Unoffi cial 1st Infantry Division magazine for Soldiers and Families

February 2008

www.1id.army.mil

Where we are, what we’re doing here we are, what we’re doing

Training for the fi ght pg 8 Soldiers fi ghting Soldiers pg 12 Liberating victims pg 15
1February

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The BRO

Duty First.

No mission too dif

fi cult,

No sacrifi ce too great, 
2February

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Contents 

CG’s Philosophy..................................pg 3

CSM’s Farewell........................... pg 4

Devils become leaders ...........................................pg 5

Hands-on mortar training for Dukes.........................................pg 8

Bulldogs change the battlefi eld..............pg 9

Dragons recover in the mud..................pg 11

A night in the Little Apple.................................................. pg 17

Promises kept................................pg 13

Walking in the shoes of a BRO Soldier 

during WWII.......................pg 15

A Soldier with two faces...................pg 14

photo by Spc. Nathaniel Smith

BAGHDAD - Sgt. Michael Reynolds, a light-wheel mechanic from 

Company B, 610th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division from Florence, Ky., assesses 

the link-up on an M88 recovery vehicle during a training exercise 

at Forward Operating Base Falcon, Dec. 27. The training event was 

scheduled in order to prepare for Baghdad’s upcoming rainy season. 

Dragons pilot new system ...........................................pg 7

Sustaining the fi ght..................................pg 12

The Duty First is an unoffi cial publication produced under the provisions 

of AR 360-1, published by Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division. Editorial 

views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Department of Defense, the Army or the 1st Infantry Division. All photos are Army 

photos unless otherwise noted. Circulation is 6,000 per issue, printed 

quarterly. Story and photos submissions are welcome and should be sent 

to 1st Infantry Division, Public Affairs Offi ce, ATTN: Editor, Bldg. 405, Fort 

Riley, KS 66442. Telephone number 785-239-8126 or 785-239-2402, DSN 

856 2402 or DSN 856-3616, fax 785-239-2592, or e-mail francisca.

vega@conus.army.mil , or visit Duty First online at www.1id.army.mil.

1st Infantry Division Commander:

Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin

1st Infantry Division PAO:

Lt. Col. Christian Kubik

Editor:

Pfc. Francisca Vega

Duty First! Magazine

1st Infantry Division CSM:

Command Sgt. Maj. John Fourhman

1st Infantry Division PAO NCOIC:

Master Sgt. Amamda Glenn

Assistant Editor:

Laura Stroda
3February

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From the Commanding General

Where we are and where we are going:

The philosophy of the Big Red One 

U.S Army Photo

Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin

U.S Army Photo

This is the fi rst issue in a new era of your Duty First!

magazine. I have refocused this publication so that it 

engages, educates, inspires, builds morale, and engenders 

the 1st Infantry Division culture and identity. Each photo, 

article and page is designed with the young Soldier in mind 

– the heart and soul of our Division - while still addressing 

our senior NCOs, offi cers, retirees and our legions of loyal 

Big Red One supporters.

The Big Red One today is widely 

dispersed: at Fort Riley – the home 

of the Big Red One - Forts Hood, Sill, 

and Knox, in Germany and deployed to 

Iraq and Afghanistan. Communicating 

is tough in this dispersed environment. 

This magazine will be one way in which 

we talk to each other. Duty First! will 

help strengthen the sense of unity and 

identity long enjoyed by the Big Red 

One. 

In addition to uniting the Soldiers and 

Families of our division, this magazine 

will convey my command philosophy 

and priorities – what’s important to the 

First Division and the US Army.

In the past, training, maintaining, leading and caring have 

broadly defi ned the Army’s priorities, in that order. These 

are all important areas to focus on. However, we are the best 

in the world at training and maintaining. We have proven 

that on the battlefi elds of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

With extended and multiple deployments taking toll on 

our Army, we must shift our priorities to caring for Soldiers 

and Families. The 1st Infantry Division must now re-focus 

on those initiatives that reward our Soldiers and Families 

with a quality of life commensurate with their service and 

sacrifi ce. It means that we address quality of life issues for 

Soldiers and Families with the same emphasis, enthusiasm, 

and vibrancy we devote to military operations. 

In the 1st Infantry Division, we also will focus on “leading” 

through development of our junior leaders. We know that 

the long-term strength of our Army rests on fundamental 

leader skills such as counseling, supply accountability and 

maintenance. We also know that over six years of war, we 

have focused on combat leadership skills over what we 

might consider “garrison” skills. We must, if we are to build 

a strong leader corps for the future, focus on coaching, 

teaching, mentoring and training our junior leaders in 

skills that make them well-rounded, effective leaders in all 

environments and skill levels. 

I will write more on what I mean by “caring” and 

“leadership” in future issues of Duty First!

With brigades scattered throughout the world and United 

States, communicating is tough. Duty First! is intended to reforge the sense of identity long enjoyed 

by the Big Red One. We are a legendary 

division in the true sense of the word – 

from our start as the First Expeditionary 

Division during World War 1 and 

later battles in WWII, Vietnam, and 

Desert Storm, to executing some of the 

toughest missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, 

and Operations Iraqi Freedom and 

Operation Enduring Freedom.

Be proud to be part of this heritage 

- this glorious and illustrious history. 

Be proud to serve in the Big Red One 

in another important era of our nation’s 

legacy – of forging freedom around the 

world through service, sacrifi ce, and 

courage. 

 If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because the same 

attributes are represented in our Division motto: No Mission 

too Diffi cult. No Sacrifi ce too Great. Duty First!
4February

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From the Command

 Sergeant Major

The 1st Infantry Division is a special organization, and I 

have been honored and privileged to be associated with it 

every single day that I have worn the Big Red One on my 

left shoulder. Although I’m leaving the active rolls of the 

Division to join Third Army at Fort McPherson Ga., I -- like 

all of you -- will always be part of the essence of the Big 

Red One.

I joined the 1st Inf. Div. three days 

after the tragic events on September 11, 

2001, as part of the command team of 

1-77 Armor, the Steel Tigers. It was the 

fi rst time I had returned to Germany 

since I was a private. 

When I got there, I was a little 

apprehensive about how American 

Soldiers were viewed by our 

German counterparts. But the walls 

and sidewalks were covered with 

banners, fl owers, candles and other 

symbols expressing the outpouring 

of compassion and support from the 

German citizens to their American 

friends -- specifi cally those Soldiers 

and families of the 1st Infantry Division stationed in their 

town. This bond was already strong and the events of Sept. 

11 only served to strengthen that relationship.

Throughout my tenure with the 1st Inf. Div., I have seen 

over and over the special place the 1st Inf. Div. holds in its 

surrounding citizens’ hearts. 

The fi rst time this became evident to me was on a peace 

enforcement mission to Kosovo. Although the Big Red One 

had been away from the Balkans for some time, we were 

far from forgotten. The natives were so glad that the Big 

Red One had returned. They were happy to see our patch 

and many were eager to share stories about Soldiers that had 

befriended them and their families earlier in the confl ict.

In the fall of 2003, I joined Duke Brigade with then Col. 

Dana Pittard in Vilsek, Germany, and again we found a 

special relationship between the community and the Big 

Red One. 

In Jan. 2004, we deployed as part of Task Force Danger to 

Diyala province in Iraq. That year proved to be an emotional 

rollercoaster fi lled with many victories and losses. 

The Dukes of Diyala made a difference in the province 

by standing up their potential government, training the 

205th Iraqi Army, equipping police and starting numerous 

reconstruction projects.

The Soldiers laughed at silly things, cried at the loss of 

comrades and fought together with 

commitment to each other and a higher 

cause. 

Spouses were building strong, 

lasting relationships on the home 

front -- a sisterhood if you will. They 

focused on supporting each other and 

their Soldiers. And although there were 

many times they gathered and laughed 

at group meetings, all too many times 

there were tears as they gathered to 

support each other and mourn a fallen 

warrior. 

I’ll never forget one of the most 

powerful images of the deployment 

was that of a wife of a fallen Soldier 

as she kneeled at the base of her husband’s honor display 

at the memorial service in Vilsek. That image will remain 

with me to depict the price our Soldiers pay in combat and 

everlasting effects it has on our families that experienced the 

loss of our warrior. 

Our German friends’ joy of the return of the Big Red One 

was soon replaced with deep sadness when the announcement 

came to leave Germany and return to our previous home, 

here at Fort Riley, KS. Though a chapter of the Division’s 

history was closing, a new one opened as we were welcomed 

with open arms back here at Fort Riley. 

An elderly man told [then] Maj. Gen. Ham at the ceremony, 

“Sir, the Big Red One is back home at Fort Riley -- just as 

God intended.” This refl ects most Kansans love for the Big 

Red One and its Soldiers. 

You are all part of a special organization -- one in which I 

sincerely hope that you love and hold dear as much as I do. I 

want to thank everyone for their hard work and commitment 

to the 1st Infantry Division. 

A farewell

U.S Army Photo

Command Sgt. Maj. John Fourhman
5February

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By Spc. Dustin Roberts, 1st Brigade PAO

Fort Riley, Kan. - Transition Team (TT) training at Fort Riley keeps improving because many leaders preparing teams to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan 

were TT members themselves at one point. 

With the TT mission as a key to success in Iraq and 

Afghanistan, leaders have to keep training fresh and up-todate to successfully teach new team members. 

“To be an effective Transition Team trainer, I think you’d 

have to have done it,” said Lt. Col. Lee Gutierrez, deputy 

Transition Team Director of Cultural Awareness and 

Counterinsurgency. “It holds a lot of credibility with the 

students, plus you really know what you are talking about 

because you have already done it.”

Much has changed in the TT soldiering business since 

Gutierrez went through training at Fort Carson, Colo., in 

2005. Then, troops stayed in barracks instead of tents. 

There was little Iraqi and Afghan language and culture 

training. Instead of driving Humvees, Soldiers were bused 

to training areas and mock training villages weren’t as 

realistic. 

And there certainly were no leader meetings.

Leader meetings are staged environments where teams 

meet with Iraqi or Afghan role players, depending on where 

the team will deploy. 

The role players, who are 

fl uent in the host nation’s 

language, act as village 

police chiefs or other 

government counterparts 

in 10 different scenarios. 

In each scenario, team 

members use interpreters 

to help solve every-day 

government issues, such 

as restoring a town’s water 

supply. 

Team members even 

5

Photo by Pfc. Francisca Vega

Photo by Pfc. Francisca Vega

Devils learn and lead at every level
6February

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Photo by Pfc. Francisca Vega

sit down in a culturally-realistic environment – eating 

authentic food and practicing their common courtesies. 

“Here is where you have to be very politically correct. 

You must utilize culture knowledge,” 

said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Alvarez, 

noncommissioned offi cer in charge of the 

DCC.

He also added that because of the 

experienced leadership, team members 

gain confi dence as the training 

progresses.

“Each leaders’ meet is a building block,” 

he said. “They start off with the basics and 

they build ... until they have helped solve 

several problems in one meeting.” 

Along with the essential cultural knowledge classes and 

role playing in leader’s meetings, the DCC trains new team 

members in counterinsurgency and staff integrated training 

by using the military decision making process. 

“We (trainers) try and keep it updated as they come 

through the courses ... If a certain mission or style has 

changed, we incorporate it into the training here,” said Sgt. 

1st Class Scott Smith.

The trainers even bring back troops 

who are on mid-tour leave from 

deployments to gather insight and 

techniques that were successful in 

recent real-world scenarios. 

“This is as realistic as you can get,” 

Gutierrez said. “The guys actually get 

to learn, and then get to do it again and 

practice on it.”

The practice TT troops get is based 

directly on past TT experiences. 

“The validation of our trainers gives (TT members) a 

better insight,” Alvarez said. “It gives them a better idea 

of where they’re going and what they’re going to be doing. 

And I’m not just talking about book knowledge; I’m talking 

actual experience knowledge.”
By Spc. Sean Finch, U.S. Army Europe

SCHWEINFURT, GERMANY-- Parking may be 

more diffi cult now, but families here seemed perfectly happy to walk a little further to the post exchange. 

After all, it’s a small price to pay to have more than 

4,000 Soldiers home from 15 months deployed at 

southwest Baghdad.

As the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division continued its 

return to Germany over the past few weeks, the Schweinfurt 

military community has experienced the joys of homecoming 

and the tedium of the necessary processes of redeployment 

and reintegration. 

Fortunately, Schweinfurt has learned some lessons 

from previous deployment which resulted in an orderly, 

centralized system for returning “Dagger” Brigade Soldiers 

to their Families, community and workplaces.

The brigade was the fi rst in U.S. Army Europe to complete 

a 15-month tour in Iraq since Defense Secretary Robert 

M. Gates announced in April that combat tours would be 

extended from their previous 12-month length. 

The “Dagger” Soldiers had already completed twothirds of their original year long deployment to some of 

the Iraqi capital’s toughest neighborhoods at the time the 

announcement was made.

Every Soldier who returns from deployment must complete 

a modifi ed process of reintegration. 

In addition to the stations where 

paperwork is required, “Dagger” 

Soldiers are also briefed on topics 

related to rejoining their families 

and the community. Every planeload 

of Soldiers is divided into groups 

to process through each station as 

quickly and effi ciently as possible 

in an entire fl oor of one building 

dedicated by the community.

In the past, Soldiers who 

redeployed here faced the drudgery 

spending their seven half-days trudging through a series of 

tents.

This time the doctors, the lawyers, the vehicle registrars 

and the many other agency representatives necessary to 

fully make them “Schweinfurters” again have come to 

them, to quickly and completely process the troops through 

reintegration in a compact unit of two heated, well-organized 

buildings.

“The Army is starting to realize that we do an excellent 

job of getting our Soldiers ready for deployment, but the 

‘Dagger’ brigade Soldiers pilot 

streamlined reintegration process

February

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process of getting them back into society with the same 

organization has been ignored until recently,” said Patricia 

Lemson, redeployment program director for Schweinfurt’s 

Army Community Service. “Our improvements have made 

a huge difference in how easy it is for our Soldiers to begin 

the process of reintegration.”

Community offi cials took some time to think about 

providing a more centralized location for the reintegration 

process to take place, and how best to move thousands of 

returning Soldiers through that location effi ciently. “The 

process takes seven days and each day has specifi c goals 

and stations to be accomplished,” continued Lemson.

“When we got back, I was shocked to see how smooth 

everything went. I mean, we are in and out of each station 

quickly and everything has been handled in a professional 

manner,” said Spc. Jason Stacy, and infantryman from the 

“Dagger” Brigade’s 1st Battalion, 17th Field Artillery. 

“I have been pleasantly surprised at how well-run this is,” 

said Capt. Dan Sundenberg, a 2nd BCT operation offi cer, 

as he stood in a quickly moving line during his fourth day 

of reintegration. “It’s not the number-one priority for any 

of us to do more paperwork when we get home - or to do 

anything for that matter-but everyone here has moved things 

along and we really don’t spend much time waiting around. 

I am happy to say that so far, things are getting done at an 

operational tempo that we all agree is pretty quick.”

“We are glad to help, but want our Soldiers to remember 

that reintegration is a process, not an even,” said Lemson, 

noting that it takes time to rejoin a community and family. 

“These men and women have grown over the last (15 months), 

and it is important to realize that people do change along the 

way and it will take more than a seven-day reintegration to 

adjust. This is only the beginning,” she said.

7

By Spc. Sean Finch
8

February

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By Sgt. Johnny Goodman, 3rd IBCT PAO

FORT HOOD, Texas - To stand there without ear protection 

would be foolish. Even with hearing protection, the blast, 

was startling and reverberated in the chest as the mortar 

shell fl ew downrange some 4,500 meters. 

Mortar live-fi re was the culmination of 

fi ve weeks classroom education and hands-on 

training.

The infantry mortar leadership course 

(IMLC) made a pit stop at Fort Hood to allow 

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st

Infantry Division, to move up a notch on the 

mortar totem pole. 

“These Soldiers are being trained to step 

up from being a gunner or ammo bearer to 

a position of leadership,” Sgt. 1st Class Mark 

Lykins, 2nd Battalion, 29th Inf., Fort Benning, 

Ga., and IMLC team chief. “They now are certifi ed and can 

go to any Army range and operate that range.” 

The permanent course is at Fort Benning. Normally, it’s 

reserved for sergeants, staff sergeants and higher, but thanks 

to the mobile training team, junior enlisted Soldiers can 

participate. 

One such Soldier, Cpl. Glenn Farris, a mortarman with 

HHC, 2nd Bn., 26th Inf. Regiment, said the course had its 

diffi cult moments, but was worth attending. 

“We need more people who are knowledgeable in the fi re 

direction center,” he said. 

“The more you have, the better off you will 

be. I mean, fi ring is fun, but if you never leave 

the fi re line, you won’t know what is going on 

in the fi re direction center.”

When Farris fi rst arrived at the battalion 

HHC, only Staff Sgt. Alexander Thorpe was 

IMLC qualifi ed. Now, the company has four 

more Soldiers to help ease the burden on 

Thorpe.

“It will lighten my load and make my life 

easier,” Thorpe said. “More people will know 

how to run the fi re direction center and won’t 

always be asking me, ‘What’s this for? How do I do this?’”

What he will do with his newfound free time is anyone’s 

guess.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Probably sleep in the truck. I’m 

kidding. I’ll probably walk up and down the fi ring line with 

the lieutenant looking for improvements that we can make.”
9February

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 By Sgt. Brian Tierce, 3rd HBCT PAO

FORT RILEY, Kan. - Army commanders have the ability to be situationally aware of their entire 

force with the help of high tech computer systems. The 

3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team 1st Armored Division 

recently took the necessary steps to give their commander these capabilities by conducting a Digital Exercise or “DIGEX” on Fort Riley. 

The fi rst step when conducting a DIGEX is to build the 

site from the ground up. 

While setting up the tents, Soldiers learned different 

ways to confi gure the tactical operations center, said Sgt. 

1st Class Anthony Valdez, 3rd HBCT 1st AD operations 

noncommissioned offi cer.

The Soldiers involved with building the site also 

participated also participated in training for nearly a month 

to learn all the intricacies of today’s tent systems, along with 

basic generator operations and maintenance for the facility. 

Since the experience was a fi rst for most of the brigade’s 

Soldiers, the expertise of Valdez, 3rd HBCT operations 

Command Sgt. Maj. James Winslow and Sgt. 1st Class 

Gregory Cover helped form a solid foundation. “Having 

worked at a corps and division level TOC before I got here 

helped me to facilitate the setup,” said Winslow. 

Once the site was up and running, the leadership in the 

brigade began to get a feel for what battle fi eld communication 

is all about. “There are so many ways that units higher 

and lower can send information,” said Maj. Mark Warden, 

3rd HBCT 1st AD Current Operations Offi cer. “It’s a fi lter 

system to process that information and get it to the right 

person at the right time.” 

That information came in many forms due to the 

complexity of the digital battle fi eld, but this complex web 

of information was made a little easier to decipher by giving 

each section a chance to get to know its staff counterparts. 

“During the DIGEX staff sections were worried about 

two or three important things and several minor things,” 

said Winslow. “But in the fi eld we see much more of one 

another so the interoperability from the staff elements is 

much greater.” 

