FEBRUARY 2011

Charlie Company, LSA Kuwait, Janu-

ary 20, 2011 — Nearly everyone that has come

in or out of either theater of operations in the

support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Op-

eration Iraqi Freedom or Operation New Dawn

has passed through LSA Kuwait. It is the gate-

way to theater. But for father and son SPC

Gregory Zappone and 1LT Nickolas Zappone,

January 10th was their chance to share some

time with family near the holidays and for dad

to offer his first salute to his son.

In early November SPC Zappone, a

gunner with C Company, TF 1-119 at Camp

Virginia received word that his eldest son, 1LT

Nickolas Zappone, would be passing through

Kuwait on his way to R & R leave from his duty

with the 504th Military Police Battalion. He had

been training and mentoring Afghan Police, work-

ing out of the Kandahar province. Would they be able to get some time together since they have-

n‘t seen each other in months?

Their first stumbling block was coordinating the rendezvous. Internet access in both loca-

tions is less than ideal, and troop movement information is confidential, but they were able to

share general time frames of when each would be in the area and able to start making plans. Next

was paperwork. It‘s always the paperwork, right?

First stop was the C Co. Commander, CPT Matthew Carroll. He wasn‘t exactly onboard

with an unnecessary side trip until he‘d heard the whole story of how SPC Zappone had reentered

the military in 2005 after a 19 year break in service following his stint in the Marine Corps from

1982 to 1986. That same year, 1LT Zappone finished high school at the Culver Military Academy

in Culver, Indiana and was headed

for Michigan State University to

study Criminal Justice, and enter the

ROTC program. By spring 2009,

1LT Zappone had received his com-

mission as a Second Lieutenant and

was headed for Officer Basic Course,

and SPC Zappone was training for

his deployment to Kuwait.

A Trip Ticket for the two of

them to meet couldn‘t be that tough

to get. Now that the Commander

was supportive, getting the buy-in of

the Battalion Executive Officer,

―THE‖ MAJ Meyers was in order.

Once he and the Battalion Com-

mander, LTC Lawrence Schloegl heard

the story, they were on their way, with

the full support of the Battalion Lead-

ership.

Once SPC Zappone and his pla-

toon leadership arrived at LSA Kuwait,

they weren‘t exactly sure where they

would need to go to find 1LT Zappone.

It seemed reasonable to think that the

Camp Command Cell would be able to

help them, and help them they did.

CSM Rouleau was more than happy to

support this feel good mission. He even allowed one of his

staff to escort them to the right location where they might

find 1LT Zappone.

When 1LT Zappone entered the tent with his travel

mates, he was met with a sharply executed hand salute

from his father. Since SPC Zappone isn‘t a Non-

Commissioned Officer the new lieutenant‘s cousin, Marine

Cpl Michael Taylor, had the honor of giving 1LT Zappone

his first salute at the commissioning ceremony. This is a

situation that SPC Zappone hopes to correct before his

other son, Jori, graduates from Ohio University and ac-

cepts his commission as a 2LT in the spring of 2012.

SPC Zappone credits his wife, Mya Zappone, with

both father and son‘s ability to serve their country. Not

only is she a full-time college student in her own right, but

she also manages the stateside affairs of both deployed

Zappones, and keeps track of her son that‘s in college.

―She‘s the catalyst.‖ –1SG Duane Kleinhardt

Charlie Company 1SG)

1LT Nickolas Zappone with father,

SPC Gregory Zappone

Walking into ―the Cage,‖ otherwise known as the Battle

Bridge in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) it looked like it was

going to be an interesting day. The screen showed that the Medical

Evacuation (MEDEVAC) status in Kuwait, Basra and Tallil were all

RED. This meant that no aircraft could fly in the event there was an

incident on the road requiring their support. In short, none of our

convoys could move one way or the other. MAJ Kraycs was on the

phone talking with MAJ Schramm in Iraq discussing the situation,

developing possible scenarios and making plans. SPC Lameira and

SPC Huss were doing pushups in their quest to knock out 10,000

push ups in the TOC before the end of the deployment and SFC

Kenny was anxiously watching the screen waiting for some indication

that things could start moving soon.

After a few hours of waiting it became apparent that we were

going to miss the movement window for our Soldiers to leave Camp

Adder, Iraq. The decision had made itself. They would have to stand

down and wait it out another day. About an hour later, the

MEDEVAC status suddenly turned Amber in Tallil which was good

news. We could go north at least. This caused a flurry of activity in the

TOC which showcased how quickly things can change here. Things

can often go from calm and ―normal‖ to a controlled chaos in min-

utes. Simultaneously, calls were going out to the TAC at Camp Ad-

der , the Battery Operations Center (BOC) to spin up the Convoy Es-

cort Teams (CETs) and to the Movement Control Team (MCT) lot.

