Highlander Family, Sincerely, Ruddie Ibanez Captain, Field Artillery Company Commander

2ND BRIGADE SPECIAL

TROOPS BATTALION,

2ND BRIGADE

COMBAT TEAM,

10TH MTN DIV

(LIGHT INFANTRY) 30 JAN 2012 BATTALION NEWS

Helpful Phone

Numbers: HHC Company Commander

CPT McCall

HHC Company 1SG 1SG Ward

772-4509

A. Company Commander

CPT Boyles

Alpha Company 1SG 1SG Volz

772-7410

B. Company Commander

CPT Keay

Bravo Company 1SG

1SG Pasol 772-7412

C. Company Commander

CPT Remillard

Charlie Company 1SG

SFC Gruby 772-7429

HHC BDE Company

Commander

CPT Freeburg

HHC BDE Company 1SG

1SG Maciag 772-2492

Battalion Staff Duty:

772-5100

Brigade Staff Duty:

774-2199

FRSA:

Decima Chiasson 772-9166

Who’s Who

In the FRG

Advisors

Amy Cox

HHC FRG Leaders

Lori Bogutskie

Alpha FRG Leaders

Kim Boyles

Bravo FRG Leaders

Stephanie Burke

Jennifer Limerick

Charlie FRG Leader

Teri Remillard HHC 2BCT FRG

Leader

Sarah Freeburg

You can make a difference in your

FRG! Call your FRG Leader

to volunteer or for

more information.

Please let the FRG know if you have

moved or changed phone numbers so we

can keep our records up to date!

Thank You!

Headquarters, 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)

10120 North Riva Ridge Loop Fort Drum NY 13602

30 January 2012

Letter to the 2

nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion Family and Friends:

I hope everyone enjoyed our well earned Holiday block leave and the Holidays with your Families and friends. The North Country winter has finally here. Please ensure that your vehicles are win-terized and be prepared for future colder temperatures and lake effect snow storms. We have been fortunate thus far as this North Country winter has been mild. The Battalion is conducting final training and preparations for our March Rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. As we prepare for JRTC, it is just as important for our Families to prepare. Many of the companies have had Family Readiness Group (FRG) meetings involving the Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) and the financial MFLC. The Battalion JRTC pre-deployment brief is scheduled for the 16

th of February at 3 PM in the Multi Pur-

pose Auditorium (MPA). There will be a flyer circulated soon with this information. The pre-deployment brief will provide you with information such as the dates Soldiers depart and return, the training area they are deploying to, and Fort Drum resources available. Please take the time to join us for this briefing and ask questions that you may have. On the 18

th of January we had the opportunity to thank one of our FRG volunteers at the Division

Volunteer of the Month Ceremony, Mrs. Jennifer Limerick, Bravo Company FRG Leader. A special thank you to Jennifer for all that she has done for the Badgers and others. I am truly grateful for everyone who steps up to volunteer in the FRG as they provide invaluable help for our Soldiers and Family members. The Battalion executed Range week from 23 to 27 January. Great work from all the companies ensuring that our Soldiers qualified and re-qualified on their assigned weapons. Congratulations to SSG Carrizales from our DFAC section for the highest qualification on the M4 Rifle. HHC MPs and CBRN security section executed close quarters marksmanship and situational training exercises, while the Sappers continued their preparations to execute route clearance patrols at JRTC. Char-lie Company executed a series of communications exercises to prepare to install and operate the Brigade’s communications network. Lastly, Bravo Company supported 2-14 IN with unmanned aerial vehicle support, the HUMINT platoon received outstanding training and provided our fellow battalions with capabilities briefs, the SIGINT Platoon continued certification and preparation for JRTC, and the ISR Platoon continued their study of our future operational environment. February will prove to be a busy month as we load out our equipment and prepare to “get after it” at JRTC. Gladiator Soldiers and Families continue to inspire me every day with your steadfast dedication to our Nation, Army, and fellow Soldiers. Strength and Honor! RHETT R. COX LTC, MI Commanding

27 January 2012 Dear Sapper Families and Friends, I am very happy to have the entire company back together following a much needed Christmas vacation. January has been a very busy month, as our Sappers have participated in multiple qualification ranges as well as several platoon training events, most notably 1st Platoon’s Land Navigation training a couple weeks ago. The Family Readiness Group reconvened to talk about the upcoming JRTC deployment and several of the services provided by our Military Family Life Consultant, Marsha Caraway, and the Fort Drum ACS. It was great to see everyone again and we look forward to spending time together in the New Year. We hope to have a family day sometime in March while the company is deployed to JRTC. The company also had the opportunity to promote several Soldiers from the rank of E1 to E2, as well as E3. It is always a good day when our Soldiers get recognized for their hard work and dedication. In family news, two Mountain Sapper spouses welcomed newborns to their families since our last update. Eric and Tara Fjalstad welcomed their daughter Isabelle to the world on December 18th and just yesterday Brenton and Meghan Winterbower had their son William. Congratulations from all of us in Alpha Company. Until next time, Mountain Sappers!

