2 0 4 T H B R I G A D E

S U P P O R T B A T T A L I O N

S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

A Message from the

Alpha Company Com-

mand Team

Language Skills Applied

by Alpha Company

656 TC Soldier Collects

Can Tabs for Cancer

Bravo Company’s 92A’s

Testing the Water

Female Cultural Support

FOB Walton’s HLZ

NCOIC

NEWSLETTER STAFF:

CPT Ashlea Cleveland

1LT Betsy Arndt

Rough Rider Connection J U L Y 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 4

From the Office of Assassin 6From the Office of Assassin 6From the Office of Assassin 6

Greetings Rough Rider Families,

It is my pleasure to write to all of you and let you know about the phenomenal

job that the Assassins are doing across various locations in Kandahar Province, Afghani-

stan. As it stands right now, members of Alpha Company are scattered across three differ-

ent locations: Camp Nathan Smith, Kandahar Airfield (KAF), and FOB Walton. Each

Soldier has a specific task and purpose (whether their Military Occupational Specialty or

not) at their specific location, thus making the time pass by very quickly.

Along with our normal mission of supporting the Warhorse Brigade, members of

the Assassin Team are doing a variety of things they never thought they would be doing;

SPC Abbas is charged with ensuring the water at Camp Nathan Smith is up to code, SPC

Davenport uses his Afghan language skills to converse with Host Nation Truck Drivers,

SSG Colon uses his expert knowledge of supply operations to expedite parts from Kanda-

har Airfield (KAF) to the Supply Support Activity (SSA), SGT Peyton ensures that every-

one on FOB Walton has enough food to eat, SGT Ponce works tirelessly to ensure that the

customer is getting th right load, SPC Sharp gets a lot of sun working on the flight line

directing all of the helicopters that land at FOB Walton, and SPC Soto, SPC Dwello, and

PFC Frakes are running the Clean Sweep Yard for the Brigade, just to name a few. Each

and every Soldier of Alpha Company is doing just as much, if not more, than the previ-

ously mentioned Soldiers and it is my pleasure to serve with each and every one of them

every day.

Finally, I would like to thank each and every family member of the Assassin

Team, young or old, big or little, and furry or not. Your thoughts, prayers, and constant

support to your Soldier has been instrumental in the great start that we have had as a com-

pany in the two short months that we have been here. Thank you for everything that you

do in allowing your Soldier to focus on the task at hand.

Roll Hard!

This newsletter contains official and unofficial information. The inclusion of some unofficial information in this

newsletter has not increased the cost to the Government, in accordance with DOD 4525.8-M

P A G E 2

Alpha Company Soldier Applies Language Skills

Kandahar Airfield (KAF) to

work with the A CO Load Team

responsible for moving all

equipment forward in support of

Combined Task Force War-

horse.

SPC Davenport’s language

training immediately paid off as

he was deemed the host nation

truck (HNT) non-commissioned

officer in charge (NCOIC). His

impeccable language skills have

broken many language barriers

for the A CO, 204th BSB load

team at KAF. Much of the load

team’s success can be attributed

to SPC Davenport’s ability to

communicate HNT drivers, thus

cutting the upload and download

time of equipment in half.

Not only have SPC Daven-

port’s language skills been phe-

nomenal, but SPC Davenport

has really taken to the relation-

ships that he has established

with many of the HNT drivers.

He is directly responsible for

receiving the host nation drivers

at the Entry Control Point (ECP)

and for their total care until they

K A N D A H A R ,

Afghanistan—

There is no bet-

ter way to ac-

complish a lo-

gistics mission

involving Local

Nationals than

by speaking the

native language

of said locals.

SPC Thomas

Davenport of A

CO, 204th BSB

understands that

principle just as

much as anyone. While back at

Fort Carson, prior to deployment

to Afghanistan, SPC Thomas

Davenport put aside his normal

duties as a 92F, Fuel Specialist,

in order to attend a 16-week Dari

language course. Never knowing

the impact that he was going to

have on A CO’s mission, SPC

Davenport completed the de-

manding Dari course focused on

speaking, grammar, and culture.

Upon arrival to Afghanistan,

SPC Davenport was positioned at

exit the gates of Kandahar Air-

field. On several occasions,

SPC Davenport has been the

liaison between US Soldiers and

the Host Nation drivers. He

communicates very well with

them and provides them with

clear instructions on what they

will be hauling and how to tie

down the loads effectively.

In addition to providing di-

rection, guidance, and purpose

for every mission, SPC Daven-

port has taken it upon himself to

provide food, cold water, shel-

ter, fuel, and friendship for all of

the Host Nation drivers. As we

know, the Host Nation drivers

are very proud to be working

with US Soldiers and are

equally as proud of the jobs and

mission that we provide. With-

out individuals like SPC Daven-

port that help bridge the gap

between American Soldiers and

Afghan truck drivers, we would

not be nearly as successful in

supporting the Warhorse Bri-

gade.

