Titan TACREP

TACREP: Tactical Report

August 2011
Serving the Soldiers, Families and Friends of the Titan Squadron Issue #4 July 31, 2011

Command Group Sends

Eid Mubarak! Or Happy Eid. Today (30 AUG) marks the end of the Islamic holiday of Ramazan. Ramazan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex with their partners during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Muslims fast for the sake of God and to offer more prayer than usual. Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramazan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the moon; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramazan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of God to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic . Eid marks the end of Ramazan and is celebrated for three to five days. So, with Ramazan came some challenging times in partnering with our Afghan Partners. We adjusted our meal times to better align with their fasting in that we did not serve dinner until the Afghans broke their fast for the day. Additionally, we adjusted our patrol times to better fit their operational times of early in the morning and late at night. August also saw the promotion of some great officers and NCOs. Additionally, we have stepped up our operations, maintaining pressure on the enemy through conducting Air Assault missions into very rural areas all while continuing to improve the security and governance within the Arghandab. On the home front, the FRG and Rear-D did a spectacular job in planning and conducting the Titan Organizational Day. Id also like to extend a huge thank you to MWR for facilitating this great event for the families. As summer comes to a close and our children return to school we wish the best and send our thoughts and prayers to our loved ones back in the United States. Much of our resilience comes from communityfrom the relationships that allow us to lean on each other for support when we need it thank you all for supporting each other (families, friends and Soldier alike) during the deployment. GIDDY UP! Titan 6 and Titan 7

Titan PSD Platoon poses for their Platoon Sponsor Picture

Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong

HHT/3-71CAV Hellcats
Greetings friends and family of Hellcat Troop! We find ourselves one month further into our deployment, and one month closer to coming home. Time is flying by as our Soldiers continue their great work, day in and day out, here in the Arghandab River Valley. The tempo of operations has not slowed down and our Soldiers are keeping busy with improvements to COP Terra Novas defensive positions, entry control point (ECP), and internal battle drills, as well as morale boosting improvements such as the gym with its new and improved cardio equipment. All of these projects, and more, are conducted while maintaining daily combat patrols in our area of operations to protect the local populace. We are very proud of the fine work our Soldiers are doing and their positive mental attitude as they are doing it. A fine example of the work we are doing can be found by observing the C-IED platoon. They continually conduct missions to exploit and destroy placed IEDs and unexploded ordnance. Their training has really paid off and made the lives of our explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams much easier as well as safer for the entire Squadron. Our medics have also been busy, and fortunately they have only been busy with training. This month the medics conducted training involving combat simulated medical evacuation and treatment. Their mentality is that every day is an opportunity to prepare for real combat trauma, and every day without is a blessing. And of course it would be careless, if we did not mention the support from all the Staff sections that continue daily with their hard work and dedication in maintaining the Squadron. These are just a few examples of the fine work our Soldiers are doing. In truth, everyone in Hellcat Troop is contributing a great deal and improving their position.
As usual there are several pictures of our Soldiers included in this months newsletter. I hope you enjoy seeing what we have been up to. I know full well that the morale of our Soldiers improves every time they receive a care package, letter, or picture from home; with that I would also like to add a heartfelt thank you to the FRG Hellcat Ladies who managed a packing party in which they sent numerous boxes and goodies. So we would like to thank you for your continued support and dedication to our troopers. As the school year fast approaches, we hope everyone has had a wonderful and restful summer. HELLCATS!

