The Claw June Edition 2012

The Claw Newsletter

Serving the Soldiers and Families of Task Force Talon

V OLUME 1 , ISSUE 8

20 JUNE 2012 The Claw

A Few Words from

Talon 6

“TALON FOR A DAY,

TALON FOR LIFE!”

To all family members and friends of Task Force Talon, this has

been a month filled with ups and downs for your Talon Troopers. We

started out by welcoming a new company to the Talon family. The A/1-

168th Aviation “Idaho” joined the Task Force from the Idaho National

Guard. “Idaho” arrived well prepared as they have already shown their

ability to accomplish difficult combat aviation missions. As we wel-

comed in the new unit, we unfortunately had to bid farewell to the highly

-motivated Troopers from A/2-211th Aviation “Animals”. The Animals

arrived in Afghanistan a couple of months before TF Talon assumed our

mission. As a result, they were the continuity and our role models dur-

ing our initial stages of this deployment. We will miss them greatly, but

are excited for their families as they return to Utah with pride. Out-

standing job Animals!! Never forget, that if you are a Talon for a day…

You are a Talon for life!! Your Talon Troopers continue to make you

proud by providing outstanding aviation support to our brothers and sis-

ters throughout Regional Command East (RC-East). Unfortunately, this

month, two TF Talon Troopers, CPT Scottie Pace (FOX 6) and 1LT

Mathew Fazzari (FOX 16), made the ultimate sacrifice to protect their

brothers and sisters in need. CPT Pace and 1LT Fazzari were killed in

action on June 6, 2012 when their OH-58D aircraft was shot down by

enemy fire. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family members of our

valorous Heroes. The Talon family was obviously greatly saddened by

this event, but gained strength from each other and from you, our loved

ones back home. The Task Force hosted an incredibly well attended

Memorial Service here in Bagram and continue to support our brothers

and sisters on the ground in their honor. We will continue to do our best

to make a difference here, but look forward to completing our mission

and rejoining you. As always, on behalf of all the TF Talon Troopers, I

thank you for your continued love and support. Until next time…

Sincerely,

LTC LANDY D. DUNHAM

TALON 6

Submit your own Would You

Rather to...

[email protected]

… and I will put it in the next edition of

The Claw!

We surveyed 50 Talons and this is what they said...

Would you rather…

Be trapped in an elevator with wet dogs or with three fat, sweaty men with bad breath?

Would you rather…

Have a unibrow or no eyebrows?

Would you rather…

Have to spend the next year repeating the fourth grade (at your current age), or spend a month in jail for a crime you didn’t com-

mit?

Would you rather…

Be able to read minds or control peoples thoughts?

WARNING:

These questions

contain shockin

g

content meant to

inspire hilarious

discussion. Quest

ions may be nauseat-

ing, bizarre or d

isturbing!

47

said wet

dogs

3 said 3 fat, sweaty men w/ bad breath

32

said

unibrow

40

said fourth

grade

10 said jail

21

said reads

minds

29 said control peoples thoughts

18 said no eyebrows

P AGE 4 V OLUME 1 , ISSUE 8

There is a single passage from Scripture that has come to my mind so often in the past 48 hours.

Once, while Jesus was encouraging his followers he stated, “Greater love has no one than this, that

he lay down his life for his friends.” As I say the names CPT Scottie Pace and 1LT Matt Fazzari, I rec-

ognize that our fallen brothers are examples of such love. They laid down their lives for the rest of us.

Selfless Service may at times seem like only a buzzword in the Army. The Army Value is defined as to:

“Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service is

larger than just one person. In serving your country, you are doing your duty loyally without thought

of recognition or gain. The basic building block of selfless service is the commitment of each team

member to go a little further, endure a little longer, and look a little closer to see how he or she can

add to the effort.”

CPT Pace and 1LT Fazzari have done this very thing, even to the point of death. For them, selfless

service was not a phrase devoid of meaning but a way of life. They both showed us all the greatest

love imaginable, the sacrifice of their lives for the benefit of Soldiers on the ground, the benefit of our

nation, for our benefit. They had pride in what they did, and we have pride in them. . . .

