WINTER 2004–05

SUPPORT

OUR TROOPS

WELCOME HOME WARRIOR — A TRIBUTE TO FREEDOM

Family Readiness Corner 

Update on Iraqi Freedom

RDO Training Emphasizes Taking Care of Soldiers

and Families
FAMILY READINESS CORNER

Army Reserve Family Program Office:

Building a ‘Ready’ Team . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Army Reserve Family Program Office

Reaches Out to the Families of

Mobilized IRR/IMA/UAU Soldiers. . . 17

UPDATE ON OPERATION 

IRAQI FREEDOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Army Reserve Unit to Speed Up 

Iraqi Army Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Anaconda Firefighters Respond 

to Tank Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Army Reserve Soldier Creates Cool

Refreshments for Desert Troops . . . . . 24

High-Flying Couple “Above It All” 

in Skies Over Iraq. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

A Future in Firefighting. 

Two Army Reserve Soldiers Look 

to Parlay Iraq Experiences, Duty 

into Tomorrow’s Job Market . . . . . . . . 28

“Better Watch Out...” 

Anaconda MPs Conducting Traffic

Safety Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

FEATURES

RDO Training Emphasizes Taking 

Care of Soldiers and Families . . . . . . . 32

Company Team Leader Development

Course Shapes Today’s Leaders . . . . . . 35

PEOPLE

SFC Dunlap Receives Secretary 

of the Army USAR 

RTNCO of the Year Award . . . . . . . . . 38

Winter 2004–05 ★ 3

Volume 50, Number 3

Army Reserve Magazine online: www.army.mil/usar

ON THE COVER

SSG Angela Barnhardt-Cole, a medic

from the 73rd Field Hospital in Tampa,

Fla., is welcomed home during the

homecoming ceremony for the 320th

MP Co. in St. Petersburg, Fla. (PHOTO BY

PAUL ADAMS)

Also on the cover: The yellow

ribbon symbolizes our commitment to honoring those of our

Army Reserve Soldiers who have fallen,

those who are missing, and those who are

serving around the globe. It will appear

on each issue until they all come home.

NEWS

Become an Army Reserve Recruiter.

New Assignments Now Available . . . . . 4

Reserve Promotions to Be Expedited . . 4

Army Reserve to Develop New Web

Communications Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Army Reserve Family 

Program Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Army One Source Update . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Prices Drop on AAFES Issue 

Uniform Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Wyoming Reserve Family 

Fund Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

OIF, OEF Soldiers to Receive 

Official Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

WELCOME HOME WARRIOR —

A TRIBUTE TO FREEDOM . . . . . . . . 8

Coming Home Heroes. 94th MP Co.

Soldiers Excel during Iraqi 

Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Magic Moments. 439th Quartermaster

Company Returns Home after 

15 Months In Iraq. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Sweet Homecoming for Port 

Operations Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Caring For the Injured. 

912th Forward Surgical Team 

Treats Sick and Injured . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Marriage Enrichment Training 

Helps Soldiers, Spouses . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

★

Army Reserve Magazine

is an authorized Department of

the Army publication, published

quarterly by the Chief, U.S. Army

Reserve, ATTN: DAAR-ZXP, 2400

Army Pentagon, Washington, DC

20310-2400 in accordance with

Section 10210, Title 10, USC. 

The Secretary of Defense has

determined that the publication

of this periodical is necessary 

in the transaction of public 

business as required by law. 

Use of funds for printing this

publication was approved 

by the Secretary of the Army 

on September 2, 1986, 

IAW provisions of AR 25–30. 

Opinions expressed herein 

do not necessarily reflect those 

of the Department of the Army 

or the Chief, Army Reserve, nor

should they be construed as official policy or directive in nature.

Local reproduction of all 

materials is approved, except for

copyrighted articles or photos.

MAGAZINE

ARMY RESERVE

Since 1954.

SUBMISSIONS • Army Reserve Magazine invites articles, story ideas, photographs, and other material of interest to members

of the U.S. Army Reserve. Manuscripts and other correspondence for the editor should be addressed to Commander, U.S. Army

Reserve Command, Attn: Public Affairs (ARM), 1401 Deshler Street, SW, Fort McPherson, GA 30330-2000, telephone 404-464-

8500 or dsn 367-8500. All e-mail submissions should go to usarmag@usarc-emh2.army.mil. All articles must be submitted

electronically or on disk or CD. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not be returned. Query by letter.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS • Do not write the magazine. TPU Soldiers should notify their Unit Administrator or Unit Clerk. Members

of the IRR and IMA should contact their Personnel Management Team at HRC-STL, 1 Reserve Way, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200.

AGRs should contact their PMO/PMNCO. Paid subscribers should forward their address change to the Superintendent of

Documents, Attn: Mail List Branch SSOM, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Special military distribution recipients may write the editor directly.

SUBSCRIPTIONS • Army Reserve Magazine is distributed free of charge to members of the United States Army Reserve.

Circulation is approximately 450,000. Paid subscriptions are available for $14.00 per year domestic, $19.60 foreign. Single

copy price is $5.50 domestic, $7.70 foreign. Mail a personal check or money order payable to the Superintendent of Documents

to: New Orders, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or fax your order to 202-512-2233.

Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

7

2 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

9 22 40

LTG James R. Helmly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief, Army Reserve

CSM Michele Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Command Sergeant Major of the Army Reserve

COL Geoff Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director, U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs

Paul R. Adams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor, Army Reserve Magazine

Design Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Madison Design Group

WW II Veteran Receives Awards 

for War Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

AROUND THE GLOBE

Afghan Command Stands Up . . . . . . . 39

American, European Soldiers 

Participate in International Patrol

Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Bulgarian Exercise Prepares 

Germany-based Army Reserve Unit 

for Deployment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Army Reserve Soldiers Support 

Major Exercise in Baltic Nations. . . . . 42

American Samoa Army Reserve 

Soldiers Answer Call To Duty . . . . . . . 43

Bridge Connects Nations. . . . . . . . . . . 45

GETTING BACK TO WORK

Dos and Don’ts for Returning 

to Your Civilian Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Know Your Employment and

Reemployment Rights &

Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

INSIDE BACK COVER

Welcome Home Message from the

Chief, Army Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

BACK COVER

SPC Thomas Relation, 362nd MP Co.,

Halts a Vehicle at the Traffic Control

Point in Balad, Iraq. (PHOTO BY MSG JACK

GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S.

ARMY RESERVE COMMAND) 
NEWS

Winter 2004–05 ★ 5

approval process for posthumous promotions. Finally, this Executive Order

makes the approval process for Reserve

officer promotions nearly identical to

that of Active Duty promotions. 

ARMY RESERVE TO DEVELOP

NEW WEB COMMUNICATIONS

STRATEGY

By Dawn Leijon

CAR Staff Group

Office, Chief Army Reserve

The Army Reserve is changing how 

it uses the internet. The Strategic

Communications team, along with

Army Reserve Public Affairs and the

Enterprise Services Activity (ESA), 

are implementing a new Web

Communications Strategy which was

approved by the Chief, Army Reserve in

August, 2003. The goal of the strategy is

to improve communications with the

Army Reserve’s two distinct audiences

— internal (Soldiers, families, employees) and external (media, legislators,

general public) — by delivering the

right information, the right level of

detail, the right tools, the right security,

and the right navigation for each team.

The strategy involves three 

phases. The first phase, completed 

in 2003, was to repurpose

http://www.army.mil/usar as a 

“corporate site” delivering strategic

messages to external audiences. Phase

II, currently in progress, will expand 

the corporate site to include unit-level 

information appropriate for external

audiences. Phase III, which will be

started in 2005, will create a single, 

password-protected extranet site 

ccessible by all Army Reserve Soldiers,

families, and employees. The goal of the

extranet is to allow users to share documents, collaborate, access information

and communicate up, down and across

the organization, any time, from any

internet connection.

The Army Reserve will benefit from the

new strategy in a number of ways — a

more professional and consistent presence on the web; reduced cost of web

design and maintenance; increased

security and privacy; and better communications with its key audiences.

Soldiers and commanders will also

benefit by getting a fast and easy way 

to share private information and post

announcements for their units; access 

to personal information like medical

records, training seats, and travel

orders; and a powerful search engine

that can search the title and content of

any Microsoft document posted on the 

site. More details will be published in

upcoming issues of Army Reserve

Magazine.

ARMY RESERVE FAMILY

PROGRAM UPDATE

Army One Source: What is it?

Army One Source is a Soldier and

family resource program to help service

members and their families run their

lives more smoothly.

The service is private and offered 24

hours a day, seven days a week. It offers

a real person to talk to when you need

help or an answer to a question; an

award winning Web site with online

articles, workshops, locators, and selfassessments; pre-paid booklets, audio

recordings, and other materials to help

get the answers needed in the format

wanted; and referrals to resources, services, and support in the community.

For information, visit Army 

One Source Online at 

http://www.armyonesource.com

(user id: army; password: onesource).

BECOME AN ARMY RESERVE

RECRUITER

New Assignments Now Available

Public Affairs Office 

Human Resources Command–St. Louis

T

he Army Reserve’s Active Guard

Reserve (AGR) program is a growth

industry — seeking 400 additional

enlisted Soldiers in fiscal year 2005 to

fill the ranks of its recruiter positions

located at stations throughout the

country. Many of the positions are 

new assignments recently added to 

the AGR program. 

For those Soldiers already in the AGR

program, the assignments will be threeyear detailed recruiter positions. These

Soldiers will retain their original military occupational specialty for future

assignments. Soldiers who are newly

hired into the AGR recruiter program

will hold the recruiter designation as

their primary specialty.

Those who are accepted into the AGR

Recruiter program will attend the sevenweek Army Recruiter Course at Fort

Jackson, S.C.

“We are looking for those Soldiers who

want to volunteer to take on the challenging mission of those in recruiting,”

said SFC Gabriel Fierro, recruiting

program noncommissioned officer, 

with the Army Reserve Active Duty

Management Directorate at U.S. Army

Human Resources Command–St. Louis

(HRC–STL). “We work hard to place

our volunteers where they want to be.”

Fierro served as an AGR detailed

recruiter from 1997 to 2000. “I loved 

it,” he said of recruiting. “If you really

think about it, how many jobs can you

hold where you can go out knowing that

you are changing someone’s entire life?”

“As a recruiter, you have a direct influence on someone’s perspective, future,

and ambition,” Fierro explained. “It is

the greatest feeling when you work with

someone and put them into the military

because you know how far they can go.”

Fierro said one of his greatest memories

from recruiting was an invitation he

received to put sergeant’s stripes on 

the second person he had brought into

the military. 

Beyond the intangible benefits, which

come with the job, he points out that

there are many other benefits to becoming an AGR recruiter. They include:

★Promotion potential — AGR

recruiter positions are E-7s or sergeants first class. This gives those

who succeed the opportunity to be

promoted to this level. 

★Special Duty Assignment Pay —

$450 is paid monthly to AGR

recruiters. 

★Location Options — For many

Soldiers, recruiting offers many more

assignment possibilities (geographically) than they would otherwise have

access to. 

★Reenlistment Bonus — On 16 Nov

04 the Assistant Secretary of the

Army for Manpower and Reserve

Affairs approved the implementation

of a Selective Reenlistment Bonus

(SRB) for AGR enlisted Soldiers. 

Fierro recognized that the hours can be

long and the work can be demanding,

but being a recruiter is a great place for

someone who has served in the field and

is now placed in a unique position to

help, guide, and mentor others.

“People who have been in theater and

know the good stories and the whole

truth about the great things our military

does can be very effective recruiters,”

Fierro said. “They can share what

they’ve learned with new recruits. A

good recruiter helps someone realize

their potential and what they can

achieve in the military,” he said.

To learn more about how to become a

detailed or newly hired AGR recruiter,

visit the following pages on the AGR

section of the U.S. Army Human

Resources Command–St. Louis

(HRC–STL) Web site:

https://www.hrc.army.mil

For current AGR Soldiers:

Visit Army Reserve section of 

HRC Web site

For Army Reserve Troop Program Unit

and Active Army Soldiers:

Visit Army Reserve section of 

HRC Web site

Not familiar with AGR? 

The Active Guard Reserve Program

supports and enhances the mobilization readiness of the Army Reserve.

AGR Soldiers serve full time and

enjoy the same benefits and entitlements as Active Duty Soldiers,

including full commissary and post

exchange privileges, medical care 

for themselves and their immediate

family, and the opportunity for retirement after 20 years of Active Service.

Soldiers serving within the AGR

Program are stationed worldwide in

positions directly supporting the

Army Reserve. 

For more information about the 

AGR program, visit the AGR section

of the HRC-STL Web site at

https://www.hrc.army.mil. Click on

Reserve and follow the links to AGR. 

RESERVE PROMOTIONS 

TO BE EXPEDITED 

A new Executive Order will now allow

the Reserve Component to be more

closely aligned with their Active Duty

counterparts. This new Order will expedite the current processing of Reserve

Officer Appointments. Reserve officers

now selected for promotion to the grade

of lieutenant colonel or commander and

below will enjoy the same speed of

approval as the active duty component

with authority being delegated to the

Secretary of Defense. Additionally, this

Executive Order will speed up the 

4 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

NEWS

News Briefs

The goal of the strategy 

is to improve 

communications with 

the Army Reserve’s 

two distinct audiences —

internal and external.

ARMY ONE

SOURCE UPDATE

The log in process for Army One Source

(AOS) has been simplified. All log in

questions except unit/location have 

been removed. Once users identify their

military service (Army, Navy, Air Force,

Marine Corps) and their unit, they go

automatically to the One Source Web

page where they can view content, 

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), 

use financial calculators, links, and 

participate in the weekly poll.

If users want to go beyond that to 

interactions such as e-mail a consultant,

download materials, participate in a

monitored chat, etc., they will be

prompted to enter the User ID and 

password.

After entering the User ID and password,

users can either personalize their One

Source or go back to the homepage

where they will have full interactive

access to One Source. 

You can access Army One Source 24 hours

a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

➔ Online at: 

http://www.armyonesource.com 

(user id: army; password: onesource) 

➔ Or by telephone at: 

United States toll-free: 

800-464-8107 

International toll-free: 

800-464-81077 / International

collect: 484-530-5884

(Use appropriate access codes 

when placing international calls

dialing all digits)

TTY/TDD: 800-346-9188

In Spanish: 800-375-5971

‘‘

’’
NEWS

Winter 2004–05 ★ 7

PRICES DROP ON AAFES ISSUE 

UNIFORM ITEMS 

By CPT Diane Weed

HQ AAFES Public Affairs

Prices for most issue uniform items sold

at AAFES Military Clothing Sales Stores

(MCSS) will be decreasing on October 1. 

The annual Defense Supply Center

Philadelphia price changes will go into

effect and the overall prices for issue

items will drop by a little more than one

percent. “This year, the temperate battle

dress uniform coats and the Air Force

men’s and women’s lightweight jackets

are the only items with any significant

price increase — and that increase is less

than $4 per item,” said Hazel Green,

DSCP planner at headquarters AAFES.

AAFES never makes a profit on DSCP

items since they’re always sold at cost. 

So any price decreases, or conversely

increases, are determined by the DSCP

and passed along to the customers via

AAFES stores.

The DSCP is the sole military supply

source for issue merchandise. DSCP

items sold by AAFES made up 57 percent

of the total MCSS’ sales in fiscal year

2003. In addition to DSCP items, AAFES

offers higher-quality optional items in

order to give customers more choices. On

the other end of the spectrum, AAFES

offers Exchange Select insignia products

that sell for 30 to 60 percent less than

name-brand equivalents. 

“If you can’t find what you are looking

for, let your MCSS manager know so

they can get the item you need. Our

MCSS managers have a great network

and cross-level merchandise everyday 

to take care of their customers’ needs,”

said David Lumbley, Divisional

Merchandise Manager for MCSS.

The MCSS concept was established by a

Congressional charter for the Air Force

in the mid 70s and for the Army in 1981.

Today AAFES runs 192 MCSSs: 100 for

the Army, 88 for the Air Force, and four

for the United States Marine Corps.

WYOMING RESERVE FAMILY

FUND AVAILABLE

Since the Gulf War, the Department of

Defense has downsized active duty forces

some 35 percent. Consequently, there is a

greater reliance on the Reserve components.

