Sergeant Major‟s Notes - 54th Civil Support Team

732 Combat
Sustainment
Support
Battalion
(CSSB)
The Badger’s Den
J U L Y
2 0 0 9
Battalion Commander‟s Notes
Hello and welcome to the 732d
family. I am honored and humbled to be serving with so many
great soldiers. The outstanding
soldiers that currently comprise
the 732d CSSB have impressed
me with their work ethic, positive attitude, and willingness to
provide support to our customers. Your support of your loved
ones is equally amazing. Every
company has touted the support
from loved ones back home that
they have and continue to receive. Your soldiers deserve the
support, as do you, for your willingness to sacrifice as they serve
our country.
I do want to thank those of you
that volunteer in your units FRG at
every level. Your time and efforts
allow those of us in uniform to
focus our time on the mission at
hand and communicate when there
is something that needs to be addressed. If you have concerns or
questions, please contact me and I
will assist or provide you with
direction to a resource that can.
Sergeant Major‟s Notes
I would like to take this time to
introduce myself. I am Master
Sergeant Douglas Raabe, Acting
Command Sergeant Major of the
732 CSSB. I have been in the
military for 32 years. Of those
years, 12 were active duty and
20 have been with the Wisconsin
Army National Guard. I have a
wonderful wife named Deb, two
sons, Nick, and Joe, and a
daughter, Kelly.
the Month.
I would like to congratulate
some of the soldiers within our
battalion:
Sgt. Spikes and Sgt. Sanchez of
the 135 QM for their recognition
at the Convoy Conference.
Sgt. Almonte of the 368 SOC
received the Battalion NCO of
the Month.
Lastly, my thoughts and prayers
go out to Command Sergeant Major Bonsell to return to the battalion safely, and in good health.
Spc. Smith of the 305 QM received the Battalion Soldier of
Sgt. Morales of the 305 QM received the Battalion NCO of the
Quarter.
Spc. Acevedo of the 305 QM received the Battalion Soldier of the
Quarter, and will travel to Joint
Base Balad to represent us at the
Brigade Soldier of the Quarter
competition.
WE SERVE.
1
July 2009
The Badger’s Den
Did You Know?
sheet from the Pratt Museum at Fort
Campbell, KY, home of the 101st Division.
In 1861, Chief Sky of the Chippewa
tribe captured a young bald eagle,
Haliaeetus leucocephalus to be precise, along the Flambeau River in
northern Wisconsin. He sold the bird
for a bushel of corn to a local citizen
who, in turn, sold it to the commanding officer of a militia company that
became known as the “Eau Claire Eagles.”
A legendary eagle veteran of more
than 30 combat engagements during
the Civil War, two battle wounds,
and a Confederate “wanted dead or
alive” price on his head provided the
inspiration for the Screaming Eagle
insignia of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The 101st Airborne Division Association, whose
veterans and active duty members
have worn the Screaming Eagle
shoulder patch in every major conflict from World War II to Iraq, proclaims it “the most recognized division insignia in the world.”
“the most recognized division insignia in the world.”
The patch, with its white eagle‟s
head and a gold beak on a black
shield topped with a crescent-shaped
“Airborne” tab, made its official
debut in 1942, but its origins are
rooted in Wisconsin history. Those
beginnings are outlined in a fact
When the Eagle militia unit entered
Federal service, it was designated
Company C, of the 8th Wisconsin
Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Eventually, the Company‟s mascot became
the Regiment‟s mascot and the 8th
Wisconsin was nicknamed the “Eagle
Regiment.”
The fighting spirit of the screaming
eagle mascot was established
early. The soldiers named him “Old
Abe” in honor of President Lincoln
and assigned him as a member of the
regimental color guard. A 1982 reprint of a 1942 “Army Times” article
in the 101st Association magazine
describes his behavior: “History records that he never once disgraced his
name or his position. His perch was
the American shield and a Sergeant
carried him between the Stars and
Stripes and the regimental standard. Soldiers fed him with chicken
and it is reported that he was not particular when it came to whether or not
they were cooked.