Soldiers were finally moving towards their Caimans to prepare for

movement.

However, it became apparent that both a problem and an op-

portunity were presenting themselves. The problem would be that if

the same situation happened tomorrow, we would have everyone up

north and no one coming south. This would leave TF 1-119 FA with

very little capability to escort much needed supplies into Iraq the fol-

lowing day. The opportunity was to conduct the Battalions first night

operation. Another flurry of activity ensued that put a burden on the

TAC at Camp Adder to plan it and to the Soldiers there that would

have to execute the night movement.

It was a long day for the Operations sections in both Kuwait and

Camp Adder, Iraq and for the Soldiers on the road, but also a success-

ful day that exhibited the professionalism of TF 1-119 FA. This par-

ticular situation is just a small piece of the larger story of teamwork

that occurs every day ensuring that the Battalion‘s mission is exe-

cuted. Your Soldiers are providing the support Battalion needs to

make it happen. New chapters of the Battalion‘s history are being

written daily. In 430 missions A, C, D companies have logged 454,965

miles or enough to go around the lower and upper peninsula of Michi-

gan 211 times. Over 13,661 trucks and over 15.8 million gallons of

fuel has been consumed. B co has logged 2,611 missions over 215,754

miles and escorted over 110208 service members and civilians.

LTC

XO So, we are well into the New Year and symbolically today is

Ground Hog Day! At times this mission feels like the movie Ground

Hog Day. The mission has a sameness quality each day. For this mis-

sion that is a good thing, it means we‘re productive and safe. The

trick is to constantly be Vigilant (CSM‘s word for the deployment).

Actually the word describes the attitude of how our Soldiers have been

performing. Your Red Lion Soldiers have continued to lead the Bri-

gade in not only professionalism but in the amount of assigned mis-

sions also. They have been the CSM‘s word every day and challenge

each other to watch complacency and remain focused. There are in-

teresting moments, but the Soldiers and leaders have worked through

all challenges and have quickly adjusted for follow on missions. They

are spending precious free time enjoying some of the other activities at

Camp Virginia and are excited that leave blocks have started.

The Commanders have been terrifically impressed with the

support from home (getting mail doesn‘t get old) as well as how well

the Soldiers have been performing with the monotony of the daily re-

quirements. The Command Team has been very impressed with your

Soldiers. From the Sergeants running missions to the Future Opera-

tions Planning of the senior leaders, Red Lions continue to ―Prepare

the Way‖.

Happy Ground Hog Day,

THE MAJ Scott Meyers

BattaLION XO

The million dollar view from my desk, lovely isn‘t it?

LTC Schloegl and CSM Arrington

during the shoulder sleeve insignia

ceremony

Red Lion families and friends,

It has been nearly three months since our arrival here, and everyone seems to

have settled into their own battle rhythms. All the Soldiers know the mission and

are performing exceptionally well. We have three companies conducting the convoy

escort mission. One company escorts convoys north, remains overnight in Iraq,

and escorts convoys south the following day. The third day is their reset day; clean-

ing weapons, performing maintenance on vehicles, and conducting sustainment

training on Soldier tasks to maintain their proficiency. They start all over again the

following day.

Bravo Company is escorting Soldiers and supplies all throughout Kuwait.

Every Soldier arriving or leaving theatre is escorted by a Highlander Soldier. There

are several shuttles scheduled each day, around the clock, moving Soldiers from the

different installations to the airport and back. Each and every one of these shuttles

is provided an armed escort. The mission statistics the Soldiers of Bravo have al-

ready accomplished is impressive.

Our Headquarters Soldiers support everything. Without them, none of the

other companies would be able to perform their mission. Every section‘s primary

function is to support the Soldiers going out on mission. In addition to all the great

support the Soldiers in Headquarters provide, they now conduct their own escort

missions. Recently, Headquarters Company assumed the mis-

sion of escorting a convoy of trucks from our location in Ku-

wait, to the Iraq border on a daily basis. You should all be

proud of your Soldiers, I know I am.

Respectfully,

LTC Schloegl

ALPHA

BRAVO “Red Lion family,

The Highlanders of Bravo Company appreciate

the continued support from back home as we carry out

our assigned mission. To date, the unit has contributed

to the movement of nearly 100,000 Service Members,

DoD civilians, and DoD contractors by driving almost

200,000 miles. To accomplish this task as efficiently and

safely as we have is a testament to the dedication of our

junior enlisted and the level of leadership provided by

our NCOs and Officers.

We have had the opportunity to promote numer-

ous Highlanders since we have arrived in country, and I

would like to congratulate SFC Avalos, SSG Douglas,

SSG Spears, SSG Polo, SGT King,

SGT Schafer, SPC Gascho, SPC

Pop Monroy, and PV2 Campbell

on their accomplishments.

Thank You All!

CPT Jeff Austhof

Dear Families and Friends,

We are well into our third month in Kuwait and the cold weather is set-

tling in. It still heats up during the day but really cools down at night. It's not

unusual to see soldiers walking around in their warm weather gear in the eve-

nings.

The holiday season is well behind us but we're still putting our holiday

care packages to good use. We had so much support over the holidays that

we're actually having a hard time eating all the snacks. We will be enjoying

beef jerky, sunflower seeds, and candy for the rest of the year. I would like to

say a special thanks to our Family Readiness Group for all their amazing sup-

port this year. Alpha Battery is definitely feeling the love from back home.

The missions continue to go well for us. Our soldiers have now clocked

over 30 days in Iraq, driven over 400,000 miles and completed over 397 mis-

sions safely throughout our area of operation. Besides missions, soldiers are

involved in Close Quarter Marksman and intense physical training programs.

There are also a number of soldiers enrolled in military and civilian classes. In

their free time, soldiers take part in many Morale, Welfare and Recreation

(MWR) events such as poker night, 5k runs, bingo and BBQs. The leave

blocks are now underway as well. Our first group will return in a day or two

while the next group is ready to get out the door.

We hope and trust all is well back home.

1LT John R. Hendrikse

Gator MRAP during one of the longer days

SPC Popmonroy with the

Bengals cheerleaders the

Ben Gals

SPC Popmonroy

with Smoke Avalos

on a mission

High Traffic Area: Camel Road

Guard

More RUNNING?!?!

DELTA Hello and Happy New Year from the Delta Dragons! A big THANK

YOU goes out to all the family and friends who have sent letters and pack-

ages. Our mail clerks, SGT Verhulst and PFC Fletcher, are busy everyday

sorting the 1,347 letters and 622 packages you have sent so far...keep them

coming! A lot has happened since my last article. We rang in the new

year with the Battalion putting on a great New Years Eve party with live

music, a dance floor, a real ball that dropped at midnight, and coolers

full of sparkling grape juice. Out on the dance floor our Engineers led

by 1LT Deutsch showed our Field Artillery brothers how to do the

Engineer Dance. It is a lot like country line dancing, only with Army

Engineer moves like Pound the Picket, Shake the Concertina Wire, and our

favorite, the Mine Sweeper. On the 8th of January a group of us took a

short trip down the road to Camp Beuhring to see a Kelly Pickler and

Joan Jett concert put on by the USO. It was the 62nd USO concert that

Joan Jett had performed for troops deployed overseas. SSG Bowman still

remembers seeing one of her first concerts in Viet Nam. He said ―She

hasn't changed a bit and looks as good as ever.‖ Later in the month

Cincinnati Bengals Cheerleaders, the Ben Gals, came for a visit and put

on a great show. My friend Reggie, the battalion Red Lion mascot, even

got a chance to perform a cheer on stage with them. What a lucky lion.

We just finished with an upgrade program to our Caiman trucks, it is

kind of like the Army's version of "Pimp My Ride". All of our trucks

now have new side steps, a ladder for the back door for easy access to

the roof and my favorite, new seats with a lot more padding. The seats

even have a built-in foot rest; life could not be any better. The new

upgrades have been a big help as we put on a lot of miles running our

missions. Just last week we broke the 100,000 mile mark. Well, I better

get going, it is my turn to do head count in the Chow Hall today and if I am

late 1SG Peyerk will have me doing pushups until my arms fall off. We are so

thankful to have such supportive family and friends at home. Keep in touch

and keep the mail coming. - SGT Plank

--SGT Plank‘s buddy Reggie came to visit the

castle for a little

Those running Red Lions were at it again. This time it was a crisp 38 degrees at 0445 Sat-

urday 22 January when 10 Red Lions arrived at the Camp Virginia Command Cell to get a ride

to Camp Buehring. The reason? The Camp Buehring 10K (6.2 miles), is the first in a series of

races that are taking place at Camp Buehring including a 13.1 mile half marathon, and a 26.2

mile marathon.

Running 10K on a course that ranged from pavement to gravel to sand made traction and

foot stability a challenge. ―I rolled my ankle about a mile into it,‖ said SFC Roger Kenny.

―Funny though, my ankle felt better.‖ The cold had an impact as well making some run in their

long pants, jackets, and gloves. Many without gloves could not feel their hands at the half-way

point.

For many, it was the first time they had ever run 10K, including PFC Holley Fletcher. ―It

was the longest morning of my life; one that I don‘t care to repeat.‖ For others, it was one in a

series that had become their personal goal to attain. ―I want to run the half marathon,‖ says 1LT

Matthew Brolsma.

The Red Lions had a good turn out with 1LT Kathleen Prince taking 3rd in the Women‘s

category. Also running were CPT Adam Sylvester, CPT Lonnie Strickland, 1LT Del Avery, 1LT

James Bennett, SFC Lon Axtell, and SFC James Robins.

-CPT Lonnie Strickland

Operator

( WHAT HAPPENED TO ONLY 5K??? )

1LT Brolsma putting

together the ball for

the Camp Virginia

Ball Drop on New

Years Eve

CPT Sylvester

after running

CPT Strickland

before a run

HHC

Reggie with all his buddies up at the Ziggurat . Reggie got to go visit all

the shops on Camp VA, get a massage, check out bingo and poker

night, see a movie at the USO, visit soldiers at the MWR, pumped iron

at the gym, check out the euchre tournament, perform an opening

cheer with the BenGals as well as run in the Martin Luther King 5k all

courtesy of his new friends in Charlie Co. He just wants to say

―Thanks for the lift fellas! Keep working hard and maybe you‘ll live up

to that ‗best CET in the BN‘ title you gave yourselves.‖

For any requests or comments concerning the Newsletter please contact

2LT Adam Stephens at Adam.Stephens@kuwait.swa.army.mil

Family, Friends, and Community Supporters of Headquarters

Company, 1-119 Field Artillery, please accept my deepest salutations

and greetings as we transition into the New Year.

Transition and change are inherent in the lives of Soldiers;

flexibility of mission, spirit, and personal sacrifice is the bed-rock of

our service to this great Nation. Transition is also growth, maturity,

and experience. We have much to celebrate for and remark upon as a

Company of Soldiers during the transition to the New Year. As a

unit, HQ has pursued absolute professionalism and dedication to duty

during our Mobilization and Initial Deployment Phase; we have spent

a considerable amount of time, effort, and perseverance to affect the

high standards of discipline and execution we have attained. New mis-

sions unfold and old missions mature in scope and complexity. This

drives our Soldiers to new positions, ranks, responsibilities, and di-

verse locations, and the Headhunters of the 1-119th FA BN respond by

driving forward with absolute purpose and dedication.

Our Soldiers continue to grow and mature personally and pro-

fessionally; at our Company formation on January 27th 2011 we had

the distinct pleasure to promote three of our own Soldiers to the next

higher grade and rank. SGT Emanuel Mosley stood proudly before

the Battalion Commander as LTC Schloegl ceremoniously pinned on

the rank of Staff Sergeant. I have personally worked for many years

with SSG Mosley and was certainly proud to share that moment with

him; as 1SG Bennett of Alpha Company placed the chevrons on his

chest he accepted the weight of increased responsibility and duty with

a wide smile, standing tall and proud as the newest SSG in our ranks.

CPL Shane Ellis was greeted in a characteristic fashion into the ranks

of Sergeant, with a time honored congratulatory tap on the chest from

two of his long-serving Black-Sheep counterparts, 1SG McKeown and

SSG Burns. We also had the honor to promote one of our own, trans-

planted from the New Hampshire Guard, 1LT Daniel O‘Brien. The

newly promoted CPT O‘Brien stood before our formation amidst

thunderous applause for his well deserved accomplishment. I would

like to take a moment to recognize and congratulate SGT Ellis, SSG

Mosley, and CPT O‘Brien and their family members on this impor-

tant occasion!

Many educational programs are available to our Sol-

diers during this deployment; despite the long hours of work and

relentless assault of additional military and leadership duties the

Soldiers of HQ have committed themselves to continuing their per-

sonal and professional education. I have the opportunity to talk

with many Soldiers regarding their plans for future employment,

educational goals, and academic interests. I remain in awe and

gratitude to serve with such dedicated and driven Soldiers, who per-

severe in spirit and toil in earnest to improve as Soldiers and stu-

dents. Many of our Soldiers are taking the opportunities presented

to complete distance and resident college course such as Criminal

Justice, Psychology, Mathematics, Literature, and English. There

will even be a course available to complete and license as an EMT! I

have personally discussed the requests for education and guidance

with the Camp Education Center professionals, who have reported

to me the vast number of HQ Soldiers who have enrolled in the edu-

cational opportunities available. They were impressed to say the

least. The response and willingness to sacrifice is to be commended,

and the Soldiers of HQ lead by example.

Transition and professional growth require work, effort, and

due diligence to duty. These are attributes that the men and women

of Headquarters Company display in excess. I want to thank all of

our Soldiers for their hard work, and thank all of the family mem-

bers for their unwavering support and sacrifice.

Happy New Year to you all!!

Michael J. Cochenour

Captain, U.S. Army

Commanding Officer

4,000 year old stair master known as

the Ziggurat of Ur

The ―Up North Cottage.‖ The Red Lion Outpost

CW 3 Thompson

on Ole Reliable