Gunfighters, Families, and Friends, The Gunfighters have taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by R3 (Recovery, Re- training, and Resiliency) to conduct individual training, reconnect with their Families, and take some well deserved time off. F/1 spent the summer in the lovely Mojave Desert successfully completing the Initial Test and Evaluation of the MQ-1C Grey Eagle for the United States Army. The Soldiers and leaders of F/1 demonstrated the amazing capabili- ties of their formation and the revolutionary capabilities of the Grey Eagle Unmanned Aerial System. The full results of this test will take some time to calculate and tabulate by some very smart people, but F/1 did an outstanding job with an incredibly complicated, demand- ing, and high visibility mission with importance across the entire Department of Defense. As we emerge from our summer R3 period, we are increasing the operational tempo of the Battal- ion as we prepare the formation for future operations. Our first major training event will be Heli- copter Gunnery on September 10th. When you hear the “sound of freedom” echoing across the Flight Hills in September, it will have been created by your hard working Gunfighters. On September 15th we will have a Family Day at the range where you can observe the activities as well as eat a steak meal graciously provided by the All American Beef Brigade. In October, Charlie Company will be conducting some training at Fort Knox, KY in sup- port of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. Towards the end (Continued on page 2) 1-1 Attack Reconnaisance Battalion 30 August 2012 Volume 1, Issue 6 The Apache Post Inside this issue: Cover Story 2 Volunteer Awards/Chaplain’s Corner 3 HHC ‘Bounty Hunters’ 4 A CO ‘Devils’ 5 B CO ‘Wolfpack’ 6 C CO ‘Ghostriders’ 7 D CO ‘Desperados’ 8 E CO ‘Outlaws’ 9 F CO ‘Fenix’ 10 FRG Information 11 Events Around Post 12 About 1-1 ARB 14 From the Cockpit... Above: Brigadier Gen. Brewer, US Air Force, is given an overview of the Grey Eagle Unmanned Aerial System during the Fox Company IOT & E at Edwards Air Force Base this summer. (Photo by Lieutenant Col. Vedder)
Transcript
Gunfighters, Families, and Friends,
The Gunfighters have taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by R3 (Recovery, Re-
training, and Resiliency) to conduct individual training, reconnect with their Families, and
take some well deserved time off. F/1 spent the summer in the lovely Mojave Desert
successfully completing the Initial Test and Evaluation of the MQ-1C Grey Eagle for the
United States Army. The Soldiers and leaders of F/1 demonstrated the amazing capabili-
ties of their formation and the revolutionary capabilities of the Grey Eagle Unmanned
Aerial System. The full results of this test will take some time to calculate and tabulate by
some very smart people, but F/1
did an outstanding job with an
incredibly complicated, demand-
ing, and high visibility mission
with importance across the entire
Department of Defense.
As we emerge from our summer
R3 period, we are increasing the
operational tempo of the Battal-
ion as we prepare the formation
for future operations. Our first
major training event will be Heli-
copter Gunnery on September
10th. When you hear the “sound
of freedom” echoing across the
Flight Hills in September, it will have been created by your hard working Gunfighters.
On September 15th we will have a Family Day at the range where you can observe the
activities as well as eat a steak meal graciously provided by the All American Beef Brigade.
In October, Charlie Company will be conducting some training at Fort Knox, KY in sup-
port of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. Towards the end
(Continued on page 2)
1-1 Attack
Reconnaisance
Battalion
30 August 2012 Volume 1, Issue 6
The Apache Post
Inside this issue:
Cover Story 2
Volunteer
Awards/Chaplain’s
Corner
3
HHC ‘Bounty
Hunters’
4
A CO ‘Devils’ 5
B CO ‘Wolfpack’ 6
C CO
‘Ghostriders’
7
D CO
‘Desperados’
8
E CO ‘Outlaws’ 9
F CO ‘Fenix’ 10
FRG Information 11
Events Around Post 12
About 1-1 ARB 14
From the Cockpit...
Above: Brigadier Gen. Brewer, US Air Force, is given an overview of the
Grey Eagle Unmanned Aerial System during the Fox Company IOT & E at
Edwards Air Force Base this summer. (Photo by Lieutenant Col. Vedder)
of the month Alpha Company will deploy as part of Task Force Nightmare to the National Training Center at
Fort Irwin, CA to complete their Mission Rehearsal Exercise. While at the National Training Center they will
conduct operations against a dedicated and professional adversary on a simulated battlefield in order to prepare
them for the rigors of the battlefield.
In November, Bravo Company will be headed to Fort Carson, CO in order to complete high altitude environ-
mental training. This demanding training will help prepare them for the challenges posed by operating in a
mountainous environment.
Of course, none of this training would be possible with-
out the contributions and hard work of the ground and
air maintainers. It takes ALL the Gunfighters in order
to put aircraft in the air and steel on target. The tireless
efforts of all our maintainers make these great training
opportunities possible.
I look forward to the transition from the drought and
heat of the summer and into the cooler days of fall.
The FRG is hard at work establishing the procedures
and organization necessary to support the hard working
Gunfighter families. If you want to get involved, now is
the time to volunteer and get integrated. On August
30th we will have a Newcomers Welcome and Volun-
teer Kickoff at the USO on Fort Riley from 1300-1530.
This will be mandatory for Gunfighters who have
joined the Battalion since June 1st and highly encour-
aged for their Family members. Gunfighters that bring their Families to the Newcomer Welcome will have the
rest of the day off after the brief, while those without their Families in attendance will be returning to work.
Army Community Services, Manhattan Military Relations, Pioneer Services, the Spouse’s Club, and MWR will
be present and available for briefings and information. The Chain of Command will also brief the calendar for
the next year. It will be a great event for the Gunfighter Families.
Thank you for what you all do each and every day in support of our country, our Soldiers, and our Families.
Gunfighters!
LTC Ed Vedder
CSM Patrick Lunsford
(Continued from page 1)
From the Cockpit
Page 2 The Apache Post
Above: New Gunfighter, MAJ Jason Woodward, S3, with
his son Hudson and wife Beth, prepare to run with BN
Advisor Jenn Vedder at the recent BDE Family Run honor-
ing the new Demon CSM, Jake Werner.
21 AUG 2012—The Demon Brigade recently honored volunteers
for their outstanding efforts over the last quarter, and the Gunfight-
ers were not lacking in nominations. Volunteers from our battalion
who were honored by the Brigade at the quarterly volunteer cere-
mony were Lauren Stewart, HHC 1-1; Heather Pugh, formerly E
CO 1-1; and Lisa McCoy, F CO 1st CAB. Lisa was also honored at
the Division level for her efforts with the Fenix Company. She is
pictured above with, from left, Demon CSM Jake Werner, Brigade
FRG Advisor Valerie Blakemore, and COL. John Morgan.
Congratulations to all of our volunteers for your achievements! We
know that our volunteers are the backbone of this unit, and our
battalion would not be as outstanding as it is without your continued
support and selfless service.
‘Gunfighter’ Volunteers Honored at Brigade Ceremony
Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 6
Chaplain’s Corner by CH (CPT) Kevin Trimble
Hello Family and friends of the Bounty Hunters! It’s my pleasure to write a short article and brag about the great Soldiers & Officers, and their excellent duty performance, within the Headquarters and Headquarters Company! The last couple of months, as you all know at home, have been extremely busy. The Company continues to push forward, leading the way in support of the #1 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion in the Army! Soldiers in the S-1 (Administrative Operations) shop have had a change of re-sponsibility of their NCOIC, and bid farewell to SFC Akisha Howard. SFC Howard is currently enrolled in the Senior Leaders Course and upon graduation, she will report to Human Resources Command in Washington D.C. to provide administrative support to the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. Shortly after her departure, we also had to say goodbye to SSG Casey Royal-Williams. SSG Royal-Williams is in training at the US Army Recruiters Course, and upon completion, she will serve the Army as a goodwill ambassador, filling our ranks with new Soldiers and Officers. SSG Robert Whitaker, an Apache Crew chief from Bravo Company, has stepped up and will fill the void as the new NCOIC of the Administrative section. His natural leadership capability is evident in his daily work, and he is a welcomed asset to the Bounty Hunter team! The S-2 (Intelligence) shop also had a change of Officers as CPT Ashley Pringle prepares to transition into civilian life. 1LT David Love has assumed the position as the Officer in Charge, and a seamless handover was completed. 