The Army’s newest Private First Class.

With the afternoon arrival of the

battalion’s ADVON team to North

Fort Polk on Thursday, 28 Novem-

ber 2010, Task Force Lobos com-

menced operations for historic Joint

Readiness Training Center (JRTC)

Rotation 11-02. This rotation is the

culmination of months of pre-

deployment training at Fort Hood,

and will test the Battalion’s battle

drills and support functions under a

simulated combat environment

replicating Operation Enduring

Freedom.

Teaming with 3d BCT, 10th Moun-

tain Division, Fort Drum, NY the

Lobos mission is to conduct full

spectrum operations to provide

freedom of movement to secure the

population and defeat insurgents in

the Spartan Area of Operations.

For the first time in Lobos history,

the Task Force is welcoming mem-

bers of the Republic of Singapore

Air Force (RSAF) onto the team.

RSAF aviators, crew chiefs, and

support personnel have fully inte-

grated into the Task Force, bringing

with them 4 Chinook Helicopters

and more than doubling the Battal-

ion’s heavy lift capabilities.

Soldiers participating in JRTC rota-

tions progress through four major

phases of training: Reception, Stag-

ing, Onward Movement, and Integra-

tion (RSOI); Situational Training

Exercises (STX); a Command Post

Exercise (CPX); and Force on Force.

During RSOI, Soldiers establish a

base camp and, within a few short

hours, set conditions to successfully

command, control, and support

operations throughout the deploy-

ment. STX training is controlled

training in which Soldiers are led

through scenarios to achieve spe-

cific training objectives. The com-

mand post exercise tests the battal-

ion’s ability to command and control

significant activities, testing battle

drills and reporting procedures. The

Force on Force phase puts the bat-

talion to the test, simulating full

spectrum combat operations against

a capable opposing force.

Despite long hours and somewhat

austere working conditions, JRTC is

designed to provide realistic, fo-

cused training that mirrors situations

encountered by American forces

serving in support of Operation En-

during Freedom. Across the battal-

ion, Soldiers are testing battle drills

and honing skills as they tackle new

missions, such as air assault inser-

tion and Medevac hoist operations.

The Lobos team is intent on provid-

ing the best aerial support that 3/10

MTN has ever experienced in a field

environment. Already the Lobos are

building a top notch reputation for

mission accomplishment, profes-

sionalism, and effectiveness on the

battlefield. As our reputation

spreads, maneuver units across the

Army will ask our Task Force to sup-

port their missions.

Lobo Soldiers of all military skills are

serving with pride and making posi-

tive contributions in the accomplish-

ment of the mission. Across all

levels, Lobos are setting the stan-

dard in discipline, professional excel-

lence, and teamwork. Lessons

learned at JRTC will allow the battal-

ion to better prepare for future op-

erations. — LOBO6

Lobos Occupy Forge

Wolfpack Leads the Way

Exemplifying the highest standards of

teamwork and professional excel-

lence, Headquarters Company moved

over 225 Soldiers, 28 containers, 60

pieces of rolling stock, and controlled

air movement of four maneuver com-

panies from Fort Hood, TX to Fort Polk,

LA in preparation for Joint Readiness

Training Center (JRTC) Rotation 11-02.

But that was just the pregame show.

Upon arrival at Fort Polk, the Wolfpack

constructed a fully functioning tactical

operations center, established com-

munications across the battalion,

stood up the battalion ALOC, and

constructed life support areas for a

task force surpassing 400 personnel.

JRTC is focused on improving unit

readiness by providing a full spectrum

of highly realistic, stressful, joint and

combined arms training.

JRTC has been a very eye-opening

experience for all of the Wolfpack

Soldiers. For those experiencing their

first rotation, one quickly begins miss-

ing many of the comforts of home: A

lack of IT infrastructure (computers

and printers), heat/a warm place to

sleep at night, easy access to conven-

ience stores and restaurants, and

indoor plumbing are just a few.