Pictures From The Front

A/3-71CAV ARES
From Ares 6,
August signified a month of change of A/3-71. I took command the 12th of August, and am honored to lead these amazing Soldiers, and am proud of the Families in the rear who give their undying support. The Soldiers have shown me incredible support and their ability to execute the mission is unsurpassed by all. Amongst the changes, the Troop decided to change its name to signify the immense changes the Troop has undergone. The Troop voted and agreed on Ares, the Greek God of War. Ares is decisive, determined, and defends his kinship, which is the attitude we in the Troop wish to convey to everyone we work and interact with. We are a team, both Soldiers deployed and the Families in the rear. This month also saw the exit of SSG(P) Hood and the entrance of SSG Nunley, as they switched out in the Fire Support NCO position within HQ platoon. SSG(P) Hood went to work in the Brigade Fires Cell, and will be dearly missed after all his hard work with the Troop over the past few years. The Troop is happy to welcome SSG Nunley into the Ares family. He has proven to be a great addition and is assisting the Troop is many different facets. The Troop executed its first Air Assault mission this month, and it was a huge success. The Platoons executed their missions with aggressiveness and teamwork. The mission and Soldiers ability to execute the mission with flexibility showed how our future missions together will be executed to the utmost of their ability. The Platoons keep working together to improve life here at COP TYNES. The big craze now is Fifa World Cup Soccer on the Xbox. Its entertaining to watch platoons and sections battle it out on the field. As I get to know the Soldiers, I continually see how blessed I am to be leading this Troop, and want to thank the families back home who have given their Husbands/Sons/Brothers for service to our awesome Country. Thank you.. God Bless, CPT Jourdan Kintz Ares Troop Commander

From Ares 7,
Another month down and closer for all You Families getting your loved ones back home with you. This past month has been a busy month for the entire Troop here. The Soldiers of the Troop have gone from training the Afghan National Security Forces, to executing combat patrols mounted and dismounted with them, to the recent change in pace to conducting Air Assault Operations with our Afghan partners. As we continue to focus on the mission here in the Arghandab River Valley and being able to remove criminals off the streets of Afghanistan, the Troop is also continuing on building up COP Tynes, to make it a better living place for all of us here. The name of the Troop has changed as the commander stated but the minds and determination of the Soldiers has not. We also want to thank our FRG leader Mrs. Goodwin for the outstanding support she has given to the Families of the Troop while as the FRG leader. Mrs. Goodwin will not be leaving the Troop but will no longer be the FRG leader. As saying that now my wife, Mrs. Reome will assume the roles of the FRG leader for the Troop. All the Soldiers families will be getting emails stating this change and what to expect during the transition. As saying that Mrs. Reome is AFTB level 3 certified and she has served over the last 16 years with me in my Army career and has been through all my deployments with me. She has a lot of knowledge of the Army life as a spouse. As we welcome the new commander, CPT Kintz, the Troop is on a new exciting adventure and all the Soldiers are motivated to execute and perform all of their duties here, in order to accomplish their missions and get home safely with their loved ones. As the Soldiers stood in formation at the change of command they were all excited for the change of history of the Troop and it was their choice to pick the name and change the name of the Troop. This is just another chapter being written in the history of A Troop, 3-71 Cavalry. As we continue to get new equipment in for the MWR here at COP Tynes, the Soldiers now have 10 MWR computers to use to talk home by email, Skype and other internet sources. The Soldiers also have 5 phones now to phone home and talk to their loved ones and we have also received some more gym equipment in for the Soldiers to take a break and work on their personal physical fitness here in Afghanistan. Best Regards, 1SG Allen Reome Sr. Ares Troop First Sergeant

--SCOUTS OUT--

Pictures From The Front

B/3-71CAV Bandit
From Bandit 6
The only thing hotter than the temperatures this month has been Bandit Troops pressure on the We are lucky to welcome two new Bandits to the troop. 2nd LT Brian Temas, the new 2nd Platoon

enemy.

With temperatures averaging 110

Leader and PV2 Edward Deloach join us here in the

Arghandab River Valley and have quickly grown accustomed to the challenging terrain and

degrees the gallant troopers of Bandit Troop have stepped up their efforts to keep the population of

our area of operations safe and secure. As a

result, we have seen unprecedented, record-low levels of violence and enemy activity in our area

weather here. I would also like to welcome the

parents of 2LT Temas and the PV2 Deloachs wife, Krystal, to the Bandit Family.