1LT Love will continue as the OIC of the S-2 shop until this winter when he will also begin his transition to civilian life. The Bounty Hunters wish CPT Pringle and her husband the best of luck with their future endeavors! Not to be outdone, the S-3 (Operations) section also has seen a changeover of the OIC. MAJ Josh Berryhill will take some much needed leave prior to moving just down the road to work for Division Headquarters. His replacement, MAJ Jason Woodward, is no stranger to the 1st CAB. MAJ Woodward has served our Brigade previously and is a great addition to the team! And last, but certainly not least, the S-4 (Supply & Logistics) OIC has changed over from CPT Anthony Arbogast to 1LT Kyle Simpson. 1LT Simpson has already proven to be an attention to detail oriented Officer, and will undoubtedly be successful as the Battalion S-4. Welcome aboard! All Soldiers within the Company continue to impress leaders at all levels across Ft Riley and the Army! We have been fortunate enough to sit in a few sensing sessions with the Sergeant Major of the Army and the Vice Chief of Staff during their visit to Ft Riley. The Company has also continued to train hard in preparation for the upcoming Aerial gunnery, completing numerous Sergeants Time Training on Convoy Opera-tions, Recovery of Wheeled Vehicles, Command Post/Tent exercise, React to possible IED, and Treat a Casualty. Hard, focused training will make us successful in battle, and HHC will train well beyond the standard to make sure all Soldiers are proficient!
One final note before I go. Five Soldiers and one family member built a 12 foot boat constructed of only cardboard and tape to compete in the annual Junction City “Float your boat” competition held at Milford Lake. I am happy to re-port that the team not only built an extremely detailed boat, but it floated too! Oh, and the team won 1st PLACE! Con-gratulations to SPC Barrett Brown, SSG Robert Whitaker, SGT Bobby Yanes, 1SG Jeffrey Schafer, SPC Janice Borja, and Ricca Carbullido! A job well done! Thank you all for your untiring support to the Bounty Hunter Company and our Army as a whole. Your efforts are evident daily, and no words could describe the gratitude due.
Until next time,
1SG Jeffrey Schafer
“Bounty Hunter 7”
Page 4 The Apache Post
Above: CPT Wilford Rose and 1SG Jeff Schafer present SPC Tavares
Foster with his PCS award. SPC Foster is heading to Korea.
Above: Bounty Hunter Soldiers in their 1st place winning boat during the 18 AUG “Float
Your Boat” competition at Milford Lake. Outstanding use of duct tape and cardboard!!
Greetings from the best Attack Aviation Company in the US Army! During the past months the Alpha Company
Devils took the opportunity to recuperate from months of hard training and prepare for the immense amount of
work that still lies ahead. However, while the Devils have been taking leave on an individual basis, companywide pro-
gressions and training have not stopped.
Over the 7th - 9th of August the Devils conducted a Field Training Exercise (FTX) designed to prepare our Crew
Chiefs and Aviators for the challenges that await them during the upcoming NTC rotation. Whether setting up tents,
participating in night drivers training, reacting to ambushes, or
flying missions in support of the maintainers on the ground,
every Devil played a role in the exercise. We successfully com-
pleted the ‘crawl’ phase of training. However, some final tasks
and skills must be practiced in order to ensure that the company
is ready to “hit the ground running” when we arrive at NTC in
October. In order to prepare for this the Devils will be conduct-
ing another FTX from September 4th – 6th in which the com-
pany will be required to stay overnight in a field environment in
order to perfect field craft skills.
The Devils have also accomplished a lot of great things
during the last month. We promoted both Faustino Gonzalez
and Dustin Blasengame to the rank of Specialist. SPC Kenneth
Johnson also completed the Combatives Level 2 course and is
now certified as one of the baddest Devils in the company. All of our maintainers are
now Apache Block III certified mechanics. SPC Weston is also a graduate of the
Warrior Leader’s Course (WLC) and finished the course with honors by making the
Commandant’s List. The Command team would also like to recognize some of our
team members who are rising through the ranks: CW2 Timothy Settle made the very
selective list to become a CW3, while SGT Chad West, SPC Kenneth Johnson, and
SPC Justin Schreiner all achieved promotable status to the next rank as well! Great job
Devils!
