next months Newsletter. For now, thank you for your support of our Soldiers.
CW2 Steven Krupp – Maintenance Warrant
13
A
HSC, 107TH SOLDIERS PRACTICE “GUNNER DOWN” DRILLS AT FT. MCCOY WISCONSIN IN JUNE.
(UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIERS BUILD A CRUDE ETCH-A-SKETCH). 1LT HENDERSON, 171st ENGINEER COMPANY (NORTH
CAROLINA) PREPARES FOR A CONVOY BY GIVING HIS MISSION BRIEF AT FT. MCCOY WI.
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CSM WAGNER MANS THE 50 CAL MACHINE GUN DURING A CONVOY HALT AT FT MCCOY WISCONSIN IN JUNE. (NOT
PICTURED IS SFC NORA HOLDING CSM WAGNERS FEET SO HE COULD SEE OUT OF THE HATCH)
SFC NAULT, HEADQUARTERS SUPPORT COMPANY, AND SSG KOLLMAR, 1138TH SAPPER COMPANY ADMINISTER IV
FLUIDS TO AN EXHAUSTED SOLDIER AT FT. MCCOY WI IN JUNE. (LATER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SFC NAULT HAD
REPLACED THE FLUIDS WITH RED BULL ENERGY DRINK)
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MAJOR PHIL BOUCON STUDIES A TRAINING SCENARIO DURING CLASS AT FORT MCCOY THIS JULY, FOR THE BLUE
FORCE TRACKER FINAL EXAM. (EDITORS NOTE- HE PASSED THE EXAM AND NOW HOLDS THE RECORD IN THE TOC
FOR SPIDER SOLITARE)
HSC, 107TH EN BN TOC PERSONNEL
MEET DURING TRAINING AT FT. MCCOY WISCONSIN. THE TOPIC OF THE DAY WAS WHICH CHOW HALL TO EAT
LUNCH AT. (EDITORS NOTE- SINCE THERE WERE NO OFFICERS PRESENT TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION- SFC NAULT
HANDED OUT MREs INSTEAD)
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Sergeant David Eugene Lambert was born in Richlands, Virginia to Howard and Mary Lambert on November 9,
1967. He graduated from Richlands High School in 1985 and went on to attend Southwest Virginia Community
College. He was pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice at Bluefield College.
David entered service in the United State Army on February 23, 1988. He graduated basic training at Fort Knox,
Kentucky as an 11M, Fighting Vehicle Infantryman. He later served overseas in both Korea and Germany. David
left active service in 1992. After a short stint of civilian employment, he returned to active duty as a 19K, M1 Armor
Crewman. In September of 1998, he enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard and was trained as a 12B, Combat
Engineer. During this time, he attended Primary Leader Development Course and Junior Leader’s Course. David
later re-classed as a 21C, Bridge Crew Member and was assigned to the 189th Engineer Company in Big Stone Gap,
Virginia.
In 2005, he transferred to Company B, 276th EN BN as a 21B, Combat Engineer. In August of 2006, David reclassed as a 21E, Construction Equipment Operator and was assigned to 1033rd EN SPT CO in Cedar Bluff,
Virginia. On April 5th of 2007, David transferred to 237th EN CO (Sapper) in West Point, Virginia and resumed his
former role as a 21B, Combat Engineer. In July 2007, David was mobilized with the 237th Engineer Company for
overseas duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
David had a passion for sports, especially football. He loved God and his Country. David had no children of his own
but raised several foster children. David and his fiancé Heather planned to marry upon his return from Iraq. David
served his community for the past 11 years as a corrections officer at Keen Mountain State Penitentiary.
Specialist Lambert was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant on 25 October 2007. Sergeant Lambert’s
decorations include: The Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge, Army Commendation Medal,
Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National
Defense Service Medal (second award) , Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War of Terror Service Medal, Armed Forces
Reserve Medal with “M’ Device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (third award), and the Army Lapel
Button.
Sergeant David Eugene Lambert is survived by his father Howard Lambert, mother Mary Lambert, sister Missy
Wheeler and his fiancé Heather Spencer.
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