The other challenging aspect of JRTC

is the simulated combat environment.

It can be intense at times, but it also

is very effective in showing weak-

nesses and strengths that may other-

wise be overlooked. It also builds

team cohesion and camaraderie

across the force.

Already Wolfpack has learned how to

respond to Indirect Fire, treat

wounded battle buddies, report casu-

alties, and obtain 100% accountability

following attacks. Being evaluated and

drilled on these situations has helped

the team make the necessary reac-

tions second nature.

Although field exercises are not

always pleasant (and they certainly

are a lot of hard work), we started

off on a positive note: the promo-

tion of PV2 Owens to PFC. The

Wolfpack team congratulates PFC

Owens on this terrific milestone!

Task Force Lobos, FOB Forge, Maran Province, Afghanistan

Thursday, 11 November 2010

Volume 1, Issue 1

Task Force Lobos

Inside this issue: Wolfpack Leads the Way 1

Vultures Assume a New

Mission

The Blackcats Review

The Witchdoctors Do It

Again

2

Outlaw Update

Renegade Roundup

The Raven Report

3

Reapers Flying High

4

SPC Miles and other Wolfpack Soldiers receive

MILES gear.

Members of the Lobos command and staff

pose beneath Fort Polk’s infamous Spartan

and painted wall.

Task Force Lobos was recently asked: Can

a command aviation company, accustomed

to providing

General officers

and other VIPs

first class flights

aboard UH-60

Blackhawks

meet the needs

of ground

pounding infan-

trymen in the

heat of battle?

Despite minimal

previous experi-

ence in the

company, the

Vultures answered that question with a

resounding YES!

When 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division

needed rapid insertion of ground forces

under enemy contact, Alpha Company got

the call. During STX lanes, the company

has been planning and executing air as-

sault missions to support the needs of

ground forces participating in the rotation.

Soldiers and pilots have been working long

hours to keep aircraft Fully Mission Capa-

ble (FMC) for a multitude of JRTC missions.

A good attitude and “get the job done”

work ethic has proven to be the right mix

for mission accomplishment. The con-

trolled environment of JRTC has given the

Vultures the ability to concentrate on im-

proving their flight and maintenance experi-

ence. This invaluable training is helping

the Vultures pinpoint the areas that they need

to strengthen and improve before their de-

ployment to Afghanistan.

One of the biggest improvements the unit has

made has been cohesion between the Sol-

diers on and off the job. Working as a team in

all aspects of work plays a big role in mission

accomplishment. Alpha company is looking

forward to

the next

phase of this

training and

is ready for

anything that

the JRTC

Trainer/

Mentors will

throw at

them.

helicopter crew

loaded one no-

tional patient into

the carousel configured helicop-

ter, went for a short flight, and

landed to unload the patient.

Another crew started one of the

hoist configured helicopters for

the Grand Finale demonstra-

tion. Five individuals were se-

lected to be notional patients to

ride the hoist into the helicop-

ter. Our hoist helicopter posi-

tioned itself 75 feet in the air

and SSG Farris lowered SSG

Salge down on the hoist to re-

Shortly after 2nd Platoon de-

ployed to JRTC at Fort Polk, we

were tasked with teaching the

ground medics how to load and

unload patients on our helicop-

ters. About 100 medics from

four different units received an

hour of instruction and hands

on training on two different

MEDEVAC platforms: the stan-

dard carousel as well as the

new hoist configuration.

After all of the training, one

trieve the patients.

All of our training was a great

success and we have continued

to complete hoist missions in

the days after. Even though we

continue to do great things

here, we always think of our

families back home. We are

looking forward to getting home

to enjoy some Thanksgiving

dinner. Thanks for your support

on the home front!

Witchdoctors!

Vultures News

The Witchdoctor’s Do it Again

and conducted utilizing the CH-

47F. Your Blackcat aircrews

dropped 250lb loads of MREs

with self-deploying parachutes

to fixed targets on the ground.

