ROCKHOUND REVIEW WE SHALL REVEAL 1433RD/1432ND ENGINEER CLEARANCE COMPANY. From FOB PASAB, Zharay District, Kanadahar Providence

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1 1433RD/1432ND ENGINEER CLEARANCE COMPANY From FOB PASAB, Zharay District, Kanadahar Providence FEBUARY 2013 WE SHALL REVEAL FINAL ISSUE (MAYBE?) FROM THE PEAK CPT TODD FALOR It is finally February, our last full month in Afghanistan. I am sure that all of you reading this are getting excited for the 1432 nd /1433 rd homecoming that is quickly approaching. It has been nearly nine months since we left Michigan to begin this deployment, and for many of you I am sure it has been a long nine months. As our remaining days here tick by, we must remember that our mission here continues until the day we leave. We will continue to conduct operations right up until we hand over responsibility to our replacements. The job of keeping the roads clear of IED s for ISAF forces and the Afghan people requires constant vigilance. We will stay focused on the task at hand and we will not become complacent. The last nine months has been a life changing experience for all of us in one way or another. This is the first time many of your soldiers have been outside of the United States, let alone a combat zone. This is especially true of many of the younger soldiers. Your soldiers have experienced significant life changing events over the last several months. They have developed a bond with their fellow soldiers that will last a lifetime. With whom they have shared many laughs, and some tears as well. They have felt the rush of finding and neutralizing an IED on the battlefield, engaging in combat with the enemy, or the pride of knowing that we have played a big role in significantly weakening the enemy in our area of operations. They have endured the boredom of clearing the same routes day after day, and they have also felt the pain associated with losing a fellow comrade in combat. One thing that is for certain, we have all matured and grown over the last year. These experiences have made us all stronger. This strength will better equip us to face new challenges that will arise in the future. The soldiers of the 1432 nd /1433 rd have set the standard for a National Guard unit mobilizing for war. Every step of the way, your soldiers have been dedicated to the mission and committed to excellence. It began with our training in Michigan, continued at Fort Bliss, and they maintained that edge the entire time here in Afghanistan. Your soldiers are great examples of what it means to be an Army National Guard citizen soldier. They put their personal lives on hold, and stepped up and answered when their country called. Your soldiers have made a lasting impact here, and they have played a role in shaping the future of Zharay District. This is our last newsletter before we return home, and I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you all, and the soldiers of the 1432 nd /1433 rd. Having the privilege to lead this amazing group of men and women has been the most rewarding experience of my life. This has been a team effort from day one. We have accomplished many things over the last two years because every member of the team could be counted on to do their job. The success of the 1432 nd /1433 rd has been a collective effort that every single soldier in this unit can be proud of. Thank you for standing by your soldier and supporting them during this deployment. This support has given them the strength to meet the challenges each new day has brought us. In closing, it has been an honor and a privilege to lead the 1432 nd /1433 rd here in Afghanistan. I have nothing but the deepest respect for your soldiers who have performed so bravely and admirably. Again, thank you for all your support, and I look forward to seeing all of you at the welcome home ceremony in the very near future. Engineers Lead the Way CPT Falor