CPT Pace and 1LT Fazzari were special people, men

who took an oath to defend our nation. They were

men who were special because of the aircraft they

flew, the company they kept, and the heritage they

continued as members of the Cavalry. They were men

of selfless service. Let us, by their inspiration, be peo-

ple of selfless service too.

(Excerpt from Memorial Meditation, 8 JUN 2012)

CH (CPT) Marlon W. Brown

Holy talon

GLADIATORS Gladiators and friends,

Starting into our ninth month of the deployment, the Gladiators are welcoming a new addition by way of A

Company 1-168 Aviation from the Idaho National Guard. SPC Broadway is a 15P flight operations specialist

who is already working at the RTO station as well as the flight operations desk. Welcome to the Gladiators and

the Talon TOC!

This month marks the completion of 100% inventories, which also means that it won’t be too long be-

fore everything is packed up and ready to ship home. Much of our unit’s inventory never leaves the containers

anyways, since in HHC’s case it is mostly contingency equipment because there is a wealth of theater-provided

equipment for all of our mission needs. The pace of operations never seems to let up lately, and one thing after

another can lead to some long days at the flight line. We have been enjoying better weather with less rain and

more sun, albeit with some significant winds from the northwest that can pick up quite a bit of dust, at times.

We are well in to our 120 days of wind, but before we can say goodbye to our most significant bit of

regional weather, we have to bid farewell to our forecasting staff weather observers (SWO). Staff Sergeant Haz-

zard, Staff Sergeant Callahan, and Master Sergeant Lilley are training up their replacements that will be with us

until the end of the deployment. They will depart two months after we leave, so we look forward to incorporat-

ing their weather forecasting into our daily missions. We appreciate the service of all our SWOs, and we will

see you back at Simmons for some cross-country forecasts.

Everyone in HHC is counting down the days now, as we are all “double-digit midgets!” Until next

time….

Gladiator 6

THE C LAW P AGE 5

MAJ Uhl and 1SG McQueen accepting the 2011 Master of Readiness Award in May, 2012 for

having the top UH-60 FMC rate for 2011.

idaho A Co/1-168 is both honored and excited to be joining the Talon Family. In the short time

that we have been here, we can truly say that the members of this task force live by the saying

“Talon for a day, Talon for Life”. Our predecessors the “Animals” have left big shoes to fill, but

have given us a great handoff and it is my intent for the transition to be seamless and transparent to

those that we serve.

Our advanced party arrived on the 19th of May, and the main body arrived on the 23rd. We hit

the ground running alongside the Animals as we conducted CCT’s for over 50 aircrew members.

Despite being the New Kids on the block, we have already experienced the immediate effects of the

dangers of our business. On 3 June 2012, SGT Al Vieth was shot by a sniper while performing his

crew chief duties on a mission over Tagab. A single gunshot entered and exited his left forearm and

left shoulder. He was flown to Germany that night and has made his way back to the states. He is

currently at the hospital in FT Lewis, Washington and has undergone four surgeries to date. He will

need a couple more surgeries and some physical therapy but is expected to make a full recovery.

On 7 June, A Co 1-168 “Officially” joined the Talon Family during our Patch ceremony and

at noon on 10 June 2012, a small ceremony between company leadership marked the RIP/TOA be-

tween A Co 2-211 and A Co 1-168. The mission is ours to continue. We accept this mission as we

have accepted the Wartime service patch and are prepared to represent TF Talon; Everyone, every-

day…100%

CPT Nicole Smith

“Idaho 06”


SGT Vieth getting a visit from the CJTF-1 CDR and CSM on

3 June 2012 and was awarded the purple heart. for his injury.

REGRET Greetings from the Regret family here in Afghanistan to the Regret family on the homefront. Every good

football fan knows that you have to finish strong in the fourth quarter, so as we enter the final quarter here

in Afghanistan, we continue to focus on accomplishing our mission with our eyes on the prize of our fast-

approaching return home (and the subsequent start of football season that accompanies it, providing me

with my theme). This past month has seen many members of our company accomplish some very exciting

personal and professional goals. So, I would have to say that the overarching tone for this month is simply

this: winning.

