1/34 BSTB January Newsletter

Wild Times 1/34 BSTB January 2012

Vol 2, No. 9

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Soldiers Earn Degrees While Deployed Camp Arifjan, Kuwait (January 15, 2012) History is showing that the job market in today’s economy has seen better days. Many people in the United States are out of work and it is difficult to find a job with good pay and benefits. While on deployment, soldiers in the Army National Guard have a steady paycheck and benefits while on a deployment. But

what happens when they return home and their military obligation goes back to one weekend a month, and two weeks in the summer? The 1/34 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, currently deployed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, will be heading back to Minnesota in late spring. Approximately 50 percent of the soldiers in the Bloomington, Minn. based unit, do not have a job waiting for them at home. Many soldiers have been using their free time, and military college benefits while deployed to take online classes in order to earn a college degree. They know that having a degree will help to get a good job upon returning home. Spc. Melissa Rolfes, a Billeting Specialist from Coon Rapids, Minn. says “I decided to take classes while deployed to get a jump start on my bachelor’s degree.” Spc. Rolfes takes online classes at American Military University, where she majors in Criminal Justice. During the course of her deployment, Spc. Rolfes will have completed 16 credit hours towards her degree. Several other members of the 1/34 Brigade Special Troops Battalion are taking online classes through American Military University who cater to deployed service members. The college mails free text books to Army Post Office addresses and allows flexible schedules to allow soldiers to focus on mission first. The company commander, Capt. Chris Lotzow of Eagan, Minn. is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Intelligence Studies. Sgt. 1st Class Brittany Thingvold, Sr. Human Resources Sergeant, Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team will have completed at least 15 credit hours towards

finishing her bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Sgt. 1st Class Thingvold would ultimately like to earn a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management for employment after she retires from the military. “The National Guard has the advantage of an array different civilian experience levels and I have received some assistance from teachers and other subject matter experts – it’s incredible to see everyone reach out and offer help” said Thingvold from Waverly, Minn. Spc. Rolfes says she chose to attend American Military University because she “like(s) the option of a 16 week or 8 week course.” Several soldiers are also taking online courses at schools that are closer to home. A few attend Metropolitan State

University in St. Paul, Minn. Sgt. Kassandra Rutherford is working

towards her Master’s Certificate in Information Assurance. Sgt.

Rutherford earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Metro State so she

decided to go for her Master’s at the same school. 1st Lt. Mark

Griebel, a resident of South Dakota, is working on his Master’s in

Education Technology through the University of South Dakota. When

the soldiers who attend a local university get home and the new school

year starts, they have the option to return to a traditional classroom

environment to finish their degrees or just pick up where they left off

with their online education.

By: Sgt. Lindsay L. Mackie


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January 2012

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Fire in the Hole!

Udari Range, Kuwait (December 28, 2011) – It was a

cool windy morning on the 28th of December, 2011

when the 788th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)

Company, stationed out of Fort Campbell, KY, started

their operation at Udari Range in northwest Kuwait.

The 788th EOD Company’s mission was to help the

Kuwait military destroy ordnance that has been in

inventory for over thirty years according to 788th

EOD Commander Capt. Amir Abu-Akeel.

The 788th EOD Company worked with the Kuwait

Ground Forces EOD unit commanded by Capt.

Michal, as well as a civilian who works for the Kuwait

government named Claude Doppagne to arrange the

Kuwait facilities needed to dispose of the code H

ordnance. Code H means that the ordnance is no longer serviceable and needs to be de-militarized. On December

28th, there were five holes in the desert that would be filled with 500 pounds of code H ordnance to be detonated in

each hole.

While destroying a large amount of explosives may seem like an easy task, it takes a lot of training, practice, and

experience to detonate it safely and effectively. The 788th EOD Company has been in Kuwait for three months and

they have been gaining extraordinary experience in their EOD teams.

Spc. Matthew Geier was in charge of constructing one of the five stacks of ordnance to be disposed of. The ordnance

to be destroyed included high explosive rounds, white phosphorous rounds, and British bar mines. Spc. Geier had to

ensure that all of the ordnance was stacked neatly and in the correct position in order for it all to be destroyed once the

stack was detonated.

Once all five of the holes were filled, the EOD technicians placed one block of Composition 4 (C4) to initiate the

detonation of the old weaponry. Once the range noncommissioned officer in charge, Staff Sgt. Jonathon Guisto, made

sure that all five detonation locations were properly stacked, connected to the detonator, and all personnel were out of

the area, he moved to a pre determined location were the 788th EOD Company used a radio controlled detonator to

initiate the 5 detonations in sequence.

Staff Sgt. James Van Elsacker was the range safety officer (RSO) that day. Once Staff Sgt. Guisto gave the RSO the

green light, Staff Sgt. Van Elsacker took accountability to make sure all personnel were present and at a safe distance

from the detonation site. The remote detonators were

armed and after calling, “FIRE IN THE HOLE, FIRE IN

THE HOLE, FIRE IN THE HOLE” the first site

exploded in large cloud of fire, dust, and smoke.

