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WarriorVoice
The
3-6 Hosts ClinicPage 7
BSTB in Mazar-e-SharifPage 12
Delta 1-87 CoCPage 6
Vol 1, Issue 4, June 2010
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Afghan Females BeginOfficers Candidate SchoolPage 4
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Warrior 6 Sound-offC
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CSM’s Soldier’s Corner
COL Bill Burleson
Climb to Glory!
CSM Dennis Defreese
Greetings to theS o l d i e r s ,families, and
friends of 1st BrigadeCombat Team. TheBrigade has establisheditself throughout most ofAfghanistan. Ourpartnering and trainingefforts with AfghanPolice, Border Police andArmy have already beganto make a noticeabledifference in the capabilityand competence of the
host nation security forces. Inmany cases living conditionsfor our Soldiers remainaustere, however,improvements continueevery day. I am continuallyamazed at the ingenuity of ourSoldiers—-just this lastweek I spent some time withone of our platoons during apause in operations with theAfghan Army at a temporaryremote location—they hadfashioned a make shiftshower and were using solarpower to heat the water whilehaving a spades tournamentunderneath their sunshademade out of ponchos—theirmorale couldn’t have beenbetter. I am continuallyamazed at the care that ourteam have for each other, aswell as the difference thatengaged leadership makesevery day.
I encourage all toparticipate in their respectiveFamily Readiness Groups andrecommend that you use ourbrigade Facebook page, andVirtual FRG website to gainaccess to information on ourSoldiers as well as self helpresources. The Fort Drumnewspaper, The Mountaineer,publishes stories about theSoldiers and our mission on aweekly basis. This can befound on-line under the FortDrum web-site and it is alsodistributed across Fort Drumeach Thursday. Additionallythe Regional CommandNorth Public Affairs AdvisoryTeam Facebook site providesstories that are more focusedon the Afghan NationalSecurity Forces within ourarea. I am extremely proud of theprofessionalism and respect
for others that the Soldiers in1st Brigade havedemonstrated through ourfirst several months inAfghanistan. Many havetaught themselves workingDari or Pashtu language skillsand readily enjoy a plate ofpalau (rice) and kebabs withtheir Afghan partners on aregular basis. I would like to thank all ofour volunteers for all that theydo for the Soldiers andfamilies of 1st BrigadeCombat Team. Additionally,I would ask that you keep inyour thoughts and prayers allour wounded warriors as theyrecover as well as the familiesof those young men who havemade the ultimate sacrificewhile in the service of theirNation.
By the time this isposted it will beclose to Father’s
Day. So for all of theSoldiers in this Brigadewho are fathers and to all
of the fathers out there whohave Soldiers in the WarriorFamily… Happy Father’sDay!!! I hope you have agreat day (even the ones herein Afghanistan). As I write thiswe are about half way throughour first month of R&R leave,I know you are all lookingforward to being with yourloved ones for a couple ofweeks of rest, and the Soldiersand the Families at home haveearned it. Summer is officially here inAfghanistan and thetemperatures are above 100degrees every day, anddespite the heat our Soldiers
are busier than everpartnering with the AfghanNational Security Forces andhelping to bring security to thepopulation. The Soldiers ofthe Warrior Brigade continueto demonstrate the values thatthey learned from theirparents and I can assure youthat they are living up to them.I am proud of them every dayas I am sure every one of youare. In closing, I would like tosay that the reason theSoldiers of the WarriorBrigade are among the bestin the Army and every daymake a difference here in
Afghanistan is because of allof you—our Families andour friends. You take on atremendous burden for allof us while we are deployedand I know that sometimesit can be tougher than theone we carry. Please stay intouch with your Soldier, andof course all of the Soldiersthat read this had better stayin touch with your loved onesback home. Keep all of theFamilies with woundedSoldiers in your prayers andremember our fallen Warriorswho have given their lastmeasure for our greatcountry.