“During battle, he would fly into the
air as far as his tether would permit,
screaming and screeching above the
battlefield and encouraging the unit to
greater deeds than they themselves
thought they were capable.”
Although Old Abe was wounded
twice, E. B. Quiner writes in his
1866 “Military History of Wisconsin” that those injuries were not
serious. “The bird has been more
than once the mark for rebel bullets,
but luckily has escaped unharmed,
with the exception of the loss of a
few feathers shot away,” he notes.
As to the Confederate threat on Old
Abe‟s life, the statement is attributed to General. Sterling Price at the
Battle of Corinth, MS, in October
1862. “That bird must be captured
or killed at all hazards. I would
rather get that eagle than capture a
whole brigade or a dozen battle
flags,” said Gen. Price.
CASE Manufacturing (a Wisconsin Company) also used “Old Abe”
as part of their organizational logo
until 1969.
Following the inactivation of the
Eagle Regiment in 1865, its veterans
gave Old Abe to the people of Wisconsin. His last years were filled
with travels across the country to
appear at veteran reunions, patriotic
events, fairs, and conventions. Ample testimony of War Eagle‟s postwar popularity is scattered throughout an abundance of Old Abe historical articles.
Sales of his photograph at the 1865
Chicago Fair realized $16,000, a
sizeable sum in today‟s dollars. He
appeared as an “honored guest” at a
Grand Army of the Republic
(G.A.R) encampment with General
U.S. Grant and attended in 1868 the
convention that nominated Grant for
2
July 2009
The Badger’s Den
the presidency. He was a celebrity
whose presence is still manifest in
monuments, pamphlets, and Internet
websites. One statue sits atop the
122-foot Wisconsin Memorial at the
Vicksburg (MS) National Military
Park. Others are located about the
nation. In June 2005, an honor guard
from the 101st Airborne Division
participated in the dedication of a
new monument featuring Old Abe at
Fredericktown, MO, the site of the
Eagle Regiment‟s first Civil War
engagement. The 101st Association
has proclaimed him as “The Original Screaming Eagle” and lists him
among the seven former members
honored in memoriam that include
Generals William C. Lee, Maxwell
Taylor, and Anthony C. McAuliffe.
In Madison, he had quarters in the
basement of the Wisconsin State
Capitol where he died in 1881 from
the fumes of a small fire near his
room. He was stuffed and placed on
exhibit in the Capitol building until
a fire destroyed his body in
1904. However, replicas of Old
Abe are still on display in the room
where the Wisconsin State Assembly meets and at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
In 1921, the legend of Old Abe and
the 101st unit designation began to
merge.
The 101st Division of
World War I had been organized at
Camp Shelby, MS, in November
1918 and demobilized the following
month with the conclusion of the
war. Nearly three years later, it was
reconstituted and organized as the
101st Division of the Organized
Reserves with headquarters at Milwaukee, WI.An early 101st Division
insignia with a white eagle over
flames on a royal blue shield was
apparently worn for a period prior to
1923. In that year, a new version
was approved for the Organized
Reserves unit in accordance with the
following description from the Sec-
retary of War:
“SHIELD: 2 ½ inches in height, sable
the head of a bald eagle erased
proper. The design is based on one of
the Civil War traditions of the State of
Wisconsin, this State being the territory of this division. The black shield
recalls the old “Iron Brigade” one of
whose regiments possessed “Old Abe”
the famous war eagle.” Civil War
records do not show the 8th Wisconsin
Infantry Regiment as part of the “Iron
Brigade,” originally known as the
“Black Hat Brigade.
With World War II already underway,
the 101st Division, Organized Reserve, was disbanded August 15, 1942,
and a new airborne unit constituted on
the inactive list the same day. One
day later, Augusts 16, the 101st Airborne Division was born, with Old
Abe still on the insignia but now
topped with the “Airborne” tab.
