Dawn of the Devils March 2012 Monthly Newsletter

Dawn of the Devils

All Boots on the Ground

regulators Dreadnaughts Iron Rangers Pale Riders
Guardians diehard
Dawn of the Devils
Volume 2, Issue 2

1/1 HBCT Commander
Col. Michael Pappal
Hamilton’s Own Defiants

1/1 HBCT Command Sergeant Major
CSM Thomas Kenny

Public Affairs Officer
Maj. John Mini

Public Affairs NCOIC
Staff Sgt. Robert Dedeaux

Public Affairs Journalist
Sgt. Kerry Lawson
regulators Dreadnaughts Iron Rangers Pale Riders

Public Affairs Journalist/Editor

Hamilton’s Own Defiants
Sgt. Kandi Huggins

Public Affairs Broadcaster
Sgt. Summer Woode

1/1 HBCT FRSA
Noel Waterman

The Dawn of the Devils is published in the interest of the Sol-
diers, Families and Friends of the Devil Brigade. Contents of the
Dawn of the Devils are not necessarily the official views of, or
Guardians diehard

endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, De-
partment of the Army or 1st Infantry Division. All editorial con-
tent of the Dawn of the Devils is prepared, edited, provided and
approved by the Devil Brigade Public Affairs office.

6

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great. Duty First. Devils!
CSM John Jones, who did yeoman’s work in
rebuilding the brigade after transition from
training and getting everyone ready for their
deployments. I know that all of us wish him
well in his future endeavors after three de-
cades of service to the nation. CSM Thomas
Kenny has stepped into his seat and is doing
February has been a month of honoring a superb job in this time of transition for the
the Devil Brigade’s accomplishments while unit, while we wait for CSM Mark Kiefer to
Colonel Michael Pappal

deployed, getting our staff systems estab- arrive in a few months, pending his return
lished, and taking time to rebuild our teams from an OEF deployment.
and reconnect with our loved ones. We’ve also said farewell to LTC Keith
It was an honor for me to see and take Casey at 1-5 FA, CSM Tonia Walker at 1-1
part in the many awards and uncasing cer- BSTB and CSM Jeffrey Adams from the
emonies that took place during this month. 101st BSB. The units each did their lineage
1-16 IN, 2-34 AR, and 4-4 CAV truly gave proud at the changes of command and respon-
their Soldiers, the heroes, recognition that sibility ceremonies. LTC Scott Nolan, CSM
they deserve. As their block leaves are Naamon Grimmett and CSM Franklin Jordan
wrapping up, they have also demonstrated have stepped into the leadership roles and I’m
that they are taking time to adjust to be- confident will continue ensure that their units
ing back at Fort Riley and are ready to start are doing great things.
another round of training to get the brigade As the Devil Brigade continues to reset
team back together and in fighting form. and train for the next mission, I want to en-
In the same spirit of teambuilding, it has sure that all units are welcoming in their new
also been a distinct pleasure to welcome Soldiers and integrating them as full members
the 1st Engineers back to the Devil Brigade of the team. All of you have forged friend-
Team. The most storied engineer unit in the ships and built units under the strain of de-
Army has always shared a close relationship ployments—now your challenge as leaders is
with our brigade and we look forward to to integrate new members into the effective
training with them, having their support, and teams that you have built so that the Devil
supporting them as they prepare for their Brigade passes on knowledge and remains
future missions. Their “Diehard Stakes” strong and ready.
taking place this month was a great indica- No mission to difficult. No sacrifice too
tion of what they are capable of doing. great. Duty First. Devils!
There have been some leadership chang-
es in the brigade and battalions. It has
been an honor and privilege to work with

7

No Mission too Difficult. No Sacrifice too Great. Duty First.
Devil Brigade. You’ve all done a great service
to this country over the past year; don’t jeopar-
dize all that hard work and sacrifice by doing
Command Sergeant Major Thomas Kenny