After the fifth and final detonation, Staff Sgt. Guisto and

Staff Sgt. Van Elsacker went to the detonation sites to

ensure that all ordnance was disposed of and there was no

longer any dangerous materials left in the area.

The 788th EOD Company is stationed out of Fort

Campbell, KY and is attached to the Brigade Special

Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team for their

mobilization.

by: 1st Lt. Aaron Rindahl

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1/34 BSTB Soldiers, families and friends we are definitely on the home stretch of our deployment. One

constant message we tell the Soldiers is to be safe. Accidents seem to increase towards the end of an exercise

and/or deployment. Stop, think, slow down and re-think before you act. The same goes for the families back

home. As we get closer to returning, take extra precautions as you drive and go about your daily business.

Your Soldiers here have been very busy over the past 30 days and it will continue to ramp upwards as we

work through the next 90. We will be losing the Soldiers who stayed on from the previous deployment to

work with us in the days to come. Best of luck to all of you.

THANK YOU for your hard work. If you want to be a Red

Bull, give me a call we'll find a home for you. Welcome to

the 569th Dive Team replacing the 7th. I am sure your

deployment will be just as rewarding as it was for the 7th

Dive. We're looking forward to working with you.

Stay focused everyone. Work hard and be safe.

CSM Bruce Stowe

1/34 BSTB

Command Sergeant Major

Friends, Families and Soldiers of the Brigade Special Troops Battalion,

Planning. As the 1st Brigade and the 1/34 BSTB enter the final 100 days of our deployment the theme is

planning. Planning to prepare for the unit that will take over the mission from us. Planning to get all of

our Soldiers and equipment from Kuwait back to Minnesota in an orderly manner. Planning for the 30,

60 and 90 day reintegration events. Plus there's a lot of planning that's taking place on a personal level —

plans for family vacations, plans to start or return to college, plans to return to work or look for a new job

to name a few.

As your plan and prepare for our return home I would offer a few bits of advice. First, be realistic with

your expectations. Don't assume that everything is going to be a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting.

Next, be flexible. The Soldier that deployed nine months ago has changed and so has the family that

stayed behind. Be mindful of these changes and be prepared for some give and take when making

decisions. Finally, take it easy and be safe. Wear your seatbelts. Don't drink and drive. Wear your

protective gear when motorcycling. Don't try to catch up on all the things you missed in the first couple

months that you're home.

The Family Readiness Academies that are coming up the

first two weekends in March are a great opportunity to

help you plan and prepare for our return. Please contact

your FRG leader for more info.

Thanks for everything you do!

Ante Up -- All In!

Lieutenant Colonel Gary Mundfrom


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January 2012

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Kuwaiti Engagement

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Sergeants Time Training

Camp Arifjan, Kuwait (Jan. 22, 2012) – While the Minnesota based Brigade

Special Troops Battalion’s soldiers are busy maintaining the grounds and

providing life support for the thousands of troops that occupy Zone 6 of Camp

Arifjan Kuwait; four hours every Wednesday, it is back to the basics. Required

Sergeant’s time training is in full force with a wide array of topics that cover

weapons qualification, to equal opportunity training to Army warrior tasks. It

is vital for soldiers to maintain the mandatory standards that the Army

requires even while deployed in support of a contingency operation.

Besides qualifying on Kuwaiti weapons ranges with different weapons systems,

throwing hand grenades, individual movement techniques – the things we first

learned in basic combat training, the troops have had the great opportunity to

gain knowledge on personal and professional development. The level of

civilian and military experience the Brigade Special Troops Battalion has is tremendous that has helped

many citizen soldiers in different areas. Capt. Carl Thunem, Contracting Officer Representative, Brigade

Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team of Minneapolis, Minn. instructed a class on building a

résumé and has since gone even further to reach out to employers within Minnesota to expose the

Minnesota National Guard soldiers and their experience. “I think it's very important to do what we can to

prepare Soldiers for success after this deployment” said Thunem.

Keeping strong bonds with family and friends back home is as important in keeping in tune with the

mission the Army has presented to the soldiers. Master Sgt. Brian Newcomer, Operations Sergeant, Brigade

Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team of Anoka, Minn. instructed mandated Resilience training

to the Soldiers of the Brigade Special Troops Battalion and has certified 19 Resilience Training Assistants.

Being one the master resilience trainers of the state of Minnesota, he helped soldiers convey their top

strengths in life and use them to their advantage while also being able to identify weaknesses with an end

result of comprehensive soldier fitness. “Resilience training is sergeants’ business. We need to train and

empower our first line leaders to give soldiers tools that can help them when times are tough. Resilience

training is not a sign of the Army getting soft, it’s a sign of the Army adapting to the changing needs of our

soldiers in order to accomplish the mission. In fact, resilient soldiers are capable of withstanding the mental

rigors of difficult situations more effectively than less resilient

soldiers” said Newcomer. The Army has focused a higher level of

awareness and training on mental health more than ever with the

increased suicides since the beginning of the war on terror. Suicide

prevention/awareness, sexual harassment and equal opportunity

are all amongst ongoing training the Brigade Special Troops

Battalion has instructed.

