GarryOwen April newsletter

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Newsletter Title

1 s t S q u a d r o n 7 t h U . S . C ava l r y

Special points of interest:

Gunnery

FIST/MORTEP

TOW shoot

SMA Chandler visits GO family

Change of Responsibility for Ironhorse 9

Garryowen 6 1

Hellfighter 6 6

Apache 6 7

Blackhawk 6 8

Comanche 6 9

Darkhorse 6 10

Echo 6 11

Inside this issue:

GARRYOWEN COMMAND TEAM UPDATE

APRIL 2012

LTC Dolph Southerland

GARRYOWEN 6

CSM Mervyn Ripley

GARRYOWEN 9

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7

THE 7’S

GARRYOWEN!!!

What an incredible month for the team! It has been an absolute flurry of activity throughout this high density training period. As usual, our Troopers continue to set the standard for this Brigade and our Army in everything they do. This will be the last issue depicting CSM Rip-ley’s photo as he has now assumed his new position as the Brigade CSM, Ironhorse 9. He will be missed but we thank him for his years of dedicated service to GARRYOWEN Troopers and families.

The centerpiece of our training over the last month has been a gun-nery density that is still ongoing. We fired 31 M3A3 Bradley crews and all of the crews fired “Q1” meaning that 100% of our crews achieved the standard in their first table VI iteration. However, we did much more than that! 21 of the crews fired “Distinguished,” the high-est rating a crew can earn and the Squadron achieved an average that will likely put in the running for “Top Gun” once again. During gunnery, CSM Chandler, the CSM of the Army and a GARRYOWEN alumnist, stopped by to visit our Troopers. It was great to see him and we all appreciated him taking the time to stop by.

Concurrent with gunnery, our mortarmen executed mortar gunnery where each crew regained currency and built upon their already out-standing proficiency. Later in the month, we kicked off a squadron field training exercise (FTX) with a night air assault incorporating combined assets and resources from across the brigade and ARCENT. From there, we spent five days in the desert where troops and platoons had the opportunity to practice reconnaissance and security operations in a tough, realistic environment.

With all this awesome training going on, I remain confident that we are the most highly trained ARS in the Army. We now can see the finish line for this deployment but recognize that much work remains to be done and this deployment won’t end until each Trooper is home safely. We will continue to push and I’ve challenged our Troopers to focus on the tasks at hand while continuing to get better every day.

I am happy to announce that we have reserved the Killeen Civic Cen-ter for squadron formal ball on 3 July. Please mark your calendars and we will be putting out additional information in the very near fu-ture about what will undoubtedly be an awesome event.

GARRYOWEN continues to be an awesome unit because of its peo-

ple and their untiring sense of pride and unwavering commitment to

excellence . Thanks for everything you have done and continue to for

this unit and our Nation.

SEVENTH FIRST!

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Camp Buehring, Kuwait— The Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 7th US Cavalry

Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, maneuvered to

training range eight for stabilized gunnery during the first few weeks of April.

The Soldiers shot thousands of 25mm and 7.62 mm rounds down range dur-

ing the training. Gunnery gave GarryOwen Soldiers valuable experience ex-

ercising their Bradley Fighting Vehicles’ weapon systems. Under the watchful

leadership of the Squadron’s master gunner, SSG Waddell, and the S3, MAJ

Campion, the unit qualified every Bradley Q1 with an average score of 935.

Overcoming the heat and dust storms in the deserts of Kuwait, the crews

grew in confidence and performed with distinction. The GarryOwen leader-

ship is especially proud of the many first time gunners, E4 and below, and

how well they shot. The Soldiers continue to take pride in everything they

accomplish. The Squadron truly left this training exercise better prepared for

fighting with their crews in the Bradley. Congratulations, GarryOwen, on your

exceptional job during the gunnery! GARRYOWEN!!

