0 Comments
A CHRISTMAS PRAYERThe little boy lay snuggly in bed dreaming his little boy dreams. Thoughts of Santa, reindeer, and toys were at the top of his list it seemed. But just before he fell asleep these words came from his heart. Under the covers safe and warm you could hear his simple prayer start.
"God, please bless all the soldiers who are fighting so far away. Keep them safe and hold them tight they won't be home Christmas Day." Across the town in a nursing home Soldiers shared many stories Of Normandy, Germany and Korea - their victories and their glories. They spoke of the troops overseas empathy covered each word. As they sat to eat their evening meal their brotherly prayer could be heard. "God, please bless all the soldiers who are fighting so far away. Keep them safe and hold them tight they won't be home Christmas Day." On Christmas Eve a mother is busy there is so much that's yet to be done. She's grateful her hands are not idle but her thoughts still drift to her son. The Army will be serving him dinner tomorrow on Christmas Day. Overseas he is serving his country as she works, you hear her heart say. "God, please bless all the soldiers who are fighting so far away. Keep them safe and hold them tight they won't be home Christmas Day." Across the seas he awoke on Christmas thinking home looked nothing like this. But care packages sent from family and friends helped fill gaps in the things that he missed. The mess hall was filled with a holiday meal as the troops each bowed and prayed. One soldier stood and took the lead at other posts his words were replayed. "God, please bless friends and family who are safe so far away. They are the reason we're serving our hearts are home Christmas Day." Echo Co, 1-506th IN “Wolfpack” OEF December Update
Family, Friends, and Sponsors, Thank you all for your support and sacrifice on the behalf of our Soldiers. The holidays are usually the most difficult time to be away from loved ones, but your presence was felt as we celebrated with our family here. Letter to Citizens of Holmdel Township, New JerseyIncredible letter written by one of our adopted unit's Commander (Alpha Company, 1ST Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division) sent to their adopted city with their photos in Iraq. To: Citizens of Holmdel Township, New Jersey From: Alpha Company, 1ST Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
That is not possible. What is possible is to put a smile on their faces, if only for a few moments. You know how excited you get when you open up your gifts on Christmas morning and find Play Stations, bicycles or that gift that youbve been waiting for all year. The same excitement is displayed here in Iraq when these children open up a box of crayons or a soccer ball. Even my Paratroopers are rewarded by playing Santa Claus for a few moments. In my opinion, it is critical to our safety to turn the area that is in close proximity friendly by gaining the trust of the local population.
Always know that you are all the reason we do what we do; please accept this letter and pictures of our company as our token of appreciation for all that you and your families do. Thank you for your support and God Speed.
COB SPEICHER, Iraq--It was another dirty day as Blackjack Soldiers of the 426th Brigade Support Battalion, gathered their tools and readied themselves for battle. Day in and day out, Blackjack Soldiers keep the Bastogne Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division in the fight. They are maintainers, mechanics, and repairmen by trade but warriors at heart. For more than a year now, Blackjack Soldiers have been keeping Taskmaster trucks on the road to success. The Bastogne Soldiers recently received a heavy equipment transport truck brought in by a retrieval crew to have its engine serviced. Staff Sgt. Steven Miller, senior mechanic, Blackjack Company, said our civilian contractors can take up to 43 days to repair the engine. Intead of waiting that long, we took it upon ourselves to take on the task to deliver this vehicle to our Soldiers in shorter period of time. Blackjack mechanics knew this was a challenge, but they were more than ready for it. They have dealt with harder tasks in the past and this was no different. “We’re going to plan on doing this in about 10 days,” said Miller. “The civilian guys here can do it in 43 days; we are going to beat that by a long shot”, he said as the four Soldiers began turning wrenches on the vehicle. Sgt. 1st Class William Adams, Maintenance Control Sergeant of Blackjack Company said, “We recently started a night crew to help get this equipment up and running.” Spc. Caolab Harvey and Spc. Joshua Coffman have done a lot of work on this HETT at night and deserve a lot of credit, said Moffett. Staging at night made it easier so the company could have their trucks the next day said Adams. Before removing the engine out of the HETT, Miller said it takes 13 hours to remove the cab and an additional 27 to 30 hours to remove the engine and transmission. Miller said we support the entire brigade.” HETTs, POS’s, and mission vehicles take priority. We’ve got to get these trucks on the road so the Infantry guys can get the materials they need to continue their mission, said Spc. Steven Robertson, Mechanic, Blackjack Company Robertson. “It’s amazing that we have been able to accomplish what we have with 94 people to keep our Alpha company running strong with their mission,” said Adams. The crew successfully removed the engine from its home, placed it on the ground safely, and immediately began work on it. “It came out nice and easy,” said Moffett. Adams said, “They are a pretty tight knit group. I’m very proud of them. Even though they only got a few months to go. They are still pushing hard. Everything they were taught, they will continue their efforts throughout their military career.” Due to the efforts of these Soldiers, Alpha company will have its HETT up and running, and the Brigade can take to heart that these mechanics help ensure the mission’s success. Spc. Steven Robertson and Spc. Julian Moffett, Blackjack Company, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, place chains around the main parts of a heavy equipment transport truck’s engine in order to lift it out and begin maintenance on it.
Linda, what an awesome town Middletown, NJ is! I was able to bring my 1SG and two FRG representatives up there as well. The Mayor escorted us around the city. We were able to meet with the VFW, Ladies Auxiliary, Fire Chief, Police Chief, EMS reps, and many others from that community. We look forward to the relationship that we are continually building with them. We were so fortunate to have conducted a face to face with them. Photos - Cindy Herrschaft was the primary photographer while we were visiting. I will contact her regarding posting them on the web or sending a few via email. Thank you again for you time and dedication to the ASA program. We are so blessed to have an American like you that is looking out for the well being of our entire armed services. Talk to you later, Mike DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS, 1st BATTALION, 327th INFANTRY
101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION (AIR ASSAULT) “ABOVE THE REST” |
Categories |