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1BCT Public Affairs OfficerCapt. Jodi L Witt
NCOIC/EditorStaff Sgt. John Queen
Asst. NCOICTSgt. Kristina Barrett
PhotojournalistSSgt. Megan Lyon
Spc. Cynthia Teears Van [email protected]
Spc. Blair [email protected]
A1C Robert [email protected]
BroadcasterSgt. Salvatore Ottaviano
SSgt. Josh Arends [email protected]
The Warrior Voice
1st Brigade Combat TeamCommander
COL Willard Burleson
1st Brigade Combat TeamCommand Sgt. MajorCSM Dennis Defreese
The Warrior VoiceThe Warrior VoiceThe Warrior VoiceThe Warrior VoiceThe Warrior Voice is an authorizedpublication for members of the U.S.Army. Contents of the Warrior Voiceare not necessarily official views of, orendorsed by, the U.S. Government,Department of Defense, Department ofthe Army or the 10th Mountain Division.All editorial content of The WarriorVoice is prepared, edited, provided andapproved by the10th Mountain DivisionPublic Affairs Office.
CONTENTS
Females Train at ANA OCS
Delta 1-87 holds CoC
3-6 FA Aids Ghalbala
ANP Conduct Night Ops
Family Readiness............page 5
First class of Afghan women train to become ANAOfficers. page 4
New Company commander takes charge inKunduz. page 6
Redlegs provide security and provide muchneeded care to community. page 7
page 9ANP and 1-87 partner to conduct combined night-time security patrol.
Photo by Pfc. Blair Neelands
Chaplain’s comments......page 14
Vol. 1, No. 41st Brigade Combat Team
Public Affairs [email protected]
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Story and photo bySpc. Blair Neelands
Kabul – Afghan National Army soldiersstand at attention, M16 rifle in hand,fresh combat boots on, the camo of theuniforms blending together, and theirhair tucked neatly beneath a burka. Day one of the first group of femalesto attend the ANA’s officer candidateschool officially started May 3 with 25students. The prior day, while in processing, Brig.Gen. Anne F. MacDonald from NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization TrainingMission – Afghanistan, paid a visit to seethe facility and most importantly to speakto these future leaders.
“This is an incredible occasion,” shesaid to the students, ANA instructorsand American mentors. “History bookswill be written about this class.” Thirty years ago, MacDonald was ina similar position as a part of the firstgroup of female graduates from theUnited States Military Academy at WestPoint. “Be strong, serve your country, serveyour family and serve well,” she said. Now, with three decades of experienceunder her belt, MacDonald watched asthe ANA took the first steps towardequality amongst the ranks. The success of these future officersis directly linked to the mentorship ofthe instructors, she said.
Teaching the candidates is a fusionbetween nine ANA female soldiers andfour U.S. Army female Soldiers. “The support from the leadership willmake this work,” she said. “Thiscombination of coalition and Afghanforces to train these women is great.”
During the five month course the
women will be taught the skills to
command, lead and teach their futuresoldiers the way of the ANA. Thenumber one priority is teaching thefemales to have self-confidence and tobe proud of their service to Afghanistan. “These women are very strong andhave a lot of potential,” MacDonaldsaid. “With your role modeling you canmake a difference.”
Females Train to be ANA Officers
Brig. Gen. Anne F. MacDonald from NATO Training Mission- Afghanistan speaks to the first group of females
to enter Afghan National Army officer candidate school May 2 in Kabul.
5
A Soldier from Alpha Company, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion provides security near the Heyratan border crossing inNorthern Afghanistan.
ArmyFRG is your direct connection to
Command information for your unit. Register todayfor your unit’s Virtual FRG site and get connected toall of the pertinent information and resources you needto stay informed and connected.
The Army Family ReadinessGroup (Army FRG) website providesa secure environment in whichinformation, resources, and supportare available to Soldiers and theirFamily Members 24 hours a day,regardless of their geographiclocation. A unit’s virtual FRG site orvFRG promotes a community feelingwithin Army units by providing a placethat is customized to the unit andcontains content that is controlled by the unit. ArmyFRG provides all of the functionality of a traditionalFRG in an ad-hoc and on-line setting to meet the needsof geographically dispersed units and Families acrossall components of the Army.
If the Family Member has not registered for the ArmyFRG site already, go to www.armyfrg.org. and cllickon “Find an FRG” in the left navigation bar.Select the CONUS or OCONUS location of the FRG’s
home. Then chose the FRG from thelist of units listed for that location. Youcan narrow the search if the list islong.