2 AS WE SEE IT Page 2 IT S THE XO 1LT MICHAEL MITCHELL I can t believe that this deployment is about to be coming to an end. The Soldiers of the 1433 rd /1432 nd EN CO have been working towards the goal of making an impact and conducting route clearance in Afghanistan for over 3 years. I have watched each of our Soldiers grow over the course of our training and I couldn t be more proud of each and every one of them. I wouldn t trade this group of Soldiers for any other Unit out there and I would be 100% confident to put their skills against the best the Army has to offer. Your Soldiers continue to amaze me every day as they face a tough enemy and complete their missions with no hesitation. The high tempo environment that your Soldiers currently operate in has shown me what the word dedication truly means. I still sit back sometimes and can t believe that our company has come this far. The long days that you have all endured over the course of our training and deployment will be coming to an end soon. This past month has been very smooth from an operational standpoint. Your Soldiers now deal with adverse situations as routine. Your Soldiers make my job easy. They are constantly working on their equipment and vehicles maintaining them at the highest standards. I couldn t be happier with the expertise they have learned on engineer equipment since arriving in Afghanistan. I constantly get requests for our Soldiers to teach other incoming Units how to best utilize the equipment we have in theater. They are now subject matter experts and have taught dozens of classes to other Units. The classes they have taught will directly improve this Area of Operations for months to come after we depart. Lastly, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support throughout this deployment. The support we receive from family and friends back at home has kept the moral high. This group of Soldiers is resilient, and they know what it takes to complete the mission. Knowing that they have the support of their family and friends back at home helps get them through each and every day. Be proud of what your Soldiers have done. They represent our country with the highest standards and will continue to do so long after this deployment is over. BLAST WINDOW 1SG DAVID RYE Through our deployment cycle we have experienced many changes. From pre-deployment training that took a lot of time away from our families as we attended specialized schools, additional training events, and administrative functions. We then continued into mobilization training in Fort Bliss, even though still in the continental U.S., we were still miles away from our families. Then finally, the deployment, nine months in a foreign country, thousands miles away, depending on sometimes sub-standard internet connection to communicate via or Skype as our only ways to keep in touch. Now the last phases in the cycle are within sight, what is called re-deployment and re-integration. Re-deployment is the movement back to Fort Bliss where soldiers will take care of turn-in of military items issued for the deployment, conduct medical evaluation, and administrative paperwork. This process is to take care of soldiers (and their families) health and welfare requirements after a long deployment. But, I would really like to touch on re-integration. This is an event that might prove to be the hardest of the whole deployment cycle for some soldiers and their families to handle. The Military community recognizes this and that is why the resources are bountiful to soldiers and their families to address issues that arise from deployments. I encourage all soldiers and their families to take the time and check out all the resources available when presented to them. The Yellow Ribbon event will present many opportunities to gather resources that will aide in addressing some of the issues that might arise. Military One Source is also an exceptional community that assists soldiers and their families with numerous programs and professionals that will give guidance toward reaching resolve to areas of concern. And of course you have your FRG and FAC representatives to point you in the right direction when needed. We are almost there, but again, our job is not complete until our soldiers are home, back with their families, and enjoying the life they left behind in order to serve our great country. Given the tools and resources available, we can all obtain those goals. God Bless and see you all soon! ESSAYONS 1SG RYE

3 Page 3 1ST PLATOON MISFITS THIS WILL BE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER BEFORE WE HEAD HOME. IT HAS BEEN A LONG DEPLOYENT AND ALL THE SOLDIERS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO REUNITING WITH THER FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HOWEVER THERE IS STILL MUCH TO BE DONE BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS WONDERFUL VACATION LAND WE HAVE CALLED HOME SINCE JUNE. IN ADDTION TO THE NORMAL DUTIES WE HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO, IT IS ALSO TIME TO START TAKING INVENTORIES, PACKING EQUPMENT AND PREPARING TO WELCOME OUR REPLACEMENT UNIT. 1 ST PLATOON S SPIRITS REMAIN HIGH, POSITIVE AND UPBEAT ABOUT THE MISSIONS THEY ARE TASKED WITH. DURING THE MONTH, ROUTES WERE CLEARED, OBSTACLES WERE REDUCED AND IED S WERE ELIMINATED. AS THE MONTH DRAWS TO A SPC THOMPSON, SPC JANISSE, SPC STACKOWICZ, CLOSE, THE MEN OF 1 ST PLATOON WISH TO EXPRESS MANY THANKS TO OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US THROUGHOUT OUR DEPLOYMENT. ALTHOUGH WE REALIZE A THANK YOU IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO SHOW OUR GRATITUDE, IT IS WITHOUT QUESTION THAT WITHOUT YOUR STRENGTH, SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING, COMPLETION OF OUR JOB WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. SPC SCHILLER, SGT LIBROJO, SPC AUGUSTINE 1ST PLATOON MISFITS IN ACTION

4 Page 4 2ND PLATOON HOGSLAYERS January is almost over and we are quickly coming to the end of our tour here in Afghanistan. It has been a long mission and we are all ready for it to be over and come back home to our families. We still continue to do our jobs at the level that is expected of us and we know that our fight is not over. The way that our Soldiers have continued to stay focus and not become complacent has shown the dedication and professionalism of every one of them. We will continue to clear routes at the high level that has come to be expected of the 1433 rd until we leave FOB Pasab and start our journey home. Thank you to all of the families for the amount of support and dedication to your Soldiers that you have shown. There is no doubt that this has been a stressful mission for everyone in the platoon, but without the support of all of you it would have been unbearable. We also recognize all of you for what you have done over the last eight months. It has been a very trying time for all of you as well and we recognize that and thank you for taking care of things while we have been gone. Taking care of things at home gave your Soldier the ability to concentrate on his mission here and know that things were being handled at home. The families of 2 nd Platoon have shown that they are a huge part of our team and our success.

