The Growler newsletter provides updates on various units within Combined Task Force Wolverine in Afghanistan. Bravo Troop hit the ground running upon arrival at bases and have been advising Afghan partners. Charlie Troop has been training with Afghan forces and providing security. Delta Company has been supporting various units despite personnel changes and is preparing for equipment retrograde. Headquarters recognized SGT Gregory for reenlisting while stationed in Afghanistan.

1. The Growler
DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE
SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:
V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1 V M A R C H 1 5 , 2 0 1 3
 Hitting the
Hitting the Ground Running
Ground Run-
ning
 Troop Up-
dates
What a great start by To me, this particular combat sents their sacrifices as well.
 Growing all Troops and your Troopers/ patch is in recognition of not While many of us can wear a few
Through vs Soldiers that comprise Combined only my service as the Squadron different combat patches repre-
Getting Task Force Wolverine. Shortly Commander, but it serves as a senting our service with different
Through after last month’s newsletter, all symbol of all the great men and units, our Wolverine Soldiers can
forces arrived at the respective women who have served this now always wear this patch with
Forward Operating Bases and great Brigade and Division in great pride for their service and
Combat Outposts. Almost imme- times of war. all this patch represents.
diately, their determination and Our brigade is one of Overall, life is good
commitment have made a meas- the most deployed brigades in because the missions are going
urable difference. Members of the entire Army since the tragic well, the Soldiers/Troopers are
the Task Force have made very events of September 11th. This doing well and the support from
favorable impressions with the brigade was one of the first units home has been fantastic. Thanks
local Afghan civilian leadership, to fight on Afghan soil in the again to all of you for all that you
the different facets of the Afghan are taking care of us back
INSIDE National Security Forces, home so that we can focus on
THIS ISSUE: including our Afghan Na- our mission here.
tional Army partners. All
Growing 2 have provided raving feed- We’ll try to get
Through vs back on how professional, better about posting pictures
Getting competent, and motivated on Facebook, so keep check-
Through our Wolverines have been ing and spread the word to
and will continue to be. other families and friends. If
Troop Up- 3-5 there is ever anything we can
The last few be doing better, do not hesi-
dates
weeks, CSM Jusino and I tate to let us know. I remain
have been privileged to honored to lead the best
travel around and award fighting force from Fort Drum
10th Mountain Combat Patches early days of the conflict. This and privileged to have the best
Dietz Print 5 to nearly all of Soldiers. Officially patch represents that service. support group of any Squadron/
called the Soldier Sleeve Insignia Our Squadron has a Battalion EVER!
for Former Wartime Service, the great fighting record since incep-
combat patch is the official rec- Ready Now! Comman-
tion, to include the two tours to dos! Climb to Glory!
ognition that a Soldier has served Iraq in 2006 and 2009. Four
a combat tour with a particular Wolverines paid the ultimate
unit. This designation is for life sacrifice in those conflicts and
and is something all of them many others were wounded,
should be very proud to wear. some seriously. This patch repre-