R O U G H R I D E R C O N N E C T I O N

cancer. One Soldier from the 656

Transportation Company is doing

what he can to help children with

cancer all the way from Afghani-

stan.

SPC Brad Sanders, from Belle-

ville, Illinois has set up boxes in

the Dining Facility on FOB

Walton to collect can tabs that he

will send to a friend’s 11 year-old

daughter back in Indiana who’s

collecting them for her school.

“I’m asking for your help,” says

SPC Sanders is a 88M, Heavy

By 1LT Betsy

Arndt, 204th

BSB Public

Affairs Officer

KANDAHAR,

Afghanistan—

Many people

feel helpless

when they hear

about the fami-

lies and chil-

dren who are

suffering from

Equipment Operator with the

656 Transportation Company, a

U.S. Army Reserve unit from

Hobart, Indiana. “I’m placing a

box at both exits of the chow hall

to place soda can pull tabs. To

most they are little bits of alumi-

num, but to others, that little bit

of aluminum can help kids with

cancer. All the pull tabs col-

lected are going to the Ronald

McDonald House and the Na-

tional Cancer Institute and every

tab we collect counts.”

FOB Walton Soldier Collects Can Tabs for Cancer

SPC Thomas Davenport, a Fuel Specialist

with A Co, 204th BSB poses with two host

nation truck drivers before a mission.

(Photo by SFC Adell Jones)

By CPT Austin Luher, A Company Commander

SPC Brad

Sanders from the

656 Trans-

portation

Company, an

Army Reserve

Company

from Hobart,

Indiana

is collecting can

tabs for cancer.

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 4

Bravo Company’s Hard Working Logistical Specialists By SPC Natasha Gaskins, B Com-

pany Unit Public Affairs Represen-

tative

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan—The

Army operates by completing mis-

sions, ensuring that those missions can

be executed is imperative, especially

while deployed. Bravo Company Sol-

diers work extra hard every day to

make sure that each mission is never

compromised. There are many differ-

ent aspects that go into making a mis-

sion successful, including the vehicles,

generators and tools that are used

every day. However, any human made

machine is apt to breakdown and parts

need to be replaced. That is where

PLL comes into play.

PLL (Prescribed Load List), is a

section operated by 92A's, Automated

Logistical Specialists, who focus on

supply within a maintenance shop.

PLL is responsible for maintaining

records of services performed, order-

ing and managing repair parts, dis-

patching vehicles and equipment, and

maintaining operator licensing re-

cords. Bravo Company's PLL section

is comprised of three hard working

92A's, SGT Leonardo Ochoa, CPL

Shayla Ellis and SPC Jeanene Jackson.

SGT Ochoa is a former Marine

who has worked as a 92A for the past

five years. He originates from Ecuador

and arrived at Basic Training for the

Marines, not knowing any English. He

graduated from the Universal Techni-

cal Institute in Houston Texas with an

Associate’s Degree in Industrial Die-

sel.

CPL Ellis is the mother of a two year

old little girl named Khayla. She has

been in the Army for four years and has

been with Bravo Company for a year.

Her first duty station was at Camp

Humphreys, Korea. This is her first

deployment. Upon return to Fort Car-

son, CO she plans on enrolling into

college and getting promoted to SGT, E

-5.

SPC Jackson has been in the Army

for three years, Camp Casey, Korea was

her first duty station where she worked

in the warehouse, receiving, storing and

issuing parts. She has been with Bravo

Company for one year. In the near fu-

ture, SPC Jackson plans on getting a

Department of Defense job as a con-

tractor overseas.

PLL's day usually starts at 0730,

where they turn in fifty different parts

to include, but not limited to vehicle

parts. Bravo PLL not only orders parts

for Bravo Company, but also for the

entire Warhorse Brigade. Their job is

very intricate and involves a lot of

knowledge about military vehicles and

the parts that make those vehicles oper-

ate. Without PLL ordering the parts

accurately and in a timely manner, the

rest of the sections including Mech

(Maintenance), GSE (Ground Support

Equipment), C&E (Communications

and Electronics), S&R (Service and

Recovery), and Armament would not be

able to do their jobs. The PLL Section

is not just responsible for ordering the

parts, but also for making sure that

those parts are picked up from the SSA

(Supply Support Activity), a warehouse

where supplies and parts are stored after

delivery.

The section must make a minimum

of one trip per day to the SSA, where

they pick up the parts that they have

ordered. The civilians have just recently

taken over operations of the warehouse.