5 Page 5 3RD PLATOON HONEY BADGERS As the deployment reaches its final months the Honey badgers continue to show versatility and motivation. Mobility is the focus and in a recent mission was accomplished in the enemy s back yard. A water crossing with a bridge too small to accommodate military convoys was limiting coalition forces movement through the area. The Honey badgers assessed the area and determined the bridge had to go so it could be replaced by a stronger and much larger bridge. The Honey badgers came up with a plan and got the supplies in place. Enemy harassment was a very real possibility, so the call was made to deploy the UAV team consisting of SGT Joe Cookie chomps Clement and SPC Tim Fly Boy Ellison. The UAV team has a solid track record of maintaining over watch and communicating with assets on the ground to defeat the enemy s lanes of attack. Once all the assets were in place the Honey badgers went about doing what they do best and cleared the area for work. When the area was deemed safe the Honey badgers fired up the dozers and loaders and along with local national support made very quick work of the existing bridge. Under the guidance of the Honey badgers diverse leadership the new bridge and culverts were in place. The job was completed with expert precision and almost a full day early, proving once again why the Honey Badgers can be called on to complete any task. UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Operators: SGT Clement and SPC Ellison Setting Culverts in place for New Bridge. Pictured: SSG Caudill and SPC Hutchens

6 Page 6 4TH PLATOON NIGHT CRAWLERS Hello again everyone! We all hope everyone s holidays were the best they could be! It s now 2013 and that only means one thing, soon we will be home. Anticipation for the homecoming is growing as we start to pack up and wait for our replacements to start arriving.your soldiers are still as focused as ever on the mission and have been doing great things the past few months. Their hard work has helped the area our greatly and made the surrounding areas safer for our brothers in arms, the Afghan Army, and the Afghan people. Needless to say our mark will be left from the effort that has been given.you, as I am sure you are should be proud of each and every soldier of the Company. Just a reminder to everyone, after February 1st do not send mail to your soldiers. That is a good sign of the end of this tour being near. We now have more outgoing mail then incoming and that s a good thing. On, behalf of the Platoon I would like to extend our thanks for the overwhelming support and for all the packages sent from family, friends, and businesses. Our tents have been overloaded since we arrived and just shows how dedicated you all are. We all cannot wait to see you all in the very near future.

7 Page 7 ANA LIASIONS SHONA BA SHONA All Good Things Must Come to an End For the past months of working with the ANA we have watched them grow into a good solid asset to their Brigade. It is not because of our training that has brought them this far but, more their motivations and desires to be a better Company. We can honestly say that our training has brought them a good foundation, but what we as ANA Liaisons have witnessed were their desire to build beyond that. Within the next month a new ANA liaison team will arrive and will be generally happy to see how self sufficient the ANA Company they will be working with are. We are proud to have had this opportunity to work with and learn from our ANA counterparts. All good things must come to an end, but sometimes the end brings forth new good things and that is worth it in the end. HQ In the world of technology, the Nerds are kings By: SGT Scott Graser FMT This is the world of Commo. We welcome all who wish to learn our mystical ways of radios, computers, and other communications equipment. Our motto has often been, It worked before you broke it! You can often times find us checking out updates on the newest expansions of Magic the Gathering, or prepping our character sheets for our next adventure in Dungeons and Dragons. We also have the uncanny ability to set up antennas in record time, with enough time to spare to log into our level 90 Paladins on World of Warcraft in order to save the world of Azeroth from certain doom! Putting all joking aside, it s been a long journey for the Commo section with this deployment. The three of us only just met mere months before leaving for Ft. Bliss. But since then, we have become a tight knit group. Our prime directive, to learn as much as we can about the equipment we have. To then teach this knowledge to the soldiers we support. In the ever changing field of Army Communications Technology we absolutely need to make sure we can support the new and improved equipment that comes our way. We also make sure to maintain the commo systems that are in use, whether its radios within the vehicles or the computers our Headquarters uses every day. If it breaks, we fix it. If it s operator error, we teach to correct it. It has fallen upon us to make sure the soldiers of the 1433 rd can communicate with each other on their daily missions. Let me assure you, we do not take this job lightly. The US Army Signal Motto You can talk about us, but you can t talk without us