Over the period of the DIGEX all brigade operations that 

are normally run in a garrison environment were held at the 

The Brigade 

Tactical Operations 

Center incorporated 

a number of 

specialized 

vehicles, such as 

the one pictured 

here, outfi tted 

to carry section 

specifi c equipment 

and provide a 

mobile platform.

Photo by Sgt. Brain 

“This exercise showed Soldiers 

what they can expect once they 

get into theater”

Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Valdez
February

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Pfc. Chris Conrad and Pfc. Mark Muth of HHC 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team 1st Armored Division utilize their 

work stations during the brigade’s digital exercise held recently on Fort Riley. 

DIGEX site, giving the Soldiers a feel for their jobs during 

a deployment. 

“This exercise showed Soldiers what they can 

expect once they get into theater,” said Valdez. 

“It kind of gives them a picture over a few days 

as to what they can expect during a year-long 

deployment.” 

As the exercise was wrapping up and the 

brigade held an after action review or AAR to go 

over the strengths and weaknesses of the event -- a 

few bright spots were apparent.

10

“I think the brigade leadership benefi tted the most in the 

ability to not only have situational awareness on the battle 

fi eld, but to also have situational understanding,” 

said Warden. 

 Along with gaining a better understanding and 

awareness. the brigade also learned a valuable 

lesson about the importance of working as a team 

to accomplish a mission. 

“It’s all about a combined arms effort,” said 

Winslow, “all about building a team.” 
11February

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‘Dragons’ recover in the mud

By Spc. Nathaniel Smith, 4th IBCT PAO

BAGHDAD – In the world of sports, analogies are 

frequently made between the games played and battle. What 

the witty sportscasters and writers don’t take into account is 

a glaring difference.

Combat operations don’t get called on account of rain or 

poor fi eld conditions.

With that thought in mind, the vehicle recovery team of 

the 610th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade 

Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, trained for Baghdad’s 

rainy season at Forward Operating Base Falcon.

The event consisted of pulling an M88 recovery vehicle 

stuck in mud over its tracks to stable ground where the 70-

ton vehicle was again fully operable. But the task had to be 

accomplished safely, as well as effectively.

Spc. David Waiter, a welder on the crew from 610th BSB’s 

Company B, said while the training wasn’t performed under 

easy conditions, he still enjoyed the event.

“I like getting out in the mud. Even though it’s cold, I like 

it; it’s fun,” the Houston native said. “It’s not easy, but it’s not 

going to be easy work whenever you try to do it.”

The Soldiers had to wade out in knee-deep cold water, 

and sometimes partially submerge themselves to hook up 

the disabled vehicle. Waiter added that the heavy equipment 

used, such as the 140-pound snatchblock used to hook the 

recovery vehicle to its cargo, does not make their lives any 

easier.

“It’s a workout to use,” he said.

Master Sgt. Richard Carullo, the 610th BSB support 

operations noncommissioned offi cer-in-charge from 

Orlando, Fla., said due to the Soldiers taking on additional 

missions while deployed, the training was vital to Task Force 

Dragon’s success.

“This is not our normal mission; we’re a light infantry 

brigade. We’re not normally assigned M88’s or HETs (Heavy 

Equipment Transports),” Carullo said. “We picked this 

mission up in theater, and having picked it up in theater, we 

haven’t had the opportunity to train. We felt it was important 

because of the time of year, and because of the rainy season 

coming on, we needed to train Soldiers before they had to go 

into sector to recover vehicles stuck in the mud.”

Despite having the extra challenge of adapting to 

an entirely new set of obstacles while conducting daily 

operations in a combat zone, Waiter said he takes everything 

in stride because all Soldiers face their own set of trials.

“We do what we have to do just like anybody else. We 

have our mission, they have theirs. To me, we’re all on the 

same level,” he said.

Photo by Spc. Nathaniel Sm

Spc. David Waiter, a welder on the vehicle recovery team of Company B, 610th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 

1st Infantry Division from Houston, hooks a cable to an entrenched M88 recovery vehicle during a training event at Forward Operating Base 

Falcon, Dec. 27. “I like getting out in the mud. Even though it’s cold, I like it; it’s fun,” Waiter said. 
12 February

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mith

Sustaining the fi ght

By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude , 

1st Sustainment PAO

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Over 

the sound of a diesel generator, the 

cheers of a large crowd can be heard 

emanating from a non-descript tent 

near Pad 4 on Renee Drive in Camp 

Liberty, Iraq. 

“Welcome to Friday Night 

Fights,” shouts Staff Sgt. Jerry 

Maldonado, the equal opportunity 

representative for the 168th Brigade 

Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment 

Brigade. 

The boxers’ hands are taped 

and inserted into gloves, and then 

the rules explained. Once the bell 

sounds, the fi ght begins. Each 

round is a minute long.

“One minute sounds like a short time, but when you 

got three of them together and someone’s over there 

throwing blows at you, making you miss, well, the 

fl ights are gong to end up good and make you tired,” 

Maldonado said.

What started out as a small vision for Maldonado has 

mushroomed into the place to be for some Soldier’s on 

Liberty.

“Each Friday night, there’s a little ‘boxing 

smoker’ that we hold – a tournament for the 

Soldiers – so we can allow Soldiers a chance 

to let off a little steam,” said Maldonado, 

the promoter and referee of Friday Night 

Fights.

When he found the abandoned, semifalling down, framed tent, he thought it 

would make a great place for him to teach 

Soldiers the art of boxing. 

“There was a single-string boxing ring and 

a whole lot of trash in here,” Maldonado said. When 

he started fi xing the place, people within the command 

took notice and offered to help.

“Everyone’s been great ... the name Friday 

Night Fights, for example, came from the battalion 

commander,” Maldonado said. 

With the help of Sgt. Robert Flanagan and Sgt. Kyle 

Butler, drivers for the 168th BSB command team, 

Pvt. Emanuel Blandy (left) throws a left hook at Spc. David Guerrera (right) in the 

boxing ring on Camp Liberty, Iraq. “He done whipped me up! Bottom line, I’m 

bleeding, he’s not,” stated Guerrera. “He had that Angel with him,” fi nished Guerrera. 

Each Friday night, Staff Sgt Maldonado hosts a boxing smoker called Friday Night 

Fights with the help of Sgt Kyle Butler and Sgt. Robert Flanagan.

Photo By Staff Sgt. Bryant Maude

Maldonado restored the tent.

They repaired the walls and roof and built a raised 

boxing ring – complete with ropes, corner guards and a 

bell fashioned from an old fi re extinguisher and bolt. 

