i g e rTR

A

C

K

SO p e r a t i o n I r a q i

F r e e d o m I I I

SSPPEECCIIAALL EEDDIITTIIOONN 22000044 -- 22000055

TThhee TTiiggeerr TTrraacckkssiiss aa ppuubblliiccaattiioonn ooff

tthhee 225566tthhBBrriiggaaddee PPuubblliiccAAffffaaiirrss OOffffiiccee..

TThhiiss SSoollddiieerr aannddFFaammiillyy SSuuppppoorrtt

GGrroouupp nneewwsslleetttteerrccoonnttaaiinnss ooffffiicciiaalliinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aanndd

ccoommpplliieess wwiitthh tthheepprroovviissiioonnss ooff AARR336600--8811 aanndd AARR

2255--5511..QQuueessttiioonnss oorr

ccoonncceerrnnss ccaann bbeeddiirreecctteedd ttoo tthhee

eeddiittoorr aattttaayysshhaa..ddeeaattoonn@@uuss

..aarrmmyy..mmiill

TTiiggeerr TTrraacckkssSSttaaffff

CCoommmmaannddiinnggGGeenneerraall::

BBrriigg.. GGeenn.. JJoohhnnBBaassiilliiccaa,, JJrr..

EEddiittoorr:: 11LLtt.. TTaayysshhaaDDeeaattoonn

PPhhoottooggrraapphheerr:: SSggtt.. TThhoommaass BBeennooiitt

tthhoommaass..bbeennooiitt@@uuss..aarrmmyymmiill

SSttaaffff WWrriitteerr:: SSppcc..EErriinn RRoobbiicchheeaauuxxeerriinn..rroobbiicchheeaauuxx@@uuss..aarrmmyy..mmiill

MMeeddiiaa DDeessiiggnneerr::SSppcc.. CChhrriiss FFoosstteerr

ccffoosstteerr551166@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

LLOOGG OONNTTOO::

WWWWWW..225566TTHH..CCOOMMAANNDD

WWWWWW..225566TTHHTTIIGGEERRSS,,CCOOMM

AA mmeessssaaggee ffrroomm TTiiggeerr 66

Soldiers of the 256th BCT,

In this, our final and special edition of the Tiger Tracks while deployed, we

will focus on the powerful images of the Tiger Brigade which capture the

essence of the BCT more eloquently than any words I could say.

What you will see are the faces of caring leaders, powered by amazing

NCOs and superb Soldiers bound by a common purpose and committed to

each other and our mission. You will see the confidence and competence of

professional warriors. You will see bravery and courage in action against a

savage and ruthless enemy. You will see compassion and generosity for the

Iraqi people.

You will see dedicated and patient trainers/helpers/partners of the Iraqi

Security Forces. You will see tremendous initiative and resourcefulness in

solving problems. You will see many outstanding accomplishments and enor-

mous progress. You will see boundless camaraderie and spirit-de-corps. You

will see hard work and determination. You will see sacrifice and patriotism.

You will see faith and devotion. You will see discipline and focus. You will see

strength and endurance.

In the end, what you will see is a superb team of professionals that live and

embody the Army values that have answered their nation’s call. You are

magnificent ambassadors of the United States of America; the greatest and

most powerful nation on earth. Words cannot describe how enormously

proud I am of you. You did your duty and Iraq and the world are better for it.

Mission accomplished!

TIGER BRIGADE!

DUTY - HONOR -C O U N T R Y

page 1

AA rreeaassoonn ooff yyoouurr oowwnn JJoouurrnnaalliisstt’’ss CCoommmmeennttaarryy

“Why am I here?” Every Soldier, at one point or anoth-er, has asked themselves this very question. Some maytell you that your own personal reasons are irrelevantbecause you’re a Soldier. You are here because you wereordered to be, whether you liked it or not. While this maybe true, who can endure a year of an experience like this,and not struggle to search for personal meaning in it?

Maybe you are like Spc. Casey Carroll—the Soldierfrom Raceland, La., who is so determined to make thisworld a better place, that he came back to Iraq after beingsent home for injuries he sustained in a VBIED attack—anattack that killed his friend. He said he came back so thathis children would not have to.

So maybe like Carroll, you did it for your kids. Or maybeyou did it because you have a family lineage to continue,or perhaps you are here because you are a platoon ser-geant or leader, and you would have trusted no one elseto lead your Soldiers.

Not unlike Sgt. 1st Class Don Robinson of A Co. 1/156thAR, maybe you need tofind purpose in knowingthat your decisions poten-tially saved your troops’lives. His biggest struggle,he said, was keeping hisguys from becoming com-placent, as they patrolled the same streets, day in and dayout. He changed their schedules, and tried to give themmore time to sleep, because that was their main adver-sary.

Sgt. 1st Class Orise Cormier, platoon sergeant for 3rdPlatoon, C Co. 3/156th Inf. Bn., Charlie Rock, found justi-fication in knowing that he and his men played a role incapturing the killers who took the lives of four of theirSoldiers. It was determined through various intelligenceand evidence that a family of five brothers placed IEDs inthe path of Charlie Rock’s patrols, IEDs that ultimatelykilled the four American heroes. Iraqi Special Forces killedone brother and detained the rest after finding a weaponscache on their property. In a separate case, a sniper whoshot another of Charlie Rock’s Soldiers turned himself in,rather than have his family involved in a search.

The Soldier survived. To find meaning and purpose in something like a com-

bat deployment may prove difficult for many. I like to thinkof our Soldiers who are proven survivors and have stayedthe course throughout the year, despite tragedy.

Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Chad Chapman of B Co. 3/156thInf. Bn., who was shot in the head by a sniper and lived totell the story; or his brother Spc. Daniel Chapman, whowas in the command post and heard the call come in overthe radio. I think of Sgt. Jason Olmo and his platoonleader, 1st Lt. Rakesh Ramnarine, both infantry scoutswith 1/69th Inf. Bn., who bear the loss of more friends thanthey care to imagine. Olmo has a picture of himself andfour of his friends from the scout platoon as a reminder ofthe ramifications of war—of the Soldiers in the picture, heis the only survivor. Think of those heroes who not only

survived combat, but saved lives, as well. Heroes like Pfc.Harold Sandoval of Headquarters Co. 3/156th, who savedthe life of an Iraqi man following a VBIED attack in theirsector. I am reminded of Spc. Diane Rich of 1088th Eng.Bn., who transferred to the Louisiana National Guard fromher unit in Florida, just to come to a combat zone with herbrother and his wife. She ultimately became the medicattached to her brother’s platoon, and received a CombatMedic Badge for pulling a Soldier from a burning humvee.I can never forget Sgt 1st Class Patrick Sandel of CharlieRock, who has lived through more than twenty IED explo-sions, or the infamous Spc. Stephen Tschiderer, theMendon, N.Y. medic, who treated the wounds of the verysniper who tried to kill him. To find meaning in this deploy-ment, to me, is to reflect upon these people and Soldierslike them, who sacrificed, did their jobs, and gave all forthe one next to them.

No one can tell you where to find the justification inwhat has been taken away from yourself, your famlies, orthe families of our fallen Soldiers. But each individual in

this brigade contributed tosomething that is greaterthan themselves. EachSoldier played a part in thehistory of this world. Sgt. 1stClass Daniel Rachal, ofHeadquarters Co. 256th,

took his knowledge as an instructor for the PrimaryLeadership Development Course, and converted it intoan actual Non-commissioned Officer Academy for theIraqi Army. Before that, the Iraqi Army had no officialNCO Corps. Spc. James Montesano of D Co. 101stCavalry, attached to 2/156th Inf. Bn. said participating inIraq’s first election is an experience he’ll never forget.Just prior, he was involved in one of the most intense firefights of the 256th BCT’s deployment, and said manytimes that night, he just knew that would not live to seethe next day.

But he did.And Montesano said having an Iraqi man bring him a

Coke on Election Day, just to say “thank you,” made himrealize that this was about something huge. The man toldhim, “I’m 67 years old and this is the first time in 67years that I’ve had freedom.”

If you are a New Yorker, those of us who are not, canonly imagine the personal affiliation you must feel to thismission. Someone came into your backyard and attempt-ed to destroy everything you stand for—everythingAmerica stands for.

The attacks on New York City were not only on the cityitself, but on America as a whole. We should never forgetthat the Pentagon, the center of our national defense, alsofelt the blow of terrorism. The events that took place, notso long ago, were the catalyst to Soldiers of the 256thBrigade Combat Team being called to serve in OperationIraqi Freedom. We sat in our living rooms, our offices, andour schools as terrorists took our Twin Towers, ourPentagon, and our fellow Americans.

page 2Continued on page 4...

Our mission, YOUR mission, to assist inthe reconstruction of this country wasnot an easy one. I know at times some

have questioned it..“ ”

IIaamm an American Soldier. aamm a Warrior and a member of ateam.

II SSEERRVVEE tthhee PPEEOOPPLLEE ooff tthhee

UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess

aanndd LLIIVVEE tthhee AArrmmyy VVaalluueess..

II WWIILLLL AALLWWAAYYSS PPLLAACCEE TTHHEE MMIISSSSIIOONN FFIIRRSSTT.

II WWIILLLL NNEEVVEERR AACCCCEEPPTTDDEEFFEEAATT..

IIwwiillll neverquit. wwiillll never

TheSSoollddiieerr’’ss CC rr ee ee ddCC rr ee ee dd

II AAMM aann AAMMEERRIICCAANNSSOOLLDDIIEERR..

IIaamm ddiisscciipplliinneedd, physicallyand mentally tough, trainedand proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

IIwwiillll always maintain myarms, my equipment and myself.

II AAMM an eexxppeerrtt and I am aPPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALL..

IIssttaanndd rreeaaddyy to deploy,engage, and destroy theenemies of the United States of America in close combat.

IIaamm a guardian of freedomandthe American way of life.

As Soldiers, we should always remember what we feltthat day; the fury, the frustration, the desire to help.Someone said of the attacks, “in that instant all Americansfelt like New Yorkers and we all wanted to be there.”

It’s usually unorthodox for a military journalist to givetheir own personal testimony, yet somehow I feelcompelled to do so. In the very beginning, I had a hard time dealing with this

deployment. It was not so much that I did not want to behere; rather, I had a difficult time justifying the reason forit.

The bottom line is, whatever the reason, I was called toserve. In my family, I have an uncle who lost his arm inWorld War II and another uncle, who was forced into earlyretirement as a Colonel due to failing eyesight. He is amember of the Greatest Generation who stormed thebeaches of Normandy on that fateful day. After hours andhours of relentless fighting, something hit him in the headand knocked him unconscious for two days .Thoughtdead, he woke up in the back of a cattle truck under a pileof fallen Soldiers. This man, my hero, survived.

But perhaps the biggest hero and “Soldier at heart” ofall, is my father. He never was in the military, but he surewanted to be. He tried to enlist on his eighteenth birthday,but was denied, due to a bought with asthma. My dad,who I affectionately refer to as a “cheesy patriot,” will stopany Soldier in uniform, in any store, in any town and thankthem for HIS freedom. He flies the American flag in thefront yard, has yellow ribbons tied around every tree, andhis truck is so full of “support our troops” bumper stickers,it could be a billboard on the side of Interstate 10. He getsemotional during the “Star Spangled Banner” and holdsspecial prayer meetings specifically to pray for the troopsoverseas.

He is the best kind of American. Is my dad unique? Not at all. From the overwhelming

support I have received from friends, family, and even per-fect strangers, I see that the American citizens are just assupportive of the armed forces as my father.

Just think back to the day that you, a Soldier, left yourhometown in your military vehicle on your way to join thefight against terrorism. Think back to the streets of yourhometowns and bases. Do you remember the scene? Ido. They were decorated adoringly with patriots. Mileafter mile, Americans were waving their flags and holdingtheir signs while standing next to their vehicles adornedwith yellow ribbons and patriotic bumper stickers. Andsome, the truly patriotic at heart, followed us down theinterstate, as if to tell us, “I would take this journey with youif I could.”

