158th Field Artillery Official Extract No. 141

Official Extract
No. 141
“T-Bird News”
1 December 2008-15 July 2009
Camp Ramadi, Iraq
December 1st 2008 Edition
T-Bird News
Informing the Families of the 1-158 FA
In this issue: We l c o m e t o I r a q
2 Commander’s On the 16th of November at 1200
Corner hours, the first wave of 158 Soldiers from
the 1-158th Field Artillery Battalion ar-
2 CSM’s Notes rived in Iraq to begin operations in the
Ramadi area. Over the course of the next
3 Aaron Tippin several days, the remainder of the Battal-
ion moved out of Kuwait and began pre-
4 Chaplain paring to take over missions they will be
conducting during the deployment.
5 Turkey Bowl The 45th Fires Brigade is primarily pro-
viding support in Kuwait, while the 1- A welcome sign marks the arrival to camp
6 Bravo 158th FA moved north into Iraq to re- Ramadi, home of the Anbar Awakening
place the 1-125th Infantry out of Michi-
7 Charlie gan, which is preparing to redeploy back
to the United States after completing to the climate and various shifts they will
8 120th FSC their tour in Ramadi. be working. Still in the transition process,
they are still residing in tents as they have
The 1-125th IN has been conducting for quite some time. Once the departing
several missions in the Ramadi area for unit leaves, the 1-158th will move into
approximately the last seven months. The small trailers and set up living areas where
1-158th FA will be continuing those mis- they will be more comfortable.
sions in order to support the transition of
security to the Iraqi People. Lt. Col. Greg Lankford, is looking for a
smooth transition during the Transfer of
Hitting the ground running, Soldiers Authority stating “Myself and the T-Bird
met with their counterparts of the 1- battalion are looking forward to picking up
125th INF, and began learning their the ball from LTC Durkac (1-125th Com-
roles and responsibilities. The process mander) and the 1-125, and continuing the
of the transition is called Relief in mission. Our soldiers are well prepared
Place, or RIP. Once the cross training and will hit the ground running upon com-
is complete, a Transfer of Authority pletion of the RIP/TOA.”
(TOA) takes place, which is the offi-
cial point at where the 1-158th FA will The mission is just beginning for the 1-
have total responsibility for all the 158th, and the transition is going very well.
operations and mission requirements Leadership is doing all they can to be pro-
active and have everything in place for
Soldiers of 1-158th FA load bags onto taking place.
when the Battalion takes over. Our Sol-
vehicles that will transport them to The weather has been kind, seeing diers are well trained, and prepared to take
Camp Ramadi moderate temperatures in the 80’s, over their role along with other service
and very little rain so far. When the members and Coalition Forces, to provide
wind picks up, it can brings a fair amount the people of Iraq the sovereignty and se-
of dust with it. The Soldiers are adapting curity they have long deserved.
T-Bird News Page 2
Commander’s Corner
Welcome from Camp Ramadi Iraq. Well, we’re finally here at our new home away from
home. It took a few days to get the entire battalion to Ramadi from Kuwait, but the move-
ment went very smoothly thanks to the efforts of MAJ Harris and SGM Nix. The unit is cur-
rently staying in temporary housing (in Army terms, that means tents), but they are actually
better than what we had in Kuwait so it hasn’t been too hard on the soldiers. Unfortunately,
our tents are on the other side of camp from the mess hall, but at least the gym is right across
the street. There is one small Post Exchange, so once we get settled into our permanent quar-
ters, I’m sure there will be plenty of requests for more creature comforts. Camp Ramadi is a
little more scenic than Camp Buehring - there’s actually some palm trees around the post in
addition to the sand. Unfortunately, the sand we have here has the amazing ability to turn
LTC Greg Lankford from dust to quagmire in no time at all. It’s kind of like instant oatmeal- just add water! And
Battalion Commander since the “rainy season” has just started, I’m sure we’ll be tracking mud all over for some time
to come. If you haven’t heard, the Thanksgiving meal was a pleasant surprise. They served
real turkey instead of the usual “pressed” variety and we had a choice of either baked or fried. It wasn’t quite as good as a
home cooked meal, but everyone I’ve talked to said it was pretty fair replacement. In the grand football tradition of Thanks-
giving, the Camp Commander organized a weekend flag football tournament and our battalion team did an outstanding job.
We lost the championship game to a team of ringers out of the Marine units here on post, but we gave them a couple of
bruises to go along with that trophy! Just so you don’t think that all we’ve done is eat and play the whole time we’ve been
here, I must also mention that your soldiers are performing extremely well at their new jobs. The unit we’re replacing has
done an excellent job of showing us the ropes and as of December 3rd, the handoff will be complete and our unit will be in
full control of the various missions we’re assigned. Two things I’d like to put out there before I end this note: first, don’t
forget your soldier over Christmas. It’s been taking 12 or more days to get a package so mail them early. And secondly…….
GO SOONERS!!!
LTC Greg Lankford
Sergeant Major’s Notes
Well we made it to lovely Camp Ramadi, and I use the term “lovely” very loosely, but it will be
our home for the next several months! In a couple of days your soldiers will be moving into the
trailers and finally will be able to set up shop and stop living out of their duffle bags.
It has been a smooth transition once we arrived at Camp Ramadi, the 125th INF has really taken
care of us by laying out a good plan to prepare us for the mission. Since the 125th has been here
they have acquired several new MRAPS (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) or Cougars. These
vehicles are the newest in the Army inventory and provide a great deal of more protection for our
soldiers than the HMMWVs (Hummer).
Shortly after our arrival we celebrated Thanksgiving by enjoying a pleasantly surprising dinner in
the DFAC. The most surprising item on the menu was real turkey instead of the pressed turkey we
come to expect. We also played in a flag football tourney, which our team took second place out of
17 teams! I believe there are plans to take first in the next tournament. CSM Jimmy Venable
I will end with I hope all is well and if you haven’t heard from your soldier please contact the rear
detachment and they will get a message to us and we will ensure they contact you.
CSM Jimmy Venable

T-Bird News Page 3
Aaron Tippin Live from Ramadi
Country music star Aaron Tippin stopped by in Ramadi

while on his “Drill n’ Thrill “ tour. This is his 5th to tour
through Iraq during the Thanksgiving holidays. He is a long
time supporter of the military and enjoys performing for the
troops who are serving our country.
During the afternoon, he traveled to various units around
the area and met with the soldiers, signing autographs and
talking photos. There was not a large amount f time to visit,
but he made sure to spend as much time visiting troops as
he could, focusing on the units that may not make it to the
performance that evening.
At 7:00 pm, Soldiers packed into the small stage area at
Camp Ramadi, and were able to enjoy a great performance Country music star Aaron Tippin shows his support
as Aaron Tippin performed some of his greatest hits like for the troops by holding a free concert for the Sol-
“kiss this”, and “you got to stand for something” as well as diers at Camp Ramadi
music from his upcoming album . Following the concert, he
made himself available to pose for photos with the troops as
well as signing autographs. He made sure to stay until every
Soldier that stayed after the concert that wished to meet with
him was able to do so. After two days of little sleep and the
evenings performance, Aaron Tippin was off again to per-
form another show in Baghdad. When asked why he trav-
eled to Iraq to perform so often, Aaron Tippin stated “ I'm
always shootin my mouth off in the states about supporting
the troops, this is my way of backing it up”.
SPC Joshua Cook of Bravo Battery meets with

Aaron Tippin in the dining facility at Camp Ramadi
Mailing address
The mailing address for HHB 1-158th FA Soldiers once the move is made north is written below. Families need to keep in
mind that the holidays are fast approaching, and packages and letters should be mailed soon. Army Post Offices experience
a high volume of mail at this time of year, which can slow down the delivery time. It is estimated that the cut off for pack-
ages sent standard mail should be sent no later than 6 December. It is best to avoid the rush and get your mail sent off as
quickly as possible.
Soldiers Name and Rank

HHB 1-158th FA
APO AE 09396
December 1st 2008 Edition Page 4
Message from the Chaplain
Maintaining a relationship halfway around the world can be challenging. In previous generations, communication during a
deployment was either extremely slow or nonexistent. Most soldiers were uninformed about the day to day issues back home.
Today, through phones and the Internet, it’s now possible for the soldier to keep up with everyday events. This can be a
blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing for obvious reasons, but a curse because of the soldier’s inability to solve most problems
back home. With this in mind, there are some ways to keep from adding undue stress on
your loved one.
For instance, try to be as positive as you can in your communications. Focus
more on the good things that are happening at home, rather than the bad. Don’t hide ma-
jor problems, but don’t overburden your loved one with issues beyond his/her control.
During a deployment, home life can be stressful and burdensome, but, remember, most
soldiers are working long stress-filled hours too. If you add to that stress the weight of all
the problems at home, it can become overwhelming--and in a warzone, if a soldier is not
concentrating on his/her job, it can be fatal. Also, often remind your loved one of how
proud you are of them and that you stand behind them as they fight this global war on
terror. Try to find ways to be a continual source of encouragement, it will help boost his/
CPT William Elkins her morale and will go a long way in keeping your long-distance relationship strong.
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
FA M I LY E M E R G E N C I E S
Family Emergencies for soldiers who are deployed need to be channeled through the Red Cross. Any emergency that may
require a soldier to take an absence from his duties while mobilized must go through the nearest Red Cross Chapter of the
family who has the emergency. The process can be faster if you have the Soldiers Social Security Number and unit informa-
tion handy. That chapter will relay the information to the deployed unit, who will notify the soldiers Unit Commander.
Points of contact at Camp Ramadi to give to your local Red Cross are :
Carol, Adam or Sandy: DSN# 845 1049 or VOIP# 242-1212
1st Annual Ramadi Turkey Bowl
Thanksgiving has a long standing tradition with sports fans as

being tightly associated with football. Following the Thanksgiv-
ing feast, families in the U.S. gather to watch a game and cheer
on their favorite team. The Commander of the 81st Brigade
Combat Team, LTC Ron Kapral recognized the affiliation and
organized the 1st annual Camp Ramadi Turkey Bowl. 15 teams
from units stationed at Camp Ramadi signed up to compete in a
single elimination flag football tournament.
Just hitting the ground, Soldiers from 1-158th FA formed two
teams to compete in the tournament. Focusing on training and
the transition of command from 125th INF to the 1-158th FA,
there was little time to put together teams and no time for a
practice. Two teams comprised of Soldiers from Charlie Bat-
tery, and another from Soldiers across the Battalion to form a
Quarterback CPL Zachary Jessen leaves a smoke trail dur-
Battalion team.
ing the 1st Annual Ramadi Turkey Bowl
Competing with active duty units that have been preparing by
holding regular practices and drills, the two teams from the 1-
158th FA began playing against their fellow troops on Camp
Ramadi during the three day tournament.
Making it to the semi finals, the Battalion team for the 158th
played against a team from the Explosive Ordinance Division,
and gave 110 percent as they racked up points through aggres-
sive passing and rushing. The defense did not allow the EOD
team many options, intercepting four passes. When quarterback
Zachary Jessen could not find an open receiver, he scrambled
for open field leaving, dust behind. The T-Birds went on to
beat the EOD team 32-12.
Making it to the Turkey Bowl Championship, The T-Birds
fought for every inch of field against a veteran team from the
Marine Corps. With little rest from the semi finals only two
hours earlier, 158th played their hearts out every play of the
game. The Marines managed to beat the 158th in the champion- CPT David Peyok steps into the end zone after a short pass
ship game, however the athleticism of the troops of the 158
surprised a lot of units at Camp Ramadi. Although it was no
surprise to our own Battalion.
Team T-Bird gathers for a photo after winning the

semi-final round of the Turkey Bowl Tournament
Bravo Batter y
Bravo Battery has finally arrived at Camp Ar Ramadi and has

begun the process of relieving the unit already in place, Bravo
Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry, a Michigan Army Na-
tional Guard unit.
The relief process is occurring in stages as the 158th Field Ar-
tillery learns and takes over the mission from the 125th Infantry.
Leaders and personnel at all levels in Bravo Battery have been
conferring with their counterparts in Bravo Company, exchang-
ing information and techniques to aid mission completion. Per-
sonnel from both units conduct missions together with Bravo
Battery gradually assuming more responsibility.
After a week at Ramadi, Bravo Battery is already receiving,
planning, and executing missions under the gradually decreasing
supervision of 125th leaders. Very soon, all equipment will be
inventoried and signed over to Bravo Battery and the 125th will
depart Ramadi leaving the 158th to carry on the mission.
Soldiers of the 158th FA take their place on a C-17 aircraft
CPL Ernest W. Childers

