2 0 4 T H B R I G A D E

S U P P O R T B A T T A L I O N

Rough Rider Connection F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E I , I S S U E 1

S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

A Message from RR6

Rough Riders’ Eyes in the

Sky

Town Hall Meeting with

Families via VTC

Ministry Team Training

Assassins Training

Bravo Company Training

Keeping the Rough Riders

Safe and Informed

Medical Evacuation

Training

Photo Corner

Contributors:

1LT Betsy Arndt

Battalion Public Affairs Officer

Congratulations to 1LT’s

Meghan and Christopher Hou-

sel on the birth of their baby,

Parker!

1LT Meghan Housel was the

previous editor of the Rough

Rider Connection.

Greetings from Fort Polk, LA. As I write this I’m outfitted with my protective equipment on as we just experienced a simulated artillery attack here on Forward Operating Base

(FOB) FORGE. The training experience here at JRTC has been tremendous and our Soldiers continue to excel and grow in confidence everyday. The training situations presented to our Soldiers range from local vendors asking to move onto FOB FORGE to talking to local religious leaders about village issues like schools unfit for learning and water unfit for drinking. We also get our share of opposing force (OPFOR) activ-ity that normally requires our Soldiers to fire blank ammunition that triggers our elec-tronic Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) gear to go off signifying an injury or hit. All of our companies are receiving phenomenal training in their specific areas of ex-pertise with Alpha Company running a world-class field warehouse, Bravo Company running their various maintenance shops, and Charlie Company providing excellent medical care for all our Soldiers. The Headquarters Company and the Battalion Staff receive many complex problems to solve. The staff is working many hours planning and directing the companies to achieve mission after mission. Our Soldiers got to work immediately upon the arrival of our equipment. We set up the Battalion Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and the Company’s Command Posts (CP’s) and received gear that was repositioned such as trucks and water buffaloes. The weather was some of the coldest seen in Louisiana, but our Soldiers stuck through it and continued to prepare for the world-class training the Rough Riders were about to receive. While some were setting up, others were receiving pre-rotational training which in-cluded improvised explosive device (IED) awareness, Command Post of the Future (CPoF), Unmanned Aerial Surveillance (UAS), Hand-held Interagency Detection Equipment and Electronic Warfare Officer training, to name a few. The situational training exercises (STX) were extremely valuable, as it placed our Soldiers out on convoys and forced them to face many realistic scenarios such as IED defeat, en-gagements with local villages and damaged vehicle recovery. As we conduct our training we would like to thank our loved ones at home who are completing the real tasks of life. We appreciate your continued support. Scott P. Dugan Todd S. Bertulis CSM, USA LTC, LG Command Sergeant Major Commanding

This newsletter contains official and unofficial information. The inclusion of some unofficial information in this

newsletter has not increased the cost to the Government, in accordance with DOD 4525.8-M

P A G E 2

The Rough Riders’ Eyes in the Sky

SGT Joseph Guiterrez, Noncommis- sioned Officer in Charge of the 204th BSB’s S2 (Intelligence) and PFC Gregory Miles of the Battalion’s CoIST (see page 4) successfully launched the Raven on February 14, 2011 at 1:12 p.m. (CST). The Raven is a small hand-launched remote-controlled un-manned aerial vehicle and can be flown at a height of up to 10,000 feet above ground and is very quiet which makes it difficult for the enemy to detect. The device is capable of providing live video feed to a com-puter on the ground as well as still photographs and only weighs about 4.2 lbs. The video and photographs can be used to analyze areas of interest and also to instantly view activities happening on the ground. The camera also has the ability to record through infrared night vision. The Raven system has been in use for over 10 years and is utilized by all of the branches in the U.S. Armed Forces as well as over 10 other countries.

LTC Bertulis and CSM Dugan, along with the 204th BSB’s ANA partners, LTC Zad-ran and MAJ Panshir Commander and Executive Officer of the 5/4/205th Combat Service Support (CSS) Battalion with the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) met with family members of the Rough Rider Sol-

diers on Tuesday night (February 15, 2011) via a video teleconference (VTC). The main topic of discussion was the training that the Soldiers of the 204th BSB have been experiencing at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Ft. Polk, LA. More than 70 photographs were discussed through a PowerPoint presentation captured by Rough Rider Soldiers that were on the ground receiving the training. Rough Rider 6 also mentioned the trainer/mentors (T/M’s) that assist leaders and Soldiers of the battalion and offer a different perspective. The T/M’s watch every move and decision that is made and later provide feedback as to what can be tried next time or considerations to think of that might be helpful. The T/M’s are trained professionals that have the job of help-ing units “iron out the wrinkles” and prepare for deployment. Although they don’t claim to provide all the right answers and easy fixes, they help in any way that they can to make our unit successful. Completing this VTC will help the unit prepare for deployment and the difficulties that will come. LTC Bertulis concluded the VTC with a video that was made during the Unit Ministry Team and Personal Security Detail (see page3) which Chaplain (CPT) Payne explained to the Rough Rider Family. The VTC ended with final questions and a thanks to all of the sup-port back in Fort Carson.

