Warhorse pride vol 2 issue 7 20140328

Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd ABCT, 4th Inf. Div. Vol. 2, Issue 7 March 28, 2014

A Desert PartnershipPg. 2

Combat engineers, Co. C, 2nd STB explode approximately 1700 lbs. of C4 explosives of an M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) to breach an obsticacle during a MICLIC live fire at the Udairi Range Complex, Camp Buehring Kuwait, March 12.

Photos by: Sgt. Marcus Fichtl, 2nd ABCT PAO

Tankerscome knockingpg. 4

Warhorse PridePage 2 Vol. 2, Issue 7 March 28, 2014

Out on a grenade launcher range, Spc. Nina Bray stands out from her fellow soldiers. It doesn’t take an intelligence analyst like herself to notice she is the only soldier with a

hair bun sticking out from under her combat helmet or that at 5 feet 1 inch tall, she is noticeably shorter than her male counterparts.

But Bray, currently deployed to Camp Buehring, Kuwait, with the HHC, 204th BSB, isn’t afraid of being a little different.

Bray grew up with an independent streak, surrounded by more than a 100 horses at her family’s home in Reno, Nevada. She competed in some of the most difficult endurance horse races, setting records across the United States. As a child, she would wake up early on the weekends and walk with her dad through their neighborhood, where the nearest neighbor was two miles away. Together they would find the most neglected horses and offer their owner what they had in their pocket to give the horse a better life.

One weekend, they stumbled upon an exceptionally beat up horse. Bray and her father walked up to the owner’s door, knocked and when the owner answered the door, Bray told him, “we’ll buy your horse.” The owner thought for a second and replied “well she just had a baby; you’ll have to buy both.”

“Without a hesitation I replied, ‘we’ll buy her too’,” said Bray.She took $150 out of her pocket and the horses belonged to her.Her family eventually moved to Texas, but Bray stayed in Reno,

not happy with her job, a chance encounter at a recruiting station propelled her into a new direction.

“I actually went in with my friend and he was trying to enlist,” said Bray. “My recruiter made me a bet that I couldn’t pass the pretest for the (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test), I blew that out of the water. I made myself a promise that if I scored over a 60 on the real ASVAB, I would join.”

She got a 72, a score good enough to qualify her to work in the intelligence field.

She arrived to Fort Carson while the unit was in Afghanistan. When they returned in the middle of 2012, she learned of a deployment to Kuwait later the following year.

“The desert, it reminds me a bit about home,” laughed Bray.

Story and Photos by Sgt. Marcus Fichtl2nd ABCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

Forever your own hero

Spc. Nina Bray, intelligence analyst, HHC, 204th BSB, fires an M320 40 mm grenade launcher during a M203/320 grenade launcher qualification range at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 17. Bray grew up in Reno, Nev., before enlisting in the U.S. Army, she’s tattooed her life motto given to her by her drill sergeant in basic training, “forever be your own hero or be someone else.”

Six months through the deployment, she has briefed commanders on the intelligence situation in the region, traveled across the Middle East, not on horse but in a Humvee, and developed herself as a soldier.

And as congress and the Army discuss women’s role in combat, Bray stands ready to fire her M203 40mm grenade launcher across the Kuwaiti desert. Not as an exception, but as reflection of the modern U.S. Army.

“I think having different sexes working side by side balances things out,” said Bray. “The intelligence shop always works on products together. One soldier will approach from one direction, and then I will take it and expand it in a different direction, together creating a better, stronger product.”

To Bray, it doesn’t matter who inspires her, but what inspires her.“I don’t really have a female mentor, but my drill sergeant, he

really helped me a lot,” said Bray. Words that resonated with her inspired her to get them tattooed

on her body.“Forever be your own hero or be someone else,” Bray’s drill

sergeant told her.“It brought me out of my shell, I’m more outspoken,” Bray

continued. “It’s something I follow all throughout life. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do the best I can and give it my one hundred percent and modify it, if I have to.”

She leads in life just as she leads by example at the range qualifying on both the M203 Grenade Launcher and M320 Grenade Launcher.

And what of the newborn horse, Bray and her father bought years ago?