The Division soon acquired its first of
two eagle mascots, “Young Abe.” A
pictorial biography of the 101st compiled in France in 1945, identifies
Young Abe as a direct descendant of
Old Abe. It describes him as “the
flesh-and-blood counterpart of the
division‟s „Screaming Eagle‟ shoulder
patch.”
Only two weeks old when captured,
Young Abe had been sent to a Wisconsin state game farm where he
stayed until presented to the airborne
soldiers of the 321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion, many of whom came
from Wisconsin, according to the 1948
edition of “Rendezvous With Destiny.” The battalion, in turn, presented
him to the Division. However, he was
never to see combat with his division.
“Perhaps he had been inducted too late
in life, and found it impossible to
adapt himself to the rugged conditions
of training in an airborne division. Without apparent cause, he
died July 6 at Fort Bragg. It was a
lonely death, for the Division was
far away on the Tennessee maneuvers.”
Only two weeks old when captured, Young
Abe had been sent to a Wisconsin state
game farm where he stayed until presented
to the airborne soldiers of the 321st Glider
Field Artillery Battalion, many of whom
came from Wisconsin, according to the
1948 edition of “Rendezvous With Destiny.”
The 101st obtained its second and
last eagle mascot, in 1956. Named
“Bill Lee I” in honor of the division‟s first commanding general,
Maj. Gen. William C. Lee, the new
mascot died less than a year
later. A division history published
in 1995 reports that “he was killed
by an unknown hoodlum.” But today after more than 63 years, the
legendary Old Abe still soars with
the Screaming Eagles of the 101st
Airborne Division.
(Sources for this “Old Abe” report
include the following: Pratt Museum, Fort Campbell, KY; 101st
Airborne Division Association
(“Rendezvous With Destiny,” a
1948 history of the Division and the
Screaming Eagle magazine), Fort
Campbell, KY; Wisconsin Veterans
Museum, Madison, WI; Historic
Milwaukee Veterans Administration, Milwaukee, WI; Chief Clerk‟s
Office, Wisconsin State Assembly,
Madison, WI; „The Epic of the
101st Airborne,” a pictorial biography published by the Division,
1945; and the 1995 history,“101st
Airborne Division,” published by
Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, KY.)
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July 2009
The Badger’s Den
732 CSSB: Support Operations
Support Operations
receives consolidated
logistics requests from
external customer
units.
Support Operations
then organizes the
requests according to
imperatives such as
priority, item availability, and urgency of
need, and develops
missions.
These missions are
then sent to (tasked) a
logistics company like
the 305 QM.
The commander of the
305 QM is responsible
to deliver the requested items to the
correct unit within the
delivery time specified.
A comparable civilian
organization would be
a Wal-Mart Distribution Center.
Sgt. 1st Class Molly Kosbab
wears several hats with ease.
Given the direction of the
theater reposturing, Sgt. 1st
Class Kosbab is the Support
Operations Transportation
container and equipment manager. She has the responsibil-
ity of tracking every piece of
equipment and knows the
location and status of every
container. As part of the task,
she monitors the progress of
reposturing operations. Sgt.
1st Class. Kosbab uses her
Ammunitions
Specialist
Military Occupational
Specialty (MOS) to
oversee ammunition
operations.
and monitoring from the safety office to the Transportation Section.
1st Lt. Kathrine Berberich conducts
face-to-face post-mission debriefs
with all incoming convoys to ensure
safety and continuity for the Soldiers that are delivering the goods.
The 732nd Support
Operations Officer saw
the need to bring convoy master regulation
305 Quartermaster Company (Mustangs)
The Joint
Distribution Center (JDC) received more than 90 flatbeds this week and shipped
more than
80. The Equipment Section shipped approximately 250 pieces of equipment from
the yard
while nearly 100 pieces were received. More than 100 containers were received
and more
than 100 were shipped with various types of cargo. The Soldiers are working hard
and are
proud of their job.