In the dropdown of the nextpage, set the “I am subscribing asa” drop down to “Family Member”,Then enter the Family Member’sfirst and last names and then theSoldier of Interest’s first and lastnames and the last 4 digits of theSoldier’s SSN. Note, the Family
Member’s namemust appear exactly as it was entered in theinvitation list for automatic approval.Fill in the account information for the Army FRG
web site.
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan – More than
100 Soldiers witnessed as Capt. Eric
Carrens assumes command of Delta
Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry
Regiment, 10th Mountain Division from
Capt. David Bell during a change-of-
command ceremony, May 29.
Among the ceremony’s audience were
distinguished guests Haji Habibullah,
Aliabad District governor,
Maj. Aman, Aliabad Police
Chief, Said Abdul Wahed
Omar Khail, Chahar Darreh
District governor and Ghulam
Mahudin, Chahar Darreh
Police Chief.
“Today we witness the
transfer of command authority
between two excellent
officers,” said Lt. Col. Russell
Lewis, commander of 1-87.
“Command of Soldiers in
combat is a privilege and a
responsibility that is not given
lightly. It is a duty to be taken
with the utmost sincerity,
diligence and dedication and
I know these two officers
exemplify all of these
characteristics.
The change of command
ceremony is a simple,
traditional event that runs
deep in symbolism and the
military’s heritage. The
D Company holds Change of Command Ceremony
Story and photo bySSgt. Megan P. Lyon
Capt. David Bell, commander of D Co., 1-87 Infantry Regiment,10th Mountain Division, takes the guidon from 1st Sgt. JosephMejia during the change-of-command ceremony, May 29.
guidon, which historically has marked
the unit’s location on the battlefield, is
passed from the outgoing commander
to the new commander signifying the
official transfer of responsibility.
After the guidon was passed, Capt.
Bell thanked his leadership and his wife,
before thanking the Soldiers,
noncommissioned officers and officers
standing before him in formation for all
their hard work and for making D
Company the best company in the
battalion.
“I’ve enjoyed commanding D Com-
pany more than I could have imagined,”
said Capt. Bell. “It has been a true honor
and a privilege to be your commander.”
As the captain spoke to his Soldiers
for the last time he quoted the American
Revolutionary writer Thomas Paine.
“These are the times that try men’s
souls,” quoted Capt. Bell. “The summer
soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in
this crisis, shrink from the service of his
country; but he that stands now, deserves
the thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily
conquered; yet we have this
consolation with us, that the
harder the conflict the more
glorious the triumph. What we
obtain too cheap we esteem
too lightly; it is dearness only
that gives everything its value.
Heaven knows how to put a
proper price upon its goods;
and it would be strange indeed
if so celestial an article as
freedom should not be highly
rated.”
“Terrorism is today’s
tyranny and everyone gathered
here today deserves the thanks
of their countryman,” he
continued. “Freedom is worth
the price, we will win this fight.”
As D Company bid farewell to
their commander for the last
time, Capt. Bell parted with
these words.
“Your service here matters and
I thank you for it”, he said.
7
MAIMANAH, Afghanistan –Afghan National Police along withSoldiers from Bravo Battery, 3rd
Battalion, 6th Field Artillery fromthe 10th Mountain Division’s 1st
Brigade Combat Team joinedforces June 1, to bring muchneeded medical aid and supplies toa local vi l lage that has beenplagued by the insurgency. For months, insurgents havebeen taxing shepherds and farmersof Ghalbala and attacking anyInternational Security AssistanceForces that approach the area. According to Staff Sgt. ChadCharles, a squad leader withBravo’s 2nd platoon, the villagersare typically too scared to leave
their homes. During this medicalmiss ion however, the ISAFpartners were intent on not onlyprovid ing a id but maximumprotection too. “Security around the perimeterwas well established and theoverwhelming fire power wasenough to de te r any a t tack ,keeping the locals safe,” Charlessaid. Most ailments the people ofGhalbala had were simple andcould be helped with a quick tripto a doctor’s office or pharmacy,however living in a poor, remotev i l l age fa r f rom the majorpopulation centers makes it difficultto receive medical care. “The nearest hospital is 50 milesaway,” sa id Pfc . Marg ieHuelskamp, a medical specialist
with Golf Company, 3-6 FA. “Butwe can go right to where the peoplelive.” With medical supplies identifiedby, and coordinated through theAfghan Government, the localswere treated for everything fromsimple headaches to in fan tdehydration due to diarrhea. After months of hard training andpreparation at Ft. Drum, N.Y.before their deployment, Soldiersof the battalion were able to seefirsthand the faces of the peoplethey are here to assist. “The Soldiers felt good aboutwhat they did today,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Heath Heriger, of BravoBattery. “And it inspired them tobe more committed to helping theAfghan People.” Before the ISAF troops left, they
conveyed a message to aGhalbala village elder sayingSoldiers of Bravo Batteryare here to work hand-in-hand with the AfghanGovernment, and to partnerwith the Afghan NationalPolice to secure the region,and ensure similar aid isprovided to the villages ofAlmar District. Soldiers of BravoBattery are eager to returnto Ghalbala and help thegood people who l ivethere. The villagers werepleased and sa id thatAmerican Soldiers arewelcome any time in theirvillage.
