dously over the 9 days. We identified our strengths and weaknesses throughout the exercise and will continue our development for future opera-tions. The Thunder Battalion is also looking forward to future opportunities for advanced training. In September and October we will execute vari-ous ranges in preparation for both Warhorse Blitz and JRTC in February. The goal is to not only get Soldiers proficient in their various weapon systems, but build muscle memory through repetition and training. Some of the ranges include mounted weapon systems, crew served weapons, and basic M4 zeroing and qualifying. We will also plan

Sept. 30, 2010Issue 28

Commander’s Column

Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

Operation New Dawn. Thun-der Soldiers acted as Iraqi Army Soldiers and Iraqi Police to simulate working with host nation security forces. Other Task Force Soldiers served as trainer/mentors for 2/1 ID units, providing guidance and recommendations on their training missions. The Soldiers that participated in this mission gained knowledge that they can employ dur-ing Warhorse Blitz and their future JRTC Rotation. Over the past few weeks Thunder Soldiers have been engaged in the Full Spectrum Exercise on Ft. Carson. From the Soldiers manning the battery command posts to the Soldiers in the battalion tactical operations center, our battalion progressed tremen-

Story and photo by 2nd Lt. Meghan Housel204th Brigade Support Battalion

Maj. Frank Tobin, Support Operations Officer, represented the 204th Brigade Sup-port Battalion at the Rocky Mountain Fleet Management Conference held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. last Thursday, September 16. RMFMA is a non-profit organization that looks to establish networking and provide resources to fleet management professionals around the United States. Fleet managers from companies like Ford, AutoZone, and city managers from Texas and Arizona participated in this large event. Some fleet managers stated they were there to net-work and expand their managing knowledge in order to make their corporations/govern-ment agencies better in logistics. RMFMA invited Tobin to brief the processes and challenges of moving Army equipment and personnel from stateside to anywhere in the world. Tobin opened the brief with a warm wel-

come to all the conference attendees and told a short story about his background experi-ence. Next, he portrayed a realistic wartime scenario to set the stage for his presentation. He called on a member of the audience to participate in his scenario. Tobin gave the volunteer a Commander’s patrol cap with the rank of Colonel and displayed a slide with the situation in 2003 of Major General Perkins quoting to him that he

The past few months have been extremely eventful for the Thunder Battalion. Between Joint Readiness Training Center support and the War Fighter Exercise, 3-16 Field Artillery

Soldiers have taken advantage of outstanding training opportuni-ties. From Aug. 16 to Sept. 9 Task Force Thunder deployed to Ft. Polk, La., in support of the Joint Readiness Training Center and 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Ft. Riley, KS. Task Force Thunder was comprised of over 300 Soldiers across the Warhorse Brigade, 4th Engineers, 52nd Engineers, and the Thunder Battalion. Over the three weeks, Thunder Soldiers worked as trainer/mentors and role players for the training unit at JRTC. The Thunder Battalion was instrumental in the success of 2-1 ID, preparing them for future deployment in support of

Officer gives insight about Army complexity

Lt. Col. Tom Munsey, commander3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment

will deploy his brigade to Iraq in less than six months in order to capture Saddam Huessein and restore peace to the Iraqi population. Acting it out, Tobin directed the volunteer that he had about 180 days to get his brigade-sized element to Kuwait and move forward to destroy the Iraqi Army then transition to stability operations in the area of Tikrit. He asked the brigade commander volun-teer, “So who do you look to in moving the brigade from the motor pools to theater?” The answer is your logisticians. Tobin took the audience through the pro-cess using photos to tell the story from motor pools, railheads, ports, APODs/SPODs, TAAs, and finally the objective from his experience in OIF of 2003. The audience was interactive with ques-tions and discussion on safety, in-transit visibility, contracting, maintenance, ac-countability, and finally the most difficult challenges and what were there solutions. For example, he related a story of ingenuity

continued on page 2

Maj. Frank Tobin directs the volunteer, Mr. Scott Bingham, on his mission as a notional Brigade Commander during a scenario of a road to war.

continued on page 2

On Sept. 10 combat leaders from C CO, 2STB attended the Air Ground Integration Academy hosted by the 1-2 Attack Reconnaissance Aviation Battalion at range 141A.