Training on this sort of Aerial

Resupply will allow our flight

crews to resupply units in hard

to reach places in the moun-

tains of Afghanistan, and bring

much needed supplies to the

troops on the ground. Addition-

ally, the Blackcats have partici-

pated in the movement of artil-

lery pieces and vehicles across

the battlefield. The hard

work put in by our Soldiers

has motivated all those

around the unit, and we

thank our families for their

support from back home.

As we continue our mission

here, we always think of our

families and friends at home

and look forward to seeing

you soon.

Blackcats!

The Blackcat Review

Greetings Blackcat family and

friends! Your Soldiers have

been busy and productive in the

days since occupying FOB Forge

at JRTC. Ever since our arrival,

we’ve been engaged in non-

stop action to maximize our

training opportunities, and have

learned valuable lessons along

the way.

For the first time, Low Cost Low

Altitude air drops were trained

Page 2 Task Force Lobos

A CH-47F airlifts a HMMV and gun during an artillery raid.

(Left) What may appear to some as a theme park thrill ride is

actually a life-saving measure using our hoist equipment

CW2 Penn prepares for takeoff. SPC Garcia conducts preflight mainte-

nance on a UH-60 Blackhawk.

The Oulaws of 2-227th Aviation

Regiment have settled in to a com-

bat battle rhythm after their first

week of deployment to FOB Forge.

D CO support has kept Lobo aircraft

flying during high tempo operations

with 24 hour maintenance support.

This has resulted in a FMC fleet of

aircraft to support Local Area Orien-

tation flights, live fire, RL progres-

sion missions, and the beginning of

STX training. Although the tempo

thus far has been non-stop, we

expect our workload to only in-

crease as simulated battle damage

and downed aircraft recoveries

occur due to exercise scenarios.

During periods of limited mainte-

nance support requirements, the

Outlaws jumped at the opportunity

to conduct in-depth field training on

Soldier skills, including crew-served

weapons and downed aircraft recov-

ery. D Co Soldiers, along with sup-

port from 615th ASB and 10th MTN

Soldiers, conducted a simulated

ground aircraft recovery to retrieve

a downed USMC AH-1 Cobra. We’ve

also had the opportunity to exercise

our responses to MASCAL and Indi-

rect Fire attacks, a

daily event on FOB

Forge.

Its fast and furious at

JRTC, but its also valu-

able training on realis-

tic problem sets. The

Outlaws continue to

set the standard of

support, maximizing

combat power for our

Task Force.

Outlaws!

system. Qualifications and evalua-

tions are obtained by administering

a combination of several oral, prac-

tical, and written examinations

covering various ATC regulations

and policies. Topics covered in-

clude the local flying area, set-up,

operation, employment of the

equipment, and facility administra-

tion. Our goal during this mission is

to facility-rate every Soldier using

the guidelines of our facility training

program, receive proficiency train-

ing for prior-rated Soldiers, increase

our readiness level, and practice

and develop basic Soldiering skills

in preparation for our next

deployment.

As we work through the myr-

iad issues associated with

standing up the Tower in a

remote environment, our

Soldiers are learning impor-

tant troubleshooting tech-

niques. We’re committed to

using these experiences to

increase our knowledge of

how our systems are de-

signed. We’re keeping smiles

on our faces and pushing

through to success.

The Outlaw Update

The Raven Report

scheduled maintenance, as well as

all the other details that are part of

a major deployment.

Speaking of the Maintenance pla-

toon, SPC Vance had the honor of

being the first Soldier in the battal-

ion served at the grand opening

event of Echo Company’s Midnight

meal operation. The gala was defi-

nitely a high note for the food ser-

vice specialists of the Headquarters

platoon who have not cooked in the

field for over five years. The grand

opening was a big hit, drawing such

large crowds that it quickly became

a standing room only event. The

food was some of the best anyone

had ever tasted and the resulting

boost in the morale of the battalion

was very visible to all. Several field

grade officers were even overheard

saying that the cooks definitely

have something that they can be

proud of; everyone certainly has

something to look forward to every

midnight.