More Reserve members were called up and

served in support of this nation in 2003

than in any year since World War II. The

Pentagon projects that over the next 3–5

years it will require between 100,000 to

150,000 Guard and Reserve members to

support ongoing military operations.

The increasing frequency of these 

call-ups has been a challenge for some

members who make considerably less

pay in the military than in their civilian

jobs. This has left some of their families

in tight financial situations, forcing them

to struggle to pay bills while their loved

ones fight on behalf of the country. 

Army Reserve Ambassador Tom Walsh

from Wyoming wanted to support our

Soldiers and their families during this

time of stress in their lives. In his role as

an Ambassador, Walsh is a civilian volunteer who promotes awareness of the Army

Reserve and the goals and objectives of

the Chief, Army Reserve. He and other

Ambassadors are appointed by the Chief

of the Army Reserve and serves as his

eyes, ears, and voice in their communities. 

Being an Ambassador made Walsh 

sensitive to the fact that there are over

312,000 dependents of citizen Soldiers

nationwide who have plenty to worry

about when their loved ones are stationed

on the frontlines in the Global War on

Terrorism. Since he also serves as a

Wyoming State Representative, Walsh

successfully sponsored a Wyoming

Legislature bill to make it easier for

Wyoming families to cope while their

breadwinner is off to war. The bill created

a $5 million trust fund, which will be used

to help qualifying families with special

financial needs. The bill passed into

Wyoming Law during the 57th Wyoming

Legislature and demonstrates the public

cares for our Reserve members and their

families as they adjust to the new reality 

of modern war, according to Walsh.

The fund is available to all members of

the military from Wyoming (including

Reserve, Guard, and Active Duty troops).

Dependents and military members submit their request for assistance through

the Wyoming Military Department and

may access the fund for help with car

payments, heater repairs, food bills,

medical expenses, etc. This fund has

already provided over $300,000 to

Wyoming families.

Walsh, a proud volunteer member of 

the 96th Regional Readiness Command

says, “it is the right thing to do to

support our fighting citizen warriors 

by helping them with family financial

situations during the deployment.”

During the 58th Wyoming Legislature,

Walsh will work to increase the trust

fund from $5 million to $10 million.

In appreciation of his support, the

Soldiers and airmen of the National

Guard Association of the United States

recently awarded Walsh the Patrick

Henry National Award.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR

CITIZEN-WARRIORS

The Ronald W. Reagan National

Defense Authorization Act for FY 2005

(HR 4200/PL 108-375) recognizes the

contributions of Army Reserve Soldiers

in a number of ways. It modifies enlistment bonus eligibility and amounts for

Selected Reserve, Ready Reserve, and

prior service Soldiers, offers incentive

bonuses for Army Reserve Soldiers 

converting to Military Occupational

Specialties (MOS) that are in demand,

increases the Imminent Danger 

Special Pay and the Family Separation

Allowance, and provides extended

medical care coverage through

TRICARE for Soldiers who are 

released from active duty status. 

A summary of these benefits are 

located on the USAR public website

(http://www4.army.mil/USAR/Soldiers/

updates.php) under “Updates”.

Heroes are remembered for an overwhelming display of

courage during a significant event in time. Warriors are

remembered for their many sacrifices and endurance

demonstrated on the battlefield over a period of time. Army

Reserve Soldiers who participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom

and Operation Enduring Freedom earned the title “Warrior

Citizen.”

To honor them, a long-awaited, well-deserved program for all

Army Reserve Soldiers who served in the Global War on Terror

was recently approved by the U.S. Congress and President

George W. Bush. “The Welcome Home Warrior-Citizen Award

Program provides an appropriate, timely, and enduring

memento to Soldiers and their families” said COL Mark M.

Earley, Army Reserve G-1. “Through this program, we convey in

a small way our Nation’s gratitude for their selfless service 

and sacrifice in support of the Global War on Terror.” 

Each Army Reserve Soldier who has answered the Nation’s call

will be presented an encased American

flag, a specially-designed commemorative coin and certificate, a lapel pin set

for the Soldier and spouse, and a

‘Welcome Home Warrior-Citizen’ flag.

The first units scheduled to receive 

the award packages will be those 

first deployed for Operation Enduring

Freedom. The Army Reserve expects 

to award 70,000 Soldiers by the end 

of the fiscal year. In time, every 

Army Reserve Soldier who served in 

support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 

and Operation Enduring Freedom will

receive this special recognition award. 

These awards will be presented 

at ceremonies throughout the

country upon the Army Reserve

Soldiers’ return home. The

Commander and Command

Sergeant Major of each Regional Readiness Command

(RRC), Direct Reporting Unit

(DRU), and Division (IT/TS) will

plan and host the ceremonies 

for their respective units. The 

ceremonies will be open to families, employers, co-workers, 

community leaders, elected officials and the media. 

“It is a fitting tribute for a job well done” added Earley. 

6 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

NEWS

WELCOME HOME WARRIORS!

President and Congress Approve Special Recognition Program 

for Army Reserve Soldiers

[Top] Encased American flag.

[Above] Design of the Welcome Home Warrior

Citizen Flag.

[Left] Design of the Commemorative Coin, front. 

Also, used for Lapel Pin.
Winter 2004–05 ★ 9

“One hundred sixty-six Soldiers deployed, 166 Soldiers

returned,” repeated 1SG Dennis P. Mawn, 94th MP Co.’s first

sergeant. “Five hundred ninety-six days later, here we are.” He

went on to highlight the accomplishments of the unit during its

time away from home, first to Fort Polk, La., then to Iraq.

The unit was first mobilized in early December 2002, deploying

166 Soldiers in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from

Dec. 5, 2002 to April 20, 2003. They completed mobilization

training at Fort Drum, N.Y. and performed Law Enforcement

Operations at Fort Polk. 

On April 20, 2003, the Company

deployed from Fort Polk to

support Operation Iraqi

Freedom. Upon arrival in Iraq,

the unit provided direct support

to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. In October 2003, the

unit transitioned to provide general support to the 82nd

Airborne Division. 

During their time in Iraq, the unit’s Soldiers performed every

type of mission Military Police are asked to do: completing over

1,500 combat missions, traveling over 400,000 miles, operating

out of 12 different base camps, processing over 3,500 Enemy

Prisoners of War, and training over 6,000 recruits of the Iraqi

police force.

COMING HOME HEROES

94th MP Soldiers Excel During Iraq Deployment

By Linda A. Jeleniewski and David Watson

94th RRC Public Affairs Office

As thunderous cheers erupted throughout the JFK Coliseum in

Manchester N.H., Aug.4, the 94th Military Police Company, 

one of the longest serving units in Iraq, marched in formation

onto center stage before 1,000 family members, friends, and

politicians.

Their arrival was presaged by several activities which 

heightened the crowd’s desires to see their loved ones. 

First, dignitaries including New Hampshire Governor Craig

Benson; Senator Judd Gregg (R-N.H.); Congressman Jeb 

Bradley (R-N.H. District One);

Congressman Charles Bass, II

(R-N.H. District Two); Robert

Baines, mayor of Manchester,

N.H.; Bishop John McCormack;

New Hampshire U.S. Army

Reserve Ambassador James A.

Normand; MG Dennis J. Laich, commander; CSM Gerald

Latham, 94th Regional Readiness Command (RRC); and COL

David Gray, commander, 655th Area Support Group (ASG)

filed in and took their seats. Then, the New Hampshire Police

Association Pipe and Drum Corps marched in playing reels of

bagpipe, drum, and fife music, thrilling everyone with their

precise movements and sounds. The Vermont National Guard’s

40th Army Band added the finishing touches to the homecoming event, as they performed military homage to include

Honors to the Nation. 

8 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

A

rmy Reserve Soldiers who have served in defense of America 

and for the cause of freedom in Operations Iraqi Freedom and

Enduring Freedom are coming home in large numbers. For their

service, professionalism, and patriotism, America is welcoming home

these warriors in a true tribute to their success and commitment.

Family Members of the 94th

Military Police Company react

after seeing the Soldiers file

into the center of the JFK

Coliseum in Manchester, N.H.

The 94th MP Co., is one of the

longest deployed Army Reserve

units — 17 months — 

supporting the Global War 

on Terror in Iraq.

“There are scoreboards located at each end of 

this stadium. If they were working, they would read:

Saddam Hussein–0, 94th MPs–1.”

Welcome Home Warrior —

A TRIBUTE TO

FREEDOM PHOTO: LINDA A. JELENIEWSKI

Anthony Siraco (L) hands a flag and wind catcher to Tyler Pepin, 3, Allenstown, N.H., as he

enters the JFK Coliseum in Manchester, N.H. Pepin attended the 94th Military Police

Company’s homecoming Aug.4, to see his father, SGT Christopher Pepin, after almost two

years deployment in Iraq.

PHOTO: LINDA A. JELENIEWSKI
10 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

MAGIC MOMENTS

439th Quartermaster Company Returns Home 

after 15 Months in Iraq

By Eric J. Hurwitz

94th RRC Public Affairs Office

439th Quartermaster Company Soldiers may have driven petroleum in Iraq, but what “fueled” them even more was the

800-plus family and friends greeting them late at night at a

welcome home ceremony on Aug. 4, at the New Haven Athletic

Center in New Haven, Conn.

After nearly 15 months and two extensions in Iraq, the 439th

QM Co., marched proudly into the Athletic Center to the melodious tones of the 94th Army Band and the overwhelming roar

of the audience. It was the moment everyone in the building was

waiting for, as Soldiers and families could barely wait to get

through the ceremony and into each other’s arms. Smaller ceremonies also took place around the same time with 439th QM Co.

Detachment One and cross-leveled 947th Quartermaster

Company Soldiers in Brockton, Mass., and Portsmouth, N.H.,

respectively. 

At the New Haven event, Virginia Plummer was alone and

crying, finally seeing her 58-year husband Norman, a grandfather, back from the deployment. “I’m so happy,” she said, before

quickly going silent.

A few feet away from Plummer, Kailee O’Rourke jumped up and

down, saying “Yea, yea!” many times as she held a sign as big as

her, welcoming her father, SPC Craig O’Rourke, back home.

“There are scoreboards located at each end of this stadium. 

If they were working, they would read: Saddam Hussein–0, 

94th MPs–1,” said Laich, as the audience exploded with loud

applause and boisterous shouts of approval. 

“Although they [94th MP Soldiers] completed over 443,000

miles, their mission is not complete,” Laich said. He continued, explaining that once all the Soldiers were

re-integrated with their families and their communities,

then their mission will be complete. “You’ve left a huge gap

in your families,” he added. “A gap you need to fill. It will

be a tough road.”

CPT David M. Bentley, unit commander of the 94th MP Co.,

said that 20 months of active duty — 15 in a combat zone —

wasn’t an easy task. He contended that their greatest 

accomplishment was not all of the missions completed, but

rather the fact that they took care of each other and worked to

ensure every Soldier in the unit returned home safely. 

As MG Laich awarded Purple Hearts to the five Soldiers that

suffered injuries in the Global War on Terrorism, the crowd

remained silent as the recipients’ families joined the ceremony. 

“I’m so proud of him,” said Arthur B. Titcomb Jr., of his grandson SPC Justin B. Titcomb, as Justin’s father, Arthur B.

Titcomb III stood by and watched with heightened emotions as

his son received his decoration. 

Originally scheduled to redeploy to their home station in April

2004, the unit’s deployment was extended for 120 days due to a

surge in enemy activity that critically severed the flow of 

supplies to Soldiers still fighting in Iraq. The unit was tasked 

to provide security to civilian and military logistical 

convoys moving supplies to Soldiers. During the extended 

120 days, the company completed 43 missions

and traveled an additional 40,000 miles.

Family members waited impatiently throughout

the coliseum, as the 94th RRC Color Guard

retired the colors, nervously waiting to be

reunited with their loved ones.

“I was incredibly pleased to hear that the

members of the 94th Military Police

Company, based out of Londonderry, were

finally back on American soil,” said

Congressman Jeb Bradley as he addressed 

the audience. “The sacrifices of the men

and women of the 94th and their families

waiting at home are truly heroic.” 

Winter 2004–05 ★ 11

SWEET HOMECOMING FOR PORT 

OPERATIONS UNITS

By Patti Bielling, Public Affairs Specialist

SDDC Operations Center, Fort Eustis, Va.

Homecoming was sweet for the Soldiers in two Surface

Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) transportation units who spent a year working port operations in Kuwait.

Members of the 1181st Transportation Terminal Battalion,

Meridian, Miss., and the 91st Cargo Documentation

Detachment, Fort Eustis, Va., were welcomed back home in a

formal ceremony June 7. The Soldiers are among 1,900 Reserve

Soldiers mobilized to support

SDDC in Operation Enduring

Freedom and Operation Iraqi

Freedom.

The two units helped manage and direct the movement of more

than 149,000 pieces of cargo on more than 150 vessel loads at the

port of Ash Shuaiba, Kuwait, according to SFC John Temple,

the 91st’s commander.

Among those greeting the returning Soldiers was COL Robert

Askey, chief of SDDC’s Plans, Readiness, and Mobilization

Directorate.

During the ceremony, 439th QM Co. Company Commander

Timothy Consedine looked tired, but overcame the long day and

deployment by spiritedly saying, “Thirteen million gallons of

fuel (used) and 17 months away set us apart from the rest. I am

proud of serving with these guys!”

BG Bruce Zukauskas, 94th Regional Readiness Command

deputy commanding general, said, “They pumped fuel day and

night and did it under extreme conditions, at 140, 150

degrees... We are all proud of what you did.”

“Never forget you are freedom’s guardian’s,” added Zukauskas,

looking directly at the entire 439th QM Co. 

The 439th QM Co.’s mission in Iraq was to receive, store, and

transfer bulk petroleum to divisional and non-divisional units.

They initially deployed to Fort Drum, N.Y., in February 2003,

with an ultimate destination to Iraq shortly afterwards. With

the two extensions, the 439th QM Co. represents one of the

longer Army Reserve deployments. In the past two years, the

439th QM Co. also transferred several Soldiers to assist other

deployed units supporting the war against terrorism. They

include the 325th Transportation Co., of Brockton, Mass., the

804th Medical Brigade, of Ayer, Mass., the 368th Engineer

Battalion, of Londonderry, N.H., and the 325th Military

Intelligence Battalion, of East Windsor, Conn.

At the welcome home ceremony, politicians were on hand to

support the 439th QM Soldiers, including Senator Christopher

Dodd (D-Conn.), Frank Rowe representing Senator Jospeh

Lieberman (D-Conn.), Stanley Welch representing

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), and K. Robert

Lewis, representing Congressman Rob Simmons (R-Conn.).

“I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of you,” said Dodd.

“I know this has been a difficult time. Know that your commitment and duty to your country was performed with

distinction. Your return speaks to tremendous sacrifices.

Welcome home!”

After the ceremony, family and friends sprinted in Carl Lewis

form to be with their loved ones. Russell Easton immediately

proposed to SPC Tara Dwyer

(she said “yes”). Kailee

O’Rourke happily put down her

welcome home sign to be

embrace her dad. SGT David

Bassett found a relatively quiet corner of the Athletic Complex

to be with his wife and seven-month-old baby. He seemed at

peace, contrary to the instability he experienced overseas.

“It’s great to be home, I really can’t explain it,” said Bassett. “It

was tough over there, but we expected it. Glad to be home!”

Four-year-old Kailee O’Rourke welcomes home 

her father, SGT Craig O’Rourke.

Russell Easton proposed to SPC Tara Dwyer at the 439th

QM Co. welcome home ceremony. She said “Yes!”

PHOTO: ERIC J. HURWITZ

PHOTO: ERIC J. HURWITZ

Back home formation: The 1181st Transportation Terminal Battalion and the 

91st Cargo Documentation Detachment stand in formation June 7 at a formal return 

ceremony at Fort Eustis, Va.

PHOTO: PATTI BIELLING, PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST, SDDC OPERATIONS CENTER, FORT EUSTIS, VA

After the ceremony, family and friends sprinted in

Carl Lewis form to be with their loved ones.
12 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“This has been a long and hard deployment, but it just validated

us as one of the best, if not the best, port operators in the

nation,” said Moore.