The mother died a few days later, but the newborn grew up with Bray out in the Nevada. Having a short stature, and technically a pony, but like Bray her size and sex hasn’t stopped her yet.

“I won’t try to be like someone else, I’ll be myself,” said Bray.

Spc. Nina Bray, intelligence analyst, HHC, 204th BSB, waits to enter a M203/M320 40 mm grenade launcher qualification range at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 17.


Forever your own hero

Female Soldiers

Women’s observance

Command Sgt. Maj. Ruby Murphy, center left, senior enlisted leader, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, holds her certificate of appreciation as she poses with females Soldiers during a Women’s Observance Ceremony on Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 21. Over 100 female Soldiers currently forward deployed attended the event that featured Soldiers dancing to popular female music and reciting quotes from famous women in history.

Col. Omar Jones, commander, 2nd ABCT, joins female Soldiers in cutting a cake during the Women’s History Observance on Camp Buehing, Kuwait, March 21.

Female Soldiers currently forward deployed execute a dance in recognition of the Women’s History Observance on Camp Buehing, Kuwait, March 21.

In the past 10-plus years since the U.S. has been at war, soldiers were required to adapt from conventional warfare to

combating counter insurgency. As the war in Afghanistan draws down,

the Army is going back to training on their armored equipment, but the leadership of the “Demon Dog” Company is ensuring their soldiers are able to perform critical skills in both competencies.

Soldiers of Company D, 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg, trained on close quarter battle techniques at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13.

The training allowed soldiers to practice clearing rooms and perfecting dismounted movements while working in squad-sized elements.

“The basic reason why you have to know both sides is you have to be ready and prepared to deploy anywhere in the world at anytime,” said Sgt. John Johnson, armor crewman, Company D. “You never know what type of environment you are going to be in.”

The soldiers used simulation rounds to increase the authenticity of the training.

“Sim rounds definitely increase the realism of the training,” said 1st Lt. Daniel Nicolosi, platoon leader, Company D. “The more friction points we can identify and the more (standard operating procedures) we can develop the better trained we will be.”

For most of the junior enlisted soldiers, this is the first time they have conducted the

Staying trained for anything

Sgt. Andrew Groeneveld, left, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., and an armor crewman assigned to Company D, 1st Bn, 67th Armor Reg., leads Soldiers across a danger area during close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13. The soldiers operated in small teams and received an assessment on their ability to clear rooms and buildings of potential enemy threats


Soldiers of 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg., practice up and down drills prior to conducting close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13.

A Soldier of 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg., loads simulation rounds prior to conducting close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13.

Staying trained for anything Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Porch2nd ABCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

Sgt. Andrew Groeneveld, left, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., and an armor crewman assigned to Company D, 1st Bn, 67th Armor Reg., leads Soldiers across a danger area during close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13. The soldiers operated in small teams and received an assessment on their ability to clear rooms and buildings of potential enemy threats

HIMARSRockets in flight


training, and the soldiers are bonding.“We usually fight with our cannon,”

said Pfc. Richard Dean, armor crewman, Company D. “Being dismounted, we are fighting with M4s. You have to be a cohesive unit to work together; that is the only way you will survive.”

Instructors knew the soldiers receiving the training paid attention and could apply it later on.

“They are soaking it us like a sponge,” said Johnson. “I think they received great value from the training.”

And what did Johnson think the soldiers liked the most?

“It was very life-like, said Johnson, a native of Houston. “It gave the guys the experience of getting shot and feeling the adrenaline rush. It was very valuable to have the sim rounds.”

Leadership knew having fun was important, but also that soldiers needed to be prepared for battle.

“The goal of all our training is that we conduct it as real as possible, so if they get into a situation, they will know what to do based off of muscle memory,” said Nicolosi.

The training is in preparation for a security-cooperation exercise that will see “Death Dealer” soldiers partner with soldiers of the Royal Saudi Arabian Army later this month.

A Soldier of 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg., loads simulation rounds prior to conducting close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13.

Soldiers of 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg., stack along a building during close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13.

A Soldier of 1st Bn., 67th Armor Reg, prepares to conduct close quarter battle training at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 13.