Upcoming Key Dates:
4-6SEP: Field Training Exercise
10-30SEP: Battalion Gunnery
22OCT-18NOV: NTC Rotation
24NOV-15JAN: Company Max Leave
Devils!
1LT Jesse Curry
Devil 26
Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 6
SPC Weston receiving honors for
achieving the Commandant’s List (top
10%) upon graduating from Warrior
Leader’s Course (WLC) in Ashland, NE.
SGT Fertig and the Alpha Company crew chiefs preparing to de-
part for a Downed Aircraft Recovery Team (DART) drill during our
“Operation Devil Down” exercise.
CW2 Spence recovering from an Evasion
Exercise.
Hello Wolfpack!
I can’t believe it’s already been two months since I took command. I am extremely honored to be a part of this
close knit team and serving with each of you everyday. It’s been a busy and exciting summer just as we get ready to
roll into our battalion gunnery to help kick off the fall season. In case you didn’t already know we just finished our
battalion R3 period (Recover, Retraining, Resiliency). I hope you all
took the opportunity this summer to enjoy the great weather and
spend some well deserved time with family and friends. We dealt
with soaring temperatures and some crazy weather in July and Au-
gust, but I think the coolers temps are upon us as the summer comes
to a close. Fall sports already kicked off for the kids and school just
started for most. Before you know it we’ll be pulling out costumes
for Halloween and decorating for Thanksgiving.
As a company we had a few events this summer, some of which al-
lowed us to show off our new helicopters and enjoy some time out-
side of the office. We had a very successful static display on Custer
Hill where CW2 Harris and CPT Garcia were able to share the new
Apache Block III with the “Friends of Fort Riley” visitors from
across the state. I think the both won the interest of the crowd that
day and possibly recruited some future attack pilots. We also hosted
a company hail and farewell on August 1st over at the Little Apple
Brewing Company where we welcomed a new team of great Soldiers:
PFC Guertin, and PFC Santiago. We also said farewell to CPT
Shafer and SSG Whittaker, both great losses for the Wolfpack.
We had a successful kayaking trip down the Republican River be-
tween Junction City and Ogden on August 17th. The weather was
excellent and the current was just enough to get us down the river.
The only issues we ran into were some low water levels and trouble
keeping the kayaks and canoes traveling in the correct direction. It
was a great time for fellowship as a unit and learning the basics of
canoeing/kayaking for many of us. If the weather cooperates we’ll
look at doing this again in October.
As always, I want to thank all the families for your patience and sup-
port over the course of the summer. I hope you all enjoy the rest of
the summer season and the upcoming Labor Day Weekend.
WOLFPACK!
CPT Leo A. Amoling, Wolf 6
Page 6 The Apache Post
Above: CPT Garcia (right) speaks with one of the visitors
from the “Friends of Fort Riley” static display on Custer Hill
(10JUL12)
Above: Bravo Company rolling out down the Republican
River. Some going forwards….some going sideways.
(17AUG12)
Above: SFC Racoma (right) hails SGT Rowland (left) as one
of the newest members of the Wolfpack family. (02AUG12)
The Ghostriders continue their march toward Gunnery and be-
yond. The company recently completed its maximum leave pe-
riod in support of the 1-1 ARB Recovery, Retraining, and Resil-
iency, also known as R3. During this time, our Soldiers and Offi-
cers were encourage to take as much time off as they desired,
while training requirements would be reduced to accommodate all
leave requests. Nearly all of the Ghostriders took advantage of
the R3 period. Several took leave in conjunction with the birth of
their children. CW3 Fara, CW2 Cordova, CW2 Atkins, and PFC
Valentin all welcomed their newborns Skylar, Jack, Brycen, and
Juan, respectively, into the world during this time. With CPT
Marr’s and former Ghostrider CPT Stewart’s wives due any day
now, this year has proven quite productive for Charlie Company.