Both the 1181st and 91st became part of history March 2 when

they moved cargo simultaneously on five Military Sealift

Command ships at Ash Shuaiba.

The ships included four Large,

Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Rolloff vessels, USNS Sisler, USNS

Fisher, USNS Red Cloud, and

USNS Mendonca and the Fast

Sealift Ship USNS Antares. 

Three of the Large, MediumSpeed, Roll-on/Roll-off vessels were discharging and a fourth

was loading. This sets a record for the number of Nimitz-size

ships actively working at any port at one time.

In addition, the USNS Antares was discharging cargo at

the port.

The shipments were part of more than 300 vessel operations

conducted by the Surface Deployment and Distribution

Command between December and May. The shipments are the

biggest since World War II.

CARING FOR THE INJURED

912th Forward Surgical Team Treats Sick and Injured

By Eric J. Hurwitz

94th RRC Public Affairs Office

For a small unit, the 912th Medical Forward Surgical Team

(FST) had one big mission and one large homecoming ceremony.

The 912th deployed 17 Soldiers in mid-February 2003, spending

over a year — including one 180-day extension and one 120-day

extension — supporting the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq.

Attached to the 1st Armored Division, they remained in theater

longer than any other Reserve or Active Army FST. 

The extended time away made the welcome home ceremony

that much sweeter. The 912th FST Soldiers returned home to

Worcester, Mass., on July 24 to approximately 400 enthusiastic

family members and friends. Arriving nearly an hour earlier

than expected from Fort Dix, N.J., families and friends reunited

before the official reunion ceremony.

“These Soldiers are the first from SDDC, active or reserve,

to pull the full 365 days boots-on-the-ground in theater,”

said Askey.

“They traveled far from home and family to serve their country.

Their role was invaluable to mission success.”

Families were happy to see 

their returning Soldiers.

Jeannette Williams and her

family drove 14 hours from

Meridian, Miss., to greet 

her husband, SFC Milford

Williams.

“I was six months pregnant with Mia when he was mobilized,”

Jeannette Williams said. “On the night of June 3, the unit left

for Kuwait and I had Mia the next morning.”

One-year-old Mia Williams quickly became reacquainted

with her father, who saw her for the first time when he returned

home on leave in August 2003. 

Also on hand to greet the Soldiers was Mabel Taylor-Temple,

wife of the 91st commander.

Taylor-Temple, an Army Reserve Soldier who has served in

Afghanistan, knows first-hand the importance of the Army’s

mission in Southwest Asia.

“I know that the Iraqi people appreciate us there, but it seems

like the American people only see the bad things,” she said. “We

have built schools for girls in Afghanistan, and we’re feeding

the people and distributing items to children in Iraq. I know in

my heart that what we’re doing is good, and we do it well.”

As the Soldiers made the final steps to return to civilian life, an

1181st member, MAJ Wilmer Moore, summarized the unit’s

work in the past 18 months and 17 days.

“The 1181st was the first Reserve unit mobilized in the first

Gulf War,” said Moore, a Reserve officer who was assimilated

into the SDDC as a public affairs officer. “The unit is known as

being one of the most effective within SDDC.

“Four days after 9/11 we were loading ships in Charleston, S.C.,

and during this time we had a pretty good feeling it wouldn’t be

too long before we received the call for a longer period,” said

Moore, who in civilian life is the director of housing and residence life at Meridian Community College.

The 1181st conducted SDDC’s first load out for Operation Iraqi

Freedom with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force out of San

Diego in March 2002.

“We have built schools for girls in Afghanistan, and

we’re feeding the people and distributing items 

to children in Iraq. I know in my heart 

that what we’re doing is good, and we do it well.”

[Right] Home at Last. SPC Alexander Zale, 912th Forward Surgical Team (FST) 

Soldier, is all smiles after returning home from Iraq at the Worcester Reserve Center. 

Hugging him is Zale’s mother, Ellen and his girlfriend Aimie Costello, of 

South Hadley, Mass. (PHOTO: ERIC J. HURWITZ)
14 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 15

with his mother-in-law and having a weekend away with his wife.

Brenda has a master’s degree in counseling and psychology, and

already knew some of the PREP

principles.

About the course, Richard said

that there’s always something

more to learn — a catch phrase

printed on the cover of the PREP workbook.

But in reality, this very together couple still wanted to work on

some issues.

“She’s always paid the bills,” Richard said. “When she messes

up, all I can do is ‘yell.’ I want to help; I want a more proactive role.”

“I had to stop making assumptions (in the speaker-listener exercise) and listen to what he’s saying,” said Brenda.

Jim and Rosalyn Fleming have been married 35 years. Their

kids are grown and on their own. It’s just the two of them 

at home. 

When asked if after 35 years of marriage there was anything left

to learn from such a course, Jim said that it was very enlightening and that they will take the information and use it to their

advantage to build a stronger relationship.

“You think you’ve got it all down,” Rosalyn said. “You don’t

argue, you don’t fight, you do everything together, but you don’t

talk. You do everything for others, but you need to take time for

each other.

“Since Jim came back from Iraq, I’ve decided we’re going to

spend one weekend a month doing something together,

whether walking on the beach holding hands or talking. It’s a

commitment because if you’re home, you’re distracted by all

the things you think you should be doing. Here at MET, that

can’t happen. It’s like it was for us 37 years ago (when they

were dating).

“Friendship,” she said. “It all comes back to the need to keep

the friendship and the friend together. We don’t take the time

to just talk — don’t look at each other and talk without talking

about work, the house, kids, cats and it’s just the two of us! 

It’s kind of scary! We found we had to take off our glasses to

better see each other because you can’t see each other close up

with bifocals!”

The parting wisdom for the couples from MET is that you can’t

‘have it all,’ but you can choose to cherish and nurture what you

want most in your marriage. It’s your choice how much you will

put into your relationship.

All demobilized Soldiers are eligible to attend the course which

is paid for by the Army. A similar course elsewhere would cost

a minimum of $500. A MET is scheduled once a month within

the 70th Regional Readiness

Command three-state area. 

Eleven couples attended this

MET, ranging from engaged

couples, to recently married

couples, those who had been married for some time and one

couple who had been married 35 years.

All of the Soldiers attending had recently returned from tours

in Iraq with the 671st Engineer Company of Portland, Ore., and

one from A Co., 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, Fort

Lewis, Wash.

One of the three engaged couples that attended, Catherine

Carnochan and Greg Edwards, have been engaged for a little

over a year. They both felt that what they had learned would

help them in their upcoming marriage.

“I was skeptical, at first,” Edwards said. “I knew it was something I should do, but that I really don’t want to do; but now

I’ve come and it has a lot of value I didn’t expect.”

How well it will work, according to Carnochan, will “depend on

the couple, how much they are willing to work. People who

come to the course can take this and use it to their advantage to

build a strong relationship.”

Sam and Lori Caraballo were recently married, after the 671st

returned from the desert. 

“I am grateful that I came and can see that other couples have

the same communication problems. Some days I feel that we are

the only couple that fights the way we do...that we are abnormal,” Sam said.

“We’re still getting to know each other,” Lori said. “His going

to Iraq forced us to communicate in a different way to resolve

issues. Now that we’re face-to-face again, what we had become

accustomed to has turned 180 degrees!”

“This is definitely a beginning,” Sam said. “If we take two out

of six lessons and apply them in the next three fights, it will

make a huge improvement.”

“This will force us to drop our weapons,” Lori said, “and get to

the heart of the other person.”

Brenda and Richard Karr have been married 8 years and have

“three kids and a dog,” according to Richard.

He found the training informative and fun and it facilited good

communication skills. It also had the plus of leaving the kids

MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT TRAINING 

HELPS SOLDIERS, SPOUSES

By Pam Garrison

70th Regional Readiness Command

The couple sat facing, staring into each other’s eyes, a square

yellow card held by the husband. He was explaining his point

of view while she strained not to interject and didn’t succeed.

He tapped her gently on the nose with the card. Then they

burst out laughing at their difficulty in trying to communicate

in this fashion. 

Obviously, this structured

method of discussion was not

what they were accustomed to.

This speaker-listener exercise

was part of the 70th Regional

Readiness Command’s Marriage

Enrichment Training (MET)

held in Portland, Ore., the

weekend of Sept. 24–26. The course, which is based on the

Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), is

a part of the Concept Plan for Soldiers being demobilized. 

It is a high priority for Soldiers and their spouses in hopes of

“assisting them with reintegration, reunion, and communication which will help them more effectively deal with issues,”

according to a recent 70th RRC memorandum of instruction.

“I believe our MET training is an outstanding opportunity for

couples to reintegrate and reform their marriage commitment

and skills after a long deployment. The Army Reserve is dedicating large resources to provide a wonderful weekend retreat,”

said Chaplain (COL) Berris Samples, command chaplain, 

70th RRC.

“Very few couples have ever received marriage enrichment and

communication skills education and our PREP program is the

best in the country. My goal is for every eligible couple in the

70th to receive benefit from this,” Samples added.

“It’s wonderful, just wonderful,” said 912th Commander COL

Leanne Chabior 57, alongside a smiling husband, Richard.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment,” said Richard Chabior.

“It is wonderful!”

The 912th FST’s mission in Iraq was to provide a rapidly

deployable urgent, initial surgical service forward in a

Division’s Area of Operations.

Staffed with highly trained clinical personnel, the 912th FST

has the capacity of sustaining “golden hour,” a treatment of

casualties for up to 36 continuous hours, in the combat theater

of operations before retrofitting

and re-supplying. While in

Iraq, the 912th FST gave

mostly surgical care for life,

limb, and eyesight, treating

more than 1,800 patients

between August and September

2003 alone.

“There’s no way to describe it

— I’ve been a nurse in (civilian) hospitals, but never saw it like

that — the medical support we provided day after day” said

CPT Lynda Perry, 55, an operating room nurse. “I never saw

that many injured people in (civilian) hospitals.”

The 912th FST consists of surgeons, anesthetics, nurses, an

operations officer, senior sergeant (or technicians), and licensed

practical nurse type of medics.

During the formal ceremony, BG Dean Sienko, commander 

of the 804th Medical Brigade, thanked the 912th FST for 

its service.

“Not only did you take care of each other, you took care of other

people,” said Sienko. “You did this very well.”

Sienko added, “There is nothing more noble than taking care

of our sons and daughters in harm’s way... You honorably

served and accomplished your mission, and you join the legion

of American heroes who have served their nation honorably

and well.” 

"I believe our MET training is an outstanding 

opportunity for couples to reintegrate 

and reform their marriage commitment 

and skills after a long deployment.”

All demobilized Soldiers are eligible to attend 

the course which is paid for by the Army.

Sarah and Karson Collins participate in a speaker-listener exercise

with Chaplain (COL) Berris (Bear) Samples, 70th RRC chaplain

during the command’s Marriage Enrichment Training.PHOTO: PAM GARRISON
It is vital for the Army 

to maintain high quality

of life standards and 

communicate this 

commitment to Soldiers

and families.

16 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 17

ARMY RESERVE FAMILY PROGRAM

OFFICE: BUILDING A ‘READY’ TEAM

By Steve Yearwood 

AFTB/AFAP Program Manager

81st RRC

T

he Army Reserve Army Family Team Building (AFTB) mission is to provide

resources that contribute to the development of ready Soldiers and resilient 

families. Our goal as a team is to fully implement AFTB Training opportunities 

for Army Reserve families. AFTB Program Managers stand ready to assist 

whenever needed. 

We recognize that family satisfaction with Army Reserve life relates directly to Soldiers’

performance, readiness, and retention. In support of this, we emphasize family 

awareness and responsibility by offering Army Family Team Building courses. AFTB

students learn critical elements required to build cohesive teams with the family

member structure. Professional Growth and leadership development opportunities,

such as Instructor Training and the Master Trainer Course, are also accessible 

to strengthen the AFTB process. AFTB training can be completed on line at

http://www.armyfamilyteambuilding.org or by requesting classroom instruction

through your program manager.

AFTB continues to be the focal point for preparing families for the challenges of the

21st Century, and volunteers are essential to maintaining a successful AFTB Program.

If you would like to become an AFTB volunteer, please contact your AFTB Program

Manager for details. 

ARMY FAMILY ACTION PLAN

The Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) is the Army’s formal forum to address critical

Army Family issues. It is vital for the Army to maintain high quality of life standards

and communicate this commitment to Soldiers and families. The process solicits

input directly from grassroots constituents, and these representatives must determine

which issues are the most important to their quality of life. Commanders and Army

leaders’ value and act on the information that AFAP provides about the needs and

expectations of Soldiers and families. 

AFAP focuses on providing Soldiers and families a forum that alerts the Army 

leadership to quality of life concerns, and administers a formal process to work toward

resolving the concerns at the lowest possible level. The Army Reserve holds an annual

AFAP conference to review issues affecting the Army Reserve. Those issues deemed of

highest priority by delegate work groups are briefed directly to the Chief of Army

Reserve (CAR), along with recommendations for resolution and voted on by the entire

body of conference delegates. Upon approval by the CAR, issues are then forwarded to

and integrated in the DA AFAP process, when applicable.

If you have an issue and would like to submit it, please contact the program manager

nearest to you for assistance.

ARMY RESERVE FAMILY 

PROGRAM OFFICE REACHES OUT

TO THE FAMILIES OF MOBILIZED

IRR/IMA/UAU/IA SOLDIERS

By Anderia Georgia

Program Manager 

Army Reserve IRR/IMA/UAU/ IA

It’s 5:30 p.m. and without any prior notice, a telegram is delivered to the door informing you that your country needs you immediately to help fight the Global War on

Terrorism. The message further states that you are being called to active duty and

expected to report in 30 days. When the shock begins to wear off, questions begin to formulate in your mind. Prioritizing the concerns can be overwhelming. Concerns such as

family, current job, finances, and medical plans begin to sink further and further into 

your mind. You start to wonder where to begin. You wonder how your family’s needs will

be met during your military separation. These concerns are real. But help is available! 

Recent publicity of the involuntary mobilization of 5,600 Individual Ready Reserve

(IRR) Soldiers has given the Army Reserve Family Program Office the opportunity to

build awareness of a program already in place to assist the families of mobilized

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA), USARC

Augmentation Unit (UAU), and Individual Augmentee (IA) Soldiers. On Aug. 1, 2002,

the Army Reserve Command formally established the IRR/IMA Family Program

Office and assigned it the responsibility of providing information on benefits, entitlements, resources, and referrals to the families of mobilized IRR/IMA Soldiers. Since

that time the Army Reserve Family Program Office has taken on the responsibility of

assisting the families of the UAU Soldiers. Most recently the Family Program Office

began assisting the families of the 5,600 involuntary mobilized IRR Soldiers. 

On August 1, 2002 the

Army Reserve Command

formally established the

IRR/IMA Family

Program Office.

Family Readiness Corner
18 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 19

The assistance provided by the IRR/IMA/IA staff of the Army Reserve Family

Program Office does not end when requested information is provided. Follow-up and

periodic contacts are made with the designated family member on a regular basis. We

stay in touch with whomever the Soldier designates. For example single Soldiers may

identify a parent or a sibling as our primary point of contact. Our office is available as

their point of contact for assistance with information and available resources throughout their Soldier’s mobilization. Additionally, a list of the Regional Readiness

Command (RRC) Family Program Directors, Direct Command Family Program

Coordinators and Specialists located throughout the United States is provided to identify a link to local assistance if needed. This ongoing assistance helps Army Reserve

families maintain morale and a sense of connectivity during difficult times. The information and assistance empowers them with the tools they need to access new resources

that can help them during times of separation from their Soldier. 

The assistance provided to the families of IRR/IMA/IA Soldiers continues throughout

mobilization and when the Soldier is released from active duty (REFRAD) a packet is

sent to the families with useful information about homecomings and emotional 

expectations. An exit survey is also provided. The surveys received from the Soldiers

and Families are utilized to improve the overall program and the assistance provided. 

Since the program started over, 10,000 mobilization packets have been mailed and over

10,000 contacts by phone, e-mail, and mail have been made to the Families of mobilized IRR/IMA/IA Soldiers. The IRR/IMA/IA staff of the Army Reserve Family

Program Office continues to shift gears in preparation for Fiscal Year 2005. The information provided to families is continuously analyzed to ensure that the information

provided to the families is relevant and comprehensive. The IRR/IMA/IA staff of the

Family Program Office strives to provide the best available customer service to the

families of mobilized IRR/IMA/IA Soldiers. 