Shots across the AO

The Warhorse Pride is produced in the interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The Warhorse Pide is an Army-funded news-letter authorized under provision of AR 360-1. Contents of the Warhorse Pride are not necessarily the view of, nor endorsed by the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 4th Infantry Division. All editorial content of The Warhorse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and approved by the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team

Public Affairs Office. The Warhorse Pride welcomes articles, commentary and photos from readers. The Warhorse Pride reserves the right to edit submissions selected for the publication. All issues of The Warhorse Pride can be viewed online from your home computer at www.facebook.com/2bct4id Submissions should be e-mailed to the editor:[email protected]

Col. Omar Jones IV......................2nd ABCT CommanderCommand Sgt. Maj. Robert Lehtonen 2nd ABCT CSMMaj. Chris Maestas.................................................PAO OICStaff Sgt. Andrew Porch..................................PAO NCOICSgt. Marcus Fichtl...............................Layout and DesignStaff Sgt. Andrew Porch............................................Editor

Warhorse Pride

Mortarmen, HHC, 1st Bn., 67th Ar. Reg. fire an illumination round during a night mortar live fire at the Udairi Range Complex, Camp Buehring, Kuwait, March 17.

Soldiers of the 2nd ABCT and Kuwaiti Land Forces pose for a picture after a partnership dinner in Kuwait City, Kuwait, March 20. The two sides took time to speak about partnership activities conducted over the past few months.

Soldiers assigned to 3rd Bn., 16th FA Reg., fire their assigned M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer during qualification at Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

Raven operators from across 2nd ABCT pose with their equipment prior to conducting a training exercise near the Kuwait Naval Base, March 16. The Soldiers operated the Ravens 14 miles off the coast of Kuwait over International waters.

Photo by: Sgt. Marcus Fichtl, 2nd ABCT PAO

Courtesy Photo

Courtesy PhotoPhoto by: Sgt. Marcus Fichtl, 2nd ABCT PAO

Photo by: Sgt. Marcus Fichtl, 2nd ABCT PAO

Family Readiness GroupPage 7 Vol. 2, Issue 7 March 28, 2014

Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo

Better Opportunities for Single SoldiersPage 7 Vol. 2, Issue 7 March 28, 2014

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4 5

6 7

8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 MWR TOURS PHONE # 438-3056 I 0800-1700 HRS SAT - THURS

OASIS - MWR PALMS - UDAIRI CENTER PHONE # 438 - 3202 OPEN 24 HRS

FITNESS CENTER PHONE # 438 - 3130 OPEN 24 HRS

Zydeco Music Night – MWR Oasis @ 2030

Top 40 Music Night – MWR Oasis @ 2030 Kuwait Cultural Experience – MWR Oasis/Stage Area @ 1700

Texas Hold em Poker – MWR Palms @ 1900



Texas Hold em Poker –MWR Palms @ 1900

Speed Chess Tournament – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Spades Tournament – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Soca Dance Night – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Saturday Night Bingo – MWR Oasis @ 1900



Salsa Night – MWR Oasis @ 1900

SAAM Observance Skits ( Sexual Assault Awareness Month ) – MWR Stage @ 1800

RC Car Race – RC Race Track Near Softball Field @ 1700

Latin / Tejano Music Night – MWR Oasis @ 2030

Call of Duty Tournament – MWR Palms @ 1900

Hip Hop & R&B Dance Night – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Easter Egg Hunt – MWR Oasis /Stage Area @ 1000

Dominoes Tournament – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Buehring Idol Qualifying Rounds – MWR Oasis @ 1900 Home Run Derby –

Multipurpose Field @ 1800

Husafeld Carry Contest – Volleyball Court @ 1800

Weekly 5K – Eisenhower near MWR Stage @ 0500



Flag Football Tournament – Multipurpose Field @ 1700

Duathlon – Main Gym @ 1800

Deadlift Competition – Main Gym @ 1800

Army Reserve Birthday 5K – Eisenhower near MWR Stage @ 0500

International Night – MWR Oasis @ 2030

Buehring Idol Qualifying Rounds – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Buehring Idol Qualifying Rounds – MWR Oasis @ 1900

Buehring Idol – MWR Stage @ 1900

Country Night – MWR Oasis @ 2030


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Warhorse pride vol 2 issue 7 20140328

Leadership & Management