1. LONGRIFLEs WEEKLY
A publication of the 2/138th FAR March 8, 2013
Volume 1, Issue 20
CPT’s Corner Building Relationships and
Whether you have noticed it or not, the
end is nearing. Before you realize it, this
Building Africa
deployment will be over. There are many Story by Staff Sgt. Steve Tressler, 2-138th PAO
tasks that each of us have to accomplish. DJIBOUTI – If you were to meet Spc.
Mailing personal items, conducting turn- Christopher Durham, a Jessamine
ins, conducting inventories, and most of all County, Ky. native who now calls
the Relief in Place. So start planning. With redeployment Shelbyville his home, he may come
approaching, many full-time students must get their state across as an “awe-shucks” kind of
tuition waiver applications filed by April 1. The next deadline country boy, but don’t be fooled. I
everyone must meet is tax day, April 15. At least an extension mean that in a good way.
should be filed. But much more important information
will be briefed in these next few months. Post 911 GI Bill, Durham dropped out of Eastern
unemployment benefits, and VA medical claims are just a few High School (Louisville) in 1997,
that will affect many of us. Be very attentive during briefings but soon after received his GED.
to information that is disseminated. While that usually isn’t one of the ingredients that makes for
a good business, Durham has now owned his own successful
Many have already experienced changes in the daily schedule
and workplace. Embrace these changes and the days will construction company for 11 years.
fly by. Use your time wisely. Take college classes and Soon after receiving his GED he met a very special lady
do volunteer work if you can. Most importantly get rest. named Melissa. After nearly 10 years of dating they married
Everyone has noticed the slow increases in temperature. It and are the proud parents of four children; Merranda,
will continue to rise even past our departure. Rest and water PJ, Dalton, and Chloe. Two of the children were not his
consumption become very serious issues for all of us. We but he immediately fell in love with them, and like any
have been blessed with very moderate weather as of late but good construction project, Durham would build a strong
it will not continue. Drink water. It’s easier to fix a habit foundation. It was a labor of love that has already paid
now than later. ~Capt. James Riley dividends. “I really miss watching them play soccer, football
or going four-wheeling,” said Durham.
1SG Thoughts Generally people understand that Soldiers sacrifice a lot. They
With the end of deployment rapidly give up time with family, they miss birthdays, Christmas,
approaching, I’m hoping that every leader Thanksgiving, Valentine’s, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, etc.
has at least started thinking about their Durham is also sacrificing money, and plenty of it. “When
subordinate’s end-of-tour NCOER and you can’t be on-site to ensure some of the jobs are being
what needs to go on it. The NCOER is a done right, you don’t know if the customers are happy and
huge part of an NCOs career development, if the project is progressing the way it should” said Durham
and as leaders, we need to ensure that our NCOs are being “and sadly I’ve lost a few contracts because I wasn’t there to
properly evaluated to help develop strong leadership. Now uphold my name and reputation on the project.”
is a good time to utilize the DA 2166-8-1 during counseling
sessions so that your NCOs can track all of their achievements Is it worth it then? Durham smiles at the question and says
while they are still fresh in their minds. This also gives those yes, because of the project he’s involved with at the Caritas
NCOs who have not had the opportunity to write an NCOER Wound Clinic here in Africa, and the newfound appreciation
to know what is expected when rating another Soldier. he has for his wife’s role in his day-to-day business back
home.
With the changes to the Enlisted Promotion System, the
NCOER is more important than ever in the career of the “I’ve realized being here how much I relied on her there.
NCO. The NCOER will now be one of the defining factors Even now with paperwork and her help with schoolwork.”
used to determine where our NCOs fall in the order of merit. And not just the kids schoolwork either, but his as well.
As first line supervisors, we need to ensure that we are rating Besides 12-hour workdays here, volunteering on his days off,
all of our NCOs fairly in order to compete statewide for managing the day-to-day issues of having a business and
promotions. family back home, he has somehow found time to take four
~1st Sgt.Marty Cottrell CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 > > >

2. BUILDING RELATION- CONTINUED FROM P. 1 > > >
Soldier to Soldier
online college classes. • April 1st is the deadline for Soldiers planning on
Durham has been volunteering at the Caritas Wound using their State Tuition Assistance for the fall term.
Clinic, which didn’t have money to pay workers to build a To submit application, go to https://ky.ngb.army.mil/
new shower and awning. Durham volunteered to do it for
them and in the process has been mentoring 6 Djiboutian tuitionstudent/frmLogin.aspx
teenagers. He hopes they will use the skills he tought them • The deadline to file taxes is April 15. If you need
to improve their community for years to come. The boys to file for an extension, the website to do so is
are so grateful for this that Durham’s nickname from them CombatZone@irs.gov . You will need to state
translates to ‘our brother’ in English.
that you are a Soldier deployed to Djibouti and
When you tell Durham what a great job he’s doing he just qualify for combat zone tax exclusion, and you
smiles, drops his head a little bit and you can almost hear
are requesting an extension for filing and paying
him say “awe-shucks,” because to him he’s just trying to be a
good man and a good Soldier. your 2012 federal income tax. You will also need to
provide your full name, stateside address and zip
code from the last tax return you filed with the IRS,
DOB and date of deployment to combat zone area.
Chaplain Reflections
As Pope Benedict XVI retires from public
life, I think it is appropriate to recognize
his contributions. He is a champion of
religious freedom, and while in office, he
proclaimed loudly his declaration of faith.
DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti - Spc. Christopher Durham (L) volunteered to help the Caritas He refused to accept the status quo,
Wound Clinic here in Djibouti with building a shower and awning. Durham also supplied
his expertise and labor, and even trained any of the people from the community who wanted characterizing it as unacceptable, an
to learn construction at no charge. (Photo by Capt. Daniel Van Horn 2-138 FAR PAO) insult to God and to human dignity. Pope Benedict XVI
spoke out against the promotion of religious indifference
Quotations to live by... or practical atheism that has infested many countries.
Pope Benedict XVI harbored no doubts that “the most
• “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion”
everytime we fall.” -Confucius is under attack, and he fought against efforts to deny
• “Education is the mother of leadership.” - Wendell religious persons “the right of conscientious objection”
Willkie and the “worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to
mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for
• “Formula for success: under promise and over freedom of conscience.”
deliver.” - Tom Peters
He reminded us that the “Church has a critical role to
• “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, play in countering cultural currents which, on the basis
and shows the way.” - John Maxwell of an extreme individualism, seek to promote notions
• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, of freedom detached from moral truth.” Pope Benedict
XVI clearly saw religious freedom as “an essential good”
therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle
and he declared that “each person must be able to freely
• “A good plan violently executed now is better than a exercise the right to profess and manifest, individually or
perfect plan executed next week.” - George Patton in community, his or her own religion or faith, in public
• “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. and in private, in teaching, in practice, in publications, in
The optimist sees the opportunity in every worship and in ritual observances.” I think as believers we
can be thankful for his service and example no matter our
difficulty.” - Winston Churchill
faith background.
• “No man will make a great leader who wants to do May God continue to bless us all.
it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” -
Andrew Carnegie ~Chaplain Mark Slaughter
Longrifles Weekly
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/TaskForceLongrifles Page 2