DESERT BULLS OCTOBER 19, 2005

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1 OCTOBER 19, 2005 A SOLDIER S STORY IN OUR SIGHTS

2 PAGE 2 Warriors of the 1st BCT - We reached a milestone this past weekend when all elements of the Brigade Combat team finally arrived here at Mobilization Center Shelby. Welcome to the last two battalions on the ground here - the RSTA and the STRIKE. We finally have the team assembled. And just in time as well for next week we take the Senior Leadership of the Organization to the Joint Readiness Training Center for a Leadership Training Program. While we work to fine tune our Military Decision Making Processes - we will leave the BCT in the hands of Junior Leaders. This is a great opportunity for these young leaders, captains, sergeant first classes and staff sergeants to stretch themselves and step to the front and take charge in an environment that is more tolerant of mistakes than the one we are headed for. I encourage all of you accept this challenge and step up to the plate and show me what capabilities you have. As I moved about the training this past week I invariably Commander s Corner News from the front: made it to some of the many ranges we have running. The ranges all seem to be running well - when they run. But Hurricane Katrina left her mark out in the impact areas as well. No rain since August has meant drier than normal conditions, and coupled with the blowdown from the hurricane this has increased the fire danger. And we are seeing the results of this in range fires. Be patient young Warriors - we will overcome this small obstacle and continue to operate these ranges until all of you have had a chance to become proficient with your assigned weapons. To the readers of this letter that are not in uniform at Camp Shelby I want you to know that you can be extremely proud of your Soldiers. They move about their training with great pride in themselves, and demonstrate daily the professionalism of Obviously, we have drunk the Kool-aid - hearing what the U.S forces wanted us to hear, seeing what they wanted us to see. BUT - it's hard to fool old military men - our group had access to anyone we wished, to ask anything we wanted. We did - we know what to look for and how to ask hard questions to draw out honest opinions from grunts. We know how to judge troops and how to look into their eyes for blank stares. We know how to look at equipment and how to assess weapons discipline and safety. We know how to read through charts to sort valid data from bullshit. We have all Col. David Elicerio, 1-34 BCT Commander the worlds finest Soldiers. I know they will be great ambassadors for our country, our State and of the American way of life. Know that they are doing a good thing in a time of great need. Be proud of them and support them in any way you can. There is not a day that goes by that I am not proud of the Soldiers that I have been asked to lead. They certainly are the best in the world. Hooah Red Bulls! - ATTACK! been at war. The six of us have over 180+ years in the military. We know how to tell good soldiers from bad. We come back encouraged, impressed - cautiously optimistic is the block I would check on a survey. Don Shepperd- Retired Intelligence Officer touring Iraq

3 Soldiers of the "Red bull" 1-34 Brigade Combat Team. We have begun the move from individual and crew served weapons qualification to mounted movement techniques and the increased movement of tactical vehicles within our areas of operation. We need to remember to buckle our seatbelt, place chalk blocks properly, wear our Kevlars in all tactical vehicles, and if when you are in the turret position of any vehicle you must be positioned at no more A Day in Red Bull history, week of October 17, 1943: Cannon Company was given credit October 23 for having destroyed two tanks in the firing done between 100th and 3rd Battalions near Alife. During the heavy fire laid down by the enemy, T/5 Walter G Moeller went out under fire to repair a line which was very necessary for us to give support to the battalions. For this action he is to receive the Silver Star. From the 133rd Infantry unit journal. Command Sgt. Maj. Julin s Corner 1-34 BCT Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin than name tape defilade. I want to thank you for long hours and hard work. The time we spend now to become proficient and safe will pay us all benefits to come. Command Sgt. Maj. Julin PAGE BCT Issue 3 October 19, seconds Here are some guidelines for good oral health. One of the best ways to ensure healthy teeth and gums is with a good home care program. Proper brushing consists of about three to five minutes of concentrated brushing. A quick brush may make your mouth feel fresh but will do very little to remove the plaque that normally develops during the course of the day. Brushing technique: Using a soft bristle brush, remember to brush after every meal and right before you go to sleep. Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums. Brush in a back and forth motion, remembering to clean the teeth near the gums. You may need to angle the brush vertically to clean the inside of your front teeth. Don t forget to brush your tongue. Just the facts PX Hours: Monday through Sunday Sewing Center Hours: Monday through Friday ; Saturday (pay in advance) Book of stamps sold at PX Laundromats open 24 hours Post Office at Building 2490 (near Paxton Hall) Download Desert Bulls at On the cover: A 1-34 BSB Soldier charges an enemy position during a React to Direct Fire class Friday. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood, 1-34 BCT PA.