3-6 FA Medical Mission in GhalbalaStory and photo byBy 1LT David Gutierrez
Pfc. Margie Huelskamp, a medical specialist with Golf Company, 3-6 FA, and Pfc.Ryan Spence, a medic with Bravo Battery, 3-6 FA, examine a local man suffering
from back pain.
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1-87 Partner with Afghan QRFStory courtesy of1-87 Infantry
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3-6 FA Uncase Colors, Conducts Patch CeremonyStory by1st Lt. David Gutierrez
Continued on page 15
FOB GRIFFIN, Afghanistan – Inmany ways the day was typical inAfghanistan – temperatures near 95degrees, clear skies, patrols of up-armored vehicles made their wayacross the Provincial Capital city ofMaimanah and further west into the fardistricts of Faryab Province, commonlyreferred to by many Soldiers as “theedge of the empire”. However, as the patrols returnedfrom their day’s missions they preparedfor an evening ceremony steeped intradition and warrior pride. The battalionprepared for the official uncasing of theunit’s colors and the awarding of the10th Mountain Division combat patch.
Against the backdrop of a settingsun, the regimental mascot “the Cat”, agift to the 6th Field Artillery Regimentduring its service in the Philippines in1903, stood watch over the formation.With the foothills of the Hindu KushMountains rising on the horizon to thesouth, and nearby shepherds and localchildren watching with a bird’s eye viewfrom the surrounding high ground,Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffery Eastbrought the battalion to attention tobegin the ceremony. “In just a few short weeks inAfghanistan I have met political leaders,members of the Afghanistan NationalSecurity Forces and many local Afghansin the Faryab Province,” said Lt. Col.Kyle J. Marsh, commander of TaskForce Centaur. “I have learned that
your arrival and the uncasing of our historiccolors are providing a sense of hope andencouragement to the people of Faryabwho believe that brighter days are coming.You have been asked to partner with theAfghan National Police, but make nomistake that we are prepared to fightany who wish this country ill will andwho strive to derail our mission. Withthe donning of the 10th Mountaincombat patch, you are no longer just aSoldier, you are a veteran of the ArmedForces of the United States of America.The patch you now wear on your rightsleeve symbolizes your membership intothe history of the 10th Mountain Divisionand will forever provide you proudmemories of your selfless service to yourcountry.”
FOB KONDUZ, Afghanistan–Soldiers of the Scout Platoon,Headquarters and HeadquartersCompany, 1st Battalion, 87th InfantryRegiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division, and the AfghanNational Police Quick Response Forceare greatly increasing their ability towork together in the past month. Through persistent training andoperations the scout platoon and theANP QRF are materializing into anintegrated force capable of reacting toany situation quickly. The Scout Platoon hosted numeroustraining events to include patrolling, mapreading, BRM and medical training.
Staff Sgt. Voisey, Staff Sgt. Hall,Staff Sgt. Nunez, and Sgt. Hall havefacilitated several patrollingrehearsals. The Scout Platoon and ANP QRFconducted integrated rehearsalsfocusing on BD 2, 1A, BD6 andbreak contact drills. Despite obvious language barriers,the ANP QRF understood andintegrated easily with the scoutplatoon Soldiers during the rehearsals. 1st Lt. Wearin and Sgt. 1st ClassJohnson gave planning and mapreading classes to the ANP leadershipand instruction to the ANPcommander, the ANP executiveofficer, the operations officer, and acompany commander.
