“PRIDE OF THE DAKOTA’S DISPATCH”

2ND BATTALION 147TH FIELD ARTILLERY FAMILY NEWSLETTER

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM II, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8 1 June, 2004

Memorial Day:

Greetings to all of our family and friends at home! Another couple of weeks have flown by and we are at the beginning of summer. The beginning of summer back home is marked by Memorial Day, a day of reflection for all of our service members that have given their lives for our great nation! Although Memorial Day has just passed, we ask that you please remember the 800 plus soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that have given their lives in this conflict. They gave all they had to defend our way of life and bring freedom and democracy to an oppressed people. You can be very proud of all the members of the 2nd Battalion as we are doing an excellent job. Morale is high and with the conclusion of our current mission, we can really see the impact we have made in our area of operations. Our battalion is very well respected and we set the standards for others to follow. To paraphrase LTC Marlette, we will not let our standards down and we will adhere to our three basic concepts: Safety, Standards, and Discipline.

Weather:

It is HOT! There is no other way to explain it. Temperatures are consistently over 100 and it is either dead calm or the wind is blowing 20 mph putting the dust and sand into the air. We get various temperature readings depending on where soldiers are located and if in the sun or shade. One soldier reported the temperature in his vehicle was a whapping 127 and in the motor pool they reported 131. So it is hot, but our soldiers are prepared and are drinking water ALL the time and stay in the shade whenever possible. We were lucky to be able to be here during the spring time so we could adjust to the climate.

Web Site:

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.

While we serve in Iraq, the 197th FA BDE from New Hampshire is our brigade headquarters. The 197th BDE does a monthly newsletter called The Desert Dispatch, (I wonder where that name came from?). Each of the battalions serving with the 197th contributes to the newsletter and it is posted on the New Hampshire Website (http://www.nharmy.guard.com/family_services/units.htm) so to learn about the other soldiers we are serving with, please visit this website. We will also work to post the Desert Dispatch on our website as well.

Battalion Commander’s Corner: LTC Jeffrey P. Marlette

Hi Everyone, I hope this newsletter finds everyone healthy and doing fine. Things here continue to move along. We continue to excel at our missions and are dealing well adapting to the heat. We may never want to see another water bottle after we get home, but for now, they are our best friends.

I want to briefly touch on a topic that I think we many times overlook. That topic is the fact that we as soldiers of Second Battalion are literally living history every day. As we get a first hand view of the challenges and triumphs a struggling country must go through to establish itself, I many times find myself thinking about the challenges our forefathers must have gone through to establish our great nation. One thing that sticks out to me is the bravery of Iraqi people who step forward and are willing to take on leadership roles. These people know that by simply stepping forward, they have put themselves and their families in great danger. No matter how good of leader they are, there is bound to be some individual or group of individuals who will want them gone. This becomes even more delicate with the many religious groups and ethnic groups who all have different agendas. Make no mistake, these men and women who step forward are true patriots and are the founding fathers of the future Iraq.

As June 30^th draws near, we are anxiously waiting and watching to see the impact the hand-over process will have on our missions. Each day we are beginning to see attempts of the new Iraq to take control of their destiny. We are seeing soldiers and police forces being trained and put to work, we witness businesses re-open, roads and bridges repaired, school children going to school and medical treatment being given. We have seen crops being planted and harvested. We have witnessed war torn buildings being repaired and rubble and burnt out military equipment being hauled away. I truly believe that the Iraqi people’s pride in their country is beginning to grow and they look forward to the new Iraq.

There is not one soldier in our Battalion who would not rather be home with his family than to be here in Iraq, but if we must be deployed, it is nice to know that we are truly making a difference. In closing I want to offer a statement from one of our founding fathers, Thomas Paine. Many of us have adopted this to give us strength as we go through this deployment.

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, so that my child may have

peace!"

Battalion Executive Officer’s Corner: MAJ Jerald J. Somsen

Greetings! Another edition of the newsletter is making its way to you, our friends and family back home. As the days continue to tick buy, our soldiers are coming up with some unique tasks to pass the time. Everything from lifting weights, fantasy baseball, horseshoe throwing, practicing on goose and duck calls (yes, there are more than just myself trying to master the call of the wild!), Iraqi bicycle restoration, playstation games, card games, and just basic catch with a baseball or football. There are many things that soldiers with a little time on there hands can make up and far too numerous to mention here.