As the Army Reserve Family Program Office looks to the future, every effort to reflect

the Expeditionary Force Concept is applied. If an Army Reserve family is close to an

Air Force, Navy, Marine, or National Guard military installation and they would like

to participate in a Family Readiness Group with other spouses separated from their

Soldiers, every effort is made to coordinate a connection to a Family Readiness Group

regardless of military affiliation. Additionally, some families have initiated support

groups within a region composed of the multi-components in an effort to support each

other based on location rather than military affiliation. Each branch of the military has

a specific mission. However, the families left behind share commonalities. They all

want their Soldiers home safe and all strive to maintain and juggle additional responsibilities as a result of a separation through mobilization. 

Accurate contact information is critical to the success of the Family Program Office

effort to assist families. Initial communication is most effective when we can reach the

family with information on benefits and entitlements prior to the Soldier leaving.

Please call the Family Program Office directly at 1-866-345-8248 if you need to

provide new address information. The updated information can also be provided on

the questionnaire provided in the mobilization packet. The IRR/IMA/IA Army

Reserve Family Program Office is staffed to receive phone calls daily from 7:00am

EST until 5:00pm EST Monday thru Friday. We are also available on Tuesday and

Thursday evenings until 8:00 EST. The IRR/IMA/IA staff of the Army Reserve

Family Program Office strives to provide the best available customer service. We

welcome your calls and look forward to assisting you. You are our most precious

resource and we want to be yours!

You are not alone if you find yourself asking what an IRR, IMA, UAU, or IA Soldier is and

how his or her mission is different from any other Soldier’s mission. The Army Reserve

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Soldier is not associated with a unit nor does the Soldier

train with a unit. The IRR Soldier is held in a manpower pool, readily available to be mobilized individually to fill a critical Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in a mobilizing

unit, depending on the needs of the Army. The IRR Soldier may have previously served in

either the Active Component, Army National Guard, or a position in the Army Reserve

and may be fulfilling time remaining in a mandatory Military Service Obligation (MSO).

Because the Soldier may mobilize with a unit that is located miles away from the family,

there is no connection to a local unit to provide assistance or information.

The Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) may be a part of a Reserve Troop

Program Unit (TPU), Active Component Unit, Selective Service System, or a Federal

Emergency Management Agency position for training purposes, depending on the

Soldier’s Military Occupational Specialty. Although the IMA Soldier may train with a

unit they are still mobilized individually to meet the immediate needs of the Army. The

IMA Soldier may mobilize with a unit miles away from his/her family. Like the families of the IRR Soldier they too are often left behind without a sense of connection to a

local unit for assistance or information. 

The U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) Augmentation Unit (UAU) and

Individual Augmentee (IA) Soldier is the way of the future for the Army Reserve

Soldiers. These Reserve Soldiers are used to fill positions that augment or fill shortages

in mobilized Reserve Units or Active Army Units. The UAU has implemented a plan

that will change the way that IA Soldiers are mobilized in the future. The IA Program

consists of a volunteer pool of drilling Reserve Soldiers that are deployable and ready

to mobilize when the need arises.

Individual Augmentee Soldiers will be assigned to the UAU once they receive a DA alert

or mobilization order.

The commonality among the IRR/IMA and IA Soldiers is that they mobilize individually and not with a unit. Many of the families of IRR/IMA/IA Soldiers have never

experienced a long term separation from their loved one, had a need for a Military ID

card, or had a need to access information on dependent benefits and services provided

by the Family Program Office. During Desert Storm the Army Reserve Command realized that the IRR/IMA families needed better access to information on their benefits

and entitlements. After Sept. 11, 2001, it became evident that an available resource for

the families was critical to Soldier Readiness. A Soldier must feel comfortable leaving

his/her family in order to focus on the military mission. 

Specialized assistance and communication is important because of their unique challenges. Mobilization packets are mailed to each Soldier’s home of record. The packets

include information on TRICARE, Red Cross, ESGR, the Family Program Office, and

other important resources. Most of the IRR/IMA/IA Soldiers do not reside near a

Military facility. However, remote locations do not necessarily equal a lack of resources.

Many resources are accessible on line or by calling a toll free number. The information

provided to the IRR/IMA/UAU/IA families is representative of services available

throughout the United States and not just in one local area. What works to meet a

family’s needs in Idaho may not be relevant to a family in Georgia. Sorting through the

numerous available resources is the job of the specialists who provide the families information and referrals from the IRR/IMA/UAU staff of the Army Reserve Family

Program Office located at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Ga. in the United States Army

Reserve Command building.

Accurate contact 

information is critical 

to the success of the

Family Program Office

effort to assist families.

The IMA Soldier 

may mobilize with 

a unit miles away 

from his/her family. 

Like the families 

of the IRR Soldier, 

they too are often left

behind without a 

sense of connection 

to a local unit 

for assistance 

or information.
20 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 21

N.Y. ARMY RESERVE UNIT 

TO TRAIN IRAQI ARMY, 

SECURITY FORCES

T

he U.S. Army Reserve’s 98th Division (Institutional

Training) is deploying to Iraq to take the lead in a historic

training venture. The Reserve division will accelerate the

training of the new Iraqi Army and provide command and

control as part of the Army’s new Foreign Army Training

Assistance Command or FA-TRAC.

The FA-TRAC concept began as an Army Reserve initiative to

fill a U.S. Army need for creating a trained and ready, deployable organization for missions such as this.

The division, commanded by MG Bruce Robinson, will

greatly expand and expedite the training of Iraqi soldiers and

security forces that will more quickly lead to a stable and 

sovereign nation.

According to Robinson, “this is what these types of units do

best.” The Army Reserve’s Institutional Training Divisions

have historically trained and prepared American Soldiers in

warfighting skills and battlefield specialties.

Robinson added, “Now the 98th will use their expertise to

train Iraqi soldiers. This is a significant step in helping the

Iraqi’s become self-sufficient in their own defense and security operations.”

Once in Iraq, the deployed Soldiers will be headed by the 98th’s

Assistant Division Commander for Operations, BG Richard

Sherlock, who will also serve as the deputy commanding

general of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team.

According to Sherlock, “the unit will help speed up the nationbuilding process. Our Soldiers are looking forward to this

opportunity in assisting the Multi-National Security

Transition Command–Iraq and in helping build an Iraqi Army

capable of supporting a stable, sovereign Iraqi nation.”

Instead of performing their normal mission of expanding the

Army training base at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and other sites

in the U.S., the division will deploy over 700 of the 98th

Division’s Soldiers to Baghdad and other locations throughout

Iraq. During the next two months, the “Iroquois Warriors” of

the 98th Division, as they are known, will start augmenting the

current forces in Iraq and begin training the Iraqi Army and

other Iraqi security forces. 

The Army Reserve Soldiers will man most of the 39 Advisory

Support Teams (AST) that mentor, coach, and advise units of

the Iraqi Regular Army and the Iraqi Intervention Force. Some

of the ASTs will continue to be provided by the U.S. Marine

Corps and the Australian Army but will transition to 98th

Division Soldiers in the future.

The division will also provide command and control for the

ASTs, which will be stationed throughout Iraq. They will

conduct “train-the-trainer” non-commissioned officer and

officer education courses in conjunction with NATO’s

training efforts. They will also conduct military skills

courses and provide Basic Training support for the Iraqi

National Guard. 

“This approach differs from how support was provided in the

past because the 98th will provide a unit-based solution,”

according to COL Bill Clegg, Assistant Division Commander

for Support, 98th Division. Over the past year, Soldiers,

Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have been doing this training

on a limited basis, for different length tours of duty. The

98th’s unit-based support to the mission will help reduce the

turbulence caused by the constant rotation of troops. The

division will provide Soldiers for one year and then, if necessary, turn the mission over to another Institutional Training

Division in 2005.

Formed after WWI, the 98th was last deployed during WWII

to the Pacific. The 98th Division is headquartered in

Rochester, N.Y., and has units located throughout New York,

New Jersey, and New England. The division has more than

3,600 Army Reserve Soldiers and conducts various training

courses for both active-duty Army and Reserve Soldiers,

including summer training for United States Military

Academy Cadets. 

PHOTO: MSG JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND

Update on 

OPERATION

IRAQI FREEDOM
22 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

leveled into the 475th from other Army Reserve units. Before

mobilization, Linzey was assigned to the 907th Engineer

Detachment from Yakima, Wash.

After learning more about the nature of the emergency — an M1

Abrams Tank had caught fire while being towed outside of

Anaconda’s perimeter — Linzey knew the firefighting team

would have to await the additional support required.

As soon as the Soldiers towing the unoccupied tank noticed it

smoking, they wisely abandoned the tow vehicle. Both tanks

contained full combat loads of high explosive rounds, as well as

.50 caliber and 7.62 rounds.

“We had to wait on EOD because the rounds were cooking off,”

Linzey said, “and we needed the QRF because we were going

outside the wire.” The current threat in Iraq dictates any and 

all activity outside a U.S. or Coalition compound must be 

supported by an appropriately measured force protection team.

The QRF teams respond to potential threats and force 

protection situations local to their assigned posts.

“We could see the dense black smoke and hear the explosions,”

Linzey said. After the QRF arrived, they sandwiched the ERC’s

response elements — the fire truck (pumper), the water resupply

tanker, and the medical support van — for safer movement to

the site about 500 meters outside the north gate here. Two Cobra

rotary wing gunships also circled overhead, providing aerial

ANACONDA FIREFIGHTERS 

RESPOND TO TANK FIRE 

By MSG Jack Gordon

Public Affairs Acquisition Team

U.S. Army Reserve Command

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq — As the first notes

of the fire alert sound from the ERC’s (Emergency Response

Center) horn, firefighters react — newspapers and magazines

about “life back in the other world” are dropped, conversations

stop in mid-sentence, Soldiers suit-up into firefighting gear, and

the engine in the fire truck of the 475th Engineer Detachment

starts. Within sixty seconds after the alarm sounded, the truck

exits the door.

“While we were enroute we were getting information about the

ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) of the EOD (ExplosivesOrdnance Detachment) and QRF (Quick Response Force),”

said SGT Jamel Linzey, 475th Engineer Detachment, from

Creston, Iowa. Linzey is one of several Soldiers who were crossSSG and 475th Engineer Detachment Fire Chief Richard Diephuis surveys the scene with a

gate guard before deploying his team outside the perimeter of LSA Anaconda.

Winter 2004–05 ★ 23

demanded a quick release and clearance before the rear motor

compartment of the lead tank sustained damage.

“We had to re-size the scene three times,” said SGT Dwayne

Lizama. “We did an initial knockdown, then a surround and

drown. We were able to use the lead tank as cover and protection

as the rounds were cooking off in the towed tank. Then we

unhitched them.”

reconnaissance, and prepared to employ

fire support if necessary.

For today’s Army, the practical theory,

intent, and mindset of firefighting in 

a military uniform is no different 

from fighting a fire back home, so the

Soldiers’ attitudes don’t vary much 

from center.

“The two things we always do are save lives and protect 

property. We knew there wasn’t a life safety issue here, so we

kick into the preserve mode,” Linzey said. “We had two tanks

— one towing the other, with the towed tank involved (on fire).

The point of contact from the 81st Brigade requested we save

the first tank, so that’s what we did.”

Most tankers “live” in their tanks and have excess loads of personal gear, equipment, and food and water fastened onto the

vehicle’s armored skin. The internal heat had ignited much of

the external baggage, so the external fires aboard the Abrams

were quenched first. The proximity of the two tanks also

“Our goal isto be out the door in less than one minute,”...

“That’s why we keep our duty crews in ‘hot bunks’...

so they can respond quickly.”

Firefighters from the Army and Air Force prepare to respond 

to a fully involved M1 Abrams Tank.

PHOTO: MSG JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMANDPHOTO: MSG JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND
24 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

ARMY RESERVE SOLDIER

BRINGS UNIQUE SKILLS 

TO CREATE COOL 

REFRESHMENTS FOR 

DESERT TROOPS

By MSG Jack Gordon

Public Affairs Acquisition Team

U.S. Army Reserve Command

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq — Having first honed

her skills behind the bar at an Applebee’s Restaurant, SGT Erin

Owen has made a name for herself here among the Soldiers

serving in the 369th Transportation Company, from Wichita,

Kansas, by “ginning out” virgin drinks that, while not offering

the effects of alcohol, nevertheless break up the monotonous

taste of the standard beverages available.

Owen and the 369th are among some 23,000 other Soldiers, U.S.

service members, and civilian contractors supporting

Operation Iraqi Freedom at LSA Anaconda — the centralized

supply hub for U.S. and Coalition forces in Iraq. The camp, a

former Iraqi Air Force Base, hosts the largest troop concentration in the nation.

With daily summer temperatures rising above 130 degrees,

Soldiers get thirsty, especially after returning from the over-theroad convoys that define the 369th’s mission. After arriving at

Anaconda, the unit wisely incorporated the Soldiers’ broughtto-war civilian skills sets in the construction trades to enhance

its headquarters and tactical operations center. The buildings

resemble the architecture and façade style of an old west town.

The troops refer to their Middle East home as “Dodge City.” So

while they were at it... they thought they’d add a saloon.

“We built the bar into it so it’s kind of like a bar,” said Owen. “It’s

a place where the Soldiers can come and relax without being

pulled out on a detail. We made that rule before we opened.”

Functioning as a dayroom where Soldiers can sit in air conditioned comfort and watch large-screen television or movies on

DVD, read books, play cards or board games, write letters home,

or just while away down time, the place also features snacks and

soft drinks for sale. But the real draw here is the availability of the

frosty, flavorful mixed drinks concocted by Owen. Before she was

“SGT Lizama had the idea to unhitch the tanks and move the

lead tank to safety,” Linzey said, “so we had a base team keep

the fire off me and CPL Gintner while we unlatched it. The 81st

gave us a driver who moved it away. Once it was away, we were

able to knock down the one that was fully involved.”

Lizama said the possibility of the rounds cooking off inside the

tank posed a significant threat that forced the team to retreat

twice in the course of the event, but after EOD confirmed the

positioning and direction of the ammunition load, they were

able to approach from the front. The impact rounds were all

facing out and to the rear.

The unit’s Fire Chief, SSG Richard Diephuis, said he is proud

of his Soldier-firefighters and how they approach their duties

and responsibilities to keeping Anaconda a fire-free zone.

“Our goal is to be out the door in less than one minute,”

Diephuis said. “That’s why we keep our duty crews in ‘hot’

bunks so they can respond quickly,” adding that there was

more dramatic action than met the untrained eye at the

Abrams fire scene.

“We had two scenes occurring simultaneously — we had other

support out there, and one Iraqi and another international contract employee went down with heat exhaustion, so we had a

medical scene behind the firefighting scene, with firefighters

giving IVs to two patients on stretchers.”

A fire inside Anaconda’s perimeter is challenging enough, given

the Soldiers are layered in protective clothing that insulates

from fire, but also raises the body’s core temperature significantly, especially during sustained periods of exertion over

time. Add on physical demands and the stress of fighting a fire

strategically and safely with an unseen enemy who may decide

to engage you with small arms fire or casually lob in a mortar,

and you have a recipe for real danger. But these Soldiers don’t

blink... they respond.

“What they did out there is what’s expected of them,” Diephuis

said, “and they’ve never let me down, but that’s a mutual feeling

between us. Like all Soldiers, we’re watching each other’s backs.

We’re like firefighters anywhere — most people don’t really

think about us until something happens... then we’re there.”

(The Army Reserve firefighters from the 475th Engineer Detachment

wish to thank the following LSA Anaconda emergency response 

organizations for their support and assistance during the M1 Abrams 

fire at the North Gate: the Iraqi Fire Team; the firefighting element 

from Station #3; the Quick Response Force; the Explosive-Ordnance

Detachment; the U.S. Air Force firefighters on Anaconda; the 90th Civil

Engineering Squadron; the Army’s rotary wing air support elements at

Anaconda, and the medical support element of the ERC.)

[Right] SGT Erin Owen of the 369th Transportation Company, Wichita, Kan., serves up a

tall cool one for Army Reserve Soldiers at LSA Anaconda in Balad, Iraq. 

(PHOTO: MSG JACK GORDON, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE ACQUISITION TEAM)
26 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 27

mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Owen was

employed as a banquet server and bartender at the River City

Brewery in Old Towne, Wichita. She lives in nearby Winfield.

After adding her special set of ingredients and precious ice into

a blender, then mixing and pouring the product into a plastic

glass, she tops-off each drink with a spoon, and a straw sporting

a miniature paper umbrella for dramatic effect. Order... up!

“That’s a Wildcat Crush. I have six or seven drinks I mix now,”

Owen said. “I mixed them and the Soldiers named them.”

Sharing the spotlight in her repertoire with the Wildcat Crush

are what she calls the standards — “...the Pina Colada, Roy

Rogers, Arnold Palmer, Shirley Temple, Cotton Candy and one

we call... the Purple Promiscuous Lady,” said Owen, offering a

mysterious grin.

Although her range is somewhat limited to whatever she can

muster from the PX (Post Exchange) here, her supplies have

also been augmented by care packages from home — one complete with boxes of ready-made powder cocktail mixes.

Basically, she uses various sodas, juices, the powder mixes,

snow-cone syrup, and ice to achieve the desired effect.

“I use whatever’s available,” Owen said. “Once in a while, I’ll

run a daily special if I get a lot of something. Like one time we

had two cartons of pina and strawberry colada mix donated —

so I had a special on those drinks all day.”

Owen’s drinks come at a cost — a sawbuck each, or whatever the

chilling refreshment is worth to the thirsty customers seeking

taste options for their palettes. All the money collected returns

to a fund pool that restocks the bar with drink ingredients and

snacks. So how does a desert Soldier behave after downing two

or three of her Cotton Candies?

“You get enough sugar in these Soldiers and they get pretty

rowdy,” said Owen, “but we also have the non-alcoholic beer here

and that seems to relax them.” Being a bartender often means listening to the problems of patrons, and even without the social

lubrication of John Barleycorn, Owen hears her share of stories.

“Some of them tell me things,” she said. “I enjoy talking and

getting to know them. Before we came here, we were at Fort

Riley (Kansas) and I was a dispatcher, so I really didn’t get a

HIGH-FLYING COUPLE

“ABOVE IT ALL” 

IN SKIES OVER IRAQ

Co-Piloting For Each Other Presents No Problems For Two

Army Reserve Aviators Who Happen To Be ... Married!

By MSG Jack Gordon

Public Affairs Acquisition Team

U.S. Army Reserve Command

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq — To make a marriage work, it’s usually better if both husband and wife have a

good grasp of the challenges and pressures facing each other.

With Brian and Julia Ward, both chief warrant officers 4 in the

Army Reserve, that battle is

fought and over, and happy 

as a storybook ending, since

both are Army Reserve pilots.

The Wards are both here in

Iraq serving with the 6/52nd

Aviation Regiment from Los

Alamitos, Calif.

“We’re fortunate that we get

to fly together quite a bit,”

Brian said. “It’s a good relief

for us as aviators. We’re able

to sit down in the morning or

at the end of the day and

discuss what’s happened.”

Brian retired from his job 

as a pilot for the California

Highway Patrol and was

serving as an Active Guard

Reserve Soldier in the unit

before both he and his wife

were both mobilized in

support of Operation Iraqi

Freedom.

“It’s great,” Julia said.

“Actually, we’re able to spend

more time together here than

at home since I’m a commercial airline pilot and Brian

travels a lot too.” Although they reside in Corona, Calif., Julia’s

job with Atlantic Southeast Airlines is based at Dallas/Fort

Worth. She said she always looked forward to the monthly drills

as a dedicated time when they would be together. Now, for the

first time, they’ll be together for at least a year.

Brian and Julia initially met through their military service,

and although they served together as friends for a few years, a

mobilization and deployment to Bosnia cemented their mutual

intentions. But even with love “in the air” the Wards take

flying seriously.

“When we’re flying it’s strictly aviator to aviator,” said Julia,

adding that they each perform different functions depending

upon the mission. She said they never argue about who’s doing

what or who is in charge. “If we’re doing a flight with multiple

legs, we switch legs on who flies and who talks or does commo,”

she said. “Each flight has a pilot in command — sometimes it’s

him and sometimes it’s me.”

chance to know many of the people, but since I’ve been 

bartending, I’ve got to know a lot of them by first name, so I

enjoy it. The one-to-one contact is great.”

But being in Iraq for a full year isn’t all pretty drinks with

umbrellas for Owen. She was trained by the Army to be a fuel

specialist, and her “real” job here is fueling the unit’s convoys

coming in. It’s a dusty, dirty, sweaty job under a sun that heats

steel so hot it will actually scorch skin... not to mention the

almost daily hot metal “incoming.”

“It’s hard to explain but when you’re in 

conditions like these — that it doesn’t really

matter where you are — you know that at any

moment a mortar can hit, but you also know

you have to live with it.

“You can’t control the direction of a mortar

round or where it’s going to land, so you can’t let

it affect your everyday working situation. You

just have to keep going. A lot of people believe

that if it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go,” said Owen.

Spoken like a true bartender... and Soldier. Two Soldiers

were killed and more than a dozen wounded in a mortar

attack here about a month ago. Owen joined the Army

Reserve three years ago.

“When I joined... I had no idea I’d be here,” she said, “but as far

as the work and the dirt and sand — I don’t mind it. I don’t

mind getting dirty. It really doesn’t matter much because as soon

as you leave the shower, you start getting dirty again.”

Owen said that Iraq’s weather is like “...standing too close to a

big bonfire. The wind kicks up the dirt and it feels like when the

flames get too close to your face. It’s hot here.”

The 369th’s mission is running supply convoys throughout Iraq.

The mission destinations change, and may last only hours,

entail overnight stays or stretch into journeys lasting several

days. Essentially, no highway in Iraq extends a guaranteed safe

passage. Increasing attacks on U.S. Army military convoys are

exacting a toll on the transportation companies tasked with

Anaconda’s convoy missions. In mid-July, a vehicle in one of the

unit’s convoys was hit by a roadside IED (Improved Explosive

Device), seriously injuring the two Soldiers in the cab. Still,

convoys roll out of Dodge City almost every day.

“We always wish them good luck and tell them to stay safe. Stay

alert — stay alive,” Owen said.

Even through miles of threatening attacks and ambushes

Soldiers may encounter while traveling over Iraq’s roads, after

the convoys return, the 369th’s Soldiers can always count on one

thing... one of Owen’s tall, cool drinks at the end of that long,

dusty highway.

CWO 4, Brian and Julia Ward, 

with their Beechcraft C-12 in Iraq. 

The Wards fly together ferrying troops

from point to point.

Owen said that Iraq’s weather is like 

‘...standing too close to a big bonfire. The wind kicks up the dirt 

and it feels like when the flames get too close to your face.’

PHOTO: MSG JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND
Winter 2004–05 ★ 29

“We get a lot of calls for dumpster fires too,” Siekawitch said,

“and the tent fires. You’re really not saving any lives or property

on those, but we assist on the medical calls, then there are the

mortar attacks.”

Anaconda is a sprawling military operations base that was once

home to the Iraqi Air force. Mortar attacks are common, and

while most are random and cause little damage, some have

been deadly. In June 2004, the Post Exchange here was

mortared, killing two Soldiers and wounding more than a

dozen additional troops.

“I came pretty close to an incoming round,” said Siekawitch. “I

was getting in my HUMVEE and heard a round go off — we saw

the explosion about 100 meters away. It was pretty crazy. It was

a lucky day because if I would have left a minute earlier the

round could have been right on the HUMVEE. So... God was

looking out for me.

“It’s hard to explain what it’s like here to my family and friends

back home,” said Siekawitch. “You don’t know unless you’ve

been over here. What you see on the news isn’t exactly the truth

— the news makes things a lot worse than what we’re getting

here, but we sure appreciate all the support from the ‘states.’”

Siekawitch said his service has been a long journey to date, and

that he’s looking forward to going home, but in the meantime... he’s proud to be serving among skilled and honorable

fellow Soldiers.

“We’ve come together as a team,” he said, “and that makes

things a lot easier.” And as far as working in air that’s superheated by the sun to temperatures hovering around 125 degrees

every day, Lewis is OK with it.

“It’s cool,” Lewis said, “I’m working as a firefighter.”

28 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Brian said that flying in Iraq is quite different from his former

job with the highway patrol.

“I used to think that flying for the highway patrol was exciting

but this is a lot more exciting,” Brian said. “Obviously the

missile threat is one thing we didn’t have in California, or if we

did I was unaware of it.” Sometimes though, things on the

ground are not much safer. “We have our earthquakes, fires, and

an occasional riot (back home), but nothing like this (mortar

attacks). We average about one a day.”

Flying skies that, while safe today, nevertheless could begin

posing new threats to aircraft at any time is something both

have considered. 

“It’s war,” Julia said. “I’m not sure whether I like being on the

air or on the ground. You can’t worry about it — you just deal

with it mentally. You try to be as safe as you can — you take all

the precautions.”

In their unusual situation, however, the Wards see more pros

than cons. Both are proud to be serving in the Army and feel

they are becoming stronger in this deployment.

“It’s a good thing we have each other... for each other,” said

Brian. “It’s been more than what we expected but it has not

been what we didn’t expect... so it’s been good.” Julia said they

had heard that things might go slow in the air so they prepared

for stretches of lesser activity by bringing along books, movies

on DVD, and language courses.

“It’s been pretty busy though,” Julia said, “and it’s all worthwhile. Our compatibility is great and we’re lucky enough to be

deployed together. I feel for people who had to leave their

spouse behind, but on the flip side, they don’t have to worry

about their spouse flying over Iraq in the middle of the night.

They know they’re at home in the living room with the kids.”

Neither has any doubt about the professional attitude and

ability of the other, so the Wards are in smooth air flying as pilot

and co-pilot.

individual Soldiers are mobilized and assigned to units that

received a mobilization order and were required to fill vacancies

in their mission-essential personnel.

Lewis and SPC Benjamin Siekawitch were both assigned to

the 907th Engineer Detachment in Yakima, Wash., before

being individually mobilized and reassigned to the 475th here.

Both see firefighting careers ahead of them, once their service

here is complete.

“I’m here for the experience,” Siekawitch said. “On this deployment I’m getting experience from the firefighting side that

should help me get a job. It’s also going to get me more respect

in my life.”

“I started late in the military — I was 26 when I enlisted, but

better late than never,” said Lewis. “I joined to help my family

and to serve and protect my country.” Such decisive action and

commitment is the stuff the Army is always looking for, so it

wasn’t long before he received a call.

“My family and all my friends were in denial, but I actually

knew I was going to be over here,” Lewis said. ‘They were

saying ‘No you’re not — no you’re not’ but I felt it in my heart

and I felt it was time for me to serve my country, and to be the

man I needed to be... and was supposed to be.”

“I was trying to be a student, but my long-term goal was becoming a firefighter,” Siekawitch said. The Army Reserve has

helped him realize the first phase of his ambition, and so far, life

in Iraq isn’t quite what he was expecting.

“I thought I was going to be dropped in the middle of a hot LZ

(Landing Zone) getting fired at and ducking for cover, but once

I got here, I settled in — it’s a little different being a firefighter,”

Siekawitch said.

The 475th is one of the elements comprising Anaconda’s

Emergency Response Center, which includes fire, military

police, ordnance, and medical assets. LSA Anaconda is host to

approximately 23,000 U.S. and Coalition service members and

civilian contractors, making it the largest concentration of

American troops in Iraq.

The Soldiers respond to multitudes of routine emergencies

every day.

“Mostly we have heat casualties — it’s very hot here, so there

are heat casualties. There are a lot of electrical problems too, but

the buildings are concrete, so they hold up pretty well, but the

tents are soaked in kerosene to waterproof it and help keep the

insects away. They can go up in about 30 seconds — we’ve had

a couple go down,” Lewis said.

“I have comfort in that he (Brian) is a very professional pilot and we communicate and work well

together,” said Julia. But merely getting themselves

home safely encompasses other responsibilities and

aspects of flying too.

“We fly a lot of Soldiers here,” Julia said, “and I

know it’s important for the senior leaders to get to

their meetings, but I especially like flying ‘Private

Smith’ because he’s the one working really hard in

the field here. We see a lot of happy faces when they

(Soldier/passengers) know they don’t have to

convoy — they really appreciate being in the air.”

Most of the unit’s, and the Wards’, missions are flown in sevenseat, Beechcraft C-12 prop jets, ferrying troops from spot to spot,

and both share pride in their part of supporting Soldiers.

“Our hearts really go out to the troops on the ground,” Brian

said. They are the backbone of what’s going on here. They’re the

ones doing the job and we’re proud of them.”

Brian said that most of their flights are operational in nature but

occasionally they get a Soldier heading home or on R&R (Rest

and Relaxation). “Even if we were here just for that purpose —

that’s good enough!”

A FUTURE 

IN FIREFIGHTING

Two Army Reserve Soldiers Look to Parlay 

Iraq Experiences, Duty into Tomorrow’s Job Market

By MSG Jack Gordon

Public affairs Acquisition Team

U.S. Army Reserve

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA (LSA) ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq — Two young

Soldiers here are seeing their futures in today’s service as Army

firefighters, and even through the smoke, both futures couldn’t

be brighter.

“I always dreamed about being a firefighter but I never actually

thought I’d become one,” said SPC Everad Lewis.

A resident of Tacoma, Wash., Lewis is assigned to the 475th

Engineer Detachment (Firefighting) from Creston, Iowa. Many

Soldiers serving in Army Reserve units now in Iraq underwent

a process during mobilization called “cross-leveling,” where

“...I felt it was time for me to serve 

my country, and to be the man I needed to be... 

and was supposed to be.”

“I feel for people who had to leave their 

spouse behind, but on the flip side, 

they don’t have to worry about their spouse 

flying over Iraq in the middle of the night.”
30 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“We check the non-tactical vehicles for registration and seat belt

compliance,” SPC Christopher O’Brien said, “and we check the

tactical vehicles for a co-driver, vehicle dispatch, seat belts, and

that the Soldiers are wearing Kevlar (the Army’s helmet made of

Kevlar). O’Brien said they encounter violations at every TCP.

The procedure isn’t designed to harass troops, but to ensure

adherence to established safety rules.

“The non-tactical vehicles are mostly good,” said O’Brien. “The

tactical vehicles are mostly OK too, but with the non-uparmored HUMVEEs — a lot of Soldiers don’t think you need a

co-driver, but you do. A single driver is not authorized.”

The increasing threat of roadside and vehicle-born IEDs

(Improvised Explosive Devices) has the Army welding quarterinch steel plate on the sides and gun turrets of many of its

vehicles to protect Soldiers from shrapnel. Newer HUMVEEs

are much more heavily armored and outfitted with bulletproof

glass windshields and windows that make driving maneuvers

like backing up more difficult.

“We’re just enforcing the safety rules,” said SPC Thomas

Relation. “The HUMVEEs need the assistant driver.” The assistant driver is also responsible for ground-guiding the vehicle

any time it enters a troop or bivouac area, for additional safety.

The MPs’ efforts are not lost on the Command Sergeant Major

of the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) and LSA

Anaconda, CSM Dan Elder.

“This is extremely important,” Elder said. “Sometimes in an

environment like this, Soldiers feel safer, and though it’s much

safer than it is outside the perimeter, there are still

risks associated with operating motor vehicles

without the proper safety gear and seat restraints.

This helps Soldiers realize the risks and dangers —

and it reminds them of the importance of using

these protective items.”

Only days earlier, some Soldiers here were undoubtedly surprised after they were halted at a TCP and

instead of an MP, the sergeant major approached them. Elder

believes in the safety checks so much he participates in them,

reinforcing the drivers’ awareness of the 13th COSCOM’s focus

on safety — a focus the 362nd MP Company’s troops are bringing into sharper clarity.

“These MPs have a large mission for a small organization,”

Elder said. “They’re doing a great job with limited resources —

they’re supporting this camp well.”

“BETTER WATCH OUT ...”