something your chain of command can’t help
you with. Continue to enjoy your time home
with a focus on competing the redeployment
process and resiliency training over the next
few weeks.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I would like
to thank all of the Families, friends and sup-
I would like to bid farewell and thank porters who continue to volunteer through
CSM Jones and his Family for nearly 30 their selfless service and support to the Devil
years of service with the last 10 served right Brigade, tis Soldiers and Family members
here at Ft Riley, Kansas with the Big Red during the past year. Brigade-wide, we had
One. His retirement ceremony will be held approximately 600 volunteers who dedicated
at the Riley Conference Center on the 29th about 3 years (total number of hours was
of February at 0900. I encourage everyone 24,212, which was about 1008 days and about
available to stop by and show their sup- 2.7 years… so I rounded to 3 years) worth
port for CSM Jones and his Family on this of volunteering hours during the 2011-2012
special occasion. I will fill the void left by timeframe alone. This level of support is very
CSM Jones’ retirement and serve as the impressive and I commend you all for the hard
interim Brigade Command Sergeant Ma- work and commitment you have given to the
jor of the Devil Brigade until mid-summer. Devil Brigade Soldiers and Family members.
In July, CSM Mark Kiefer is scheduled to Collectively, I cannot thank you enough for
arrive from Hawaii to serve as the Devil your support, which allowed our deployed Sol-
Brigade CSM. At that time I will transition diers to focus on the fight downrange. Again,
to 4-4 CAV and serve as the CSM for the thank you all so much for your unwavering
Pale Riders. support.
As we come to the end of February we No Mission Too Difficult. No Sacrifice Too
welcome all the Devil Brigade Soldiers Great. Duty First. Devil 7.
back from their redeployment block leave.
I hope you all enjoyed your leave and were
able to spend some quality time with your
Families, friends and loved ones. I encour-
age you to continue to spend time with your
Family, friends and loved ones while main-
taining and upholding the standards of the

Dawn of the Devils February 2012

5


6

Man on the Street Dawn of the Devils February 2012

What does it mean to be
Army Strong?

Sgt. Carmencita Laboy, HHC, 1st HBCT

“Being Army Strong means being physically and Staff Sgt. James Muller, HHB, 1-5 FA
mentally fit.”
“To me, Army Strong means setting the example for
my soldiers to emulate. Being physically and mentally
tough at all times, living the Army Values.”

Spc. John Christian,
HHB, 1-5 FA Staff Sgt. Thye Black,
HHC, 1st HBCT
“Army Strong is be-
ing physically fit and “To me, Army Strong
mentally prepared for means maintaining
life.” a positive attitude
and not holding any
grudges.”

Spc. Brad Butters, HHC, 1st HBCT

“Army Strong means not being a slacker and
putting forth your best effort in accomplish-
ing your goals. It means America!”

7


“Iron Rangers” Receive Honors for Courageous Acts
By Sgt. Summer Woode
1st HBCT Public Affairs

FORT RILEY, Kan.— The 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry
Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infan-
try Division, honored ninety-four of its Soldiers during
an awards ceremony held Jan. 30 at building 727.
Honorees received nearly 100 awards including six
Purple Hearts, 76 Bronze Stars, and six Army Commen-
dation Medals for Valor.
The Soldiers recently completed their tour and
returned home in January to loved ones and joined the
rest of their brigade at Fort Riley.
Recognized as the most decorated infantry battalion
in the Army, the unit, also known as the “Iron Rangers,”
has served in nearly every major U.S. war, beginning
with the Civil War. While training for a deployment
to Iraq, the unit received new orders that changed their
mission to assisting with “Operation Enduring Free-
dom,” in Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. James Smith, battalion commander, said his
unit had only a short amount of time to prepare for their
new mission.
“Our mission changed and we only had forty-six
days of notice,” Smith said.
Assigned to support the “Combined Joint Special
Task Force,” the “Iron Rangers” were deployed to fifty-
eight remote locations across Afghanistan. They com-
pleted over ten thousand missions as part of Village Stability Operations with the Afghan people. The
operations connected the government of Afghanistan to the village level. Afghans learned the ways of
their government through conducted training that educated them on their constitution.
Smith said that he felt the mission was a success. “I felt a lot of pride. We trained transition teams
that expanded to one thousand. I think we accomplished the mission superbly. We brought everyone
back home,” Smith said.
With no personnel losses, the infantrymen stood in formation and were recognized with medals, for
their courageous and meritorious service to their nation. Some Soldiers received multiple awards.
Staff Sgt. Caleb Vanvoorhis, received both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He was wounded in
combat on Jan. 19, 2011. Being in a combat zone, Vanvoorhis knows his situation could have turned out
differently. He shared his gratitude towards his team.
“I give all credit to the guys. We got a lot accomplished while we out there. The memory will stick
with me forever,” Vanvoorhis said.
After a successful mission and another achievement added to the impressive lineage of the battalion,
Smith shared his pride in his men.
“Our Soldiers have grown into a lot of maturity. They have developed and are self-sustaining. A lot
of thanks goes to the Families and Family Readiness Groups. The strength of our Family is the strength
of our Soldiers,” Smith said.

