MTACS Fall Newsletter 10 FINAL

8/8/2019 MTACS Fall Newsletter 10 FINAL

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Furthermore, everybody getsHardship Duty Pay for being inlow quality living conditions, andHostile Fire Pay for being in acombat zone. Family Separation

Allowance and Basic Allowancefor Housing are also given tothose who are married. All payand allowances are tax exempt!Marines that are deployed re-ceive Per Diem and Basic Allow-ance for Sustenance. There is asandwich shop open twenty-

(Continued on page 2)

When it comes to a deploy-ment, there are some tempo-rary changes in one’s lifestyle.Some of us are deployed for thefirst time; some of us have been

on several deployments. Someof us are single; some of us havea family in the rear. We all haveour particular issues with de-ploying.

One positive impact of deploy-ment is the financial benefitswhile being deployed. Available

to deployed Marines is the Sav-ings Deposit Program, an op-portunity to deposit a total of $10,000 for 10% interest.

Deploying to OEF: PROS and CONS

Keeping Up Deployment Morale

The Marines in MTACS-38FWD are already three monthsinto the deployment, and theyhave no doubt experienced ahigh level of stress at somepoint. Workplace stress is un-doubtedly inevitable in anyone'scareer, and it's no exception foreveryone here in Afghanistan.During the time we’ve beenhere, we’ve been working dili-gently in all areas to meet op-erational requirements. Someare very tall orders, and it is ourduty to fulfill them at every

level. However, with every tallorder comes the burden of stress, and relieving the stress is

just as important as getting the job done.

When the going gets tough, youcan be sure Marines will alwaysfind a way to maintain a positiveattitude. Thanks to everyone’s

amazing support in the rear,we’ve been able to keep up withthe recent music albums andmovies that have been releasedwhile we were gone. Many of ushere are big fans of basketballand UFC, and we were lucky

enough to be able to watch theNBA Finals and all the UFCevents near-live. When argu-ments arise, we have plenty of video games such as ModernWarfare 2 and Wii Sports Re-sort to settle the score. If we’re

just looking for an old-fashionedgood time, or if the power’sout, there’s always spades or

dominoes. But the best moralebooster is every care packageand letter that we receive fromeveryone back home. From themuch-needed essentials likebaby wipes to the simple pleas-ures such as snacks, it is greatto know that there is an ex-traordinary amount of helpfrom everybody back home.

We’re doing our best to keepour heads cool and our mindssound, but when the day justisn’t going well for us, we never

forget that our friends and fam-ily are anxiously waiting for usto come back.

I have a line I leave to everyone,by Bob Marley: “Don't worryabout a thing, 'cause every littlething's gonna be all right.”

Fall 2010MTACS-38 Newsletter

ICEPACK QUARTERLY

“TRAIN AS A TEAM,

FIGHT AS A FAMILY”

Inside this issue:

From SgtMaj 2

FEX Training 3

TACC University 4

Corporal’s Course 4

Family Readiness 5

Pumpkin Patch 6

Message from the

Chaplin

6

Event Pictures 7

Events, Resources

& Calendars8

MTACS-38 SMALL BUT DEADLY



Welcome to Lt Col Dodds

Message from our new SgtMaj...

we have been lucky enough notto share the same weatherconditions that this area had

last year and are awaiting thechange in season. The change inseason marks our milestone of being 1/3rd completed with

duties forward.

We have had the opportunityto prepare 16 of our Corpo-rals to attend our first Corpo-rals Course in the R-2 rota-tion. These NCO's will be bet-ter prepared for the duties of leadership outside their techni-cal expertise and ready to sup-port the Marines of today andtomorrow. Our second classwill begin in mid January so wecan offer more train-ing toothers without compromising

the mission at hand.

I would like to conclude themessage with a thank you to allof you that continue supportingour Marines and Sailors.Through packages, letters, andcommunication back home, ourMarines and Sailors are able tofocus on the duties at hand. It

is not an easy job to be awayfrom family and friends, espe-cially during the holiday season.