Ceremony of Remembrance/Combat Patch Ceremony

1 s t S q u a d r o n 7 t h U . S . C ava l ry

1-7 CAV GUNNERY

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7 APRIL 2012

Above: Soldiers from Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment takes time for a photo after they fired table IV during the gunnery training event in April 2012. Above: CPT Welch, CDR for Comanche

Troop talks with 1SG Johnson about gunnery.

Right: A Bradley fighting vehicle moves into an offensive position to fire a 25mm round down range for 1-7 CAV during the latest gunnery table IV in April 2012.

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LTG Helmick and CSM Rice Presents Coins to GO Troopers

GARRYOWEN Soldiers in the news!


GARRYOWEN FIST/MORTEP

On April 10, 2012, 1-7 CAV executed a TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided missile) training exercise on one of the ranges adjacent to Camp Buehring, Ku-wait. The Squadron fired over 20 TOW 2-B missiles with an unclassified maximum range of four kilometers. The selected crews from Apache, Blackhawk and Comanche Troops fired the TOW missiles destroying old cars and containers placed in the impact area for targets. This was a great opportunity for the GarryOwen Troopers to see the effects of their most deadly weapon system on the Bradley. Very few had ever seen a live TOW shoot and even less had ever had the chance to launch a missile down range. Sol-diers were able to capture some great pho-tos and enjoy a great day at the range.

On the way!


The Fire Support Teams (FiST) of each troop from 1-7 CAV took the three top honors during the FiST certification last month. Competing against all other FiST teams across the brigade, Blackhawk Troop took first place while Apache and Comanche finished second and third. The competition tested teams in call for fire, adjust-ment of rounds, and general knowledge of all systems. Great work by the officers and NCOs of each troop for preparing their Soldiers for victory.

Following the certification, the FiST teams par-ticipated along with the troop mortar crews in a MORTEP training exercise during the second week of April. The Soldiers went to the field to train on fire and maneuver of their tracks. They were able to shoot live rounds and train on fire missions. With help of the FiST teams they were able to hit targets and gained trust in their abilities and systems.

Their training will conclude with a evaluated MORTEP in May. Way to go Mortars and FiST crews. GARRYOWEN!!

TOW SHOOT

Right: Two pictures taken by SGT Jennifer Dolsen, 1BCT, 1CD

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1 s t S q u a d r o n 7 t h U . S . C ava l ry VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7 APRIL 2012

A Bradley Fighting Vehicle launches a TOW 2B missile down range

GARRYOWEN 3, 6 and 5 are all smiles for the camera.

Time to head “home” after a great day of shooting.

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Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Raymond F. Chandler III, visited the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment’s gunnery on April 1, 2012, outside Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The GarryOwen fam-ily was excited to welcome back SMA Chandler, former GarryOwen 9. The SMA took time to share his guidance and vision for the Army with GarryOwen Sol-diers. SSG Waddell, the Master Gunner, gave SMA Chandler a brief about the conduct of the range and SSG Bozman showed the SMA around the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. SMA Chandler was also able to sit down with GarryOwen Non-Commissioned Officers. The NCOs took the opportunity to ask the SMA questions about the future of the Army and the changing landscape of opera-tions. The GarryOwen leadership and Troopers thank him for his time and guid-ance during the visit to GarryOwen coun-try. GARRYOWEN!!

SMA CHANDLER VISITS GARRYOWEN!

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LTG Helmick and CSM Rice Presents Coins to GO Troopers

GARRYOWEN Soldiers in the news!


AIR ASSAULT

Following the Air Assault all of the Troops rolled out the gates of Camp Buehring to three differ-ent training areas to conduct platoon level train-ing. The line Troops focused on platoon level scout core competencies that included fire and maneuver, reaction to enemy fire, conducting a zone reconnaissance and conducting a screen line. Each Troop set up an assembly area (AA) as a “home base of operations” where the lead-ership of the Troop conducts command and control. In the AA, the platoons conducted troop leading procedures and then conducted missions. Darkhorse Troop conducted field support operations. They set up a maintenance area in the middle of the desert. They were able to cook for the entire squadron in the field by setting up their mobile kitchen. The food was amazing and delivered hot to the Troops. The training event gave the Soldiers throughout the unit a sense of success and teamwork with their daily training. As usual, the GarryOwen Soldiers knocked this training event out with excellence and showed themselves and the brigade their superior expertise in conducting distributed operations. GARRYOWEN!!