Photos and stories

on this page by

1LT Betsy Arndt,

204th BSB Public

Affairs Officer

Left to right: CSM Scott Dugan, LTC Todd Bertulis, LTC Arman Jahangir Khan Zadran & MAJ Panshir

P A G E 3 V O L U M E I , I S S U E 1

Story by Chaplain (CPT) Joel W. Payne, 204

th BSB

JRTC– Ft. Polk, LA On February 11, 2011 the 204

th

Brigade Support Battalion com-pleted training with the Unit Min-istry Team (UMT) and Personal Security Detail focused on Reli-gious Leader Liaison. The pur-pose of the lane was to escort the Chaplain and Chaplain As-sistant via the Personal Security Detail (PSD) in order to conduct Religious Leader Liaisons (RLL) with local religious leaders. Key ar-eas of training included meeting and developing good relationships with local Afghan leaders in the towns and villages surrounding the areas we may be located during deploy-ment. The UMT/PSD training was con-ducted in two main phases that were designed to exercise the tacti-cal aspect of providing security to the Chaplain and the diplomatic aspect of engagement of the local religious leaders. Phase one consisted of a tactical movement by the PSD of the Chap-lain into a village where dozens of role players provided an extremely realistic experience to train in. The

PSD escorted the Chaplain into the village to meet with the local Mullah (a religious leader) to discuss how we may help the local population and partner to provide long-term needs. After the engagement with the local Mullah the PSD escorted the Chaplain on foot to meet with the local leader of the Red Crescent (Afghanistan’s ver-sion of the Red Cross). During the meeting with the Red Crescent leader a sniper fired on the PSD and they conducted an emergency evacuation of the Chaplain and team while pro-viding medical attention to our wounded. After the team arrived at a safe location the Chaplain facilitated a group session to work through the events that had just passed. Phase two involved another RLL in a different community with a local Mul-

lah who was not friendly. The en-gagement went well but the town was not secure and once again the PSD had to perform an emergency evacuation to a secure location. At JRTC the training is conducted and evaluated by Trainer/Mentor teams who are present during the lanes and evaluate our teams fol-lowing the training in order to give pointers and suggestions for how to operate in the future. For the UMT/PSD lane the Trainer/Mentor team

remarked that our PSD was out-standing and they were amazed by their ability to react quickly, especially in evacuating and providing medical attention to our soldiers who were “hit” during the exercise. The Trainer/Mentors stated that in their opinion the 204

th Brigade Support Battalion was

well prepared and ready to deploy. The training conducted during the UMT/PSD lane will be a valuable step-ping stone to the real development of relationships with the Afghan people. These relationships will have the ability to affect change in Afghanistan through providing security, medical supplies, food, water and much needed local infrastructure. Through these engage-ments we will be able to work with the Afghan people toward a common goal

of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

Assassins Prepare for Force on Force

Alpha Company

Soldiers conduct

Sling Load

Training

Story and photo by 2LT Christine Breckenridge

As Alpha Company, 204th BSB, prepares to support the Warhorse

Brigade during force on force training, they have already made steady accomplishments in resupply. The Alpha Company Assassins have ran 19 successful resupply missions to date, pushing over 47,590 gallons of fuel, 1,400 gallons of water, 500,000 rounds of ammo and over 1.5 tons of CL IV. Aside from daily missions, the dedicated sol-diers of A Co have been trained on multiple Combat Convoy lanes, IED Defeat lanes, Sling Load Training, ROE, and being part of a FLE. Assassins, Roll Hard!

Story by SGT Robert White 204th BSB Master Welder

During JRTC Rotation 11-04, the Bravo Com-pany Black Knights’ Service & Recovery, or “REPO” Team, successfully completed their recovery situational training exercise lane. Sol-diers encountered small arms fire, indirect mor-tar fire, IEDs and RPGs. The newest members of the team were trained on the M2 .50 caliber machine gun and served as gunners during the mission. The convoy commander and Service Team Shop Foreman, SSG Courtney Gaston, and the interpret-ers were also involved in a street level engagement, where they talked to local nationals and national security forces. SGT Joshua Cunha, the Recovery NCO and SGT Paul Burnside, the Heavy Mobility Expanded Tactical Truck (HEMTT) wrecker team, also received great training while having to recover a civilian vehicle and a mire 2 (wheels on the vehicle are covered in mud and/or water) vehicle. In addition, the M88’s crew had to lift a catastrophically disabled MAXX Pro Mine Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP) vehicle so a lowboy tractor trailer could back under it. There were some laughs shared during the after ac-tion review when the team was told that SSG Gaston and a Soldier decided to clear a building on their own. The trainer/mentors gave REPO suggestions for improvement and informed them on how to excel through their many strengths.

It’s been a busy rotation for the “grease monkeys” in Bravo Company’s Maintenance Pla-toon. Upon hitting ground at JRTC, the hard working mechanics got to work setting up a fully functional maintenance bay and inspection tent. Wet and freezing conditions over the first few days made many vehicles difficult to start and to get off the rail cars which brought them there. But despite the weather, Bravo’s mechanics were our there getting the vehi-cles on the move. As the weather gradually improved, some mechanics took advantage of the great training opportunities offered at JRTC. Others stayed “under the hoods” keeping the Battalion’s vehicles up and running. Classes in such topics as IED awareness, Afghanistan culture, and realistic IED and Vehicle Recovery training lanes kept the guys busy. The mechanics were also challenged with replacing an engine and a transmission on separate vehicles with limited resources in a field environment. As if that weren’t enough, Bravo’s hard work-ing mechanics also managed to complete over 18 vehicle services, and over 80 quality assurance/quality control inspections. Not to mention numerous complex vehicle repairs. During the Force-on Force portion of JRTC training, many of Bravo’s mechanics assisted in constructing a fully functional Entry Control Point (ECP). They also served in many posi-tions such as vehicle search teams, manning gun trucks, as well as gate and tower guards. The “grease monkeys” of Bravo’s Mech Platoon have been busy “getting’ after it” to say the least, training hard while keeping the vehicles of the 204th BSB up and ready for action.

Story by:

SGT Thomas

McShane,

Bravo Company,

204th BSB, 2BCT, 4ID

P A G E 4

Photos by CPL Kimberly

Velasquez —

Top: SPC Joshua Pam-

ploma, Bravo Company’s

Interpreter engages a

local Afghan.

Center: SGT Joshua

Cunha recovers a mire 2

vehicle.

Lower: SGT Courtney

Gaston oversees the re-

covery of a catastrophic

kill of a MAXX PRO Mine

Resistant Armor Pro-

tected Vehicle (MRAP).

P A G E 5

In the Photo: The 204th BSB’s CoIST (Left to Right) PFC Gregory Miles, SGT Kalani-kaimakani Liana, PFC Jesus Ruvalcaba, 2LT John Cappiello, SGT Erik Callies, PFC Michael Johnson, & PV2 Ryan Zanni

Story by an Anonymous Soldier in the 204th BSB The road is long, the night is cold, and the 204

th BSB

is on the roads ensuring our troops are able to fight the good fight. Our men and women are ready to deploy day or night to

guarantee Soldiers have all they require and more in order to sustain an entire brigade and more. With little more than a shrug and time to lace their boots the Rough Riders are ready to get into the fight as they are constantly monitoring the battlefield for those battalions, companies, and Soldiers that may need their assistance. Yet, in all the haze of battle, one important question remains: “Who watches the Watch-men”? Unlike other battalions, the Rough Rider Battalion traverses not only in one area of operations, but also in the entire brigade area of operations. In addition, unlike a bri-gade, the Rough Rider Battalion only has about a quarter of the staff. As the Soldiers of the 204

th BSB prepare their convoys for tedious tracks across foreboding lands, who do

these heroes depend upon to help them combat the ominous intentions of evildoers? The answer resides in the CoIST. The CoIST is a Company Intelligence Support Team tasked with the duty of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information to both the battalion staff members, as well as