Most of the leadership was familiarwith map reading and used planningtechniques similar to those of U.S.Forces. Some of the leadershipparticipated in training on battletracking using maps and GPSdevices. May 29, the scout platoonSoldiers conducted familiarization fireand began zeroing the ANP QRFsoldiers’ weapons. The Scout Platoon plans tocontinue integrated ranges withthe ANP QRF throughout thesummer. The success of eachtraining event is reflective of thecompetence of the ANP QRF asa whole and it is clear
Continued on page 14
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Story courtesy of1-87 Infantry
Soldiers of 1st Platoon, CharlieCompany, 1st Battalion, 87thInfantry Regiment, 1st Brigade
Combat Team, 10th MountainDivision, and their Afghan NationalPolice partners from Precinct 1conducted a dismounted, nighttime,combined action patrol to anobservation post that overlookedseveral river crossing points believedto be utilized by the Taliban to movebetween Konduz City and ChaharDarreh, May 19 to 20. This was the second dismountednight patrol the ANP of Precinct 1had ever conducted.
Prior to this operation, in additionto other combined actions patrols, the1st platoon conducted small unit tacticstraining with the police to ensuresuccess of the upcoming nightoperation. The ANP do not have night visioncapabilities, so 1st Platoon broughtextra infrared night vision hand-heldequipment, PAS-13s. The partnered ANP unit moved toan OP to over watch the river crossingsuntil 2:00 a.m. While the ANP wasover watching the river crossings, themortar platoon, 1-87 Inf., located onForward Operating Base Konduz,fired illumination rounds in support of1st platoon and their combined actionpatrol.
ANP Conduct Night Security with U.S. Soldiers The mortar fire mission deniedthe Taliban freedom of maneuverby increasing observation of ther i v e r c r o s s i n g p o i n t s .Additionally, the fire missiondemonstrated the indirect fireassets available from 1-87 Inf.and increased the confidence oft h e A N P t o c o n d u c t n i g h toperations. A r o u n d 2 : 0 0 a . m . t h ecombined patrol moved back tothe ANP Precinct and conductedrecovery operat ions . At theprecinct, the Soldiers and policeensured 100% accountability ofa l l equipment , c leaned thei req u i p m e n t , a n d c o n d u c t e da n a f t e r a c t i o n r e v i e w.
An Afghan NationalPolice precinct PoliceChief meets with 1stPlatoon’s leader from
Charlie Company, 1st
Battalion, 87th
Infantry Regiment todiscuss and plan acombined operation.
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Soldiers Meet with Local Radio, Television StationStory courtesy of1-87 Infantry
Since arriving in Kunduz,Soldiers of Charlie Company,1st Battalion, 87th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division, have beenmeeting with many local leaders,elders and personalities. Capt. John Principe, the commander,C Company, 1-87, has spent many daysracing through the streets of Kunduz,from one meeting to another.
While on patrol, C Company, 1-87,noticed a building marked KunduzRadio and Television. The patrolstopped and Principe with 2nd Lt.Austin Roberts, the fire support officerfor C Company, 1-87, 1st Lt. DustinMcClure, the platoon leader for 2ndPlatoon, C Company, and Sgt. MichaelChesna, the COIST sergeant of CCompany, 1-87, ventured into thebuilding. Upon entering they were greeted byMr. Sayd Ismail Ansari, the director of
Kunduz National Radio Television, in thebuilding’s courtyard. Ansari was verydelighted to see American Soldiersand quickly invited them in for chaiand snacks. Ansari, a gregarious man, beganregaling his audience with thevirtues of being a journalist and hisdispleasure with the Taliban. “It would be great to film a U.S.Patrol,” Ansari said.
Capt. John Principe, commander of Charlie Company, 1-87 Infantry meets with Sayd Ansari, the directorof Kunduz Radi- Television.
Continued on page 15
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Monitoring the Net on SpannStory byCW 2 Michael Bouchard
3,600 fans and3,600 fans and3,600 fans and3,600 fans and3,600 fans andgggggrrrrrooooowing!wing!wing!wing!wing!Keep in contact and find out the latesthappenings in the 1st BCT by joining us on“facebook”
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/1st-Brigade-Combat-Team-10th-Mountain-Division/170113102949?ref=sgmThis is the official page of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10thMountain Division (LI). Soldiers, family and friends of the WarriorBrigade are welcome. Please refrain from using profanity when
posting.