"The civilians are great to work with

and are always ready and willing to

assist us when we come to the SSA,"

Says SPC Jackson. It is essential that all

military personnel have a copasetic

working relationship with the civilians.

The civilians contracted on FOB

Walton are assigned to help military

personnel with their day to day tasks.

Even though it is the civilians’ job to

help military personnel, they do it

with the utmost fortitude.

Once they have picked up the

parts and returned to the PLL Shop,

they process and issue them to dif-

ferent units and sections. Having so

many parts ordered daily can be-

come hectic when they bring the

parts back to the shop, but with great

organizational skills, the Bravo

Company PLL Shop makes the proc-

ess simple. “You have to stay organ-

ized or it can become very chaotic,

with all the parts and people coming

in and out of the shop,” says SGT

Ochoa. Soldiers from the entire

204th BSB come in everyday to the

PLL shop to have vehicles dis-

patched, vehicles dead-lined and

parts ordered so that vehicles can be

fixed.

Not only does PLL order parts,

they are also responsible for issuing

out license records to the entire bat-

talion. Without PLL creating and

issuing the licenses it would be ille-

gal for Soldiers to operate certain

vehicles which are essential in com-

pleting many missions. "Typing up

licenses can seem repetitive and time

consuming, but it is very important

that our Soldiers have the correct

license when driving any military

vehicle," says Corporal Ellis. Mili

CPL Ellis helps a customer with

vehicle maintenance paperwork.

SGT Ochoa thanks a civilian worker

from the Supply Support Activity (SSA)

for helping him load and deliver parts.

P A G E 4

SPC Baraa Abbas, a Wa-

ter Treatment Specialist

with Alpha Company

tests the water at the

Camp Nathan Smith swimming

pool and poses with a local na-

tional worker that works there.

Testing the Water (fire points), healthy living

(water pumps), and morale

(pool) for the Soldiers at

CNS. It is a big job to han-

dle for the man from Bagh-

dad, Iraq but he is certainly

up to the challenge and en-

joying every minute of it.

Only arriving to A CO a few

short months before deploy-

ment, SPC Abbas has already

made a big impact on the

company and battalion due to

his educational background.

SPC Abbas holds a Bache-

lor’s Degree in Microbiology

from Baghdad University

and graduated as the Distin-

guished Honor Grad in his

92W, Water Treatment Spe-

cialist, AIT class at Fort Lee.

SPC Abbas’ main con-

cerns in ensuring a clean,

clear swimming pool, he

concentrates his efforts in

two major areas: maintaining

or adjusting the chemical

balance of the pool water,

and removing the unwanted

dirt and foreign particles

from the swimming pool. In

addition, the chemical bal-

ance of the swimming pool

water cannot be maintained by

adding pool chemicals on de-

mand. SPC Abbas needs to

regularly test the pool water

and adjust the levels, by add-

ing pool chemicals, according

to the results of the pool water

tests. SPC Abbas states that

“A regular swimming pool

maintenance program can help

to prevent swimming pool

problems and avoid pool wa-

ter problems. Prevention is

better than cure, and makes

for much easier pool mainte-

nance.” SPC Abbas checks

the pH everyday and makes

sure the pH remains at 7.5

which keeps the chlorine 50-

60% active. Keeping the pH

in check allows the full poten-

tial of the chlorine to work in

keeping the pool clean.

SPC Baraa Abbas’ job of

maintaining all of the fire

points and water pumps on

Camp Nathan Smith is just as

critical as the pool. His job

often goes unnoticed but one

can debate that it is one of the

most important jobs on CNS

in supporting the 204th BSB

Mayor Cell and the Warhorse

Brigade.

KANDA-

H A R ,

Afghani-

stan—

Yes, the

pool at

C a m p

N a t h a n

S m i t h

(CNS) is

one of the main things that

people from other FOBs talk

about most. However, what

is not talked about is how the

pool is maintained. Some

may think it is contracted out

or local nationals are the

ones cleaning the pool.

Well, the answer is neither.

SPC Baraa Abbas from A

CO, 204th BSB, 2-4ID is the

man behind the scenes that is

keeping the pool at CNS

clean and able to swim in. In

addition to his pool cleaning

duties at CNS, more impor-

tantly, SPC Abbas is in

charge of maintaining all of

the fire points and water

pumps on all of Camp Na-

than Smith.

SPC Abbas’ job at CNS is

critical to ensuring safety

R O U G H R I D E R C O N N E C T I O N

(From Logistical Specialists)

-tary Licenses list all the dif-

ferent types of military vehi-

cles that a Soldier can drive.

It is very essential that the

military vehicles driven by

military personnel are in good

standing condition and have

had the required maintenance

checks. PLL keeps record of

how much mileage each vehi-

cle has and how much longer

it can be driven before a main-

tenance check is needed.