for what is considered the peak of the enemys

fighting season. The credit here lies solely on our Troopers and their steadfast devotion to the mission at hand and their constant looking out for the welfare of one another. The troop has kept busy in its down time improving the facilities on our combat outpost. The troop gym floor is fixed (after some of us broke the floor lifting some massive weights); there is a new platform outside for the squat rack; SFC Keenan built a TV stand for our new flat screen in the chow hall; new phone booths in the MWR to give the Soldiers added privacy; and

This month has also been the Muslim holy-month of

Ramazan and will conclude with the celebration of Eid-al-Fitr. From sun-up to sun-down our Afghan counterparts in the Army and Police, as well as our population, fasts from drinking, eating and smoking, among other things. We have taken special care to respect the people and their culture during this time and continuously offer them our support in the form of Humanitarian Assistance bundles, added security, fixed wells, and more. Until next monthRecon!

Best Regards, CPT Mike Skok

shade built over all our air conditioning units to

help prolong their life and keep things just a little bit coolerare just some of the many

Bandit Troop Commander

improvements we have made.

--RECON DAMNIT!--

Pictures From The Front

RECON

C/3-71CAV Cherokee 6 & 7

August 2011 Cherokee Newsletter The month of Ramazan has been pretty rough on our Afghanistan National Army (ANA) counterparts. During this time they cant eat, drink or smoke during the daylight hours. This is no problem if you are sitting at your house and sleeping the day away but being a Soldier doesnt afford you that opportunity. In fact, we have stepped up patrolling during this month to ensure that no TB are able to get back into the area. Most of the ANA have performed exceptionally well, even though we are patrolling 24 hours a day now. Hats off to them as I could do without the food but definitely not without the water during these hot days. During this month they have been harvesting the grapes. Unfortunately, since they cant eat during the day the farmers are saying that the price of grapes has declined dramatically due to the earlier than usual Ramazan month. In hopes to recoup some of the potentially lost money, many of the farmers are making raisins and hoping the price of raisins help offset the loss of grape revenue. Without large, refrigerated store houses it is hard to maintain the freshness of grapes longer than a couple of days. We are working on developing some fruit collection centers that will have refrigerated store houses to facilitate the fruit harvests a little more. It is a shame to see such delicious and sweet fruit go to waste. We have lost our third platoon to go conduct essentially the same mission that we are doing in the Arghandab River Valley but in a different location and with some special forces people. This has mandated that Cherokee consolidates onto one COP so we can conduct as many missions as needed to protect the local populace. It has been good to have the rest of the troop stationed in one location so we can meet the mission requirements. Most of the Soldiers are going outside the wire 3-4 times per day for 2-4 hours at a time. This is essential to maintain the momentum that we have enjoyed over the last five months. Luckily we can drink and eat during the day which makes it easier for us. These Soldiers are performing exceptional on a daily if not hourly basis. HQs Soldiers are stepping up to the multiple patrols per day challenge with eagerness and performing exceptionally well in their endeavors to keep the local populace safe. I have never seen a HQs platoon able to conduct so many different types of missions and conducting them superbly. We have never been in want due to HQs inability to execute a resupply mission. Hats off to the unsung heroes in HQs platoon. Each and every day brings about a different aspect of the mission. One day we are trying to find caches with weapons or ammunition, the next day we are talking to local nationals all day trying to find one little tidbit of information that may lead us to the enemy and the next day handing out soccer balls, sandals and candy. Then on top of this we are rebuilding a village and need to manage the quality of work and the estimated completion date. So there is no typical day in a Soldiers life over here but we have been fortunate enough to not experience the enemys vote for our daily operations. Cherokee troop is gearing up to transition our current battle space over to another unit and we will go work another mission. No matter what mission the Brigade and Squadron gives to the Cherokee troopers, it will be executed to the highest standard as that is what the troopers are capable of and known for.
Cherokee 6 & 7

RECON Pictures From The Front

Red platoon with a cache find

Red platoon stepping out on an early morning patrol

Some newly promoted Soldiers!!!!!!!!

White 4 and XO eating supper Afghanistan style

PV2 Jensen talking to local nationals

ANA Soldier posing with one of the favorite local families

D/710th BSB / 3-71 FSC Diablo

XXXXXXX

Commanders Comments
Diablo Families, Here we are closing out August. I know many of you are getting ready to send the kids back to school and the weather is going to start cooling off there if it hasnt already. I wish I could say the same for over here. The heat continues despite promises from our interpreter that it will get cooler soon. Your Soldiers continue to shine and their performance continues to be outstanding. Every day I am impressed with the effort they put forth and the tenacity and professionalism they approach their duties with. I know many of your Soldiers have been home on R&R leave and many more will be coming home shortly. It is definitely some well deserved time off. For the month of August the locals have been celebrating Ramazan where they fast and dont eat or drink during daylight hours. We honestly dont know how they do it with the weather being so hot. I know I wouldnt be able to keep up. Your Soldiers continue to better themselves personally in their off time; whether it is physical training, reading, or even taking a college class every Soldier has committed themselves in one way or another to self development. We have quite a few weight lifters whose numbers continue to improve and almost every Soldier has lost more than a few pounds from being out here. One soldier has lost an amazing 50lbs. just in the 5 months we have been out here!! There will be nothing left to him if he keeps this pace up. Thanks to the Mayor cell and our contractor partners, DynCorp, we have been able to improve a rough dirt running track that we have on the COP and I see more and more Soldiers utilizing it as it flattens out and becomes more user friendly. Every day and every week we are out here we see little improvements that make the quality of life better. We picked up some MWR equipment and have the gym and TV lounge pretty well set up. As far as deployment conditions go I know this has been the best living that I have experienced and I hope that comes as a comfort to all of you back home. The food at all the locations is excellent compared to what we were expecting coming out here. Many of us were expecting an MRE at least once a day if not more but we have been very fortunate. A few more Soldiers joined the Diablo ranks this month: SFC Dockery, SSG Adamosky, SPC Lee, and PV2 McClinton. They have settled right in and are welcome additions to the team. We also had two Soldiers depart our ranks as they head on to do other things: SPC Bowyer and SPC Taylor. We wish them all the best and in whatever they choose to do we hope they Give em Hell!! Thank you again for the support you give your Soldiers day in and day out. I know it is difficult but I see how much it means to them and it means a lot to me as well. Take care and talk with you soon. Very Respectfully, CPT U Diablo 6

1st Sgts Notes

Happy Birthdays to the following Diablo Soldiers for the month of August: PFC Michaelsen, PFC Webb, SPC Frey, SPC Moore, and CPL Eager. Our Soldiers who returned from R&R have told us that it was hard leaving their friends and family for the second time, but that they were eager to head back to Afghanistan to rejoin the Diablo family. I highly recommend spending some REAL quality time with your love ones. I wish SPC Bowyer and SPC Taylor the best of luck as they prepare themselves to join the civilian world in a few months. Weve had several Soldiers join the Diablo family this past month and they told me that they have heard a lot of good things about Diablo Company. As a leader, this makes me proud, proud of our Soldiers. Despite the heat wave here, your Soldiers are performing superbly here in Afghanistan. Keep us in your prayers and continue communication with your Soldiers. 1SG Anthony Toney Diablo 7

Pictures From The Front

Chaplains Corner
This month I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write about. What were the significant things that happened this past month, those things that were a frequent occurrance in my life. It seemed like time would go by and leave me with no conclusion to what I sought, and then it came to me Pez Dispensers. As I travel around AO Tiger, there are a few personal, non-Army things that I take with me that reminds me of home, and three Pez Dispensers travel with me wherever I go. You see, some months back I asked my kids (this was before Aiden was born) to send me something small that I could take around the battlefield as I went visiting the Soldiers that would remind me of them, and so a few weeks later I received 3 Pez Dispensers. So for the last several months I have walked around with Monkey, Shifu and Tigris in my right pants cargo pocket. Currently, I am out of the Pez candy to load them up. I would give out some periodically to Soldiers who always thought it comical to see the Chaplain pull out not one, not two, but three Pez Dispensers for them to choose from. As families, we try to find ways to stay connected during the deployment. Having something to carry around the battlefield has been something fun for me to do and the kids have enjoyed seeing some of these pictures. I would encourage all our families to continue to try to find new ways to stay connected and stay with the ones that work. May our Titan families continue to stay strong. Blessings, CH(CPT) Jason Bruce Top right: The Pezs posing for a shot while they watch TV at SP Stanberry. Bottom Left: The three checking out the view from one of the towers. Middle: Posing for a shot with SGT Wilson and CH(MAJ) Cantrell, Deputy DIV Chaplain for 10th MTN. Bottom Right: Here they are helping PFC Kralina cut SGT Healds hair at COP Tynes.