For information & photos please contact us at [email protected]
NetOps is the Command and Controlfor the Joint Network Node (JNN),Command Post Node (CPN), andSIPR/NIPR Access Point (SNAP)services. These services includeapplications such as exchange email,Voice over IP (VoIP), virtualconferences, and real time battle fieldmanagement applications which usersneed to complete their missions. TheNetOps crew monitors andtroubleshoots the network for faults andperformance issues for current links andis the central point for planning andengineering network expansion. Thegoal is to have all services andassemblages working at their peakperformance at all times and identifytrends in network performance,
ultimately maximizing customersatisfaction. 1-10 NetOps consists of one WarrantOfficer, four NCOs, and three Soldiers.SSG Hector Sosa, SSG Louis Fember,SSG Joseph Indelicato, SGT XuanDuong and SPC Corey Speed have
previous deployment experience with1st Brigade,10th Mountain Division.PFC Josue Molina and PFC ShawnJenkins are the newest additions andcontinue to learn and grow daily, andunder the influence of CW2 MichaelBouchard they all bring something
different to the team.From left to right -Staff Sgt. Sosa, Pfc.Jenkins, Spc. Speed,Pfc. Molina, Sgt.Duong, CW 2Michael Bouchard
1st Brigade Combat Team Senior Career CounselorMSG LehmanRoshan: 0795822302
1st Brigade Combat Team Career CounselorSFC ZabeleDSN: 674-6141
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Soldiers of Red Platoon,
Headquarters and
Headquarters Company and
3rd platoon, Alpha Company., attached
to HHC, 1st Brigade Special Troops
Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division, have been
working with and supporting Afghan
National Police in the Mazar-e-Sharif
and Dehdadi area for the
past few months.
“We’re tied in with the
local government to get
joint operations with the
local elders and the ANP,”
said Capt. Timothy
Williams, the commander,
HHC, 1st BSTB.
The ANP weren’t really
willing to work with the
U.S. Soldiers when the
unit first arrived, said
Williams. It took a couple
of weeks and each unit
building up the
relationship.
“The district of Mazar-
e-Sharif is 100 years old,
but we are only about 30
years old as a district and
in progress of improving,”
Ali Shah said.
The U.S. Army
donated some equipment
to the Dehdadi District
Attorney’s office recently
to help with their ability to enforce their
laws.
“I’m very happy that my people have
you,” said Ali Shah, Dehdadi District
Governor, sub-governor for Balkh
Province. “We’re thankful for all of you
with the Germans and the other forces
helping us.”
It didn’t take much time for the
equipment donated to be put to use.
“They just recently had a murder, a
double murder actually,” Williams said.
“Because we provided the DA with the
computers and cameras they were able
to photograph and cut down the amount
of time it took for them to build the
evidence.”
The Red Platoon, HHC, and the 3rd
platoon, A Co., also known as the quick
response force platoon, has worked
directly with the ANP for at least seven
combined missions in the past few
months and the working relationship has
improved considerably.
“Before when we
stopped by they didn’t
want to go with us,”
Williams said. “Now that
we’ve built a relationship
they jump right in their
vehicles and go when
we stop by. They are
out patrolling the streets a lot
more also.”
The Soldiers and ANP
patrol together when they are
on combined missions and
they interact with the district’s
citizens to help build trust.
“We interact with the
people alongside the ANP
and it promotes good
relations with the locals,”
Williams said.
The QRF platoon and
Red Platoon have a good
working relationship with the
local ANP and are ready to
go with the ANP and support
them anytime anything
happens in the local area.
Working with Police in Mazar-e-SharifStory and photo bySpc. Cynthia Teears Van Cleve
Staff Sgt. Waylon Cropper from HHC 1st BSTB watches as two youngAfghan boys help each up a hill just to shake his hand in the DehdadiDistrict.
13
It’s no hidden secret. It’s no mystery. It’s no deeprevelation or epiphany. Marriage is a four letter word.
W-O-R-K.Say it.Say it again.
