Medal of Honor recipient Carter honored for bravery at COP Keating

By Sgt. William Smith
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
Staff Sgt. Ty Carter humbly stood as President
Barack Obama placed the Medal of Honor
around his neck, during a ceremony Monday at the
White House.
Carter is the fifth living servicemember to
receive the medal for service in Operation
Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He earned the Medal of Honor for his actions
Oct. 3, 2009, while a member of Troop B, 3rd
Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at
Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh District,
Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.
As dawn broke, the 53 Soldiers that manned COP
Keating were attacked by more than 300 Taliban
Fighters attempting to overrun the isolated outpost.
During the battle, the perimeter of COP
Keating was breached by the enemy. Carter, who
was injured during the fight, ran through the
hailstorm of bullets to resupply an isolated position
twice, voluntarily stayed to help defend it, provided
first aid to a severely wounded Soldier, and helped
reclaim the COP that would later be declared
“tactically indefensible.”
“This is a historic day; for the first time in nearly
half a century, since the Vietnam War, we have been
able to present the Medal of Honor to two survivors
of the same battle,” Obama said.
“When we paid tribute to Clint Romesha earlier
this year, we recalled how he and his team provided
the cover that allowed three wounded Americans
pinned down in a Humvee to make their escape,” the
president said. “The medal we present today, to Ty
Carter, is the story of what happened in that Humvee.
It is the story of what our troops do for each other.”
The president said that when the Carter Family
came to Washington, Ty Carter was hoping to take his
children around, to show them the sights and the
history of the U.S.
“But Jayden and Madison, if you want to know
what makes our country truly great, if you want to
know what a true American hero looks like, then
you don’t have to look too far. You just have to look
at your dad, because today he is the sight that we
came to see.”
Carter feels that the award wasn’t just for him,
that it was a team effort to keep everyone alive that day,
Obama said. Carter is going to use the award to bring
attention to Soldiers suffering from post-traumatic
stress disorder, something he said he has been
coping with since that day at COP Keating.
Obama said that Carter’s unit is one of the most
decorated of this war. From that battle, Soldiers
earned 37 Army Commendation Medals, 27 Purple
Hearts, 18 Bronze Stars, nine Silver Stars and two
Medals of Honor.
Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during
the battle to keep COP Keating are Staff Sgt. Justin
Gallegos, Staff Sgt. Vernon Martin, Sgt. Christopher
Griffin, Sgt. Joshua Hardt, Sgt. Joshua Kirk,
Sgt. Michael Scusa, Spc. Stephan Mace and Pfc.
Kevin Thomson.
“God bless you, Ty Carter, and the Soldiers of the
‘Black Knight’ Troop,” Obama said. “God bless you,
all our men and women in uniform. God bless the
United States of America.”
Carter was inducted into the Pentagon Hall of
Heroes in a ceremony Tuesday.
Vol. 71, No. 34 Aug. 30, 2013
Pages 20-21Page 12
Pages 17-19
Message board INSIDEINSIDE
End of
Summer
Roundup
Event is Saturday from
3-9 p.m. at Iron Horse
Park. Fireworks begin
at 8:15 p.m.
Photo by Sgt. Laura Buchta
President Barack Obama shakes hands with Staff Sgt. Ty Michael Carter after presenting him the Medal of Honor
during a ceremony at the White House, Monday. Carter was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while a
cavalry scout with Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
during the Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating, Nuristan province, Afghanistan, Oct. 3, 2009.
Second COP Keating hero receives
Medal of Honor

2 MOUNTAINEER — Aug. 30, 2013
This commercial enterprise newspaper is
an authorized publication for members of the
Department of Defense. Contents of the
Mountaineer are not necessarily the official
view of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government or
the Department of the Army. Printed circulation
is 12,000 copies.
The editorial content of the
Mountaineer is the responsibility of the Public
Affairs Office, Fort Carson, CO 80913-5119,
Tel.: 526-4144. The e-mail address is
fcmountaineer@hotmail.com.
The Mountaineer is posted on the
Internet at http://csmng.com.
The Mountaineer is an unofficial
publication authorized by AR 360-1. The
Mountaineer is printed by Colorado Springs
Military Newspaper Group, a private firm in
no way connected with the Department of the
Army, under exclusive written contract with
Fort Carson. It is published 49 times per year.
The appearance of advertising in this
publication, including inserts or supplements,
does not constitute endorsement by the
Department of the Army or Colorado Springs
Military Newspaper Group, of the products or
services advertised. The printer reserves the
right to reject advertisements.
Everything advertised in this publication
shall be made available for purchase, use or
patronage without regard to race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical
handicap, political affiliation or any other
nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
If a violation or rejection of this equal
opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed,
the printer shall refuse to print advertising
from that source until the violation is corrected.
For display advertising call 634-5905.
All correspondence or queries regarding
advertising and subscriptions should be directed
to Colorado Springs Military Newspaper
Group, 31 E. Platte Avenue, Suite 300,
Colorado Springs, CO 80903, phone 634-5905.
The Mountaineer’s editorial content is
edited, prepared and provided by the Public
Affairs Office, building 1430, room 265, Fort
Carson, CO 80913-5119, phone 526-4144.
Releases from outside sources are so
indicated. The deadline for submissions to the
Mountaineer is close of business the week
before the next issue is published. The
Mountaineer staff reserves the right to edit
submissions for newspaper style, clarity and
typographical errors.
Policies and statements reflected in the
news and editorial columns represent views
of the individual writers and under no
circumstances are to be considered those of
the Department of the Army.
Reproduction of editorial material is
authorized. Please credit accordingly.
MOUNTAINEER
Commanding General:
Maj. Gen. Paul J. LaCamera
Garrison Commander:
Col. David L. Grosso
Fort Carson Public Affairs Officer:
Dee McNutt
Chief, Print and Web Communications:
Rick Emert
Editor: Devin Fisher
Staff writer: Andrea Stone
Happenings: Nel Lampe
Sports writer: Walt Johnson
Layout/graphics: Jeanne Mazerall
Classified advertising
329-5236
Display advertising
634-5905
Mountaineer editor
526-4144
Post information
526-5811
Post weather hotline
526-0096
Sgt. Tonietta Morris
Signal support system specialist,
2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Armored
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
Iron Horse Strong?
What makes me
I joined the Army in June
2008, after I had my daughter, to
make something of myself, set
myself apart from people from my
hometown and to see the world.
My work ethic makes me Iron
Horse strong. Whether you are a
training clerk or a signal specialist,
it comes down to work ethic. I am
very passionate about my work.
My work is my life, and I take it
very personal.
I work with Soldiers every
day about issues ranging from
their pay to their promotion,
and my actions can directly
affect them, so I have to be sure
I do it right the first time.
Women’s Equality Day
Legacy inspiration to
strive for liberty, equality
Editor’s note: Army leaders released the following
letter in observance of Women’s Equality Day.
Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of
the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women
full voting rights. This 1920 amendment is a testament
to the courage and tenacity of the women who challenged
our nation to live up to its founding principles. Their
legacy continues to inspire us to strive for liberty and
equality for all Americans.
Women of the highest caliber have served in our Army
for generations and have proved that sacrifice and selfless
service know no gender. They have performed alongside
their brothers in arms with the same great skill and
exceptional ability and have more than earned the
opportunities now being afforded to them through Soldier
2020. Soldier 2020 is an effort to enhance force readiness
and capability by identifying the best qualified Soldiers
for every job in the Army. The full realization of this
effort will support the opening of previously closed
positions to women and will ultimately aid leadership in
shaping our future force — a ready all-volunteer Army
capable of defending America at home and abroad.
As we pay tribute to the women of the past and salute
the women of today, we recognize that their dedication to
duty is equal to the task of soldiering. We honor all Soldiers
through our continued commitment to cultivate a climate
of trust and respect in which everyone is able to thrive and
achieve his or her full potential. On this Women’s Equality
Day, we encourage units, agencies and Army activities to
plan and execute appropriate commemorative activities
to celebrate the indomitable spirit of the women who have
served and sacrificed for this great nation. Army Strong!
Raymond F. Chandler III
Sergeant Major of the Army
Raymond T. Odierno
General, United States Army
Chief of Staff
John M. McHugh
Secretary of the Army
By Steve Bach
Mayor, city of Colorado
Springs
Welcome home
Soldiers of the 32nd
Transportation Company,
68th Combat Sustainment
Support Battalion, 43rd
Sustainment Brigade,
4th Infantry Division.
On behalf of Colorado
Springs and our grateful
citizens, I am honored
to welcome you home to
Fort Carson and the city
of Colorado Springs.
The incredible feat of
escorting and transporting
more than 3,000 host
nation trucks for 80
missions over 200,000
miles of enemy terrain is
heroic. The city of Colorado
Springs is very proud.
Please know that you
are an important part of
our home here. We value
your contributions to our
community and country.
Mayor
welcomes
troops home
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WWW.TWITTER.COM/@4THINFDIV
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/THE4ID
WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/THE4ID
WWW.SLIDESHARE.NET/THE4ID