This
month the Convoy
Platoon
provided security for
nearly 600 vehicles carrying all classes of supply, and
more than 800 personnel, while traveling approximately
400 miles. The convoy platoon would also like to
congratulate Sgt. Bivins for his out-standing work, and
for being recognized by the 287th Sustainment Brigade
Commander as the Convoy Commander of the Month
for June.
The Class I yard received 84,000 cases of water and
issued 113,640; they also received and issued nearly
2,000 cases of food. The food and water yard this week
also saw one of the soldiers promoted to the grade of
E-5, Congratulations Sgt. Mickens!
4
July 2009
The Badger’s Den
135 Quartermaster Company (Panthers)
The Panthers
are continuing
to make tracks
all across the
desert. Since
September of
2008, the
mighty Panthers
have driven over 238,000 miles.
Some of this has been in quite difficult terrain. As of late, there have
been many dust storms making driv-
order to ensure a smooth transition.
The Panthers have completed stageone of medical readiness by completing the Post Deployment Health Assessment online through their Army
Knowledge Online (AKO) accounts.
This is important as it identifies any
potential medical and psychological
issues that Soldiers may have suffered
during deployment and allows them to
get treatment quickly.
that the Soldier has no one to return
home to or talk to. So please, look
out for one another. We are all on
the Panther and the Army team.
Congratulations to the following
Soldiers for the promotions last
week, it was hard earned, and many
have been working diligently to
improve themselves and take greater
positions of responsibility:
Post Traumatic Stress
Pvt. 1st Class Nelson to Spc.
Disorder (PTSD), once
Pvt. 1st Class George to Spc.
known as “Shell Shock”
Pvt. 1st Class Flake to Spc.
or “Battle Fatigue,” used
Spc. Gross to Sgt.
to be a taboo subject.
Spc. Casco to Sgt.
During previous wars,
many of these Soldiers
Special recognition goes to Sgt.
were ignored or were not
Spikes who won the Brigade Logisnoticed. These problems
tics Convoy Commander for the
resurfaced years later. In
month of July. Also, kudos goes out
the past, some of these
to both Spc. Foday and Pvt. 1st
Soldiers did not get the
Class Whyte who continue to strive
treatment they rightfully
to provide Direct Support maintedeserved, causing all
nance to our company's Heavy
kinds of family and soEquipment Transports. The Heavy
Equipment Transport mission has
As you can see, dust storms can make for some cial issues. A wellknown historical tragedy
almost tripled.
very dangerous travel.
was the veteran homeless
problem following the
Spc. Mai was recognized for keeping conditions rather difficult. 2nd
Vietnam War. Many of these homeing the Medium Truck fleet in top
Lt. DiVito took this snap shot of a
less Veterans suffered from PTSD,
shape. He completed over ten indust storm during a convoy on the
treatable injury. Fortunately, today, it
spections this month.
way to Baghdad International Airis on the front burner of
port (BIAP).
Armed Forces Commanders
and Soldiers are routinely
Currently, the Panthers are refining
screened and assisted.
all training plans to accommodate
Leaders are encouraged to
their upcoming replacement by a
identify Soldiers who might
National Guard unit.
have problems and get them
the help they deserve.
The Panthers are getting ready to
Some of most stressful
move into tent city and are busy
times are when Soldiers
packing all their personal belongreturn home from Theater.
ings to put into seaborne containers.
Sometimes combat isn‟t the
Our Container Team is prepping the
biggest stressor, it is family
containers through inspections,
and domestic issues upon
washings, and customs checks in
return. Other times it can be These hardy guys don’t seem to mind the sand
at all. Chow time!
5
July 2009
The Badger’s Den
HHC 732 Transportation Management
tation Cell with professional
Soldiers that have deployment
experience and who are willing
to embrace change. Capt. Christian Menden, head of the Transportation Cell, feels that the
biggest challenge the cell faces
is the changing state of Iraq, as
well as its impact on theater
operations. Capt. Menden has
further developed and streamlined the equipment and personnel reports necessary to ensure
the success of future missions.