MARRIAGE = WORK
Say it enough times that you get use to it. If you want a healthy, happy, life-lasting marriage, it willtake some work. Work within a marriage is not negativenor is it a “bad thing,” but quite the contrary. As an example, some people love their job and tothem, work is second nature. On the other hand, somepeople hate their job and they dread getting up in themorning and going to it. In the same sense the perceptionof work within a marriage is dependent upon the lovebetween the spouses. When you love, more importantly– when you are in love, the work involved in the marriageis second nature. It’s a term that I call, “keeping thelove alive.” “Work” is found 420 times in the Scriptures, thusmaking it pretty important. The first time mentioned inthe Holy Bible speaks of the work of God;
“And on the seventh day God ended his workwhich he had made; and he rested on theseventh day from all his work which he hadmade. And God blessed the seventh day, andsanctified it: because that in it he had restedfrom all his work which God created andmade.” Genesis 2:2-3
Such a complex and inconceivable creation didn’tevolve by itself through the process of billions of years.It was brought about by the work of an intelligent
designer - the Creator. In the same sense, marriagewill not magically evolve into something beautiful andpermanent without some care and attention pouredinto it. If left to itself, marriage will break down,dissolve and fade away.
Your Marital House
Consider your marriage like purchasing a brand newhouse. Without consistent care and maintenance throughoutthe years, your house will eventually fall apart. You need alittle paint here and a little plumbing there; a few screws hereand a couple nails there. If you fail to maintain your house,you’ll only have problems. Go ahead and avoid the upkeep. Cut corners on thework and see what happens. Stop mowing the grass. Ignorethat leaky faucet squeaky garage door. Forget about thecrack in the ceiling and the loose handrail. Stop sealing yourdriveway, re-shingling your roof and changing your air filters.Let it all go and just wait.
Story byChaplain Brian T. Hargis
Marriage is a Four Letter Word
Continued on page 14
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*For more questions or information on marriage and relationshipissues, contact me. Chaplain (CPT) Brian T. Hargis
[email protected]@twcny.rr.com
*No reproduction or publication of this article may be usedwithout the expressed written consent of the author, as thischapter will be published in the book, MARRIAGE; Keepingthe Love Alive. Paper and digital copies authorized as long asthe author is accredited.
HHC, 1st BSTB,
Camp Mike Spann APO AE 09368
The regimental colors were uncased forthe first time since early February, whenthey were cased during a brigadedeployment ceremony at Fort Drum, N.Y. The patching ceremony began with Sgt.Gabriel Jerez, the Battalion’s AutomationsNCO, publishing the official order whichpermits every member of Task ForceCentaur to don the famed “powder keg”
of the 10th Mountain Division. TheCommanders, First Sergeants andNCOs of each battery congratulated theirSoldiers with a tap on the shoulder toattach their well-earned combat patch. East noted the importance of theceremony by saying, “Tradition is the onething that sets our Army apart from anyother work force. Today’s ceremonycontinues those traditions by honoring ourunit, honoring those who have servedbefore us, and honoring our Soldiers for
3-6 FAContinued from page 8
their duty to our nation in a time ofwar.” With an important milestone behindthem, the Soldiers of Task ForceCentaur now focus on their primarymission of mentorship and partnershipwith the Afghan National Police. Theirefforts over the next year will bringsecurity to a torn province ofAfghanistan and assist the governmentby supporting the development effortsin the region.
It won’t take long before you realize that the damagedone and the price of repairs will only cost you more downthe road than you ever expected. In just a few short years,the value of a once-beautiful-home will be drastically reducedby thousands of dollars. You’ll stand there wondering, “Howdid it ever come to this?” “Where did we go wrong?” Silly isn’t it? I mean, who wouldn’t put some work intotheir home to maintain it, right? Wrong! We can all walkdown our neighborhood block and find that one home withthe gutter falling off and the grass two feet high. Maintaining your own home is not always glamorous orexciting… but it is always necessary. It’s a long-terminvestment and it takes work.