Just know you are in their/ourthought daily and we will behome soon enough. Againthank you for your continuedsupport! As always if there areany issues that arise, please feelfree to contact the commandteams Family Readiness Offi-cers. They have a direct line tothe command and can assistwith getting official informationforward. The point's of contactfor MACG-38 is Jo Anne Din-wood i e ( 858 . 577 . 8442 /

[email protected] )and MTACS-38 is BrookeS p i t z e r ( 858 . 864 . 4231 /

[email protected])

Have a great holiday seasonand know you are in ourthoughts as we complete our

mission!

Semper Fidelis,

Sergeant MajorBrandon C. Hall

Family and Friends of MACG-

38 (FWD),

First I would like to wish all of you a Happy 235th Birth-day.Our celebration this year wasrepresented in glorious fashion,forward deployed and simple,keeping it within the spirit andintent of our illustrious Birth-day celebration; bringing war-fighters together in order topreserve peace. With the on-going operational tempo, wehave combined forces with theother Wing units forward, amerging of the Marines andSailors currently fulfilling theircall to duty. We hope that youhave taken a chance to cele-brate the birth of our Corpsand toasted those who couldnot be with you to enjoy this

phenomenal day in history.

The Marines and Sailors of MACG-38 (Fwd) have beenextremely busy weatherproof-ing our structures in prepa-ration of the rains to come;sandbags and siding are just afew things to mention. To date

ICEPACK QUARTERLY


Deploying to OEF cont...

some aspects that still makethe deployment difficult. ThePX is a ten minute walk fromthe tents, in the heat of Hel-mand province. The PX is a bigtent with three aisles and themiddle one has a line for the

cash register that can stretchall the way to the end of thestore. It is very hot outside atthis time of year and those wholike to run will find it difficultbecause the temperature getsover 100 degrees. It gets pro-gressively harder to breatheduring a run, even at 6:00 inthe evening. The time differ-

ence between Afghanistan andback home makes it difficult tocall family. Email seems to bethe best way to interact back home.

Deploying to OEF has its ad-

vantages and disadvantages. Itis first exciting, but as timepasses by Marines becomeanxious to return home, andsettle back in with their family

and loved ones.

four hours a day, and a chowhall that serves food four timesa day. It serves various foodssuch as pork, chicken, spa-ghetti, and fish. Best of all, theyhave steak and lobster and/orcrab on Sunday nights. Free

laundry is a service available tothose aboard Camp Leather-neck. People are getting intogreat shape as they utilize thegym to avoid boredom whilenot working.

Although Camp Leatherneck has a lot of advantages to offerdeployed Marines, there are



On Monday, July 26th, at 0530the 85 MTACS-38 Marinesclimbed aboard a white bus

heading to Artillery Firing Area-6 (AFA-6) on Camp Pendle-ton. They were trading thecomfort of their computerdesks and chairs for tents andcamp-stools.But,littledidtheyknowthat agrassy

knoll inthe heart of San Mateo wouldserve as their home for thenext three nights. This eventserved as the R2 Marines’ cli-mactic training before theirdeployment to Afghanistan.The purpose of this was toallow the R2 Marines to com-plete their pre-deploymenttraining that had started a few

months prior.

Developments for this eventbegan in June. However, the

plan-ningproc-ess fora fieldexer-cise isseldom

thought of previous to theevent. Every aspect and anglehas to be addressed while plan-ning. Aspects such as chow,water, transportation, commu-nication and first aid are priori-ties. Next, the training planneeds to be established. Whatare the goals of this field exer-cise? Upon determining thesefactors a timeline is created anda plan is set in motion. Fromthat point a baseline is created

and any hiccups along the way

are addressed accordingly.

Upon reaching the San Mateorange the Marines were put towork. Tents were erected,vehicles were staged, and theCommand Operations Center

(COC)wasbuilt.TheCOChousedtheradioand plan

for theday. Marines in the COC en-sured that the FEX ransmoothly and efficiently. Uponcompletion of the set-up, theMarines attended variousclasses, which included: Estab-lishing a Vehicle Check Point,Enemy Prisoner of War Han-dling, and Squad Tactics Re-view. After classes they appliedthe techniques, tactics and

procedures that were taught.In one training scenario theMarines patrolled a road look-

ing forImpro-visedExplo-siveDevices.

Just onewrongstep andthedevicedusted

the Marine with a light coat of baby powder. This evolutionhighlighted the emphasis on theMarine’s alertness, attentionand decision making abilities.In another scenario they con-ducted vehicle and personnelsearches. This training focusedon situational awareness andattention to detail. It also re-viewed the period of instruc-tion that was given on day oneof the field exercise. On the

second day the Marines got anopportunity to Battle Sight Zerotheir weapons and conduct a Fa-

miliarization Fire. This requiredthe Marines to employ their weap-ons systems on targets upon hear-ing commands from the Range Line

NCO.

On the third and fourth days alltraining was conducted at thebrand new TS-IED complex aboardCamp Pendleton. This facility isdedicated to training Marines, Sol-diers, and Sailors in the methods of properly detecting and defeatingthose who threaten our forces

with Improvised Explosive Devices.This training was an eye-opener tomost MTACS Marines. The firstday began with classroom instruc-

tion followed by a period of practi-cal application. Three stationswere utilized to test them on thematerial that was taught in class.The following day each squad hadan opportunity to walk a 1-1.5 KMpatrol. During this patrol IED’swere staged and the squads had todecide, communicate, and actwhen placed in a stressful situation.This evolution helped to bridge thegap between what is happening onthe ground during a firefight andthe support that MTACS-38 pro-

vides.

Upon conclusion of their instruc-

tion the Marines were bussed back

to Miramar. This training evolu-

tion served its purpose to help the

Marines of MTACS-38 hone their

skills and better prepare them for

their deployment far from the

grassy knolls of San Mateo.

FEX

MTACS-38 Newsletter




Prior to R2’s deployment thisfall, the Marines of TACCCompany went back to school.

Only, instead of being the stu-dents they were the instructorsof what has become known as

TACC University, or TACC-U.

When the Tactical Air Com-mand Center (TACC) is em-ployed, the Marines of MTACS-38’s TACC Company make uponly a portion of the CurrentOperations (COPS) section inthe TACC, be it the COPSCrew or the Systems ControlSection. The rest of the

TACC, comprised of FuturePlans, Future Operations(FOPS), and Air Combat Intelli-gence (ACI), is made up of Marines from across the Wing(ACE Battlestaff). The purposeof TACC-U is to provide theseACE Battlestaff Officers andwatchstanders training on theaviation command and control(AC2) computer systems andprocedures inherent to theTACC so that they are pre-

pared to operate in a deployedenvironment. Your TACCCompany Marines provided

this crucial training, all tailoredto current OEF tactics, tech-

niques, and procedures.

Over the span of one week,TACC Company conductedtwo Operations Duty Officer

(ODO) courses, one ACE Bat-tlestaff Officers Course(ABOC), and one Senior

Watch Officer (SWO) course.At the end of the week over 40Marines were trained andknowledgeable on the MarineAir Command and ControlSystem (MACCS), proficientwith applicable AC2 systemsand capable of performing their

duties in a real-world TACC.

This was the last opportunityto provide instruction to theACE Battlestaff and watch-standers prior to deploying in

support of OEF R-2. YourTACC Company Marines pro-vided professional periods of instruction in an environmentthat most closely replicates thecurrent TACC operating inAfghanistan, and will undoubt-edly allow for follow-on suc-cess during deployment in sup-port of OEF. An outstanding

job well done Marines!!

Semper Fi.

“At the end of the

week over 40 Marines

were trained and

knowledgeable…

capable of

performing their

duties in a real-world

TACC“

ICEPACK QUARTERLY


Sitting in a tent set up just daysbefore, sand under our boots

and sweat beading up on ourforeheads from the dry, Af-ghanistan heat, we struggled toconcentrate on the lessonbeing given by our instructor.Controlled detonations, vehi-cles passing by and aircraftflying overhead were some of the common distractions thatcould be heard throughout ourperiods of instruction. Wewere in the midst of our train-

ing to lead Marines in war,during a war.

I had the privilege of attendingCorporal’s Course 5-10 atCamp Leatherneck, Afghani-stan. Being the first course of its kind at Leatherneck, we hadto learn to adapt as we pro-gressed. Although, not aslengthy and in depth as a

course would normally be back in the states, we had the op-portunity to live out the ambi-ance of training to become abetter leader in a combat zone,an occurrence not many Ma-

rines get to undergo.