ANACONDA MPs CONDUCTING

TRAFFIC SAFETY CHECKS

By MSG Jack Gordon

Public Affairs Acquisition Team

U.S. Army Reserve

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq — If you’re behind

the wheel of a vehicle on the streets here, be certain you’ve

dotted all the “i”s and crossed all the “t”s in the phrase “traffic

safety,” since it’s awareness of the camp’s vehicle operations

policies and safety requirements military police here from the

362nd MP Company are attempting to instill and enforce.

We’re heading up a TCP (Traffic Control Point) here,” said SSG

David Burton. “If there’s anything wrong with vehicle registration or paperwork, we’ll call back to our office and correct it

here and now.”

For vehicle identification and control, as well as force protection, all vehicles operating on Anaconda must first be registered

at the 362nd’s station located off Pennsylvania Avenue —

somehow appropriate for the Army Reserve unit from Ashley,

Pa., that is now tasked with conducting all law enforcement

operations within the camp’s perimeter.

“We’re trying to root out everybody who’s not following the

rules — rules save lives and the Army has rules — so we’re

cracking down on Soldiers who are breaking the rules,” said

SGT Diery Louis. If somebody is coming to Anaconda, they

need to know that we’re out here.”

Soldiers aren’t the only ones who fall under the jurisdiction of

the 362nd — all civilian contractors operating motor vehicles

on Anaconda are too, subject to the camp’s traffic regulations

and the MPs’ enforcement of them.

[Right] SPC Christopher O’Brien checks a civilian contract vehicle 

at the Traffic Control Point (TCP) on LSA Anaconda. 

(PHOTO: MSG JACK GORDON, U.S. ARMY RESERVE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE ACQUISITION TEAM)

The procedure isn’t designed to harass troops, 

but to ensure adherence to established safety rules.
32 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Scenarios such as these were part of

small group activity workshops that

approximately 130 student-Soldiers were

involved in during Rear Detachment

Officer In Charge (RDOIC) training held

in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 12–16 2004.

The five-day training event, sponsored

by the U.S. Army Reserve Command

(USARC), also featured speakers talking

on such topics as Reunion for Families,

Deployment Guide, Emotional Cycles of

Deployment, TRICARE/Dental, and

others, according to Diane Magrane,

USARC family program manager, who

organized the training along with other

members of the USARC Family

Program staff.

Unit commanders provide assistance to

family members of deployed Soldiers by

appointing a Rear Detachment Officer

(RDO) (noncommissioned or officer) to

work with the unit’s Family Readiness

Group (FRG) Leader and Telephone Tree

Chairperson to contact family members

on a monthly basis.

The focus of the training was to address

the issues and concerns of the officers

and in some cases NCOs who will be in

charge of rear detachment operations

once units mobilize. The conference

emphasized taking care of Soldiers and

their families.

“In response to the Global War on

Terrorism, the USARC Family Program

Office first developed and implemented

formal RDOIC training in July 2003,”

Magrane said. “Since then we have

trained over 500 Soldiers. Our goal has

always been to conduct proactive training delivered by subject matter experts to

better support the RDOICs.”

According to Magrane, the Cincinnati

training is the last training Family

Programs will sponsor as the program

proponecy now transitions to the WellBeing office.

Rear Detachment Operations (RDO) is

an initiative of the Army’s Well-Being

Program which is a critical component of

Army Reserve Readiness, according to

Edward Dimmerling, newly appointed

director of the Army Reserve Well-Being

Program.

“We are committed to a holistic implementation of the Army’s Well-Being

campaign. Our support and active participation will improve Well-Being

Army-wide for all constituents which

includes Soldiers, families, veterans,

retirees, and civilians,” Dimmerling said. 

“We, as part of the Army Reserve G-1,

have functional staff responsibility to

include program management and execution for the Army Reserve Well-Being

program,” Dimmerling added. 

The intended end-state of RDO and

family readiness is to develop and sustain

Soldiers and have self-reliant families

that understand and use Army and volunteer support programs during times of

separation.

During the group workshops students

briefed solutions and developed plans of

execution for planning and preparation

during the alert and mobilization phases.

“The workshops gave the students an

When the frantic call came into the Army Reserve center

that the mother of one of the deployed Soldiers was 

seriously ill and the Soldier’s spouse had no way to visit

her because of a disabled automobile, the NCO on duty was not 

sure where to turn to next to get help.

MSG Jude Songui, 77th Regional Readiness Command,

looks on as Paulette Horning-Sanford records the execution plan her team proposes during the group workshops

of the Rear Detachment Officer in Charge (RDOIC) training conference. (PHOTO: PAUL ADAMS)

Rear Detachment 

Officer Training Emphasizes Taking Care

of Soldiers and Families By Paul Adams

U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs
Company Team Leader 

Development Course Shapes 

Today’s Leaders

Winter 2004–05 ★ 35

Punching up slides with questions

written on a “stars and stripes” background, LTC Mark Anspach moderated

an Army version of “Family Feud.” 

Question: “Master Fitness trainers are

required to score 300 points on the Army

fitness test.”

“False,” a Soldier called out.

“Correct. Point for this group,” Anspach

said, referring to the right side of the class.

Question: “TDA units do not need a

mission-essential task list because they

generally do not go to war.”

“False,” said CPT Kris Overman of the

425th Transportation Company. “They

need one because they still have a

mission.”

The scene was a classroom at the B.T.

Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center,

Sacramento, Calif. Taking a moment

from in-depth lectures and group exercises, nearly 30 NCOs, officers, and unit

administrators took part in an informal

game-show-type review of issues they

had been studying. 

All were attending the Company Team

Leader Development Course (CTLDC)

for an intensive 52 hours over five days,

typically lasting from 6:15 a.m. to 10 p.m.

or later. The goal is to meld the officers,

NCOs, and administrators into a team

with a common understanding and

agenda, whether in peace or war.

Training the three different types of

leaders together is a unique concept.

Normally the civilian, NCO, and officer

have separate training programs and traditionally different perspectives.

Led by cadre and guest speakers, the

course rapidly covered a new subject

about every two hours. They included:

■ Drill and Ceremony

■ Developing a Commander’s Vision

■ Elements of Success

■ Conduct the Army Physical

Readiness Test

■ Instilling Army Values

■ Judge Advocate Group Resources

“We’re looking for leaders of innovation, ingenuity,

initiative, and strength — not bureaucrats, whose

satisfaction in life is achieved by making it to 5

(o’clock) in the afternoon, reporting to the commander that ‘I’ve

processed all the papers.’ We’re looking for life-long learning, rooted

in values and the Warrior Ethos. We want every learner rewarded for

innovation, ingenuity, and the courage to change as opposed to the

completion of a process. (We want leaders to be) product- versus

process-oriented.” —LTG James R. Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, 

and commander of the U.S. Army Reserve Command

By John D. Wagner

63rd Regional Readiness Command PAO 

opportunity to do a dry run scenario,”

said Magrane. Groups were given scenarios and created solutions based on the

instruction. “Solutions included financial planning, getting commanders

involved, and counseling,” she said. 

The RDOIC establishes contact with the

FRG leader. They may be doing mobilization briefings while Soldiers are at

home station. The Soldier

should get to know the FRG

members so they get the

feeling that their families are

going to be well taken care of.

A positive and supportive

relationship between the

RDO and FRG is critical and

will benefit a unit’s retention

and keep Soldiers focused on

the mission and build trust,

enhance communications,

and morale for both the

deployed Soldier and the

family member.

“You are the ‘intake’ person,

as RDOIC or NCO,” said Al Balent,

family program manager with USARC.

“Families calling the RDOs can be under

a lot of stress. RDOs have to be an

example for them. They are looking at

you. It is a struggle.”

According to Balent, the RDOIC works

with the Family Readiness Group

Leader and deals with the issues that

may arise. The RDOIC also handles the

tracking sheet and does follow-up on

any issues and concerns. The FRG

needs to establish and exercise the telephone tree. If FRG volunteers become

aware of complex issues, they refer them

to the RDOIC. “The RDOIC will first

verify the facts in a situation. They may

then refer individuals to a number of

resources for further assistance such as

Army One Source, a toll-free helpline,”

Balent said.

RDOs are required to have family readiness skills, and be mature, sensitive to

family concerns and issues, intelligent, a

good listener, calm, energetic, and be

willing to help. They should also have

knowledge of official Army pay, legal,

medical, and other personnel services to

solve family issues and concerns locally

or provide information and referral for

these areas.

Paulette Horning-Sanford, a unit administrator for the 706th Transportation Co.,

based in Mansfield, Ohio, has been functioning as an RDOIC, but didn’t know it

until she came to the training conference.

She has been performing the various

duties talked about in the conference. “It

is very time consuming, but the Army

One Source will be most helpful now,”

said Horning-Sanford. 

Having just returned from Iraq to

become RDONCOIC in her unit three

weeks before the conference started,

SGT Juanita Cyr, 353rd Engineer Group

based in Oklahoma City, Okla., was

expecting to get lots of information to

help support her Soldiers. “It’s a head

start to get information to let Soldiers

know how you can help them. It is

important that families keep us

informed and let us know what their

needs are. Then we can give them the

reassurance to help them,” Cyr said.

So far, Cyr has been setting up the family

tree and putting the newsletter together.

She is doing the RDO newsletter and one

from the family readiness group.

“The family members know why their

son/daughters are over there. I update

Soldiers on their wants and needs. The

main thing is that you can serve as a

resource. You can go through the experience and learn from them,” Cyr said.

Someone the students could rely on who

really knew what she was talking about

was Ellen Evans, a family programs Senior

Volunteer Resource Instructor (SVRI),

and FRG volunteer with the 330th

Medical Brigade under the

88th Regional Readiness

Command. Evans made a presentation on the Deployment

Preparation Guide.

“Many of the Soldiers here

have not been deployed thus

far and don’t have the personal experience to draw on,”

said Evans. “I try to ensure

that the Soldier and their

families are prepared ahead

of time.”

One student who has been

previously mobilized for

seven months as commander

of a psychological operations detachment

is 1LT Michael DiSalvo. This time he

will be the RDOIC while his unit is

deployed. “This is very interesting training and is a very good overview of what 

I am going to be dealing with for

Operation Iraqi Freedom. This will help

me as an RDOIC to get plans in place to

get started,” DiSalvo said. 

Besides teaching at Family Program

Academies, Evans has the experience as a

spouse of a Soldier for two deployments,

so she really knows what it feels like. 

“I love doing this because I love doing

something my husband and I have in

common. I love sharing the experiences I

have had,” Evans said. 

One student said to her that Evans

brought a whole new perspective to this

as a family member. Evans said that the

student told her that she really brings

the “family-side of the house” to their

attention and students were very appreciative of that.

34 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

RDOs are required to have 

family readiness skills, 

and be mature, sensitive to family 

concerns and issues, intelligent, 

a good listener, calm, energetic, 

and be willing to help.
say, ‘I want him out!’ But I

need to see different techniques to rehabilitate.” She

said examples are Article 15s

or bars to reenlistment.

Each team of commander,

NCO, and civilian worked jointly to

develop plans for effectively dealing with

issues such as retention, attendance, and

instilling Army Values. The plans

included spelling out who in the unit

would be responsible. SFC Stephen Neu,

unit administrator Julie Miller and

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Justice of

the 639th Transportation Company,

Vallejo, Calif., wrote a three-point drill

attendance improvement plan. Details

included:

■ Create and implement an awardrecognition program for perfect

attendance (commander, first sergeant, and unit administrator

responsible);

■ Schedule some creative training, e.g.,

car wash for donations to Family

Readiness Group and to encourage

team building, instilling Army

Values (NCOs responsible); and

■ Create a buddy system for contact,

transportation, and other needs, and

to fix a potential “no show” (first

sergeant, NCOs responsible).

Justice appreciated the training in

the course.

“If we sit down and do the hard stuff in

the beginning, it will make us a better

team,” he said.

CPT Gabriella Cook, commander of the

313th Military Police Detachment in Las

Vegas, Nev. on “alert” status for potential

deployment, praised the course as well.

“It’s improved our teamwork and cooperation,” she said. “We know how to

approach it better. We communicated

more and said, ‘This is my strength and

this is your strength.’ When we are at

drill, we hardly ever have time to sit

down and go over things.”

The course and the scheduled “roll out”

are components of the Army Reserve

Leadership Campaign Plan. This initiative began in May 2003 under LTG

James R. Helmly, chief of the Army

Reserve. COL Sharon Stanley, chief of

the Leadership Initiative, was present for

the CTLDC “train-the-trainer” session

in Sacramento, Calif.

“The ultimate goal of the leadership

campaign is a change in our culture of

leadership,” Stanley said. “The three key

leadership competencies are: 1. Self

Awareness — ‘Who am I as a leader and

what effect am I having on those around

me?’ 2. Agility and Adaptability — ‘Do

it now, get it done, and we may have to be

flexible to complete the mission. We

don’t have to be perfect; we need to move

ahead’; 3. Life-long learners — ‘Soldiers

and civilians who choose to continue

their learning outside the school house.’”

The Company Team Leader Development Course was a groundbreaking

concept developed in 1999 by the 

63rd Regional Readiness Command

(then named 63rd Regional Support

Command). The issue: Reserve units

would conduct monthly training and the

first sergeants, commanders, and civilian

administrators would experience friction

and misunderstandings that undermined

readiness.

The course began in April 1999 at

Oakland Army Base, Calif., and more

than 300 people have since graduated. As

more classes were conducted, CTLDC

resulted in improvements in unit readiness and increased leadership efficiency.

The roll-out Army Reserve–wide was

later approved by Helmly.

Each position has a different function,

training, and perspective, observed

Anspach, co-designer of the course.

“They’re in three different silos,” he said.

“Officers go down one path of

training with other officers.

NCOs go down their path and

UAs have their own as well.”

Conditions are further complicated by unit commanders

and first sergeants not being full-time

and by all having to get caught up during

weekend training.

“These guys come in on a training

weekend and run around at Warp 9 and

they don’t have quiet time to get together

and plan,” Anspach continued. “Or a

new commander comes in with his own

assumptions without dealing with other

peoples’ assumptions.”

The course organizers even include

touches from the fine arts, showing

movie clips with themes relevant to military leadership.

One segment was from “Memphis Belle,”

a 1990 story about World War II aviators.

A fleet of U.S. bombers are on their way

to strike German targets during World

War II. They reach a smoke screen and

veer out of the area.

The commander then makes a dangerous

decision to turn back and make another

run even though anti-aircraft gunners

would anticipate them returning. The copilot walks to the back of the plane, talks

to the tail gunner, who then shoots down

a German plane. It is the wrong moment.

The damaged plane comes crashing

downward on an American bomber. Both

aircraft plummet to the ground.

“Let’s talk about this,” Anspach said, in

front of the class. “What did you see as far

as the co-pilots deal with the tail gunner?”

“He abandoned his post for his own personal satisfaction,” said one Soldier.

“And he didn’t demonstrate loyalty to 

his team,” Anspach observed. “He was

trying to do something for himself.” 

Others chimed in opinions that the 

commander showed personal courage in

ordering the return bombing run.

Winter 2004–05 ★ 37

But this was not just another class among

the many conducted during the last five

years. The course was part of a national

“rollout,” expanding CTLDC from the

63rd Regional Readiness Command to

Army Reserve–wide. The class held in

May 2004 was different — signaling a

clear transition — with teams from the

88th and 89th Regional Readiness

Commands out of Minneapolis, Minn.,

and Wichita, Kan., respectively, along

with unit teams from Nebraska,

California, Indiana, and Nevada.

Furthermore, three people from the

Army Reserve Readiness Training

Center, Fort McCoy, Wis., attended.

They comprised CTLDC mobile training teams that will assist the RRCs in the

course set-up and delivery nationwide.

“We’re taking the existing program 

of instruction and changing some parts

to making them more adaptable for 

other Regional Readiness Commands,”

explained CPT Jane Tamboli, team

leader for the mobile team. “We will help

implement and teach at various RRCs as

the plan begins to roll out.”

She said the implementation begins

this year and will continue into fiscal

year 2006.

The Soldiers and civilians at the Reserve

Center practiced their drill and ceremony

skills each morning. On a cold, windy

morning, CPT Darren Antal, commander

of the 823rd AG Replacement Company,

called the formation to attention.

“Platoon leaders,” he bellowed, “Prepare

your Soldiers for inspection.”