3Aug. 30, 2013 — MOUNTAINEER
ACS earns best in Army titleBy Mike Howard
Special to the Mountaineer
An Army-level award announced earlier this
month translates to Soldiers who can focus on
fighting and winning in the war they fight. At least
that’s been the hope and driving motivator behind the
efforts on Fort Carson to earn it.
The Mountain Post was named as having the
top Army Community Service for installations its
size for 2012. The Installation Award of Excellence
for ACS is an annual award given by Installation
Management Command, one in each of the
categories of large, medium and small. Fort Carson
competes in the large category. Fort Polk, La.,
won in the medium category while Weisbaden,
Germany, took first in the small category.
What this recognition means, according to
ACS Director Patricia Randle, is that a community
has come together in its devotion to providing a
useful service to Families, Soldiers and Department
of the Army civilians assigned to Fort Carson.
“This award is, really, for the collaboration we
have here,” Randle said.
“Always, we want to help people. We want
people to know that they are better off by coming
to ACS when they have Family issues to resolve.
We know that when our Soldiers and Department
of the Army civilians deploy, their spouses don’t
want to tell them about Family issues at home.
They want their husbands and wives to be able to
fight and win the war.
“We want our Soldiers and civilians to rest easy
that we have their backs. We
couldn’t do what we do if it were
not for our company, battalion
and brigade commanders knowing
that we can help them focus on
the task at hand. And we couldn’t
do it without working with
our partners both inside and
outside the gate.”
Judging for the award looks at
five aspects of an ACS team:
q Using unique ways to meet
customer needs
q Receiving recognition from
“outside-the-gate” partners
q Improving ACS operations
q Providing quality services
q Involving commander support in programs
Highlights from these categories included
programs such as the volunteers, financial
readiness, spouse employment assistance, Army
Emergency Relief, Family advocacy, Family
outreach, respite assistance for parents or spouses
of handicapped Family members, exceptional
Family member and Army Family teambuilding.
“Your collaboration efforts in the community
with events such as the Military Children and
Youth Symposium, Operation Baby Shower and
the Army 101 program are truly noteworthy,”
wrote Suzi Bach in a letter included in the
nomination packet. She is the wife of Colorado
Springs Mayor Steve Bach.
“Your tireless efforts in communicating through
the Warrior Family Community
Partnership initiative have resulted in
making information and resources
known to many nonprofits and
agencies that call Colorado Springs
home. Your dedication and devotion
in building relationships truly
represents the spirit of the Colorado
Springs community.”
Another letter highlighted an
employment workshop within the
Transition Assistance Program.
The Soldier and Family
Assistance Center “delivers an
outstanding program and provides a
quality workshop to the men and
women who are separating from military service,”
wrote Josh McDaniel, from the Department of Labor.
“All of the workshop partners appear to
work well with each other, putting the needs of the
servicemember as their No. 1 priority.”
Other letters from the community noted services.
Much of this recent recognition is about ACS
coming of age due to needs that naturally came out of
the deployment pressure of Fort Carson units to Iraq and
Afghanistan, according to Randle. Randle, who came to
ACS in 1990 and held several different jobs on the ACS
staff before being made director in 2006, remembers
when the program had eight employees, while today
there are about 50 Department of Defense civilians.
“We used to be known as the loan closet where
“We want our
Soldiers and
civilians to
rest easy
that we have
their backs.”
— Patricia Randle
See ACS on Page 4

Visitor access limited to Gate 1Story and photo by Andrea Stone
Mountaineer staff
Access to Fort Carson will be changing Sept. 4.
The biggest difference? The signs directing visitors
to Gate 1 will be accurate again.
“(It’s) not a huge change,” said Carl Backus,
security and access control division chief, Directorate
of Emergency Services. “It’s going back to the way
it was a year ago (March).”
Now, visitors to post who don’t have a
Department of Defense photo identification card can
enter through any gate with a valid driver’s license,
vehicle registration and proof of insurance.
As of Sept. 4, they will need to enter through
Gate 1, off Highway 115. The far left lane at Gate 1
will be reserved for DOD ID card holders. Non
DOD ID card holders must use the other lanes.
The change was made by Maj. Gen. Paul J.
LaCamera, commanding general, 4th Infantry
Division and Fort Carson, to bring the post’s access
control more in line with Army and DOD policies.
The changes are not due to any increased threat,
Backus said.
“Everybody has the perception that it was an
open post,” he said. “Yes, anybody could come on
with a state or (federally) issued ID, but we still had
people out there. We were still doing inspections. We
were still looking for suspicious items.”
Visitors to post will continue to have their
IDs scanned and checked against law enforcement
databases. All vehicles are always subject to search,
and all drivers should have vehicle registration and
proof of insurance, Backus said.
Those with a DOD ID card can enter through any
gate, but Backus recommends avoiding Gate 1.
“It will be busier, but … we’ve only been
away from this for 18 months, so we have a rough
idea of how busy it’ll be out there,” he said. “Plan for
possible delays at Gate 1 based (on) these changes. If
they’re DOD ID card holders and they routinely use
Gate 1, I recommend using another gate.”
DOD ID card holders, 18 years and older, can
continue to vouch for passengers in their vehicles
through the Trusted Traveler program. If a passenger
doesn’t have an ID, but is being escorted by a DOD
ID card holder, they can still access the post.
“Minor children cannot vouch for someone,”
Backus said. “That (DOD) ID card holder (is)
ultimately responsible for whatever actions (the
visitors) do on the installation.”
Post access for large community events will be
considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on
the type of event, anticipated crowd size, location
and threat situation, Backus said.
Foreign nationals accessing the installation need
to be escorted by a DOD ID card holder and have
their foreign driver’s license, although a passport is
preferred, he said.
Prime contractors are eligible for extended passes,
valid for a maximum of one year or the length of
the contract. With those passes, they can enter
through any gate.
Contractors need to provide the access control
office with a digitally-signed email or memorandum
from the contracting officer’s representative which
states the name of the contracted company, the
contract number and the dates of the contract.
The contractor then provides each employee
who needs a pass with a letter of employment.
Employees take that letter to the vehicle registration
office, building 6012, outside Gate 1, with their
driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance
to be issued a pass.
Vendors and subcontractors who repeatedly enter
the installation can participate in the RAPIDGate, a
program provided by EID Passport which provides
vetting services and badges for entry. There is a cost
for company enrollment. More information is
available by calling EID Passport at 877-727-4342.
Gate 3 will continue to process commercial
vehicles.
Those with questions about the new procedures
can call 526-5543.
Beginning Sept. 4, all visitors who don't have
Department of Defense photo identification cards
will have to enter Fort Carson through Gate 1.
you could get pots and pans,” she said.
“If you look at the myriad services we
provide today and how we provide them,
we’ve morphed 20-times past that.”
Randle pointed to what she
called a starting place.
“It was pre-Internet days,” she
said. “Many of our junior Soldiers
living off post with their Families
were not necessarily in the best of
areas. We had to actually drive a
motor-home type van out to where
our target audience lived. We’d
drive out four days a week providing
child care and even teeth cleaning.
“(Maj. Gen.) Dennis Reimer, the
commanding general at the time, and
his wife, Mary Jo, bought the van
for us. While the van turned out to be
so critical for what we needed to do,
what the Reimers actually gave us
was a precedent of commanders on this
installation recognizing the importance
of taking care of Families.”
from Page 3
ACS
Photo by Mike Howard
Casting ballots
Family member Deidre Hobbs
fills out her ballot in the
mayoral elections last week
on Fort Carson as Spc. Lee-chu
Sze, an Army Community
Service volunteer from 4th
Combat Aviation Brigade,
4th Infantry Division, oversees
the election booth. Army
Community Service held the
elections for residents who
live in Family housing on post.
The new mayors will attend
a one-day training session
Sept. 18, and will take office
at an inauguration ceremony
Sept. 26 at noon at the Elkhorn
Conference Center. Winners
for the housing areas will
be announced in a future
edition of the Mountaineer.

