SPARTAN SUPPORT SENTRY

ISSUE 03-12 June / July 2012 710TH Brigade Support Battalion Family Readiness Group Newsletter

BATTALION CHANGE OF COMMAND

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Battalion:

Have some spare time?

Like to help others? Would like resume building volunteer work? All 8 companies are looking for volunteers to help with the Family Readiness Group! Co-Leaders Key Callers Treasurers Assistant Treasurers General Volunteers If you would like more information contact your FRG leader.

BN Staff Duty: 772-4079 Family Readiness Support: Abbie Hammond 772-6608 Military & Family Life Consultant: 315-405-7486

FRG Leadership:
BN Advisor: Michelle Lalor spartan710family@yahoo.com HHC FRG Leadership: Gary Pierce hhc710bsbfrg@yahoo.com A CO FRG Leadership: Amanda Feathers 710alphafrg@gmail.com B CO FRG Leadership: Emily Terry bravo710thfrg@gmail.com

C CO FRG Leadership: Diana Tatu charlie710frg@gmail.com

D CO FRG Leadership: Mrs. Burrows Delta710FRG@gmail.com E CO FRG Leadership: Angela Cunningham Eco.familyreadinessgroup@gmai l.com F CO FRG Leadership: Andrea Mattison foxcofrg@yahoo.com G CO FRG Leadership: Alisia Wilson frggolfcompany@gmail.com

Dont know your company?

Contact the FRSA at abigail.hammond@conus.army.mil.

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FAREWELL CSM WILLIAMSON

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Commanders Corner
Alpha Company Newsletter 28 Jun 2012 The soldiers of Alpha Company have moved from a successful reset phase into the busy summer months. We had an active spring that included property accountability incoming from Afghanistan and two change of command ceremonies. The 710 Ball and Mountain Fest highlighted the more recent months. Spartan Statue unveiled commemorating and honoring fallen Spartans Block leave is just around the corner, and there is nothing like a restful vacation to recharge and be ready to take on the rest of the year. Immediately upon our return, we will be preparing to support Operation Mountain Peak which takes place on the Fort Drum Training Area from 23 Jul 1 Aug. The purpose of the operation is to provide a realistic deployment scenario that will prepare the division for future deployments. Our soldiers, along with the support they can provide, will be vital to the success of the operation. Thank you to all the families who continue to support the outstanding soldiers of Alpha Company. Your support allows us to conduct every mission to the highest standard. From all the soldiers of Alpha Company, we wish you a wonderful summer and an exciting fall season ahead.

Spartan Statue unveiled commemorating and honoring fallen Spartans

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Redeployment After 12 months in the hot and sweaty desert, Bravo Company successfully redeployed all 86 Soldiers back home to Fort Drum, their family and friends waiting anxiously as they marched their way into MaGraths Gym, which was long overdue. Bravo is expecting several new additions since redeploying. SGT Bennett had his baby girl on the 4th of May, 1LT Brooks is expecting his first at the beginning of July, SPC Lake found out that he and his wife were going to have a baby, and SGT Franks has the biggest bundle on the way, his wife is pregnant with twins! Professional education is a must to advance through the ranks and down range its just not possible to get that type of schooling, SGT Manning attended WLC upon return and was recognized for making the Commandants List and was ranked number two in his class overall. The op-tempo for Bravo has been steady. Many new faces are joining our ranks and we have been working to get them up to speed. Bravo Company conducted drivers training for 28 Soldiers from both Bravo and Charlie resulting in more certified drivers to accomplish taskings and creating more useful assets. Though our Company has grown, the BN and BDE are seeing new faces of leadership. Bravo Company participated in LTC Helwigs and COL Franks change of command to bid them farewell and best wishes in their future endeavors and welcomed the new command team LTC Lalor and COL Whitehurst. All in all Bravo company is glad to be home and preparing for the next rotation by taking lessons learned and applying them to training for even more successful deployments in the future. FIX IT

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Delta Company, 710th Brigade Support Battalion conducted an FRG fundraiser on 25 June in conjunction with the Division Softball Tournament held at the Macgrath Gymnasium Softball Fields on Fort Drum. This was the first FRG event following the companys redeployment from Afghanistan. The fundraiser was a well-planned and well-executed event that offered an opportunity for Mountainfest attendees to grab a quick snack in between events. The event was spearheaded by the Delta Company FRG leader Mrs. Michelle Frondorf and staffed by Delta Company Soldiers. The sale of hot dogs, chips, and soda to Soldiers and their family members was a great success, selling out completely shortly after the second iteration of games. The funds raised from this event will support the distribution of blankets for newborns of Soldiers within the Delta Company family. These funds will also enable the company to hold a FRG picnic during the month of August. The Soldiers and families of Delta Company continue to develop a strong and cohesive FRG program in support of unit esprit des corps and family readiness. Our families truly are the backbone of the Army! CPT Paul D. Amis (Diablo 6)

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Eagle Company held an FRG meeting on July 16 in the company classroom. Some possible events were discussed. If you have any ideas for events you would like to do, contact Angi Cunningham, the FRG Leader, at eco.familyreadinessgroup@gmail.com.

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Fox Company is planning an FRG meeting for August. If you have not received information on a date, contact your FRG Leader, Andrea Mattison

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Fallen Spartans Remembered In 2005, the Spartan Association was founded to support 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. One of the goals of the fledgling organization was to one day build a memorial at Fort Drum to remember any Spartans who may die on the field of battle. On the day of the organizations founding, 3rd IBCT was only on orders to deploy to Afghanistan for the first, as the brigade had only stood up at Fort Drum in September 2004. The Spartans began deploying in January 2006 for a 1 year deployment; however, on January 26, 2007 after several hundred have already returned home, the Spartans were extended four months. Those home were sent back to return in June 2007. During the first deployment 32 Spartans died in combat, including two from 710th BSB. It was during this deployment in which the plans were made for the Spartan memorial, and the Spartan Association began selling prints dedicated to the spirit of the Spartan Soldiers to begin raising money for the $20,000+ memorial.

On June 13, 2007, ground was broken and an artists rendition of the memorial was revealed. As their last official act as the Brigade Command Team, (then) COL Nicholson and CSM Redmore joined with Sheryl Abbott, then President of the Spartan Association, and Mrs. Kristen Fenty, surviving spouse of LTC Joseph Fenty, 3-71 CAV Commander who was KIA May 5, 2006, to mark the spot where the memorial would be built.
On May 30, 2012, the memorial was unveiled to the public. Five years, three command teams and two deployments later, the artists rendition came to life in the form of a 6 ton hexagon shaped block of granite and 8 foot bronze statue. The 28 names of the Spartans lost in the 2008-2009 deployment joined those from the 2006-2007 deployment as well as the 11 names of Infantry Soldiers lost in Iraq prior to 2-87 and 1-32 moving to 3rd IBCT.

Sheryl Abbott, president of the Spartan Association, left; Kirstin Fenty, whose husband, Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty, died in combat in Afghanistan, Col. John Nicholson, 3rd Brigade Combat Team commander; and Spartan Command Sgt. Maj. James Redmore break ground at the site of the future Spartan Memorial Photo by Sgt. Amber Robinson

Memorial photos taken by Abbie Hammond

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