GARRYOWEN Soldiers, invoking the spirit of the

Air Cav of old, conducted a tactical air assault on

April 22, 2012 with the Soldiers from the 29th Com-

bat Aviation Brigade. With two Apache helicopters

in support, nine Blackhawk helicopters transported

GarryOwen Troopers to several landing zones (LZ)

in various training areas. The missions were part

of a larger scheme of maneuver that transitioned

Troops into the platoon maneuver training week.

Small teams were inserted well ahead of their

troop’s maneuver into sector. The scouts watched

for “enemy activity” and were prepared to report

and “call for fire” if needed. Spc. Chad Golliher

talked about the importance of the training. He

stated, “the training consisted of awesome objec-

tives! Not every scout or Soldier will have the

chance to participate in this caliber of training.”

During the mission, GO6 and GO3 controlled the

assault from a command and control Blackhawk.

Sgt. John Hanna, a communication NCO who was

with the command team, said that the “training

gave me an exciting opportunity to work with the

aviation brigade and our scout elements. This

training supplied outstanding unit teamwork.”

Overall the mission was a great success and it

gave many Troopers a training experience not

many have ever done before. GARRYOWEN!

PLATOON MANEUVERS

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GarryOwen continued the great partner-ship with the 94th Kuwaiti brigade during the month of April. The two units con-ducted multiple combined training events that helped continue to forge the bonds of friendship and cooperation. The training was focused on a range of topics from pre-paring for chemical warfare, gathering in-telligence, conducting weapons ranges, and staff planning. Blackhawk Troop con-ducted a two week exchange with their counterparts focusing on scout and infantry skills in the field and on the camp. Their training culminated with a ceremony com-memorating the hard work and dedication of leaders and Soldiers in both organiza-tions. The numerous opportunities to ex-perience the Kuwaiti culture and Kuwaiti military will pay dividends for our Soldiers in the future. GARRYOWEN!!

KUWAITI PARTNERSHIP

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HELLFIGHTER

HELLFIGHTER NATION! Another month down and only two more to go before we start heading back to Fort Hood. This month has seen a lot of training and professional development across the formation. We continue to get better every day and strive to build upon our success here in each new training event. All the sections have been busy planning, coordinating and executing training from the individual level through collective tasks. The Soldiers have done an outstanding job. We have also seen a few changes in personnel as we welcome new people and say goodbye to others. We started off the month dedicated to training the Squadron’s Soldiers on critical CLS tasks and qualifying them on the Pegasus First Responder tasks as well. We have seen a steady increase in the number of Soldiers trained and are nearing our goal of 100%. The medics have done an excellent job of supporting the Squadron in between the line troop’s many training events. The medics contin-ued to conduct CLS classes while also supporting a myriad of training events to include Bradley gun-nery and mortar gunnery. Our S-1 section has been working diligently on ensuring the Squadron’s Soldiers have all their records up to date. They have also helped con-duct partnership training and ranges within HHT increasing our weapons proficiency and Soldier confidence. The S-2 section has taken the lead in our contin-ued Kuwaiti partnership by planning, resourcing, and executing training events to help foster re-gional stability and help our Soldiers understand how a foreign military operates. The S-3 section has been extremely busy planning for a number of small and large training events that occurred in April or will soon occur in May. The FSE laid the groundwork for the mortar gunnery and facilitated the integration of the Fire Support teams with the mortars allowing for those teams to better work together. The S-3 section has also planned and executed Bradley gunnery and a Squadron Air Assault mission incorporated into the line troop’s platoon maneuvers. Finally they began HMMWV gunnery at the end of April increasing the number of un-stabilized crews qualified. Our S-4 section of 1LT Guidry and SSG Nicholas has been working aggressively on our theater provided equipment and other property issues to get us ready for redeployment. They have begun to look at dates and turn in procedures to ensure that we have a smooth transition when it is time to board the planes for home. We will continue to keep our Families informed as dates become more solid. The S-6 section has also helped support each training event from the Squadron level down to the line troop level. They successfully set up our SNAP terminal at Bradley gunnery allowing for