“It took us about a week,” Flanagan said. “We 

made the place more appealing to the eye,” fi nished 

Maldonado. 

For Pfc. Sergio Cedeno, a supply specialist 

with Headquarters Company, 168th BSB, 

Friday Night Fights are the fulfi llment of 

childhood dream. 

“Growing up in Puerto Rico I, watched 

the boxers on T.V. and dreamed of one day 

being like them,” Cedeno said. 

Since his training began a month ago, he 

has been in the ring twice and is committed 

to keep going the distance.

“I train every day. I’ll come next week, 

and the week after. I’ll come every day until 

I learn what I got to learn,” said Cedeno, shortly after his 

second appearance in the ring at Friday Night Fights.

Cedeno’s opponent that night was Sgt. William 

Harrell, a tactical radio specialist with 168th BSB.

“Everything was going good until I got hit and then all 

that training went out the window,” explained Harrell. 

“He was a great opponent and any time he wants to go 

again, it’ll be great!”
13Febuary

/1st CAB

/www.1id.army.mil

By Spc. Michael Howard, 1st CAB PAO

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq 

– No matter what happened, Henry Mare Sr. never in his life 

broke his word to his son. So when he told his son that he 

was going to join him in Iraq despite being stuck in Texas 

with little cash, no job offers, and generally no means to 

take himself halfway across the globe, his son, Pfc. Henry 

Mare Jr., knew that if anyone could pull off the seemingly 

impossible, it would be his father.

Mare Jr., a command driver with Combat Aviation 

Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, is deployed in support of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom. His father, an ice plant operator 

for government contractor KBR, Inc., arrived in Iraq two 

days before Thanksgiving just in time to spend the holidays 

with his son.

It was in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa, where both 

Mares cemented a bond that would last them a lifetime. 

Mare Jr. described their bond as one unique among fatherson relationships.

“We grew up together. My dad raised me as a father, but 

he raised me more as a friend ... If I asked him something, 

he wouldn’t lie to me ... I think that’s how we were friends,” 

Henry Jr. said.

From the time his son was born, the elder Mare made 

him the fi rst priority in his life. “Ever since he was a kid, 

when he went to school, for functions or sports, he would 

ask me, ‘dad, will you be there?’ and I would say, ‘You have 

my word,’” Henry Sr. said.

The elder Mare decided to seek his fortune in America 

in 1995. Five years later the younger Mare, who had been 

living with his grandparents, joined his father in America. “I 

wanted to live with him, so he bought me an airplane ticket 

and I came over,” he said. 

Life in America was hard on the Mares at fi rst. Their 

fi rst residence together was a one bedroom apartment. They 

shared a bedroom – sleeping on two infl atable mattresses – 

and ate on plastic plates with plastic cutlery, but they were 

together, and the Mares said that was all that mattered. 

Photo by Spc. Michael Howard

Pfc. Henry Mare Jr., a command driver with Headquarters 

Company, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, learns 

about his father’s, Henry Mare Sr., job managing an ice plant.

Promises

 Kept

Photo By Michael Howard

Henry Mare Sr., an ice plant operator with Kellog, Brown, and Root, and his son Pfc. Henry Mare Jr., 

a command driver with Headquarters Company, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, pose 

together at Mare Sr.’s ice plant.
February

/75th Fires

/www.1id.army.mil

14

Their happiness was cut short when the elder Mare had to 

return to South Africa to care for his mother, whose health 

was failing. Henry Jr. joined the Army and was deployed 

almost immediately after basic and advanced individual 

training. His father missed his farewell ceremony by two 

days. It looked like the Mares, who had sacrifi ced for years 

in order to be together, were about to be split for the next 15 

months. Enter KBR. 

Even before KBR recruited him, the elder Mare said he 

knew deep inside that he was going to join his son in Iraq. 

About two months into his son’s deployment, he talked about 

that feeling in a phone call. 

“I was on the phone with Henry and I told him that I was 

coming to see him in Iraq. He thought I was just kidding at 

the time, and he laughed. I mean, I was in Texas, and there 

is no particular reason I would have been heading over here, 

but I just had a feeling. He wouldn’t believe me. He laughed, 

and said, ‘yeah, right.’ And I left it at that.”

Ten minutes later, the elder Mare’s phone rang. It was a 

call from KBR regarding a job as an ice plant operator that 

he had applied for in 2002. He agreed happily, but he had a 

request. “I said, ‘You know, it just so happens that my son 

Henry is in camp Speicher. Do you have anything available 

there?” Nine days later, he was on the fi rst leg of a 14 day 

trip that took him to camp Speicher. 

The younger Mare says that he has few memories in 

his life as vivid as the moment of their reunion. “It was... 

wow,” he said, “I was sitting around back, and I had just 

gotten back from lunch, and all the sudden I heard this voice 

say in Afrikaans, ‘You better get back to work, you lazy 

bum.’ When I heard that I turned and saw him, and I just 

dropped everything and ran. I just ran, and hugged him. It 

was wonderful.” 

The elder Mare will be in Iraq for one year, and his son 

was three months into his 15-month tour when his father 

arrived. Since their return to the states will take place at 

almost the same time, they have already made plans for their 

return.

 “We’re going to go back, and we’re going to take a two 

week cruise. We’re just going to cruise and relax and just 

spend a lot of time together,” said the elder Mare.

By Sgt. Joe Battle, 

75th Fires BDE PAO

FORT SILL, 

Okla., For 

most people, leading a double life can 

be devious, untrustworthy and dangerous.

In the case of 

Staff Sgt. Ryan L. 

Emlinger, it can mean 

the difference between 

living and dying for 

some unlucky people in 

the Lawton/Fort Sill, Okla., area.

Emlinger, the senior medic for the 75th Fires Brigade during 

the week, serves as an emergency medical technician on the 

weekend.

“As an EMT, we are the bridge for advanced medical care 

for people prior to arriving at the hospital,” said Emlinger, a 38-

year-old Orange County, Calif. native. “We are the fi rst people 

to administer care; we are the difference between survival and 

death to many people involved in accidents.”

Unlike traditional registered nurses, who must get permission 

before treating a patient, an EMT must do what is needed to benefi t 

the patient, said Emlinger. “We have lots of freedom; we make 

split-second decisions and have no time to make mistakes.”

On Friday nights, Emlinger hangs his beret and dons his EMT 

uniform.

“I begin at 6 p.m. Friday night and end my shift at 6 p.m. 

Sunday night,” he said. “A typical shift begins with checking out 

our unit, making sure we are stocked up on anything we may 

need for the next two days.”

As for calls, Emlinger said he has seen everything from 

shootings and stabbings to car accidents.