Within the last couple weeks, B Battery was able to call “Mission Complete” on the securing and removing ammunition from an Ammunition Supply Point in South Central Iraq. The members of Bravo Battery are to be commended on a job well done. They were able to work with the civilian contractors to complete the mission to standard and on time! Bravo is currently transitioning back to escorting KBR convoys. Very shortly, we will be turning the reins of B Battery over to a new commander, CPT Steve Siemonsma. He will do a fine job and is taking over a great battery. CPT Frank Sullivant is reluctantly handing over the Battery reins. It is a very tough thing for a Battery Commander to step away from troops he has been leading for three years. But it is time for Frank to continue on his career and come to staff. I want to commend CPT Sullivant on a job well done and wish CPT Siemonsma all the best.

The remainder of the Batteries continue to perform their missions to the best of their abilities. I cannot tell you how many times we have heard from senior leadership about the job our soldiers are doing. Our soldiers have taken the guard slogan “You Can” and made it “We Can”. The teamwork that has been displayed within the Battalion is truly amazing. Whenever we have a “Special Mission” (pick a soldier up in Kuwait, as example), there is never a fight over who will do it. The response has always been “We Can”. I am extremely proud of how our soldiers are working together as one TEAM!

I wanted to take some of the Battalion Newsletter to educate everyone on the members of the TEAM called the “Battalion Staff”. Over the next few newsletters, I have asked each of the staff sections to give a brief overview of what they bring to the table. I am going to tell you that 2^nd Battalion has an outstanding staff and supporting staff. They have made the Commanders and my job extremely easy. They are very professional group and they do a great job of integrating soldier’s needs and mission accomplishment. I hope you find the staff summaries educational.

In closing I want to do what I always do, thank all the family and friends back home. You are our hopes and dreams that await us at completion of our Mission. Thanks and God Bless,

MAJ Jerry Somsen

Chaplains Corner: MAJ Lynn Wilson

Memorial Day:

I want to talk briefly about Memorial Day's markings or beginnings, its meaning, and its message.

Memorial Day's Markings or Beginnings is hard to determine. Some believe it started on April 26, 1866 when the women of Columbus, Mississippi marched to the town cemetery and decorated not only the graves of their Confederate soldiers but also of the Union soldiers. Some think it began in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania when in 1864 Emma Hunter put flowers on the tomb of her father who had been a colonel in the Union Army. Still others believe it began in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866 when on that day the village held a special Memorial Day celebration, leading Congress to designate it as the "birthplace" of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day's Meaning is that it is a special time to remember American soldiers who have died in war. In 1948 Memorial Day was made a national holiday.

Memorial Day's Message is more than remembering that all gave some and some gave all. It is the conviction that because all men are created equal, all men must be free. It is the courage to be willing to give up a life of ease for a life of service to others. It is the cost or willingness to put our lives in jeopardy because freedom is worth the sacrifice of our blood. This Memorial Day weekend 2004 let us remember the 803 brave men and women that gave all they had here in Iraq so that we may live in peace and the Iraqi people may have freedom. To them and to ALL those who gave their lives in past wars, we say: Blessed be their memory!

STAFF / TOC News:

This is a new section to the newsletter. We felt we should try help you understand how the battalion staff is set up and how day-to-day operations are managed. The battalion has several staff sections that control various aspects of our operations and control the actions of the batteries. The staff has the following officers and/or sections:

The Command Staff

Battalion Commander: LTC Jeffrey P. Marlette

Battalion Command Sergeant Major: CSM Joe Schwebach

The Primary Staff

Executive Officer (XO) Major Jerald J. Somsen

Training/Operations or S-3: MAJ Bruce Carter

Personnel or S-1: CPT Scott Rounds

Intelligence or S-2: CPT Ron Hayes

Supply/Logistics or S-4: CPT Jason Kettwig

Maintenance Officer: CPT Dave Siemonsma

Civil Affairs/Public Relations or S-5: CPT Nate Moore

Communications or S-6: CPT Ryan Brekke

Operations Officer CPT James Linn

Chemical Officer: CPT Tim Woodring

Fire Direction Officer: CPT Steve Siemonsma

Liaison Officer: 1LT Martin Yost.