unclassified and classified computer access from the range to Camp Buehring. Our Kuwaiti partnership continues to go well. We conducted classes and exercises to help them improve their day and night rifle qualification scores. These classes have helped build their confidence in their weapon systems. We will con-tinue to plan future training with them and build upon our current relationship and set up the unit taking over from us. This month we congratulate PFC Schwall on his promotion to Specialist. We also made a few changes in duty positions throughout the troop. 1SG Hankal took off his diamond and will fill in as the Operations Sergeant Major out of the S-3 shop. MSG Whitesell will take over as the Squadron Command Sergeant Major. Finally, 1SG Shawn Griffon has taken the helm as the HHT First Ser-geant. Please help me welcome 1SG Griffon, his wife Becky, and their Family to HHT. All these moves are the result of CSM Ripley moving up to be the Brigade CSM. CSM Ripley has been a constant with the Squadron over the past four years. We congratulate him on his selection and will truly miss his daily presence. Please take the time to thank him for his service to Garryowen. The Troop had a very busy April training a wide variety of tasks and supporting the Squadron on numerous training events. As we move into April we will continue to train hard while getting ready for redeployment. Soldier morale seems to be at its highest. As the light at the end of the tunnel gets closer First Sergeant Griffon and I ask that you continue to support your Soldier and the Troop. We are extremely proud of where we are, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. Thanks to all those spouses that helped the Giroux Family as they welcomed a new son into their lives. Thank you for your continued support and to the FRG for what they do every day. Please contact us with any questions you may have and continue to check out the Facebook page for pictures and information. CPT Koerner


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As-Salamu Alaykum from Kuwait! April has continued to keep our Troopers extremely busy. SSG Hoops and SPC Pannel earned their Expert Infantry Badges and the Troop shot Bradley gun-nery, doing extremely well despite our crews being populated with new gunners and Bradley commanders. The rest of the month will be consumed with a weeklong field problem, followed immediately by an un-stabilized gunnery density and a live-fire training exercise. Training makes the time go by faster and I am continu-ously proud of how Apache Soldiers are buckling down, training hard, and making the best of everything.

I’d like to take a moment to thank Audrey Torres for her work as the Troop’s FRG leader this deployment. She volunteered for a very difficult position and did an outstanding job supporting our Troopers. If you see her, please thank her for everything she did. Her contributions will be difficult to match.

As always, please let me know if you need anything. I can be reached by email at [email protected]. Take care!

CPT Mike Kiser Apache 6

APACHE


mailto:[email protected]

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BLACKHAWK

April was the busiest month yet for

Blackhawk, with Bradley Gunnery, Kuwaiti

Partnership, and Platoon Maneuvers dominat-

ing the month. First came gunnery where

Blackhawk Troop showed how good we are by

shooting more Distinguished crews than any

other Troop. Additionally, SGT Cooper, SPC

Balliet, and PFC Isaac shot TOP Track in the

SQDN with a score of 997. White PLT earned

the highest PLT average with an overall aver-

age of 984.

As soon as we finished with gunnery,

we transitioned into partnered training with the

Kuwaiti Military, conducting training on urban

movement, checkpoints, and other tasks. In

addition to training, the partnership forged

bonds between our Armies that will continue for

years to come and help bring stability to the

region as we look to the future.

To finish April, Blackhawk again went

into training mode, with Platoon Maneuver

training. Platoons conducted zone reconnais-

sance, screen lines, and movement to contact

drills in a way that many of our Soldiers never

have. Getting to practice the tasks that our Sol-

diers joined the Army for was an experience

that many of us have never had, and for some,

may not have again for some time.