the Soldiers in the companies, platoons, and squads. The creation of these teams was spear-headed by General Petraeus as a way to combat the disconnect of information flow that stemmed from battalions, brigades, and even division level sources down to Soldiers on the frontlines. The CoIST’s main purpose in a battalion is to facilitate the situational awareness and understanding of the battlefield company commanders, platoon leaders, or even a service member straight out of training. During the JRTC exercise these six members of the Rough Rider CoIST team had the daunting task of providing detailed maps, routes, distances, times, battlefield updates, cultural aware-ness, and overall intelligence of the brigade area of operations. They provided our convoys with the most current intelligence that would help our Soldiers stay alert and safe while navigat-ing the massive training area at Ft Polk. These six men had to become experts in everything from what types of poisonous animals were in the area, to knowing every contour and shape on the roads; and all this information ready to brief to the Rough Rider Soldiers before most were even out of their cots. When asked how they felt about the long hours and whether they liked the training the consen-sus among the group was a resounding YES! To them the hours seemed to go by too fast as they always wanted to get just a few more things done. In their minds, the most meaningful aspect of their job was not the amount of time they worked. To them the most critical aspect of what they provided was the amount of time they would be giving back to Soldiers when they returned safely home to their families.

Military Occupational

Specialties of the

CoIST

Intelligence Analyst

Officer

Fuelers

Bradley and Abrams

Mechanics

Water Purification

Specialist

Keeping the Rough Riders Safe and Informed

P A G E 6

don'ts of loading litters into the

patient cabin. No longer do car-

ousels get loaded in the middle

of the cabin. There are now

hydraulic lifts on the two side

walls of the cabin, allowing for

easy raising and lowering of

litter patients. The downside to

such a set-up is speed and ease

of loading patients from the

ground to the helicopter and

downloading again. In interview-

ing a member of the flight crew,

the question was posed whether

the configuration is more favor-

able now than before. The re-

sponse was general, but the

overall feeling is that while there

may be a downside, the equip-

ment is great and the UH-60HH

is most definitely an asset. In

fact, the UH-60HH is said to be

the Cadillac as compared to its

“Volkswagen” predecessor.

In the past, oxygen had to be

loaded with patients. If a spare

tank wasn’t provided, oxygen

supply could be an issue. This

new bird is lavishly equipped

with an endless onboard oxygen

supply for patients, making it

easier to provide care by having

one less thing to worry about.

The system onboard that makes

this happen is a filtration and

generator system that takes air

from outside and makes it into

a usable air system for pa-

tients.

Another feature the UH-60HH

is equipped with is a new hoist

system, similar to that em-

ployed by the Air Force and

Coast Guard, which is faster

than that of the internal hoist

counterpart equipped by the

older Black Hawks. The new

hoist makes extrication easier

for all involved not only by

speed, but mobility and capabili-

ties, keeping the helicopter mov-

ing, making it a harder target for

enemies.

Having the opportunity to inter-

view a head member of the crew

at JRTC was an honor. He is a

humbled individual, proud of

what he does; not only for his

country but for each Soldier he

has the opportunity to help as

well. He lives for what he does,

but admits it is an extremely diffi-

cult job. His advice for any 68W

medic that cares to become a

flight medic is to work hard, re-

main dedicated and learn to do

as much as you can on your

own. On the Black Hawk, you

are the life line and the only one

in charge of getting your patient

to the destination alive.

Overall, the flight line training at

JRTC was a world-class experi-

ence. The ability to learn on the

new aircraft as they come out is

a once in a lifetime opportunity

for many of those training at Ft.

Polk, LA. Every piece Charlie

Med had the opportunity to learn

here as to the operation leads to

a smoother transition and patient

transaction while deployed.

I t was a cool evening

after many hours of

training, and while other

companies were ending their

day, Charlie Company of the

204th BSB was still hard at

work training

for the upcom-

ing deploy-

ment. Their

neighbors and

brothers-in-

arms, the 1-

17th Cavalry

from Fort

Bragg, NC in-

vited the med-

ics to the flight line to do some

training on the UH-60HH. The

unique aspect about the train-

ing is that this helicopter hap-

pens to be the newest bird of

the fleet which has only been

in operation for about a month.

On the approach to the flight

line, some of the new medics

were in awe at the sight of the

array of helicopters lined up:

Chinooks, Apaches, and the

newest Black Hawk UH-60HH.

The medics were like kids in a

candy store. As they ap-

proached, the flight crew wel-

comed them and were eager

to train the malleable minds of

medics.

As sunset approached, they

were learning the do’s and

Air Evacuation Training By SPC Daniel Baker, Charlie Company Medic

“The only thing that could

have made [the training]

better would have been to

actually be able to go for

a ride!” - PFC Daniel Hill,

one of the Medics of

Charlie Company.

V O L U M E I , I S S U E 1 JRTC Snapshots P A G E 7