We wish them all health and happiness for years to come!
Many Ghostriders attended schools during this period in order to further their contributions to
the company and the Army. Several Soldiers have attended the Warrior Leader Course and
Combat Life Saver Course, while we also sent Warrant Officers to the Advanced Course and
Instructor Pilot Course. We continue to rotate our personnel through Apache Block III training
in Mesa, AZ. Due to leave and schools, Charlie company had as few as 10 personnel present
on some days during normal work hours! Many of those Ghostriders will say that training never
actually slowed down. The company is charging full speed towards Aerial Gunnery in Septem-
ber, followed by a training mission at Fort
Knox, KY on 8-19OCT. Other upcoming
events include a company FRG meeting on
06SEP, Gunnery Family Day on 15SEP, and
a company Hail and Farewell at the end of
October.
Ghostriders!
1LT(P) Derek Merkler
Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 6
Above: SPC Fleischer enjoyed his well-earned promotion to
Sergeant on 7 AUG.
Above: Jack Cordova, newborn son of
Company IP, CW2 Josh Cordova, was
born on 21 JUN.
Desperados Family and Friends, I’d like to thank all the Soldiers and families for their support on all levels which allowed for a smooth Change of Com-mand transition. Despite the enormous amount of equipment in our company, the change of command inventories were the smoothest that I’ve seen with no lost equipment. Excel-lent work! Lindsey and I are grateful for the warm welcome that we have received from the Desperados. I am honored with the opportunity to serve with and work alongside each and every Desperado Soldier. We know that we have joined a great team! I thank you for all you do and all your support as family members! Lindsey and I recognize that we would not excel as a company at what we do without your support to your Soldier and the Desperado Company. Our FRG meeting held on August 16th was a success. We were able to provide a quick update on where the FRG is going and how beneficial it is to communicate pertinent information about upcoming training and
family events. At the meeting we promoted the FRG email list and the “1-1 Desperados” FRG Facebook® page. Those in attendance also received the company calendar for training and family events over the next ten months. If you could not make the meeting but would like a copy of the calendar, please contact me or have your Soldier request a calendar through the chain of com-mand. By this time, the summer is almost over and I hope you all have enjoyed some well deserved time off and time with your families. As we enter into fall, the Gunfighter Aerial Gunnery is quickly ap-proaching us. The Desperados will play a major role in this because as we know, if the wrenches aren’t tuning, the helicopters aren’t flying. Family members, be sure to come and join us for the Battalion Gun-nery Family Day on September 15th as we
will enjoy some free steaks and watch some helicopter gunnery! Lastly, thank you to our friends and Families for your support. Our many accomplishments and accolades are not possible without you. At any time, please let me know how we may better support you and your family. Lindsey and I look forward to meeting and getting to know all of you in the months to come. DESPERADOS! CPT Seth W Russell Desperado 6
Page 8 The Apache Post
Above: Two Desperados donning
the latest in gear.
Above: LTC Vedder hands the guidon to CPT Rus-
sell during the Change of Command Ceremony held
on 27 JUL in the 1-1 hangar.
Above: An example of the many layouts done during Change of
Command inventories. This is just a fraction of the equipment
that must be accounted for during a change of command!
Hello Family and friends of the Outlaw Team!
This is the first newsletter since I took command of
Echo Company Outlaws on 2JUL12. The summer has
quickly passed us and we are gearing up to support Ae-
rial Gunnery in September. The Outlaw Team has seen
a lot of changes over the summer. We say goodbye to
CPT Pugh and 1LT Simpson and say hello to the new
company executive officer 2LT Bosch. Since our last
newsletter I have had the distinct honor of promoting
SFC Falmngar, SPC Bailey, SPC Smith and SPC Asbell,
as well as re-enlisting SPC Adams and SPC Bailey.
We are also bidding farewell to the former E Co Family Readiness Group
Leader Heather Pugh and welcoming the new E Co Family Readiness Group
Leader Cathy Gitschlag to the Outlaw team. Cathy along with her husband
SGT Richard Gitschlag are coming to us from Fort Shafter, Hawaii and are
excited to hit the ground running by already scheduling events for early Octo-
ber.