8


9


10


11


12


1-5 FA Change of Command
1-5 Field Artillery conducted a change of com-
mand ceremony, bidding farewell to Lt. Col.
Keith Casey and welcoming Lt. Col. Scott Nolan
as their new commander. The ceremony took
place at the Redeployment Center, February 15,
2012.

13


“Dreadnaughts” Mark Return
with Uncasing of Colors
By Sgt. Summer Woode

FORT RILEY, Kan.— ference between the two. They
The Soldiers of the 2nd both had the same skills and
Battalion, 34th Armor great attitude to win the fight,”
Regiment, 1st Heavy Kidd said.
Brigade Combat Team, Kidd told the story of the
1st Infantry Division un- battalion and its accomplish-
cased their colors during a ments by telling who they are,
ceremony held Jan. 27 at where they have been and what
building 727. they have done.
The battalion, also “We are incomplete. We
known as the “Dread- stand here today with too many
naughts,” recently re- out of ranks, recovering in
turned from a year-long and out of hospitals and with
deployment, in support five less men than we started
of “Operation Enduring this mission with,” Kidd said,
Freedom.” Standing up honoring those Soldiers who
only two years ago as a were either injured or killed in
combined arms battal- action while in Afghanistan.
ion, the “Dreadnaughts” He also acknowledged the
adapted quickly to every past “Dreadnaughts” and “Cen-
new challenge they faced turions,” the previous name of
in Afghanistan. the battalion, who were able
While preparing for to attend and those who could
their mission in support of not. Distinguished guests from
Operation New Dawn, the the regiment included retired
‘Dreadnaughts’ received colonels and sergeant majors.
new orders for deploy- The commander also recog-
ment to Afghanistan. With only 60 days to prepare, the nized the Family Readiness Group—the part of the
battalion worked intensely to become mission-ready. “Dreadnaught” Family that does not wear the Army
Lt. Col. Christopher Kidd, Dreadnaught Com- uniform.
mander, expressed the pride he had in his Soldiers and Kidd commented that this day was about honoring
their training. every single person who supported the battalion dur-
“Through tough training, which included dis- ing their mission. The uncasing of the colors formally
mounted day and night live-fire scenarios, these Sol- marked the end of the “Dreadnaughts” deployment,
diers became equipped and ready to fight,” explained but Kidd acknowledged his unit must stay ready for
Kidd. “Tankers learned the skills of infantrymen, serv- the future.
ing in every maneuver company within the battalion “We will draw our tanks and brads and start train-
and conducting the majority of their air assaults.” ing for our next set of missions. These colors and
Kidd considered his tankers one of the most adap- these guidons will be cased once more as we answer
tive forces of today. our nation’s call,” Kidd said.
“I am incredibly proud to say that when you placed
an armor Dreadnaught and an infantry Dreadnaught
side by side on a mission, you could not tell the dif-

14


15


1-1 BSTB Change of Responsibility

The Defiants bid farwell to their first command
sergeant major, during a change of responsibility
ceremony held at Building 727, February 10, 2012.
CSM Tonia Walker relinquished her responsibil-
ity of the 1st BSTB to CSM Naamon Grimett to
participate in the Army Congressional Fellowship
Program in D.C.

16


Remaining Trained and Proficient:
Epitomizing the Creed of Soldiers

By Sgt. Kandi Huggins

FORT RILEY, Kan. – Soldiers of
the 1st Special Troops Battalion,
1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team,
conducted a training exercise
validating their basic knowledge
of being a Soldier at Fort Riley,
February 22-24.
The validation training
consisted of various tasks to test
the proficiency of their Soldiers
performing individual skills. The
tasks included land navigation,
assembling and disassembling
an M4 Carbine, sending reports,
evaluating a casualty and
performing a nine-line medical
evacuation.
Because of the Soldiers’
recent return from Iraq and the
integration of new Soldiers to
the unit, Cpt. William Viegas,
commander, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 1st
BSTB, said this training took
his Soldiers back to square one,
back to the fundamentals. His caches and conducted a patrol in another is a new task.
company consisted of Soldiers a village during his company’s “This exercise is forcing us, as
of many different specialties and training. a mechanism, to get things fixed
backgrounds, making the task “I think the training, overall, is and work out the kinks in our unit,”
uniquely challenging at times. good training and it’s going well said Viegas. “We have processes
“In Iraq we sacrificed individual for all of us,” said Lucas, a Rock and systems we need to figure out
task training for the operational Port, Mass. native. in order to better work together
needs in theater,” said the St. This three-day validation as an organization and training,
Louis, Mo. native. “The caveat of training consisted of a day such as this one, helps bring those
our return is to retask and organize of rehearsal, executing and deficiencies to light so we can
our Soldiers and step one is to recovery, all of which added to the fix it, if it still works, or make it
rebuild that foundation and train importance of the event, according better.”
them on individual skills.” to Viegas. Overall, Viegas noted this as
Specialist Derek Lucas, a signal Viegas explained how ‘just the a building block process and it is
and intelligence analyst, Alpha muscle movement of equipment’ is better to find out now who needs
Company, 1st BSTB, said his squad training because the simple task of any additional training so they can
went on a mission to find weapon moving troops from one place to get it, than later.