The Special Staff:

Physicians Assistant: 1LT Sean Kenny

Chaplain: MAJ Lynn Wilson

The staff works together to keep the Battalion Commander informed of any situation that may affect the decisions he has to make. The XO is in charge of the staff and it is his responsibility to coordinate the activities of the staff and make sure it gives the Commander the information he needs, when needed.

In each newsletter we will focus on one section and have members of that section explain the duties and responsibilities of the section. In this newsletter we will focus on the Personnel Section otherwise known as the S-1.

Hello to all the great folks back in South Dakota!! Hope that everyone is doing well. My name is SGT Josh Schaefer, and I work in the S-1 or Administrative Section along with CPT Scott Rounds (S-1 Officer), SFC Gregory Whitlock (PSNCO), SSG Timothy Ries, SGT LaRon Unzen, SPC Gary Scotting and SPC Jay Albert, and I am going to tell you a little bit about what we do.

The soldiers in the S-1 section perform all the personnel administrative duties. Our section works in the ALOC (Administrative & Logistical Operation Center) which is located with the TOC (Tactical Operations Center). We track all the soldiers in the battalion and make sure we know where they are located at all times. We keep track and maintain all the soldiers personal records, manage their pay and make sure they are receiving all of their benefits, we coordinate emergency and R & R leave, coordinate soldier evaluations such as NCOER’s and OER’s, and we review awards. We also promote the soldiers morale, recreations, and welfare (MWR) activities. A couple of the S-1 soldiers make a run to the Tallil Air Base to pick up our unit mail on a daily basis. Some of our soldiers help out in other various areas such as convoys and other sections in the unit.

BATTERY NEWS

Headquarters Battery: CPT Charles Hauck/1SG Bruce Brekke

Note from the Commander: This month’s edition is written by Master Sergeant Lathe Ragels, the Communications Section Chief. The “Commo Section” consist of communications repair teams (one for each firing battery), Local Area Network specialists, and a “Retrans” team.

The communications section has been very busy since reaching country. We have been tasked with maintaining well over 100 FM communications systems along with telephone, computer, and generally all electronic equipment in the Battalion. CPT. Brekke has been a godsend to me. I have not had the opportunity of having a communications officer in a long time and getting to have an officer with his skills and abilities was almost too much to ask for. My three communications repair team chiefs; SSG Rob McGraw, SSG Joel Brekke, and SSG Shawn Bastian have been putting in very long hours to ensure that their assigned batteries have the best communications support available in the army. This is made easier by their assigned enlisted men, SGT Reed McGraw, SGT Carl Pulscher, SPC Derrick Keffeler, and SPC Chris Wright. These young men have performed above any expectations I could have of them. SGT Reed McGraw has also been doing a fantastic job of keeping track of my entire parts inventory. He does his best to keep me in line but I am sure it can be frustrating. I cannot say enough about SGT Carl Pulscher. He seems to be able to do absolutely anything, ranging from a keen knowledge of communications systems to building a “barn”. I am not kidding, a barn. SGT Chris McGraw and SGT Mike Rath have proven again and again that they are the best networking assets in the army. Not bragging just truth. I had to bring them in to repair an internet system that the brigade couldn’t fix in 5 days. SGT Rath had it going in about an hour. Great Job Mike! SPC Chad McMillan has been assigned to Convoy security and although I hate to lose him from my commo team he has presented himself very well and his abilities in both communications and his Combat Lifesaver certification make him a much needed asset on our convoy mission. These men make my job easy and I thank them for all of their hard work.

Shawn Bastian	Carl Pulscher Fishing	Reed McGraw

Alpha Battery: CPT Lucas Lentsch/1SG Michael Jensen

As the calendar turns to June, we find ourselves close to finishing work at our current Ammunition Supply Point(ASP). We're close to having spent 6 weeks working this ASP. We'll have a few days to recover back at base camp, and then we'll be pushing out to another remote site where we'll set up living arrangements in fine Alpha Battery fashion. We have been able to supplement our meals with some contracted meals from a base camp close to our location.

In addition, we have a few soldiers out on R&R, and we'll have another 5 slots here later this month.

