Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. Issue 61 July 8, 2011

Lt. Col. Patrick Stevenson and Master Sgt. Phillip Cornell uncase the battalion colors at the Transfer of Authority Ceremony at FOB Farah.

Chaplain is a cut above the rest “The Soldiers enjoy a great cut in the (air conditioning) with cold water and freeze pops available to them,” Penton said. Soldiers around area of operations Black-hawk are speculating how many haircuts will be given by the end of tour. “I say 3,000 by April,” said Spc. Justin Scott, a signal support systems specialist with HHT. Both Ellis and Penton have their special-ties when it comes to cutting hair. “I believe that (Penton) has found a sec-ond job in it. He is pretty good and we both have our own niche – he doesn’t like doing scissor cuts and I like doing the scissor cuts,” Ellis said. “I have found that I am fairly talented at cutting hair, and will likely continue to do so after redeployment,” Penton said. “I am grateful for the opportunity. I enjoy being able to make a tangible difference in Soldiers’ lives,” Penton said. “It gives me the opportunity to get a general feel for the level of morale and in so doing I can help Chaplain Ellis in his ministry to the troops.” This mission is already a success as Sol-diers and civilians get free haircuts and talk freely to the chaplain if they choose. “I think it makes me a little more acces-sible and we just have fun and visit with everyone,” Ellis said.

is done through battlefield circulation, and more and more I am seeing the joy of just laughing with Soldiers while giving them a trim,” Ellis said.

When Capt. Jeffery Ellis, squadron chap-lain with 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regi-ment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, found out he was heading on deployment to Afghanistan, it was nothing unusual. This was until his squadron commander, Lt. Col. David Raugh, wanted to do something out of the ordinary - haircuts for Soldiers. Prior to leaving Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Ellis and Spc. Corey Penton, a chaplain’s assistant with Headquarters and Headquar-ters Troop, 5th Sqdn., 1st Cav. Reg., both received lessons in cutting hair from a local salon owner, who graciously donated clip-pers and supplies to get them started. Ellis and Penton have provided more than 234 haircuts during this tour. Penton is often seen out on Forward Operating Base Fron-tenac encouraging Soldiers and civilians to take advantage of the free offer. “It puts (Penton) and me in the position to talk to a lot more Soldiers and see how they are doing,” Ellis said. “It is fun and creates a bond with some of the Soldiers.” “Getting out and being with the troops

Story and photo by Capt. Michael Newman5th Sqaudron, 1st Cavalry Regiment

Capt. Jeffrey Ellis, chaplain for 5th Sqdr., 1st Cav.Reg., 1st Stryker BCT, 25th Inf. Div., trims a Soldiers hair at the Frontenac Chapel.

Lt. Col. Thomas Munsey and Command Sgt. Maj. Delmer Traylor uncase the battalion colors during the Transfer of Authority Ceremony at Camp Stone.

Warhorse PridePage 2 Issue 61 July 8, 2011

The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The Warhorse Pide is an Army-funded news-letter authorized under provision of AR 360-1. Contents of the Warhorse Pride are not necessarily the view 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

Affairs Office. The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commentary 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 e-mailed to the editor:seth.barham@afghan.swa.army.mil

Col. John S. Kolasheski...................2nd BCT CommanderCommand Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa..............2nd BCT CSMMaj. Kevin Toner................................................2nd BCT PAOSgt. Seth Barham..................................................PAO NCOICSgt. Ruth Pagan......................................Layout and DesignSpc. April York.........................................Layout and Design

Warhorse Pride

Cooks just doing what they love

‘Dealers’ improve facilities, lift spirits

The cooks assigned to Forward Sup-port Company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division know they’re a critical part of the mission but they are just doing what they love to do. “I just love cooking,” said Pvt. Saktiel John-son, a cook with FSC. “I always have and I always will.” Johnson is part of a four-person team that feeds Soldiers, civilians, and just about anyone who drops by the Arghandab Dis-trict Operations Coordination Center.

Being away from home and away from loved ones can be extremely difficult for anyone. Talking to family back home makes things a little less difficult for the Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infan-try Division. That is the main reason Sol-diers are work-ing to improve conditions at the Arghandab Dis-trict Operations Coordination Center, where a number of ‘Death Dealers’ live.

Story and photo by Sgt. Seth Barham2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division PAO

Story and photos by Sgt. Seth Barham2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division PAO

Pvt. Jazmin Franks, a cook with Forward Support Com-pany, 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg., 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., cleans the containerized kitchen at the Arghandab Dis-trict Operations Coordination Center, July 2. Franks is part of a four person team of cooks that serves around 300 people every meal.

Pfc. Mark Johnson, a security team member with SFAT 4, 1st Bn, 67th Armor Reg., 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., receives mail at the OCC-D, July 2.

Spc. Joshua Pindall, a member with SFAT 4, 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg., 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., cuts wood for a new Morale, Welfare, and Recreation center at the OCC-D, July 2. Soldiers are work-ing together to build a new MWR, gym, and interpreter tent on the base.

“Being able to talk to my wife and daughter on a daily basis really keeps me going out here,” said Staff Sgt. David Burris, an operations noncommissioned officer with 1st Bn., 67th AR. Burris, along with several Soldiers from the Dealer bat-

talion have begun construction projects around the coor-dination center to improve recreation facilities for the Soldiers and civilians who live there. Soldiers are in the process of building a new Morale, Wel-fare and Recreation center, gym, and a building to house interpreters on the base. The new MWR facility will be equipped with televi-

“We feed almost 300 people every meal, three meals a day,” said Staff Sgt. Gerald Crawford, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the cooks at the coordination center. The team is also responsible for order-ing all the food for all of the remote out-posts in the district, Crawford said. Although the cooks at the coordination center enjoy cooking, they take their job very seriously. “When Soldiers can get what they want to eat or drink, when they want it, I’m doing my job,” Crawford said. “Our job is to make sure when the Soldiers get back from a mis-sion, they have something to come back to.”

sions, video games, computers and phones, said Spc. Joshua Pindall, a security team member with Security Assistance Force Team 4, 1st Bn., 67th AR. “The MWR we have now is okay but we wanted to increase the number of phones and com-puters on the base so it would be easier for us to talk to our families,” Pindall said. The construction projects not

only help Soldiers talk more with family back home, they also bring the Soldiers closer to one another. “My team here reminds me of my family,” said Pfc. Mark Johnson, a security team member also with SFAT 4. “They let me know what I should and shouldn’t do. They pick me up when I’m down and just really keep me going.” “We keep each other’s spirits up pretty well; we really watch out for each other,” Burris said. “We’re one big family out here.”

Soldiers use the phones and computers at the current MWR at the OCC-D.