Our mission, YOUR mission, to assist in the reconstruc-tion of this country was not an easy one. I know at timessome have questioned it—“why are we helping a countrywhose people attack us when we are on the streets tryingto make it better for them?”

This is an answer that each Soldier should find withinthemselves.

We have come so far in helping the people of Iraq liber-ate themselves, but there is still a ways to go. It is perti-nent to remember that if our forefathers did not follow thevery same path we are on at this moment in Iraq, we wouldnot be the fighting force we are today. History is, in fact,repeating itself. In the end, a safe and secure Iraq is asafe and secure America.

If you ever need a reason to cling to, a reason for beinghere, think of my father or better yet, think of yours. Theyrepresent the countless Americans who are praying for oursafe return. They represent the Americans who died in theattacks on New York City and the Pentagon. And they rep-resent our fallen Soldiers, whose sacrifices should not betaken in vain.

Those Soldiers died for something, for a cause, and howdare we, as sometimes bitter Soldiers, ever forget that? Toblaspheme this mission, to downgrade our battle againstterrorism, is to say our friends, America’s Soldiers, andsomeone’s son died for nothing. The reason for sendingUnited States armed forces, and you, a National GuardSoldier, to fight a war in Iraq shouldn’t matter. Maybe wecame over to find weapons of mass destruction. Maybe wecame to weed out the terrorists. Maybe we came to rebuildIraq and help the people of this country have the sameprivileges we do. The fact is, this is all true, and as Soldierswe should already know the only thing constant is change.

Although the political reason we are here is not the sameas the day the first American forces stepped on Iraqi soil,the fact is we are here, and since we are, why not do somegood? Political officials, mainstream media, political ana-lysts; it doesn’t matter what they say or think, because theday Sgt. Christian Engeldrum, the 256th BCT’s first fallenSoldier, of A Co. 1/69th was killed by an IED, politics wentout the window. One weekend a month suddenly becamea distant memory. We were now Soldiers, fighting for ourlives and the lives of our buddies.

Our ultimate goal is to stop evil and to protect the rights,the freedoms, of Americans. That fight must begin wherethe evil originates, and to put an end to the fouls of insur-gency in Iraq is to ensure for a safer United States.

I personally never want to see the fury in my father’seyes or feel that same fury in my gut as I did the day wewatched the suffering in New York. It could happen any-where, even in our own hometowns. More frightening thanthe thought of feeling that anger again is the thought thatsomewhere in the United States, someone, someday willbe watching their television and see my father and lovedones suffer just as those patriots did on September 11,2001.

And that is why I’M here.

AA rreeaassoonn ooff yyoouurr oowwnn((ccoonnttiinnuueedd ffrroomm ppaaggee 22))

page 4

SSSSPPPPEEEECCCCIIIIAAAALLLL EEEEVVVVEEEENNNNTTTTSSSS

page 5

Two Soldiersfrom the 256thBrigade CombatTeam, 3rd InfantryDivision stoodbefore a panel ofsenior non-com-missioned officersto prove why theyshould be chosen

as the Soldier and NCO of the Quarter.Cpl. Jeffrey Abadie from Mandeville, La., of C

Company, 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment,attached to 1st Battalion, 156th Armor Regiment, 256thBCT, competed against fellow Soldiers of the 256th for thecoveted title of Soldier of the Quarter. His leaders helpedhim prepare and in the end, it paid off.

“I’d never gone before a board before, so myNCOs set up a mock scenario to help me get ready for it,”Abadie said.

Though his questioning at the brigade level lastedonly a few minutes, Abadie’s leaders had previously drilledhim for a 20-minute question-and-answer session, so hewould have as few surprises as possible. He also pre-pared by reading a study guide provided by his leaders,though he said the mock board helped him more than any-thing.

“My NCOs purposely asked me the harder ques-tions to better prepare me,” he said.

There was no way of knowing what level of difficul-ty the questions would be for the actual board, butAbadie’s tutoring from his leaders helped him stay calmunder pressure. He said this was also something the panellooked at when deciding a winner.

“I was pretty confident in most of my answers, andwhen I wasn’t, my composure was never shaken,” he said.“One thing that helped me a lot was that if I didn’t know theanswer, I always knew where to find it, so I stated theappropriate field manual to reference.”

Ultimately, Abadie said this quality is what makes agood Soldier. You may not always know the answer, butknowing where to find it is a step in solving a problem.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Slone from New Iberia, La., withB Company, 2nd Battalion, 156th Inf. Reg., attached to CCompany, 1st Bn., 156th Armor Reg., 256th BCT, earnedthe role of NCO of the Quarter.

As a chief operating officer for single-shareholdercompanies in the civilian half of his life, he has quite a bitof experience dealing with numerous employees in a lead-ership role. As a Bradley Fighting Vehicle commander andpatrol leader, he deals with fewer subordinates, but saiddue to the conditions around them and the nature of thejob, it is much more challenging.

“Being shot at and seeing what we’ve seen as

a section changedmy outlook andactually put thingsinto perspective,”he claimed.“When I go back

to my civilian job and have to work with a difficult person,I’m going to think, ‘You’re not that big of a problem, areyou?’”

Slone and the other NCOs were questioned by theboard on the same topics as the junior enlisted Soldiers,in addition to leadership procedures.

“When we walked in we had to do a series of fac-ing movements so the panel could see how we moved andiinspect our uniforms,” he said.

Each senior NCO on the panel asked two ques-tions about a topic, which included maintenance, currentevents and first aid. Slone said one of the most difficult topics dealt with weapons systems, since there are somany different lengths, weights, and ranges.

Even under the pressure of difficult questions, hesaid he never faltered in his confidence, and attributed hiscalm head to his civilian career.

“I felt like I had an advantage because I speakbefore a lot of large groups and often run meetings andconferences,” he said.

As well as Slone felt he performed, he never knewhow he fared in the overall spectrum of the competition,because each NCO separately faced the judges. In thatrespect, he said winning was a total surprise and verygratifying.

Both Abadie and Slone showed unwavering self-assurance in their answers and learned quite a bit, in addi-tion to winning a competition.

“I realized that I could maintain my composureunder pressure, and I think that’s something that I can takehome with me, and know that I can have confidence in dif-ficult situations,” Abadie reflected.

Slone said it helped that most questions seemed tobe directed towards their lives in Iraq, and that each topicmay have already pertained to any number of experiencessince arriving in Baghdad.

“Well, they certainly didn’t ask me any questionsabout cold weather injuries,” he smirked.

S o l d i e r a n d N C Oof the YEAR

page 6

I AM A WARRIOR A MEMBER OF A TEAM...

II WWII LL LL A LWAYS P LACE TH E M ISS ION F I RST . .

Task Force 1/156th To the Soldiers of Task Force Geronimo:

Almost a year ago, you presentedyourselves upon the battlefield of Iraq -in defense of your nation, in defiance ofterrorism, and in support of theoppressed Iraqi people. This is a sce-nario that you bravely elected to facewhen you first joined the United StatesArmy, and as we approach the end of thedeployment, I want you all to know themagnitude of what you have accom-plished, and the depth of my gratitudeand pride in having served as your com-mander.

You shared in great triumphs, andsuffered unspeakable tragedy. This taskforce lost fourteen of its finest soldiers.Over 100 of you have been wounded inbattle, several of you remain hospitalizedto this date, and many of you narrowlyescaped a similar fate. Through all ofthis, you honored our fallen and contin-ued the mission.

You lived up to our motto of “Firstto Fight!” First in the brigade to fireboth mortars and Artillery in Anger.First to employ attack aviation. Youcrossed first into Iraq, as you led the 256th Brigade Combat Team across theberm from Kuwait. For over 300 daysyou conducted highly lethal combat oper-ations on foreign soil. You tamed AbuGhraib, and made it safe for lighterarmored forces to expand upon your suc-cess. You fortified Main Supply RouteTampa, and transformed a vital 15 kmgauntlet into a nearly IED-free zone.You protected Baghdad InternationalAirport, Southwest Baghdad’s rural sub-urbs, and in the assault on Abu GhraibPrison you held firm along the MainSupply Routes to facilitate coalition rein-forcement and the defeat of AIF forces.In April, you began training the IraqiArmy; today they are capable of con-ducting independent operations. Yousecured the first free elections in Iraq’shistory. YOU made an impact. You madehistory.

Over here, thousands of miles awayfrom your home, your friends, and yourloved ones, you fought for the freedom,the lives, and the ideals of all Americansback at home. Your comrades, yourNation, and the free world all owe you adebt of gratitude.

FIRST TO FIGHT!

-Geronimo 6

I WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT.

Geronimo

Who: The Soldiers of the 256th BCT

I will

always

place

the

mission

first.

Mission: To train the Iraqi Army inmilitary tactics and operations.

Thunderbolts,

As well worn this message sounds, I wouldlike to tell you that I’m honored to be yourcommander. I would also like to point outhow you have been tested and provenyourselves to be among the best. Wordsof praise and accolades for HHC and the256 BCT resound throughout both 1st CAVand 3rd Infantry Divisions. Grudgingly atfirst, then with conviction, active dutyunits have acknowledged our skills, profes-sionalism and dedication. Truly, in every-one’s eyes, we have risen above expecta-tions and surpassed the standard. Youknow this in your hearts, by proof in theawards that lay in stacks and from thewords of every person you have workedwith. You should be proud of yourselves,just as I am proud to be writing of your

successes.It is our more discrete achievements

and our future that I would like to drawfocus on. We have made it through thisdeployment without loosing a single soldier.For this I am thankful to God, and deeplyappreciative of your commitment to takingcare of each other. You had made friendswith people from a culture so differentfrom ours that it was never believe possi-ble until now. We have also put our last-ing mark upon history, which your greatgrand children will learn about in schooland politicians will speak of in reverentprose.

HHC has reached out through theBrigade and beyond. Members of HHCdeployed to lead TF Bengal, a dedicatedteam who were responsible for directly influencing the success of newly formed

HHC 256th BCT

pphhyyssiiccaallllyy aannddmmeennttaallllyy ttoouugghh,,......

IIaamm

ddiisscciipplliinneedd,,

units of the Iraqi Army. Other membersdispersed to Military Transition Teams whoalso played a crucial role in the fledglingmilitary. The MP section spent countlesshours influencing, training, and overseeingthe Iraqi Police forces as they literallypulled themselves up by their bootstraps.For these and so many other achievements,HHC has distinguished itself and directlyaffected the future of Iraq. What is nor-mally not mentioned is the league of

Soldiers who quietly work behind the scenes in areas that do not normally getthe spotlight trained on them. Themechanics, supply, admin and support staffwho ran operations around the clock toenable the elements of the 256 to go forthand do great things. These section per-sonnel, I am also thankful to have and fullyacknowledge the sacrifices they have madewhich are not always as obvious and oftengo unappreciated. This common indiscre-tion I would like to rectify now. Thank youfor everything you have done.As for our future, there are many aspectswe can not predict, but there are a fewwhich you can influence. The experienceyou have amassed here should not be takenlightly. Pass it along to those who will bejoining our ranks. Encourage them to

--Thunderbolt 6

Thunderbolt

256th Essential Service TeamCompleted Projects:1. Sewage - 25

$ 5,082,055.002. Water - 10

$ 2,470,779.003. Electricity - 14

$ 3,580,711.004. Academics - 7

$ 361,446.005. Trash - 36

$ 4,628,062.006. Other - 44

$ 4,009,427.76

TOTAL = $20,132,480.76

Projects In-Development1. Sewage - 3

$33,000,000.002. Water - 2

$122,000,000.003. Electricity - 5

$ 904,282.004. Academics -14

$ 3,149,092.005. Trash - 3

$567,900.006. Other - 13

$ 28,040,335.00

TOTAL = $187,661,609.00

Ongoing Projects1. Sewage -26

$ 25,366,576.002. Water -12

$ 6,483,913.003. Electricity - 17

$ 65,618,763.004. Academics -17

$ 989,647.005. Trash - 20

$ 1,776,010.006. Other - 66

$ 51,326,345.00

TOTAL = $151,661,254.00

II AAMM aann eexxppeerrtt aanndd I am a

PPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALL..

