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Friend of a Friend

News from Around Afghanistan 2

Photo Collage of our Troops from Around Afghanistan 3

Message From Julia McCarthy / Yellow Ribbon Info 4

Upcoming Events / Offers for Military Families 5-6

Regional Support Organizations 7-8

Letter from the Editor 9

SFAT Mission & Crisis Card / Texas Quote / Contact 10

Inside this issue:

T h e

A r r o w

h e a

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I n s i

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T h e O f f i c i a l N e w s l e t

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T a s

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S F A T M i s s i o n

Volume 1, Issue 8

May/June 2013

Surrounded by desolate land-scapes and beaten by a harshclimate, the village of Weshsits along Highway 4 on theAfghanistan -Pakistan border.

Wesh is home to theFriendship Gate which sig-nifies the villages importanceas a passageway into Afghan-istan. The border crossing

point located in the village isa major pedestrian and com-mercial vehicle crossing

point. All this traffic meansmore business for local ven-dors and more tax revenue for

the Govern-ment of theIslamic Repub-lic of Afghani-stan.

The Interna-tional SecurityAssistanceForce andGIRoA have

been workingtogether to im-

prove the bor-der crossing

point by build-ing a new cus-

toms facility that will in-crease traffic flow, generatemore revenue and help sta-

bilize the region by boost-ing the economy.

It will be one of the most

important custom entry points in the country, saidIfram Sakrak, a Turkishcontractor who is the pro-

ject manager for the newcustoms facility. This willcertainly affect the econo-my of Spin Boldak andWesh areas.

This project at the Wesh border is absolutely criticalto Afghanistan, said MAJGeorge D Hurd, the com-mander of Team Liberty,who hails from Mansfield,Texas. Theres approxi-mately 25,000 pedestriansa day that travel in andtravel out. In the course of a year thats millions of

people. Its tens of thou-sands of commercial vehi-cles all bringing in revenue

for Kandahar province andGIRoA.

The SFAT works closelywith the Wesh border crossing Afghan Border Police and has helpedthem establish workingrelationships with other agencies involved in the

project. The SFAT also

assist the ABP by conduct-ing checkpoint assess-ments on nearby border checkpoints and advisingon security matters to helpwith the improvements.

Story continued on pg 2 Team Liberty.

The Home Stretch

U.S. Army 1SG Michael P. Donovan, left, andCPT Matthew B. Fronek, both with Team Liber-ty, Texas Army National Guard, provide securityfor members of their team during a progress as-sessment of the new customs yard being built nearthe Afghanistan -Pakistan border in the SpinBoldak district. The new facility will help to in-

crease border traffic. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann)

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Page 2 T HE ARROWHE AD I NSI DE R

News from around Afghanistan

(Continued from pg. 1) The border crossing improvementsare already having a positive affecton the area by hiring local laborers.Hotels, gas stations, food and drink vendors, banks and car sales lotshave been constructed along High-way 4 leading into Spin Boldak andWesh, and are playing a part in ex-

panding the local economy.

The new customs yard will also help

bring more stability and security tothis area because the customs and border police will be able to track what is coming in more easily. Itwill also be completely operated byAfghans, which will demonstrate

increased confidence in GIRoA.

The country will know whatever en-ters, said Sakrak. Control will bemuch easier than before.

I really think this project is one of thetop opportunities for the Afghans tostep forward, take the lead and man-age their country, said Hurd. Thisfacility is also going to provide a greatopportunity to showcase what the Af-

ghans can do.

-Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann DVIDS

SFAT Team 5A recently participated in a 5K inKandahar (KAF). The race supported the civilianwork force that are assigned to KAF and their sup-

port for our troops.

SFAT 4D - Team liberty

U.S. Soldiers with Security Force AssistanceTeam Liberty, Texas Army National Guard,observe a truck carrying a coalition vehiclethrough the border crossing during a pro-gress assessment of the new customs yardbeing built near the Afghanistan -Pakistanborder in the Spin Boldak district. (U.S.

Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann)

SFAT 5a pistoleros

Members from Team 5APistoleros participate in a 5K atKAF

Members from Team 5APistoleros participate in a 5K at KAF

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Operation Gratitude kindly provided the Battle Buddies that were handed out to the children at the Yellow Ribbon onMay 4 th, in Austin. A special thanks to our DFW Co Lead Tori Patterson for organizing, ordering and receiving theBuddies for the little ones that attended.

Stay strong we are almost through this deployment!