8 Page 8 SOLDIER OF MONTH NOMINEES SPC Deace is 4 th Platoons nominee for Soldier of the Month. SPC Deace has been a vital asset for not only the Platoon but for the Company. Due to his experience with using equipment and good organizational skills SPC Deace spent 3 months at Kandahar Airfield assisting the company in making sure necessary equipment was loaded and sent out to the Company at FOB Pasab. Additionally, SPC Deace has also been a driver on Route Clearance Missions. His background as a Horizontal Engineer has been a huge asset to the Platoon for many Route Improvement Missions often operating the Grader and Dump Truck. SPC Deace is a hard working soldier and always puts for his best effort. 1 ST PLATOON NOMINATES SPC BROWN FOR SOLDIER OF THE MONTH. SPC BROWN AS BEEN ACTING TEAM LEADER FOR THE ENTIRE DEPLOYMENT. DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY SPC BROWN WAS A INTREGAL PART OF A DEMOLITION TEAM DURING DIRECTED OPERATIONS. SPC BROWN WAS TASKED WITH ENSURING ALL CHARGES WERE PROPERLY PREPARED AND PLACED. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHECKING ALL CONNECTIONS AND ENSURING ALL DISMOUNTED SOLDIERS MAINTAINED PROPER STAND- OFF AND COVER PRECAUCTIONS SO THAT ALL SOLDIERS WERE PRO- TECTED FROM FLYING DEBRI CAUSED FROM THE BLAST. HIS LEADERSHIP ON THE GROUND ALLOWED THE TEAM TO FUNCTION PROFICENTLY MINI- MIZING TIME ON TARGET FOR THE DISMOUNTED SOLDIERS AND A SUC- CESSFUL MISSION. 3rd Platoon nominates SGT Joe Clement for Soldier of the Month. Recently he supervised a Puma and Raven crew on a 5 day mission to directly support the Chilliwack South road cut. Him and his crew flew long hours through the night and into the morning. His knowledge of the systems and ability to manage a crew helped to make each flight operate smoothly. Their efforts were a great benefit to us and helped lead to the success of the mission. SGT Clement has recently stepped up to become a TC during route clearance missions. His ability to learn fast and think on the fly has made him an excellent TC for RCP 3. He has earned the trust of his leadership, and he has helped provide flexibility for the platoon. SGT Clement was recently handed over a lot of equipment and a vehicle and was given very minimal time to inventory it and ensure it operated properly. He worked long and hard, but was able to accomplish it all and meet the deadlines. SGT Clement aka Cookie Monster or Cookie Chomps

9 Page 9 Army Achievement Medals SPC CHAD STITT SPC CHRISTOPHER THOMAS SPC RYAN STEPANSKI SPC BLAIN CONOVER SPC CORY MAKI SPC KENNETH TROYER Above: LTC Davis, the outgoing Commander of the 1-17 Infantry Battalion presents these soldiers with the Army Achievement Medal in recognition for their efforts as the primary trainers for the incoming Armor Battalion on CIED enablers. This training took place over a three week period, ensuring soldiers from the Active Duty Unit was trained to standard and informed of all the capabilities of the equipment they were about to use. This would help them to be better prepared to defeat the device on the battlefield and possibly save lives. An outstanding job by these Soldiers. These Soldiers were presented the Battalion (BN) Coin of Excellence from LTC Anderson of the 3/4/1 Armor Division. Their ability to train and assist the incoming Active Duty BN on the Area of Operations and conduct selective training of Counter IED enablers was recognized. A true testament to the Engineer Spirit in accomplishing what ever it takes to get the job done. The 4-1 is truly better educated and trained thanks to these individuals, which in turn could save the lives of our Active Duty brothers. From left to right: SPC Josh Wallace, SGT Anthony Librojo, SGT Thomas Vega, SSG Thomas Wakeham, SPC Billie Buzzo, SGT Paul Atwood, SPC John Downing, and 1LT Matthew Duncan.

10 SOLDIER OF THE MONTH is... SPC Joshua Wallace from 2nd Platoon has been selected as the 1433 rd Engineer Company Soldier of the month. SPC Wallace has become one of the go to Soldiers for his platoon. He came to the platoon from battalion at the beginning of annual training just prior to deployment. Since coming to the platoon he has shown dedication in all aspects of being a Soldier. He has freely shared his knowledge from prior deployments to both leaders and fellow Soldiers doing his part to make the platoon better. With his experience, SPC Wallace has been put in charge of handling COMSEC for the platoon and ensuring that communications is up and ready for every mission. SPC Wallace coordinates weekly updates and ensures they are loaded into every radio. He also conducts radio checks to ensure that all updates have been uploaded and working properly. His dedication to these tasks has insured that platoon communications are always work properly and let his leadership concentrate on other critical tasks for missions. He also used his knowledge of minehound operations in training incoming Soldiers to help prepare them for their time here in Afghanistan. SPC Wallace is presented with MIARNG CSM Richard Michael Coin of Excellence by 1SG Rye. More Random Pictures OUR DEPENDABLE LNOs IN Kandahar!! Before Coffee After Coffee