The AGI Academy trained members of C Co how to call-in live close air support from the ground to attack aviation assets.

While the primary focus of the training was to acquire and destroy identified targets, the instructors also explained how CAS could be used for other missions such as route reconnaissance or marking terrain.

The day runs focused on the importance of doctrinal communication with the aviators, while the night iterations emphasized the use of additional technology such as lasers to mark targets.

This training was very beneficial for leaders from Charlie Company, as integrating attack aviation into Route Clearance Patrols provides greater security for Soldiers and host nation partners.

The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The Warhorse Pride is an Army-funded news-letter authorized under provision of AR 360-1. Contents of The Warhorse Pride arenot necessarily the views of, nor endorsed by the, U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 4th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Warhorse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Af-

fairs Office. The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commen-tary, and photos from readers. The Warhorse Pride reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the publication. All issues of the Warhorse Pride can be viewed online from your home computer at www.facebook.com/2bct4id Submissions should be emailed to theeditor: seth.barham1@conus.army.mil

Warhorse Pride Sept. 30, 2010Issue 28

2STB attends AGI

Col. John S. Kolasheski..................2nd BCT CommanderCommand Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa............2nd BCT CSMMaj. Kevin Toner...............................................2nd BCT PAOSpc. April York........................................Layout and DesignSgt. Seth Barham............................................................Editor Sgt. Ruth Pagan...............................................................Editor

page 2

Warhorse Pride

FSC Soldier serves his communityStory by Capt. Michael Pachucki 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment

Cpl. Christopher Castacio is 35 yrs old, holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Systems and pursuing a master’s degree in Na-tional Security Studies with a concentration in Homeland Security. Prior to his enlistment in the Army, Casta-cio resided in Manila, Philippines, volun-teering with the Red Cross for 10 years and Mountain Search and Rescue for 7 years. He came to United States in 2004 with his wife and children and lived in Houston, Texas where he volunteered with the Pearland Fire Department for 1 ½ years as a firefighter, until he joined the Army in February of 2008. Upon completion of his training as an 88M, motor transportation specialist, he was assigned to Fort Carson in July of 2008. In October of 2008, Castacio deployed with the Forward Support Company, 2-8 Infantry Bat-talion to FOB Echo, Iraq. After returning from deployment, Castacio decided to further serve the community, vol-unteering at the Stratmoor Hills Fire Depart-ment as a Dispatcher. He is responsible for receiving emergency calls from El Paso County Sheriff 911 and dispatching any necessary emergency services

depending on the type of emergency. Serv-ing over 60 hours every month, he devotes anywhere from 12 to 24 hours every weekend to help his community. His volunteer service has enabled rapid responses and quick turn-around times to emergency calls throughout the Stratmoor Hills area. In many ways, Castacio demonstrates at the core what it means to be a United States Sol-dier; he lives the Army Values in all walks of life, exemplifing his selfless service by serving both his city and his nation.

continued from page 1and prepare the platoons for a mounted and dismounted platoon live fire. In November, the battalion will execute complex dismounted and mounted maneuver missions at the platoon level. Some of the missions include a cordon and search, key leader engagements, long range marksmanship, react to contact, react to an IED and complex attack. The Thunder Battalion is poised for success on all upcoming training oppor-tunities and I am extremely proud of the work we have done so far. Thunder Sol-diers are transitioning from an Artillery mission to a maneuver mission and have been working and training diligently to execute any and all missions for the Warhorse Brigade.

Fleet Management Conferencecontinued from page 1

used when moving a broken humvee by using another vehicle (LHS) carrying two flat racks and the vehicle when they had no other means

to transport it from Kuwait to Iraq. He also spoke about how Soldiers made their own vehicle armor from sheet metal to provide extra protection. Tobin stated that any time he can tell the Army’s story is an opportunity that cannot be missed. It was his honor to touch the local community and fleet managers from all over the United States. Overall, the brief was intriguing and im-pressive in that the Army can move anything of any amount in a matter of days to any location in the world. “It made you realize that the U.S. Army deals with large scale logistics everyday and that they really are the best at what they do,” said a participant.