"Keeping track of the main-

tenance records for a vehicle

is one of our top priorities,“

says SPC Jackson. Ensuring

that the vehicle is in good

operating condition is to

help ensure the safety of the

Soldier driving the vehicle.

There are many facets to

the overall job of a PLL

shop. SGT Ochoa, CPL Ellis

and SPC Jackson work

many hours a day to ensure

that the rest of the sections

in Bravo Company and the

Battalion can accomplish

their individual missions.

The PLL Shop takes their

job very seriously, because

they know that without

parts to help things run

many vehicles would not

function. They know that

deployed missions are very

important, and they strive

to do what they can to

make sure missions are not

jeopardized.

By CPT Austin Luher, A Company Commander

“Prevention is better

than cure.”

SPC Jackson processes paper-

work to ensure the proper parts

get to the right customers.

P A G E 5

By CPT Jessica

Maxim, Charlie Com-

pany Commander

KANDAHAR, Af-

ghanistan—

In the past month, the

females of Charlie

Company, 204th Bri-

gade Support Battalion

(BSB), 2nd Brigade

Combat Team (BCT),

4th Infantry Division

(ID) have provided

cultural support for

Combined Task Force

(TF) Spartan with the

10th Mountain Divi-

sion and TF Bison from 2BCT

4ID through twenty-seven mis-

sions. During these missions, the

female Soldier patrols with units

comprised of male Soldiers to

locations in and around Kandahar

City, Afghanistan. The female

Soldier aids in providing security

for and conducting searches of the

local women for items of potential

interest. She is ultimately respon-

sible for the safety of the women

and children if the situation would

become dangerous.

SPC Jessica Malbrough, a

68W, Combat Medic with Charlie

Company explains her experience

of providing support during pa-

trols, “I get to interact with the

local population and directly con-

tribute to detaining HVTs (high

value targets) that will eventually

aid in the safety of the people of

Afghanistan. These patrols are

the highlight of my deployment!”

SPC Luana Cruz adds her ex-

perience, “Tracking HVTs through

the city is a huge rush. I love being

able to execute Warrior Tasks and

Drills in a combat environment and

applying all the training we have

received.” SPC Cruz is a 74D,

Charlie Company’s Nuclear, Bio-

logical and Chemical (NBC) Spe-

cialist.

More recently, SGT Katyusck

DeBlanc and SGT Michelle Grace

have been selected from Charlie

Company to provide cultural sup-

port to TF Spartan located at Kan-

dahar Airfield (KAF). Other fe-

male Soldiers of Charlie Company

provide cultural support for mis-

sions originating at Camp Nathan

Smith (CNS) with TF Bison.

By SGT Harold Self, Helicopter

Landing Zone NCOIC

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan—

In accordance with the standard op-

erating procedures (SOP), this is a

four-man operation with two NCO’s

and two Soldiers. For the past

month and a half, the helicopter

landing zone (HLZ) has been run by

two Rough Riders, SGT Harold Self

from Headquarters and Headquar-

ters Company (HHC) and SPC

David Sharp from Alpha Company,

on call 24-hours a day. Besides the

scheduled flights, they man the HLZ

f o r m e d i c a l e v a c u a t i o n s

(MEDEVACs) and VIP visits that

may arrive to FOB Walton (such as

the recent visit by Secretary of De-

fense Robert Gates). The overall

mission is safety and speed.

On a regular day at the HLZ,

they arrive before dawn and start

with radio checks with the main

radios in the tactical operations cen-

ter (TOC) where they maintain com-

munication throughout the opera-

tion. They then walk the HLZ and

pick up any trash that may have

blown onto it to ensure the rotors

don’t spin up and injure anyone in

the area. After they police the area,

they do a roll call and have all the po-

tential passengers line up with their

gear. The passengers then receive a

brief on required personal protective

equipment and how to safely enter the

aircraft, as well as the emergency pro-

cedures should an accident occur.

It is important that the crew and

passengers do not delay the mission.

The arriving passengers sign in with

the HLZ crew and are assisted in their

link-up with respective personnel on

FOB Walton.

Some of the more notable missions

were not only for the Secretary of De-

fense Robert Gates, but also some Af-

ghan Army Generals. The HLZ crew

also pulled security on Mr. Secretary’s

aircraft while he spoke to the Soldiers

on the FOB.

To date, the crew has assisted over

1,230 passengers during more than

125 touch downs.

SPC Luana Cruz poses next to Afghan children during a patrol.

Female Cultural Support from Charlie Company

FOB Walton’s Helicopter Landing Zone Crew

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 4

SGT Self goes over the flight schedule with Mr.

Lionel Duckworth, an Army Veteran that works

for DynCorps on FOB Walton, while SPC

Sharp monitors the radio for an incoming flight.