Multi-National Division – Baghdad “First Team.....Team First” Thursday, September 3, 2009

Nation’s Oldest relieves Steel SpikeBy 1LT Michael Lind 101st Eng. Bn. PAO

BAGHDAD — Mark this date; history was made. On Aug. 30, the 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engi-neer Brigade and 101st Engineer Battalion swapped places in a symbolic transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Liberty, Bagh-dad.

As the “Steel Spike” engi-neers of the 46th stepped down, the “Nation’s Oldest” of the 101st rose to fill their place in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 101st Eng. Bn. has a dis-tinguished record of service to the nation that dates back over 373 years. The unit participated in nu-merous conflicts ranging from the colonial wars all the way to the present day Global War on Terror. Answering the call yet again, the 101st Eng. Bn. began its journey to Iraq in mid-June. The only or-ganic units come in the form of Headquarters Support Company and Forward Support Company, both hailing from Massachusetts. The other units to join are the 1434th Engineer Company (Ver-tical) from Michigan, the 1192nd Engineer Company (Horizontal) from Ohio, and the 621st Survey and Design Team from North Carolina. Though each unit left their home stations as separate units, they all came together to form one unified battalion at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

From June until the begin-ning of August, the 101st Eng. Bn. worked long and hard to validate on necessary mobiliza-tion tasks that included construc-tion effects, convoy operations,

and base defense. Once August rolled around, the 101st Eng. Bn. was deemed ready and flew off to Camp Beuhring, Kuwait.

In Kuwait, the “Nation’s Old-est” acclimated to the harsh desert environment while focusing on improvised explosive device de-feat training, convoy operations, counter-insurgency briefings, and weapons familiarization.

Following a two week stay at Camp Beuhring, the Soldiers of the 101st Eng. Bn. packed up for Baghdad.

Arriving in mid-August to Iraq, the 101st Eng. Bn. conduct-ed relief in place operations under the guidance of the 46th ECB (H). The intent of this transition is to familiarize an incoming unit with the current battlefield environ-ment and to offer advice on how to conduct in-theater operations.

Command Sgt. Maj. Chase, 101st Eng. Bn., praised leaders on

both sides for putting the 101st on the right track.

“The RIP/TOA [relief in place/transition of authority] had been smooth because of our leaders in the 101st and of the 46th who pre-pared us for success,” said Chase.

In a symbolic transfer of au-thority ceremony, Maj. Gen. Dan-

iel Bolger praised the 46th for a job well done and welcomed the 101st to the fight.

“Every combat engineer bat-talion that comes to Iraq comes to fight and to work,” said Bolg-er. He said the 101st is “tough, smart…ready to fight, ready to work.”

Soldiers of the 101st Engineer Battalion and the 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) face each other at attention during the transition-of-authority ceremony, Aug. 30, on Camp Liberty.

Maj. Joshua Goodrich (right), of Webster, Mass. and Com-mand Sgt. Maj. Peter Chase, of Derry, N.H., unfurl the 101st Eng. Bn colors during the transition-of-authority ceremony.

Photo by Sgt. Tracy Knowles, 101st Eng. Bn.

Photo by Sgt. Tracy Knowles, 101st Eng. Bn.

PAGE 2 September 3, 2009

Engineers open new bridge over TigrisBy Sgt. Rebekah Malone225th Eng. Bde. PAO

BAGHDAD — On the banks of the mighty Tigris River, a track excavator slowly inched forward, pushing a land-based on ramp towards a pontoon suspension bridge.

Simple pins, connecting the two, marked the Aug. 31 comple-tion of a spectacular engineering effort from three separate engi-neer entities that took a month to complete.

Engineers of the 225th Engi-neer Brigade, the 555th Engineer Brigade and elements of the Head-quarters, 4th and 5th Iraqi Army Field Engineer Regiments have literally bridged the gap while spanning the river to reduce traffic inside of Baghdad in accordance with the Security Agreement.

On July 27, the 277th Engi-neer Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Eng. Bde., began the massive job of removing 6,000 cubic yards of dirt to level both banks of the river for the bridge’s on and off ramps. Using the Army’s largest bulldozer, the D9, San Antonio based engineers moved some 400 dump truck loads worth of dirt in only 23 days.