Congratulations go out to CPT Kellan Travis and CW2 John Martin for passing their Pilot-In-Command

(PC) checkrides. This is a rigorous event testing all aspects of a pilot’s professional knowledge and skills.

From decision making to aircraft knowledge to control touch, these new PC’s demonstrated that they have

what it takes to be leaders in flight in Army Aviation. On the enlisted side, five members of the Regret

family passed their promotion boards. Success requires great poise and professional knowledge since

Soldiers face a panel of several First Sergeants and the Battalion Sergeant Major firing questions at them

on a wide range of Army and leadership related subjects. Our congratulations go out to SGT Sullivan, CPL Schlorff, SPC Makela,

SPC Juleff, and SPC Riddle for their outstanding performance. They represented the company well as all five Soldiers we sent to the

promotion board passed with flying colors.

This month has also seen great personal success for now SGT Jonathan Felts, CW3 Kevin Nolan and CW3

Danny Weaver in the form of their promotions. After a quick stint as a Corporal in the United States Army,

Jonathan Felts was deservingly promoted to Sergeant. As a flight instructor, his level of experience and re-

sponsibility for training crew chiefs and door gunners is finally commensurate with his rank. CW3 Kevin

Nolan’s promotion was also exciting as one of his friends from his time as an NCO, SSG Darian Taylor of

Echo Company, was able to join him in celebrating his success with the rest of his friends from Regret. Sto-

ries like these demonstrate just how small of a world the Army can be. However, no story better demon-

strates this than that of now CW3 Danny Weaver. Danny has

been a member of and mainstay in this company for the past five

years. We were able to fly him up to one of the mountain tops

near Bagram for his promotion ceremony with a group of his

friends. What is especially exciting about this, however, is that is

precisely the same mountain top where Mr. Weaver pinned his

CW2 rank in 2007. AND, the same person who pinned his CW2 all those years ago also

pinned his CW3, none other than our very own Company Standardization Pilot (SP) CW3

Mikey Campbell. Needless to say, this was a very special and proud moment for all in-

volved. We are extremely proud of and excited for the success that these three members

of the Regret family have experienced.

Regarding the Bamyan Jeopardy tournament mentioned last month by 1LT Walker, the competition has been fierce, and only two

brainiacs remain standing. The champion will be determined soon when 1LT Will Walker and CW2 John Martin square off in a battle

of wits and Jeopardy skills. You may be saying to yourself “Is that the same John Martin who also just made PC?” The answer is yes;

he is a monster of aviation knowledge and professionalism. However, Will Walker is no slouch as he has already proven his Jeopardy

prowess by besting three opponents to date on his way to the finals. This looks to be a match for the ages and will likely all come

down to Final Jeopardy. Stay tuned for the update next month on the winner.

In closing, all of the pilots and crewmembers here are grateful for your continued love, support, and dedication. Your support makes it

possible for us to continue winning these small victories every day that help sustain us until we come home to you. We miss you all

and can hardly wait to be reunited with you in the coming months.

Best regards and gratitude,

1LT Jason Bogardus

Headquarters Platoon Leader

THE C LAW P AGE 7


FLIPPERS I hope this letter finds you all well and enjoying the start of a hot North Carolina summer. I want to start off by congratulating Mr. and

Mrs Seth Dibble for their newly born baby Reagan Douglas Dibble. We love to see our Flipper family growing.

This month we welcomed SPC Arzuza and SPC Huff from our Delta Company "Darkhorse". They've both transitioned well into flying

and they're already making a difference.

Also this month we paused to recognize and honor our brother's of Flipper 75 who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation on

May 30th 2007. As the Commander I was humbled by the opportunity to commemorate this day. We will always remember the coura-

geous crew: CW3 Christopher Allgaier, CW2 Joshua Rodgers, SSG Charlie Bagwell, SGT Brandon Hadaway and SGT Jesse Blamires.