Bravo 134 Red Bull To the Soldiers of B Company, 134th Signal Battalion:

Thank you for all that you have done to make our mission a success. We have trulystepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam. Communications will never be the samein this theater of operation.

Here is a look at some of the missions we accomplished:

Keep up the good work!! God has brought us together and I pray that He blesses uswith a safe return to the USA.

-CPT SHELLEY HERMES

TOC Operations JLENS-Liberty/Mosu REDBULL 83 & V3 Teams - Liberty

MaintenanceOperations

I31 – DIF/BIF I41 – Stryker/Constitution

ElectronicMaintenance

I32 – Taji/JusticeI42 – MPs/SPO

Division G6Mailroom

I33 – Falcon/HonorI43 – Mayor/St.

Michael/Constitution/Stryker

BCT LNO I73 – BCT HQ I74 - TMC

SuperAerostat SR82 – Butler Range SR83 – Justice

Convoy Operations Hawk BIF Security

Tigerland Sweep PSD Personnel REDBULL 82 – Prosperity/Liberty

Supply Operations LR82 – Signal Hill Wire Dogs – Liberty, Justice, St. Michael,

256th Mi. Co RaptorTo the Soldiers of the 256th Mi. Co.:

As our time in Iraq draws to the end, Ireflect on many fond memories from themobilization, from Fort Hood, from theNational Training Center, and here at CampLiberty. As the Ground Surveillance RadarPlatoon transformed into the BrigadeReconnaissance Platoon, all the other pla-toons of the 256th Military IntelligenceCompany transformed, as well, into one ofthe finest in the Army. As Soldiers fromacross the United States (Washington,Indiana, Nevada, Wisconsin, Tennessee,Pennsylvania, Texas, and South Dakota)joined the team, we melded into one teamto complete one mission and one fight.The Analysis Control Element became theBDE S-2 Fusion Cell and integrated intothe BDE S-2 section where they success-fully gave up-to-date intelligence analysisfor the Tiger Brigade. The ProphetPlatoon collecting signal intelligence fromSlayer Hill and the tactical human intelli-gence teams, collecting informationthroughout the 256th BCT area of opera-tions. All of these platoons togetherassisted the BDE S-2 to paint an accuratepicture of the enemy situation in the256th BCT’s sector. Last but not least,we must not forget the Headquarters sec-tion, without this incredible group ofSoldiers the company could not be suc-cessful.

The 256 MI Co. Family Readiness Groupwas more supportive of us than we everthought imaginable. A big thanks goes tothem and all of the family members at home who endured this hardship with us.

We did not come through unscathed; wededicate our page of the Tiger Tracks toSpc. Benton and Cpl. Wells, who will bewaiting on us when we return to “homesweet home” Louisiana. I would like toconvey my heart felt thanks to all of the256 Military Intelligence Company forbeing professional Soldiers and being a part of the 256th Brigade Combat Team’sunprecedented success during OperationIraqi Freedom III and the global war on ter-rorism.

CPT Bobby J. Lee, Jr.“RAPTOR 6”

H u m a n i t a r i a n A i d

Over the last 11months, the256th BCTBrigade SurgeonSection hasworked to providemedical supportto U.S. soldiers,local nationals,Iraqi Police, andIraqi Army alike.

Medical CivilianAssistanceProjects(MedCAP’s) aremissions used tobring medical careto local nationalswho could not afford or reach Iraqi health-care clinics. The hope was that these mis-sions would deter AIF violence againstcoalition forces by gaining local support.Over 20 MedCAP’s were conductedthroughout the Tiger AO treating over2000 men, women, and children with acutemedical problems.

“Golden Children” were children withmedical problems which exceeded the med-ical capabilities of the local healthcare sys-tem or a single MedCAP. These children

were assistedwith frequentvisits for dress-ing changes,re-examina-tions, and pro-vided withample medicalsupplies.These childrenwere alsobrought to theattention ofthe 256th JAGsection toreceive condo-lence payments

for their injuries.Medical support to the Iraqi Police

recruiting process was accomplishedthrough medical screening exams. Over1500 recruits were screened by 256th BCTphysicians and medics. The BSS also visited15 hospitals and clinics throughout theTiger AO. These visits were used to assessthe medical capabilities of the healthcarein that area. If clinics were found to belacking, recommendations for improvementswere submitted.

Visits to Baghdad Pediatric and KadhamiyaTeaching hospitals provided the opportunityto meet local providers, set up guest lec-tures for the students, and distribute med-ical supplies. Donated clothing and toyswere also passed out during these visits.

Distribution of humanitarian aid supplieswas another mission of the 256th BCTBrigade Surgeon Section. Medical supplieswere distributed to clinics and hospitalsthroughout the Tiger AO. The BSS workedwith the battalions to identify facilities inneed of assistance. These supplies includ-ed adult and pediatric medications, crutch-es, bandages, respiratory care items,wheelchairs and medical textbooks.

Finally, the Brigade Surgeon’s Sectionassisted in the training of Iraqi Army aswell as U.S. combat medics. This trainingincluded basic combat medical skills as wellas more advanced clinical assessment train-ing for the medics working with detaineesin the Iraqi Internment facility.

Through MedCAP’s, clinic assessments,medical training, and interactions with Iraqihealthcare personnel, the BSS assisted inthe 256th BCT’s overall mission of securinga future for the Iraqi people.