The Renegades have a lot of hard

work ahead of them, but look for-

ward to the challenge and a great

meal.

As we pre-

pare for

Force on

Force en-

gagements

to begin,

Echo Com-

pany contin-

ues to raise

the bar of

competence

among the

battalion.

Our morale

remains

high and our

Soldiers

remain committed to helping other

members of the team.

Renegade Round Up

In this installment of “The Rene-

gade Round Up,” the Renegades

find themselves deployed to FOB

Forge. It is a nice change from the

all too familiar scenery of Camp

Taji. The Renegades continue their

proud tradition of hard work and

setting the standard for the Lobo

Battalion.

The fuelers of the distribution pla-

toon find themselves working on

two different FARPs. They also

welcome some new ammunition

specialists to the platoon and an

attachment of 15Ys to support the

addition of AH-64 helicopters to the

Lobo fleet and the increased am-

munition requirements for the

FARPs. The Maintenance platoon

has the Lobos up and running on all

cylinders. They are conducting

dispatches, scheduled and un-

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1

PV2 Davenport (Left) and PVT Scott (Right) serve the

glorious first meals at the grand opening of the Lobo

Field Kitchen.

The Ravens have been non-stop

since our arrival at JRTC. With

positive attitudes and a team-

centered focus, our small contin-

gent is making a huge impact on

the Task Force’s mission.

Our focus on training has been to

maximize opportunities for our

Soldiers. Since arriving at JRTC,

Raven Soldiers have been receiving

proficiency evaluations and qualifi-

cation training on the AN/TSQ-198A

D CO Soldiers hook a UH-1 to the

SCAMP crane.

WO1 Jackson and SGT Acree discuss PMCS procedures as

members of the Tactical Terminal Control System (TTCS)

assume ATC operations at Self FLS, Ft. Polk.

Eight hours later the Reapers

arrived at FT. Polk, LA to begin

their JRTC rotation. During the

first few days, the Reapers had

to overcome adverse weather

and violent stomach bugs that

reduced the mighty SPC

Mitchell to a mere shell of a

man. SPC Hines also suc-

cumbed to the dreaded stom-

ach virus of FOB Forge.

In our first week of operations,

each of our aviators completed

Local Area Orientation flights,

participated in live fire ranges,

and supported daily STX train-

ing events for the 3/10 MTN

Soldiers joining us on the rota-

tion. It was great for our air-

crews to have the opportunity to

conduct missions that directly

impacted Soldiers operating on

the ground — something we

haven't been fortunate to do

since redeploying from our last

tour in Iraq.

So ends the first week of JRTC.

Much thanks to our amazing

As the Reapers started trickling

into the office at Hood Army

Airfield on 1 Nov 2010, they

came to discover the crew chief

office full of treats, courtesy of

the Reaper FRG. The effect was

immediate as everyone’s eyes

and smiles widened . PFC Lo-

pez marched over to the table,

reached into the box and trium-

phantly thrust his hand in the

air, holding high a fresh dough-

nut. With an exuberant grin, he

proudly announced “Look guys,

doughnuts!”

A few hours later SPC Tylka and

PV2 Bradshaw climbed aboard

a UH-60 Black Hawk and fol-

lowed our seven Apaches and

their crews on their way to FT.

Polk, LA. While the rest of the

company prepared to board the

buses, they stuffed as many

sack lunches and bags of trail

mix as they could into back-

packs and pockets.

FRG for sending us off right and

supporting our war fighters in

style. We’re

coming home

ready for any-

thing Afghani-

stan can throw

at us, and with

morale this

high, nothing

can stop us

from achieving

our goals.

Reapers!

Reapers Fly High

SPC Tylka and PV2 Lopez perform maintenance

before a STX mission.