May 30th will forever be a significant day for our Company and it was fitting that we were able to share this ceremony with Task Force

Corsair.

Once again, I want to thank you for your continuous support and sending all those nice care packages to our Soldiers. And as always, I

pray for your safety and well being, as well as that of our beloved Soldiers. Please continue to support your loved ones as they continue

to serve with courageous professionalism, and I promise that I will continue to do everything in my power to accomplish our mission

ensuring the safety and welfare of those you hold dear. You are, after all, the reason we do what we do. Thank you and God bless.

ATW,

Flipper 6

THE C LAW P AGE 9

“...The helicopter symbolize(s) the victory of ingenuity over common sense.” ~Montross

It has been another busy month for the Motor City Muscle as we continue to fly, fly and fly some more. As the hours accrue, rising

temperatures and strong winds create greater challenges for flight crews conducting missions in an austere environment. 24 hour

operations continue as flight hours steadily increase.

Another month has come and gone bringing re-enlistments, new challenges, and visitors to the Motor City Muscle. Congratulations

to SSG Girvin, SSG Row and SGT Spivey who all re-enlisted during the month of May.

The month of May kicked off a new exercise program called Muscle 6 Challenge. It is living up to its name as the Motor City Mus-

cle Commander leads his Soldiers through a rigorous series of cross fit training exercises. The Muscle 6 Challenge has proven to

physically and mentally challenge Soldiers of Bravo Company. The hard work and perseverance of Bravo Company Soldiers during

these demanding physical training sessions will ensure they are ready to conquer the next APFT and all that Afghanistan has to offer.

Michigan’s Adjutant General Major General Vadnais and State Command Sergeant Major Husband visited Motor City Muscle 8

May. Soldiers in Flight Platoon and Maintenance received coins for their dedication to duty and exceptional service while deployed

to RC-East as part of Task Force Talon.

Motor city

muscles

Bagram Airfield: We have officially entered our 60-day count down for redeployment. As you can imagine, by this time tempers are

flying high in anticipation and patience is running low. Everyone seems to be getting a case of sensitive nerves. With the wettest months

now behind us, we are bracing ourselves for the extreme heat (yes, we know JAF is hotter), 120 days of wind, dust storms, and you

guessed it, MORE missions. It doesn’t sound like a good combination does it? But the silver lining is that staying busy will make the time

go by faster.

Regardless of the bad weather and the increased level of crankiness, May was a month of celebrations. We celebrated birthdays,

a new birth, a re-enlistment, and remembered the fallen on Memorial Day. Since it was MAJ Bundy's turn to celebrate his birthday with

us, we didn’t want to let him down. His birthday celebration included a special interpretive dance performance by our very own CW2

Cornelius! The Soldiers greatly enjoyed the charming dance. We wish MAJ Bundy a Happy Birthday and thank him for his skillful lead-

ership during this deployment.

Also during the month of May, we celebrated SPC Dirkintis’ birthday,

may she celebrate many more! She was thrilled to have been pelted with milk bal-

loons. We are happy to announce that our big ARMY family is getting bigger. The

McGrath’s just became the proud parents of a baby boy. We would also like to con-

gratulate SPC Hodge, who in a short but moving ceremony in front one of our beau-

tiful helicopters took the Oath of Enlistment once again and re-enlisted in the US

ARMY, hooah!!!

In what has become a yearly Memorial Day tradition for Troops overseas,

the Wrangler National Patriot Tour visited us on Sunday, May 27, 2012. The tour

party that included Miss Rodeo America Meagan Ridley, World Champion Cowboy

Mounted Shooter Annie Bianco Ellettand, and country singer Lucas Hodge joined

us in remembering our fallen heroes. Lucas poured his heart and soul into every

note as he sang for our troops in an acoustic concert that lasted for about two hours.

The other members of the tour said he usually only sings 2-3 songs, but with us he

took requests and played his personal favorites. They enjoyed our laid back atmos-

phere and sense of humor here at the DUSTOFF hangar. In order to keep up with the cowboy spirit we put out the mother of all BBQs

that included lobster, steak, and chicken. Thanks to SFG Giraud and his assistant SPC Vertrees for cooking it to perfection and making

sure everyone enjoyed such a treat.

This year Wrangler sponsored download cards giving our brave Troopers free music, "Medal

Of Honor" and "Give A Damn". Lucas wrote "Medal Of Honor" in dedication to our Troops

and is now the "official" theme song for Wrangler National Patriot. His song "Give A Damn"

is now climbing the country radio charts and is also the theme song for the hit GAC TV

show "Tom's Wild Life".

"When I sing out here on these small bases and I look out into their eyes and I see a smile or

their feet are tapping, then I've accomplished something great…I now look forward to keep-

ing in touch with some of the folks I met while out here and I get to look at the back of my

Wrangler National Patriot guitar everyday and see the autographs of my heroes, our US

TROOPS", said Lucas.

On May 19 we were able to have the Family VTC in which we discussed redeployment

plans. It was great to be able to see family members and to get the feeling that our return is

near.

A rare sighting of 1SG Smith visiting the GYM was captured recently by one of our Sol-

diers. The witness was able to capture this never before seen picture of 1SG looking sexy

and wearing a smile that says we are almost home, keep up the good work!!!

On behalf of CPT Chocholous, LT Wiese, SFC Giraud, and everyone here at 4th Platoon

thank you for your love and support, we could not do it without you.

DUSTOFF


THE C LAW

DARKHORSE Greetings from Afghanistan Darkhorse Family and Friends!

This past month has been busy for the company. This month

we are welcoming our friends from the Idaho National Guard

and saying good-bye to our Utah National Guard friends,

practicing our marksmanship at the range, celebrating Memo-

rial Day, and handing out a lot of awards and even some pro-

motions.

To our guys from the Utah National Guard, we would like to

thank you for all your hard work and for being part of our

family. We are going to miss you guys and the personalities

you brought to our company. To the guys from Idaho, Wel-

come! We are happy to have you join our family and we look

forward to getting to know you all and work with you.

This month Shops platoon ran a range for the battalion. People had

the opportunity to come and qualify with both the M9 (9mm pis-

tol) and the M4/M16 (5.56 rifle). We learned who the true marks-

men in the company are and who could use some practice. SGT

Dosker, next time pay attention to whose target you’re shooting!

Thanks to SGT Coffey and SFC Dickerson for all their hard work

that went into running the range.

With Memorial Day at the end of this last month, D Company took

some time out of the workday to remember our fallen heroes and

to just relax a little. SFC Johnson, Dickerson, and SSG Owens

worked the grill while everyone else kicked back and played some

cards, chess, or Call of duty on the X-box. Some people played a little bit of football and ping-

pong. We all ate some hotdogs, hamburgers, and steaks off the grill for dinner (breakfast for our

night shift people!), which is a nice change of pace from the mess hall. Some of the Michigan

Guard guys showcased their awesome skills at corn hole, namely SGT Bauman and SPC Bowling,

while SGT Clayton Smith proved himself master of the poker tables. All in all, it was a good break

from the monotony and an enjoyable Memorial Day celebration.

P AGE 11

SPCs Kelly, Graveline, Colliver, Dias, and

Jardine proudly displaying their targets

SGT Voorhees breakin’ out the

poker chips

Football!

As another month passes, the Wardawgs continue to provide ground maintenance, aviation

grade fuel, and logistical ammo support to sustain the fight. This month the focus has been on rede-

ployment planning as we prepare containers, flight manifests, and the date when we reunite with our

friends and family starts to become a reality. During this past month, our Distro platoon reached a mile-

stone of pumping over 1 million gallons of fuel, since we assumed our mission almost 8 months ago.

We welcomed two Troopers into the NCO Corps this month; SGT Richard Wright (Distro) and SGT

Tony Tucker (Maintenance). Both of these Troopers hardwork, dedication, and leadership by example

will definitely contribute to the esprit de corps and morale of our unit. Another hardworking Trooper

that was recognized this month was SPC Jamario Roberson (Distro), who was awarded a coin of excel-

lence from the Brigade Commander, COL Jamison.A special congratulation goes out to SPC Breemes,

Matthew (Maintenance) and his wife Korrenn Breemes for the newest member of their family, Seth

Richard Breemes who was born 22 May 2012, weighing 7 lbs and 8 ounces.