The families are encouraged to continue to write letters and send care packages. You may want to touch base with your soldier to see what specific needs he may have. The instant drink mixes continue to be a hit with the guys. When you're drinking 6-8 liters of water a day (more as it gets warmer), a little variety goes a long way. We're fortunate to have great support from our Battalion in sourcing freezers for our work areas. The results...are nice frozen bottles of water. The guys have been able to craft some can cozies for the large bottles to maintain the cold water.

Our mission of working with the Captured Enemy Ammunition continues to have unique challenges each and every day. While we travel on the roads through South Central Iraq, we conduct thorough convoy briefs to implement good control measures for safe travel. It continues to be a true pleasure to witness such great teamwork within the Battery. The soldiers are doing their part writing each deployment chapter of the Alpha Battery story. We also have had some promotions within the unit. Clint Behrns, Jeff Caffee, John Wilde, and Adam Wilson have all been promoted to the rank of Specialist/E-4 - Congratulations!

The satellite internet hook up has been fantastic for morale. In fact, our system has become well known in our "neighborhood" of sorts. A few other military units are dropping by to use the system - even some fellow South Dakota National Guard members located near our area of operations. We continue to work hard and strive for the best in all of us, and we thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Until our safe return, we remain your faithful South Dakota Citizen Soldiers.

CPT Lucas Lentsch

Bravo Battery: CPT Frank Sullivant/1SG Wayne LaBelle

Hello B Battery!

We now find ourselves back at CSC Cedar and life is good. No doubt by now your family members have called you and given you the full story. It has been an exciting 30 days. We packed up and deployed on short notice to secure an ammunition point and provide CEA convoy security. The men tackled this mission as they have all missions, with a great amount of determination and tenacity. We were successful in completing our mission and have returned back to Cedar to recover and prepare for KBR convoy escort missions. I believe the men really appreciated the last 30 days for many reasons. First, we got an immediate feedback on the importance and success of our mission. Every truckload of CEA that we destroyed or transported was that much less out in the hands of folks who want to hurt us. Second, we were able to exercise many of the skills we have trained for. Lastly, it helped us all work together towards a common goal. I know that I really enjoyed the time out there with the guys.

I am happy to say that we have gotten a few of our soldiers back from R&R but we really need an increase in the allotments if we are ever to get them all home. I need to caution you that we may not get all our soldiers home on R&R. I hear that the allotments will increase in mid-June. I truly hope so.

As promised a month ago, I have asked a couple of enlisted soldiers to write up a section in this newsletter. I have also included some photos f the guys at work or play at ASP 5.

SSG Glover,

The members of B battery have been enduring life in Iraq well. During the past 30 days our mission has been to secure an ammunition depot. As part of the mission, we had to live at the site. In our initial occupation, we moved into a bunker where ammo had once been stored. The bunker was an open bay with reinforced 2 feet thick concrete walls and ceiling. In the first couple of weeks we had no air conditioning and had MRE’s and UGR meals only. After most of the battery adapted to the food we looked more toward the best way to stay cool when the thermometer read 130 degrees F. We did get an A/C unit running about 2 weeks into the mission.

In addition to the site security our battery picked up an additional mission. We had to set aside teams to take the ammunition to a bigger site where it could be destroyed. The mission involved some long days. One of the main challenges was actually getting the Iraqi trucks up a rather steep hill that many of the rundown trucks had trouble getting up.

After a month living in an ammunition bunker, we realize how nice it is to stay in CSC Cedar. We definitely appreciate what we have here now. We are all looking forward to R&R and eventually getting home. We miss you.

Charlie Battery: CPT Troy Ness/1SG Myron Simons

By: SPC Scott Loveland and SPC Richard Lewis

Greetings everyone from the world’s largest sandbox. As most of you have already heard it’s getting to be very warm here. Daytime highs have been averaging about 120 degrees with nighttime lows averaging near 90. 90 might seem like a very hot temperature but living with the daily highs makes it feel like it’s almost chilly. When your soldier comes home for R & R we suggest you bring a parka to the airport for him to wear.

Speaking of R & R, the program is now underway. A few soldiers were allowed to travel back home in May and more slots are becoming available in the coming months. Other soldiers have traveled to Qatar for their 4-day pass. The soldiers are very grateful for their R & R and Qatar passes and that they can get a break from the day to day duties here in Iraq.