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The person pictured is not an actual service member.
32nd Trans. completes missionStory and photo by Spc. Mark Sasamoto
43rd Sustainment Brigade
About 130 Soldiers with the 32nd Transportation
Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support
Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, were welcomed
home by Family and friends at a homecoming
ceremony at the Special Events Center, Aug. 22.
The 32nd Trans. deployed in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom to Bagram Airfield, Parwan
Province,Afghanistan, in November 2012. During their
nine-month deployment, the Soldiers were responsible
for sustainment and retrograde operations throughout
Regional Commands North, East and Capital. The
32nd Trans. escorted more than 3,000 host nation
trucks on more than 80 missions, encompassing more
than 200,000 miles of treacherous enemy terrain.
The company trained more than four separate
transportation companies and a combined arms
battalion on convoy operations, increasing retrograde
capabilities throughout their area of operations.
The company suffered five losses during its deploy-
ment. Staff Sgt. Joe Nunezrodriguez and Staff Sgt. Mark
Schoonhoven died from improvised explosive devices
while on convoys and Sgt. William Moody, Spc.
Ember Alt and Spc. Robert Ellis died from indirect fire.
The Soldiers were greeted at the
Arrival/Departure Airfield Control Group by Col.
Kirk Whitson, 43rd SB provisional commander; his
command team, the 4th Infantry Division Band and
Spc. Trenita Crenshaw, who was medically evacuated
during the deployment due to injuries sustained from
an IED during a convoy.
“It’s a big relief to see everyone again back
safely in the States,” said Crenshaw.
On post, Family, friends and Alt’s Family awaited
the arrival of the returning Soldiers.
Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and
Blue” played as members of 32nd Trans. marched
proudly into the SEC as the crowd roared to life
with screams of joy and the eruption of applause.
The ceremony continued with an invocation, the
national anthem, a brief speech by Whitson and con-
cluded with the singing of the 4th Infantry Division and
the Army songs.
Capt. Eric Baca, commander, 32nd Trans., then dis-
missed the company to their waiting Family and friends.
“It feels great to be home, and to be able to bring
home the Soldiers to see their Families,” Baca said.
Sgt. Brad Blair, a heavy wheeled vehicle operator,
was one of the first returning Soldiers to run to his
Family after the company was dismissed. He was met
by his wife, Pfc. Leslie Blair, orderly room clerk, Rear
Detachment, 32nd Trans., and stepdaughter, Melanie.
“It feels great to be back home and to continue
our lives together,” said Leslie Blair. “It’s great to
have him home safe and sound.”
In the months to come, 32nd Trans. will be
re-integrating with the 43rd SB, as well as with their
Families. After they reset, the company is scheduled
to support 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment during its
March-April training rotation at the National Training
Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.
Soldiers
with 32nd
Transportation
Company,
68th Combat
Sustainment
Support Battalion,
43rd Sustainment
Brigade, are
greeted at the
Arrival/Departure
Airfield Control
Group, Aug. 22,
after returning
from a
nine-month
deployment to
Afghanistan,
in support
of Operation
Enduring
Freedom.

Mountaineer staff
Eight Soldiers were honored
for their service to the nation
during a retirement ceremony
Wednesday at Founders Field.
Soldiers, Family and friends
gathered to celebrate the closing
moments of the Soldiers’ Army
careers as they were presented
their final military decorations
and U.S. flags that had been
flown over the headquarters.
The Soldiers’ spouses received
certificates of appreciation
and a rose in recognition of
their service.
Those retiring were:
q Lt. Col. Jeff Clifton,
U.S. Northern Command;
q Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald
Kinloch, Headquarters and
Headquarters Battalion,
4th Infantry Division
q Sgt. Maj. Russell Orlowitz,
4th Inf. Div.
q Sgt. 1st Class Cheryl Clark,
Headquarters and Head-
quarters Company, 43rd
Sustainment Brigade
q Sgt. 1st Class Paul Kopecky,
2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team,
4th Inf. Div.
q Sgt. 1st Class Gregory
Robinson, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company,
4th IBCT, 4th Inf. Div.
q Sgt. 1st Class Edward
Whitaker, 1st Bn., 8th Inf.
Reg., 3rd Armored Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div.
q Staff Sgt. Richard Fuller, 4th
Brigade Support Battalion,
1st ABCT, 4th Inf. Div.
The next Fort
Carson post
retirement ceremony
takes place Sept. 25
at 10 a.m. on
Founders Field.
8 Soldiers retireEdmistenadvancesto
FORSCOMcompetitionBy Sgt. Sarah Enos
5th Mobile Public Affairs
Detachment
JOINT BASE LEWIS-
MCCHORD, Wash. — Fort Carson’s
Staff Sgt. Carol Edmisten will be
contending for the title of U.S. Army
Forces Command Career Counselor of
theYear at Fort Bragg, N.C., next month.
The 4th Infantry Division Soldier
was named the active component I
Corps career counselor of the year Aug.
7 following a competition at Joint
Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 7.
The five I Corps candidates repre-
sented Fort Carson, Fort Riley, Kan.,
and JBLM. They first had to complete
an Army physical fitness test, a written
exam and a board, answering questions
pertaining to their profession.
“This job is very gratifying in a
lot of ways,” Edmisten said. “Just to
see the look on Soldiers’ faces when
they get what they want is amazing. It’s
a feeling I can’t even describe.”
Career counselors offer guidance
and assist commands in organizing
and implementing the Army Retention
Program, coordinate and conduct
re-enlistment ceremonies and provide
in-depth career development counsel-
ing to Soldiers and their Families,
said Sgt. Maj. Daniel R. Blashill,
command career counselor, I Corps.
They also provide counseling on
reserve component affiliation for
those not desiring to stay in the
active Army.
“The way we look at it, is when you
become a career counselor in the Army,
you are already the cream of the
crop,” said Blashill. “This board gives
counselors the opportunity to show
what they are capable of and to stand
out from their peers.”
Blashill said career counselors
are key figures in the development
of Soldiers.
Edmisten, a native of New
Orleans, began her Army career in
2004. She attended basic training
at Fort Jackson, S.C., and then trained
to become a dental specialist. In 2010
her career field was over-strength and
she was recruited to become a career
counselor. Edmisten’s main focus as
a career counselor is the re-enlistment
of Soldiers currently serving in the
active Army. Edmisten would like
to finish her education to become
a dentist.
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By Capt. Russell Varnado
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
Public Affairs Office
Most commanders would agree that road-
side bombs are the largest danger facing the
combat Soldier today. One Fort Carson unit
took to the field Aug. 18-26 to refine its ability
to detect and destroy today’s greatest threat.
Company A, 4th Special Troop Battalion,
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, is designated as the
brigade’s route-clearance patrol element. The
company is comprised of two platoons, with
more than a dozen vehicles specifically
designed to clear routes for logistical and
maneuver convoys. In addition to the vehicles,
the “Gryphons” also use a dismounted team
as well as robotics to assist in the search.
On a typical day, route-clearance elements
leave their secure bases and travel some of the
most dangerous areas in the world. In order to
effectively clear an area, the units travel at a
snail’s pace, sometimes as slow as 3 mph.
“It’s not fun to go that slow, but it’s what
the mission requires,” said Spc. Ben Candelora,
combat engineer, Company A. “The longest
mission I’ve ever been on lasted 28 hours.”
While missions typically only last a few
hours, Soldiers know when they leave their
bases, they have to be prepared for anything
the enemy may throw at them.
The Soldiers are trained to spot
obstructions that normally go unnoticed.
That training was displayed when a driver
spotted a small obstruction in the gravel at
more than 200 feet. This find led to the
detection of a large, notional improvised
explosive device that would have caused
massive damage to vehicles and possibly
cost the lives of Soldiers traveling along
that route, if it detonated.
“It takes a lot of discipline to stay focused
out here, but that’s our job,” said Staff Sgt.
Michael Smithers, squad leader, Company A.
Although the days are long and may
seem tedious to some, the Soldiers realize
the importance of their mission.
“It’s a lot of long days, but I know that
every IED I find probably means one less
guy losing his leg,” said Smithers.
“Knowing that makes all the time we spend
out on the road worth it.”
PhotobySgt.NelsonRobles
Photo by Capt. Russell Varnado
SoldiersfromCompanyA,4thSpecialTroops
Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat
Team, 4th Infantry Division, use the 30-foot
robotic arm on the Buffalo mine protected
clearance vehicle to examine a patch of road
during a route-clearance patrol, Aug. 20.
44tthh SSTTBB cclleeaarrss
rrooaadd ffoorr ttrrooooppss
Pfc. Albert Bylund, combat engineer,
Company A, 4th Special Troops Battalion,
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, searches for a
weapons cache using ground penetrating
radar Aug. 20, during a dismounted
route-clearance patrol as part of 4th
IBCT’s two-week field training exercise.

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Leaders participate
in team building runStory and photo by
2nd Lt. Buford Willie
1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division
MANITOU SPRINGS — Descending the
switchbacks of Pikes Peak’s Barr Trail with
nearly two miles left of an almost seven-mile
course with blood flowing down his left knee
was not going to deter 1st Lt. Gregory
Campbell from completing the competition.
Campbell was among a group of leaders
from 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, that competed in the Aug. 8 “Stick of
Pain” at the Manitou Incline and Barr Trail in
Manitou Springs.
The timed competition, meant to enhance
physical endurance and mental toughness, was
different from previous individual team
competitions, said Campbell, platoon leader,
Company C, 1st Bn., 8th Inf. Reg.
“I was excited. I love competitions, and I
was all for it,” he said.
The competition began and ended at
Memorial Park in Manitou Springs, with
the winning company being awarded the
Stick of Pain by Lt. Col. Allen Leth,
battalion commander.
The event provided an opportunity to
enhance the unit’s esprit de corps, evidenced in
the battalion trophy.
Capt. Dibiassi Robinson, 1st Lt. Lee
Collins, 2nd Lts. Justin Saren and Joseph
Clark, and 1st Sgt. Jonathon Whitmire team
members from Company D, won the competition
by completing the route in 1 hour, 43 minutes,
55 seconds. The Stick of Pain has found a
home in the company area where it will be
proudly displayed, said Saren.
2nd Lt. Michelle Kelly, platoon leader,
Company E (Forward Support Company), said
the competition proved she was finally ready
to workout with her fellow officers again.
“After having my son, I thought I would
never be able to keep up with everyone
again, but this competition showed me I can,”
Kelly said.
She said the desire to complete the run
and not let her comrades down, compounded
with physical tenacity, made it a challenging,
yet rewarding event.
“Halfway up the incline, I was just
thinking I did not want to let my team down,”
Kelly said. “The best part was the end.”
A normal, rigorous and challenging physical
training schedule helped a lot of the competitors
complete the more than six-mile course.
“I did not do anything other than company
physical training,” said 1st Lt. Lucas Masiarak,
platoon leader, Company A. “Our platoon does
a challenging physical training program with
(aspects of) crossfit.”
1st Lt. Gregory Campbell, left, and 1st Lt. Daniel Oglesby, platoon
leaders with Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, complete the
last portion of the company competition-themed leader’s physical
training event, Aug. 8.

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Story and photo by
Sgt. Nelson Robles
4th Infantry Brigade Combat
Team Public Affairs Office
Every Soldier has a story, a
reason for joining the Army.
Some may have joined because of
past generations of veterans in
their Families, others to provide
for their Families.
Pfc. Ishaqyan Sahag,
Company C, 1st Battalion, 12
Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry
Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, was born and
raised in Baghdad. “Shaq,” as he
likes to be called, lived what he
thought was a normal life. When
the war in Iraq began in 2003,
his life was turned upside down.
“I was in middle school in
2003, when the war started; that’s
when everything went downhill.
War was everywhere,” Sahag
recalled. “I finished middle
school there, but I couldn’t do
much else, really. People were
blowing themselves up. I had
family members kidnapped.”
His sister took the first step
that would change his Family’s
life forever.
“The Green Zone — that’s
where the troops were at, it’s a
fortified place. My sister started
working there as an interpreter,” he
said. “She then became a contrac-
tor, same thing for my brother and
my mother, helping the troops.
“If you stay there for quite
some time, you can get (to
America) easily. You get your
green card since you are doing
something dangerous (in support
of U.S. operations),” Sahag said.
“Back then, if (the insurgents)
knew you were working with
the U.S. government, then
something bad could happen, so
they had to change their names
(for protection).”
His Family then applied for
their green cards to escape the
escalating violence.
“It was my sister that got (to
America) first, and she told us we
should go … just to get out of
(Iraq). We started the process and
got approval. I went to Virginia
and finished my senior year of
high school there. I wanted to go
to college, but I didn’t have the
money,” he said.
“I joined the Army as an
(infantryman),” Sahag said. “(I)
should have been an interpreter
instead, though, since I know
three languages.”
The transition to American
life came easy to him.
“I used to watch a lot of
(American) movies in Iraq, so
I didn’t have culture shock,
really. I didn’t even get home-
sick, I just wanted to get out of
there,” he said.
The transition into Army life
was a whole other story.
“It was hard for him to
adjust; he wasn’t used to the
small things,” said Pfc. James
Terry, a fellow Company C
Soldier who went through basic
combat training with Sahag. “A
lot of people looked down on him
because of where he is from.”
Sahag’s experiences in his
homeland make him an asset
during training exercises, such as
the 4th IBCT’s Mountain Strike,
conducted Aug. 18-26.
“Shaq has been playing the
Iraqi flees war, joins U.S. Army
Pfc. Ishaqyan Sahag, left, 1st
Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment,
4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division, role plays
an Afghan village elder alongside
other Soldiers representing the
Afghanistan National Army, during
a brigade exercise, Aug. 18.
See Sahag on Page 14

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Person pictured is not
an actual soldier.
10th CSH enhances operationsStory and photo by
Spc. Nathan Thome
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
The 10th Combat Support Hospital conducted
a weeklong field training exercise, where
Soldiers familiarized themselves with setting up
a field hospital in an austere environment at Fort
Carson Training Area 11, Aug. 12-20.
Soldiers set up a 20-tent complex, to
include sleeping quarters and various support
areas, all of which culminated in a completely
self-sustaining medical aid station.
“We’re doing this field training exercise
because the war’s winding down; the next mission
isn’t going to be in Iraq or Afghanistan on a
fixed facility,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Traver,
chief ward master, Company B, 10th CSH. “We
could get called to move somewhere else to
set up a new facility, and if we can’t do it here,
we aren’t going to do anybody any good.”
This exercise marks the first time 10th CSH
has performed an FTX since 2011.
“This is a crawl phase for us, because we
didn’t set up any concertina wire or do force
protection. It was more about ‘let’s get the
Soldiers’ confidence up’ so they can set this up; they
can put everything together and it works,” said
Traver. “So the next exercise we do, we’ll try to
set up a little faster, and then we’ll do the force
protection stuff, like manning the gate and the other
things Soldiers need to do.”
While conducting the exercise, the Soldiers also
found ways to improve patient care.
“While testing our systems, we identified some
deficiencies that will help us get better,” Traver said.
“We found out that some of the paper records that we
would use, we don’t have, and ways to make commu-
nication throughout the hospital more efficient.”
Another obstacle recognized by the Soldiers was
time and limited personnel.
“The biggest obstacle out here was setting up
within the time constraint; being part of a combat
support hospital, we’re supposed to be set up and
fully operational within 72 hours,” said Staff Sgt.
Antonio Zavala, emergency medical technician
noncommissioned officer, Company B, 10th CSH.
The unit’s limited personnel carrying out last-minute
tasks hampered its productivity.
Despite the setbacks and challenges faced
along the way, Zavala said he felt confident about
their abilities.
“I felt pretty comfortable setting this up, but
it’s always good to practice,” said Zavala. “We’re
definitely getting into a better groove, and the biggest
thing I have to say that helped us out here was
working with our nurses.
“In a garrison environment, we don’t really
work with our nurses, so getting out here and working
with them was a major benefit, because we learned
from each other,” Zavala said.
In other areas of the field hospital, some Soldiers
placed it upon themselves to keep the motivation of
their fellow Soldiers high.
“It’s been pretty good out here, the Soldiers were
pretty excited when we got the shower point set up,”
said Sgt. Margaret Martz, shower, laundry and
clothing repair noncommissioned officer in charge,
Company A, 10th CSH. “So far, we’ve provided
461 showers and 46 bundles of laundry.”
Setting up the shower and laundry point took
two days to make fully operational.
Martz said she and her Soldiers usually work
from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., but the increased morale
they bring makes it worthwhile.
“My favorite part of this exercise is getting
thanked; all I care about is boosting the morale of
the Soldiers,” said Martz. “Everything we do, we do
for the Soldiers. We are all about morale-boosting.”
Another key part of the operation of the FTX was
the food service specialists.
“Since we’ve been out here, we’ve set up the
containerized kitchen, dining facility and fed between
150-200 Soldiers on a daily basis; breakfast, lunch
and dinner,” said Sgt. Jarquez McCullough, food
service noncommissioned officer in charge,
Company A, 10th CSH.
In addition to feeding Soldiers three times a day,
the exercise provided training to the cooks.
“Our Soldiers, the ones who cook, have really
improved their working skills,” said Sgt. Eva Nolan,
food service noncommissioned officer in charge,
Company B, 10th CSH. “The Soldiers have been
getting a lot of training, they’re improving daily.”
Many Soldiers felt that their efficiency would
improve during their next field training exercise.
“I definitely think that we’ll do better next time,”
said Zavala. “We (have) a bunch of new Soldiers.
They’ve seen how it’s done, they know what right
looks like, so next time we’ll all be on the same page
and get it set up faster.”
During the next field training exercise, 10th CSH
plans to perform patient plays by having medical
evacuation Soldiers fly in and drop off patients to
simulate running them through the field hospital.
From left, Pfc. Zachary Dotson, operating room specialist;
Staff Sgt. Nicole Patton, operating room noncommissioned
officer in charge; and Spc. Blake McKenna, operating room
specialist; all with Company A, 10th Combat Support
Hospital, prep a mock “patient” for surgery as part of a
patientplayduringafieldtrainingexerciseatFortCarson’s
Training Area 11, Aug. 19.

Miscellaneous
Soldier Show — Army Entertainment accepts nomi-
nations from Army active, Reserve and National
Guard component Soldiers to participate in programs
and special events produced by Army Entertainment,
such as The United States Army Soldier Show.
Applications are accepted year-round but must be
received by Nov. 1 for consideration for the following
year. Applications are available at http://www.
armymwr.com/recleisure/entertainment/experience
(underscore)army(underscore)entertainment.aspx.
The Directorate of PublicWorks Housing Division —
is now located in building 1225. Parking for building
1225 is located off of Felkins Street. The entrance to
the Housing Division is on the west side of building
1225. For more information, call 323-7016.
Finance travel processing — All inbound and
outbound Temporary Lodging Expense, “Do it
Yourself ” Moves, servicemember and Family
member travel, travel advance pay and travel pay
inquiries will be handled in building 1218, room 231.
Call 526-4454 or 524-2594 for more information.
Self-help weed control program — Department of
Defense regulations require training for people
applying pesticides on military installations. Units
interested in participating in the program must
send Soldiers for training on the proper handling,
transportation and application of herbicides. Once
individuals are properly trained by the Directorate
of Public Works base operations contractor, Fort
Carson Support Services, Soldiers can be issued
the appropriate products and equipment so units
can treat weeds in rocked areas around their unit.
Weed control training sessions for Soldiers are
available the first and third Monday of the month
through September from 10 a.m. to noon in building
3711. Products and equipment will be available for
Soldiers on a hand receipt. Each unit may send up
to five people for training. For more information
about the DPW Self-Help Weed Control Program,
call 896-0852.
First Sergeants’Barracks Program 2020 — is located
in building 1454 on Nelson Boulevard. The hours
of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. The
office assists Soldiers with room assignments and
terminations. For more information call 526-9707.
Recycle incentive program — The Directorate of
Public Works has an incentive program to prevent
recyclable waste from going to the landfill.
Participating battalions can earn monetary rewards
for turning recyclable materials in to the Fort Carson
Recycle Center, building 155. Points are assigned for
the pounds of recyclable goods turned in and every
participating battalion receives money quarterly. Call
526-5898 for more information about the program.
Sergeant Audie Murphy Club — The Fort Carson
Sergeant Audie Murphy Club meets the second
Tuesday of each month from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45
p.m. at the Stack Dining Facility, building 2330.
The club is named after Audie Leon Murphy, the
most highly-decorated Soldier in American
history. The original SAMC started in 1986 at Fort
Hood, Texas. By 1994, the club had spread
throughout the Army. To be a member, A Soldier
must be recognized as an NCO of the highest
quality, demonstrating both leadership and perfor-
mance. Armywide, SMAC membership is between
1 and 2 percent. Contact SAMC president Sgt. 1st
Class Gilbert Guzman Jr. at 526-3576 or email
gilbert.guzmanjr@us.army.mil for information.
Directorate of Public Works services — DPW is
responsible for a wide variety of services on Fort
Carson. Services range from repair and maintenance
of facilities to equipping units with a sweeper
and cleaning motor pools. Listed below are phone
numbers and points of contact for services:
• Facility repair/service orders — Fort
Carson Support Services service order desk can
be reached at 526-5345. Use this number for
emergencies or routine tasks and for reporting
wind damage, damaged traffic signs or other
facility damage.
• Refuse/trash and recycling — Call Eric
Bailey at 719-491-0218 or email eric.e.bailey4.
civ@mail.mil when needing trash containers, trash
is overflowing or emergency service is required.
• Facility custodial services — Call Bryan
Dorcey at 526-6670 or email bryan.s.dorcey.civ@
mail.mil for service needs or to report complaints.
• Elevator maintenance — Call Bryan
Dorcey at 526-6670 or email bryan.s.dorcey.
civ@mail.mil.
• Motor pool sludge removal/disposal —
Call Dennis Frost at 526-6997 or email
dennis.j.frost.civ@mail.mil.
• Repair and utility/self-help — Call Gary
Grant at 526-5844 or email gerald.l.grant2.civ
@mail.mil. Use this number to obtain self-help
tools and equipment or a motorized sweeper.
• Base operations contracting officer
representative — Call Terry Hagen at 526-9262
or email terry.j.hagen.civ@mail.mil for questions
on snow removal, grounds maintenance and
contractor response to service orders.
• Portable latrines — Call Jerald Just at
524-0786 or email jerald.j.just.civ@mail.mil to
request latrines, for service or to report damaged
or overturned latrines.
• Signs — Call Jim Diorio, Fort Carson
Support Services, at 896-0797 or 524-2924 or
email jdiorio@kira.com to request a facility,
parking or regulatory traffic sign.
The Fort Carson Trial Defense Service office — is
able to help Soldiers 24/7 and is located at building
1430, room 233. During duty hours, Soldiers
should call 526-4563. The 24-hour phone number
for after hours, holidays and weekends is 526-0051.
Briefings
75th Ranger Regiment briefings — are held
Tuesdays in building 1430, room 150, from noon
to 1 p.m. Soldiers must be private to sergeant first
class with a minimum General Technical Score of
105; be a U.S. citizen; score 240 or higher on the
Army Physical Fitness Test; and pass a Ranger
physical. Call 524-2691 or visit http://www.
goarmy.com/ranger.html.
Casualty Notification/Assistance Officer training —
is held Sept. 18-20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veterans
Chapel. Class is limited to the first 50 people.
Call 526-5613/5614 for details.
Retirement briefings — are held from 8 a.m. to
noon the second and third Wednesday of each
month at the Freedom Performing Arts Center,
building 1129 at the corner of Specker Avenue
and Ellis Street. The Retirement Services Office
recommends spouses accompany Soldiers to the
briefing. Call 526-2840 for more information.
ETS briefings — for enlisted personnel are held the
first and third Wednesday of each month.
Briefing sign in begins at 7 a.m. at the Soldier
Readiness Building, building 1042, room 244, on
a first-come, first-served basis. Soldiers must be
within 120 days of their expiration term of
service, but must attend no later than 30 days
prior to their ETS or start of transition leave. Call
526-2240/8458 for more information.
Disposition Services — Defense Logistics Agency
Disposition Services Colorado Springs, located in
building 381, conducts orientations Fridays from
12:30-3:30 p.m. The orientations discuss DLA
processes to include turning in excess property,
reutilizing government property, web-based
tools available, special handling of property and
environmental needs. To schedule an orientation,
contact Arnaldo Borrerorivera at arnaldo.
borrerorivera@dla.mil for receiving/turn in; Mike
Welsh at mike.welsh@dla.mil for reutilization/web
tools; or Rufus Guillory at rufus.guillory@dla.mil.
Reassignment briefings — are held Tuesdays in
building 1129, Freedom Performing Arts Center.
Sign in for Soldiers heading overseas is at 7 a.m.
and the briefing starts at 7:30 a.m. Sign in for
personnel being reassigned stateside is at 1 p.m.,
with the briefing starting at 1:30 p.m. Soldiers
are required to bring Department of the Army
Form 5118, signed by their physician and battalion
commander, and a pen to complete forms. Call
526-4730/4583 for details.
Army ROTC Green-to-Gold briefings — are held
the first and third Tuesday of each month at noon
at the education center, building 1117, room 120.
Call University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
Army ROTC at 262-3475 for more information.
Hours of Operation
Central Issue Facility
• In-processing — Monday-Thursday from
7:30-10:30 a.m.
• Initial and partial issues — Monday-
Friday from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
• Cash sales/report of survey — Monday-
Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Direct exchange and partial turn ins —
Monday-Friday from 7:30-11:30 a.m.
• Full turn ins — by appointment only; call
526-3321.
• Unit issues and turn ins — require
approval, call 526-5512/6477.
Education Center hours of operation — The
Mountain Post Training and Education Center,
building 1117, 526-2124, hours are as follows:
• Counselor Support Center — Monday-
Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays 11
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Army Learning Center — Monday-Friday
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Defense Activity for Nontraditional
Education Support andArmy PersonnelTesting —
Monday-Friday 7:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Repair and Utility self-help — has moved to building
217 and is open Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Claims Office hours — are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.
to noon and 1-4 p.m., located on the first floor of
building 6222, 1633 Mekong Street. Shipment under
Full Replacement Value claimants must submit
Department of Defense Form 1840R or After
Delivery Form 1851 for additionally discovered
items to the carrier within 75 days online. Claimants
must log into Defense Personal Property System at
http://www.move.mil and submit the claim within
nine months directly to the carrier to receive full
replacement value for missing or destroyed items.
All other claims should be submitted to the Claims
Office within two years of the date of delivery or
date of incident. Call 526-1355 for more information.
Work Management Branch — The DPW Work
Management Branch, responsible for processing
work orders — Facilities Engineering Work
Requests, DA Form 4283 — is open for processing
work orders and other in-person support from
7-11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. Afternoon
customer support is by appointment only, call
526-2900. The Work Management Branch is
located in building 1219.
Special Forces briefings are
held Wednesdays from noon
to 1 p.m.
Special Operations Forces
briefings are held
Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m.
Briefings are held in building 1430, room 123. Call
524-1461 or visit http://www.bragg.army.mil/sorb.
Fort Carson dining facilities hours of operation
DFAC Friday-Monday (DONSA/holiday) Tuesday-Thursday
Stack Closed Breakfast: 7-9 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dinner: 5-6:30 p.m.
Wolf Breakfast: 7-9 a.m.
Dinner: 5-6:30 p.m.
Breakfast: 6:45-9 a.m.
Dinner: 5-6:30 p.m.
Warfighter
(Wilderness Road
Complex)
Closed Breakfast: 7-9 a.m.
Dinner: Closed
LaRochelle
10th SFG(A)
Closed Breakfast: 7-9 a.m.
Dinner: Closed

You’re already Army Strong. Here’s the opportunity
to push yourself to the next level of Army Strong. All
active duty Soldiers (male and female) are invited to
find out if you have what it takes to meet the Special
Operations challenge. Recruiters will be in your area
with information about opportunities in the following
career fields:
Special Forces
Psychological Operations
Civil Affairs
Special Operations Aviation
Explosive Ordnance Disposal
U.S. Army Warrant Officers
Culture Support Team
To learn more visit us at www.sorbrecruiting.com
ARE YOU SPECIAL
OPS STRONG?
©2013 Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.
DeployedSoldiersattend
‘bootcamp’forfathersBy Spc. Andrew Ingram
1st Armored Brigade Combat Team
Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry
Division
CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait —
New and expecting fathers assigned to
1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment,
learned skills needed in the first
months of a child’s life during a
Daddy Boot Camp course at Camp
Buehring, Kuwait, Aug. 10 and 17.
While expecting “Iron Knight”
fathers would usually participate in
the course at Fort Carson, battalion
leadership felt it important to offer
the class for deployed Soldiers as
well, said Command Sgt. Maj. Troy
Henderson, senior enlisted leader,
1st Bn., 66th Armor Reg., 1st
Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division.
“The importance of the infor-
mation learned in this class cannot
be overstated,” Henderson said. “Being
a Soldier is stressful, and being a
first-time father can be even
more so. This class gives Soldiers
a leg up on the challenges they
are about to face.”
“This course gives first-time
dads food for thought,” said1st
Lt. Nathanial Turner, physicians
assistant, Headquarters and Head-
quarters Company, 1st Bn., 66th
Armor Reg., who taught the course.
“Human beings are resilient, but
there are a few things we can do to
ensure an infant’s safety. Making
these Soldiers aware of shaken
baby syndrome and sudden infant
death (syndrome) now can help
prevent incidents.”
The Iron Knights learned
about simple tasks, such as
changing a diaper, and complex
challenges, like spotting signs of
post-partum depression.
“I believe a course like this could
have helped me a lot when my first
child was born,” Turner said. “Those
first few months are incredibly
stressful, so any help you can get
is welcome.”
During the course, the Soldiers
also discussed the impact their fathers
had on their lives, and how they
wished to influence their own children.
First-time father, 1st Lt. Matthew
Martin, battalion maintenance officer,
1st Bn., 66th Armor Reg., said the
class highlighted a few issues he had
not focused on.
“It’s good to think about our
fathers, and their roles in our
upbringing, at this point in our lives,”
Martin said. “Whether you had a
great dad or a not-so-great dad, they
taught you either how to be a good
parent or gave you an example of
what not to do.”
For Soldiers interested in attending
a Daddy Boot Camp at Fort Carson,
contact Army Community Service at
526-4590.
village elder most recently, going
up to brigade and talking to
the Americans about how their
trucks are destroying his property,”
said Sgt. Aaron Ostermiller, team
leader, Company C. “I can see that
after having lived in Iraq for a while,
that he understands; this is how it
actually happens.”
“It’s good, because it creates realism
whenever they are having a meeting in
there,” Terry said. “He’s angry, yelling in
Arabic, and they are trying to figure out
through an interpreter what’s being said.
That’s how stuff gets misconstrued, it
really adds to the realism of the exercise.”
Sahag doesn’t see himself as a
career Soldier, but instead wishes to
use his educational benefits to obtain
a degree.
“I’m still thinking about what I’m
going to be majoring in,” he said. “I’m
trying to go back to Virginia, to James
Madison University. I’m going to use
my G.I. Bill and begin studies there.”
“He’s a pretty cool dude; different
people always (immigrate) to America
from different places to improve their
lives, and it looks like that’s what he is
doing,” Ostermiller said.
Although everyone’s story begins
differently, Soldiers can serve the
nation with pride. Soldiers can meet
people from many walks of life in the
Army, but if they don’t ask, they may
never truly know the men and women
who stand beside them.
from Page 10
Sahag
“Being a Soldier is
stressful, and being a
first-time father can
be even more so. This
class gives Soldiers a leg
up on the challenges
they are about to face.”
— Command Sgt. Maj. Troy Henderson

Pvt. Kristopher Orr, tank driver, Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, uses a pick mattock to dig a trench,
Aug. 19. Orr helped build one of three log crib walls, or retaining walls, to help prevent
sediment and debris from traveling down the stream during heavy rain and potentially
clogging water channels in Manitou Springs.
Sgt. David Girrbach, tank gunner, watches Pfc.
David Plocharczyk, tank driver, both assigned to
Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, hammer a “toe” nail into a log Aug. 19.
Building walls to
slow water, debrisStory and photos by Staff Sgt. Henry W. Marris III
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs
Office, 4th Infantry Division
MANITOU SPRINGS — A little more than a year has passed since
the Waldo Canyon Fire burned 18,247 acres of land in the Colorado Springs
area, leaving a lasting impact on the people and environment. One impact the
effects of the fire still has on the area is soil erosion during heavy rainfall.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd
Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, teamed up with the
Rocky Mountain Field Institute Aug. 19, in an effort to help combat the
effects of erosion due to recent heavy rainfall in the area.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Andy Riter, now field instructor with RMFI, led
the group of Soldier and civilian volunteers into Williams Canyon to build
log crib walls. Riter said crib walls are built into intermittent streams to
capture sediment and debris as well as slow water energy before it gets
to the town of Manitou Springs, where the sediment and debris can clog
water channels in the town, resulting in flooding.
Riter said RMFI is in a race against time when it comes to building the
walls to help prevent flooding, and having volunteers is important.
“The size of our normal RMFI crew is three to five folks helping out,” said
Riter. “Having the Soldiers come and help almost tripled our numbers, which
means instead of almost completing one structure, we were able to start and
get two-thirds of the way through building (each of the three structures).”
Pfc. David Plocharczyk, tank driver, Company C, 1st Bn., 8th Inf. Reg.,
has been assigned to Fort Carson since June, and this is his first opportunity
to volunteer in the community.
“I always like to get out and help out with any community, especially
with all that has gone on in this area with the fires and flooding,” said
Plocharczyk. “Just to be able to get out there and say I contributed and
helped out, it makes me feel good to know I was part of something bigger.”
The Soldiers spent the day working two of the three walls into an
intermittent stream bed, relying on teamwork to move large logs, dig into
the embankment and clear out larger pieces of debris so the sediment didn’t
fill in as quickly. The civilians focused on the third wall.
“I take my hat off to the guys who do this every day,” said Plocharczyk.
“It’s hard work, and these guys rely on volunteers to help, otherwise they
are doing it on their own.”
Pvt. Jessie Smith-Quinones, tank driver, Company C, said even though
it was hard work, it was very rewarding to be able to get involved.
“I see the hard work put into it and it makes me want to do it again,”
said Smith-Quinones. “The teamwork is a must. RMFI needs more people
to help out, and I’m glad I can be part of it.”