CHESTER D. BOYLES CPT, EN Commanding

Page 2

HHC BRIGADE COMPANY

27 January 2012 HHC/2BCT Soldiers and Families, Time has flown since the last time I wrote. The first month of 2012 is almost behind us. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season. The train continues to move at a high rate of speed as we’re currently gearing up for a rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, LA. Our Brigade Staff is in the planning phase and as we head into February, the company will focus on equipment pack up and load out. More predictable timelines will be published as we get closer to our JRTC departure date. All I can accu-rately state at this time is that we’ll be gone for the majority of March. We are also having a Company FRG meeting and bowling event at the Pine Plains Bowling Center on 09 February 2012. Price is $1 per person. For more information you can contact my wife, Sarah, at 915-588-8052. V/R, MATTHEW W. FREEBURG CPT, AD Commanding

ALPHA COMPANY

23 January 2012 To the Badger’s and their Families, The month of January has been nothing short of demanding since we’ve come back from block leave. Our first week upon return consisted mostly of gathering ourselves back into the daily battle rhythm of work and figuring out where we actually left off last year. We also conducted PRT twice a day in an attempt to regain our forward progress of physical fitness before two weeks of vacation. It helped, but physical fitness continues to be an uphill battle with our organization as a whole. Leaders in this Company strive every day to help and encourage our younger Soldiers, but it isn’t always easy and it surely isn’t a quick fix. But it is part of our number one priority here, readiness to deploy. Perhaps GEN Dempsey, the 37th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it best “Upon notification to deploy I was able to requisition nearly everything my unit needed. What I couldn’t requisition was trust, discipline, and fitness. These qualities have to exist in every unit and in every Soldier of our Army all the time.” Readiness also entails quality time with family (the vacation was long, but very needed) and training, which we eventually got to. After the first week we received word that the March JRTC training opportunity was solidified for 2-10 MTN and we continued right where we left off. UAS has been supporting 2-14 IN (one of our maneuver battalions) during their Platoon level live fire exercises throughout this month and working long hard nights. When weather doesn’t allow flight, they continue their operators progression with a simulator from Huntsville, AL, in order to ensure they have the proper crew endurance to support the BCT’s expectation for JRTC. SIGINT has been ensuring their equipment is ready to train on for March and following up on all training requirements. IEW has been supporting throughout this process. ISR continues to be the Brigae’s think tank and is already setting the conditions for our JRTC rotation by providing the senior leadership information on the operational environment. HUMINT has reached a culminating two week course that the Army Operations Group is conducting. They are receiving training from all facets of HUMINT, from understanding the legalities of interrogations, to cultural integration with the Afghan populace, to interpersonal skills for their collectors. Last to mention is our HQ’s Soldiers, they continue to help me keep this machine running, ensuring that your Soldiers receive the resources and support they need for successful and effective training to accomplish our mission. I look forward to finishing up January and moving into February as our FRG leaders have put some great events on our Calendar. Until next write up, V/R CPT Keay, Barclay Commander, B Co/2 BSTB

Page 3 BRAVO COMPANY

Page 4

CHARLIE COMPANY

20 January 2012 Dear Families and Friends, I would like to take this time to welcome everyone back from block leave. I hope that this time with your Sol-dier was a great and much needed break for the holidays. Currently the Company is participating in the training necessary to be proficient in our assigned duties prior to our deployment to JRTC in March. Many Cobras are conducting training to remain proficient in their re-spective skill sets, dealing with satellites to computers and phones, but most importantly how to get every-thing to work together. They are doing great and we as a Company are on track for a successful JRTC rota-tion. Due to the amount of people leaving our formation, the company is going to start relying on its more jun-iors Soldiers to get the network architecture up and running. I believe they are up for the task, and it will be a great learning experience for all. Speaking of the departure of so many Soldiers, in recent weeks there have been new spouses appointed to key FRG positions and I would like to take this time to thank them for volunteering. The names are as fol-lows: Tina McCLendon – HQ Key Caller Heather Rector – 1st Platoon Key Caller Wendy Greene – 2nd Platoon Key Caller Lisa Distenfield – Treasurer Samantha Gruby – Assistant Treasurer The following Soldiers will be leaving the Cobras in the upcoming month and we wish them the best of luck in all their future endeavors: SGT Corey Boucher SGT Brandon Cathey SPC Jeremy Kaiser SPC Joshua Newill Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Sincerely, Frank D. Remillard CPT, SC Commanding