HELLCAT FRG News

Dear Hellcat Families The Month of August has been a busy month for the families of HHT. Everyone has been enjoying their last month of vacation before school starts up again. Families have been traveling all over, visiting family, vacationing, spending time with friends, and enjoying summer activities. HHT had a great turnout at this months FRG meeting, and we were able to welcome several new spouses to the HHT family. We are looking forward to Organizational day at the end of the month, where all of the squadron will get to be together and enjoy a day full of fun and friendship. We are diligently working together to fill Ziploc bags for Operation Education and have already filled 8 bags of school supplies for the children in Afghanistan. Our Hellcat Hunnies are still racking up the miles on the Walk to Afghanistan, and have walked over 5100 miles so far. We are currently planning to have a Walk to Afghanistan halfway party in September to celebrate all the hard work the HHT spouses have done thus far. The month of August also brought R and R to some of our families, so they were able to enjoy family time with their solider. As the month of August comes to a close, we continue to count down the weeks until our soldiers return home safely, and continue to keep all of our boys in our prayers daily. STAY SAFE HELLCATS, WE LOVE YOU! Mileva Repasky HHT FRG Leader The Petty Family wishing their Soldier Farwell after 2 weeks of R&R

Little Hellcats in front of a dinosaur statue at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca NY

ARES FRG News

Dear Ares Families On behalf of Mrs. Danielle Goodwin and Mrs. Kristy Reome, please allow me to say thank you for the outstanding support and participation from the Ares Troop FRG Members. I would like to welcome Mrs. Kristy Reome as the incoming Ares Troop FRG Leader. She is an exceptional individual who, I am confident, will prove to be a valuable member of the Ares Family. I would also like to thank Mrs. Danielle Goodwin for her outstanding service and leadership. Her display of commitment to the unit and kindness to others has been remarkable. I am appreciative of both of these ladies, as well as the members in your organization. CPT Marc Cleveland 3-71CAV RD CDR

Liam Caswell at 6 months old!

Wendy and Liam Caswell

We miss eating Fishies with you!

BANDIT FRG News

Dear Bandit Families August has been yet another busy month for the Bandit Troop FRG! Enjoying yet another Volunteer luncheon with all our volunteers in attendance and many days of training at ACS taking care of our Key Caller and Informal Funds training. Many Bandit wives have been busy getting ready for the school year to begin while taking advantage of what we have left of the summer. The Bandit Troop FRG is now looking forward to Titan Organizational Day where it seems almost all Bandit wives in the area will be in attendance. It's sure to be a great way to end the summer and kick off the fall. I want to thank everyone again, for all their attendance and support at all our FRG events. Keeping busy has proven the months are sure to fly by! Like I previously mentioned the FRG is showing no signs of slowing down. September is proving to be even busier than August. With the upcoming Volunteer Luncheon, Movie Night at The Commons, our monthly Bandit Troop FRG meeting and our Halloween Care Package Party all on the calendar the Bandit Ladies are proving, just like their Troopers, we will not stop. The Bandit Troop Commander, CPT Michael Skok, will be briefing at the September FRG Meeting. The meeting is being held at the Hillside Lodge on the 20th of September at 6pm. Food is being provided so just be sure to bring your questions and ideas. He is looking forward to meeting you all personally as he has heard many great things about you all and continues to see what we accomplish monthly. It's such an honor to be the FRG Leader of this amazing FRG and I truly appreciate all you girls do to support the FRG and our Troopers. Make sure to add the Halloween Care package party to your calendar as well! We'll be sending donated candy in candy bags to all our Bandit Troopers. The party will be at my house on the 24th of September. More details to follow in the September Edition of the Bandit News. Just a reminder, the Bandit Ladies are doing a wonderful job at keeping command informed of when they are going out of town. With the beginning of school approaching here shortly please be sure to let your key caller or me know if you are moving as well. Key Caller calls were just done this week. If you did not receive a call please let me know. The out of town forms are available for download on the Bandit Troop v-FRG page just incase you need it. The 3-71 CAV, Bandit Troop page continues to be updated regularly so please bee sure to use the website for all current and upcoming FRG information. Barbara Skok B TRP FRG Leader Little Mr. Hernandez hanging out at Remington Pond on Busy Bandit Fun Day

Candid shot from our Volunteer Luncheon

Hope being made to strike a pose at the Bandit FRG meeting

FRG Meeting handouts

CHEROKEE FRG News

Dear Cherokee Families Cherokee Troop Family member spotlight Jennifer Anderson; Jennifer has been the CO FRG Leader for Cherokee Troop since I became the FRG Leader. She has shown such patience and kindness to everyone! I was very sad to hear of her husbands move. Jennifer is an outstanding volunteer and person! She is everything a Leader should be . We will miss her ! Heather Lamb Cherokee Troop FRG Leader

Message to a Soldier SPC Munoz; This message is for my husband, SPC Julio Munoz. I want to let him know that we miss him immensely. His daughter, Mia is awaiting his return. We are hoping he will be with us on his R&R for our daughters first birthday in November. Please take care of yourself and I pray for you every night, that you come back to us safe. Always remember that we love you and that we are waiting for you. LOVE YOU!

Happy Anniversary to PFC Schreder and his wife, Joanna

DELTA FRG News

Dear Delta Families Here we are almost at the 5 month mark. With school starting just around the corner the months should be going by faster for many of us, although Im sure we all can agree not fast enough! I would like to extend a welcome to our new soldiers and their families. There have been a couple births. Congratulations to those soldiers and their families as well. Our Walk to Afghanistan team has been doing an outstanding job. We have logged over 5000 miles. On August 18, Delta FRG had a Family BINGO Night and welcomed Cherokee Troop spouses to join us. Congratulations to our winners: Theresa Critton$25 gift card to Regal Cinema; Heather Lamb- $25 gift card to Wal-Mart; Anna Boyd-movie bucket filled with goodies to enjoy during a movie; Hannah Kirkpatrick- play dough activity set; Conner Lamb-kids fun bucket; Keegan Lamb-kids fun bucket; Brianna Parks-dry erase learning boards.

CPL Eager and his girls ready to start R &R

SGT Zeferjahn enjoying his R&R

Anna Boyd and Morgan enjoying BINGO

Trinity Boyd
Dont forget that Super sign-up is on 8 Sept. 0900-1400 at the Commons, great day for some information on Ft. Drum and the surrounding areas. The next 3-71 FRG meeting is 14 Sept 1800-2000 at the Riva Ridge Chapel. 3-71 Squadron has some fun things planned in the coming months: movie night in September, chili cook-off/masquerade medley in October, and a holiday party in December. Delta Company will be joining with Cherokee Troop for a Thanksgiving Dinner in November. The flag fundraiser is in full swing, with flags still available for purchase. I would like to thank everyone that has attended the 3-71 FRG meetings and the Delta FRG gatherings. I encourage you all to keep up the good work of keeping Rear-D and myself informed of your out of town plans and even if you live out of state we need to know if you are going out of town. 3 BCT has a new MFLC and her name is Eliane Herdani. Her number is 315-405-7486. Thank you for all YOU do in supporting the soldiers

Michelle Frondorf Delta Company FRG Leader