4 PAGE 4 From Soldier to Santa Claus Volunteering very important to Ostendorf A Soldier s Story Story and photo by Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood 1-34 BCT PA Master Sgt. Warren Ostendorf is a true volunteer. For the last nine years, he has been Santa Claus for a Head Start program in St. Cloud, Minn. In his first year, he visited 34 children. Now he visits children in several schools within the Head Start Program in the St. Cloud area. He also is among the five coordinators for the Camp Ripley, Minn., annual Disabled Veterans Deer Hunt and a coordinator for the camp s DAV Turkey Hunt that was launched last spring. I think it is extremely important that all of us volunteer at some time, Ostendorf said. I believe in one thing if we don t take care of these kids, they won t take care of us. Ostendorf, the food service supervisor for the 1-34 Brigade Combat Team, and his late wife started the Head Start Santa Claus program. He said he put his Santa Claus suit on for the first time for Master Sgt. Warren Ostendorf, who has been Santa Claus for a Head Start Program in St. Cloud, Minn., for the last nine years, paused in one of Camp Shelby s dining facilities Tuesday. Ostendorf is the food service supervisor for the 1-34 Brigade Combat Team. his granddaughter s class. He said he spends 15 to 20 seconds with each child in quiet time. He said one of these quiet times took him back. He told a young boy that sometimes Santa Claus couldn t get everything children want for Christmas. The boy replied, Santa Claus, if you don t have it, they have it at Wal-Mart. Ostendorf also hands out 224 books supplied by the Eagles Ano. 622 club in St. Cloud and 224 tooth brushes provided by his dentist to the children. By the way, Ostendorf, who also has been the 1st Brigade Santa Claus since 1998, will don his suit during the BCT s Block Leave in December. We have fun and that s the name of the game, he said. You have to have fun in life. Master Sgt. Warren Ostendorf Age: 52 Hometown: St. Cloud, Minn. Occupation: Food Services worker at St. Cloud Veterans Administration Hospital Favorite movie or movies: Comedies Favorite music: 1960s

5 PAGE 5 CTT training consists of 12 tasks Story by Pfc. Brian Jesness 1-34 BCT PA While stationed at Camp Shelby, Miss., Soldiers of the 1-34 Brigade Combat Team will complete two specific days of Common Tasks Training. The CTT training will consist of 12 tasks in two days and will include classroom training as well as practical field exercises. The first day of training will include grenades, identifying unexploded ordinances, navigating a minefield, reacting under direct fire, calling in a nine-line medevac and standard application of field dressings. Training on the second day will include evaluating a casualty, application of field dressings for burns and head injuries, protective mask maintenance, decontamination kits and application of nerve agent antidotes and the gas chamber. The task focusing on grenades will include identification of all hand grenades commonly used in the Army and field experience of throwing defused grenades at various targets. Various unexploded ordinances will be covered in the next task, with a focus on identification of UXO s and proper procedures for marking them when encountered in the field. The task of navigating a minefield will focus on identification on several different mines and how they are employed by the enemy in the field. Soldiers will learn how to move as a squad and detect and avoid trip wires and other signs of buried mines. The practical exercise will challenge the Soldiers to navigate a sand pit with buried mines and how to guide their squad safely out of harm s way. Reacting under direct fire will focus on tactical movements such as high crawling, low crawling and the three-to-five second rush with a course for Soldiers to demonstrate each of the moves in the field. The nine-line medevac will demonstrate on how to properly call in a request for medical assistance over the radio based on the condition of the injured and the priorities warranted by the situation. Two tasks will cover the use of the standard field dressing, the pressure dressing, the tourniquet, dressing a chest wound, dressing a head injury and appropriately dressing burns. Evaluating a casualty will focus on assessing the condition of the injured as well as identification of common heat casualties. Photo by Sgt. Kent Westberg, 1-34 BCT PA The last four tasks will focus on topics reacting to nerve agents and the use of the protective mask and suit. These four tasks will include; proper cleaning and maintenance of the protective mask, use of decontamination paper on Soldiers and their equipment, use of antidotes for contact with nerve agents, and a trip to the gas chamber, which will last approximately eight minutes. Master Sgt. Brian Shelton, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-34 Brigade Combat Team (left) grins and bears the gas chamber last month. Sgt. 1st Class James Bussen follows Shelton.

6 PAGE 6 Chaplain Fehn begins mission at age Brigade Troops Battalion commander, Lt. Col. William Lieder, (right) promoted Chaplain Jerome Fehn to Major earlier this month. Fehn and a Minnesota Air National Guard Chaplain are the only two Catholic priests in the Minnesota Guard. Story and photo by Sgt. 1 st Class Clinton Wood 1-34 BCT PA When a person reaches his mid-40s the last thing you think he or she would like to do is join the Army National Guard. Not the case for Chaplain (Maj.) Jerome Fehn of Edina, Minn Fehn, the 1-34 Brigade Troops Battalion Chaplain, joined the Minnesota Army National Guard eight years ago at age 45. I wanted to serve my country, patriotism, said Fehn of his reasons he joined the Guard. It s almost as simple as that. He also knew that the Minnesota Guard was lacking of Catholic priests. Fehn and a Minnesota Air National Guard Catholic priest are the only two in the state. He said two of his friends who were Catholic priests also suggested to him to join the Guard. I just decided maybe I should at least look at it and see if I qualify for it, he said. After receiving a waiver for being over 40 years old, he attended the 12-week Chaplain Officer Basic Course in Fort Jackson, S.C. Many states have no Catholic priests, said Fehn, who for the last 20 years served as a Catholic priest at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina and Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn. Fehn, who served as the Minnesota Army National Guard s 34th Infantry Division s Catholic priest in its Stabilization Force 14 rotation to Bosnia and Herzegovina from September 2003 until April 2004, also has preached to non- Catholics during his tenure in the Guard. This really impresses Chaplain (Maj.) Randy Wendt, the 1-34 Brigade Combat Team Chaplain who served several years in the Active Duty Army. That is amazing to me, he said. It is outstanding. That is just a phenomenal means of support. This latter statement rings true when Fehn was asked what his most important mission as a Chaplain was? The opportunity to show the Soldiers their walk, whether it be their faith walk, Army walk or personal walk, he replied. And to have the confidence of the Soldiers of any rank to be able to confide in me and for me to listen to them. Most of all be able to pray for Brigade facts The 1-34 Brigade Combat Team is among the 34 Modular BCTs in the National Guard. Each of these BCTs is identical in structure and manning as Active Duty counterparts.

7 IN OUR SIGHTS Photo by Sgt.1st Class Clinton Wood, 1-34 BCT PA Pfc. Kurtis Ellefson (left) fires a M2 50-caliber machine gun as his assistant gunner Pfc. Daniel Francis feeds him rounds Sunday during qualifying. Both are members of the 2nd Battalion, 136th Combat Arms Battalion. Photo by Sgt.1st Class Clinton Wood, 1-34 BCT PA A 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Soldier high fives a fellow Soldier as the battalion finished its ruck march Saturday from Forward Operation Base Arrowhead to the cantonment area. Photo by Sgt. Kent Westberg 1-34 BCT PA A 1-34 Brigade Troops Battalion Soldier smacks a home run Friday in a softball game.