Every Trooper is highly encouraged to continue their education and one Trooper in particular

has reached a major milestone. SPC Chauncey May (HQ) recently graduated from American InterCon-

tinental University with an Associate of Arts in Business Administration. In the next months to come

many of us are getting prepared to maintain our physical requirements by conducting APFT record

physical training tests. Just recently one of our hard charging and well disciplined Distro NCOs blew

the standards out of the water, and scored his 2nd 300 APFT score, congratulations SGT Clarence Pino

Aka “Animal.” Lastly, we would like to congratulate SGT Douglas Adkins for representing Mainte-

nance Platoon and securing Echo Company’s 7th NCO/Trooper of the Month victory, keeping The

Wardawgs a well known force in not only tactical knowledge but technical as well.

The Wardawgs family morale remains high as we look forward to returning to our families very

soon. We could not do it without your support and we thank you. Echo Company Wardawgs would

also like to pay tribute to all those serving in the military past, present, and not to forget the service of

our fallen comrades that have been lost serving their country. We wish you had a blessed Memorial

Day and you will not be forgotten.

WAR DAWGS


Dear friends, family and loved ones of Fox Troop,

As we’re sure you all have heard by now, we lost CPT Scott Pace and 1LT Mathew Fazzari to enemy

action on the 6th of June. We cannot begin to tell you all how much sorrow and pain have accompanied this

loss to the Troop. We are sure for some of you our words pale in comparison to the feelings this has pro-

voked, and both 1SG and I offer our deepest condolences as each of us deal with this tragedy in our own

separate ways.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support of Fox Troop, and espe-

cially for the family and loved ones of our two lost brothers. We have said before that we could not do this

job without the support of you all back home, and it is all the more apparent now through this most trying

time. Our greatest hope is that although we find our own ways to cope with this event; that is where our dif-

ferences end. It is critical, now more than ever, that we band together and support each other in any way pos-

sible.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pace, we want you to know that Fox Troop will forever be in your debt. CPT Pace

will always be remembered for the motivation and that never ending smile he provided us no matter the situa-

tion. He will also be remembered for his selflessness and giving nature in that he always found a way to pro-

vide morale items, such as audio books and a seemingly never ending supply of sugar loaded snacks, to our

Troop. The leadership and character that CPT Pace led us with will forever have an impact of the members

of Fox Troop, which will no doubt be carried on not only throughout our careers, but all of life in general; for

the lessons he taught will certainly be of value as we all strive to overcome the trials and tribulations that life

still has in store for us.

To Tovah, Dominic and Samuel, for the short time that Mat was with us he brought an energy to the

Troop that was obviously missing. His motivation, knowledge and eagerness to help in all matters were a

breath of fresh air that had an immediate impact on Troop operations. Upon his arrival, he immediately set

himself to the task of getting to know each and every one of his Troopers. Unfortunately for some this task is

sometimes “just a part of the job,” but for Mat it was genuine. As he learned his Trooper’s names, jobs and

responsibilities, he took the extra time (which is precious to a new Platoon Leader) to learn about their fami-

lies, their children and where they were from, making them smile as they recalled each. Mat had in turn told

us of you three. The very mention of you three evoked a smile, founded from a love and pride that only a

husband and father know. He will certainly be missed, but never forgotten.

We would love to go on about the memories that CPT Scott Pace and 1LT Mathew Fazzari left us

with, for there are certainly many, many others for us to recount; but in hopes of meeting you all in person

after our return, we will hold off for now.

For everyone, know that the mission of Fox Troop continues every day. Each time we set about our

tasks here, we do it with renewed passion and fortitude in honor of our two lost brothers. We will continue to

carry the fight to the enemy, we will not tire, and we will not fail.