The Outlaws have been busy this month ensuring that we are fit to fight.
We’ve passed all inspections and as always supported the battalion through
our field feeding, fueling, ammunition handling, and ground maintenance. In
preparation for Aerial Gunnery, we executed a FARP Stakes (Forward Area
Refueling Point establishment). This allowed us the great opportunity to work
together with our D Co brethren and ensure that we are fit to support the
fight in September.
The Outlaw team remains vigilant by minimizing
complacency and emphasizing safety in order to
ensure our training is not only effective but safe
and fun.
OUTLAWS!!!
CPT Richard Trahan
-OUTLAW 6
Page 9 Volume 1, Issue 6
Above: E CO Soldiers performing mission essential tasks during the
recent FARP Stakes on 23 AUG 2012
Above: The sign says it all. Refueling is a mission critical task that involves a
lot of training, safety precautions, and expertise. Training missions like the
recent FARP Stakes help prepare our Outlaws for this task.
Above: An E CO Soldier qualifying
at the .50 Caliber Range on 24
JUL 2012.
Page 10 The Apache Post
Happy August, Fenix Family!
It has been a while since the last newsletter and there is a veritable ton of updates. Fenix Company is IOT&E complete with all of our
equipment racing home on trucks. We plan on having several FRG meetings in the coming months to make sure spouses and family
are well acquainted with the schedule of events and training.
These past few months have been a milestone in the history of F Co, 1st
Aviation Regiment. The Company has just completed its IOT&E or
Initial Operational Test and Evaluation of the MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS.
A grueling affair lasting from early June to the end of August, F Com-
pany displayed its professionalism and cohesiveness while demonstrating
the combat effectiveness of both the Company and the Gray Eagle plat-
form. Here are some statistics to build perspective on the accomplish-
ments of the Fenix Soldiers: 1284 Flight Hours Flown (the equivalent
of flying over 53 days straight), over 48,000 gallons of JP8 Jet Fuel, 8 live
Hellfire Missile engagements, over 750 man hours worked and an Op-
eration Readiness Rate of 96% (an incredible, almost impossible number
to reach). This accomplishment is only a stepping stone for F Co; it is
training event that has built the organization into a cohesive fighting unit capable of supporting up to five simultaneous missions at any
given point in time. I am truly proud to be a part of Fenix Company and have the honor to work with these amazing Soldiers.
The road ahead is wrought with more training events, but designed to maximize family time. As most of you know, we will begin our
“Maximum Leave” period on the 8th of September and conclude it on the 23rd. This time period is designed to give the Soldiers who
deployed to Edwards Air Force Base a chance to spend quality time with their families and recuperate before we begin training again. I
implore each family member and Soldier to utilize this leave period. It is well deserved.
The months of October and November are designated for training and com-
pleting several pre-deployment requirements. Before we may deploy as a unit,
we have several “gates” to pass through. These include SRP, Pre-Deployment
Training Requirements and an MRE (Field exercise). The focus of this time
span is to get as much of this training complete, allowing for a slower work
pace through December.
In the coming months, we are looking forward to Gray Eagle flying at Ft. Ri-
ley, KS. We have just signed the paperwork to receive our aircraft and are
anxiously awaiting the COA (Letter of UAS Operational Agreement) to be
signed. This milestone will make Ft. Riley the first Army post with a Gray
Eagle Company to conduct flight operations. The second order effects mean
our Operators and Maintainers no longer have to travel to Edwards Air Force
Base for training and currency. They will soon be able to conduct all of their
training back home, giving them more time with their families.
While this newsletter is short for the amount of accomplishments from the
past few months, I wanted to ensure plenty of room for all of the pictures
from the F Co, 1st Aviation Regiment training event.
Respectfully,
CPT Joseph DiFrancesco
Fenix 6
Above: A hangar of Grey Eagles
Above: An MQ-1C armed with two Hellfire Missiles
waits in the hangar for the sandstorm to settle.
Page 11 Volume 1, Issue 6
Some of our companies have undergone some leadership changes. Here is our current roster of FRG Lead-
ers and their contact information. If you are not sure who your FRG Leader is, contact the BN FRSA at