Julia

Page 4

Message from the SFAT FRG Advisor Julia McCarthy

T HE ARROWHE AD I NSI DE R

Upcoming Yellow Ribbon Events

56th ID SFAT Children with their Operation Gratitude Bears From Yellow Ribbon

Information for the next upcoming Yellow Ribbon Event will be coming soon!A separate newsletter containing important information about this event will

be published once details are confirmed. We look forward to seeing you at thenext Yellow Ribbon!

http://www.manhattan.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/yellow-ribbon-program-veteranshttp://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=YpwBi0NMDjQvbM&tbnid=OyocvlCX-7CNsM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fopgrat.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F10%2F08%2Fintroducing-our-brand-new-battalion-buddies%2F&ei=gMSxUZTTDcHUygGEtoHwDQ&bvhttp://www.manhattan.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/yellow-ribbon-program-veterans

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Big Thought Brings together a wealth of resources to deliver enrichedlearning and active engagement opportunities for children and families inthe classroom, home and community. POC: 214-520-0023, http://

www.bigthought.org/

Camp of the Rising Sun - Provides a camp experience for special needs children with an emphasis on positive experi-ences within a nurturing and educational environment. POC: 903-802-2902, http://www.campoftherisingsun.org/

Home_Page.html Salesmanshipclub youth and family centers Providing therapeutic services for families to discuss a variety of issues including challenges at school, conflict and communication problems, depression/anxiety, divorce and blendedfamilies, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. POC: 214-916-4000, http://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-family-centers/

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Big Brothers Big Sisters - Provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring,professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forev-er. POC: 806-351-2210 http://www.amabbbs.com

Family Support Services - Empowers individuals and families through comprehensive advocacy, education and inter- vention services. POC:806-651-2597 http://fss-ama.org/index.html

Junior Achievement - Educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy throughexperiential, hands-on programs. POC: 806-355-0045, http://highplains.ja.org

Camp Fire USA - Offers educational and recreational programs that provide opportunities for youth to realize their po-tential and function effectively as caring, self-directed and responsible individuals. POC: 806-373-7922, http:// www.amarillocamfireuse.org

Avance - Strengthening families in at-risk communities through effective parent education andsupport programs. POC: 512-326-9335, http://www.avance.org/

Junior Achievement - Educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy throughexperiential, hands-on programs. POC: 512-499-8025, www.jacentex.org

The Austin Project - Focus is on the importance of Family Stabilization as a key to student success, Parental Engage-ment as vital to school success, and Neighborhood Participation in schools as a means of revitalizing the community.POC: 512-929-3545, http://www.theaustinproject.org

Amarillo

Austin

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Armed Services YMCA - Educational, recreational, social and religious programs and servicesfor military personnel and their family members. POC: 915-562-8461, http://asymcaelpaso.com/

Family Service of El Paso - Provides services to families and to individual children, youth and adults living in El PasoCounty and the surrounding areas. POC: 915-781-9900, http://www.familyserviceofelpaso.com

Fort Bliss Child, Youth, and School Services - Provides affordable, high-quality age-appropriate recreational andlearning programs that incorporate character building concepts through activities and social interaction for all children. POC: 915-568-4374, http://blissmwr.com/cys/

People Skills Incorporated - Improves the ability of people to become self-sufficient members of a community through participating in life skills programs designed for their specific needs and interests. POC: 915-541-00701-888-867-4789, http://www.people-skills.org

El paso

Regional Organizations

http://www.bigthought.org/http://www.bigthought.org/http://www.bigthought.org/http://www.campoftherisingsun.org/Home_Page.htmlhttp://www.campoftherisingsun.org/Home_Page.htmlhttp://www.campoftherisingsun.org/Home_Page.htmlhttp://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-family-centers/http://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-family-centers/http://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-family-centers/http://www.amabbbs.com/http://www.amabbbs.com/http://fss-ama.org/index.htmlhttp://fss-ama.org/index.htmlhttp://highplains.ja.org/http://highplains.ja.org/http://www.amarillocamfireuse.org/http://www.amarillocamfireuse.org/http://www.amarillocamfireuse.org/http://www.avance.org/http://www.avance.org/http://www.jacentex.org/http://www.jacentex.org/http://www.theaustinproject.org/http://www.theaustinproject.org/http://asymcaelpaso.com/http://asymcaelpaso.com/http://www.familyserviceofelpaso.com/http://www.familyserviceofelpaso.com/http://blissmwr.com/cys/http://blissmwr.com/cys/http://www.people-skills.org/http://www.people-skills.org/http://www.people-skills.org/http://blissmwr.com/cys/http://www.familyserviceofelpaso.com/http://asymcaelpaso.com/http://www.theaustinproject.org/http://www.jacentex.org/http://www.avance.org/http://www.amarillocamfireuse.org/http://www.amarillocamfireuse.org/http://highplains.ja.org/http://fss-ama.org/index.htmlhttp://www.amabbbs.com/http://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-family-centers/http://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-family-centers/http://www.campoftherisingsun.org/Home_Page.htmlhttp://www.campoftherisingsun.org/Home_Page.htmlhttp://www.bigthought.org/http://www.bigthought.org/

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VOL UME 1, I SS UE 8 Page 8http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Big Brothers Big Sisters - Provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring,professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, for-ever. The BBBS Military Mentoring Program serves to reinforce the connection between a

child and their parent by offering a friend and ally to children within military families. POC: 409-763-4638, http:// www.mentorsgc.org