A special acknowledgment goes out to

1LT McNamara who competed in Best Ranger

Competition. This competition is one of the

hardest and most grueling things that a Soldier

can do in the Army, and although his team was

forced out due to an injury, his participation is a

testament to the toughness of our XO.

~Blackhawk 6


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Comanche Troop families and friends, With another month behind us, our exceptional team has once again widened their stride while leaning forward towards the finish line. In the last month Comanche Troop continued to sharpen their tactical skills during a stabilized gunnery range, performed tremendously during a weeklong Squadron MORTEP training event, reenlisted several outstanding Soldiers, and began the steps required for redeployment.

Our Troopers worked day and

night to teach Bradley crews how to shoot,

move and communicate on the battlefield

during stabilized gunnery. In the beginning

phases of our training, the Kuwaiti weather

was rather unforgiving. Comanche

Soldiers received a pounding dust storm

that shut down range operations for the

entire day. The bad weather had no

impact on our Troopers’ high moral and

dedication to a superb performance during

training. Every Soldier saddled up for the

long field event and focused intently on

crew level training. In the end, all the effort

was worth it. Over 90% of the crews

scored Distinguished on their final Gunnery

Table VI engagements, and every crew

passed with first time qualifications. I

would like to publicly say “Thanks to

everyone for their hard work and dedication

to excellence, your actions continue to

represent yourselves and our organization

with distinction.”

While our Gunnery Crews dis-

played their talents, the Comanche Troop

mortar and Fire Support Team rocked OP

10 training area during a Squadron

consolidated MORTEP. Lead by LT

Gorecki, the Comanche Fire Support Team

identified, plotted, and supervised

engagements of multiple targets by our

most awesome Comanche Mortar Team.

COMANCHE

1 s t S q u a d r o n 7 t h U . S . C ava l ry APRIL 2012 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7

With just a few days to execute MORTEP live fire, SSG Lewis and his mortarmen braved the fierce elements and fired over 100 mortar rounds and destroyed countless targets during the exercise. These factors culminated into Comanche Troop mortars securing Squadron Top Gun honors. Congratulations to the following Soldiers on their most recent promotions. SPC Eric Labadens was recently promoted to the rank of SGT. Additionally, SGT Luis Rodriguez’s hard work paid off as he was promoted to the rank of SSG. In other exciting Comanche news, in keeping with the finest military traditions, SPC Richard Sooy, SGT James Murdough, and SGT Cody Kirchoff raised their right hands and swore an oath to continue their dedicated service to our great nation by reenlisting this last month.

I would like to send a special con-

gratulations to the Comanche Troop FRG.

The ladies’ hard work baking cakes and cook-

ies paid dividends supporting our Troopers –

“literally”. Our super sweet and most caring

ladies wasted no time pulling out all the stops,

unveiling secret recipes, and hitting the street

during their Comanche Troop FRG bake sale.

The sale lasted only 6 hours, but most of the

treats were gone way before then. The ladies

raised enough money to cover a Troop

Bar-B-Que following redeployment.

“Excellent job ladies, the Troop can never

thank you enough for your continued support,

dedication, and hard work.”

Well, it goes without saying each

Comanche Trooper continues to count the

days. With the last of our brothers returning

from R & R leave, the stories of the Texas

home front continue to sound sweeter and

become more of a reality. Each Comanche

Trooper continues to impress me with their

desire and personal strength to finish strong.

Until we finally cross the finish line, I wish all

Comanche families and friends the very best.

Be safe and God Bless.

“Move Fast, Strike Hard!”

BENJAMIN A. WELCH CPT, AR C TRP, 1-7 CAV Commanding

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DARKHORSE

field. This kind of intense support in a harsh

environment all while on the move is something

most of our Soldiers haven’t done before, so it

was new to most of us. It was some tough

training and lots of coffee was consumed.

Darkhorse did great and provided awesome

support through the efforts of our Soldiers

throughout.

Everyone continues to put forth extraordi-

nary effort as we get to look forward to another

exciting month when we will execute Darkhorse

gunnery where we get to shoot as well as sup-

port.