2. Growing Through vs Getting Through
PAGE 2
By Chaplain Daniel Moen
There has been a rumor out  Adversity Motivates either let this deployment
on the street for over 60 years Adversity creates resilience. make you bitter or better.
that the Chinese word for Whatever the crisis, most Your attitude towards this
“crisis” is a combination of two people are able to bounce back “crisis” will make it a very long
words, “crisis” and from difficult situations be- deployment or a short one.
“opportunity”. Victor H. cause we are created to pick Many folks, Soldiers and Family
Mair, Professor of Chinese up the pieces and move for- members, have made deploy-
Language and Literature at the ward. Think of the folks in ment goals. They are measur-
University of Pennsylvania, says Japan after that earthquake or able goals to keep you moti-
that’s simply not true. The the Haitians after their earth- vated throughout the deploy-
second word really means quake or Americans after hur- ment. Perhaps it’s working out
“crucial point” not ricane Katrina. We are wired regularly, losing weight, paying
“opportunity”. But why would to bounce back. The challenge the bills on time or keeping
a rumor like that last so long? for all of us is to find that moti- your spirits up. Adversity can
It probably didn’t help that vation to not stay seated or motivate or defeat you; it’s
President Kennedy referred to defeated, but get up and do your choice.
it in a speech back in 1959. something. We all have the opportunity to
This misunderstanding is be- Adversity develops maturity and get through this deployment or
lievable because 1) we’ve all perspective. In the middle of a growth through it. In the end
been through some kind of crisis, it’s hard to look up and we can look back and see how
crisis and 2) we’ve all learned find perspective. We can find we took advantage of this de-
something from the crisis. I’d perspective through our family, ployment or if we let it take
like to redeem this rumor and our friends and our faith. They advantage of us. Let’s get up
apply the truth of the rumor to are able to come alongside of and grow!
our current “crisis”: our de- us and offer hope and objectiv-
ployment. The truth is that ity. Once we get through it we
there are many benefits to have a more mature outlook
crises; adversity does present and our character grows
an opportunity. Deployments stronger too. The night we
present families and Soldiers deployed a good friend gave
the opportunity to grow. me some perspective. He
You may have heard people could tell I was sad to leave my
say, “If I can just get through wife and family and he said,
this deployment...” Other peo- “this is the hardest night; it
ple have the attitude of wishing gets easier.” I was so thankful
the deployment away. There is for those words of encourage-
no doubt that we’d all like to ment!
be with our family and friends. Adversity brings unexpected bene-
However, if we wish the de- fits. If our head is down
ployment away or we just try throughout the deployment,
to get through it we might miss we might miss a blessing. We
something important for our have to stop and celebrate
lives. from time to time our victories
John Maxwell, author of Atti- and achievements. When the
tude 101: What Every Leader kids have done well at school,
Needs to Know, offers a few or you’ve accomplished some-
reasons we should embrace thing that your deployed
adversity: spouse usually does, celebrate
 Adversity Creates those moments. If we spend a
Resilience few minutes each day “hunting
 Adversity Develops the good stuff” we will benefit
Maturity in the long run. It will keep
 Adversity Brings negative and defeating thoughts
Unexpected Benefits from hindering our day.
Adversity motivates. You can
NEWSLETTER TITLE

3. PAGE 3
Pictured from Left to Right: Alpha Troop Mortars, CPT
Farley attends a security meeting.
Bravo Troop - Black Hawk
It has been a very (CSM) Jusino. They arrived to ther than usual, down to Kho-
busy month in Blackhawk take part in our Combat shamond, south of Super FOB,
Troop. Not only are our Sol- Patching Ceremony. All with our first Platoon Alpha
diers currently retrograding Troopers here at Super FOB Troop as the security element.
material from Super FOB to attended, those who were on The patrol’s purpose was to
FOB Sharana but they are also patrol or manning our control advise and assist the ANA
advising our Afghan partners points were presented theirs personnel in that district, and
on how to conduct operations at a later date. also to conduct familiarization
and plan missions. In addition A couple days later with the southern portion of
we had our Combat Patching the Brigade Commander and our AO.
Ceremony, Soldiers receive his Sergeant Major arrived as All of the Troopers
Bravo Troop Pro- their combat patches, and a part of their battlefield circula- here in Blackhawk are doing
motions visit form the Brigade Com- tion, allowing the Brigade well. We would like to thank
mander and Sergeant Major Commander to familiarize all of the families and friends
added to our excitement. himself with his Area of Op- for their continuous support,
At the beginning of erations (AO). thoughts, and prayers. Until
the wmonth, FOB Super Fob The Security Force then.
was paid a visit by Lieutenant Advice and Assist Team
Colonel (LTC) Griggs and (SFAAT) patrol traveled fur-
Command Sergeant Major
NEWSLETTER TITLE

4. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1V PAGE 4
Charlie Troop - Crazy Horse
1LT Dan Assist been training on the range in order to improve
Warner if Team their marksmanship skills.
front of the (SFAAT). While last week saw Crazyhorse troop
These get settled in, this week has seen an increase in
Arms
teams the workload for the Soldiers. Whether it is pull-
room.
and their ing security for the FOB, running convoys to Sha-
security rana, or providing security for the SFAAT advis-
force, ers, the Soldiers of Crazyhorse continue to excel.
have Charlie Troop Soldiers have spent most of their
daily downtime watching movies, playing video games
meetings and cards, and talking with their families. We ap-
Crazyhorse Soldiers have with the Afghan Security Forces to preciate all of the support from families and
been busy the past month with help train and mentor the Local friends back home.
their respective Security missions Police and Army. Additionally, the
for the Security Forces Advise and Soldiers of Crazyhorse Troop have
Delta Company - Dark Horse
It has been a crazy mally require a platoon to com- in support of 2nd BSTB (Brigade
month. February saw all of our plete, however Delta Company Support Battalion) and C Troop, 1-
Delta Soldiers finally making it to Headquarters has continued to 89 CAV. All Soldiers in the FLEs
their final destinations across the weather this storm with only a and detachments have had the op-
Battle Space along with many hand full of Soldiers. portunity to work with Afghan
changes to the roster. Once 2BCT FLE 3 is attached to Bravo Troop 1- civilians and ANA Soldiers. From
got their feet under them, many 89 CAV at Super FOB. Super FOB downloading fuel from civilian
Soldiers across the Brigade were is about 30 kilometers south of trucks and assisting in weapons
moved to different locations and FOB Sharana. FLE 3 only has 11 repair, all the way to traveling out-
different units to better support the Soldiers but it supporting a FOB of side the FOB to recover a civilian
Afghan National Army and retro- over 250 people with cooking food, truck that was stuck in the mud.
grade of equipment so the 2nd Bri- fuel operations, conducting mainte- Each section of Delta is essential to
gade can close it’s FOBs (Forward nance on generators, weapons, and the completion of 1-89 CAV and 2nd
Operating Bases). Delta has been vehicles, and sustaining the ammo Brigade’s mission during our de-
exposed to all of these changes, but supply. FLE 4 is attached to Alpha ployment.
like always, Darkhorse continues to Troop 1-89 CAV at FOB Sar Delta Company will ramp up its
support CTF Wolverine. Howza which is about 16 kilome- output over the next couple of
Delta Company Headquarters has ters east of FOB Sharana, and has
months to complete the retrograde
been diligently working to support 12 Soldiers on ground. Alpha and
the requests of the FLEs (Forward Bravo Troop along with their at- missions across the battle space and
Logistics Element) with parts, per- tachments are increasing their pa- support of all 1-89 CAV units. Al-
sonnel, and equipment so the FLEs trols outside the wire as the though there is a lot to do, Delta
can keep CTF Wolverine vehicles weather gets warmer, which means continues to train for all scenarios.
and personnel ready to fight. While there is an increase is all operations We continue to test our physical
completing the constant requests to support them. FLE 3 and FLE 4 fitness by completing the MAW
from Delta’s forward elements, will continue to support the Troop-
(Mountain Athlete Warrior) test,
they also had to move Delta’s en- ers on both FOBs as they prepare
tire operation from one side of and conduct retrograde of all US and through the month of March all
FOB Sharana to the other. This was Army and US civilian equipment Delta Soldiers will refresh and re-
done in preparation for the even- back to FOB Sharana. fine their skills in marksmanship,
tual closing of FOB Sharana. All Delta also has a detachment of 4 trauma care, and communications
these tasks have demanded much Soldiers at FOB Rushmore, where equipment.
time and effort, which would nor- they are combined with other units

5. Headquarters - Hellcats
Hellcat continues day proud of SGT Gregory for all on FOB Sharana.
-to-day operations but likes to of his hard work. SGT Gregory
take time out to recognize currently serves as a force
great Soldiers who choose to protection sergeant on the
continue their personnel access point (PCP)
Army Career!
Pic-
tured to the left
is SGT Gregory
who climbed a
five story tower
that overlooks
Paktika to
‘reenlist.’ The
Hellcats are very
Want a Dietz Print? Please Contact CPT Andrew Radbill
Andrew.e.rabdill.mil@mail.mil