first responder has no other combat duties to perform.

Additionally, the battlion’s Physician Assistant, Maj. Andrew Austin, who also serves as the brigade’s senior PA, gave nightly classes to the Thunder Battalion medics to hone their own skills in diagnosing and treating numerous injuries on the battlefield.

Austin and other Soldiers from 3rd Bn., 16th FA Reg. medical platoon were also able to combine training with medics from 2nd STB, 1-10 CAV, and 2-8 IN while they were out in the field for Warhorse Blitz.

As deployment nears for the medics in 3rd Bn.,16th FA Reg. and the other Soldiers in the Warhorse Brigade, battle focused training such as Warhorse Blitz is providing Soldiers with the knowledge and experience to win the fight and to bring everyone home safely.

Schedule an extra 5-10 min-utes into your morning so that you can drive slowly on icy and snowy roads. Remember that just because your vehicle may be equipped with four wheel drive, this is not a guar-antee that you will maintain control in all conditions. Four wheel drive will not aid in braking and does very little when all four wheels are on ice. Do not miss all the op-portunities this area provides to ski, snowboard or take the family sledding. However, do not neglect safety among all the winter activities. If you ski or snowboard, invest in a helmet and keep your

Dec. 16, 2010Issue 39Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

With winter setting in and the holidays around the cor-ner, Colorado will offer its own unique challenges and opportu-nities with winter and mountain weather, especially to those who are experiencing their first Colo-rado winter. Soldiers and their families need to keep safety as a priority whether they are working, travel-ing or relaxing over the next few months. While the snow and cold that accompany this season can provide fun family activi-ties inside or outdoors, there are several considerations you should take into account in order to ensure everything remains safe and enjoyable.

The most dangerous hazards come while driving in wintry conditions. This includes icy road surfaces, blown or drifting snow and extreme cold tempera-tures. Proper maintenance of your vehicle will mitigate much of this risk. Ensure that your vehicle is equipped with all weather or snow tires, especially on smaller vehicles and those without four wheel drive, and similarly rated wiper blades. Make sure you are prepared if your vehicle gets stuck. Never let your gas tank drop to below a quarter full so that you can heat your car in this kind of situation and keep a few extra blankets, a flashlight, tire chains and emer-gency flares in your car.

Story and photo by 1st Lt. John-Michael Gallogly3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment

Soldiers form Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion,16th Field Artillery Regiment, medical platoon maximized time during Warhorse Blitz educating and training Soldiers on proper procedures and techniques for performing medical care on the battlefield.

Spc. Christopher Wells and Spc. Philip Myers, medics with Thunder Battalion, taught an 8-hour refresher Warhorse First Responder class to 17 Soldiers in 3rd Bn., 16th FA Reg.

The Warhorse First Responder is a bridge between the self-aid/buddy-aid (first aid) training given to all Soldiers during basic training and the medical training given to the combat medic.

The first responder is a nonmedical Soldier who provides lifesaving measures as a secondary mission as their primary (combat) mission allows. The first responder may also assist the combat medic in providing care and preparing casualties for evacuation when the

3-16 medics teach refresher at Warhorse Blitz

Commander’s Column

Lt. Col. John Cook, commander1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment

continued on page 2

Spc. Philip Myers, a medic with 3rd Bn., FA Reg. dem-onstrates how to use a spine board during Warhorse Blitz training.

The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The Warhorse Pride is an Army-funded news-letter authorized under provision of AR 360-1. Contents of The Warhorse Pride arenot necessarily the views of, nor endorsed by the, U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 4th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Warhorse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Af-

fairs Office. The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commen-tary, and photos from readers. The Warhorse Pride reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the publication. All issues of the Warhorse Pride can be viewed online from your home computer at www.facebook.com/2bct4id Submissions should be emailed to theeditor: seth.barham1@conus.army.mil

Warhorse Pride Dec. 16, 2010Issue 39

Col. John S. Kolasheski..................2nd BCT CommanderCommand Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa............2nd BCT CSMMaj. Kevin Toner...............................................2nd BCT PAOSpc. April York........................................Layout and DesignSgt. Seth Barham............................................................Editor Sgt. Ruth Pagan...............................................................Editor

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Warhorse Pride

Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces, avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them. Many artificial trees are fire resistant so if you buy one, look for a statement specifying this protection. If you purchase a fresh tree they will stay green longer and be less of a fire hazard than a dry tree if you keep it in water. A suggestion is to quick tie a hose to the tree and put a funnel in one end and the other in the water basin stand. This way you can put fresh water in the stand and help keep the tree watered. To check for

freshness, remember that a fresh tree is green, fresh needles are hard to pull from branches, when bent between your fingers, fresh needles do not break, and the trunk of a fresh tree is sticky with resin.

When the trunk of a tree is bounced on the ground, a shower of falling needles

shows that tree is too dry so do not place the tree next to your fireplaces, radia-

tors and other heat sources. A heated room will dry the tree out rapidly, creating a fire hazard. Always cut

off about two inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better

water absorption, trim away branches as necessary to set tree

trunk in the base of a sturdy, water-holding stand with wide spread feet, and keep the stand filled with water while the tree is indoors.

Fire & Christmas tree safetyMessage provided by Ed Keeser2nd BCT, Safety Officer

equipment well tuned. You may be able to maintain control on the slopes but protect yourself against others who may not and be aware of others around you. Wear layers while outdoors so that you can add or subtract based upon chang-ing temperatures and physical exertion. Watch yourself and others for signs of cold weather injuries: uncontrollable shivering followed by no shivering, loss of coordination, confusion, and drowsi-ness can all be signs hypothermia. You can avoid frostbite if you take action upon first noticing tingling, burning, numbness and loss of dexterity. If you decide to consume alcohol, know that while it may make you feel warmer, it actually reduces your body’s ability to heat itself in cold weather. So stay indoors while drinking and remem-ber to mitigate other alcohol risks by drinking responsibly, have a designated driver and have a plan before you start drinking. Take advantage of all that winter and the holiday season have to offer, espe-cially time to relax with your family and friends. Just remember to keep yourself and them safe by being aware of and preparing for the risks presented by cold, ice, snow and wind that abound in this area. With the recent announcement of our deployment to Afghanistan in the spring/summer of 2011, we need everyone healthy and safe through the winter and holiday season as we build our teams and prepare to deploy. Happy Holidays and as always, “Buffalo Sol-diers, Ready and Forward.”

LTC John R. Cook

continued from page 1

Maj. Darren LoRe and Sgt. Derek Lastovich pose with the Pikes Peak Derby Dames All-Stars after Last-ovich’s re-enlistment ceremony Dec. 11 at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium. LoRe, the executive officer for 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment re-enlisted Lastovich, a chemical, biological, radiologi-cal and nuclear specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Reg., before a roller derby match.

Roller derby re-enlistment