On July 21st, 2009 the 732nd
Support Operations Transportation Cell began operations in a
corner office of the battalion
headquarters. The decision to
relocate the Transportation Cell
to an office outside the Tactical
Operations Center (TOC) was
based on the 732nd Support
Operations Officer, Maj. Michael Yount‟s vision for the
Transportation Cell.
Transportation Management keeps track
of all battalion transportation equipment
including tractors and
trailers.
In addition, when
there’s more stuff to
be moved than there
are tractor trailers to
move it, it’s the responsibility of the
Transportation Cell to
assist the Support
Operations Officer in
requesting additional
vehicles from
“higher” or, in the
worst case, prioritize
the missions to determine who gets their
stuff first, and who
gets their stuff last.
The Transportation
Cell works hand-inhand with commanders of units like the 66
Transportation Company.
The Transportation Cell
focuses on developing new
business practices to meet anticipated changes in theater
operations. All personnel are
dedicated to the monitoring of
daily operations and the planning of future transportation
missions. Maj. Yount has
directed the Transportation Cell to analyze how business is currently done and
develop courses of action to improve
efficiency and deal with anticipated
changes.
Maj. Yount has “stacked” his Transpor-
Capt. Menden is also the battalion‟s
Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO).
This responsibility goes hand-inhand with the transportation mission. Capt. Menden tracks the electronic warfare jamming systems that
protect our Soldiers.
66 Transportation Company (Road Kings)
66th Transportation
Company continues
to raise the bar during convoy operations. This week, the company
logged over 27,182 miles.
Last week marked the introduction of the brand new gun
trucks from the 41st Battalion.
As the senior operators, our
Soldiers gave advice and
tips to the brand new Convoy Commanders, attempting to pass on their knowledge and
experience. Maintenance continues to embody the definition of
hard work. They are resourcing a
24/7 operation, preparing trailers
for turn-in and supporting every
Convoy Logistics Patrol (CLP)
that the company participates on.
as an operations NCO, he can still
diligently conduct additional duties
well. Sgt. Amontchi‟s move to operations is a part of the reconsolidation of
Headquarters Platoon.
Last week Sgt. Sylvain Amontchi
was able to complete the Classified Document Destruction
Course. This class marks his
smooth transition from Supply to
Operations. He has proven that PFC Iglesias and SGT llana show brotherly
not only can he perform his tasks love in the motor pool.
6
July 2009
The Badger’s Den
HHC 732 Maintenance Management
Arguably one of the most critical aspects of any military operation is the
maintenance and repair of
equipment. From the replacement of a flat Humvee tire to the
to the repair of a machine-gun,
maintenance is second only to
food and water for the survival
of our troops.
tem (TAMMS) these soldiers don‟t
know how to deal with.
The myriad of maintenance missions that flood into our Support
Operations Section are sorted,
prioritized, resourced, and
scheduled by a small group of
dedicated professionals in the
Maintenance Management Cell.
Capt. Myron Davis serves as the Officer-inCharge of the Support Operations Maintenance Management Cell.
With over 100 years of combined service experience, there
is very little about The Army
Maintenance Management Sys-
Sgt. 1st Class Conrad Clancy recalls refitting the army’s slings with
freshly-tanned leather cords, just prior to David’s famous battle with
Goliath. “He hit him right here on the nose,” explains Sgt. 1st Class
Clancy, reminiscing with his Battle Buddy Sgt. 1st Class Charlie
Batten. The two first met and fought side-by-side with Leonidas at the
Battle of the 302.
546 Maintenance Company (Rock Steady)
The 546th
Maintenance
Company Pump
Team executed
multiple missions this week
to make sure
water keeps
flowing to Contingency Operating
Base (COB) Adder and COB Cedar.
Their mission, which involves maintaining the canal pumps and keeping
their generators fueled and in good
working condition, always manages
to provide the Soldiers with new and
unique experiences.