After finishing, they went back to the

classroom that was ringed with posters

shouting themes such as “Excellence,”

“Teamwork,” and “Perseverance.” In the

middle was a picture with steely-eyed

Army Rangers bristling with weapons.

COL (Ret.) Christopher Green, CTLDC

course developer and master trainer for

63rd RRC, asked for feedback on the

morning parade.

“What kind of problems did you see?” he

asked. “What can we do to improve?”

“Some people in the back were talking in

the ranks,” said SFC Tom Clausson of

425th Transportation Company, Salina,

Kan. “I didn’t like that.”

MSG Priamo Paulino of the Readiness

Training Center gave another 

observation.

“You don’t give the last squad an ‘at ease’

after an inspection,” he said.

“Right,” said Green. “There’s no point.

You’re done.”

Among the course topics was “Effective

Leadership in Army Reserve Units,” with

class members and cadre interacting.

“Quality training needs to be MOS specific,” said MSG Garren Fulmer of the

313th Military Police Detachment in Las

Vegas, summarizing study material.

“Training needs to be hands-on, organized into a plan, and adhered to.”

Green agreed.

“Units often shoot themselves in the

foot, don’t have a training plan or adequately conduct training,” he said.

“There can be be a problem like ‘we

wanted weapons training, but didn’t

order ammunition.’”

The class also listened to guest speakers.

LTC Lisa Windsor, staff judge advocate

for 63rd Regional Readiness Command

spoke to them about proper discipline

procedures.

“Discipline is a part of command,” she

said. “It must be linear and ascending. If

an enlisted Soldier keeps mouthing off

to officers and gets nothing but counseling statements, he’ll think ‘I can do this

indefinitely.’ Then I’ll see commanders

36 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Physical training, including a group run for the Soldiers

and civilians, was part of the curriculum.

PHOTO: JOHN D. WAGNER

“The ultimate goal of the 

leadership campaign is a change 

in our culture of leadership.”
AROUND THE GLOBE

AFGHAN COMMAND 

STANDS UP 

By COL Randy Pullen

U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs Officer

Office of Military Cooperation —

Afghanistan

K

ABUL, Afghanistan — There was not 

a cloud in the sky but there was

thunder and lightning at the Sept.

22 activation of the Afghan National

Army’s Gardez regional command.

The “thunder” was the 203 Corps of the

Afghan National Army (ANA), which

has been named the Thunder Corps.

The Soldiers of Thunder Corps will man

the Gardez regional command garrison.

Its commander is ANA MG Walizada.

The “lightning” was Tropic Lightning

6, also known as MG Eric Olson, USA,

commanding general of the 25th

Infantry “Tropic Lightning” Division

and commanding general of Combined

Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan.

Olson represented the Combined Forces

Command — Afghanistan coalition and

the United States at the ceremony. 

The Gardez regional command was

the ANA’s second regional command.

The first was established in Kandahar

Sept. 19, 2004.

Establishing the regional commands of

the Afghan National Army is a milestone step for the general security of

Afghanistan and for the strengthening

of the Afghan government. 

With the standing up of the Gardez and

Kandahar regional commands, a permanent Afghan National Army presence 

in the east and south of Afghanistan,

respectively, has been established. The

soon-to-be activated regional commands

in Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat will put the

ANA presence permanently in the west

and north, thus covering the entire

country and showing to the Afghan

people and to the international community that Afghan national government

authority extends throughout the nation.

AMERICAN, EUROPEAN

SOLDIERS PARTICIPATE IN

INTERNATIONAL PATROL

COMPETITION 

By SFC Derrick Witherspoon 

Public Affairs Office

7th Army Reserve Command

SAARLAND, Germany — Through blood,

sweat, and international camaraderie,

American and European Soldiers came

together in September to compete 

in the 2004 German Army Reserve

“Saarschleife” International Military

Patrol Competition.

The 313th Support Center, an Army

Reserve unit located in Kaiserslautern,

Germany, sent three teams of Army

Reserve Soldiers to Saarland to compete

in this year’s German Army Reserve

“Saarschleife” International Military

Patrol Competition. The Saarschleife 

is an international military team 

competition that takes place every 

two years and is sponsored by the

Verteidigungsbezirkskommando 46,

which is the regional defense command

for Southwestern Germany. 

“We participated in the training because

our official German partnership unit

was one of the event sponsors,” said

LTC Morrison Fenner, commander 

of the 313th Support Center. “We 

competed against Soldiers from

Switzerland, Germany, and Italy.”

Fenner said the competition consisted

of an 18 kilometer night land navigation

course, weapons training, 1,500 meter

force march (which ended when six

rounds were fired by each team

member), and machine gun and pistol

fire. They also had to rescue a victim

out of a burning building, cross a tworope bridge, provide first aid to ambush

victims, assemble and disassemble

various German Weapons, fire a German

grenade pistol, demonstrate how to

operate a checkpoint, and negotiate an

obstacle course. 

The 313th Support Center’s team two

took 12th place out of 28 teams which

competed in the competition. 

“Trophies were only given to the top

three teams,” said Fenner. “Since some

of the teams started training a year out

for this event, I think we placed fairly

high. Their first aid standards and

methodology are a little different from

what we know in the United States.

Our American teams tied for 1st place

in several events to include checkpoint

operations and firing the German

Grenade Launcher.”

When SFC Michael K. Hackett, a

member of the 313th Support Center’s

team two, was asked what he thought

abut the training, he said it was painful,

but well worth it. 

“To be able to learn how our allies work

was interesting,” said Hackett. “We

learned how to disassemble and fire

weapons that the German military uses

and we were tested on what we had

learned. We also navigated at night

using the European methods. I learned

that our NATO allies are more knowledgeable about the founding and

workings of NATO then I was. Overall,

it was a great learning event, and of

course our allies, especially the Germans,

helped us as much as we would allow

them to. They were always there to lend

a hand.”

SFC DUNLAP RECEIVES

SECRETARY OF THE ARMY USAR 

RETENTION AND TRANSITION

NCO OF THE YEAR AWARD

S

tanding toe to toe against top

Army Reserve Retention and

Transition (RT) NCOs from 12

Army Reserve Regional Readiness

Commands (RRCs), SFC John K.

Dunlap, 89th RRC was awarded the

Secretary of the Army, Army Reserve

RTNCO of the Year Award.

The Retention NCOs who competed

already won preliminary competitions

held by their commands. Soldiers are

selected to compete based on their 

performance, attitude, enthusiasm,

appearance, self-expression, and knowledge of Soldier skills. The program

serves as a tool promoting excellence and

proficiency allowing Soldiers the opportunity to show their knowledge about the

service and set examples of their expertise and professionalism to their peers. 

Dunlap, assigned to the 89th RRC,

serves as the Warrant Officer Accessions

NCO for Kansas and Northwest

Missouri. He entered the Active 

Guard Reserve program in January

2001, stationed in Belton, Mo.

Dunlap has been a part of “An Army of

One” since June 1993 when he entered

active duty at Fort Leonardwood, Mo.

When his time came to leave the 

Army, he decided to become “Twice the

Citizen” and continued the opportunity

to serve by joining the Army Reserve.

Participating in the board was a “great

opportunity” according to Dunlap

“which required him to push himself ”.

He stated he “would like more Soldiers

participating in the boards in order to

increase knowledge of their job and

Soldiers skills.”

WORLD WAR II VETERAN

RECEIVES AWARDS 

FOR WAR SERVICE

By LTC Burton L. Masters

Public Affairs Office

Human Resources Command–St. Louis

Lonnell T. Ware, Jr., an 83-year-old

Army World War II veteran with the

3168th Quartermaster Service Company,

received belated recognition for his

wartime service in a ceremony held Aug.

27, 2004 by U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay,

Jr., (D-Mo.) and COL Limuel Hunter,

Jr., the deputy commander of the U.S.

Army’s Human Resources Command–

St. Louis (HRC–STL). 

Ware was presented with the Good

Conduct Medal, European Campaign

Medal, with silver service star and arrowhead devices, the World War II Victory

Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel

Button for WWII. He was also presented

an HRC–STL Commander’s Certificate

of Appreciation on behalf of the local

Sergeant Audie Murphy Club and an

HRC–STL Command Sergeant Major’s

coin in recognition of his exceptional

service. 

Entering active service on Jan. 9, 1943

at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., Ware

attended basic training at Camp Young

Desert Training Center, Calif. He landed

on Omaha Beach following D-Day on

June 8, 1944 and participated in actions

in five campaigns across Europe — in

Normandy, Northern France, the

Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), Central

Europe, and the Rhineland. (The silver

service star device on the campaign

medal reflects his service in these campaigns and arrowhead device recognizes

his amphibious landing on Omaha

Beach). On Jan. 9, 1945, he was honorably discharged at Jefferson Barracks.

Following the awards ceremony, Ware

recounted some of his wartime experiences, including coming under fire at

Normandy. “The bullets were flying all

over. So, you had to get your head down

and dig in.... It’s amazing how fast you

can react and move under pressure,” he

recalled. He also chuckled as he recalled

passing an artillery unit from the St.

Louis area who were firing on the

Germans: “They were singing while

firing to the beat of the St. Louis Blues.”

Ware also described his participation in

shooting down a German plane during

the Battle of the Bulge. Throughout his

remarks, he expressed a deep sense of

patriotism: “I appreciate serving my

country — it’s a wonderful country. 

I tried to do the best that I could. 

I’m proud to have been able to serve.”

Present at the ceremony were members

of Ware’s family, including his daughter,

Ms. Hattie Ware-Jones, who initiated the

request for Ware’s wartime medals. 

PEOPLE

People in Focus Global News

SGT Tim Batten, an Individual Ready Reserve Soldier with

the Office of Military Cooperation — Afghanistan Security

Detail, scans the Kabul Airport runway as he provides

security for the Afghan and coalition officials who will

board the U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 helicopter in front of

him to go to the Gardez regional command ceremony.

World War II veteran Lonnell T. Ware, Jr., receives a U.S.

Army Human Resources Command–St. Louis certificate

of appreciation in recognition of his wartime service as

part of an awards ceremony held Aug. 27, 2004.

Presenting the certificate is COL Limuel Hunter, Jr.,

HRC–St. Louis deputy commander. Looking on is U.S.

Rep. William Lacy Clay, Jr. The ceremony was held in

Clay’s local St. Louis office.

PHOTO: RAY GALL, HRC–ST. LOUIS PUBLIC AFFAIRS

38 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 39 PHOTO: COL RANDY PULLEN
Tallinn

Klaipeda

Schwetzingen

Kaiserslautern

Sliven

Aluksne

Tapa

RUSSIA

FINLAND

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SPAIN

SWEDEN

NORWAY

GERMANY

FRANCE

PORTUGAL

HUNGARY

ROMANIA

BULGARIA

TURKEY

DENMARK

POLAND

BELARUS

UKRAINE CZECH

SLOVAKIA

GREECE

CYPRUS

ANDORRA

NETH.

BELGIUM

IRELAND

YUGOSLAVIA

ALBANIA

MOLDOVA

LITHUANIA

LATVIA

ESTONIA

LUX.

LIECH.

CROATIA

SLOVENIA SWITZERLAND

MACEDONIA

ICELAND

ALGERIA

MOROCCO TUNISIA LEBANON

SYRIA

U. K.

BOSNIA

and

Adriatic Sea

HERZ.

Aegean Sea

Baltic

Sea

Bay of

Biscay

Black Sea

Gulf of

Bothnia

 Gulf of

Finland

Mediterranean Sea Ionian Sea

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

North Sea

Norwegian Sea

Tyrrhenian

Sea

White Sea

AROUND THE GLOBE

40 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Winter 2004–05 ★ 41

Hackett said he was extremely proud to

be a part of the 313th Support Center’s

team two, considering that 12th place is

the highest the unit has ever placed in

the competition. 

“We were the ‘old man’ team from our

unit and the teams that we faced do

these events regularly,” said Hackett.

“I mean they train up and compete in

these events Europe-wide, but the idea

of training with foreign Soldiers was

also a plus. The U.S. prefers to build

Partnerships when working globally,

so more training with our partners

would make working in hostile or

humanitarian areas or just training

events easier.”

“I believe all future military operations of any significant size are going

to be Joint, Multi-Component, and

International,” said Fenner. “We must

do events like the Saarschleife to

foster better understandings between

the military components of all countries, and I think that’s what we did

by competing in this event.”

BULGARIAN EXERCISE

PREPARES 

GERMANY-BASED 

ARMY RESERVE UNIT 

FOR DEPLOYMENT

By LTC Jon Dahms 

Public Affairs Office

7th Army Reserve Command

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The 7th

Army Reserve Command’s 330th

Support Center (Rear Operations

Center) returned from Bulgaria on

August 21 after more than six weeks

supporting exercise Bulwark 2004.

“This mission was intended as a

rehearsal for the 330th’s upcoming

deployment in support of the Southern

European Task Force for the sixth rotation of Operation Enduring Freedom,”

said MAJ Tony Francia, the unit’s

Operations Officer. “We were able to

validate our unit movement plan and

our mission essential tasks.”

Nearly 1,000 Soldiers from U.S. Army

Europe and various units in the United 

States descended upon Novo Selo

Training Area, a remote Bulgarian

Army training site about 25 miles from

the city of Sliven. The 330th supported

two rotations with a total of 18 Soldiers.

“Our primary mission during the exercise was to coordinate force protection

for the U.S. participants,” said CPT

Brett E. Peters, Operations Officer for

the 330th. “We set up liaison and

worked closely with Bulgarian Military

Police personnel to ensure the safety off

all participants.”

The exercise, the largest joint exercise

with the former East bloc country since

Bulgaria joined NATO in May, will

help forge strong ties in the budding

relationship between Bulgaria and U.S.

Army Europe.

During the exercise, the unit trained

with the 37th Transportation Battalion

and 18th Engineer Brigade in conducting railhead operations in a safe and

professional manner. Prior to Bulwark,

the 330th had not completed a deployment exercise involving railhead

operations. 

The 330th’s Base Defense Liaison

Teams worked extremely well together

and were recognized by the 18th

Engineer Brigade for their expertise 

and hard work. 

“We provided six base defense liaison

teams and a command and control

element for the exercise,” Francia said.

“The unit conducted vulnerability

assessments and built force protection

plans for two airfields, three railheads,

VIP billeting areas, and routes to and

from the training area and Logistics

Support Area.”

The unit produced an integrated force

protection plan that included host

nation military police; contractors; and

Active, Reserve, and National Guard

units from Germany, Alabama, and

Illinois, Francia said.

Training received at the Novo Selo

training area and throughout the 

AROUND THE GLOBE

A Soldier from the German Army races SFC Michael K. Hackett, LTC Morrison J. Fenner, and MAJ Roderick A. Wilson, left to

right, of the 313th Support Center as they hustle their way through a team obstacle course. The course was part of the

German Army Reserve “Saarschleife” International Military Patrol Competition held in Saarland, Germany. 

PHOTO: COURTESY OF LTC MORRISON J. FENNER

TURKEY

JORDAN

KUWAIT

SYRIA

IRAQ

IRAN

INDIA

SAUDI ARABIA

TURKMENISTAN

Caspian Sea

Persian Gulf 

Karbala

Kabul

PAKISTAN

AFGHANISTAN

PAGE 40 

PAGE 42 

PAGE 42, 45 

PAGE 42 

PAGE 42 

PAGE 43

PAGE 39

PAGE 39,40 
AROUND THE GLOBE

preparation and conduct of the exercise

was invaluable to the 330th ROC.

“This is the first time the unit deployed

en masse to conduct training,” Peters

said. “In the past, we’ve deployed our

four to six member Base Defense

Liaison Teams to handle missions of a

smaller scope. This time, the full-up,

task organized unit deployed, giving us

experience that will help us when we

deploy to support Operation Enduring

Freedom.”

This partnership exercise with the

Bulgarian military is just one example

of the close ties between the Bulgarian

and U.S. Military. Bulgaria is also supporting coalition forces in Iraq with a

battalion of 480 infantry Soldiers stationed in Karbala, Iraq.

ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS

SUPPORT MAJOR EXERCISE IN

BALTIC NATIONS

By LTC Jon Dahms 

Public Affairs Office

7th Army Reserve Command 

ALUKSNE, Latvia — Soldiers from the 7th

Army Reserve Command, headquartered in Schwetzingen, Germany, and

five other Army Reserve units are supporting international military exercises

in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

The Reserve Soldiers have joined troops

from 17 nations for a series of exercises

designed to provide medical training

and assess the participating nations’

ability in anti-terrorism measures,

search and rescue operations, and disaster response scenarios.

“The 7th ARCOM’s role in this exercise

is mainly real world support,” said 

SSG Rick Scavetta, Public Affairs

Noncommissioned Officer for the

International Task Force. “Our 

Soldiers oversee force protection, 

media relations, and visitor escorts.”

Roughly 2,000 troops will take part in

the 15-day RESCUER/Medical Exercise

Central Europe (MEDCEUR) 2004, 

in the Baltic Nations and Bulgaria.

Military personnel from the United

States, Germany, Poland, Romania,

Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia,

and Azerbaijan are taking part with host

nation troops.

“This exercise is basically four exercises

rolled into one,” said MAJ Chris Baker,

a U.S. Army Europe operations officer

who led planning for mission. “We have

a computer-based scenario that sets the

stage for the whole exercise. Woven into

this scenario is a medical exercise, a

diving exercise, and a search and rescue

exercise.”

Army Reserve units joining the 7th

ARCOM to support the exercise include

the 368th Engineer Battalion (Londonderry, N.H.), the 330th Combat Support

Hospital, (Millington, Tenn.), 207th

Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

(Denver, Colo.), the 362nd Public Affairs

Detachment (Londonderry, N.H.), and

the 358th Mobile Public Affairs

Detachment (Salt Lake City, Utah).

In Klaipeda, Lithuania, Soldiers from

the 368th Engineer Battalion are renovating an orphanage. Working alongside

Lithuanians, the New Hampshire-based

Reserve troops are installing new

windows and renovating a dining room.

Nearby, the engineers are also building a

timber trestle bridge to allow year round

access for Klaipeda’s rural residents to

cross a flood plain.

Also in Klaipeda, the 330th CSH is

supporting MEDCEUR, the medical

portion of the exercise. More than 30

Soldiers from the unit will be working

with first responders from the host

nation and military medical personnel

from 11 other nations in responding

to small, medium, and large mass 

casualty events.

Covering the exercise in all three Baltic

nations are members of the 207th,

358th, and 362nd Mobile Public Affairs

Detachments.

“We have teams at every location covering all aspects of the exercise,” said SFC

Jeff Mullett, NCOIC for the 207th. 

Mullett and MAJ Curtis Carney, the

207th’s commander, are working

together with Latvian public affairs 

representatives in Aluksne, Latvia, 

providing public affairs support, but

also training a Latvian spokesperson 

to deal with media issues generated as

part of the exercise scenario.

“The scenario for the exercise involves

terrorists setting forest fires that lead to

disasters in each of the Baltic nations,”

Carney said. “We are preparing a

Latvian spokesperson to be the oncamera representative to respond to the

computer simulation.”

For the host nations, RESCUER /

MEDCEUR 2004 (RM04) will provide a

real-world assessment of their medical

capabilities and ability to respond to both

disasters and military contingencies. 

In Lithuania, the MEDCEUR exercise

will give the multinational force a

chance to exchange medical information and techniques while training to

deal with emergencies, such as masscasualty events.

In Tallinn, Estonia, troops will take

part in a diving exercise (DIVEX) to

test their abilities to handle ordnance

threats underwater and salvage operations. Meanwhile, Estonian and Polish

troops will coordinate a Search and

Rescue exercise (SAREX) near Tapa,

Estonia. 

During the exercise, troops will also

provide humanitarian assistance to

host countries. A team of U.S. Army

Engineers and Naval Construction

Battalions are working on renovation

and construction projects in all three

Baltic countries.

“Missions like this really give Soldiers a

chance to operate in a multinational environment,” Scavetta said. “Should they be

called upon to deploy on future coalition

missions, this experience will pay off.”

AMERICAN SAMOA

ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS 

ANSWER THE CALL TO DUTY

By Paul Adams 

Army Reserve Public Affairs

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — With the

rugged mountainous terrain and spectacular coastline dotted with many

beautiful inlets and bays as a backdrop,

approximately 250 Soldiers of America’s

only Army Reserve ground combat unit,

answered the call to duty in a solemn

three-and-one-half hour prayer service

marking their mobilization in this

Asian Pacific tropical island.

In a display of whole island community

support, nearly 3000 citizens from local

villages, along with friends and family

members gathered in the maintenance

bay of the soon to be completed new

Army Reserve Center to honor the

Army Reserve Soldiers of Company’s B

and C, 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry

Regiment. 

The newly activated Army Reserve

Soldiers will join other Soldiers within

the Battalion from Saipan and Guam at

Schofield Barracks for additional training this week. The Battalion totals

about 575 Soldiers that will be deployed.

The 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry

Regiment will support Hawaii’s Army

National Guard’s 29th Separate Infantry

Brigade while deployed overseas.

In addition to inspirational and beautiful hymns sung by five island high

school choirs, the Soldiers heard

remarks from a host of military and

civilian VIPs to include the honorable

Governor Togiola T. Tulafono. Tulafono

told the Soldiers he was going to introduce bills into the legislature to protect

the Soldiers’ civilian jobs when they

return from duty and to improve pay

benefits.

Other speakers mentioned the famed

“Go For Broke” regiment of World War

II, the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental

Combat Team, that became the most

decorated unit of its size in the war. It is

the only battalion-sized unit in the U.S.

Army authorized its own shoulder patch.

SGT Lang Lagafuaina, a team leader

with first squad, third Platoon, B

Company, has been in the unit for eight

years and has a cousin in C Company. “It

is an honor to be in the unit and carry on

42 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

AROUND THE GLOBE

Soldiers from the

386th Engineer

Battalion, are part

of a renovation

project at Rytas

Children’s

Orphanage in

Klaipeda,

Lithuania. 

Ladies from the Pago

Pago Department of

Public Safety, American

Samoa, hold up a sign

expressing their feelings

for the Soldiers of the

100th Battalion, 442nd

Infantry to return home

safely from their 

deployment in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Fifteen soldiers, all

policemen and firemen

in the department, 

were honored by the

Department in a public

ceremony. The Army

Reserve Soldiers are

dressed in while t-shirts 

and blue traditional 

lava lavas.

PHOTO: SSG STEVEN EWALD

PHOTO: PAUL ADAMS

Winter 2004–05 ★ 43
RUSSIA

CHINA

PHILIPPINES

JAPAN

MONGOLIA

AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND

NEW CALEDONIA

FIJI

PALAU

VANUATU

SOLOMON

ISLANDS

GUAM MARSHALL

ISLANDS

MICRONESIA

TONGA

SAMOA

ISLANDS

FRENCH

POLYNESIA

KIRIBATI

AROUND THE GLOBE

the “Go For Broke” tradition,” Lagafuaina said. “There is no spirit like the

100th spirit, it has brotherhood spirit.”

“The Samoan people are extremely

patriotic and strive on service to

country,” said CPT Calvin Fish, commander of B Company. “They take

pride in knowing they are part of the

100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry.” 

“They want to be a part of this (mobilization) because they know how

significant this is,” Fish said. “You 

can see their sense of urgency.”

SSG Malo Faumoina’s response illustrated Fish’s point. “No more monthly

drill, this is the real thing,” said

Faumoina, who hales from the village 

of Alofau. “I am proud to wear this last

name as a Samoan warrior. To become

chief, you have to fight for it, so that’s

like what I’m doing now, go and fight to

maintain Faumoina chief.” His father is

the former village chief and his uncle 

is the current village chief.

The passion for being a member of the

100th runs deep in family and historical

roots.

SGT Jancey Shimasaki wanted to be in

the unit because of his Japanese ancestry. He is half Japanese and half

Samoan. “I think my ancestors were

fighting on the Japanese side. I had a

cousin who was an officer in the

Japanese navy,” he said. “It’s a calling.

We are answering the call as the unit

did in World War II,” he said. 

SFC Faaagi Taufeteee summed up the

pride the unit members have in the “Go

for Broke” tradition. “‘Go For Broke’

means you give all you got, when you

ready to go attack, or whatever you do,

you give all you got. The pride of the

Army Reserve and the pride of your

unit, it’s you,” Taufetee said. 

BRIDGE CONNECTS NATIONS

By SPC Monika Comeaux

207th Mobile Public Affairs Det.

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania — The smell of

freshly cut wood surrounds the construction site where U.S. Army Reserve

Soldiers from a New Hampshire engineer unit and engineers from the

Lithuanian Army built a timber trestle

bridge near the towns of Rumsai and

Lauciai, 40 miles southeast of the

Lithuanian city of Klaipeda.

According to SSG John B. Zayhowski,

noncommissioned officer in charge 

of the U.S. troops from the 368th

Engineer Battalion headquartered in

Londonderry, N.H., the bridge will

provide easier access for farmers to

reach their fields and will considerably

shorten local students walk to school. 

“The idea for the bridge came from 

the Lithuanians at the planning stage

of the exercise and the blueprints were

also made by Lithuanian engineers,”

said Zayhowski. Before the bridge was

built the locals used a makeshift foot

bridge and a ford to cross the river.

“This is something we never get to do

in America. In the United States we

have all steel and concrete structures.

Here we work with wood. In times of

war a timber bridge is an easy solution,” said Zayhowski. 

“The new bridge is almost 11 feet wide,

and rests on timber pillars,” said CPT

Dovidavicius Vaidas, the officer in

charge of the Lithuanian troops from

the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd

Engineer Company of the Lithuanian

army. Vaidas went on to say,

“Approximately 220 cubic yards of

timber was used for the project. An

average size truck can drive across 

it easily.” 

This humanitarian project is part 

of the RESCUER/MEDCEUR 2004

Exercise, and fits right into the 

exercise’s motto: “Security through

Partnership. 

“The bridge project allowed the

Lithuanians and the Americans to

work together and build a team,”

Vaidas said.

He also complimented the American

troops on their work ethics. “I liked

working with the Americans. The

Americans worked very hard, I had no

problems with their soldiers whatsoever,” said Dovidavicius. 

“The real beneficiaries of the bridge are

the children of the surrounding communities. Instead of walking 10 miles 

to get to school the local children will

now only have to walk three miles,”

Dovidavicius

explained.

“Later on, a dirt

road leading 

to the bridge

will also be

improved,” 

he added. 

Both parties

learned from

each other. “One

interesting thing

the American

soldiers had was

the opportunity

to learn from the

Lithuanians

how to take bark

off the lumber

with specially

sharpened

shovels. None 

of the American

soldiers have

seen this technique before,”

Zayhowski said.

“Most of the Lithuanian officers speak

English, but this gave them a great

opportunity to practice their language

skills,” said Zayhowski. As the sergeant

explained, all Lithuanian officers are

required to learn at least one NATO

language.

Not only is the bridge a humanitarian

assistance project but both sides also

look at the bridge as a symbol of the

friendship and cooperation that was

built between the U.S. Army and the

Lithuanian Army.

44 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

AROUND THE GLOBE

SPC Alfred J. Harper III,

C Company, 368th

Engineer Battalion,

Rutland, Vt. applies a

special sealant to the

lumber used for the

bridge construction. 

PHOTO: ARMY SPC MONIKA COMEAUX

Massacre

Bay

Larsen

Bay

Maloata

Bay

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

Pago Pago

Harbor

Tafeu

Cove

Pala Lagoon

'AUNU'U

ISLAND

TUTUILA

American Samoa

(United States)

Pago Pago

Soldiers of B Co., 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, 

pray during a communion service offered during 

their pre-deployment preparations at the unit’s Army

Reserve Center.

SGT Sonny Sappa, B Co., 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry,

monitors a patient with an IV while waiting for 

medical help at the casualty collection point during the

unit’s simulated mass casualty exercise.

PHOTO: PAUL ADAMS PHOTO: PAUL ADAMS

Winter 2004–05 ★ 45
46 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

DOS AND DON’TS FOR

RETURNING TO YOUR 

CIVILIAN JOB

By Michaella Babrich

Program Manager

Army Reserve Well-Being

H

ere are some dos and don’ts 

for returning to your civilian 

job. 

First, become very familiar with the

Uniformed Services Employment and

Reemployment Act (USERRA). This is

the law that provides employment and

reemployment rights and protection for

those having served in the uniformed

services. You can find a copy of it on the

Well-Being intranet site and on AKO,

https://usarcintra/dcsper/WellBeing/Well-Being_Office_page.htm.

Next, establish contact with your civilian supervisor as soon as you find out

that you’re returning home. Perhaps an

e-mail or ask your significant other to

send word if you’re not able to yourself.

Just provide a heads up that you’re

homeward bound and looking forward

to being home again. Civilian employers

are concerned about your welfare and

want you to return home safe and sound.

Civilian employers are proud of their

Army Reserve Soldiers’ service to our

country and take your absence seriously. 

Upon return to your home, follow-up

with a phone call to your supervisor to

schedule a visit during which you will

be able to catch up on what’s been going

on in the work environment. During

this visit, you can discuss the timing of

your return and perhaps what are some

of the projects that you’ll be working on

at that time. Make sure to discuss what

the process is for getting back on the

payroll, signing up for health insurance,

and re-starting your pension/investment

plan if you have one. 

Afterwards, take time to reconnect with

your peers and colleagues, too. There

may have been baby arrivals, weddings,

promotions, graduations, etc. Your colleagues will want to shake your hand

because they are also glad you’re home.

Take time for these moments for your

sake and theirs because it re-establishes

important connections for everyone.

Do not just show up. Perhaps someone

has been filling in for you and is in the

middle of a project or perhaps there

has been an organizational change that

affects your area. Employers, like the

military, must adapt and improvise

when a change in staffing occurs, so

just showing up unexpectedly will not

send a positive message, nor will it help

you to re-establish connections. Both

you and your employer need to prepare

for your return.

Additionally, after your return home,

you may want to practice going to your

place of employment. Perhaps there has

been considerable construction or property development on your route and the

usual commute is not so usual anymore.

Re-acclimating to the weather may have

to occur, also. If it is winter time and

you’ve been in a desert environment,

but live in the northeast, the commute

will be slightly different now. 

Whether you have been serving your

country one month or one year, your

absence from your civilian job causes

your employers and colleagues to have

to adapt and improvise. These are two

qualities that our Army has nurtured 

in you, so share some of your training

with your employers by keeping them

and yourself in the loop so each may 

be aware of the others adaptations and

improvisations during your absence.

By keeping the lines of communication

open, you will be able to reintegrate

much more smoothly back into your

civilian job.

KNOW YOUR EMPLOYMENT AND

RE-EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

Title 38 U.S.C. Chapter 43, The

Uniformed Services Employment and

Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

provides the following:

RIGHTS:

1. Prohibits discrimination against those

who choose to serve in the “uniformed

services.”

2. Entitles members to a leave of absence

from their civilian employment to serve,

either voluntary or involuntary, for up to

5 years of cumulative military service.

Use of personal vacation leave is not

required.

3. A provision for continuation of coverage

under a health plan during the period 

of military service.

4. Entitles members returning from military service to prompt reinstatement of

employment, with seniority, status, and

rate of pay as if continuously employed.

5. Assistance through the Veterans’

Employment and Training Service

(DVETS) in the U.S. Department of

Labor (DoL), if a conflict occurs

between the member and employer 

that cannot be satisfactorily resolved.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Advance notification to the employer,

either written or verbally communicated.

2. Serve satisfactorily and be discharged

from active duty with an honorable 

discharge or general discharge under

honorable conditions.

3. Serve for no more than the 5-year 

cumulative limit.

4. Report back to work and submit for

reemployment within the following 

timelines:

a. less than 31 days of service, 

report back no later than the 

beginning of the first full regularly

scheduled work period and eight

hours after a period which allows 

for a safe return, 

b. more than 31 days, but less than

181 days, report back no later 

than 14 calendar days,

c. more than 180 days, report back 

no later than 90 calendar days.

GETTING BACK TO WORK

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Editor

Army Reserve Magazine

U.S. Army Reserve Command, Public Affairs

1401 Deshler Street SW

Fort McPherson, GA 30330

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