Other training the battalion has completed include classification,

leader development, Army physical fitness and drug testing, award

writing, react to contact, move under fire drills and several safety

exercises and training.

By: Sgt 1st Class Brittany Thingvold

The Army Family Readiness Group (Army FRG)

website provides a secure environment in which

information, resources, and support are available to

Soldiers and their Family Members 24 hours a day,

regardless of their geographic location. The 1/34

BSTB vFRG site promotes a community feeling by

providing a place that is customized to the Battalion

and contains content that is controlled at the Battal-

ion and unit levels. Army FRG website provides all

of the functionality of a traditional FRG in an ad-

hoc and on-line setting to meet the needs of geo-

graphically dispersed units and families across all

components of the Army. A homepage is dedicated

to each company in the Battalion for unit specific

information and events.

SIGN UP FOR THE VIRTUAL FRG SECURE WEBSITE

1. Go to http://www.armyfrg.org

2. Click “Find an FRG”

3. On the map click “Minnesota”

4. Click on 1/34 BSTB

5. Choose to subscribe as a Soldier or family member.

6. If you are subscribing as a Soldier, once your account is set up

you can invite family members or loved ones to the website. All

you need is their name and email address. They will be approved

automatically.

7. If you are subscribing as a family member and your Soldier has

not registered you will need your Soldiers full first and last name

and the last 4 digits of their SSN. The vFRG administrator will

need to verify the information before approving and granting

access.

8. Once your subscription is approved, login at

http://www.armyfrg.org.

9. Select “1/34 BSTB” from drop down box and click “View”

1/34 BSTB vFRG Includes:

Unit Home Pages

Announcements

1/34 BSTB Calendar

Document Downloads

FAQs & Forums

Resource Links

News

Photo Galleries

Surveys

and MUCH MORE!!!

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

For updates and photos go to the link below and “like” our page to

get continuous updates on Soldiers in the 1/34 BSTB.

Check us out at the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/134-Brigade-Special-Troops-

Battalion/197347730301711


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Vol 2, No. 9

One of the best things the Army has done in the past 5 years is recognize the

importance of providing Servicemembers with resources related to healthy

relationships.

With apologies to David Letterman, I offer:

TOP 5 SIGNS YOUR RELATIONSHIP MAY BE IN TROUBLE

5. You've started sleeping in separate beds, in separate houses, in separate time zones

4. You're so unhappy together that the only thing that cheers you up is seeing the hilarious new movie "The

Break-Up," now playing at a theater near you

3. You look back at the drunken, bottle-throwing fights as "the good times"

2. Her response to your marriage proposal: "I guess."

1. She keeps asking, "Why can't you be more like Brad Pitt?"

Let’s be honest: Relationships are tough. Half of all marriages fail and most fail needlessly. Success and

contentment in relationships is often fleeting, which has a negative effect on units at home and those who are

deployed, hampering our ability to provide a competent, ready force for our state and nation. Married soldiers

often say with regret, “if I had only known more ahead of time…”

Strong Bonds Retreats are basic and straightforward. They have provided hundreds of Minnesota

Servicemembers with an educational and practical opportunity to learn what works in marriage and what

continues to make marriages last, focusing on communication skills. The weekend retreat is completely free and

held at beautiful local venues throughout Minnesota. We'll offer four

separate Strong Bonds retreats this summer.

In the past, Single Soldiers have felt overlooked when it came to

relationship resources. The good news on that front is that we’re

offering a free weekend in Brainerd for single soldiers this

September 7-9, 2012, with 30 slots still available for signup as of

late January.

To sign up for a Strong Bonds Retreat or for more information, see

your unit Chaplain, or visit http://www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/

strong-bonds-marriage-retreats.

If you keep doing what you've been doing, you're going to keep

getting what you've been getting. I strongly encourage you to engage

this free and helpful resource to keep you on the right path in a

crucial area of your life.

For God and Country, CH (MAJ) Buddy Winn

Chaplain’s Page

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http://www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/strong-bonds-marriage-retreats

http://www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/strong-bonds-marriage-retreats


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7th EDT Transfers Authority to the 569th EDT

CPT Sann and 1SG Baumgartner exchange departing gifts with LTC Mundfrom and CSM Stowe.

Pictured from left to right is 1SG Baumgartner (outgoing 1SG),

1SG Vance (incoming 1SG), CSM Stowe, LTC Mundfrom, CPT

Evans (incoming CDR) and CPT Sann (outgoing CDR).

Kuwait Living—Life as we know it


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January 2012

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Documents

1/34 BSTB January Newsletter