One mission this week was particularly memorable. During a routine
stop at a water pump near the Eu-
phrates River ,they were greeted by a
crowd of local nationals, mostly children. To their delight, the team gave
them various free goods, ranging from
toys to toiletries. This is largely
thanks to the efforts of our Rear Detachment Family
Support Group,
which continues to
support the Pump
Team by collecting
and donating items
for distribution during team missions.
rything they can to keep the local
population‟s morale high and to stay
in their favor. This is just one small
step that must be taken for COB
Adder to accomplish its logistics
mission.
This is becoming a
regular occurrence
for the Pump Team,
which is doing eve7
July 2009
The Badger’s Den
664 Ordnance Company (Ammo Dawgs)
The company‟s ceremony was conducted in order to give over 60 Soldiers
their new “Shoulder Sleeve Insignia” (as the Army calls them). The
Soldiers were excited about entering
this new chapter of their unit‟s history
and of course it presented a rare oppor-
the presentation of awards to four
hard-working Soldiers. First of all,
the Army Achievement Medal (with
1 Oak Leaf Cluster) was presented to
SPC Shireen Dunbar by Capt. Zagraniski on behalf of the 157th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
Commander (now redeployed) for outstanding
support the 157th
CSSB‟s Noncommissioned Officer Induction Ceremony in July.
Spc. Larry Campbell,
Spc. Edward Page, and
Spc. Richard Samudio
also received the Army
Good Conduct Medal
for faithful service and
good character over
three years of active
federal service. Finally, the 664th Ordnance Company witnessed the promotions
of three of its Soldiers.
Before publishing the
All the best Soldiers
promotion orders, the
CPT Ted Zagraniski, commander of the 664 th Ordnance Co, conshow great pride in
gratulates newly-promoted SGT Shireen Dunbar during a combi- Company Commander
their jobs as well as the nation unit affiliation change, awards, and promotion ceremony at extolled the qualities of
units to which they
the Contingency Operating Base Adder-Tallil Ammunition Supply these Soldiers in a
belong. The wide vari- Point, Iraq, on 1 August 2009. The company is currently 7 months short speech during the
ety of Army units into a 12-month overseas deployment in support of Operation Iraqi ceremony. Then it
mostly brigade-sized
came time to advance
Freedom.
and larger elements Sgt. Sweeny Santos to
are readily identified by unit patches tunity for any company, namely that of the rank of Staff Sergeant, and Spc.
worn on uniform left sleeves. On
having two different left sleeve patches Shireen Dunbar and Spc. Christian
Saturday, the Company Commander, during the course of a single deployPetty to the rank of Sergeant.
Capt. Ted Zagraniski, and Acting 1st ment. Although it is not uncommon for
Sgt., Staff Sgt. Walker, presided
combat veterans to have earned more
In all, it was a remarkable day for
over the change of their unit‟s afthe 664th Ordnance Company and a
than one right-sleeve, or “combat
filiation from the 13th Expeditionary patch” during the course of a deployspecial day for the United States
Sustainment Command to the 4th
Army. Not only did the company
ment in today‟s modular Army, there
Sustainment Brigade, both of Fort
are only a handful of units who have
take time to acknowledge the great
Hood, Texas. The change was
changed left sleeve insignia during their accomplishments and potential of a
prompted by a planned task organinumber of Soldiers, it ushered in an
tours.
zation shift back in the USA, but
entirely new chapter of unit history.
went into effect immediately for all
After the men and women of the comThis was certainly an event that all
members of the company – some
pany received their 4th Sustainment
witnesses will not soon forget.
255 people in both Texas and Iraq.
Brigade insignia, they also witnessed
Contingency
Operating
Base Adder,
Iraq – The
Ammunition
Supply Point at
Contingency
Operating Base
(COB) Adder completed another week of
our ammunition supply
operations with an
event that will remain
in Soldiers‟ minds for a
long time to come. On
Saturday, August 1st,
the men and women of
the 664th Ordnance
Company conducted
three ceremonies in
one. First was a unit
affiliation change ceremony, followed by an
awards ceremony, and
finally a promotion
ceremony.
8