17


Diehard Stakes
Soldiers of 1st Engineer Battalion honed their skills during an ex-
tensive training exercise called the Diehard Stakes. They completed
the multi-tasked competition that evaluated their warrior tasks and
drills while focusing on route clearance operations.

18


‘Devil’ Volunteer of the Quarter

19


‘Pale Riders’ Recognize Soldiers for Valor and Courage
While Deployed
By Sgt. Kandi Huggins

FORT RILEY, Kan.— The ‘Pale
Riders’ 4th Squadron, 4th Cav-
alry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Infantry Divi-
sion, conducted an awards ceremo-
ny, honoring their troops for acts of
valor and courage while deployed
to Afghanistan, at the Marshall
Airfield Hangar, January 25.
Lt. Col. Michael Katona
and Command Sgt. Maj. Charles
Cook, command team for the Pale
Riders, honored 70 of their Soldiers
with Purple Hearts, Bronze Star
Medals and Army Accommoda-
tion Medals with valor, during the
ceremony.
“Today is about the Pale
Rider Soldiers, their incredible
individual valorous actions and
their leadership,” said Katona. “It’s
also about wounds received from Kandahar province of Afghanistan, and Americans.”
direct combat with the enemy in providing security for the locals “All of the Soldiers did excellent
Afghanistan, the combat everyone and integrating the Afghan Army jobs in accomplishing their mis-
in this Squadron was involved in and Police into their mission, in sion while deployed in support of
on a daily basis.” order to help the country build it’s Operation Enduring Freedom,” said
The Pale Riders deployed to infrastructures build its forces. Rogers. “It was fabulous for the
Afghanistan, late February 2011, to “We occupied eight tacti- Soldiers to be recognized during
what Katona described as a ‘tough, cal infrastructures,” said Rogers, a the awards ceremony as we honor
dismounted fight.’ Stockton, Calif., native. “We spread those standing in formation, those
“Because of persistence, our squad’s footprint in order to present in the audience and those
valor, courage and individual cover more ground and create more who did not return with us. None of
motivation and discipline, we came Shuras (town hall, meeting place our sacrifices will be forgotten.”
together as a team, defeating dis- for village elders) for the people.”
mounted explosive devices, maneu- Although the achievements
vering through thousands of canals of the battalion remain impressive,
and fighting an entrenched Taliban it was not one that came without a
force,” said Katona. price.
Sergeant 1st Class James “We will always remember
Rogers, platoon sergeant, 2nd the Soldiers killed in action and the
platoon, A Troop, 4th Squadron, 144 living Purple Heart recipients,”
4th Cav. Reg., said the battalion said Katona. “They gave their lives
occupied the Zharay District in the for the freedom of both Afghans

20

Read the Post paper online! http://www.1divpost.com/

KEEP INFORMED AND UPDATED WITH 1ST BRIGADE BY FOLLOWING
US ON THESE WEBSITES:

1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley: www.riley.army.mil.
Click on Units, 1ID Brigades, 1HBCT or just click on this link: http://www.riley.army.mil/Unit-
Page.aspx?unit=1bct
Facebook: www.facebook.com/1HBCTDEVILBRIGADE?v=wall&ref-sgm
vFRG website: Family Members and Approved Personal can also go onto the vFRG and log into
their Soldier’s BN’s vFRG site, where more information can be found. www.armyfrg.org

‘Devil’ PAO
Email: 1stid.devil.pao@gmail.com

Dawn of the Devils March 2012 Monthly Newsletter

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Dawn of the Devils March 2012 Monthly Newsletter