“For a lot of the calls we respond to, the accident wouldn’t 

have happened if someone had been smart and thought before 

they acted,” he said. “Some people just think they are invincible; 

but I know for a fact that they aren’t.”

His unit’s response time is between four and six minutes once 

they get the call from dispatch. Emlinger said he can normally 

get the patient to the hospital in about 10 minutes, unless there 

are circumstances that may hold him up.

“For drug overdoses, assaults and other crime scenes, we must 

wait for the police department to secure the area,” he said. “We 

have actually had people shoot at the ambulance before.”

As an 18-year veteran of the EMT lifestyle, Emlinger has 

worked hundreds of accidents and incidents, including the 1995 

earthquake that hit the San Francisco area. 

“I was standing in a supermarket when the earthquake hit,” 

he said. “At fi rst, the ground started shaking and then everything 

fl ew off of the shelves.

“A small girl was standing in front of me and instinctively, 

I threw myself on top of her to shield her from debris,” said 

Emlinger. “After the earthquake stopped, her dad quickly came 

over, shook my hand and thanked me.”

For Emlinger, though, the job isn’t about the rewards or the 

attention he receives. “I just love doing the job ... and helping 

people.” 

Two faced Soldier
15February

/History

/www.1id.army.mil

By Spc. Edward Coffey, 

1st ID PAO

FALKENAU, Czechoslovakia0600HRS. April 7th, 1945. 

In the closing hours of World War 

II, Soldiers from the 16th Infantry 

Regiment, 1st Infantry Division 

approach Falkenau, Czechoslovakia.

At 0615 Lt. Hopkins sends a transmission to the S-3: 

“Do you have any information on the town of Falkenau? It 

was to be surrendered to CCA (Combat Command A) this 

morning thru contact with the [burgomeister (mayor)] .”

 “No, we have no information on that,” they reply.

The Soldiers of the 1st move in to the town. Just on the 

outskirts, 3rd Battalion comes under small arms fi re. They 

continue moving and take out the enemy encountering small 

skirmishes along the way.

Pushing through the town the soldiers from the 16th

Regiment stumble across a camp. As they move closer 

German soldiers come around barracks and open fi re on the 

approaching Americans. The Soldiers immediately moved 

into defensive positions and returned fi re. They moved 

through the gates taking heavy gunfi re. American Soldiers 

moved around the barracks and continued to pursue German 

soldiers and Hitler’s elite SS troops trying to fl ee or take up 

defensive positions to return fi re.

By 0750 that morning, the German Garrison at Falkenau 

surrendered. The enemy in the town were rounded up and 

German radio announced all hostilities had ceased and that 

all Germans should return home. 

Joseph Argenzio, a platoon sergeant with Co. M, 3rd

Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division 

during the operation, recalls what he and the Soldiers of the 

Big Red One came across that morning. “We jumped off 

and said we’re going to take this place called Falkenau and it 

Photos from 

the website 

www.about.

com.

Please visit the National Holocaust Museum and Holocaust Center of N. 

California at www.ushmm.org and www.hcnc.org. Special thanks to Joseph 

Argenzio, Judith Janec and Andy Hollinger.
16February

/History

/www.1id.army.mil

turned out that it was a death camp.” 

Upon opening the barracks the Soldiers got to see, fi rst 

hand, Hitler’s fi nal solution. The site was horrendous. The 

Soldiers marveled at the sight of what they called “human 

skeletons.”

“The stench was something horrible,” recalls Argenzio.

Jewish prisoners approached the Americans hoping to 

embrace them in appreciation for liberating the camp but 

the Soldiers were horrifi ed at the sight and were concerned 

with getting tuberculosis.

As the Allies closed in on the Flossenburg and Falkenau 

Concentration Camps 15,000 prisoners were taken on a 

death march for four days.

William Luksemburg was in that death march and the 

fact that he survived amazes him today. “I remember going 

through those doors ... I didn’t think I was going to live.” 

“You looked around ... you kept shoving back and forth,” 

said William. “You worked with your nerves because you 

knew if you slow down, you’d die.” The Nazi’s marched 

prisoners until they couldn’t walk any more. A soldier at 

the end of the formation would shoot stragglers in the head 

from behind and shoot those that would stop within the 

formation.

Exhausted, William fell to the ground. He closed his eyes 

and laid there, expecting a bullet in the back of his head. “I 

didn’t care if I died. I was miserable,” he said. “I kept on 

looking out the corner of my eye and I see them marching 

and they didn’t care about me.”

A farmer found William, starved and full of lice. The 

farmer took him into a barn and took off William’s prisoner 

jacket and gave him clothes and food. The next day the 

German farmer told William the Americans arrived and 

sent him to the American Soldiers.

The Nazis used William and many other prisoners at 

the camp in granite quarries, armament factories and in air 

plane production. About 64,890 prisoners passed through 

Flossenburg and approximately 2,000 people were in the 

camp when it was liberated.

At 2030Hrs 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment sends a 

message to the S-3: “Have a message from Blue (Blue was 

the code name for 3rd Bn) – He says the town of Falkenau 

is in bad shape. 

There is a camp on 

the northwest side 

of town with 1,000 

women in it, all in bad 

shape physically.” 

They also reported 

the discovery of a 

camp with about 

1,500 Russians in it.

The Commander 

of Co. I gathered a 

squad to round up the 

local populace.

“Clean out your places with what clothes you can bring,” 

the Commander said.

Soldiers brought the people to the camp and made them 

dress the dead as much as they could. After, the dead were 

placed on carts and pulled to a cemetery where a local 

Catholic Priest, the newly liberated prisoners and Soldiers 

of the 16th Inf. Reg. gave the dead a proper burial.

At the close of hostilities Sam Fuller, author and 

director of the fi lm The Big Red One, a Sergeant with the 

16th Infantry Regiment, pulls out a 16mm motion picture 

camera and records Hitler’s murderous work at the Falkenau 

Concentration Camp. Both the book and fi lm tell of his 

experience in Falkenau.

Word started to spread among the Soldiers of the Big Red 

One that the war was over. At 1115 that day, as the 16th

Infantry Regiment liberated the Falkenau Concentration 

Camp, a message came through: “Here is a message from 

V-Corps dated 7 May – An agreement was signed by a high 

military person of unconditional surrender of Sea, Air, and 

land forces in Germany.”

If there ever was a question or doubt or regret as of to 

why these soldiers were doing what they were doing, it went 

away that day as the sight of Hitler’s atrocities from North 

Africa, France, Germany and Eastern Europe, witnessed by 

Soldiers of the Big Red One.
17February

/Current News

/www.1id.army.mil

By Spc. Dustin Roberts, 1st Brigade PAO

I

t was an autumn Friday at Fort Riley and it just 

so happened to be 

payday. My shop was 

released a couple of 

hours early and there 

was some scheming 

for us Soldiers to do. 

A few of my buddies 

and I were fortunate to 

be single and at least 

21 years of age, and we 

just so happened to be 

stationed 20 minutes 

away from a college town 

with a strip of at least 20 

bars. 

We also just so happen 

to have a good friend 

named Edward, who 

enjoys the night life with 

his battle buddies who 

doesn’t drink alcohol and has a valid driver’s license. 

Now all I had to do was check my list: Cash? Check. I.D? 

Check. Designated Driver? Check. Handsome face, stylish 

clothes and a ridiculous sense of sex appeal? Check. It was 

“go time.” 

The fi ve of us piled into my generic, foreign four-door 

sedan and arrived at 

the Aggieville business 

district of Manhattan, 

Kan., while the night was 

still young. 

We started off at the

KatHouse Lounge- A 

classy, dimly-lit joint 

with hottie waitresses and 

good music; the perfect 

place to start off the night 

and unwind a little. 

After about an hour 

of chit chat, laughs and 

a “few” vodka cocktails, 

someone decided to play 

Michael Jackson, “You 

are not alone.” It was 

time to go. Notice the 

difference between “go 

time” and “time to go.” 

I was feeling loose as a grey goose as we walked to 

Tubby’s, when my good friend Steve made a proposal. “Hey, 

 A night in the Little Apple 

Photo by Pfc. Francisca Vega

Stock photo on the internet
Photo by Jeff Croft

18February

/Current News

/www.1id.army.mil

let’s play a drinking game! How about we order beers, drink 

them, and then order some more beers!” It was the funniest 

thing I had heard all night. It also sounded like one hell of a 

battle plan. 

Two words: Miller Light pounders. Okay, maybe it was 

three beers. Or four. Or seven. All I know is that when Brian 

said, “We should get shirts made that say, ‘I go to K-State. I 

swear to God.’ It would really match our haircuts,” I laughed 

harder than someone more sober than me would have. 

We decided Tubby’s was too crowded and the male-female 

ratio was absolutely way against our favor. 

As the adventure continued on to a bar called Rusty’s Last 

Chance, I realized I had to piss worse than a Chinese war 

horse, or whatever the phrase is.

So we stopped at a nearby gas station to avoid lines in the 

clubs, and that’s when I saw the nachos. It was a glorious 

sight. I smothered as much of the gooey, heaven-sent, golden 

deliciousness on my chips as possible. How I ate the heap of 

mush is still a mystery to me today. What is certain is that 

nachos while intoxicated is the greatest thing since penciled 

pockets; just as long as you don’t spread left over cheddar 

sauce on Steve’s shirt. Although he didn’t agree with me, I 

thought it was pretty damn funny. 

After the feast of the century I realized time was of the 

essence and I desperately needed a big cup of Coors at 

Rusty’s. 

With beer in hand, music blaring, and an aura of studliness 

around me, I was feeling pretty good. I knew I was destined 

for greatness that very moment. Then I saw my soul-mate. 

She said her name was Shelly, or Shelby, or Erica, or let’s 

just say Samantha. I told her she had the most beautiful eyes 

I had seen the second half of the night, and she told me the 

sweat pouring down my face highlighted the cheese stain on 

my chin. It might have been love at fi rst site, but I was R-EC-T, wrecked. 

I didn’t realize how drunk I was until I puked my guts out 

all over Rusty’s fl oor. It was time to go. 

Edward guided me to the trash can and patted my back. 

I knew I shouldn’t have accepted and immediately downed 

that random Jack and Coke from that random chick earlier. 

What a night. 

Brian and I wrestled each other in the back seat on the 

way home and Edward, who I obnoxiously nicknamed Sober 

Eddy, yelled at us from the driver’s seat to calm down. We 

calmed down once we realized we were being pulled over.

We found it hilarious that the sober one was given a fi eld 

sobriety test. He had to walk the line, stand on one foot, and 

even follow the fi nger with his eyes. 

But there was no ticket, no jail, no UCMJ, and more 

importantly, no one hurt or killed. The cop actually thanked 

Edward and sent us off with a wave. 

We made it back to the barracks safe and sound, and the 

only thing I wanted in the entire world was my bed. 

Soldiers work hard. That means we can play hard too. Just 

as long as we play safe and smart. So do yourself a favor 

and have a set-in-stone designated driver before you go out, 

and try not to make a fool out of yourself, like I did. More 

alcohol doesn’t mean more fun. Play responsibly and maybe

you can score Samantha’s digits. Stock photo on the internet
By Anna Staatz, Fort Riley Post As technology expands and changes the way 

people interact with each other, the Army has 

changed the look of the Family Readiness Group.

Virtual FRGs have become a quick and easy way for 

Soldiers, rear detachments, unit commanders and spouses to 

link up and receive the same information. Depending on the 

unit, vFRGs offer redeployment information, news articles, 

information on activities for spouses and Families and other 

resources. Some are large, active and encompass parents, 

friends and signifi cation others while others are tailored 

only to the requirements of a non-deployed unit.

For Noel Waterman, Family Readiness Support assistant 

for 1st Brigade and transition teams, 1st Infantry Division, 

the vFRG has become 

one of her most important 

tools for communicating 

with spouses and Families 

of Soldiers serving on 

transition teams in Iraq 

and Afghanistan. Because 

servicemembers are only 

at Fort Riley for 60 days 

prior to deployment, 

often the Families are not 

in the area. As a result, 

Waterman’s use of the 

brigade’s vFRG site has 

become a priority.

“I’m on it everyday, 

even on the weekends, 

making sure articles and 

on

tow

of

tran

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of

inWbr bevm

By

ch

FRG 

 bridges 

 commun

19
information get out to the Families,” Waterman said.

The site was already up and in use when Waterman 

was hired, but she quickly inherited updating the site and 

making it as user friendly as she could.

“I’ve fi gured out a few little things,” she said. “I fi gured 

out how to make it in color and I put my fi rst thread out 

on it the other day.”

Waterman said it was important to her that she posted 

articles on the site that pertained to both the transition 

team mission and the needs of deployed spouses and 

Families.

“I can’t just have Fort Riley stuff,” she said. “Most of 

them don’t really care too much about Fort Riley.”

Transition team members come from all 50 states, 

all U.S. territories and 12 countries, so having a way of 

staying in contact that doesn’t involve in-person meetings 

is a necessity.

“Everyone seems very appreciative that we try to keep 

them as informed as possible,” Waterman said. “I know 

when I came on; it seemed for awhile a lot of people didn’t 

know about the virtual FRG. Now, we inform Soldiers, 

and then mail letters to Families saying this is where your 

information is at, it’s very important you have access to 

this. And it’s overwhelming at times the number of hits 

we’ve gotten.”

Waterman said the most important part of maintaining 

a vFRG site was keeping it current.

“It’s very important to keep it current and up-to-date 

because people are on it all the time,” she said.

There are more than 1,100 vFRG sites across the Army. 

For more information, go to www.armyfrg.org.

nication

20
BLOGS

multinational. People in China, Burkina Faso, Iceland and 

GS

Nepal read about the Soldiers of the Big Red One via my 

site. Not huge numbers, to be sure – but they’re there, and 

they read,” Donovan said. 

Donovan often uses humor in his blogs. 

On of his blogs state, “If you’re going to be one, be a Big 

Red One. No mission too diffi cult, no sacrifi ce too great, 

Duty First! Unless we’ve had a bad week – then it’s ‘No 

mission – too diffi cult. No sacrifi ce 

– too great. Duty? First I’ll have a 

beer, thanks.’”

“I confess I have cognitive 

dissonance about the war,” writes 

1st Battalion, 7th Field Artilleryman 

Capt. David Bradley in his milblog 

“David’s War Diary.” 

“Though I think we must stay 

the course and fi nish what we started, I surely don’t want 

that person fi nishing the job to be me if I can help it.”

While many blogs are done with honorable intentions – 

sharing stories, remembering friends – some are unclear in 

motive.

 One example is the shocking tales from Dagger Brigade 

Soldier, Pvt. Scott Beauchamp, writing under the alias “Scott 

Thomas,” who briefl y served as the “Baghdad Diarist” for 

The New Republic.

“At stake is not a Soldier’s At stake is not a Soldier’s 

First Amendment rights, but irst Amendment rights, but 

rather his or her life as well as ather his or her life as well as 

the lives of fellow Soldiers.” he lives of fellow Soldiers.” 

Paul Boyce Paul Boyce

21Febuary

/Blogging

/www.1id.army.mil

By Spc. Theresa Wiersgalla, 3rd HBCT PAO

 A few strokes on the keyboard, a click of the mouse and 

BAM! Your personal comments have instantly been shared 

with billions around the world. No, you’re not an infl uential 

journalist, you’re a member of the citizen media; you’re a 

blogger.

Today’s virtual voice potential is extremely powerful, 

according to Weblog tracker Technorati, 

which currently tracks more than 104.1 

million blogs. That’s up drastically from 

the 27.2 million in 2006 and the mere 4 

million in 2004.

About 150,000 troops are fi ghting 

the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq. 

Anywhere between the 1.1 million 

tracked by Technorati and Google’s 15 

million Iraq-related postings are battling an information 

war in cyberspace. 

“Milblogging” has been the coined term to defi ne those 

who write about the military. 

John Donovan considers himself to be the “Big Red 

One’s milblogger.” His blog, “The Armorer of Argghhh!!!” 

regularly features news and comments about the 1st Infantry 

Division and Fort Riley. 

“Someone’s got to tell the stories. My (reach) is 
His posts were graphic and brutal: “I know another private who really only 

enjoyed driving Bradley Fighting Vehicles because it gave him the opportunity 

to run things over... his favorite target: dogs... He slowed the Bradley down to 

lure the fi rst kill in, and, as the diesel engine grew quieter, the dog walked close 

enough for him to jerk the machine hard to the right and snag its leg under the 

tracks.”

Such allegations sparked controversy and outrage in the blog world and sparked 

curiosity from media. People began questioning the validity of his stories. 

Months after his blogs put The New Republic on the map, a formal military 

investigation discredited the postings. No evidence was found to back his claims, 

and his fellow Soldiers refuted the allegations. 

How can Soldiers like Beauchamp fabricate stories and Soldiers like Bradley 

express their internal confl ict for the Army? Quite simply, it’s their right to 

freedom of speech. 

While many Soldiers feel their First Amendment rights are fully stripped from 

them when they take the oath, there are no regulations prohibiting them from 

chiming in with their two-cents worth. 

The Army does, however, have regulation to prevent operational security.

“Soldiers, civilians, contractors and Family members all play crucial roles to 

protect critical and sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. At 

stake is not a Soldier’s First Amendment rights, but rather his or her life as well 

as the lives of fellow Soldiers,” wrote Paul Boyce, Deputy Division Chief, Offi ce 

of the Chief of Public Affairs, to Wired magazine’s blog network. 

OPSEC violators who are caught will face punishment. Take the short-lived 

fame of Beauchamp, who was reduced in rank from Pfc. to Pvt. It wasn’t for his 

outlandish postings about alleged activities involving his unit, but for potentially 

endangering the safety of his comrades.

The post that sealed his fate: “We fi nally got offi cial dates on Iraq deployment: 

May 15 - our Bradleys get shipped to Kuwait. June 11- advanced units move in. 

June 28 - Bravo Team, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 

18th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (the breakdown of who I belong to) deploys. 

We’re probably going to sit in Kuwait for some unknown amount of time, and 

then move into Baghdad.”

Such troop movement details were clearly an OPSEC violation, said Maj. Kirk 

Luedeke, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Offi cer.

Surprisingly, blogs are not signifi cant OPSEC culprits, according to various 

reports from the Army Web Risk Assessment Cell. And it seems most Soldiers 

are savvy enough to watch what they write.

For the majority – the responsible milbloggers in cyberspace – blogs provide 

an outlet to the world; a chance to share stories rarely seen in the news.

“Repeatedly we hear from people, ‘I never would have heard this story in 

the mainstream media,’” said Army Reserve Spc. Claude Flowers of the 304th 

Mobile Public Affairs Detachment from Kent, Wash. in 2006. Flowers was part of 

a Central Command team established to engage these writers and their electronic 

information forums.

“People really are interested in what Soldiers are doing. Blogs are individual 

statements. They’re the voice of individuals. They’re a way of understanding this 

war on a very human level.” “Though I think we must stay the course Though I think we must stay the course and fi nish what we started, I surely don’t nish what we started, I surely don’t want that person ant that person fi nishing the job to be nishing the job to be me if I can help it.” e if I can help it.” Capt. David Bradley Capt. David Bradley

22
Find out what your division is doing.

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