“The 277th Eng. Company’s scope of work was to construct the near side and far side approach and the boat launch sites. This was done with a variety of engineer operations of cutting and filling; loading and hauling and grading, leveling and compacting,” said plans officer, Maj. Shane Rauh, of Baton Rouge, La.

Next, Soldiers of the 555th Engineer Brigade assembled the ramps of the Mabey Johnson bridge and launched the portion of bridge suspended by pontoons over the Tigris.

The final phase of the engineer tri-fecta was a company sized el-ement from the Iraqi Army Field Engineer Regiments. The partner-ship was not only great training

for the emplacement of the ac-tual bridge, but allowed the U.S. Soldiers to show the Iraqis how to maintain the bridge once U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq.

“The big significance here is this is my first time that I know of … that we’ve actually built a bridge alongside the Iraqi breth-ren and the Iraqi Engineers. It’s a huge significance because we’ve got [three] regiments out here worth of people helping us out to build this bridge,” Capt. John Da-vis of Virginia Beach, Va., com-mander of the 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company explained.

“We were able to train them in the past on the Mabey Johnson on how to do the emplacement and maneuver of these bridges and to get them out here on site and to get them building and all come to-gether, there’s just a lot of national pride out here,” he said.

For the 50th MRBC, working with the Mabey Johnson was not a first, but suspending the bridge with pontoons to make a sort of floating bridge was a first that al-lowed for a rare training opportu-nity.

“This is a non-standard bridge. This is something we bought and are using based on operational needs in Iraq right now,” Davis continued. “So this is great for

them to get training and get ex-perience to carry on to the next generation of Army [bridge build-ers].”

“This is a Mabey Johnson Combat 200 version. It is capable of pretty much crossing any kind

of traffic the military has right now. It will enable the units in this area to have freedom of maneuver ... to keep the fight progressing,” said Davis.

The bridge opened to military traffic Aug. 31.

Mark II boats operated by the 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 37th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, push the pontoon holding a span of the Mabey Johnson Bridge.

Straddling the pontoon holding the floating piece of a Mabey Johnson Bridge and the land-based ramp, Soldiers from the 50th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 37th Eng. Bn., 555th Eng. Bde and Iraqi engineer Soldiers make adjustments with a pry bar to insert a pin connecting the two pieces, Aug. 31.

Photo by Sgt. Rebekah Malone, 225th Eng. Bde. PAO

Photo by Sgt. Rebekah Malone, 225th Eng. Bde. PAO

PAGE 3 September 3, 2009

Pegasus seven visits Firebase MahemPhotos by Pfc. Adam Halleck 1st BCT PAO

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Killeen, Texas native, Spc. Kenneth Melton (left), an artillery cannon crewmember assigned to Bat-tery B, 1st “Dragon” Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division during Mur-ray’s Sept. 1 visit to Firebase Mayhem, here. During the visit Murray and the Soldiers of Battery B discussed the range and versatility of a M109A6 “Paladin” to provide precise and accurate fires.

Colquitt, Ga. Native, 1st. Sgt. Jamie Crankfield (left), the senior non commissioned officer assigned to Battery B, welcomes Kenton, Ohio native, Brig. Gen. John Murray (right), deputy commanding general for maneuver of the 1st Cavalry Division, Sept. 1, to the artillery gun line known as Firebase Mayhem. The gun line is one of three artillery firing lines manned by Soldiers of Battery B in the region.

“It’s great to be doing artillery again,” explained Killeen, Texas native, Staff Sgt. Jason Sieg (middle), an artillery section chief, as Kenton, Ohio native, Brig. Gen. John Murray (right), deputy commanding general for maneuver of the 1st Cavalry Division, discuss the capabilities of a M109A6 “Paladin” howitzer, Sept. 1, and how Soldiers of Battery B enjoy being back on the gun line after six months of dismounted patrols.

PAGE 4 September 3, 2009

On This Day In History

Famous Feats of Chuck Norris

MND-B Pic of the day!

DiD you know?

A bulletproof vest wears Chuck Norris for protection.