Feed 'em, Move 'em, Fix 'em! DARKHORSE! -CPT DAVID SHERCK


This has been an exciting month for

Darkhorse. We started out the month

executing support to the Squadron Bradley

Gunnery for several weeks.

The cooks, fuel, ammo, and distribution

sections all got to take part by providing

support to the Squadron out in the desert.

All feedback of the field cooking reported

that the chow was excellent and that the

cooks deserve some applause for their

excellent job.

The ammo section handled some

pretty large amounts of ammunition includ-

ing some big explosives like our TOW mis-

siles, which require special accounting and

handling, and they executed flawlessly.

The fuel section and the rest of S&T

platoon put a huge numbers of miles on

their vehicles running all kinds of essential

supplies and fuel out to the range.

The Sergeant Major of the Army visited

gunnery as well and recognized the great

work of SPC McClair by presenting him

with a coin. While the Squadron was at

gunnery the maintenance platoon did an

intense annual service on all our equip-

ment, taking apart, cleaning, and servicing

all our equipment. It was hard work, with

some long hours, but the mechanics at-

tacked it aggressively and got it done on

schedule.

We also continued our partnership

with the Kuwait Army Logistics Battalion

sharing our knowledge and professional

lessons and learning from our allies. Main-

tenance platoon sent some representa-

tives to learn the Kuwaiti maintenance

system at their base, and then we invited

them to come observe our services. Part

of this was a great exchange of knowledge

on arms repair and maintenance SGT Bar-

nett and SSG Gardner participated in.

SSG Gardner especially made a friend in

the Kuwaiti arms repair specialist SSG

Ahmed. All in all it was a great exchange

and we should all be proud of the way our

Soldiers represented their country.

Then it was a quick preparation before

the whole Troop rolled out to the field to

support Squadron maneuvers. We spent a

long week moving around the desert and

setting up our support operations out in the

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I hope that all who are reading this are

having a wonderful spring, enjoying the warm

weather, and getting a chance to see the

Texas bluebonnets grow across the state.

This has been a productive month as we look

forward to completing the last quarter of de-

ployment. As spring continues in full force,

the drive to ensure the Post presents a tidy

and neat appearance culminated in the

Spring Clean-Up, the annual week long event

where everyone across post chips in to make

the Great Place an even greater place. Fam-

ily members and Soldiers alike spent time

clearing brush, cleaning out ditches, and

planting flowers and trees. Just like Fall

Clean Up, it presented an opportunity to get

to know the neighbors and make a positive

impact.

Preparations for the return of our Soldiers

are in full swing. A Redeployment Working

Group met, discussing single Soldier bar-

racks rooms, decorating to welcome Soldiers

home, and making each Troop's orderly room

comfortable for the returning Troops. During

the walk through, even future shenanigans

were planned! The Rear Detachment First

Sergeant, SFC Byington, received the keys to

our billets, giving us the chance to verify and

validate repairs necessary for our Soldiers as

they move into their rooms upon redeploy-

ment. Unlike before, the barracks population

is going to drastically grow as Fort Hood has

re-looked who lives in the barracks. All single

Sergeants and below will reside in the bar-

racks unless they can produce a valid past

waiver - not something the Squadron is used

to from past deployments.

A number of our Lady Troopers partici-

pated in the Ironhorse Brigade's Jeans N'

Bling event on the 27th. Even though we are

a smaller unit than others in the Brigade,

Garryowen had one of the largest turn outs!

ECHO TROOP—REAR DETACHMENT

1 s t S q u a d r o n 7 t h U . S . C ava l ry APRIL 2012 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 7

It is truly amazing what our interested

Family members accomplish in support of the

unit and their events, reminiscent of the out-

standing Trunk or Treat's Haunted Headquar-

ters. The number of volunteers that we have

are a blessing to our Squadron, the Brigade,

and to the Army as a whole.

We look forward to our ADVON party in

the month of May, paving the way for return

of the Squadron. With their return, continued

planning for the Garryowen Formal will blos-

som further, with the expected help from the

Family member Working Group associated

with it. As we see Family members return to

the Fort Hood area, the interest and support

continues to grow!