CPT Will Warner and 1SG Don Adkins

“Fortes Fortuna Iuvat”

BLACKHORSE

THE C LAW P AGE 13

SPC Sandoval, Alejandro

Company/MOS: HHC/15P

Hometown: Fairfield, CA

Q: What do you do on your free time?

A: Study for FAST class and work out

Q: What do you want to achieve in your

MOS this deployment?

A: Continue learning all TOC operation

duties

Q: Goals for this deployment?

A: Raise my GT score and get a 300 on

my PT test

Q: What do you miss most about home?

A: My 2 month Baby Boy, Alejandro.

SPC Hanover, Janica

Company/MOS: A 1-168/ 92F

Hometown: Emmett, Idaho


A: Skype and hang out with roommate

Q: What do you want to achieve in

your MOS this deployment?

A: Continue being an asset to my com-

pany


A: Save enough money to buy a sports

bike

Q: What do you miss most about

home?

A: Going Dancing


TALONS OF THE MONTH

SPC Trimidal, James

Company/MOS: A 3-82/ 15T

Hometown: Cebu, Philippines

Q: What do you do on your free

time?

A: Hunt wild pigs with blow darts



A: Qualify with the .240


A: Hit the Red Rock


home?

A: Bananas

SPC Chambers, Brian

Company/MOS: B 3-238/ 15D

Hometown: Garden City, Michigan

Q: What do you do on your free

time?

A: Watch Comedies… My favorite is

Anchorman!



A: Become more tactically proficient


A: Save as much money as possible


home?

A: Playing ice hockey with my bud-

dies

THE C LAW P AGE 15

SPC Jung, Christopher

Company/MOS: B 3-82/

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA


A: Attend College Courses



A: I’m currently not in my MOS. I

want to reclass to 15U


A: Do as much college as possible


home?

A: My Children

SPC Vertrees, Colin

Company/MOS: C 3-82/ 15T

Hometown: Jane, Missouri


A: Watch movies, TV shows and continue

career progression for promotion to SGT



A: I would like to be promoted to the rank

of SGT by the time I redeploy


A: TO fly as many combat flight hours as I

can and get back into school


A: I miss going home at the end of the day

and spending time with my family


SPC Whitt, Brad

Company/MOS: D 3-82/ 15U

Hometown: South Shore, Kentucky


A: Play guitar



A: Get to know the aircraft better


A: Start online courses to begin degree


home?

A: The slow pace of workin’ on the

farm

SPC Williams, Brandon

Company/MOS: E 3-82/ 91B

Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana


A: What everyone else does.. Gym,

Movies and Video Games.



A: Not break anything beyond repair


A: Loss 50lbs (Only 3lbs left) and

achieve my E-5.


A: Being with my wife and the ability to

drive where I want without walking.

THE C LAW P AGE 17


Captain Scott P. Pace is a native of Brawley, California and the son of Patrick and Kathryn Pace. He attended the United States Military Academy and graduated in 2005 with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. After being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, he completed the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course and Aviation Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In October of 2006, CPT Pace was assigned to Fort Drum, New York where he served for fourteen months as an Air Cavalry Platoon Leader in Alpha Troop, Sixth Squadron, Sixth Cavalry Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. In January of 2008, CPT Pace joined the 10th Mountain’s First Combat Brigade Team as the Brigade Aviation Element Planner. He immediately deployed to join the Brigade in Kirkuk, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In November of 2008, upon completion of the redeployment of 1st BCT, 10th MTN (LI), CPT Pace rejoined Sixth Squadron, Sixth Cavalry as they arrived in Iraq and served as the S3 Planner for their deployment. Upon completion of 6-6 CAV’s tour in Iraq, he redeployed to Fort Drum, New York in October of 2009. CPT Pace left the Squadron and began the Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course in Fort Huachuca, Arizona in March of 2010. Upon completion of the Captain’s Career Course CPT Pace was assigned to HHT, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment in October, 2010. His military schools include Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course, Aviation Officer Basic Course, Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course and the Signal Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Course. CPT Pace’s decorations include the Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Rib-bon with numeral three, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Army Aviator Badge and Combat Action Badge. CPT Pace is survived by his father Patrick and mother Kathy Pace.

1LT Mathew Fazzari is a native of Walla Walla, Washington born on the 1ST of December 1986. He was commissioned as a 2LT in the United States Army on the 7TH of May 2010 . Following his commissioning, he at-tended and graduated from the Aviation Officer’s Basic Course and the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course (Army Aviation Flight School) at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon completion of the Basic Aviators Course, 1LT Fazzari was assigned to 1ST Squadron, 17TH Cavalry Regiment, Fort Bragg, NC. In May 2012, 1LT Fazzari deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDUR-ING FREEDOM with Fox Troop, Task Force Talon. His military schools include the Air Assault Course, SERE High Risk Course, Initial Entry Rotary Wing Course, OH-58 Aviator Qualifica-tion Course and Aviation Officer Basic Course. 1LT Fazzari’s decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Achieve-ment Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Army Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge and Air Assault Badge.

First Lieutenant

Mathew Gergory Fazzari

Captain

Scottie Patrick Pace

THE C LAW P AGE 19

MG Mayville, CSM Sasser, MG Huggins, CSM Lambert, other distinguished guest, friends of the

TF Talon family.

Today we are here to remember two of our brothers. Two heroes… and I mean that in every

sense of the word. The Lord blessed all of our lives when he allowed us to know them, be

touched by them, serve along-side them.

1LT Mat Fazzari joined us under a month ago….but you all know the Talon motto holds

true…if you’re a Talon for a day….you’re a Talon for life. Mat was a brave, dedicated young war-

rior; proud to become a member of our family, eager to learn and to contribute to our mission,

which is to protect and support our brothers and sisters on the ground. May God be with his

wife Tovah and two young children Dominic and Samuel. May he comfort them and help them

understand that Mat laid down his life for his brothers and sisters in harm’s way, for our nation,

for freedom. Not only is our nation greatly indebted to them, but we all must do everything

within our power to make it clear to this young family, that from this day forward they will always

be part of the 82nd ABN DIV, Pegasus BDE, and the Talon families.

As for CPT Scottie Pace, FOX 6! He led the most agile, tactically proficient, and utterly fear-

less troop or company in this entire Theater… and he did so from the front. Scottie was the epit-

ome of a compassionate leader. I’m certain that he learned that from his parents. He cared

deeply about each and every one of his Troopers and he was always quick to fight on their be-

half. But, when the mission dictated, he had the power to motivate his troop to rise above chal-

lenges that sometimes seemed to be both humanly and mechanically impossible. His Fox Troop

never ceased to amaze me and Pegasus 6 with their “we can do more” attitude. When our broth-

ers from TF 1/82 Airborne needed additional aviation support, Scottie and his team found a way

to make it happen.

On Wednesday, 6 Jun, the 68th anniversary of the courageous and glorious D-Day assault,

CPT Pace and LT Fazzari (callsign FOX 57) raced… along with their lead Kiowa Warrior, to the

support of their brothers and sisters in need… for the last time.

I know that they are smiling down on us as we remember them right now…and may God and

all Troopers that continue to carry the guideon know… we will continue the fight in their honor,

we will continue to make them proud of their troop, and we will continue to make them proud of

the entire Talon family by doing everything we can do to provide an overwhelming aviation pres-

ence to our brothers and sisters on the ground. We know that by doing so, our tenacity and

unique capabilities effectively result in saving the lives of both U.S. and Coalition Forces every

single day!

So….to my little brothers.

My Heroes.

May it be said…WELL DONE!!

Be thou at peace!

Delivered by LTC Landy D. Dunham (Talon 6), 8 Jun 2012

TALON FOR A DAY

TALON FOR LIFE!

LAST NAME, FIRST

TF TALON, C/O

BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN

APO, AE 09354

Our address is still the same:

Feel free to send me an email if you have any sug-

gestions or questions. Until next time...

SPC Porter, Amber

TF Talon PAO

[email protected]

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The Claw June Edition 2012

Health & Medicine