The problem many couples face is that they look at theirmarriage like rental property. There’s no long-terminvestment because there’s no long-term commitment. It’slike a one year lease agreement that has to be reconsideredevery 12 months. If the location is wrong, if the cost is toohigh, if the size is too big or small, if the career takes themaway, or if they just don’t like it….they simply walk awayand look for another place to take up residency. Hence the reason why many couples walk away from anotherwise workable marriage - their internal lease has expired.The agreement they made, in their mind, was negotiable.Although not verbally stated at their matrimonial ceremony,their promise of “for better or for worse… ‘till death us do
part” has limitations. So for many, getting out of a marriageagreement is as simple as walking away from a lease. Next, there’s maintenance on the rental property. Whenthe sewage backs up, who fixes it? When the garage doorneeds replaced, who replaces it? When the front door fallsoff the hinges, who repairs it? When the walls need painted,who paints them? It’s not the renter, it’s the property owner.There’s no long-term investment by the renters becausethere’s no life-time commitment. Renters have no intentionof living in the house forever. They rent for the sake of ease,convenience and flexibility. For the first seven years of our marriage, my wife and Irented four apartments. We enjoyed our flexibility. It waseasy to come and go as we pleased as we bounced betweenmilitary bases while I was a young enlisted man in the U.S.Army. We had no long-term commitment. In fact, wecould’ve walked away at any time and the only loss would’vebeen our deposit. In 1999 we purchased our first home, owning three homesaltogether, and currently leasing one of them. To pick upand move now is a headache… but we do it. It takes work(and a lot of it). You see, it’s more difficult to move aroundwhen you have more invested. It’s more complicated. There’smore to lose and more at stake. Think about your marriage. Are you a renter or an owner?Are you in it temporarily, or looking to live with your spousefor life? Invest in your marriage and it will stand the test oftime. Take this to heart and we’ll pick up where we left offnext month.
Marital Leasing?
Continued from page 13
15
Elated at the idea Ansari startedrambling off ideas with Roberts in a callfor a picture with Principe.
The tour consisted of the newsstudio, the editing room and then as anafterthought Ansari mentioned that healso had a radio station on the premises. Ansari beaming with pride asked ifthe group would like to see the radiostation. “We would love to see it,” Principesaid. Ansari guided the tour through thecourtyard populated by flowers to asmall building in the rear of thecompound. Inside the building there was alaptop computer set up along withsevera l smal l record ing andtransmitting devices. Ansari said that while thestation is small and has manydrawbacks t hey a r e s t i l lbroadcasting daily. The stationbroadcasts on 94.4 FM, and isable to reach out 60 kilometers asthe crow flies.
that they are a well trained and capableforce. The Scout Platoon and ANP QRFconducted several combined actionpatrols in reaction to INS activity inKunduz Province and recently the ScoutPlatoon and ANP QRF conducted amovement to contact in the AliabadDistrict in response to INS ambushesearlier in the day. The integrated force uprooted theenemy from their stronghold. The ANPQRF maneuvered and fired along with theScout Platoon throughout the operation.Their actions were indicative of a welltrained, brave and motivated force. The Scout Platoon recently movedto the ANP QRF facility in downtownKunduz. Johnson has been persistentin his effort to establish living facilitiesfor the Scout Platoon and so far theplatoon has sleeping quarters and a tentfor a command post. The Scout Platoon hopes to installair conditioner units, working showers,restrooms and fuel point in the nearfuture. Living at the facility will increasethe Scout Platoon’s ability to train andoperate with the ANP QRF. The Scout Platoon will continue topartner with the ANP QRF for theforeseeable future. IOT increasesecurity in Kunduz and BaghlanProvinces. These combined patrols are certainlyhelping to increase the security inKunduz Province. There is a lot of workto be done, but it is clear that the ANPQRF and Scout Platoon will have amajor influence in Kunduz Provinceover the year.
Upon returning to Ansari’s plush wellfurnished office and discussion returnedto Roberts idea of a weekly televisionshow. Ansari mentioned that severaltimes the Taliban has left night letters
at the station, threatening him and his
family. Ansari said he is not scared and asa journalist, “the pen is my weapon.”
Ansari related that while he wasin Germany as part of an AfghanCultural Exchange program for 12
days, his German counterpartssuggested that he stay and begranted asylum. Ansari refused their offer of help,“Afghanistan is my home,” he had toldthem. Eventually this meeting had to end, butfollowing meetings have already takenplace. Ideas have been refined andpolished in anticipation of a weeklynews program to involve Roberts,Chesna, various local counterparts,citizens and VIP guests. “We are Kunduz,” has been tabbedas the name of the show and the gearsare in motion, setting up the beginningof what will be a beautiful partnership.
QRFContinued from page 8
Radio/TVContinued from page 10