A N D G o o d w i l l

1088th Eng BN To the Soldiers of 1088th Eng. Bat.:

The 1088th Engineer Battalion,“Bayou Sappers” continue to conduct out-standing engineer operations in support ofthe 256th Brigade Combat Team. EachSoldier and family member should beextremely proud of our accomplishments.We should end this deployment knowingwe made a positive and lasting effect onthe mission of Multi-National Division-Baghdad and the citizens of Iraq.Throughout our deployment, the engineersfought beside every task force in the256th BCT, and also reinforced Division byconducting engineer operations in supportof the Commandos of 2nd Brigade, 10thMountain Division, and the Brave Rifles of3rd ACR. Our diverse missions includedfight-as-Infantry tasks, cache searches,deliberate route clearance missions,IED/UXO mitigation, force protection con-struction at outlying Coalition and IraqiArmy bases, checkpoint construction tostrengthen the Iraqi Army, quality of lifeimprovements for the work and livingareas of the 256th BCT, and managementof over 500 infrastructure enhancement

projects totaling over $350,000,000 toimprove quality of life for the citizens ofIraq. Onevery mis-sion, theBayouSappersperformedexception-ally andearned thepraise andadorationof eachunit andeach Iraqicitizenwith whichwe haveworked.

Success isnot with-out sacrifice. Each Soldier and familymember endured a long separation thatwill be met with celebrated reunion. Someof our comrades made the ultimate sacri-

fice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Our hearts are heavy in their loss and ourprayers will remain with their families.

C S MEdwardsand I aretremen-douslyproud ofthe suc-cesses thatyou accom-plished.You shouldalso beproud ofthe list ofachieve-ments ofthe BayouSappers.Your contri-butionsensured

that the 1088th Engineer Battalion will be “Always in Front and Never Behind.”

-Bayou 6

II wwiillll aallwwaayyss mmaaiinnttaaiinn mmyy aarrmmss,, mmyyeeqquuiippmmeenntt aanndd mmyysseellff..

Bayou Sappers

Task force 1/69th Gentlemen of Task Force Wolfhound,

I’ve been asked to write this smallpiece to you but as I sit to write this Ifind that the words don’t come easily.How can I say to you what I feel and makeit come out right? I don’t think I can. I’lltry though because I don’t want to missthis last opportunity to tell you how wellyou’ve done. I’ve been in the 69th forfourteen years and I’ve learned much ofits history, always magnificent, always fullof sacrifice, and always successful. Ourefforts here rose to the same level.Fewer men died or were wounded in ourwar than in our previous wars but I say:Thank God. If great battles are measuredby dead men than I want none of it but ifthey are measured by mission accomplish-ment then you’ve met every expectation.

None but us will ever remember namessuch as Route Red Legs, or Hora Al Bashaor Awad Al Hussain or Route Rams. Nonebut us will know of Route Raiders or thebridges into Al Taji. No one will ever

remember Hagar Thunder Runs or the treacherous mud of the endless canalsexcept you and the men with you in thegun trucks or the Brads. Only a very fewwill know what Bridge 540, 541, 542 or543 over Route Irish mean.

II ssttaanndd rreeaaddyy ttooddeeppllooyy,, eennggaaggee,, aannddddeessttrrooyy tthhee eenneemmiieessooff tthhee UUnniitteedd SSttaatteessooff AAmmeerriiccaa iinn cclloossee

ccoommbbaatt..

Only you will remember the Red SniperBuilding, The boat Factory, The MedalFactory and the desperate calls overthe radio net from a unit in contact orthe report of men hit. These memo-ries are yours and they will resonate inyour minds and hearts only. The restof the people in your lives can onlywatch you and wonder what you stillhear and see and feel.

Whatever you do with the rest ofyour lives, my New York and Louisianabrothers, you must always rememberthat you served with pride and distinc-tion in Task Force Wolfhound.Remember our honored dead andwounded, and remember your honoredservice. God bless you.Garryowen in Glory!

LTC Geoffrey J. SlackCDR, Task Force Wolfhound

Wolfhound

Task Force 199th 199th Forward Support Battalion Soldiers,

Congratulations on the completion ofthe OIF-III deployment with the 199thFSB! During our activation, we were suc-cessful in supporting the BCT during post-mobilization training at Ft. Hood, duringan mission readiness exercise at theNational TrainingCenter at Ft. Irwin,RSOI operations atCamp Buehring,Kuwait and combatoperations at CampLiberty, Iraq. Inaddition to support-ing the TigerBrigade, you alsosupported threeother battalions andtwo separate compa-nies for a grandtotal of ten battal-ions and four sepa-rate companies sup-ported. Your servicein Iraq included over8,800 direct supportmaintenance jobswhile maintainingover a 90% OR rat-ing, treatment ofover 12,600 patientsat the troop medicalclinic, plus over4,000 patients atthe brigade intern-ment facility, com-pletion of 72 groundevacuation missionsto the 86th CSH.Additionally, youexecuted 1,250 Mayor’s Cell service orderrequests, completed over 218 CST mis-sions and over 400 logistical transporta-tion missions, processed over 23,000 req-uisitions, 19,800 MROs and over 1000unserviceable turn-ins. You also achievedan unheard of 86% retention rate duringcombat operations The 152nd

Maintenance Company also stood watch

for the 3rd Infantry Division manningtowers and the Camp Cropper High ValueDetainee Center. You did this in additionto providing outstanding maintenance sup-port. This is just a small sample of whatwe did in our “Support to Victory!”

The sacrifices you have for the past18 months made a significant impact, not

only on the successof the LouisianaTiger Brigade in com-bat, but also on thehistorical challengeof building a freeand democratic Iraqination. Your techni-cal competence dur-ing this operation ishighly commendable,and I truly appreciateall of your effortsand professionalism.I am proud of howfar we came as abattalion

in accomplishing ourmission and in thedetermination dis-played by Soldiers inovercoming thenumerous obstacleson a daily basis.Statistics bear thatthis is one of thebest support battal-ion in the UnitedStates Army! Again,I appreciate yourservice to the TigerBrigade and theLouisiana Army

National Guard during this deployment. Iam proud to serve with you!

Support to Victory!