Story and photo by
Andrea Stone
Mountaineer staff
No news is good news. View all
assignments as an adventure. Hurry
up and wait. Have a sense of humor.
These were all lessons learned by
participants at the Army Family
Team Building Level K class, Aug. 20.
The classes, offered regularly at
Army Community Service, give
Family members an opportunity to
learn more about Army life. The
program consists of three levels —
Level K, basic military knowledge;
Level G, personal growth; and Level
L, leadership development.
“I wish I would’ve known all this
when I first became an Army spouse,”
said Rachael Smith, wife of Staff Sgt.
Andrew Smith, a Soldier stationed at
Peterson Air Force Base. “I actually
found the rank thing very helpful.”
Frankie Williamson is a new
Army spouse. She and her
husband, Pfc. Anthony Williamson,
Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 4th Engineer Battalion,
were married in April 2012, and
he’s been deployed since June.
“I want to know a lot more about
the military because I feel clueless,”
she said. “I don’t want to be the new
girl that doesn’t know (anything). I
want to be independent and not rely
on other people (for information).”
Adjusting to life as a
military spouse can be
difficult, especially for
those who’ve never had any
exposure to military life.
“One thing that’s hard for
spouses to understand when
they first come in is, they
can’t be first. The military is
first,” said Jessica Carpenter,
an AFTB instructor.
She encourages spouses
to learn to be adaptable.
“Have a sense of
humor, because you cannot
change things,” she said.
“The only constant about
the Army is change.”
The program can even
benefit those who’ve been
military spouses far longer.
“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve
been in the Army, with these classes,
you will learn something new,”
Carpenter said.
Geri Pete would agree. She and
her husband, 1st Lt. Natani Pete,
Company D, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor
Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
have been married for 10 years.
“I never took the time to learn
about (the Army) until now,” she said.
Now that she’s living on post, she’s
been more curious about military life.
“Learning about the culture is
very important,” she said.
Her daughter, Naomi Pete, joined
her for the class.
“I would like to support my
dad and just know more about (the
Army),” Naomi Pete said.
The class, taught by ACS volun-
teers, helps spouses develop realistic
expectations of the Army, educates
them on the benefits of being in the
military and teaches them protocol for
events, such as ceremonies and balls.
“The classes are important in
helping them really understand life
as an Army Family and help them
grow,” said Nate Nugin, Family
Enrichment program manager, ACS.
“It also provides an opportunity to
interact with other Family members in
the class. It validates their feelings …
They’re not alone. There’s other
folks in the same place they are.”
Family members interested in
attending an AFTB class can call ACS
at 526-4590 for more information.
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CSMNGCOLORADO SPRINGS MILITARY NEWSPAPER GROUP
Class teaches Army life
ArmyFamilymemberstaketheoathofenlistmentattheArmyFamilyTeamBuildingLevel
K class, Aug. 20. The classes, offered regularly at Army Community Service, are an
opportunity for spouses and other Family members to learn more about military life. The
oath is given so they can more fully understand Army expectations for their Soldiers.

By Andrea Stone
Mountaineer staff
A Soldier hunkers down, deep in the jungles
of Vietnam, devouring a letter that’s taken weeks to
arrive. A wife opens a package filled with gifts from
1940s’ Italy, a beautiful wine decanter crushed in
shipment. A Soldier tearfully watches through Skype
as his wife gives birth half a world away. The methods
of communication may have changed through the
decades, and the need to connect never has.
“People weren’t so sure about what tomorrow
would bring, whether they’d live or die. (That)
made it really important that they keep hearing from
each other, their husbands and wives,” said retired
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Bob Richert, a chaplain during the
Vietnam War, but his words ring true for all wars.
Long-distance romance
When Wayne Brown shipped out, he’d been
dating his girlfriend, Jerry Sutherland, for only three
months. It was 1943. The United States was fully
engaged in World War II, and Brown was preparing
for deployment to Europe.
Sutherland wrote to him daily, but mail delivery
was sporadic in the chaos of the European theater.
Brown landed at Utah Beach June 12, 1944, just six
days after D-Day, and was wounded less than a
month later. A bullet ripped through his shoulder.
“The mail was horrible because they’d send it to
your company, (then) they’d send it to the hospital,
then to the (rehabilitative) hospital. By the time
I got it, I had a bundle of letters three inches thick
bound with a rubber band,” he said.
Brown found it difficult to write back.
“That wasn’t one of my priorities,” he said. “I
was trying to stay alive.”
He had some close calls in his 14 months
overseas. A bullet ricocheted, just missing his
lung, and a piece of shrapnel hit his back, half
an inch to the right of his spine.
When he was injured, a telegram was sent
to his parents informing them that he had been
wounded, but with no
additional details.
“(It) said he was
injured, but never said
where or how bad. We
just wondered until
we heard from him,”
Sutherland said.
His mother went
through torment
with every telegram.
“She was
imagining everything,
not knowing anything,”
Sutherland said.
Not knowing whether
he was safe was hard
for Sutherland, too.
“She didn’t know
whether I was dead or
alive,” Brown said.
“Communications
weren’t like they are
today. I never talked to
her at all the whole time
I was gone. All I got
were her letters.”
Sutherland
treasured the letters
Brown was able to write.
“I ran home every
noon (from work), over
half a mile or more, to
see if there was a letter
from him,” she said.
“When he came back, I
was really in great shape.”
The letters were full of love and hope for
the future.
“He was in the thick of it, but he did tell me
what he thought of me, and he thought that we
could have a real good life together,” she said.
Wayne and Jerry Brown, now 90 and 87,
celebrated 68 years of marriage in July.
“We’ve had a great life together,” Wayne
Brown said.
Surprise packages
When Ruby Moore gave birth to her daughter
in 1944, her husband, who was deployed during
the Italian campaign, didn’t find out for weeks.
“My sister-in-law sent a cable, and the Red
Cross sent a cable. He was in a (rest and relaxation)
camp, and he didn’t get it until he got back to the
base,” she said.
Moore’s husband sent her letters and gifts from
Italy. He sent an Italian wine decanter that was
crushed when it came.
“He sent me some ugly shoes from Morocco that
had pointed toes, and those lasted, of course,” she said,
laughing. “Very little (of what he sent) arrived intact.”
He also sent her flowers.
“(The flowers) went to Eureka, Calif. (instead of
Eureka, Kan.), and they actually sent them through
the mail back to me somehow,” she said. “When
I got them, they were dead, and that was really heart
wrenching. If they’d been fresh, it would have been
a joy, but it reminded me of all that was going on.”
From World War II to Korea, very little
changed in communication between the front lines
and the homefront.
“All we had was letters,” said Tino Rael,
Korean War veteran.
Rael was only 17 when he joined the Navy.
He wrote home every chance he got and eagerly
anticipated letters
from home.
“I’d always wait
until my (watch) time
was over and then
read my mail,” he said.
“(It) felt good.”
His mother would
also send packages
with treats, such as
candy and gum.
“One time she
sent me some cookies,
and I wrote and told
her not to send any
cookies anymore
because they were
spoiled by the time I
got them,” he said.
One Christmas,
when they were in
port in Hawaii, he got
to talk to his mother
by telephone.
“The operator
contacted the next
door neighbor and
asked if my mother
could go next door to
speak on the telephone
because we had no
telephone,” he said.
Two brothers, two wars
Between Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm,
communication began to change more swiftly.
Joe Cisneros served in Vietnam, attached to
the 4th Infantry Division, and his brother, Daniel
Cisneros, served in Desert Storm.
“It’s not like it is now,” Joe Cisneros said.
“I see these guys on the TV talking on the cell
phones. Back then we didn’t have that stuff.
The communication we had back then was
writing letters.”
“My mom would receive letters, and in his
letters he would tell us how he was really doing,
the things he was experiencing out there,”
Daniel Cisneros said.
The letters from Vietnam were infrequent though.
“When you’re out (on missions), you don’t
have time to write letters, and then you have
monsoon season when it rains all the time,” Joe
Cisneros said. “You can’t be writing a letter
unless you’re someplace that’s dry.”
Once he got a Red Cross message, and the
company commander told him to return to the
division firebase. He worried the whole way, afraid
that something had happened to his parents.
“(I) walked over to the Red Cross. They just
told me, ‘Your parents are worried about you. You
haven’t written a letter to them in three months.”
They wouldn’t let him leave until he had
written a letter.
Reel-to-reel recordings were available, but
had their own challenges.
“I won two reel to reels in a raffle, but we
never did tapes,” said retired 1st Sgt. Bob Carr.
“It was hard to get tapes mailed. You couldn’t
just slip the reel into an envelope and write
Courtesy of Leslie Weisner
A 4th Infantry Division Christmas card from 1945.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Cisneros
Joe Cisneros served in Vietnam, attached to the 4th
Infantry Division.
Letters from home
Methodschange,
butneedsremain
Photo courtesy of Wayne Brown
Jerry and Wayne Brown, days after their wedding on July
26, 1945. Wayne Brown served in the Army during World
War II, landing on Omaha Beach six days after D-Day.
See Communicate on Page 18

‘Never in my 20 years of delivering babies have I
had to wait for a mother to put lip gloss on,’” she
said, laughing.
Her husband was able to watch the entire
event, even as the nurses intubated the
6-week-premature baby.
“It would’ve been better having him there, but
it was the second best thing. He got to (see) the
sights and (hear) the sounds and the conversations.
It was like he was there,” she said. “I was so
grateful we even had that ability.”
While the opportunity to witness a baby’s birth
is special, the experience can be difficult.
“It’s almost torturous not being able to hold
my wife’s hand through it or hold my new baby
boy, and to know I won’t be able to for another
nine months,” wrote Pfc. Joel Detamore, Forward
Support Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, from
Afghanistan. His wife, Ali Detamore, gave birth
to the couple’s fourth child in July.
The ability to communicate nearly
instantaneously has a downside, though.
“In conversations, you can actually hear some
of the rocket attacks,” said Tara O’Crowley,
whose husband, 1st Lt. Jeremiah O’Crowley,
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 68th
Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd
Sustainment Brigade, is deployed to Afghanistan.
“There’s been a few times when he’s had to get
off (the internet) and go take cover.”
When communication is so quick and easy,
many couples choose to talk frequently.
“We talk every day,” said Katherine Overfelt,
whose husband, Spc. Jonathan Overfelt,
Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th
Inf. Div., is in Afghanistan. “If I don’t talk to him
every day, I don’t feel whole. It doesn’t start
my day off right.”
But talking so often can lead to a lack of
conversation topics.
“Sometimes it’s just dead air, but … he said to
me, ‘I don’t care that we don’t talk. I love listening
to the kids and hearing, just life, the normal
everyday things,’” Tara O’Crowley said.
Whether the communication is frequent
or sporadic, whether it’s letters and packages or
emails and Skype, it eases the pain of separation.
“Deployment stinks in every way, especially
having to watch your child be born (on) a computer
screen,” Detamore wrote. “At the same time,
though, I’m glad I can be a part of what allows
my wife and children the freedom they have.
“One day my son will be able to look back at
the pictures of me on Skype in the background
and the video of me talking to him and know that
me being absent from his birth was not in vain.”
‘free’ on it and send it. You had to find a little
box, and little boxes were hard to find.”
Another option for some in Vietnam was the
Military Affiliate Radio System. Phone calls
could be made over shortwave radio, but each
speaker had to say “over”
when they finished so the
MARS operator knew when
to key the transmitter.
When Daniel Cisneros
deployed for Desert Storm,
his brother, Joe, wrote to him.
“I gave him some
advice. Never volunteer for
anything, and don’t ever try
to be a hero. Keep your head
down,” Joe Cisneros said.
“He wrote me back and said
it was some of the best advice
he’d ever gotten.”
Phone calls were possible,
but difficult to make,
especially during the early
days of Desert Storm.
“When we first went to
Saudi Arabia, before we
crossed the border into Iraq,
(it was) an eight-hour drive
by truck … and then we
waited in line because there’s
hundreds (of people). So you
waited hours to talk for five
or 10 minutes, and then an
eight-hour drive back to the
home station,” Daniel Cisneros
said. “I only did that once,
and I told my wife, ‘I am not
going to call you back.’”
Instead, the Family communicated by recording
cassette messages to each other. Later, civilians
working for oil companies in Iraq would record video-
cassette recordings for the Soldiers to send back.
“While my brother was gone (in Vietnam), I never
heard his voice, just got pictures,” Daniel Cisneros
said. “Vietnam was totally different from the Gulf.”
Whatever the communication available, it was
vitally important.
“A letter, a voice, a picture means everything
to a Soldier,” said Daniel
Cisneros. “That’s what keeps
a Soldier going, and that’s
what keeps the homefront
looking for their return.”
Babies half a world away
Perhaps nothing better
signals the profound changes
in communication than the
use of email and Skype.
When Donna Tolin
went into labor in July 2012,
she wanted her husband,
Capt. Jack Tolin, then
assigned to Headquarters
and Headquarters Company,
1st Battalion, 2nd Aviation
Regiment, 2nd Infantry
Division, to be part of
the process.
With a friend’s iPhone,
she connected with him
through Skype. Another friend
stood by with a camera to
capture the moment.
“The doctor checked me,
and it’s time to start pushing.
I said, ‘I’m so sorry. I just
have to get some lip gloss on.
My husband is going to be
watching on Skype … I want
to look nice.’ The doctor said,
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Photo courtesy of Donna Tolin
Capt. Jack Tolin, then assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment,
2nd Infantry Division, was able to see his wife, Donna Tolin, give birth to their daughter through Skype in July 2012.Photo courtesy of Daniel Cisneros
Daniel Cisneros enjoys breakfast
in Saudi Arabia during Operation
Desert Storm in 1990.
from Page 17
Communicate

21Aug. 30, 2013 — MOUNTAINEER20 MOUNTAINEER — Aug. 30, 2013
Story and photos by
Sgt. Marcus Fichtl
2nd Armored Brigade Combat
Team Public Affairs Office, 4th
Infantry Division
Less than a month ago, 2nd
Lt. Theodore Taggart, Sgt.
Benjamin Allen, Pfc. Cory
Whiton and Pfc. Michael
Cavett met for the first time, not
knowing that a few weeks later
they would find themselves
standing in front of their peers,
with a trophy in their hands and
medals on their chests.
These four Soldiers formed
Chaos Team, a fire support team,
from the 1st Battalion, 67th
Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored
Infantry Division.
Their first fire mission —
win the “Warhorse” Brigade’s
best FiST competition, an
event held across Fort Carson to
test the ability of more than a
dozen FiSTs and 60 Soldiers
within the brigade, Aug. 12-16.
They won.
“Your fire support teams
are your forward observers,” said
Sgt. 1st Class Spencer Polwort,
brigade fires noncommissioned
officer in charge and head
evaluator. “They are the eyes of
the battlefield. They call in fire,
they call in artillery and they
keep their Soldiers safe.”
Polwort said several events,
from land navigation to a call
for fire simulator, tested the
teams’ battlefield vision and
intelligence, but the events
primarily challenged the teams’
ability to work together.
With two lower-ranking
Soldiers joining Allen and
Taggart, the newly-formed
team took the competition
as a challenge to prove its
abilities as a FiST.
“When the two new Soldiers
showed up and we told them
the best FiST competition was
happening, they studied every
night,” said Allen. “They
showed what they had in them,
and their (determination)
dragged us all along.”
Chaos Team separated from
the pack not only in points,
but in pure physicality.
Whiton and Cavett kicked
off the competition by
placing at the top of the
competition’s Army
physical fitness test. The
team followed up in land
navigation, where it
finished far ahead of the
competition during the
six-mile course through
the muddy hills and
ravines of Fort Carson.
The entire team
excelled in an open
combatives tournament,
specifically designed
with mismatches.
“You’re only as strong
as your weakest link, the
overall strength of the team
is one of the things we
focused on this year,” said
Polwort. “There was no
weight class here, and there’s
no weight class in combat. We
had 220-pound guys take on
160-pounds guys.
“Is it fair? Well, we had
some smaller guys choke out the
big guys,” he said.
Fairness isn’t a word heard
often in the forward observer
community.
No air-conditioned offices
await on the hilltops and moun-
tainsides where the FiSTs set up
their observation posts, and no
one waits for a FiST team to
get in front; it’s assumed
they’re already there to provide
the eyes for the battlefield.
And all eyes focused on
Chaos Team when it stood in
front of the 60 other forward
observers in the brigade, the
“Best FiST” guidon and trophy
in hand.
“Once you fire an artillery
round, you can’t take it back,”
said Polwort. “You have to know,
once that command of fire is
given, that the round is hitting
a safe place away from your
Soldiers. To be able to lay
down suppressive fire while
your brothers in the infantry
push forward is game changing.”
Chaos Team, comprised of fire support team specialists from 1st Battalion,
67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, begins the land navigation course, as part of the 2nd ABCT’s best fire
support team competition, Aug. 14. Chaos Team used the land navigation
course to break away from the pack and win the competition.
1st Lt. Andrew Stock,
fire support officer,
Company B, 1st
Squadron, 10th Cavalry
Regiment, 2nd Armored
Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division,
chokes out Pfc.
Fitzgerald Lloyd, fires
support specialist,
Headquarters and
Headquarters Troop,
2nd Special Troops
Battalion, 2nd ABCT,
during a combatives
tournament, Aug. 13.
Sixty Soldiers competed
in the single-elimination
tournament.
FiST
‘Warhorse’ crowns best
Spc. Scott Richmond, fire
support specialist, Company
D, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor
Regiment, 2nd Armored
Infantry Division, picks up a
magazine during a stress
fire, as part of the 2nd
ABCT’s best fire support
team competition, Aug. 12.
The stress fire was designed
to push the Soldiers out of
their comfort zones and
identify which team can
work the best under stress.
Fire support specialists from 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, kickoff the 2nd ABCT’s best fire support team
competitionAug.12,withanArmyphysicalfitnesstest.TheAPFTconsists
of two minutes of pushups, two minutes of situps and a two-mile run.
Sgt. Nathan Bauer,
fire support specialist,
Headquarters and
Headquarters Battery,
3rd Battalion, 16th Field
Artillery Regiment, 2nd
Armored Brigade Combat
Team, 4th Infantry
Division, dons his
protective mask during
a stress fire, Aug. 12.

Medal of Honor recipient Carter honored for bravery at COP Keating

Medal of Honor recipient Carter honored for bravery at COP Keating

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