Only 13 days in length, we jam-packed our schedule to thelimit each training day. PT,classes (formal and hip pocket),

patrolling, drill, class discus-sions and studying filled ourdays. After it was all said anddone, I, along with 26 othercorporals, was grateful forbeing given the chance to ex-perience a formal course insuch an informal location. AndI would highly recommend theexperience to every youngMarine coming up in the ranks.

Corporals Course

TACC University

Corporal’s Course 5-10 at Camp Leatherneck



Family Readiness at MTACSBrooke Spitzer, MTACS-38 Family Readiness Officer

tear, the white floor squaresno longer had their luster. Thenew grey squares were a fan-tastic surprise to our Marinesas they returned to work these

last few weeks.

In 2008 the CFT was added tothe annual training qualifica-tions for Marines. MTACScontinues to raise the bar andsee each Marine push them-selves to new highs. The CFTbrings out the agility, coordina-tion, and strength of a Marine

to the table. It is an entirebody workout and requires theMarine to be more of an allaround athlete. While difficult,the MTACS Marines enjoy theadrenaline rush of success asthey continue to train for this

year’s CFT.

Additional training for the R-1group includes the gas chamber(always a good time) and ad-vancing a few new Marines togrey belt MCMAP (Marine

Corps Martial Arts Program).As usual, S-3 will be dishing outall the training for that. In addi-tion we will be conducting therest of our annual qualificationssuch as the rifle and pistol

range and our semiannual PFT.

S-6 has completed and main-tains it’s Theater Battle Man-agement Core Sys tem(TBMCS) here at the headquar-ters of MTACS-38. As ourMarines return from the de-ployment, they can continue to

be mission ready utilizing this

state of the art setting to train.Through the TBMCS develop-ment, our training class roomwas converted into a Battle Labthat is used to educate MTACSMarines as well as many otherunits throughout the MarineCorps. This Battle Lab wasintended to enhance the overallMarine Corps war fighting ca-pabilities and has been wellutilized during our TACC Uni-

versity instruction.

Additionally, MTACS-38 con-

tinues to support base func-tions and Corps tradition.The Marines of MTACS-38

joined those of MACG-38 andMACS-1 for the celebration of the 235th Marine Corps Birth-day at the 2010 Birthday Ball.The event was held at thebeautiful downtown Sheratonwhere our Marines put forth afull show of respect. Thegroup commander expressedmany times his gratitude forour professional, crisp and well

organized team presenting theColors, Ceremony and Cake.

Fantastic job Marines!

Lastly, if you haven’t settledinto San Diego, I’m here tohelp. Many of our resourcesrespond best to specific re-quests. I can help refer you togreat places who fill lots of needs for inexpensive food,clothes, gas, recreation, finan-cial help, legal help, counselingand tickets to your favoriteactivities. As always, I’m just a

phone call, text or email away.

MTACS-38 Families,

It’s just about time to pull outthe wooly socks and sweatersagain as we happily re-integrateour R-1 Marines this fall andlook forward to the return of

our R2 Marines in the spring.

As a “seasoned” Family Readi-ness Officer, I have once againhad the thrill of being at theFamily Readiness helm as wewelcome home our Marines.Nothing can be more excitingto me than to see our Marinesreturn home from Afghanistan.

Exhausted, having worked tire-lessly at the tip of the spear,they roll in, waiting for Familyand Friends to envelop them ina circle of hugs and tears.Nothing can compare. It istruly an honor to be part of such a dedicated and devoted

group of true Americans.

After the return of R-1, theSquadron has been undergoinga few changes. S-1 welcomedit’s returning R-1 Marines withbrand new flooring in the S-1

shop. After years of wear and

MTACS-38 Newsletter


Volunteering at the Miramar Air Show:



ICEPACK QUARTERLY

OMA’S PUMPKIN PATCH

What does a Chaplain do for me? Part 1, Facilitate.

This will be the first article of a four part series, with the goal of assisting you in understanding how a

Chaplain can serve you and your family. First off, a Military Chaplain is a Minister in the military uni-form. This means that they have a lengthy Professional Graduate degree, a minimum of two years full-time experience in the civilian pastorate, and are ordained as a qualified minister according to their

faith group.