James B. WaskomLTC, IN

B u l l e t

1/141 Field Artillery Thank you, to the Soldiers of 1st

Battalion, 141st Field Artillery, and all ofthe Soldiers in the units attached, OPCON,or TACON to Task Force Thunder in sup-port of OIF III: B Company, 1st Battalion,126th Field Artillery B Company, 1stBattalion, 69th Infantry B Company, 1stBattalion, 156th Armor Regiment 1stPlatoon, A Company, 1088th EngineerBattalion, E Troop, 101st Cavalry, BCompany, 134th Signal Battalion,Headquarters Company, 256th, D/152MCT, and B/2&3/3-15IN. You were simply outstanding in all

aspects of this deployment and will forev-er be etched in the history of the famed‘Washington Artillery’. You are the reason this unit overcame

incredible adversity and tremendous chal-lenges like the numerous changes in mis-sion, organizational structure, resourcesshortages, etc. You have a great deal about which to be proud. In the elevenmonths we’ve been in Iraq, you ensured wesafely fired 796 artillery rounds for the256 Brigade Combat Team and Division,

many in support of the 2-24 Marines in AlMahmoudiyah, you safely defended about70% of the Victory Base Complex toinclude entrycontrolpoints &towers, yousafely andhumanelyprocessedover 1,000detainees atthe BrigadeInterrogationFacility, youconducted avariety ofcombat mis-sions outsidethe wire, youconductedescort mis-sions anddetaineetransfers, and you successfully establishedand managed the ‘Kids for Kids’ program.You safely issued over 138,000 temporarypasses to local nationals, you safelyinspected over 55,000 local national pri-vately owned vehicles, and monitored thetraffic of over 309,000 military andDepartment of Defense personnel. The listof missions and complex responsibilities inwhich you excelled goes on and on. You didit all! The impressive aspect of your longlist of

accomplishments, is that you always founda way to accomplish the mission ratherthan look for reasons why tasks couldn’t be

executed tostandard. Youhave unequiv-ocally proventhat you aredisciplined,extremelycapableSoldiers whojust quietlyand profes-sionally gotthe job done.In theprocess youhelped makeme a betterman andleader, andfor that I for-ever grateful.

But, most of all you have served our greatcountry with pride and dignity and havelived up to our infamous motto, “TRY US!”Let’s finish strong and as safely as possibleto honor the memory of our fallen brotherSGT Lee Myles Godbolt, and the otherSoldiers of the 256 BCT who paid the ulti-mate price so that the people of Iraqi couldexperience freedom and democracy.

-Thunder 6

Thunder

C O M B A T O: Iraqi Elections

Joint Patrols

Bradley fighting vehicle

P E R A T I O N S

Bradley fighting vehicle

Combat patrols

Cordon and search

To the Soldiers of Task Force BANDIT:

I want to thank you for a job well doneduring our combat tour as part of OIF III.We operated in some of the toughestareas of Baghdad, with overwhelming suc-cess. You, the Soldiers that make upTASK FORCE BANDIT, are from manystates to include Illinois, Louisiana,Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin. However,you came together, from many back-grounds and of many different militaryoccupations, to make this unit a cohesiveand effective combat team. Although wenumbered only 430 Soldiers strong, youraccomplishments over the past 11 monthsare impressive:Conducted 2500 patrols,25,000 patrol hours, and 450,000 manhours of in the TF BANDIT AOR, killed orcaptured over 138 suspected insurgents,maintained our vehicles at and average96.8% Operational Readiness Rate,initiated 102 Civil Affairs Projects totaling$8.38 million dollars, sustained 62 combatrelated injuries with 49 Purple Heartsawarded.

Awarded 249 Combat Infantry Badges,21 Combat Field Medical Badges, and 127Combat Action Badges.

Task force 3/156th

No Soldiers lost their lives in 3/156th.A total of 914 individual awards submit-ted in a combat zone.Less than 1% of our Soldiers charged withmisconduct under UCMJ.We were the main effort in the 256th BCTconducting polling site security in Saba alBoor during the first Iraqi elections onJan. 30, 2005, which was a huge success.

To all the Soldiers of TF BANDIT, I wantto thank you for your contributions andfor making this deployment such a suc-cess.

BANDITS!

BANDIT 6

B a n d i t s

II aamm aa gguuaarrddiiaann ooff ffrreeeeddoomm aannddtthhee AAmmeerriiccaann wwaayy ooff lliiffee..

Task Force 2/156th TF 2-156 Soldiers:

I couldn’t be prouder of your perform-ance and our accomplishments during ourmobilization and deployment for OIF III.Our mobilization was straightforward dueto your hard work and great attitudes. Wehad an effortless movement to Fort Hoodand accomplished our training well abovestandard. We fired Bradley Table XII forthe first time in 13 years and completed itwith excellent scores. We trained on newequipment and tactics and came away witha great appreciation for how we wouldwork together at the patrol up to the TFlevel. And this showed during a highly suc-cessful rotation at the NTC. When we hitthe ground, we did it running and wereimmediately successful in combat ops. Ourfirst major engagement was by DemonCompany and we emerged unscathed andwith two Bronze Stars with ‘V’ device. Wecontinued in that vein, clearing our ruralAO and Saba al Boor of AIF by successfulraids, sniper ops and tactics such as dis-mounted patrols, resulting in a dramatic

decrease in AIF activity. In our urban AO,we saw the activity of the KbW Army dropto almost nothing due to the relentlesspressure we put on that AIF organization.SIGACTs were at historic lows toward theend of our tour. We proved our organiza-tion to be flexible and innovative by organ-izing new combat units for use during theIraqi elections. As a result of our effortsin securing the AO, we improved the com-munities in which we worked in other ways.We could see a healthier economy in thefew months we were in the urban AO, adirect reflection of the increased securitythat we and the ISF provided. We complet-ed many, many projects which directly ben-efited the community, from water purifica-tion to school and clinic improvements.And among our proudest moments in thisconflict should be the building and fieldingof the 5-1/6 Iraqi Army Battalion. Each ofyou had a hand in training or working withour counterpart IA unit and we worked withthem from Basic Training to the assump-tion of their own AO. This has been anhistoric achievement.