Family Service Center of Galveston A counseling center for that provides services to at-risk youth and their fami-lies. POC: 409-762-8636, http://www.fsc-galveston.org/

Teen Health Center - Provides access to free health care for area teens and children. POC: 409-766-5791,http://www.teenhealthinc.org/

Galveston

Center on the Family/Texas Southern University - Serves as an outreach center for theeducation and positive development of children, youth and families. POC: Crisis InterventionUnit: 713-313-7798, Parent Child Learning Laboratory: 713-313-7897, Child Development La-

boratory: 713-313-7146, http://archive.tsu.edu/pages/2274.asp

Family Services of Greater Houston Provides counseling; parent resources and education, and case managementfor families and veterans. POC: 713-861-4849, http://www.familyservices.org

Youth and Family Counseling Services of Brazoria County - Offers a range of counseling services including in-dividual counseling services to youth and family counseling. POC: 979-849-7751, http://www.yfcs.org/

Houston

Fort Sam Houston Youth Services Helps young people develop social skillsand builds their self-esteem through recreational, instructional and athletic pro-grams, youth campus, after-school care and pre-job training. POC: 210-221-3502,

http://www.fortsammwr.com/youth/youth-center.html

Morgans Wonderland Is the first ever Ultra- Accessible Family Fun Park in the world and has programs for momsgroups, scout activities, and educational field trips. POC: 210-495-5888http://www.morganswonderland.com/

St Marys Marriage and Family Therapy Program - St. Mary's counseling department provides a range of ser- vices to military members and families, including family play therapy and counseling. Multiple Locations.POC: 210-438-6410, www.stmarytx.edu/militaryfamily

San Antonio

Armed Services YMCA - Educational, recreational, social and religious programsand services for military personnel and their family members. POC: 254-634-5445,http://asymca.net/

Fort Hood Child and Youth Services Includes childcare, youth programs, internships, extracurricular activities,and school services. Multiple locations. POC: 254-287-8029, http://www.hoodmwr.com/childandyouth.htm

Klaras Center for Families - Empowers children and families to improve the quality of their lives.

POC: 254-752-7889, http://www.hotrmhmr.org/mhkcf.html

Waco/Killeen

Regional Organizations

http://www.mentorsgc.org/http://www.mentorsgc.org/http://www.mentorsgc.org/http://www.fsc-galveston.org/http://www.fsc-galveston.org/http://www.teenhealthinc.org/http://www.teenhealthinc.org/http://archive.tsu.edu/pages/2274.asphttp://archive.tsu.edu/pages/2274.asphttp://www.familyservices.org/http://www.familyservices.org/http://www.yfcs.org/http://www.yfcs.org/http://www.fortsammwr.com/youth/youth-center.htmlhttp://www.fortsammwr.com/youth/youth-center.htmlhttp://www.morganswonderland.com/http://www.morganswonderland.com/http://www.stmarytx.edu/militaryfamilyhttp://www.stmarytx.edu/militaryfamilyhttp://asymca.net/http://asymca.net/http://www.hoodmwr.com/childandyouth.htmhttp://www.hoodmwr.com/childandyouth.htmhttp://www.hotrmhmr.org/mhkcf.htmlhttp://www.hotrmhmr.org/mhkcf.htmlhttp://www.hotrmhmr.org/mhkcf.htmlhttp://www.hoodmwr.com/childandyouth.htmhttp://asymca.net/http://www.stmarytx.edu/militaryfamilyhttp://www.morganswonderland.com/http://www.fortsammwr.com/youth/youth-center.htmlhttp://www.yfcs.org/http://www.familyservices.org/http://archive.tsu.edu/pages/2274.asphttp://www.teenhealthinc.org/http://www.fsc-galveston.org/http://www.mentorsgc.org/http://www.mentorsgc.org/

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Page 10

Our Mission

The 56th SFAT REAR DET conducts rear detachment operations in

support of Task Force Arrowhead deployed to Operation Enduring

Freedom from September 4, 2012 until the completion of the mission

in order to allow the 56th SFAT Teams to accomplish their mission.This will be accomplished by providing direct support, outreach, and

information dissemination to SFAT Families in order to create a cli-

mate of mutual and continued support to the 56th SFAT Soldiers.

Texas Quote for May

"The enemy never sees the backs of my Texans!"

- General Robert E. Lee, CSA

You can also send us your questions or concer s through ou

page at:

http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

V OLU ME 1, IS SUE 8

651 N Red Bud Ln.Round Rock, TX 78665

5 6 T H I B C T S FAT R E A R D E T

CPT Leemichael DoylePhone: 254-423-0095

Email: leemichael.doyle.@us.army.mil

Together Tomorrow

56th SFAT

For suggestions and feedback contact:

Jennifer Merrill 56th SFAT Newsletter Editor

jmerrill2@hotmail.com http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider