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2ND BATTALION 147TH FIELD ARTILLERY FAMILY NEWSLETTER
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 10 1 July, 2004

June 28th was a historic date for Iraq and the rest of the world! The transfer of authority was given from the US to the Iraqi government, making it a sovereign nation, free of the brutality of the Saddam Hussein regime. Your soldiers played a major role in this accomplishment by providing the security for convoys to transport the needed supplies to all the people in Iraq and keeping weapons and bombs out of the insurgents and terrorists hands!

It has been just over six months since we left home and at times it seems hard to maintain the focus of why we are here. The transfer of authority to Iraq should help us regain that focus. We know that our sacrifices have provided freedom to a country brutalized by a tyrant for decades. We brought the fight to the terrorists, protecting America from these thugs that have no other thought than to try and destroy the freedoms we have and our way of life. We have succeeded! And we will continue building on our success to help make Iraqi government more stable while helping to eliminate future terrorist threats. Be proud of your 2nd Battalion soldiers and keep the home fires burning. We will be home before you know it!

We are going to try a new format for the newsletter. It seems that we are providing you the same information every two weeks without much excitement. So, we are going to get more soldiers involved in writing the newsletters, giving their perspective. The newsletters that come out on the 1st of the month will continue to be same and provide the administrative updates of what we are doing as a battalion and news from each battery. The newsletters that come out on the 15th of the month will be composed of stories from specific events by various soldiers within the battalion. Each battery will provide a couple of stories for the letter. We will also have a section for soldiers to write little notes home telling about themselves and saying hello to family and friends.

We hope this will help put a little more variety in the news we provide and help give you a better perspective of what we are doing and it may be a little more personal as more of the stories will come from the soldiers themselves.

Battalion Commander’s Corner: LTC Jeffrey P. Marlette

Everyone else in the newsletter has done a pretty good job of covering the Transfer of Sovereignty, the heat, the missions and the living conditions, so I think I will leave all of those subjects alone.

I instead want to draw attention to a few groups of people who have been doing an absolutely outstanding job for us. Those groups are the 147^th Brigade, our Rear Detachment and our lead volunteers in our Family Support Groups. Each of these groups has been key to the success we have experienced thus far.

The 147^th Brigade has served as our go to team for just about every problem we have encountered. They help us to track logistic and personnel issues, ensure everyone back home is being taken care of and most importantly track everyone who leaves our location to make sure that those soldiers’ needs are all being met. This involves coordination with agencies all over the world. The Brigade has an excellent team and has worked hard for us.

The Rear Detachment concept is new to this rotation of deployments. Without a doubt, this has been a total success. These soldiers have been there for our soldiers and families at every turn. They are able to take care of problems before they get out of hand and have been successful at getting issues into the proper channels. They too have done an excellent job of helping to track soldiers who have left country. These fine soldiers are every bit as much a part of our team as the soldiers here in country. We couldn’t do our job without them.

A special group that I can’t begin to express my appreciation for is the lead volunteers and all the people who make the Family Support Groups a success. You are a huge part of our success. Through your willingness to serve, our families are being provided the information, services and resources they need to get through this deployment. I have heard nothing but high praises for the quality of meetings, communications and programs you have been orchestrating. Our soldiers are stronger because of the success of your support groups. Thank you for all of your efforts.

By the time this issue hits home we will have experienced our once in a lifetime Transfer of Sovereignty. It is suppose to be low key with no large gatherings or ceremonies. Al Queda and the Jihad do not want this to happen successfully. I am very confidant that we will get through this period with ease. Our men continue to stay mission focused and have a renewed sense of vigor since the additional leave slots became available.

In the most recent newsletter, I mentioned the promotions and induction ceremonies for Sergeants Rabine and Shedd. Sgt. David Berg from B Btry is the newest member of the NCO corps. Congratulations to him for all his hard work and accomplishments.

I am happy to greet two new soldiers to the unit. PFC Miller and PFC Smith are two great additions to the battalion. I can tell that they are fellow South Dakotans because of their inspiring attitudes and willingness to work hard to get the job done. Half of our 376 members are E-4 and below. These young men are the heart and soul of our unit. They are virtually trouble free because of the very few issues we have compared to other units.

Without them we cannot complete our mission!

We continue to have a very good track record with no heat injuries and very few accidents. Our men are able to adjust as needed to get the job done. We are lucky to have soldiers who can think on their feet and overcome issues as they arise.

Monthly weapons testing and familiarization continues. We appreciate the opportunity to polish our firing skills. The 197^th Brigade is in the planning stages to incorporate a rifle competition into our training. MSG Ragels and SSG McGraw are the Battalion representatives trying to put together a program feasible for everyone.

I am pleased to say that most of our men are doing some kind of physical training. The days are long, hot, and trying so it is difficult for some to get on a regular schedule. Others have daily routines that include running, weight lifting, biking, or that excruciating sport of horseshoes. Some of you will not recognize your soldiers as they return.

We all will miss the July 4^th celebration at home this year. Many things go through our minds as we remember all the good times during this holiday. Americans are able to celebrate because of the job done so well by the men and women before us. We are proud to say that our families and soldiers are doing their part so that our kids will be able to celebrate for years to come.

The "Pride of the Dakotas" drives on!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!

July 4th, 1776: do the math and you realize our nation is now 228 years old. I have visited sites here in Iraq that are literally thousands of years old! And yet a nation's greatness is NOT based upon its length of existence.

Many nations existed for thousands of years whose rulers were vicious and bloodthirsty, whose people knew not the Lord. Other nations existed but a short time, but in their short existence God has blessed them and blesses them still. Psalm 33:12 says "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord". Our nation has been blessed for one reason and only one reason: our God is the Lord. We are no longer afforded the comfort however of merely knowing that. It is up to each of us as soldiers of the cross to be "showing" that as well. We show it when we vote in agreement with what the Bible teaches. We show it when we are informed of the issues that matter to our family and nation's morality and NOT JUST ITS ECONOMY. We show it when we pray with and for each other, and most of all we show it when we lead others to a personal relationship to Jesus Christ.

Heroes are needed at home JUST AS MUCH as they are needed here in Iraq. Let each of us this July 4th seek to live the refrain from one of our most popular patriotic hymns: "O Beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life! America, America, may God thy gold refine, till all success be nobleness and every gain divine!"

Chaplain Lynn Wilson

If the intelligence community is a family, think of us as the uncle no one talks about. (Conspiracy Theory) Isn’t that the truth! Well, even so, allow me to tell you about the Intelligence Section for the 2/147^th FA. It is our mission to analyze the enemy situation in Iraq and provide an enemy situation forecast for our areas of operation to our troops in the field. "That route is safe", "Don’t go there", "Don’t go down that road", are some of the types of advice that is handed out by our section on a daily basis. Due to our non-standard mission, the Intel section that normally works in the Tactical Operations Center has been broken out into various Areas.

The old man of the Intel Section is Master Sgt. Bob "Smack Daddy", McDonald from Pierre, SD. Mac has been in the National Guard for 20 years with 4 years prior service in the Navy. In Pierre, Mac works for the State of South Dakota with DENR and is engaged to Melanie and has 3 kids Chris, Laurel, and Nick. Mac works in the TOC as the Intel Section Chief.

Staff Sergeant David Manning is a welcomed addition to the Intel section as the Night Shift Intel NCO. Dave "The Map Man" Manning hails from Watertown SD, where his Wife Jacki and 5 boys, Brandan, Donald, Timothy, Bryon and Beau, anxiously await his return. Dave, who is a 19 year guard member, works as a Technician in the South Dakota National Guard in Watertown.

Sergeant J. Ryan Serna from Brookings, SD is also a member of the team. J. Ryan’s primary duties during this nonstandard mission are the Chief Navigator and Assistant Gunner for LTC Marlette’s Convoy Team. So far Sgt. Serna has not let LTC Marlette get lost in this big desert. J. Ryan is a "butt crack bearing" Cable guy in Brookings working for Mediacom.

Specialist Lynn Nelson from Florence, SD is also a member of the Intel section, whom we have had to farm out to other duties here in Iraq. Lynn has been tearing up the road as a driver for the Road Hunter 16, convoy escort team. Lynn’s beautiful wife Margo and 2 children, Christopher and Luke are ready for Dad to come home. Lynn works for Dakota Tube in Watertown SD.

I am Captain Ronald Hayes from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I am the S-2 for 2^nd BN 147^th FA. I have been in the guards for 16 years and am looking forward to seeing my lovely wife Yvette and twins Jack and Sydney when we head home. I work at the EROS data center near Sioux Falls. I have been extremely proud of the efforts of the entire Intel team here in Iraq. We work very hard to ensure that we know as much as we can about our enemy in order to keep our troops safe. We can’t wait to see all of you when we get home! Thanks for all of your support and thanks for your incredible contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

As the newsletters go, we’re going to try and get some input from some of the battery members for the different newsletters. This newsletter we have members of our Battery Operations Center writing a few thoughts.

Hi my name is SFC Michael Wilkening. I am the Alpha Battery 2/147^th FA Operations NCO. The Battery Operations Center or BOC as it is called is the battery headquarters for the operations that Alpha battery is supporting while in Iraq.

In the BOC we keep maps showing the area that we are working in. On the maps we plot routes taken by battery personnel along with locations of other friendly units. The maps are updated with current Intel dealing with the routes that Alpha battery uses. This allows the Alpha battery leadership to make decisions on the routes taken by our convoys as they travel the roads in Iraq. We have status boards that are used to keep information such as radio call signs and phone numbers. The BOC is also where all of the battery communication equipment is setup and monitored around the clock. There are several forms of communication used to include radios, telephones and computers. The communication equipment is kept in working order by a team of 3 soldiers from HHS 2/147^th FA. They include SSG Joel Brekke, SGT Mike Rath and SPC Derrick Keffeler. Rath is the man behind our Segovia Internet access that everyone uses to keep in touch with their families and loved ones. Brekke and Keffeler keep the radios maintained and provide long range communication with Cedar one of their goals is to talk to SD.

Family Events:

Gunner Keith Wilson was born to SPC Adam Wilson of Tea, SD and Danielle Hubert of Sioux Falls, SD. Gunner came into the world on May 20^th. Congratulations to Adam and Danielle for the birth of their son, Gunner!

SPC John Wilde made it home for his stepdaughter, Nichol’s wedding. John and Jolene Wilde enjoyed the marriage on June 5^th. Nichol was married to Aaron Bredvik of New Effington, SD. Nichol and Aaron live in Watertown where Nichol recently finished her cosmetology degree. Aaron works for Morton Buildings. Nichol and Aaron – Congratulations!

SPC Robert Leon Gonsolves’ wife, SrA Lisa Gonsalves will be mobilized with the 27^th Aerial Port Squadron, Air Force Reserve on 6 July 2004. Leon and Lisa, we wish you and your family well through your time of service.

Commander:

Our new location, Camp Enderson (in memory of the late SSG Dorn Enderson, former Battery A Supply Sergeant) has become our new home away from home. We have freezers that keep the water frozen. The cooks acquired a stone building that we boarded up and put a window A/C unit in. This has really helped to keep perishable items cooler. We have two new soldiers with us in the Mess Section both are from C Battery – thanks CPT Ness! SSG Paul Hanson and SGT Joel Boyd have been doing an outstanding job working with us – we appreciate their efforts. SGT Duane Shelstad has done a great job making them part of the Alpha Battery team. The platoons switched night and day shifts, and the guys have done really well adjusting to the shift change. We received 13 R&R slots for July! We have the weight bench and pull up bar set up for working out, and we even have a basketball hoop up to help pass the time. This past week we had our inaugural game here on Dakota Field, our newly created softball field. The guys have played a few games with the civilian contractors that we’re here working with. Also, the local national Iraqi laborers here with us are very interested in playing a game of soccer. So far, SSG Joel Brekke has agreed to be the coach for such an event – it should be a sight to see. The word on the street…the guys aren’t sure they can beat them on the soccer field. Iraqi’s love to play soccer! With the appearance of recreational activity, it is important to realize that our mission of CEA Site Security and Convoy Security is a 24/7 operation, and we do it well. The early Transfer of Authority really boosted spirits with the Iraqis in our area. The future is looking bright! Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