COMBAT OUTPOST CASHE SOUTH, Iraq – Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby (left), the commanding gener-al of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, thanks Spc. David De La Rosa, of El Paso, Texas, for his sacrifice and service after awarding him the Purple Heart med-al for injuries he sustained when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device during a combat operation, May 17, in eastern Baghdad. He was one of four troopers awarded the medal, Sept. 1, at Combat Outpost Cashe South, Iraq. De La Rosa is assigned to Troop B, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cav. Regt., 3rd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division,

Pvt. Murphy by Mark Baker

Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, 1881. On September 3, 1838, abolitionist, journalist, author, and human rights advocate Frederick

Douglass made his dramatic escape from slavery—traveling north by train and boat—from Baltimore, through Delaware, to Philadelphia. That same night, he took a train to New York, where he arrived the following morning.

Born into slavery on a plantation in Tuckahoe, Maryland, circa 1817, he was the son of a black mother and an unidentified white father. He never knew the date of his birth, but celebrated his birthday on February 14 in memory of his mother, who had brought him a heart-shaped cake on the night that he last saw her. Only a small boy when his mother died, Douglass, born Frederick Bailey, lived with his grandmother in the slave quarters until he was eight years old, when he was “hired out” and sent to work in the home of Hugh Auld. While working for the Auld family in Baltimore, Frederick began to acquire a formal education. Mrs. Auld broke Maryland state law in order to teach the young boy to read, and Frederick later tried to learn all he could from schoolboys he met on the streets of Baltimore.

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Alex Licea, 3rd BCT PAO

Multi-National Division - BaghdadPublic Affairs Office

Commanding General:Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger

Public Affairs Officer:Lt. Col. Philip Smith

Public Affairs Chief:Master Sgt. Nicholas Conner

Editor:Staff Sgt. Peter FordStaff Writers:

Sgt. 1st Class Ron BurkeSgt. 1st Class Jon Cupp

Sgt. 1st Class Joel QuebecStaff Sgt. Mark Burrell

Sgt. Joshua RisnerSgt. Jon Soles

Spc. Laura JohnsonSpc. Phillip Adam Turner

The Daily Charge is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of The Daily Charge are not official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of the Army, or the 1st Cavalry Division. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Army, the 1st Cavalry, or The Daily Charge of the products and services advertised.

All editorial content of The Daily Charge is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the Multi-National Division – Baghdad Public Affairs Office.

Do you have a story to share?The Daily Charge welcomes columns, commentaries,

articles, letters and photos from readers. Submissions should be sent to the Public Affairs NCOIC

nicholas.conner@mnd-b.army.mil and include author’s name, rank, unit and contact information. The Daily Charge reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the paper.

For further information on deadlines, questions, comments or a request to be on our distribution list, email the Editor at howard.alperin@mnd-b.army.mil

PAGE 5 September 3, 2009

Trigger’s TeasersThe objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. There are three very simple constraints to follow: Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

Every Sudoku game begins with a number of squares already filled in, and the difficulty of each game is largely a function of how many squares are filled in. The more squares that are known, the easier it is to figure out which numbers go in the open squares. As you fill in squares correctly, options for the remaining squares are narrowed and it becomes easier to fill them in.

Yesterday’s Answers

Quote For Today Iraq 3-Day

Weather Report

Today105° F | 78° F

Tomorrow 107° F | 80° F

Saturday109° F | 78° F

Cav Round-Up radio newscast available

TRIVIA TIME!!The SALT treaty was ratified in 1972, to limit

weapons. What does SALT abbreviate?

MND-B PAOBAGHDAD — The Cav Round-

Up is a three-minute radio newscast from Baghdad covering military units and events across Multi-Na-tional Division — Baghdad.

Today’s Cav Round-Up # 146 was produced by Sgt Erik Fardette, MND-B Public Affairs Office.

The September 2 newscast in-cludes the following two stories:

1. Paratroopers keeping lifesav-ing skills sharp.

Combat Lifesaving skills are an intricate part ot the strategic battle-field today.

CLS training helps to prepare Soldiers for situations that may re-quire them to administer first aid on a fellow Soldier.

2. Artillerymen answer the call.The Artillerymen are ready to

answer the call in all types of envi-ronment. the Artillerymen receive the call they begin to prepare their guns and execute the rest of the ex-ercise in accordance with the unit’s standart operating procedures.

NIPR LINK: Cav Round-UpSIPR LINK: Cav Round-UpCheck out more news at the 1st

Cavalry Division’s homepage:www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/

Last Issue’s Answer: Gateway Arch

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will suprise you with their ingenuity.”

—George S. Patton-Patriot