The goal of the Chaplain Corps is to provide you with an experienced Chaplain who is eager to min-ister to you and your family. The denominations represented in the Chaplain Corp are wide andvaried; the following is just a brief snapshot of those who serve as a Chaplain: Catholic Priest, JewishRabbi, Muslim Imam, Liturgical Priest, Methodist, Presbyterian, Mormon, Non-Denominational, Bap-tist, and the list goes on and on. The common goal and requirement across the entire Chaplaincy is

to: Facilitate, Provide, Care, and Advise.

Facilitate means that I assist service members who are of differing faith groups than mine, in havingthe capability to worship according to their faith. This means that I make sure they have the proper

space and materials to worship according to their faith tradition. I also facilitate this request with thegoal to protect the good order and discipline of the unit. Therefore, if there are unique require-ments of a certain faith group that might be found offensive to others, I assist them in being able toworship in an environment that is conducive to the whole unit without forsaking their religious be-

liefs. Next month we will discuss the topic of provide.

God Bless,

Chaplain Chris EarleyLT USN

A Message from Chaplin Earley



Inside StoryHeadline

MTACS-38 Newsletter

MTACS-38 Welcoming R1

Waving goodbye to R2



Important Phone Num-

bersOIC: (858) 577-9544

S-1: (858) 577-9555

SquadronDuty: (858) 864-3321

MACG 38Duty: (858) 577-9605

Family ReadinessOfficer: (858) 577-9776


Upcoming Events

Dec 11 HOLIDAY PARTY

Jan Mid-Deployment cele-bration (R2 Families)

Feb. Return and Reunion

Brief (R2 Families)

Dec 9 Five love Languages

L.I.N.K.S. 4 Kids

Dec 7,8 L.I.N.K.S. 4Spouses

Dec 14 L.I.N.K.S 4Marinies

Dec 14, 15 VolunteerTraining

Baby Signing and Spanishclass at the Children’sLibrary every Wed. 10:30a

ASYMCA

Operation Homefront

USO dinners every Tues

Group, Wing, Base:Group, Wing, Base:

MTACSMTACS--38:38:

Community Support:Community Support:

Financial Resources

Military agencies: 1. Tricare-Medical Insurance 2. NMCRS-Interest Free Loans 3. Legal-Consumer

Frauds, Misrepresentations and Scams

Civilian agencies: 1. Non-profit Debt Management Counseling 2. Credit Unions

Urgent resources 1. Food Locker 2. Operation Homefront 3. NMCRS 4. Military Outreach Ministry

Financial Counseling: Brooke Spitzer/SSgt Vidal Morales/Sgt Pamela Rivera, SSgt Kisse (MTACS-38

Command Financial Specialists) or Mr. Craig Hughes, Personal Financial Management Counselor.MCCS Counseling Center Bldg 2274 (858) 577-4378

MTACS-38 (Fwd) Family Video Conference

on 12 December and 24 December beginning at 0900 PST

at MTACS-38 HQ aboard MCAS Miramar

Contact Brooke to request a scheduled timeslot

MTACS-38 Family Readiness Officer Brooke Spitzer Email: [email protected]

MTACS-38 Duty Officer: (858) 864-3321Family Readiness Office: (858) 577-9776

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

December 2010

Childcare can be a difficult resource for parents. Here are a few resources that might help...

On Miramar we have two CDC’s. You can get on a list for Full Time care at one of those CDC’s byemailing the FRO, [email protected] to get the current contact information for the CCRR

(Childcare Resource and Referral) Office, filling out the paperwork and faxing it in.

And there are also programs for short term care too! Both CDC’s will allow Drop In Care as long as theyhave an open spot and you have current shot records for your children. It is best to call first to confirmthey have space that day for your children. You can call up to 30 days prior or as little as 10 minutes be-

fore.

Miramar CDC: 858-577-4144 MiramarCDC2: 858-577-7891

More short term care is available at the Child, Youth and Teen Center. Their service can be utilized by

registering at the center on base and calling at two weeks prior to get a space. Please call for further details.

Child, Youth and Teen Center: 858-577-4136

Childcare Resources

MTACS Fall Newsletter 10 FINAL

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