23 January 2012 Avenger Family and Friends, Thank you for another successful month of training. It’s been hectic since our last newsletter just after Christmas. Since the last update, we’ve returned from block leave and conducted a variety of training events. From January 17th to January 19th, we conducted High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced humvee) Egress Assistance Training (HEAT). This training takes place in a full size mock-up of armored vehicles that we often use while deployed. Soldiers receive training on what to do if their vehicle turns on its side or upside down, and how to safely exit the vehicle. This is a critical and lifesaving skill, as bad roads and IEDs can sometimes manage to flip our vehicles when on patrol. Over 100 Soldiers participated in the training, and we’ll hold it again prior to deployments. In addition, we utilized the Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) to hold marksmanship training and “shoot/no-shoot” training for the military police. The system allows Soldiers to use mock weapons to engage targets on a screen. The system is hooked up to an air compressor to simulate recoil, and the hits on screen are recorded. This allows Soldiers to practice marksmanship without using real bullets, and is a great way to train when the weather makes it difficult to train outside. In addition to marksmanship training, the MPs also used the EST to train on police marksmanship in a variety of settings. The EST even has scenarios involving actors on screen, to add realism. Finally, the company conducted several firing ranges. Prior to the range, Soldiers conducted preliminary marksmanship instruction (PMI) to review marksmanship fundamentals before going to the range the following week. This training acts as a refresher, especially for Soldiers who don’t go to ranges often. We utilized the classroom in our maintenance building, a former storage room that we are cleaning and improving to make it a quality classroom for Soldiers. This week, we’re conducting a qualification range on the M4 and M320, as well as training on the M9 pistol, M249, M240 and M2 at ranges run by A/2BSTB. It should be a good training week and a chance for Soldiers to do what they joined the Army to do. I look forward to seeing all of you at the Battalion Pre-Deployment brief at the Multi-Purpose Auditorium, at 1500 on February 16th. Very Respectfully, CPT McCall Commanding HHC 2BSTB

Page 5

HHC 2BSTB

20 January 2012 Hello all, Why Church? A while back one of my sons asked me, “Why do I need to go to Church when I already know everything?” I thought it was a valid question and I told him that I would get back to him on it. As I thought about the purpose of Church I realized that so many Churches put such an emphasis on instructing and teaching that we lose sight of the greater purposes of Church. As I pondered further, I asked myself the question that I hear from so many, “Why do I need to go to Church when I can worship God just fine by myself.” If you feel that Church is simply educational or for the purpose of talking to God then there really is no point in going to Church because those things do not require a community and can be done individually. Moreover, Church is not simply a service organization. My neighbor is an atheist and he snowplowed my drive for me the other day. He was acting more like a Christian than most professed Christians or Church goers. So what makes Church a special place. There are different answers to this for different denominations. For Catholics and other sacramental denominations, Church is the only place that you can find the saving ordinances and authorized priesthood authority to perform those sacraments. And through the communion we can become one with God. I encourage you to go back to Church for the communion and ritual. For Pentecostals and Evangelicals, Church is a special community that can invite the Spirit of the Lord with miraculous manifestation. These manifestations of the Spirit come with more efficacies when the congregation is united in praise. I encourage you to go back to Church to feel the power and love of the Lord in a unique way. As we go to Church to partake of the ordinances and feel the love and power of the Lord through community, greater knowledge will come to us, greater experiential worship will occur, and greater opportunities to serve and be served will arise. The final result is a happier and more fulfilled individual and family. The final result is peace and assurance. Obviously, this is a limited Christian perspective on faith and religion and has the flaws of generalizations and lack of inclusiveness. I encourage you to look past any flaws in thought and look to the intent of the message. Godspeed,

Chaplain James Willis

Page 6

A Word from the Chaplain

TRAINING INFORMATION

MOBILIZATION AND DEPLOYMENT (YOU MUST CALL TO RSVP 772-0470)

FRG Leader : MAR 08 0900-1300 ACS

Key Caller: FEB 14 1400-1530 or 1700-1830 ACS

MAR 15 1000-1130 or 1400-1530 ACS

Informal Funds: MAR 08 1400-1500 or 1700-1800 ACS

Care Team Training: FEB 21 0900-1230 ACS

OpSec for Families: FEB 27 1300-1230 ACS

AFTB (YOU MUST RSVP TO 772-6710/9229)

Level 3 FEB 15-16 0900-1600 ACS

Stress Management - For more information, call 772-0593.

FEB 07 1330-1530 ACS

Anger Management - For more information, call 772-0593.

FEB 21 1330-1530 ACS

Conflict Resolution - For more information, call 772-0593.

MAY 29 1330-1530 ACS

WHAT IS HAPPENING: