Volume 1, Issue 8 May/June 2013

The Homeof Stretch Friend a Friend

the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Army 1SG Michael P. Donovan, left, and CPT Matthew B. Fronek, both with Team Liber- GIRoA have ty, Texas Army National Guard, provide security been working for members of their team during a progress assessment of the new customs yard being built near together to improve the borthe Afghanistan-Pakistan border in the Spin Boldak district. The new facility will help to inder crossing crease border traffic. (U.S. Army photo by Staff point by buildSgt. Shane Hamann) ing a new cusSurrounded by desolate land- toms facility that will increase traffic flow, generate scapes and beaten by a harsh more revenue and help staclimate, the village of Wesh bilize the region by boostsits along Highway 4 on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. ing the economy. Wesh is home to the Friendship Gate which signifies the villages importance as a passageway into Afghanistan. The border crossing point located in the village is a major pedestrian and commercial vehicle crossing point. All this traffic means more business for local vendors and more tax revenue for It will be one of the most important custom entry points in the country, said Ifram Sakrak, a Turkish contractor who is the project manager for the new customs facility. This will certainly affect the economy of Spin Boldak and Wesh areas. This project at the Wesh border is absolutely critical to Afghanistan, said MAJ George D Hurd, the commander of Team Liberty, who hails from Mansfield, Texas. Theres approximately 25,000 pedestrians a day that travel in and travel out. In the course of a year thats millions of people. Its tens of thousands of commercial vehicles all bringing in revenue for Kandahar province and GIRoA. The SFAT works closely with the Wesh border crossing Afghan Border Police and has helped them establish working relationships with other agencies involved in the project. The SFAT also assist the ABP by conducting checkpoint assessments on nearby border checkpoints and advising on security matters to help with the improvements. Story continued on pg 2 Team Liberty.

The Official Newsletter for the Task Force Arrowhead SFAT Mission

The Arrowhead Insider

Inside this issue:

News from Around Afghanistan Photo Collage of our Troops from Around Afghanistan Message From Julia McCarthy / Yellow Ribbon Info Upcoming Events / Offers for Military Families Regional Support Organizations Letter from the Editor SFAT Mission & Crisis Card / Texas Quote / Contact 2 3 4 5-6 7-8 9 10

News from around Afghanistan

SFAT 4D - Team liberty
(Continued from pg. 1) The border crossing improvements are already having a positive affect on the area by hiring local laborers. Hotels, gas stations, food and drink vendors, banks and car sales lots have been constructed along Highway 4 leading into Spin Boldak and Wesh, and are playing a part in expanding the local economy. increased confidence in GIRoA. The country will know whatever enters, said Sakrak. Control will be much easier than before.

I really think this project is one of the top opportunities for the Afghans to step forward, take the lead and manage their country, said Hurd. This facility is also going to provide a great The new customs yard will also help opportunity to showcase what the Afbring more stability and security to ghans can do. this area because the customs and border police will be able to track -Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann what is coming in more easily. It DVIDS will also be completely operated by Afghans, which will demonstrate

U.S. Soldiers with Security Force Assistance Team Liberty, Texas Army National Guard, observe a truck carrying a coalition vehicle through the border crossing during a progress assessment of the new customs yard being built near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in the Spin Boldak district. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann)

SFAT 5apistoleros
SFAT Team 5A recently participated in a 5K in Kandahar (KAF). The race supported the civilian work force that are assigned to KAF and their support for our troops.

Members from Team 5APistoleros participate in a 5K at KAF

Members from Team 5APistoleros participate in a 5K at KAF

Page 2 T H E A R R O W HE A D I NS I D E R

Photo Collage of our Texas Teams in Afghanistan

SGT David A. Hixson, center, a medic with Security Force Assistance Team Tombstone, assists Afghan Uniform Police members carry a simulated casualty in an improvised litter during a medical training exercise at the District Police Headquarters (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann)

MAJ Bryan Carrico (left), commander of Security Forces Assistance Team 20 with 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, offers a certificate of appreciation to Capt. Haji Sahibjan (center), the highway patrol commander of Spin Boldak, during a key leader engagement held by Maj. Abdul Quayum (right), the district chief of police. The certificate was given to acknowledge the support and dedicated work Sahibjan provided the SFAT teams. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Tyler Meister)

CPT David Merrill II , Team 4D, provides oversight of vehicles at a border crossing at a customs yard being built near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

1LT Gerald Rogers, SFAT 20, explains how to create a training schedule to Afghan Uniformed Policemen (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Jennifer Frazer)

Soldiers from Team 5D send a shout out to their families from Shurandam.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8

Team 2 Soldiers, SPC Hjorth (background), CPT Black, COL Khogyani, LTC Glenn Beard, & COL Fais Mohammed
http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider
Page 3

Message from the SFAT FRG Advisor Julia McCarthy

Operation Gratitude kindly provided the Battle Buddies that were handed out to the children at the Yellow Ribbon on May 4th, in Austin. A special thanks to our DFW Co Lead Tori Patterson for organizing, ordering and receiving the Buddies for the little ones that attended. Stay strong we are almost through this deployment! Julia

Upcoming Yellow Ribbon Events

Information for the next upcoming Yellow Ribbon Event will be coming soon! A separate newsletter containing important information about this event will be published once details are confirmed. We look forward to seeing you at the next Yellow Ribbon!

56th ID SFAT Children with their Operation Gratitude Bears From Yellow Ribbon

Page 4

T H E A R R O W HE A D I NS I D E R

Upcoming Events / Offers for Military Families

TXARNG College and Career Readiness Workshop (Grades 9-12)
What: 3rd Annual TXARNG College and Career Readiness Workshop Who: 50 Youth that will be in grades 9-12 (or equivalent) for school year 2013-2014. Youth must have a parent in good standing in TX Army National Guard. Please note that each youth attendee must be accompanied by parent/guardian. Where: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX When: July 28-30 Additional Information: This workshop is designed to give youth and parent teams information to help them prepare for life after high school. There will be sessions on academic preparation, financial aid, application do's and don'ts as well as a mock class given by an A&M Professor. Additional activities will include campus tours, fun events and many opportunities to get answers to the countless questions both parents and high school students have regarding college and career readiness. Participants will have room and meals provided on campus at no expense to attendees. Each youth attendee must have a parent/guardian attend the workshop with them. The only exception would be if a parent has more than one child in high school. Registration materials are now available for our College and Career Readiness Workshop. Materials can be obtained by contacting Bob Hankins, Director or TXARNG Child and Youth Program (Contractor) at robert.b.hankins5.ctr@mail.mil or 512-782-1231. There will be an additional College and Career Readiness Workshop at Texas Tech University, 24-26 July, as well. TXARNG youth may only attend one of these events.

Operation Military Kids/4H Opportunities

Who: All Military Youth What: Day camps sponsored by Operation Military Kids/4-H Where: Various locations throughout Central Texas Additional Info: June 13: College and Career Camp at the Univ. of Texas. Ages 12-16. 9am - 4pm. Held at UT Austin, 405 West 25th St. 78705. Come join Operation Military Kids for a day of hands on learning, campus tour, college prep information, career development and explore university life. This FREE event is open to youth of all branches of the military and will help the military kids get a taste of what college is all about while having fun and being with other military kids. June 18: Texas Military 4-H Health and Fitness Day. Ages 8 - 13. 9:30am - 3:00pm. Blackland Research and Extension Center, 720 East Blackland Road, Temple, TX 76502. Youth must provide own sack lunch and water bottle, please. July 23: Texas Military 4-H Science Day. 9:30am-3:00pm. Blackland Research and Extension Center, 720 East Blackland Rd., Temple, TX 76502 July 30: Texas Military 4-H Sports Fishing Camp. 9am-3pm. 14001 McNeil/Round Rock Rd, Austin, 78729.

Page 5

T H E A R R O W HE A D I NS I D E R

Upcoming Events and Offers for Military Families

Upcoming Events / Offers for Military Families

The Comfort Crew Camp (Ages 12-17)
The Comfort Crew is hosting a camp for National Guard and Reserve Youth ages 12-17 at Camp Mabry, Austin TX from June 24-28th. The camp is daily from 10-2pm at the Camp Mabry Pavilion. They still have seats open- so register today by clicking the link below or calling 512-372-8359. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YiXwO6kjeXAPktbwFiwLgudmg9RIqcVB7mlkWJflC04/viewform?pli=1

American Wanderer Summer Camp (Ages 11-17)

Summer Camp would like to invite military kids from across the U.S. to explore our National Parks this summer! They offer unique 2 week camp sessions exploring over 34 Parks in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Currently American Wanderer Summer Camp has openings available to middle & high school aged children (11-17) from all branches of the military and the Coast Guard. 2013 Offerings: Session 1 (June 25-July 8); Session II (July 9-July 22); Session III (July 23-August 5); Session IV (August 6-19). They offer a military discount. For more information, to register, or apply: www.AmericanWanderer.com . If interested please contact the Owners/Directors Lyn & Chris Kimberly at: 203-557-3339 or email: Lyn@AmericanWanderer.com .

Confidential Peer Support for Service Members In Afghanistan

OEF Crisis Hotline for Service Members By Service Members
Confidential chat at MilitaryCrisisLine.net Afghan Cell: 070-113-2000, wait for tone, 1-1-1 Email: OEF CrisisHotline@afghan.swa.army.mil

Camp Aventura El Paso 2013 (Ages 12-18)

Who: El Paso area TXARNG Youth (ages 12-18) When: Thursday, 27 June 2013 What: Camp Aventura is a day camp for TXARNG Youth ages 12-18. Youth will spend the day at Fort Bliss for an adventurous day of rappelling, military like "training", and swimming! POC: Amanda Del Prado (Child and Youth Program Coordinator); W: 512-782-1268, C: 512-791-3547, amanda.l.delprado.ctr@mail.mil

Operation R&R
Operation R&R is a non-profit organization designed to provide our service men and women an opportunity to reconnect with their spouses and children upon their return from Worldwide Deployments. Property owners, represented by many property management companies, are donating their homes and villas around Austin, TX. All of this is to ensure that our military families have a chance to spend some time away from their everyday lives to strengthen relationships that have been strained due to long separations and extreme circumstances.

For more information go to: http://austin.operationrandr.org/index.cfm

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8

http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Page 6

Regional Organizations
Amarillo
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. POC: 806-351-2210 http://www.amabbbs.com Family Support Services - Empowers individuals and families through comprehensive advocacy, education and intervention services. POC:806-651-2597 http://fss-ama.org/index.html Junior Achievement - Educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. POC: 806-355-0045, http://highplains.ja.org Camp Fire USA - Offers educational and recreational programs that provide opportunities for youth to realize their potential and function effectively as caring, self-directed and responsible individuals. POC: 806-373-7922, http:// www.amarillocamfireuse.org

Austin

Avance - Strengthening families in at-risk communities through effective parent education and support programs. POC: 512-326-9335, http://www.avance.org/

Junior Achievement - Educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. POC: 512-499-8025, www.jacentex.org The Austin Project - Focus is on the importance of Family Stabilization as a key to student success, Parental Engagement as vital to school success, and Neighborhood Participation in schools as a means of revitalizing the community. POC: 512-929-3545, http://www.theaustinproject.org

Dallas/Ft. Worth
www.bigthought.org/

Big Thought Brings together a wealth of resources to deliver enriched learning and active engagement opportunities for children and families in the classroom, home and community. POC: 214-520-0023, http://

Camp of the Rising Sun - Provides a camp experience for special needs children with an emphasis on positive experiences within a nurturing and educational environment. POC: 903-802-2902, http://www.campoftherisingsun.org/ Home_Page.html Salesmanshipclub youth and family centers Providing therapeutic services for families to discuss a variety of issues including challenges at school, conflict and communication problems, depression/anxiety, divorce and blended families, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. POC: 214-916-4000, http://www.salesmanshipclub.org/youth-familycenters/

El paso

Armed Services YMCA - Educational, recreational, social and religious programs and services for military personnel and their family members. POC: 915-562-8461, http://asymcaelpaso.com/

Family Service of El Paso - Provides services to families and to individual children, youth and adults living in El Paso County and the surrounding areas. POC: 915-781-9900, http://www.familyserviceofelpaso.com Fort Bliss Child, Youth, and School Services - Provides affordable, high-quality age-appropriate recreational and learning programs that incorporate character building concepts through activities and social interaction for all children. POC: 915-568-4374, http://blissmwr.com/cys/ People Skills Incorporated - Improves the ability of people to become self-sufficient members of a community through participating in life skills programs designed for their specific needs and interests. POC: 915-541-0070 1-888-867-4789, http://www.people-skills.org

Page 7

T H E A R R O W HE A D I NS I D E R

Regional Organizations
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. The BBBS Military Mentoring Program serves to reinforce the connection between a child and their parent by offering a friend and ally to children within military families. POC: 409-763-4638, http:// www.mentorsgc.org

Galveston

Family Service Center of Galveston A counseling center for that provides services to at-risk youth and their families. POC: 409-762-8636, http://www.fsc-galveston.org/ Teen Health Center - Provides access to free health care for area teens and children. POC: 409-766-5791, http://www.teenhealthinc.org/

Center on the Family/Texas Southern University - Serves as an outreach center for the education and positive development of children, youth and families. POC: Crisis Intervention Unit: 713-313-7798, Parent Child Learning Laboratory: 713-313-7897, Child Development Laboratory: 713-313-7146, http://archive.tsu.edu/pages/2274.asp

Houston

Family Services of Greater Houston Provides counseling; parent resources and education, and case management for families and veterans. POC: 713-861-4849, http://www.familyservices.org Youth and Family Counseling Services of Brazoria County - Offers a range of counseling services including individual counseling services to youth and family counseling. POC: 979-849-7751, http://www.yfcs.org/

Fort Sam Houston Youth Services Helps young people develop social skills and builds their self-esteem through recreational, instructional and athletic programs, youth campus, after-school care and pre-job training. POC: 210-221-3502, http://www.fortsammwr.com/youth/youth-center.html

San Antonio

Morgans Wonderland Is the first ever Ultra-Accessible Family Fun Park in the world and has programs for moms groups, scout activities, and educational field trips. POC: 210-495-5888 http://www.morganswonderland.com/ St Marys Marriage and Family Therapy Program - St. Mary's counseling department provides a range of services to military members and families, including family play therapy and counseling. Multiple Locations. POC: 210-438-6410, www.stmarytx.edu/militaryfamily

Waco/Killeen

Armed Services YMCA- Educational, recreational, social and religious programs and services for military personnel and their family members. POC: 254-634-5445, http://asymca.net/

Fort Hood Child and Youth Services Includes childcare, youth programs, internships, extracurricular activities, and school services. Multiple locations. POC: 254-287-8029, http://www.hoodmwr.com/childandyouth.htm Klaras Center for Families - Empowers children and families to improve the quality of their lives. POC: 254-752-7889, http://www.hotrmhmr.org/mhkcf.html

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8

http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Page 8

Letter From the EditorJennifer N. Merrill

Dear Texas SFAT Families and FriendsAs you can see this months newsletter is full of resources, opportunities and organizations that are available to our families. While there were many organizations listed within this newsletter, there are many, many more that are specific to each region. If you would like a list of more organizations and resources, please email me and Ill be glad to send you what I have and/or link you up with someone who does have the information. As we all prepare for our Soldiers to return, it is important that we remain vigilant in operations security (OPSEC) to ensure our Soldiers safety. The primary concern when using social media like Facebook or Twitter is to maintain OPSEC. Keep in mind that our adversaries also have access to the same social networks, blogs and forums and are constantly looking for sensitive information they can use about our military goals and objectives. This is simply for our troops safety and not to damper the excitement that comes with this part of a deployment. It is the commanders intent that all 56th SFAT Soldiers maintain good communication with their families and practice good operations security measures. Listed below are a few tips when posting information on public forums. Do not post specific deployment and/or troop movement dates Do not post the specific locations

Do not post sensitive information about other Soldiers (i.e. emergency leave, injuries or accidents)

Lastly, there have been several requests that I assemble a slideshow for our families. To meet this demand I will need your help. If you would like to be included in a slideshow, I am requesting (2) separate pictures to be submitted to jmerrill2@hotmail.com by June 25th, 2013. In order to coordinate the pictures with the themed music, I am asking that one photo be of just you (or you and your children if you like); and the second photo of you and your Soldier (or you and your Soldier with your family if you choose). Keep in mind that this is completely optional and there is no obligation to submit any photos. This is just a request from several spouses and I am happy to oblige to the request. I hope this finds all of you well and in good spirits. God bless our troops and their families. RespectfullyJennifer N. Merrill SFAT Newsletter Editor jmerrill2@hotmail.com

Page 9

T H E A R R O W HE A D I NS I D E R

Our Mission

56th SFAT
56TH IBCT SFAT REAR DET 651 N Red Bud Ln. Round Rock, TX 78665 CPT Leemichael Doyle Phone: 254-423-0095 Email: leemichael.doyle.@us.army.mil

The 56th SFAT REAR DET conducts rear detachment operations in support of Task Force Arrowhead deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom from September 4, 2012 until the completion of the mission in order to allow the 56th SFAT Teams to accomplish their mission. This will be accomplished by providing direct support, outreach, and information dissemination to SFAT Families in order to create a climate of mutual and continued support to the 56th SFAT Soldiers.

Together Tomorrow
For suggestions and feedback contact: Jennifer Merrill 56th SFAT Newsletter Editor jmerrill2@hotmail.com http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider

Texas Quote for May

"The enemy never sees the backs of my Texans!"
- General Robert E. Lee, CSA

You can also send us your questions or concerns through our Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/TheArrowheadInsider
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8 Page 10