This past month Charlie Battery has had to face some of its most challenging times as our missions have required the battery to be split up. The soldiers of Charlie Battery have been temporarily reassigned to different duty locations throughout southern Iraq. The majority of them are in Cedar II handling KBR escort missions, which provide supplies to our forces and civilians in Iraq, allowing our soldiers to continue their various missions. Other soldiers are currently securing one of the many CEA cache sites in southern Iraq. This mission helps prevent insurgents from taking old ammo and using it as a roadside bomb or IED against coalition forces. Only a handful of us remain here at Camp Az Zubayr. We are still responsible for the day-to-day functions of the camp including camp security, keeping our equipment and weapons in tip-top shape, picking up the battery’s mail, and of course the daily chow runs.

Living conditions here are getting better and better by the day. A week or so ago, we installed our new air conditioning units. These are a great improvement to the window units we had relied upon before. We also have installed them in the chow hall and the weight room, making our workouts and eating time more comfortable. Everyone has been doing their best to personalize their living space and give themselves the feeling of being home. Many soldiers have hung up posters, flags of their favorite sports teams, one a skateboard, and a few are even displaying their favorite lawn gnomes.

Once again we would like to thank everyone at home for your love and support. Without you we would not be able to complete our missions and stay motivated. Keep the care packages, letters, cards, and e-mails coming, these always make a soldier’s day. Have a good month everyone, we will see you in our next newsletter.

A few words from the Commander:

“Hello” from C Btry! The temperature is hot and summer is still to come! The soldiers are drinking bottle after bottle of water to keep hydrated. I’m sure many soldiers will never look at water the same again. C Btry has been busy working mission in three different locations. This says quite a bit for the abilities and determination of C Btry soldiers. As the days go by, boredom has less of a chance to set in when the soldiers complete a mission and move to the next mission. C Btry will complete any mission assigned by using the strength and expertise of every soldier in the Btry. I’ve visited each location C Btry soldiers are at. The soldiers’ spirits are up and the anticipation of completing each mission and reuniting C Btry together at Camp Az Zubayr is high. The ultimate goal is to have C Btry soldiers back together at Camp Az Zubayr (home) and finish out our deployment as a complete Btry.

I really enjoyed talking to the Family Support Group via telephone! The questions asked were very good. I hope my answers covered your concerns! A big “Thank You” goes out to family, friends and loved ones. The support you have shown for the soldiers has been outstanding!

Living conditions are continuously improving with A/C, internet and phone access for all soldiers in the 2/147^th BN. The entire BN is working as a team. This reinforces that people from the Midwest are truly hardworking, caring people. All the more reason to be proud of your loved one!

Take care & keeps us in your prayers!

CPT Ness

“CHARLIE ROCK – ROCK STEADY”

Contacts:

Alpha Battery SGT Steven Despiegler PO Box 10 Sisseton, SD 57262 605-698-7312 (P) 605-742-0237 (F) steven.despiegler@sd.ngb.army.mil	Bravo Battery SGT John Berndt 115 S. Roosevelt Road Aberdeen, SD 57401 605-626-2270 (P) 605-626-2407 (F) john.berndt@sd.ngb.army.mil	Charlie Battery SPC Brett Engelmann PO Box 47 Redfield, SD 57469 605-472-2828 (P) 605-472-4375 (F) engelmab@sd.ngb.army.mil
HHS SFC Chad Haaland 1900 West Kemp Avenue Watertown, SD 57201 605-882-9324 (P) 605-882-9334 (F) chad.haaland@sd.ngb.army.mil	FAMILY SUPPORT Michele Anderson Camp Rapid 2828 West Main Street Rapid City, SD 57701 1-800-658-3930 (toll free family support line) 605-737-6069 (P) 605-381-2159 (M) Michele.anderson@sd.ngb.army.mil

Mail:

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:

Rank/Name Rank/Name Rank/Name Rank/Name

HHS 2/147^th FA A Btry 2/147^th FA B Btry 2/147^th FA C Btry 2/147^th FA

CSC Cedar II CSC Cedar II CSC Cedar II Camp Navistar

APO AE 09331 APO AE 09331 APO AE 09331 APO AE 09317