CPT Lentsch

Hello again from central Iraq! The Bravo Battery Staff Sergeants wrote this installment of the newsletter. Our intent over the next few letters is to have each of the different ranks write letting you know from their vantage point what is going on here in Iraq. Next months installment of the newsletter will be written from the perspectives of the Sergeant First Class soldiers in the Battery.

We are sure that everyone has been told, but we wanted to tell you what our mission is according to the Staff Sergeants (E6’s). Our main mission is providing security for KBR and Third Country Nationals (TCN) convoys from CSC Cedar II approximately 116 miles south to Kuwait and then return the 116 miles back north with another convoy. The total amount of driving time is approximately 6 hours and varies depending on numerous extenuating circumstances such as: tires blowing, how hard the wind is blowing, how dusty it is, and whether the trucks that we are escorting can travel faster than 35 miles per hour just to name a few. The convoys are made up of a few Americans and predominately third country nationals. The main language that each of these drivers speak is Arabic which lends to quite a language barrier. As many of you have been told, the temperatures are constantly  rising, sometimes pushing 120 ° and being out on the road it often feels even hotter. During our trip south we see coalition troops from Great Britain, Japan, and Korea and they are performing many of the same tasks we do day in and day out.

The dining facility at any of the camps that we travel to provides a wide variety of different food and we never have to eat the same thing each day. Just a short distance from Cedar II when the opportunity arises we can eat at a Burger King or Pizza Hut for even more variation. When the Battery was north at the Ammunition Supply Point (ASP) the main course was Unit Group Ration meal or commonly known as (UGR) which consisted of either hamburgers, chicken teriyaki, or pork chow mein. So, coming back to Cedar and having the variations on meals again was a real morale booster.

 Even with the busy schedule with convoy escorts, base camp security, or working additional taskers everyone still finds time to get in shape utilizing the MWR gym or the units Bow Flex. With the hot temps and people working out, everyone has been losing weight; you might not recognize some of us. When we are not on the road or working out, everybody still finds things to keep themselves busy playing play station, watching movies, listening to music or reading books. So rest assured, we are all taking care of business and keeping ourselves occupied.

 The living conditions over here are not bad. We are staying in 8 man tents and most everybody has improved their living conditions by building shelves, closets and more. We do have AC units in each tent and when you get back from a long hot day on the road it is nice to get into your tent and relax in the nice air conditioning. We have good latrines and showers that rarely run out of water and it is as close to home living as we could possibly get here in Iraq.

I would like to tell everyone that the morale of the soldiers is high; we are all focused on mission accomplishment and coming home safe and sound to family, friends and neighbors. I have been the Commander of Bravo Battery for only a short time and feel very confident in this Batteries leadership that we have in place to take care of everything that comes our way.

SGT Scott Osborn and SFC Jerry Gruenwald

Well we made it through another month of this deployment. The days are going by fast most of the time and we will soon be at our half way point unless they decide since we have been doing such a great job they will send us home early. Just wishful thinking, must be the heat!!

Right now our unit is split up into three different locations with each having their own missions. With that, our maintenance section also split to support them. Even though it is tough to have to move, it is nice to be able to go to different places in Iraq as long as we are here. Regardless of all the movement of personnel, troops have been in good spirits especially now that the R/R program is picking up and getting more of us home.

Although most of our battery is currently up north securing CEA sites life at Az Zubayr is still going on. Our mechanics have been exceeding their potential as wrench turners. They have been given the opportunity to remove and install engines in the humvees, to check and set the timing of these engines, and many other things they would normally not get to do. They are also working on the larger trucks. Supply is doing their best to get supplies to all the troops regardless of the challenges faced by the battery being split up. Mess is keeping the chow hall going so that the troops can get their chow every day and the fuelers are keeping fuel in the vehicles and the generators.

Everyday is somewhat the same, the weather never changes except for it is getting hotter and the wind blows. We are all looking forward to fall and the cooler temperatures that will come with it. We wouldn’t mind a little break from the wind either.

Here at Az Zubayr we go out on chow runs and make trips to Navistar to pick up or drop off personnel for leave. We also do recovery missions to pick up humvees that have broken down in or around Navistar. With the small number of people we have here, we also have to keep busy with the normal duties we have every single day and night.

Our mission here is not only security of CEA sites near our respective camps but also a humanitarian one. We frequently stop and give candy, toys, and water to the local children. When the kids see us coming, they run as fast as they can to the road, hoping for some candy or toys. It really makes you feel better after you have given them something. After we leave, the smiles of appreciation are still there and their hands are waving until they see us again.

Once again, thank you for all the prayers and support from home. That is what makes us strong. Congratulations go out to Steve & Rebecca Woodring and Sam & Kelli Schaefers for the new additions to their families. As for the Williams and Saville families, we are still waiting for an update on their expected births. We would also like to send our deepest sympathy out to Rob Severance and his family with the passing of his mother.

Headquarters Battery: CPT Charles Hauck/1SG Bruce Brekke

From the Commander:

Howdy ya’ll from the sand box! This newsletter finds everyone of HHS Battery safe and well. We continue with our escort and support missions despite the rising temperatures. In this article, I will elaborate on one of the prominent features close to our home away from home.

I’ve sure you’ve all heard of the "Ziggurat of Ur" as it can be seen as you leave from our front gate. Every Saturday, the camp chapel coordinates a trip to Ur. There, the soldiers are given a guided tour from a third generation worker of the site. The man’s father and grandfather have worked at the site. I’m assuming that this family has been involved with the site since excavation began back in the 1930’s.

As you may or may not know, the ancient city of Ur was the home of Abraham. At some point during the many years of excavation of the site, walls were erected on the original foundation of Abrahams home. His house consisted of around 27 rooms and 4 courtyards. The courtyards are located in the interior of the house and provided light and ventilation to the other rooms in the house. The courtyard floors sloped to a drainage hole that allowed rainwater to seep into the surrounding soil.

The ziggurat of Ur was constructed over 4200 years ago as a temple to the moon god. The top portion of the temple has long since collapsed. Only the solid base remains. The outside of the structure is made of stone bricks and the inside is made of clay bricks. If you look closely to picture two, notice the holes in the wall on the right side of the picture. These holes provide an outlet for water that get inside the structure and also provides ventilation to dry out the inside. The age of the structure speaks for the efficiency of the system. You could certainly say that "they just don’t build ‘em like they used to."

Picture 3 shows the foundation of the king’s palace with the partially excavated city in the background. Tombs of common citizens and royalty are part of the excavation. An interesting detail of this excavation is the natural tar that was used in between the bricks. The tar still exists today and can be readily seen.

Another detail that exemplifies the age and wonder of the site is the Cuniform writing that still is visible on some of the bricks of the city. These pictographs were the precursor to hieroglyphics. The one pictured herein was located next to the entrance to a royal tomb and indicate who is buried there.

As you walk among the ruins and the temple, you get a small inkling as to the age and history of this country and can’t help but to feel humbled and small.

Mail can be sent to your soldier at the address below. You can expect it to take 7-14 days for your mail to get picked up by the battalion. Then we must deliver it to the units in their various locations when we deliver other supplies. The mail address for each unit is listed below:

2-147th FA BN: Our web site is: www.DakotaSteelRain.com at this site you will be able to find links to other battery web sites and pictures. As we move on and time permits, the newsletters will be posted there along with pictures from your soldiers.

HHB 2-147FA: www.homepages.dsu.edu/2147fabn/

C 2-147FA: www.147th.com

197th FA BDE web site: http://www.nharmy.guard.com/family_services/units.htm 

General Military Information: www.military.com

Trip to Disney World: www.shadesofgreeen.org

Webmaster: Holly Hauck
HHS 2-147th FA BN Family Program
Revised: 10/25/2004.