Respectfully,

CPT Jed Sargent

Echo Troop (Rear Detachment) Commander

Mailing addresses:

1-7 CAV (E TRP) — Fort Hood, TX

37005 Old Ironsides Ave.

Ft. Hood, TX 76544

1-7 CAV (FWD) — Kuwait

Name of Soldier

TRP/1-7 CAV

Camp Buehring, Kuwait

APO AE 09330

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GO PADRE IRONHORSE 9 CHANGE OF RESPONSIBILITY



GarryOwen’s beloved Command Sergeant Major Mervyn Ripley took over the Command Sergeant Major position for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Command Sergeant Major Lehr during a change of responsibility ceremony on April 16, 2012, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. CSM Ripley served as GarryOwen 9 during Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-10, Operation New Dawn 11-12, and Operation Spartan Shield. CSM Ripley provided outstanding leadership for the Soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers in the squadron with excellence.

During his time as GarryOwen 9, CSM Ripley led the squadron during combat, training exercises, and provided guidance for the fine NCOs in the unit. CSM Rip-ley’s accomplishments go well beyond this article. His dedication to the unit and the GarryOwen family as the Command Sergeant Major will forever leave a legacy in the history books and in the hearts of the Troopers of the Seventh Cavalry Regi-ment. Please help us congratulation CSM Ripley for his time as GarryOwen 9 and his future assignment as the brigade Command Sergeant Major. GARRYOWEN!!

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GO PADRE SQUADRON PHOTOS



Right: LTC Southerland and CSM Ripley stand with the Troop CDRs during a photo on Camp Buehring, KU, on 14 April 2012.

14 April 2012: GarryOwen took a breather from their rigorous schedule for a series of photos to commemorate the the deploy-ment to Iraq for Operation New Dawn 11-12 and Kuwait for Op-eration Spartan Shield.

GARRYOWEN!!

Right: (from L to R) MAJ Cuviello, LTC Southerland, CSM Ripley, MAJ Campion, and MSG(P) Whitesell

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In the book of Ecclesiastes, the writer wrote,

“Two are better than one, because they have

a good return for their labor: If either of them

falls down, one can help the other up. But pity

anyone who falls and has no one to help them

up. Also, if two lie down together, they will

keep warm. But how can one keep warm

alone? Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves. A cord of three

strands is not quickly broken.”

Throughout the month of April, the GarryOwen

family continues to stand together during

trainings and missions to improve one another

in the fight. We have experienced one of the

best Bradley gunneries, a cool MORTEP

exercise, partnership, platoon maneuvers and

the start to un-stabilized gunnery. During

each of these training events, the Soldiers and

families back home showed their countless

support to better the GarryOwen morale and

courage to excel during the last few months of

the deployment. I ask for the incredible con-

tinuing support from our GarryOwen family

and friends to communicate your appreciation

towards the outstanding Soldiers in 1-7 CAV.

Let us stay together and not quickly be bro-

ken.

-GO Padre

BAM!!

GO PADRE

Military Care Packages Sites:

www.adoptaussoldier.org

soldiersangels.org

adoptasoldierplatoon.org

www.hugsforoursoldiers.org

Military Deployment Resources:

www.militaryonesource.com

Call 1-800-342-9647

www.myarmyonesource.com

Call 877-811-ARMY

New Mailing Address:

Name of Soldier

TRP/1-7 CAV, 1BCT, 1CD

Camp Buehring, Kuwait

APO AE 09330

GO PADRE

GARRYOWEN CORNER

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Today, the 1st Squadron 7th Cavalry is stationed at Fort Hood, TX, from where it has deployed three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, once as the Divisional Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Division and twice as the Armored Reconnaissance Squadron for the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Having returned from OIF 09-10 in January of 2010, the 1st Squadron, 7th US Cavalry Regiment currently is in the middle of their deployment to OND 11-12 and Operation Spartan Shield.

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GarryOwen April newsletter

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