S T E E L I am incredibly proud of having served

with our brothers from 1/C/1-156 AR,B/1-156 AR, 2/B/1-69 IN and D/101Cav. You have been great additions toour team. Everyone in the TF hasalways been dependable and ready onshort notice to support each other incontact or to strike, such as our reac-tions to the attack on AGIF or chasingour number one target in Hurriya. Andwe will always remember our fallen -Fisher, Fell, Sembly, Kalladeen and Rios.I can’t thank my command sergeantmajor enough – I couldn’t have accom-plished this without his work and thework of our great staff, commanders,leaders and Soldiers. It has been aremarkable experience and an honor tohave served with you all.

-Steel 6

IInn hhoonnoorr ooff oouurr FFaalllleenn BBrrootthheerrss wwhhoo ppaaiidd tthheewwhhoo tthhrreeaatteenneedd tthhee ffrreeeeddoomm aanndd lliibbeerr

yyoouu aarree ffoorreevveerr iinn oouurr hheeaarrttss aanndd iinn oouurr pprraayyGGoodd BBllee

29 NO29 NOV 04V 04 1-69 1-69 SPC SPC URBINA, WILFREDOURBINA, WILFREDO29 NO29 NOV 04V 04 1-69 1-69 SGT SGT ENGELDRUM, CHRISTIANENGELDRUM, CHRISTIAN03 DEC 04 03 DEC 04 1-69 1-69 SSG SSG IRIZARRIRIZARRYY, HENR, HENRY EY E16 DEC 04 16 DEC 04 1-1561-156 SPC SPC NELSON, CRAIGNELSON, CRAIG23 DEC 04 1-15623 DEC 04 1-156 2L2LT T BARNETTBARNETT, CHRIST, CHRISTOPHEROPHER06 J06 JAN 05 AN 05 1-69 1-69 SFC SFC COMEACOMEAUX, KURUX, KURTT06 J06 JAN 05 AN 05 1-69 1-69 SGT SGT BABIN, CHRISTBABIN, CHRISTOPHEROPHER06 J06 JAN 05 AN 05 1-69 1-69 SPCSPC BERGERON, BRADLEYBERGERON, BRADLEY06 J06 JAN 05 AN 05 1-69 1-69 SPCSPC FFASSBENDER, HUEYASSBENDER, HUEY06 J06 JAN 05 AN 05 1-69 1-69 SPC SPC FRICKEYFRICKEY, ARMAND, ARMAND06 J06 JAN 05AN 05 1-69 1-69 SPC SPC MURPHYMURPHY, W, WARRENARREN06 J06 JAN 05AN 05 1-69 1-69 PFC PFC VONRONN, KENNETHVONRONN, KENNETH10 J10 JAN 05 AN 05 1-1561-156 SSG SSG MANUEL, WILLIAM MANUEL, WILLIAM 10 J10 JAN 05 AN 05 1-1561-156 SGT SGT SWEENEYSWEENEY, ROBER, ROBERTT28 J28 JAN 05 AN 05 1-1561-156 SPC SPC RAMSEYRAMSEY, CHRIST, CHRISTOPHEROPHER28 J28 JAN 05 AN 05 1-1561-156 SSG SSG REED, JONAREED, JONATHONTHON

ee uullttiimmaattee ssaaccrriiffiiccee iinn tthhee ffiigghhtt aaggaaiinnsstt tthhoossee rrttyy ooff tthhee UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess ooff AAmmeerriiccaa,, yyeerrss.. YYoouurr ssaaccrriiffiicceess wwiillll nnoott bbee ffoorrggootttteenn..ssss yyoouu..

28 J28 JAN 05 AN 05 1-1561-156 SPC SPC EVEVANS, MICHAELANS, MICHAEL19 FEB 05 19 FEB 05 1-1561-156 SPCSPC TRAHAN, SETHTRAHAN, SETH230 FEB05230 FEB05 1-1561-156 SGT SGT OLIVIER, NICHOLASOLIVIER, NICHOLAS02 MAR 0502 MAR 05 1-69 1-69 SPCSPC ALI, AZHARALI, AZHAR02 MAR 0502 MAR 05 1-69 1-69 SPCSPC LLWIN, WWIN, WAIAI15 MAR 0515 MAR 05 1-69 1-69 SGT SGT HELHELTZEL, PTZEL, PAAULUL26 MAR 0526 MAR 05 1-1561-156 SPC SPC GODBOLGODBOLTT, LEE , LEE 26 MAR 0526 MAR 05 1-1561-156 SPC SPC SINCLAIR, ISIAHSINCLAIR, ISIAH19 MA19 MAY 05Y 05 2-1562-156 SPC FELL, ROBIN VINCENTSPC FELL, ROBIN VINCENT19 MA19 MAY 05Y 05 2-1562-156 SPCSPC SEMBLSEMBLYY, BERNARD, BERNARD24 MA24 MAY 05Y 05 1-69 1-69 SSG SSG HAHN, PETERHAHN, PETER09 JUN 0509 JUN 05 1-1561-156 SPCSPC MURRAMURRAYY, D, DAAVIDVID16 JUL 05 1/11 16 JUL 05 1/11 SSG SSG PENA ROMEROPENA ROMERO, JORGE, JORGE07 A07 AUG 05UG 05 2-1562-156 PFCPFC RIOS, HERNANDORIOS, HERNANDO07 A07 AUG 05UG 05 2-1562-156 SPC SPC KALLADEEN, ANTHONYKALLADEEN, ANTHONY13 A13 AUG 05UG 05 1/11 1/11 SPC SPC DERKS, BRIAN K.DERKS, BRIAN K.

T i g e r B r i g a d e

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM III

CChheecckk oouutt oouurr WWEEBB SSIITTEE aatt:: wwwwww..225566tthhttiiggeerrss..ccoomm .. TThhee ssiittee iissccuurrrreennttllyy bbeeiinngg uuppddaatteedd.. TThhaannkk yyoouu ffoorr yyoouurr ppaattiieennccee..