Bravo Battery Public Affairs
Bravo Batter y Promotions
Paul Jackson promoted to First Lieutenant. Tanner Keasler promoted to Sergeant
Wesley Parra promoted to Sergeant Christopher Pettit promoted to Sergeant

Charlie Battery
Upon arriving at Camp Ramadi, the Ramadi. Like a local police depart-
soldiers of Charlie Battery began in ment, they have to be prepared for
earnest training for their respective any and all situations. Being proac-
missions and duties. During their time tive, they ensure the area is secure,
here, each platoon will be engaged with and personnel who are on the base
their specific missions. belong there. They also inspect local
areas around the camp checking for
Crews are tasked daily with missions, illegal activities. Being prepared for
both internal and external, that are pa- emergency situations is the primary
trolled and monitored. Charlie Battery mission of the Quick Reaction Force. Charlie Battery Soldiers gather together to
helps on a number of mission, main- QRF crews are essentially first re- receive a briefing before they roll out for a
taining security both on and off Camp sponders, providing security, medical mission
assistance, and a show of force when
necessary.
Staying “quick” is essential for QRF to
complete successful missions. Crews The Platoon Sergeant, explained the
practice battle drills to decrease re- importance of this aspect of QRF. “We
sponse times. They are also required know that with every QRF call, there are
to maintain all weapons and gear to be troops in need. We cannot afford to
ready at any time. Once a QRF call is respond with anything less than our
received, crews have just moments to best.”
load all necessary equipment and per-
sonnel. Working with other soldiers
on the ground, they deploy to any lo- SPC Ryan King
SPC Eric Harlan prepares his vehicle for a cation on and around Camp Ramadi. C Battery Public Affairs
patrol
Coyote Cor ner: Andrew Wilson

PFC Andrew Wilson is a member of 2nd squad, 3rd pla-
toon. He enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard
in November 16, 2006 in Madill, OK. Before being as-
signed to C Battery for this mobilization, he was a driver in
the 1245th Transportation Company, 45th Infantry. PFC
Wilson’s father was in the military, so joining himself was
always something that was on his mind. He attended basic
training at Ft. Sill and AIT at Ft. Bliss, graduating with the
88M mos.
Outside the National Guard, Andrew works on the
Waggoner Ranch, a family ranch in Madill. He uses an old 2
½ ton truck on his ranch, which provided him experience
with military vehicles and aided him in his MOS. He feels
that the military has helped his work ethic, making him
more confident and outspoken.
PFC Andrew Wilson, Madill, OK
One of PFC Wilson’s main goals is to work in an aviation
unit with Blackhawks. “I’d like to start as a door gunner,
work my way through the crew and become a pilot.” One thing you don’t know about PFC Andrew Wilson is that
he would like to pursue a career as a sports commentator. “I
After this deployment, Andrew plans to go to Arizona to did it my senior year in high school and would like to try it
spend time with a friend. again in the future.”
T-Bird News Page 8
120th FSC Gives Thanks for Thanksgiving
Celebrating this Thanksgiving Holiday and fried turkey. “The KBR staff is
in Camp Ramadi, the 120th Forward Sup- very talented and working hard to
port Company (FSC) Soldiers and other give soldiers a great meal” said Mr.
military members residing in camp are Tolliver. I desperately attempted to
very grateful when served an exquisite locate the KBR team who are creat-
meal and enjoy some friendly football ing the decorations and displays for
games. the dinning facility but was unsuc-
With football teams developing within cessful. Never the less, I am sure it
the 1/158 Field Artillery, Soldiers will be will be a beautiful display of artwork
able to have some past time fun and ca- for all to see.
maraderie, along with enjoying a very Curious if the Battalion command
diverse culinary food selection to choose SGT Shawn Fields performs maintenance was planning any particular events, I
from. Troops are assured to have an upon a vehicle trailer in the motor pool was fortunate enough to speak with
lifting Thanksgiving. Command Sergeant Major (CSM)
Unable to divulge all of the entertain- Venable. There is a league formed in
ment and décor planned, Mr. Kem the 81st Brigade Combat Team and
Tolliver, Kellog Brown & Root (KBR) the 1-158 FA has several teams com-
head supervisor of the dinning facility, posed of some of its companies that
Contact Information: explained that all the traditional foods will compete within the league. This
will be present during this holiday. He will afford many Soldiers to show off
Rear Detachment further enlightened me that several styles there athletic skill while being
CPT Charles Neely cheered by there fellow unit mem-
580-595-4403
of Turkey are readily available for Sol-
diers to dine on, such as roasted, baked bers. When asked if CSM Venable
charles.neely1@us.army.mil
had anything to say about the
Family Assistance Center, Lawton Thanksgiving holiday CSM Venable
Sherri Blasengame said, “Much like I stated in Fort
580-595-4406 Hood, I want the Soldiers to take the
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil opportunity to grow professionally
and personally by utilizing all the
Headquarters Family Readiness Group
Monika Harris
available programs such as corre-
580-248-9714 spondence courses, college and im-
Monika.Harris@us.army.mil proving physical fitness in the
gym’s.”
FSC Family Readiness Group
LeAnn Terwilligar Even though we are unable to be
580-483-1051 home for the Holidays, we are still
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil very capable of maintaining a profes-
sionally festive attitude. With all the
B Battery Family Readiness Group high speed training we received, the
Kenna Pemberton SSG Randy Roland kicks back to take a up to date equipment we use, and the
580-467-2071 break on one of the MRAP’s
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net very comfortable living accommoda-
tions we reside in, there are many
C Battery Family Readiness Group things to be grateful for.
Renee Wright
405-574-4978
SPC Douglas Riley
rrwright1961@aol.com 120th FSC Public Affairs
T Bird News is published by SSG Matthew Lima, with the intent to provide information to the families of deployed soldiers of the 158th FA and 120th FSC
December 15th 2008 Edition
T-Bird News
In this issue: Merry Christmas from Ramadi

2 Commander’s Christmas is right around the corner,
Corner and the Soldiers of the 1-158th FA Bat-
talion prepare for the holidays despite the
2 CSM’s Notes lack of snow, parades, and holiday shop-
ping.
3 Aaron Tippin Making the best of the situation, prepa-
rations are underway to make the holi-
4 Chaplain days as bright as possible even though
families and friends are on the other side
5 Turkey Bowl of the globe. It will be difficult to be
apart during this time of year, however MAJ Paul Harris coordinates a tree decorat-
6 Bravo the support from everybody back home ing party in the Battalion area, complete
can dramatically improve the situation. with hot chocolate and holiday music.
7 Charlie The Battalion was bombarded with truck-
loads of mail.. It was an all day event with
8 120th FSC members of the battalion going to the
post office and sorting through the
mountains of boxes, loading the trucks
for the 158th FA, and bringing it back to
the unit area. It was incredible to see how
many holiday care packages arrived for
the unit. A second truck was required to
carry the mail for the 158th alone. Many
packages contained Christmas presents
and small trees to decorate the individual
rooms.
MAJ Paul Harris held a tree trimming
party for anyone who desired to help out. SPC Arvie Wess (aka. SPC Santa), delivers
A four foot tree was set up in the head- mail to the members of the Battalion
quarters area, which is the common area
where all soldiers conduct business.
Lights, music and cocoa set the mood for
the evening as they socialized about the There has been so much done for us by
time of year and being far from home. family and friends back home. Care pack-
It may seem a little difficult to be apart ages have been coming in since our arrival
this time of year, but through mail, to Ramadi. The contents of those pack-
Packages are piled high from the first
phones and internet we can close some of ages provide some of the creature com-
truckload brought to the Battalion area, forts to make life a little easier, but the
where it is sorted out by battery the distance between families and make
this Holiday Season one to remember. best part of receiving mail from home is
that you took the time to send it.
T-Bird News Page 2
Man, you’d think it was Christmas time around here or something! It all
started with MAJ Harris decorating his office door. Then it spread out onto our
battalion patio area with Christmas lights being strung all around. Then there was
the decorating of the Christmas tree accompanied by Christmas music and hot
chocolate and CPT Betts wearing a Santa hat to staff call. Now, the packages are
rolling in by the truck load- and I really mean by the truck load! There is suddenly
more fudge, cookies, candy, banana bread (thanks Aunt Vickie) and various other
snacks than you can imagine piling up on everyone’s desks and in their quarters.
Command Sergeant Major Venable is all concerned about losing his “girlish fig-
ure” over the holiday season and all I can say is “Even half way around the world
you can’t run, you can’t hide, the holiday eat fest is ON”! Thanks so much to
everyone that has sent packages to the soldiers. It really does make me feel good
to see the stacks and stacks of packages coming from home and the joy that it
brings to even the Grinchiest of us old soldiers. I even thought I saw 1SG
Moody smile the other day- simply amazing. I can sincerely say that there is not
LTC Greg Lankford one of us that wouldn’t rather be home this time of year, but as you know, we’ve
Battalion Commander got a job to do and the support you send from home just makes it a little bit eas-
ier- even if we have to hit the gym a little harder in January. So from all of the 1-
158th Field Artillery T-Birds, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
LTC Greg Lankford
PS. Just a reminder honey- Santa prefers peanut butter cookies when he stops at our house.
The National Guard recently celebrated its 372nd birthday. In recognition the Battalion sent 1SG Mark Rackley and SPC
Christopher Brown to re-enlist in a ceremony in Baghdad along with National Guardsmen across Iraq. It was welcome break
to see the grander of the palaces and lakes compared to the sights of Ramadi. All good things must come to end though so a
couple of days later we returned to lovely Camp Ramadi.
Your soldiers, as we knew they would, are doing a great job and morale is high. They have
had some odd missions thrown their way and have adapted to them and done them in the
good ol’ T-BIRD fashion, “UNUSUAL EFFORTS EXPENDED”
Christmas is fast approaching but unfortunately, it is just another workday for us. We still
will be manning entry control points, running missions, and doing maintenance. I am sure
the DFAC (Dining Facility) will have some excellent food for us and I believe the Batteries
are planning some events to make it a little more like home. Throw in the hundreds of pack-
ages sent from home and you cannot ask for anything better given the situation. (Except
maybe being home)
In closing, I hope everyone makes the best of the Holiday Seasons without your loved ones, CSM Jimmy Venable
but take pride in the fact they are doing a great and important job here and will be home
before you know it!
Merry Christmas!
CSM Jimmy Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
Ta k i n g t h e L e a d
The Transfer of Authority for the 1-158th FA took place

the 3rd of December, which officially relieved the 125th In-
fantry Michigan National Guard, and gave full mission re-
sponsibility to the Battalion. For the first time, the Battalion
colors were posted outside of the Battalion Headquarters.
Soldiers completed cross training from the 125IN, and
made the transition to taking over mission requirements.
Full control has been give to the battalion over unit move-
ments, security and mission planning. From this point, all
mission responsibilities solely reside with the 158.
Soldiers have been busy with planning and organization.
The Battalion has many functions both on and off Camp
Colors wave in the breeze for the first time in front
of the Headquarters of the 1-158th FA Battalion.
Ramadi, and supporting those operations is a tedious

process. Every member of the unit has been working
diligently performing their duties, and there has been very
little time off the job. The workload helps the time to
move quickly, as we are already in contact with the unit
which is scheduled to replace us in 2009.
There is a lot of work ahead, but the information passed
on from the previous unit had given the Battalion strong
foothold on operations. The transition was a smooth
process with no disruption of missions that need to occur
everyday.
The remainder of the deployment will write another
Command and Staff pose outside the Battalion Headquarters in chapter in the history of the 1-158th FA Battalion, which
front of the Battalion Colors and Oklahoma State flag. has continued to prove itself and extraordinary unit in
the Army National Guard.
Mailing address
The mailing address for HHB 1-158th FA Soldiers once the move is made north is written below. Families need to keep in
mind that the holidays are fast approaching, and packages and letters should be mailed soon. Army Post Offices experience
a high volume of mail at this time of year, which can slow down the delivery time. It is estimated that the cut off for pack-
ages sent standard mail should be sent no later than 6 December. It is best to avoid the rush and get your mail sent off as
quickly as possible.

HHB 1-158th FA
APO AE 09396
December 15th 2008 Edition Page 4
The Christmas season is difficult for the deployed soldier and his/her family. It’s a time usually associated with family to-
getherness, but, during a deployment, it means celebrating Christmas half a world apart. There are, however, things one can
do to keep the holiday season from becoming gloomy and depressing.
1. Your Gift to America. Consider your family’s sacrifice as a gift to the American people. Your loved one is in harms way
and you’re spending Christmas without him/her, so that the rest of America can enjoy Christmas together. Be proud that
your loved one has volunteered to be apart of a long history of American soldiers who
have given up personal freedoms to protect the freedoms of others.
2. Traditions old and new. As best you can, keep family traditions. If your family tradi-
tion is to decorate the tree listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate, do it
this year as well. You might consider video taping the event along with a special Christmas
message and sending it to your loved one. Don’t be afraid, however, to start new tradi-
tions. Consider spending Christmas day at a different location, or if you don’t feel like
cooking a big turkey dinner, take the family out to a restaurant.
3. Celebrate with your soldier. It may take a little creativity, but try to include your loved
one in the celebration. Send care packages, emails, pictures, or connect by video. Try any-
thing that might help your loved one feel apart of the holiday celebration. After Christmas
CPT William Elkins is over, consider sending a video and/or pictures of Christmas day.
4. Focus on the needs of others. If you know of a family who can’t afford gifts or a Christmas dinner, consider putting to-
gether a Christmas basket. The basket can be full of gifts and food (including a turkey) for a nice Christmas dinner. Your
children will forget the gifts they received, but they will always remember putting together and giving away the Christmas
basket.
5. Remember the reason for the season. Christmas has become so commercialized, but it’s important not to forget what
the season is about. It’s about a savior who was born. It’s about the coming of the Prince of Peace who will one day put an
end to war forever. Remember to read the Christmas story and to take your children to church so that they can hear the
greatest story over told. If we don’t tell our children, we could be one generation away from forgetting who the Christ of
Christmas is. Be sure to introduce your children to the one who came to save (Matthew 1:21). After all, that’s the real mean-
ing of Christmas.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
Charlie Battery
Ultimately, Camp Ramadi security is the responsibility of every camp resident. Soldiers and Marines alike must maintain
awareness of their surroundings and be prepared at all times. However, the members of 1st and 2nd Platoon are tasked with an
especially important aspect of base security. These soldiers guard and maintain the entrances and exits into Camp Ramadi. In
doing so, they provide not only security, but they also act as “Camp Ambassadors.”
The importance of regulating who enters and exits the base cannot be stressed enough. In a nut shell, if an individual
doesn’t have business on Camp Ramadi, access is restricted. The primary responsibility of gate personnel is to inspect and
identify the individuals and vehicles of all parties seeking access into Camp Ramadi. They assure that persons entering have
passed all camp security measures. When not acting in this capacity, gate guards have other secondary duties. They maintain
gate appearance and remove debris or materials blocking camp access. They also provide base information to incoming mili-
tary convoys, and alert the base of possible suspicious activities outside the camp.
Being located at the base entrances, gate personnel are also in the best position to react with the Iraqi populous. Citizens see
gate personnel as their primary contact to address concerns or to provide information. Soldiers must be prepared for a vari-
ety of situations. If and when dealing with local civilians, soldiers must maintain a professional, yet defensive, posture. A
positive demeanor is essential to mission success. In doing so, they serve to reinforce the constructive and friendly attitudes
between Americans and Iraqis.
SPC Ryan King
C Battery Public Affairs
Charlie Promotions
Joshua Jezisek promoted to SPC Brain Slater promoted to PFC
Nate Green promoted to SPC
Delbert Dye promoted to PFC William Wasson promoted to PFC

Bravo Batter y
Last week Bravo Battery conducted training for Provincial

Reconstruction Team (PRT) personnel. PRTs consist of per-
sonnel who advise different elements of the nascent Iraqi civil-
ian government with the goal of more quickly establishing and
stabilizing the nation.
PRT personnel advise the Iraqi government at every level, from
schools and fire departments to the judicial system. Part of the
158th Field Artillery mission in Iraq is to protect PRT personnel
while they do this by forming Personnel Security Details (PSD)
to accompany the PRT wherever they go to do their work.
Bravo Battery conducted medical, vehicle, weapons training,
and PSD training for their PRT. Corporal Williams, a team
leader in Bravo Battery, said that the purpose of the training
was to “teach them [Bravo Battery’s] roles” and to “make them
more comfortable” when they roll outside the wire with Bravo.
SPC Jordan Williams demonstrates the use of medical equip-
ment to members of the Provincial Reconstruction Team
CPL Ernest W. Childers

SSG Billy Holley goes over entry and exit procedures of the
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.
SGT James Baldwin gives a briefing on Personnel Security to PRT

personnel
120th FSC
Christmas spirit is defiantly not in short Leading the way with tradition, Private amount of Christmas tree’s underlined with
supply as the 120th Forward Support Com- First Class Casara Butler took it upon presents in the troop’s rooms. “I hope the
pany and Headquarters & Headquarters herself to start and supervise the Secret season thus far has been a joyous and
Company 1-158 Field Artillery, fill their Santa for the 120th FSC. This is a pro- pleasant one, and would further more like
work areas with decorations and their gram where people are secretly part- to wish the families and Soldiers of the
hearts with yuletide glee. nered with one another. Keeping the 120th FSC a Merry Christmas and Happy
name to yourself, you then purchase or New Year” said Lieutenant Col Lankford,
Christmas week is looking to be a very make a gift for the acquaintance, or pre- Battalion Commander of the Battalion.
interesting week indeed. With a Christ- sent best friend. As I spoke to PFC But- After a short walk away from LTC
mas pageant presented by the camp chap- ler, I couldn’t help but grin as I inter- Lankford’s office it was unmistakable that
lains, open for all military females living viewed a dirty but smiling grease stained his joyful nature dominated more then just
in Camp Ramadi. It will be held on the face as she conducted maintenance on a himself and his office. The courtyard had
21st and 22nd of December in the New vehicle. She stated “I wanted to do some- been turned into a beautiful display of
Hope Memorial Chapel. Captain Elkins, thing different and more personal, so the twinkling lights, frosty the snowman and
the 1-158 Field Artillery chaplain, stated Soldiers would have something to look Santa posters inviting viewers to have a
“Remember Christmas is all about hope.” forward to. We already have a pretty good time. Huddled around a bright
Chaplain Elkins was very delighted when tight group of people who are friendly Christmas tree sipping hot cocoa and shar-
he learned that a Soldier had started a with one another, but the Secret Santa ing old stories, Soldiers relaxed with good
Secret Santa for the 120th Forward Sup- gives some a chance to get to know oth- company happily taking in the atmosphere.
port Company. “That will be great for ers who they don’t normally socialize or The 120th FSC began to decorate, but due to
troop moral and a fun thing to do” he interact with”. an electrical complication, most of their
stated. Also during Christmas week, an light capability was decommissioned.
ordained priest will be brought to the Pro- After inspecting the Soldier living quar-
vincial Government Center to see the Sol- ters, Sergeant First Class Vincent Pierre, Pushing for a fun and safe Christmas, Bat-
diers there, then to Camp Ramadi for 120th FSC Maintenance Platoon Ser- tery Commander CPT Blount had this brief
Christmas Services. geant, stated how he enjoyed seeing the message, “Please enjoy the Christmas Holi-
day to the fullest and have a happy New
Year. But remember to take the time and
make sure that converters are used for
lights, 220 Volts will damage decorations
using lights.”
We are blessed to have chaplains working

hard to offer Soldiers the opportunity to
maintain healthy spirits. We are also fortu-
nate to have Leadership that allows troops
to perform decorating miracles, which is
becoming a huge boost to morale. With
these benefits and personnel along with
the continued support from our friends and
loved ones back home sending letters, care
packages, and calls, there is only one thing
left to quote..
“A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a

good night.” Santa Claus.
Clockwise from above: SSG Donald Bonner &

SPC Douglas Riley in front of their room. SPC Douglas Riley
120th FSC Public Affairs
Christmas tree with presents inside a room.
SSG Paul Thompson with his Christmas Tree

inside his office.
T-Bird News Page 8
L e g a l A s s i s t a n c e f r o m S P C Ja m e s D e L a O
During deployments, legal issues can arise that can make it difficult for Soldiers
and their families to handle due to the absence of the service member. Planning
for such instances, The Battalion incorporated a paralegal slot into the manning of
the unit for our deployment. SPC James De La O of HHB 1-158 is assigned this
important position, and works hard to ensure that soldiers who may have difficul-
ties are well taken care of. A Paralegal is not an attorney, but assists the Com-
mander in addressing legal problems and provides legal services that may resolve
the issue, or directs a referral to the proper channels that can help. Spending many
hours conducting research and studying regulations, SPC De La O constantly
strives to makes sure every Soldier is able to find whatever help they need to re-
solve the problem, so that they are able to perform their duties without worry.
While researching assistance programs, SPC De La O discovered a project that
can assist Soldiers and their families with legal assistance pro bono.
The American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Project is a service that connects in-
come-eligible (E-6 and below), active-duty service members to pro bono legal help
wherever such help is needed. The project works find pro bono help for service
members and their families with civil legal issues, including family law, landlord-
tenant, foreclosure, consumer law, guardianships, and others. Eligible service
Contact Information:
members must first meet with a mili- SPC James De La O is assigned as the
tary legal assistance attorney for a case Battalion Paralegal Specialist
Rear Detachment assessment and possible referral to the
CPT Charles Neely project. The project accepts referrals from military legal assistance attorneys
580-595-4403 around the world for pro bono legal assistance anywhere in the United States .
charles.neely1@us.army.mil For more information on the Military Pro Bono Project, visit
www.militaryprobono.org.
Family Assistance Center, Lawton
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406 December Birthdays
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil
Happy Birthday to the following Sol- PFC Ephraim Hamilton C Btry
Headquarters Family Readiness Group PV2 James Hock B Btry
Monika Harris diers who were born during the month
580-248-9714 of December: PV1 Joseph Jackson HHB
Monika.Harris@us.army.mil SPC Robert Ahrens 120th FSC PFC Joshua Jezisek C Btry
SPC Randy Allen 120th FSC SFC Earl Johnson C Btry
FSC Family Readiness Group SSG Jeffrey Justice 120th FSC
LeAnn Terwilligar PFC Delano Barney C Btry
580-483-1051 PFC Timothy Blair HHB SPC Ryan King C Btry
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil SPC Henry Bui B Btry SPC Brandon Landrum B Btry
PFC Thomas Christian 120th FSC SPC Chris Luinaquintero C Btry
B Battery Family Readiness Group PFC Kevin Malocsay 120th FSC
Kenna Pemberton SPC Willie Clark C Btry
SPC Joshua Cook B Btry SPC Chris Malone HHB
580-467-2071
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net SGT Jonathan Ditch B Btry SPC Brian Mason C Btry
SPC Ralph Douvillier C Btry SPC Jose Mateo Perez 120th FSC
C Battery Family Readiness Group SPC Jesse Murray B Btry
PV2 Joshua Garison B Btry
Renee Wright
SFC Lance Grant B Btry SSG Eric Ray C Btry
405-574-4978
rrwright1961@aol.com SSG Matthew Robertson C Btry 1LT James Smith C Btry
SGT Gregg Soppet HHB SFC Carlton Speller C Btry
PFC David Thronesbery C Btry CSM Jimmy Venable HHB
SPC Justin Wilkerson B Btry SPC Warren Williams B Btry
SPC Jonathan Williamson 120th FSC SSG Jeremy Woolver C Btry
January 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Provincial Gover nment Center

In this issue:
2 Commander’s
Corner
2 CSM’s Notes
5 Chaplain
6 Visit from the TAG
A young Iraqi boy waits outside the gate Squad Leader SSG Branden Fry prepares
8 Charlie Battery of the PGC with his mother. his convoy for movement from the PGC.
10 120th FSC Not all of the Battalion are enjoying life soldiers over if they are hungry.
on Camp Ramadi, members of HHB 1-
12 Bravo Battery 158 find themselves a lot more interac-
At the front gate, people gather to await
entrance into the PGC. Security checks
tive with the Iraqi people while staying are conducted to insure the safety of eve-
at the Provincial Government Center or rybody inside. To combat the language
PGC, in downtown Ramadi. barriers, interpreters are used to commu-
Part of operations in Iraq include a nicate between the different languages.
closer working relationship with Iraqi The Soldiers staying at the PGC have a
officials as well as interacting with the great opportunity to learn about the peo-
citizens to help build bridges between ple and culture of Iraq. The missions
the cultures. performed are not only combat, but are
The PGC is a complex of buildings designed to help rebuild the nation and
where the people of Anbar Province can its new form of government. The impact
go to get services that involve admini- Soldiers have will reach far into the fu-
stration, legal, and financial matters. ture as history is written on the rebirth of
The Soldiers do not return to Camp
Ramadi at the end of the day, but work
and reside within the complex. During
the day they provide security and assis-
tance to local police, highway patrol and
Iraqi Security agencies. In the evening,
they retire to their rooms to rest up for
Children gather along the roads in
the next days work. A small chow hall
downtown Ramadi as the convoy provides the meals which are convoyed
passes by. in from Camp Ramadi. In between
meals, the chow hall remains open,
stocked with drinks and snacks to tie the SGT Chad Greenwood helps provide secu-
rity at entrance of the PGC.
T-Bird News Page 2
Commander’s Cor ner

Christmas has come and gone, but I think we’ll be celebrating it for some time to
come since packages are still rolling in and probably will be for a several more weeks.
I’d like to personally thank everyone that sent a letter or package to our soldiers over
this holiday season. You can’t imagine how much it means to all of us to receive
things from home. Granted, there are many soldiers I’ve seen that will have their
work cut out for them in a few months as they go about shipping all their Christmas
gifts back home. There were some pretty interesting things, but the OU golf towels
were definitely one that stood out. It is true that Ramadi is a highly sought after va-
cation spot, but unfortunately we don’t have a golf course so that gift will probably
have to wait a while to be used (but still very much appreciated by the soldier that
received them!).
And while it wasn’t much of a vacation, we did have two very distinguished visitors
come all the way from Oklahoma to see us. Major General Harry Wyatt, the senior
LTC Greg Lankford military officer in the Oklahoma National Guard and the senior enlisted soldier in
Battalion Commander the state, Command Sergeant Major Steven Jensen spent a day visiting our troops
and getting to see first hand what an excellent job they are doing here. We were all
extremely honored that these men flew half way around the world at Christmas time so they could spend time with deployed
soldiers. And what’s even more impressive is that MG Wyatt fought to come even though he had just been selected to serve
as the Director over all of the Air National Guard in the United States just prior to the trip. You couldn’t ask more from a
leader and he will be sorely missed in Oklahoma, but I’m certain that his next assignment in Washington will enable him to
spread his influence even further.
Now on the topic of influence, I have my fingers crossed that Bob Stoops can influence the Sooner team enough to break
the bowl game loss rut and bring us home another championship. We’ve reserved the entire Fellowship Hall for all of the
OU loyal to huddle up and watch the game. Bob- all I’ll say is that you’re going to create some serious morale issues in the
battalion if you mess this one up- so take my command philosophy to heart and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Have a Happy New Year everyone, and GO SOONERS!!! LTC Greg Lankford

Christmas has come and gone but I still believe the remnants of all the cookies and candy from
the hundreds of packages that families, friends, and supporters sent are still around. We tried our
best to eat all of the goodies, but I am sure the 1SGs curbed too much indulgence; we have to keep
the boys in shape! I however, want to thank you for all the heart-felt packages everyone sent to us.
I have spent a few Holidays away from my family and loved ones on deployments and I know the
sacrifices they make for my service to this Nation. I want to thank them for their support for some-
thing that I feel is important. I also want to thank you for your support of your soldier in this time
that was meant to be spent with family and friends, I know it is tough! I feel however that the sacri-
fice is worth it, I hope you do too.
This time of year reminds me of a poem that I once read and thought I might share it with
you since it seems somewhat appropriate (see page 3)
CSM Jimmy Venable
CSM Jimmy Venable

T-Bird News
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, Page 3

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said “It’s really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night.”
It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separate you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘Pearl on a day in December.”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam”,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue…An American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”
“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fight,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.” Author unknown
T-Bird News Page 4
Christmas in Ramadi
Not only from families and friends, support groups such

as Blue Star Mothers, schools and churches sent items
that showed they were thankful for the service of deployed
Soldiers serving overseas, far away from their families.
The decorations around the work and living areas of the
in Camp Ramadi helped to keep the Christmas Spirit alive
and well. Barbeque grills were lit, and some gathered to-
gether to prepare burgers, sausage and other foods while
talking about any subject merely to take the opportunity to
spend the day with friends who find themselves on com-
mon ground in an area far away from home.
While all would have preferred to be with family, friend-
ships made across the battalion throughout this deploy-
ment will last a lifetime. If you cant share the holidays with
family, friends are the next best thing.
After much anticipation, HHB Commander Charles Betts be-
gins t open the presents he received from home.
Photo by 1sg Dennis Moody
Thanks to so many back home for making Christmas Day as

festive as possible. Being away from home this time of year
can be difficult for all. Phone centers and internet helped
close the gap as some were able to take advantage of the op-
portunities to contact loved ones back in the United States
and wish them a merry Christmas.
The incredible mountains of packages that poured in prior
to the holiday were well received. So many from back home
showed their support for the holiday season by sending gifts,
cards and letters. It reminded the troops that, despite their CPT David Peyok spends a moment on Christmas day to
absence from home, they were together in spirit. make a “sand angel” on the ground of Camp Ramadi.
Mailing address
The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include there name, specific battery and the APO
address. Putting the Soldiers specific battery helps the unit divide the mail among the appropriate units to speed up the
delivery process.

(Battery) 1-158th FA
APO AE 09396
January 1st 2009 Edition Page 5
As a pastor, I’ve had many opportunities to do marital and pre-marital counseling. I prefer pre-marital
counseling because it sets the marriage up for success by building important relational skills. When a married
couple comes to my office for counseling, usually bad relational habits have already set in. These bad habits
take time and effort to undo. If both partners are willing to work, the marriage can not only be saved, it can
flourish. Unfortunately, many marriages fail because the couples refuse to get help. What’s often not under-
stood is that the struggle to save a marriage can actually make the marriage
stronger in the long run. Many couples give up far too soon.
Two common factors seem to almost always emerge in troubled marriages—
selfishness in one or both partners and/or a lack of good communication skills.
By selfishness, I mean that one or both partners are not looking for what they
can give to the marriage; they’re only looking for what they can get out of it. A
strong marriage consists of both partners giving selflessly to meet the needs
(emotional, relational, spiritual, physical, etc.) of the other. Concerning mar-
riage, the Bible says, “The two shall become one.” A marriage doesn’t work if
CPT William Elkins
the two remain two.
A lack of good communication skills usually means that a typical disagree-
ment ends up escalating into a yelling match and/or one partner just walks away, which leaves the problem un-
solved. Over time, this lack of communication eats away at the marriage like an acid. The couple, in this case,
needs to learn assertiveness and active listening skills. These skills will allow the couple to work through dis-
agreements without yelling and without avoiding the problem.
When we return, all married soldiers and their spouses will have an opportunity to attend a Strong Bonds
(www.strongbonds.org) marriage retreat paid for by the U.S. Amy. Don’t miss this opportunity, you will not
regret it. If you feel your marriage is in trouble, or even if you have a great marriage, I would encourage you to
use this time during your spouse’s deployment to learn more about building a stronger relationship.
Recommended books: The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman; His needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof
Marriage by Willard F. Harley Jr.; Secrets to Lasting Love by Gary Smalley; Bring Home The Joy by Crabb, Leman,
Smalley et al.; For Men Only by Shaunti Feldhahn; For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn.
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
A Visit from the Adjutant General
Their tour of Camp Ramadi included visits to the troops

in the towers where they got to see first hand how our
soldiers work to keep the Camp Ramadi safe, and to the
entry control points, where security screening is per-
formed to turn back personnel not authorized to be on
the camp.
Over lunch, MG Wyatt and CSM Jenson dined with
Soldiers of the Battalion, where the mood was light and
social. Interacting with the troops brought smiles and
laughs as MG Wyatt was invited to play the video game
“Rock Band” with the Soldiers back in the living area.
Following the meal, a mission was carried out which
brought them to the members of the Battalion who are
stationed at the Provincial Government Center. 1LT
MG Harry M. Wyatt and CSM Steven Jenson stop to visit Chad Headrick introduced them to the Soldiers who re-
members of a squad from Bravo Battery as they prepare to side there, and gave them a tour of how operations are
go out on a mission. performed.
The visit from MG Wyatt was his way of showing his
pride and support with the men and women of the 45th
MG Harry M, Wyatt, Adjutant General for the State of FiB. He is moving on to Washington D.C. early in the
Oklahoma and Sate Command Sergeant Major Steven year for advancement to General, and a new position as
Jenson took the time to fly out to Iraq to visit the Soldiers the Director of the Air National Guard. The new posi-
of the 45th Fires Brigade over the holiday season. tion which will occur in the near future came with an op-
Showing full support of the Soldiers under their com- portunity to cancel the visit to Iraq, which he absolutely
mand, MG Wyatt and CSM Jenson took the opportunity to would not hear of. As far as MG Wyatt was concerned,
journey overseas and spend time with their troops. Fulfill- we are still his troops and he would be where he be-
ing his word made at Ft. Hood, Texas to LTC Lankford, longed, supporting us all the way.
MG Wyatt stated that he would pay a visit during their
deployment overseas. MG Wyatt and CSM Jenson began
their journey in Kuwait to visit members of 45th FiB who
are stationed there. They then travelled to Ramadi to see
how members of the 1-158th FA are doing, and interact
with the Soldiers who are performing their missions.
They arrived in Ramadi on the 27th of December, and
began to visit every area where Soldiers of the 158th FA
were conducting business. On a fast paced schedule, They
covered as much ground as possible wanting to make them-
selves available and show support for every member of the
Battalion. Beginning with a tour of the Battalion area, they
visited all who spend their days in the offices conducting
the tasks that support and plan the missions and soldiers.
Moving towards the motor pool maintenance area, MG
Wyatt stopped for an overview of the MRAP vehicles given
to him by SPC Eric SIkes Charlie Battery. From there he
visited the Soldiers who were diligently working in the mo- MG Harry M. Wyatt stops to shake hands with SPC Richard
tor pool, at one time stopping to shake hands with one me-
Narvaiz of 120th FSC as he works underneath a HMMWV.
chanic who was not aware of his presence as he worked
underneath a HMMWV.
Spot News
SGT Josh Brummett of C Battery is presented a Christopher Bussell of HHB is promoted to SSG
coin by MG Wyatt
Kevin Malocsay of HHB is promoted to SPC SGT Chad Greenwood of HHB is presented a coin
by MG Wyatt
James Woodman of C Battery is promoted to SPC

SSG John Fitzgerald of HHB is awarded the
Army Commendation Medal
Correction: Last month, it was Taylor Green from Charlie Battery receiving a promotion
Charlie Battery
Holding the high ground has long been recognized as an important key to any battlefield victory. A higher
elevation provides for easier targeting of enemy personnel. Observation of the surrounding area and an unob-
structed line of sight are also important assets gained by elevation. One could say that the high ground serves
as the “head” of operations. With one of the tasks being operating base towers, the soldiers of Charlie Bat-
tery’s Headquarters Platoon help serve as the “eyes” and the “ears” of Camp Ramadi.
Maintaining continuous observation of the base and the surrounding area is a highly vital task. Work-
ing with QRF and gate personnel, tower personnel assist in maintaining a clean and secure camp perimeter.
For the surrounding area, tower personnel offer information concerning outside events such as traffic move-
ments, military and civilian actions, and any suspicious activity. Towers also help to strengthen internal secu-
rity, helping to provide overwatch for gate personnel and additional security as they perform their duties.
It is clear that the soldiers of Charlie Battery more than excel in the execution of their mission. Be it
battle drills or real-life scenarios, each section has proven they have what it takes when it counts. And, as al-
ways, it is still a complete Charlie Battery effort. For, while each platoon finds themselves tasked with their
own particular duties and responsibilities, it is only through their collaborative efforts that Camp Ramadi stays
safe and secure.
SPC Ryan King

Charlie Battery Public Affairs
LEFT: SSG Paul Tate, SGT Jon Zerger, SGT

Josh Brummet, 1SG “Cool Santa” Cooper,
SSG Lance Zerger Receive stockings courtesy
of the Charlie Battery FRG.
RIGHT:SPC Lee Davis at the plate during

Charlie Battery's scrimmage with the 81st
HBCT.
Coyote Cor ner: TJ Holley
SPC TJ Holley is a member of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon. He enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National
Guard in April 2004 in Chickasha, OK. SPC Holley attended basic training and AIT at Ft. Sill, OK, graduat-
ing with the 13P MOS and as the class Honor Graduate. Both his father and brother have a military back-
ground, so one of his primary goals is to live up to the standards that they have already set.
TJ currently lives in Blanchard, OK. For the past 1 ½ years, he has worked at the Anadarko battery as-
sisting with administrative duties. TJ feels that working at the armory has helped him get to know the soldiers
of Charlie Battery.
When he returns home from this deployment, TJ would like to take a vacation to Puerto Rico. Other
than that, he simply plans to take time to relax.
One thing you don’t know about SPC Holley is that he doesn’t like rattlesnakes.
Merry Christmas from Charlie Battery
Members of Charlie Battery 3rd Platoon QRF

with the Commander, on Christmas day pose
for a picture with stockings sent from the
FRG.
120th FSC
Here we are in a month named after a Roman god named
Janus, an appropriate personification of the start of the New
Year. This particular Roman god had two faces so that he
could look forward into the future and back at the past at the
same time. As we get rid of the old year and bring in the new
one, we all try to be a little like Janus. We know through ex-
perience what we did wrong and what we did right, and hope
to do better this year. Some people make ambitious New
Year’s resolutions; others just take a deep breath and hope for
the best…
Several events are being held over the Holidays in Camp
Ramadi. At 7:00am on 20 Dec. 2008, the Jingle Bell Run was
held. The run is a 5 kilometer run along the roads of Camp
Ramadi. 3rd place in the female division went to Specialist
Kimberly Kaumavae, who ran the long, cold 3.2 miles in 24
minutes and 18 seconds. The first to finish of the 120th males John Kuehny is promoted to CW3
was Warrant Officer 1 Howard Ross, who finished the run in
21 minutes and 18 seconds. Having twelve soldiers take part in this 5K run, 120th FSC had the most participants. On 31 Dec.
2008 a concert will be held at the Green Bean Stage, opening for the band Undiscovered will be some of our own Soldier’s of
120th FSC called “House of Black”. When guitarist Sergeant Kasey Kerr, mechanic in the 120th, was asked how he felt about
playing for all the soldiers in Ramadi he replied, “I’m excited, it’s a really good way to get our music heard outside of Okla-
homa, and I’m very glad to see the band come together with a new female back-up singer and a new bass player also!” SGT
Kerr seems to have no worries about the bands performance and from the here-say throughout the battalion, they have no
reason to. 120th is having there own little gathering for the Holidays. Though time and circumstances left the Secret Santa to
be held on the 31st, there will be a cookout held for lunch and the exchanging of gifts there after. Putting this event off until
the New Year definitely adds more suspense to the game as everyone waits to find out who drew their name and what they
may be getting.
A few soldiers in 120th were awarded medals on the 16th of December, two being the Army Achievement Medals, awarded
to Staff Sergeant Aaron Pleas and Specialist Jose Mateo Perez. The other four were Army Commendation Medals, awarded
to Captain Justin Blount, Sergeant First Class Corey Klaassen, Sergeant First Class Vincente Pierre, and Specialist Justin Ed-
wards. As per the military norm, when it’s award season, it’s
promotion season as well. Our very own Chief Warrant 2 John
Kuehny was promoted to Chief Warrant 3 on Christmas Eve,
what a great Christmas present that must be!
Amazingly, the process of getting to this point of New Year’s
has been a long and arduous one. Races have been won or lost,
presents will be traded, brakes, transmissions, and lights fixed
daily, but the greatest feat to fame is that we have excelled in
every aspect. There is no telling what the future may bring. But
whatever may come, we have the soldier to our right and our left
to lean on to get through it all and celebrate another new year
sooner than expected. With so much to look forward to in 2009,
the 120th simply lays out it’s wenches and tells the next vehicle in
line to move forward.
SPC Miranda Hornbeck
Group Photo of members of 120th FSC who received awards.
Visiting with the Battalion
LEFT: CSM
Jenson visits a
squad from B
Btry.
RIGHT: MG
Wyatt presents a
coin to SPC Eric
Gambill. Several
coins were pre-
sented throughout
the Battalion
LEFT: MG Wyatt
speaks with SPC
Tony Grigsby and
other crew mem-
bers before a mis-
sion.
RIGHT: SPC Eric
Sikes gives a brief
to MG Wyatt
about the MRAP
LEFT: MG Wyatt
shares the noon
meal with Soldiers
of the Battalion
RIGHT: 1LT
David Clinton
gives MG Wyatt a
tour of an entry
control point.
LEFT: SGT
Kevin Streeter
speaks with MG
Wyatt about main-
taining the MRAP
vehicle.
RIGHT: MG
Wyatt thanks SGT
Chad Greenwood
for a job well
done.
T-Bird News Page 12
Bravo Batter y
Soldiers of Bravo Battery 1-158 kept up the Holiday spirit while still being
deployed in Iraq. For many of its Soldiers, this is not the first time they have
been far from home during the season. Soldiers gathered as one family and
had their own Holiday celebrations. Throughout the battery small Christmas
trees and gifts were purchased as gifts to each other. The Soldiers of Head-
quarters Platoon, led by 1LT Aaron Hinkle and SSG Roland Morales,
spread the holiday cheer by hosting a platoon Christmas Party and gave gifts
to each Soldier using items provided by caring relatives, friends and suppor-
tive organizations.
The dining facility provided Bravo soldiers with a full Christmas dinner to
include turkey, ham, vegetables and specially prepared deserts. There was
also a Christmas pageant performed by the Chaplain and other soldiers in
the battalion.
Soldiers of Third Platoon, Bravo Battery 1-158 ex-
Feeling the Holiday spirit very strongly, members of 1st platoon, led by change gifts with each other. Pictured are SSG
SGT James Baldwin went caroling around the camp area. They banged on Johnson, 1LT Jackson, SSG Jackson, SSG Green,
doors, and sang Christmas songs to all and sundry. Those who weren’t SPC Black, SGT Farmer, SGT Petit, SSG Cook and
trying to sleep were pleased! Those who were sleeping forgave them. SGT Sharp.
Among the victims of their
Contact Information: merry-making, the Battery Commander, CPT Rob McLeod was included.
Though they lacked the courage to knock on his door, he was nonetheless im-
Rear Detachment pressed out of sleeping with their commitment in attempting to sing. Next door
CPT Charles Neely
to the commander, 1SG Emmanuel Williams was so overpowered with their holi-
580-595-4403
charles.neely1@us.army.mil day spirit, he was physically incapable of opening his door when they knocked.
Overall, their positive displays of good cheer more than made up for their obvi-
Family Assistance Center, Lawton ous lack of vocal ability.
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406
Second Platoon exchanged gifts and proved to the younger and first deployment
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil soldiers that the holidays truly cannot be stopped. They rounded up their mem-
bers and continued the trend of gift exchanges and off key Christmas carols.
Monika Harris
For third Platoon, 1LT Paul Jackson and SSG William Johnson shared the role
580-248-9714 of Santa Claus and both carried gifts to their Soldiers’ housing area on Christmas
Monika.Harris@us.army.mil Eve. Their spirited gathering was undeniably heard by all. But once again, the
sleeping neighbors forgave them. Good times were had by all!
LeAnn Terwilligar On a bright note, Bravo Battery has received tons of mail. The letters and pack-
580-483-1051 ages have kept the Soldiers well pleased.
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil The only gripe has been about time it
takes to carry it all, so keep the mail com-
B Battery Family Readiness Group ing!
Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net
We thank all the families, friends and sup-
C Battery Family Readiness Group porting organizations for their support of
Renee Wright all our Soldiers and we would like to say
405-574-4978 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and
rrwright1961@aol.com very Happy New Year from all the SOL-
DIERS OF BRAVO BATTERY!
SSG Christopher Gay shows off the
Christmas stocking he received
CPL E. W. Childers
B Battery Public Affairs
January 15th 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Doing Their Par t

In this issue: The batteries are working around the
clock to support the responsibilities
2 Commander’s which allow them to make our role here
Corner in Ramadi a successful one. Bravo Bat-
tery does its part to work with the re-
2 CSM’s Notes construction teams which are helping to
make life better for the Iraqi people.
3 A Visit from 45th One mission took place which required
the Soldiers of Bravo to escort a convoy
FiB Commander of medical supplies to Ramadi General
4 Chaplain Hospital. Iraq is still in the rebuilding Hospital Personnel offload medical sup-
phase, budgeting and supplies are issues plies from the convoy vehicles.
5 Ramadi Fire Dept still being revised and improved to allow
the country to become self sufficient. In There was little evidence to suggest that
7 Charlie Battery the interim, the U.S. military does what the Soldiers of Bravo Battery had not
it can to provide assistance to the people been performing security operations for
8 120th FSC in order to make their life better. years. It was obvious that they took their
While services are provided, and sup- mission seriously and had long trained
plies are moved, security is on hand to for success.
ensure the safety of personnel tasked The visit went smoothly, and the medi-
with providing aid and protect the cal supplies arrived safely and on time.
equipment being moved. Bravo Battery Another successful mission had been
provided the vital security which allowed conducted, which is just one day out of
the medical supplies to arrive safely at many where critical operations happen.
Ramadi General, and escorted personnel It is yet another example of the profes-
from the reconstruction team through sionalism and flexibility of the Soldiers in
the hospital, as they were given a tour of the 1-158th FA.
the facilities by the hospital manager.
Moving up sixteen flights of stairs un-
der full combat load, the soldiers did not
hesitate to take positions which allowed
the visitors to move safely through the
hospital. As the hospital manger showed
their resources and moved from room
to room, Bravo stayed vigilant, and had
to quickly adjust their positions in order
SFC Andy Callihan takes overlooks the to maintain a secure area for the group.
City of Ramadi from the roof of Ramadi It was a well coordinated operation,
General Hospital. showing teamwork and communication
between them as they moved through-
out the hospital’s eight floors. SPC Joshua Cook stands guard outside of
Ramadi General Hospital.
T-Bird News Page 2

Bob. Bob. Bob. Mr. Stoops, you’re driving us all crazy! You can get us to the big
game, but we always seem to fall short. Well, as you can imagine, the OU football
loss came as major moral buster for most of us in the T-Bird battalion. We had to
fly our OU flag at half mast for a day- very sad indeed. But life goes on and there’s
always next year- or at least that’s what we keep telling ourselves!
Beyond that, things here in Ramadi have been fairly uneventful with the exception
of a visit by the command team from the 45th Fires Brigade and the 271 Brigade Sup-
port Battalion. COL Moore, CSM Riggs, LTC Arnold and CSM Blasengame trav-
eled up from Kuwait to see how things are going with the 158 and the 120th FSC.
It’s always nice to see people you know when you’ve been surrounded by strangers
for a while. While they were here, we had the opportunity to show them all of our
operations and they participated in “patching” ceremonies for each battery. This is
an event where we award the wearing of a unit patch on the right sleeve of the sol-
LTC Greg Lankford diers’ uniforms signifying that they have served in a combat zone.
Battalion Commander It was a very good visit, and we appreciate the time and effort taken by all of them
to come and see us. This is especially true since we (and they) can tell you first hand
just how difficult it is to get flights in and out of this place! Speaking of flights, the battalion has started our scheduled leave
cycle and there is now a steady stream of troops heading home for some much deserved time off. Let me just say that even
though you probably have a “to do” list a mile long, try not to work your soldier too hard while they are at home. R&R does
stand for Rest and Relaxation after all!
LTC Greg Lankford
The 158th Field Artillery Battalion has served in most major conflicts since World
War II, deploying with the historic 45th Infantry Division, but the deployment of the 45th
FiB was historical in nature when deployed as a Fires Brigade. It was the first time since the
inception of the Brigade we have deployed as a Brigade. We commemorated this event with
the combat patch ceremony; this event authorizes the unit to wear the 45th FiB patch on our
right shoulder. All soldiers that serve in a combat zone are authorized to wear the patch of
the unit of assignment while in theatre. The Brigade Commander with the Brigade Com-
mand Sergeant Major were here to symbolize the authority to wear the Brigade patch. Each
Battery held a quick ceremony to signify this event “slapping on” the Thunderbird patch.
Your soldiers will be the first to ever wear this patch on their right shoulders, starting a new
CSM Jimmy Venable
chapter of the Battalions rich history!
CSM Jimmy Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
45th Fires Brigade Commander visits Ramadi

45th Fires Brigade Commander COL Glen Moore and
CSM Tony Riggs made the trip from Kuwait to Camp
Ramadi Iraq to check on the Soldiers of the 1-158th FA.
They arrived and were given a briefing by the Command
Staff about the missions and event that have been happening
since the unit arrived in November 2008.
The purpose of their trip was to visit with the members of
the Battalion and observe the missions and operations taking
place. With a tour of Camp Ramadi, COL Moore was able to
see our Soldiers in action. Conducting maintenance, man-
ning gates, providing security and conducting operations at
the Provincial Government Center. COL Moore was able to
get a grasp of how we are doing business, and how success-
ful the unit has been since taking over operations.
Spending several days allowed COL Moore and CSM Riggs COL Moore places the 45th FiB Combat Patch during a cere-
to see many of the troops and spend a little time talking with mony at the Provincial Government Center.
them and getting to hear thier concerns. The operations that
our Battalion has conducted have been very impressive,
identifying ways of improving how business is conducted
and making sure missions are accomplished successfully.
Toward the end of their stay, a ceremony was held to award represents the Major Command the unit falls under, ours
the 45th FiB unit patch to be worn as a combat patch for being the 45th Fires Brigade. It is a permanent award, one
the members of the brigade. The combat patch signifies that which the Soldier can wear proudly throughout their career.
our Soldiers have served our country in a combat theater of The visit to Ramadi showed the care and concern our lead-
operations. The 45th FiB patch was designed in the late ership has for all of our Brigade. A lot of coordination had
1990’s, and this ceremony marks the first time the 45th FiB to take place, but COL Moore was determined to make the
patch has been authorized for wear as a combat patch. The journey, and his presence was greatly appreciated by all
ceremony is normally held once the Soldiers have been in members of the 1-158th FA Battalion.
theater over 30 days. The unit designated on the patch
COL Moore spending time with Soldiers at the Provincial Gov- Shaking hands following a Combat Patch Ceremony at Camp
ernment Center in Ramadi. Ramadi.
January 15th 2009 Edition Page 4
I would like to express our gratitude to the FRG for purchasing and sending a DVD recorder to us at
Camp Ramadi. This recorder will allow us to add a personal touch to our communications back home. Soldiers
can read to their children on camera and then mail the DVD home. It can also be used to video birthday or an-
niversary greetings. I’m encouraging the soldiers to be creative and make full use of the camera (within rea-
son—you know how they are). Thanks again FRG.
While I’m on the subject of reading, I ran across a few books recommended for
children of a deployed parent. Some of these books represent different situa-
tions and other branches of service, but I’m sure they still could be helpful. I’ve
also included three books for military families. Your local library may either
have these books or they’ll be able to get a copy through their loan program. I
haven’t read them (I don’t have access to them right now), so let me know if
any of them are particularly helpful.
Picture books for kids:

CPT William Elkins
My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting; Daddy, Will You Miss Me? by Wendy
McCormick; Love Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom by Lisa Tucker McElroy; My Father Is in the Navy by
Robin McKinley; When Dad's at Sea by Mindy L. Pelton; Magic Box: When Parents Can't Be There to Tuck
You In by Sederman, Marty and Seymour Epstein; Uncle Sam's Kids in When Duty Calls by Angela Sportelli-
Rehak; All Those Secrets of the World by Jane Yolen.
Books for Parents:
When Duty Calls: A Guide to Equip Active Duty, Guard and Reserve Personnel and Their Loved Ones for Military Separations
by Carol Vandesteeg; Heroes at Home: Help and Hope for America's Military Families by Ellie Kay; Surviving
Deployment: A Guide for Military Families by Karen Pavlicin.
Soli Deo Gloria

CPT William Elkins
FA M I L Y E M E R G E N C I E S
Building Foundations
SGM Gary Nix, Operations Sergeant Major for the 1-158th

FA, takes part in a major event taking place in Iraq. Since the
fighting in Iraq began in 2003, much of the infrastructure
has been depleted leaving many of the services people de-
pend on every day slow or unavailable. The rebuilding of the
Iraqi Army and police took precedence in order to maintain
law and order. With much of the transition of power being
given back to Iraq, following a large amount of equipping
and training, progress is still moving forward to restore
many of the other services needed.
The rebuilding of the many fire departments across Iraq
has moved forward. There has been a large amount of
equipment purchased for these departments, and training is
still going on. SGM Gary Nix has been working with a re-
construction team, to promote the operations of the fire Iraqi Firefighters take a photo opportunity with some of the
departments in the Ramadi Area, and advise them on areas local children who live in the area.
where improvement could be applied. February is being pro-
moted as Fire Prevention Month, and Firemen have been
visiting local schools to visit with the Iraqi children and
teach them about fire safety. Posters and flyers are also being
printed, to show the Iraqi people that their local fire depart-
ment is rising up to provide them with the services they SGM Nix is the right man for the job, a captain for the Elk
need. City Fired Department with 22 years of experience, he
brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the firemen
A visit to one of the stations in Ramadi showed the pride he is working with. As a senior NCO, SGM Nix has a pro-
the Iraqi Firemen have for their profession, being boastful fessional attitude and the ability to relate to the fire depart-
of their firefighting skills and techniques. The reestablish- ment personnel, who have a great respect for his candor. He
ment of the service is fast underway, and SGM Nix has the is playing a large part in a program that the people of
privilege of working closely with them, alongside Marine Ramadi will be able to benefit from for many years to come.
Master Gunnery Sergeant John Vanatta with the Regimental
Combat Team on Camp Ramadi.
SGM Gary Nix and Master Gunnery Sergeant John Vanatta SGM Gary Nix speaks with one of the officers about the equip-
gather together with firefighters from one of the local fire de- ment they are working with.
partments in Ramadi.
Spot News
Austin Martin of C Battery is promoted to SPC by PFC Joshua Avants prepares to head out on a
CPT Donald Anderson. mission.
SPC Trea Fulton and SGT Shawn Pierce having Officers gather for a photo along the banks of the
good times out at the PGC. Euphrates River.
CPT Ray Betts places the 45th FiB Combat Patch COL Moore visits with members of Bravo Bat-
on his Soldiers during a ceremony.
tery before their mission.
Charlie Batter y
Along the banks of the historic Euphrates River, SGT Josh Brummett, a
member of 1st Platoon, 1st Squad, became the first Charlie Battery soldier to
re-enlist while in country. SGT Brummett was sworn in by 2LT Jimmy
Seibert with his Platoon Sergeant, SFC Earl Johnson and Squad Leader, SSG
Paul Tate, assisting. As an additional token of appreciation, SGT Brummett
was given the US flag under which he swore his oath.
The officers, NCO’s, and soldiers of Charlie Battery wish to thank SGT
Brummett for his continued commitment to his fellow soldiers and the
United States Army. Just one more example of why, as always, Charlie Rocks!
SGT Josh Brummett takes the oath of extension

along the banks of the Euphrates River. All the Soldiers of Charlie Battery send our appreciation and grati-
tude to the Family Readiness Group for the Christmas stockings.
Your caring love and support truly brought some Christmas spirit into our lives (just in case you couldn’t tell
from the hat and face on our 1SG). We hope everyone back home had a joyous Holiday season and we wish
our families, friends and loved ones a Happy New Year!
SPC Ryan King

Coyote Cor ner: SGT JR Griffin
SGT JR Griffin is a member of 1st Squad, Headquarters Platoon. He enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in
November 2000. JR joined the military to receive the additional college benefits the Army has to offer. He attended basic
training and AIT at Ft. Knox, KY, graduating with the 63B MOS.
JR currently lives in Poteau, OK. Outside of the National Guard, JR works at Wal-Mart as a Department Manager. When
asked about his goals, he looks forward to starting his family after his military career.
After this deployment, JR wants to go on vacation with his wife.
SPC Ryan King

120th FSC
A new day, a new start, a new year to prove the worth of a sol-
dier. As mentioned in the latest newsletter, Secret Santa was a
total success, and in many cases a surprise. Gifts ranged from t-
shirts to movies. The wrapping styles may have been more
shocking than anything else. With little to celebrate with, neces-
sity became the mother of invention once again; parachute cord,
ninety mile an hour tape, raw lumber with hammer and nail, en-
closed the gifts given that day.
It has been a while coming and a while it definitely took time,
the new layout of the motorpool should greatly improve our effi-
ciency. This layout plan design has made use of the space that
lay dormant beyond the reaches of our minds. It has made room
for all of the vehicles the 120th FSC needs to work on, as well as
room for the vehicles of other batteries going out on missions,
and even enough to fit the Quick Reaction Force's (QRF) as
well. 120th FSC gets together to participate in the 5K Run.
Unfortunately, there were no awards or promotions given out during the beginning of January. Although there is a looming
rumor of a quickly approaching Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) that could potentially raise the points of any who ardu-
ously prepare for such a physically difficult task.
On the tenth of January at 7:00 A.M., another 5K was held. Once again, 120th had the most participants. Weather condi-
tions here in Ramadi are a bit different than those in Oklahoma, so running a few 5K's could definitely help soldier's prepare
for the upcoming APFT.
Softball season is nipping at our heels and the sound of cranking bats and the soft thud of a glove closing around a leather
ball is becoming much more common. Thus far there are expected to be roughly fourteen teams vying to see who has the
fever and skill to prove themselves as the best softball team on Camp Ramadi.
The 120th has rounded up all the usual suspects to play, though positions have
yet to be decided, men and women of all ranks have shown up to play with the
best of them.
In the grand scheme of things, the holidays have left us a bit heavy laden with
the minimal family contact we have received. However, every bit that was experi-
enced was highly appreciated and enjoyed. Were it not for the families and
friends that support us through thick and thin, we could not have possibly made
it this far. Thank you for your continued support in every way.
And Happy New Year from all of us in the 120th.
Miranda Hornbeck
SFC Vincente Pierre enjoys his run.

T-Bird News Page 9
December Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following Soldiers in the 1-158th who were born during the month of December
CPT Chin U Kim SGT Robert Coble PV1 Michael McCracken

SPC Matthew Adamson SPC Justin Coffey SGT Robert Mitchell
SGT Billy England SPC Jonathan Moore
PFC James Bland
CW3 Gary England SPC Stephen Pennington
PFC Montrel Boston SPC Howard Erikson 1LT William Ponder
PFC Danny Britton SPC Nickolas Fowler SGT Matthew Schoolfield
SFC Andy Callihan PFC Joshua Fox PFC Jason Snelling
SPC Denny Cargal SGT Dustin Hames PFC Michael Swain
1LT David Clinton SGT Leon Hawkins SSG Paul Thompson
1LT Aaron Hinkle SPC Kelly Toliver
SPC Miranda Hornbeck SGT Curtis Vasquez
SPCJoshua Hunter PFC Andrew Waddel
SPC Steven Lemons PFC Herbert Ward
PV2 Joshua Martin SPC Arvie Wess
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403

Where's the “B” ?
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406 Unfortunately, there are times when missions and business can make it difficult
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil for a battery’s Public Affairs Representative to submit a story for the T-Bird
News. Bravo Battery was not able to submit an article for this newsletter, and we
Headquarters Family Readiness Group hope that families understand when this situation occurs.
Monika Harris
580-248-9714
Monika.Harris@us.army.mil
FSC Family Readiness Group Mailing address

LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include
there name, specific battery and the APO address. Putting the Soldiers specific
B Battery Family Readiness Group battery helps the unit divide the mail among the appropriate units to speed up
Kenna Pemberton the delivery process.
580-467-2071
C Battery Family Readiness Group

Renee Wright Soldiers Name and Rank
405-574-4978 (Battery) 1-158th FA
rrwright1961@aol.com
APO AE 09396
February 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Wo r k i n g f o r E d u c a t i o n
In this issue: able to relate to the students, and there
were times of laughter as the students
2 Commander’s were asked to answer questions in Eng-
Corner lish, to see how much knowledge they
had learned of the language. One re-
2 CSM’s Notes quirement for the high school students is
to learn English and French as additional
3 Safety Message languages.
4 Chaplain The following visits were to the Al An-
bar High School for girls, and to a grade
5 Charlie Btry A PSD team from Bravo escorts members of school where younger children, both
the PRT through the streets of Ramadi. boys and girls attended. CPT Parment
7 Bravo Btry and MAJ Nagy definitely had the atten-
1-158th FA Soldiers transported Mr. tion of the young students, as some of
Frank Dall, an evaluator from Washing- the children insisted on being held, or sit
8 120th ton D.C., as he went to evaluate the with the Marines as they spoke to the
schools in the city of Ramadi on the 22nd rest of the class. Surrounded by children,
of January. The purpose of the visit was the Marines took turns asking and an-
to observe how the schools were operat- swering questions. They also took pic-
ing and identify areas where the schools tures with the students, who enjoyed
could improve to benefit the education their time with the visiting Marines.
for the children.
The team took a tour of all three
Mr. Dall travelled with CPT Georgia schools which was extremely important,
Parment and MAJ Providance Nagy, and will help streamline assistance to
both with the Marine Expeditionary improve the shortcomings the schools
Forces G9, who work as educational are experiencing. Some critical shortfalls
advisors along with the Provincial Re- were identified, such as a lack of drinking
construction Teams. Their first visit was water and shortages of electricity. Every
to the Ar Ramadi High School for boys. school visit included meetings with the
Mr. Dall met with Provincial Assistant headmaster, the teachers, the students
Directorate General of Anbar Province and some parents. These meetings were
to ask questions about how budgets conducted separately to promote honest
were handled, and how those funds and open discussions. Once necessary
were allocated. The two Marines took improvements are identified, they will be
time to visit with many of the teenagers elevated to the agencies that can help
CPT Georgia Parment, PRT educa-
at the school. A forum was also held in provide necessary requirements for these
tional advisor, spends time with the
the high school auditorium, and students young Iraqis to be able to better their
students at a Ramadi grade school were able to interact with the team. They education and build a better future, not
were able to answer questions about only themselves, but for the future of a
their school and ask any questions that country building a fresh start.
they had on their mind. The team was
T-Bird News Page 2

Election time for the Iraqis is here and all eyes are on this momentous event. Things are
different this time because now the Iraqis are running the show and the Coalition Forces are
providing minimal support and only when it’s required. This is no small feat considering the
number of polling locations and manual processes that are being used for the distribution,
collection and counting of the ballets. The Iraqi Police and Army have the lead in providing
security and this will be a very real test of their capabilities. There are still those who will
undoubtedly try to disrupt the voting so we’ll all have the opportunity to see just how far
along their security forces have come.
On another interesting note, the camp here in Ramadi was officially signed back over to the
Iraqis this week. We are now tenants with a “lease” good through 2011. This is certainly
another sign of change as we slowly but surely set the conditions for a Coalition withdrawal.
But despite what you hear and read, don’t think we (the 158) are going to leave earlier than
planned because there is still a lot of work to be done. Unfortunately for the next unit, they
will probably have all of the real fun in cleaning, packing and shipping everything back that’s
not being permanently given to the Iraqis. Now that’s one job I would definitely not want!
LTC Greg Lankford
Battalion Commander Speaking of jobs, your soldiers have been performing extremely well at their missions. We
have already conducted over 700 missions, driven over 16,000 miles and processed several
hundred vehicles through our gates since we started in December. I couldn’t ask for better troops and you should be proud of the job
they are doing. But it’s not all work and no play- we do have a little break coming in the form of the Superbowl. The higher-ups have
supplied us with two REAL (yes, with alcohol) beers per soldier for the event. This is a very rare occasion and as you can imagine, secu-
rity for these beverages is at a level comparable with the Iraqi’s polling sites! Unfortunately, the game will be televised in the wee hours of
the morning our time, but the batteries are formulating a strategic time and place to toast the Cardinals’ victory. Yep, I said it- the Cardi-
nals. How could you not support the most unlikely team to play in the game in years? Well, I pushed hard for Sooners too, so I guess
we’ll see just how bad my football luck is. Until next time…
LTC Greg Lankford

In recognition of their commitment to service and willingness to make great sacrifices on behalf of
our Nation, the Secretary of the Army has established 2009 as “Year of the NCO.”
There are three distinctive ranks in the Army, Enlisted, Warrant Officer, and Commissioned Offi-
cers. In the Enlisted ranks, you move up from Privates through Specialists before you make the rank
of a Noncommissioned Officer; once promoted they are acknowledged as leaders and many become
the authority at the first level of a Soldier’s chain of command. When the junior NCO becomes a
supervisor of personnel, their chief responsibility becomes 'taking care of Soldiers' or being responsi-
ble for the Soldiers’ health and welfare. They go from being followers to leaders and from looking for
examples to being examples.
The U.S. Army’s Noncommissioned Officer Corps has distinguished itself as the world’s most ac-
complished group of military professionals. No other military relies more on its NCOs than we do. CSM Jimmy Venable
This is exemplified by the acts of courage, dedication, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to
“Make it Happen”, to accomplish the mission!
The Non Commissioned Officer, recognized as the “Backbone of the Army,” is more apparent than ever. Officers get the “glory” for
they plan all operations, but our NCOs in the trenches execute that plan. In other words, Officers issue orders on what needs to be ac-
complished and NCOs execute it successfully on the battlefield.
Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston said, “The noncommissioned officer is the glue that has held the Army together over
the last eight years,” the 158th NCOs fit that description to a tee. Your NCOs charged with many of challenges, requirements, and re-
sponsibilities never fail to meet expectations. They have risen to every task laid at their feet and excelled. I have seen two deployments
where the 158th was well respected from MOB station to deployment overseas, as a competent unit that never accepts defeat.
In closing, I want to tell all of the 158th NCOs thank you for their service and professionalism and to continue the good fight!
CSM Jimmy Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
Safety: the never ending mission

Your loved ones are returning from a high stress tactical operation into a much more controlled environment. You must
consciously and deliberately approach your planned activities during your Soldier’s leave to reduce risk. The 1-158 FA values
and depends on each and every Soldier. We want every Soldier to return safely and well relaxed from their mid-tour leave.
Honestly Evaluate Risk – This applies to everything you’ll do. Your Soldier has made it home and might think that they
can do anything. Don't be fooled. There are situations back home that can be just as deadly as enemy action. For example,
family trips are not made under threat of hostile fire, but speed, drowsiness, alcohol and lack of seatbelt use are all waiting in
ambush. Decisions on driving technique, trip length, weather, traffic and route must be adjusted accordingly.
Driving Safety – Your loved one is out of practice with driving under "normal” conditions. You
may need to remind them that there are rules of the road, and they are enforced. Remind them to
give the right of way and adjust speed to the conditions. Your loved one may be “dying” to get on
his/her motorcycle to feel the wind in their hair and experience the sense of freedom a ride brings,
let’s make sure they don’t actually die doing it. Helmets save lives both in combat and on the road
back home, make sure they wear a helmet every time they ride. Suggest they take some shorter rides
to get accustomed to riding.
Seatbelts save lives. All persons, in all vehicles, must wear seat belts at all times. There is absolutely
no valid reason/excuse for not wearing a seatbelt.
Drinking and driving is a very dangerous combination. Don't drink and drive.
Your Soldier will not have the same tolerance for alcohol that you may remember
and therefore alcohol will effect him/her more greatly and quickly. There's a lot
more than a license to be lost by being caught driving under the influence. Use a designated driver, or
take public transportation. These options work. Use them and encourage your soldiers to use them.
Winter Safety – Although it has been cold in Ramadi, Soldiers may not be acclimated or prepared for the Oklahoma winter
environment, there are two important concerns: Get acclimated to the weather and winter driving conditions/techniques.
Soldiers should be prepared to wear layers of clothing. Your Soldier may be used to a warmer climate and therefore more
susceptible to cold weather injury.
CPT David Peyok

1-158th FA Battalion Safety Officer
Mailing address
The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include there name, specific battery and the APO
address. Putting the Soldiers specific battery helps the unit divide the mail among the appropriate units to speed up the
delivery process.

APO AE 09396
February 1st 2009 Edition Page 4
As a chaplain, I get barraged by questions from soldiers. These questions range from the
simple to the profound. While I don’t pretend to have all the answers (no one does), I
welcome these questions, and the friendly conversation that follows. One of the most
common questions (other than questions about the Bible) is, “Where did God come
from?” The short answer to this comes from the Scripture. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the
mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from ev-
erlasting to everlasting you are God.” Revelation 1:8 says, “I am the Alpha and the
Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
The Scriptures state that God is eternal; He has no beginning or end.
After that explanation, however, many look as if it was just too hard to believe. But then
CPT William Elkins I remind them that the existence of something eternal is not just a religious problem; it’s a
problem for science as well. There’s a basic scientific axiom which says ex nihilo nihil fit –
“out of nothing, nothing comes.” This axiom tells us that if there was ever a time in which there was nothing, there would
still be nothing. The fact that you and I (and the universe) exist is proof that there’s something eternal—something has al-
ways existed.
Since logically we know that there is something eternal, the real question is whether this something is an impersonal force or
a personal being. If it is an impersonal force, how did it produce personal beings? If this force is lifeless and unintelligent,
how did it ever produce life and intelligence? Can the creation be greater than its creator? Again, Genesis 1:27 explains why
we are intelligent and personal beings: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and
female he created them.” We are personal and intelligent beings because we have been created in the image of an intelligent
and personal God.
No doubt it’s difficult to explain God’s existence, but it’s also very difficult to explain our own existence without God.
Soli Deo Gloria

CPT William Elkins
FA M I L Y E M E R G E N C I E S
Charlie Battery
Another popular choice is to utilize such benefits

as tuition waivers and the GI Bill to enroll in on-line
classes. Soldiers can also complete Army corre-
spondence courses that cover a wide variety of mili-
tary and civilian skills. Whatever the choice, Sol-
diers can receive college credit and can even use the
credits to benefit their military career and promotion
opportunities.
Continuing physical fitness is another important
goal for Charlie Soldiers. By staying in shape, ser-
vice members are not only better at performing their
missions despite rigors and stresses, but they also set
a good foundation for better health and wellness
long into their lives. With two separate gyms
nearby, one can find a Coyote Soldier at the gym
almost any hour of the day. Most every Soldier has
a particular gym or weight loss goal that they are
shooting for by the end of the deployment. The Sig-
The gym in the battalion area is available for Soldiers twenty four hours nal Hill Challenge is a perfect example of just how
a day. Soldiers are being “challenged” to stay physically
fit. Over four miles in length, Soldiers run through
Although being a Soldier first is the primary goal of Camp Ramadi and then up and around Signal Hill ten
Charlie Battery members, many have taken the opportu- times. Signal hill is an overlook on Camp Ramadi, which
nity to better themselves over the next year as a very close is the highest point on camp. It is a great way to build per-
second. Between missions, Soldiers are finding the time sonal strength and endurance.
to hit the books, the gym, athletic events, and numerous Here at Camp Ramadi, the Morale, Welfare and Recrea-
other activities. CPT Donald Anderson, Battery Com- tion department, known as MWR, provides a host of ac-
mander, explains just how important it is to stay busy. “I tivities for Soldiers to participate. From promoting physi-
am thrilled to see how our Soldiers are spending their time cal activity, to encouraging camaraderie, to serving as a
while deployed, especially when it comes to promoting stress relief, these events are always highly anticipated.
their physical fitness and education. This is a great oppor- Charlie Battery Soldiers have already competed in basket-
tunity to advance their careers, whether striving for a pro- ball, flag football, volleyball, and softball tournaments.
motion in the military or trying to get an edge when apply- Other popular choices include table tennis, weight lifting
ing for jobs back home. It is such a positive way to help events, 5K Fun Runs, chess and checkers, and various
pass the time until they are home again with their fami- card games. In working with different military organiza-
lies.” tions such as the USO, the MWR also promotes musical
When Soldiers arrived in Kuwait last December, many concerts and opportunities to meet various public figures
took the chance to speak with educational representatives who donate their time in support of the troops. The MWR
that could help guide them in keeping on track with their provides numerous reading and video materials as well.
educational goals. Disciplines such as business manage- (see Charlie Continued on next page)
ment, computer programming, and computer systems in-
formation were among the more popular course choices.
Classes can be completed via the internet or even from an
I-Pod which Soldiers are allowed to keep after completing
the course lessons.
Charlie Batter y cont.
Whether it’s a good book, a good movie or a big sports night,

the MWR is always sure to be a full house.
When it comes to a military deployment, one thing is
always true: it’s never easy. Despite that truth, however, the
Soldiers of Charlie Battery are not letting the “deployment
blues” get the best of them. Not a day goes by that a story of
a fellow Soldiers’ faster run time, completed on-line course,
weight loss goal met, or victory at an MWR event is not heard
or shared. These stories help to ease the difficulties of being
away from home. More importantly, though, they remind
Coyote soldiers to make the most of their time while serving in
Iraq. In doing so, Charlie Battery is yet again making a posi-
tive difference, not only here in Ramadi, but within each Sol-
dier as well.
SPC Ryan King SPC Lee Davis at the plate during Charlie Battery's scrim-
Charlie Battery Public Affairs mage with the 81st HBCT.
LEFT: CPL Michael Clark is recognized as

the Outstanding NCO of the Quarter for the
period 1 OCT thru 31 DEC (certificate and
$25 gift card).
RIGHT: SPC Stephen Pennington is recog-

nized as the Outstanding Junior Enlisted Sol-
dier of the Quarter for the period 01 OCT thru
31 DEC (certificate and $25 gift card).
Bravo Batter y
diers are extremely patient and have come to realize that
“this is no overnight job” says SSG Weekley. They realize
that change is always work in progress and that their mission
is indeed an important one.
When any problem has been around years can be hard for
those who see it everyday to notice it. PRTs help in this
regard by providing a fresh set of eyes to look at a problem.
The areas that have been covered in garbage for years, for
instance, is just a part of the landscape for many locals, but
it’s a focus point for action by a PRT. Soon enough local
labor, bulldozers, dump trucks, and garbage trucks, all prod-
ded into action by the PRT, have the lot cleared. Lot after
lot, median after median, street after street, Ramadi is being
cleaned up.
Members of Bravo Battery provide security for a meeting The PRTs engage in a full spectrum of activities in support
(Photo by 1SG Williams). of their mission. In addition to coordinating the actual clean
up effort, PRTs engage in education efforts to prevent fu-
A lot of attention has been focused on Ramadi in the last ture problems. PRTs have provided tools for schools to
couple of years as Coalition Forces cleaned out terrorist maintain their grounds, and posters to educate the school
cells during the Surge. The success of the Surge has low- children on the need to deposit waste in the dumpsters
ered the level of violence in the province, but it hasn’t low- placed around Ramadi at the direction of the PRTs.
ered the amount of work that still needs to be done to Bravo’s support of the PRTs is crucial. The threat against
bring long-term order and stability to it. PRT members is subdued due to the Surge, but it’s still sig-
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) leave for the city nificant. No PRT member goes into Ramadi without a Per-
of Ramadi virtually every day bringing professional advice, sonnel Security Detail from Bravo Battery. Young soldiers
supervision, and coordination to the civilian government in have seen the beginning and are slowly seeing the end of
every area of administration. Due to decades of rule by the what they say is a change for the best, and say that they are
Baath Party of Saddam Hussein and the invasion by Coali- proud to be a part of the effort and hope that they will get
tion Forces to oust him, unemployment is up, government the chance to see the final results.
funding is down, and every kind of municipal service is in
CPL E. W. Childers
chaos if it functions at all.
One of the obvious areas in which municipal services have
failed in Ramadi is garbage and debris management. The
city is covered over in household garbage, litter, and wreck-
age ranging from broken cinderblocks to burned-out vehi-
cles. In the United States, cities and towns ordinarily have
public or private garbage services which pick up and haul
away garbage and debris on a regular basis. Ramadi has
such a system as well, but it’s in disarray. That’s where the
PRTs (and Bravo Battery) come in.
Members of Bravo Battery are dedicated to these missions
and are responsible for the security of these PRT teams but
are also utilized for their ideas in how to accomplish this
mission. Soldiers such as SSG John Weekley, SSG Brian
Hekia and SSG Donald Brewer are squad leaders who have
brought their teams in with a plan. They have talked with
local children, explaining to them the importance of main-
taining a clean area. The squads are highly respected by the Members of Bravo Battery talk to local children while provid-
local population for their assistance and efforts. The sol- ing security in Ramadi (Photo by CPL Childers).
120th FSC
With little to no time to practice, the 120th FSC has fielded a
Softball team has represented the company very well. Al-
though the first practice was cancelled due to the weather, the
second practice was a scrimmage against a team of Marines.
No one took score, but they played well and had fun. On
Saturday, January 24th, 120th took on their first victims, the
81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team. 120th dominated the 81st
with a final score of 27 to 4! Even with very little practice,
they started the season off with a great win and played as a
team.
There were several Soldiers in the 120th that have chosen to
re-enlist since the last newsletter; Staff Sergeant Paul Thomp-
son, Specialist (SPC) Kimberly Kaumavae, SPC Brenton
Bush, and SPC Christopher Terwilligar. All the soldiers in
120th would like to thank them for extending their service to
our country. Also a congratulations to Specialist Casara But- Melissa Decker-horz ready at shortstop and Zachary
ler and Specialist Misty Krichen for their promotions. McElveen in left field
Several members of the Marines have been very helpful to
the members of 120th FSC. As they packed their bags to head back to the states, they brought numerous items to our motor
pool; items ranging from gloves and coveralls, to suspension parts for MRAP's. These items assist us in performing our mis-
sion. The 120th is very thankful for the items given by the Marines. There are several maintenance facilities on Camp
Ramadi and we all try to help each other out.
As always, 120th is thankful to the families and friends back home for their continued support, if not for them, we would
not have made it this far. It cannot be explained in words how appreciative the 120th is for all of you! Until next time, thank
you again!
SPC Miranda Hornbeck

LEFT: Casara Butler promoted
to the rank of Specialist
RIGHT: Misty Kirchen promoted to the rank of

Specialist
T-Bird News Page 9
Bravo Battery
Yancy Baldwin promoted to to SSG by LT. Richardson

(Photo by CPL Childers).
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403
SSG Billy Holley stops for a photo opportunity with one of
Family Assistance Center, Lawton the students at a Ramadi School.
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406

Monika Harris
580-248-9714

LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil
B Battery Family Readiness Group

Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071

Renee Wright
405-574-4978
SPC Aaron Maxon helps protect the convoy from his gunners
platform.
February 15th 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
In this issue: Charlie Battery is working around the

clock to protect the Soldiers residing in
2 Commander’s Camp Ramadi. They devote themselves
Corner to making sure that when other units
are off the road, they remain safe
2 CSM’s Notes within the confines of the camp.
The responsibilities are constant for
3 120th FSC Charlie Battery. It is a never ending
task to make sure security for Camp
4 Chaplain Ramadi remains vigilant. Twenty four
5 Charlie Btry hours a day, regardless of any factors
that would cause most to remain in- SGT John Dillon steps out of a tower to say
7 HHB doors, Charlie Soldiers man their posts hello.
anywhere they are required to be. They
8 Bravo Btry observe the activities of those around food, and a good nights sleep. They are
Camp Ramadi and are ready to react to able to unwind from their day thanks to
any threat. the Soldiers of Charlie Battery who are
From advantageous positions, they their to make sure those who reside in
observe any person or vehicle that ap- and around the camp are safe.
proaches the area. The job can be diffi- Ever watchful and always ready, Charlie
cult, remaining alert for hours on end Battery does an outstanding job protect-
can be difficult for those that underesti- ing those inside the camp. Any person
mate the importance of the mission, but who approaches the Camp Ramadi area
Soldiers of Charlie take pride in their at any time day or night, can be guaran-
duties and stay sharp throughout their teed one thing, someone from Charlie
shifts. They react and report all activities Battery has their eyes on them.
that gets their attention.
Since their arrival in Camp
Ramadi, Charlie Battery has evalu-
ated the security and made numer-
ous improvements to many opera-
tions and procedures. CPT Donald
Anderson stays in close contact with
camp headquarters, and constantly
updates the security procedures to
adapt to changing situations around
SGT Jonathan Zerger keeps an eye on the Ramadi area.
activity in his area. When units in the area roll onto
Camp Ramadi to take a break from
their long day on the road, they look SGT Josh Brummett keeps tabs on everybody
forward to a hot shower, warm passing his position.
T-Bird News Page 2
Obviously, my luck in selecting winning football teams remains questionable at best

since in the last newsletter I put my support behind the Cardinals. Well, at least CPT
Peyok and his mother are happy that the Steelers won and yes I heard all about it.
The Iraqi elections went off without a hitch. The Iraqis planned and executed the
entire event with minimal Coalition Force support. That, and the fact that there
were no significant issues, speaks volumes about the current status of the situation
here. We had a “court side seat” to observe everything that happened and we were
all a little surprised at how well it went. The post-election period is shaping up to be
even more interesting since there is likely to be a major shift in power here in Al An-
bar Province. The Iraqis had a bunch of political parties (easily 30+) going into the
election, but they are quickly realizing that in order to form a majority you have to
have numbers. This is leading to some cooperation and merging of parties as they
LTC Greg Lankford try to consolidate power. I can fully appreciate the similarities to our own country’s
Battalion Commander political development and how we eventually consolidated power into what is essen-
tially a two party system. Very interesting- well, it is to me at least!
Some might find it fairly ironic, but we just had three truck loads of sand brought into our area of the camp to finish out a
volleyball court that was started by some previous unit (yes, we had sand delivered in the desert!). We put the better sand on
top of the not so good sand and had the good fortune of leveling it out by hand using four shovels and two rakes. That was
definitely some good PT (Physical Training). The commanders and First Sergeants are looking forward to renewing our vol-
leyball dominance which started down at Camp Buehring. The staff will likely serve as our first victims for breaking in the
court.
LTC Greg Lankford

Well we have hit the mid-point of our deployment and before you know it we will be on
that bird bringing us home to our loved ones. We are now preparing for the next unit that
will be replacing us, some of them will be visiting us next month to get a snap shot of what
their mission will encompass. Though we are getting closer to coming home, the mission
still goes on.
Camp Ramadi does not offer much in the way of entertainment, but soldiers will the make
the best of any situation. Right now C Btry, B Btry, and the FSC are playing in a softball
tournament, and doing the 158 proud. CPT David Peyok managed to challenge the Marines
to a soccer game (we did not do so well), but it was fun. Everyone seems to be taking advan-
tage of the gyms, and several soldiers are taking advantage of the Army GI bill and taking
college courses. C btry and HHB had some sand brought in and constructed a first rate vol-
CSM Jimmy Venable
ley ball court, which was christened on the 11th of February with its first game. Though the
mission can be stressful, your soldiers are finding a variety of ways to occupy themselves and
unwind.
CSM Jimmy Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
120th FSC
February is the month of love, usually associated with There is much work to be done in the motor pool, includ-
“Cupid”, the Roman god of love and the son of Venus. Cu- ing many generators and military vehicles to be serviced. We
pid is portrayed as a small, winged boy, blindfolded (as “love must make sure everything is up and running for the QRF
is blind”), carrying a bow and arrows. The arrows are said to (Quick Reaction Force), PSD (Personal Security Detail), our
make the victim fall in love once struck in the heart. Our own vehicles for picking up parts for the vehicles, and our
current image of Cupid as a winged cherub is primarily generators to keep the offices running so dispatches can be
based on images from painters of the Renaissance. Though made in order for QRF and PSD to operate. The Battalion
Cupid was often a boy in Roman myth, the images of works together as a team so that everyone gets everything
winged, rosy-faced babies may be based more on a small that is necessary done. It’s important we all work together,
group of winged infants who often accompanied Cupid and that’s one thing we all definitely do.
called the AMORINI (or Amoretti; "the messengers of
love"). The exact history is somewhat of a mystery and there Due to weather conditions on the tenth, the mechanics got
are different legends that lead us to the annual celebration of a little time off. Very high winds and dust storms made eve-
Valentine’s Day. No matter what the true story is, we must rything a foggy orange color and were just too much to work
not forget the sentiment of the holiday and embrace the in.
one’s we love! In closing, all of us in 120th would like to say thank you for
Though we are thousands of miles away from our loved all the prayers and for supporting us no matter what. We
ones on this holiday, we must let you all know how much greatly appreciate all the care packages and cards sent our
you are appreciated, and missed. Though hugs would mean way. It means more too all than words can say. We would
more than any gift could mount up to for us this year, gifts also like to wish you all a Happy Valentines Day with lots of
and cards, sent and received with a phone call or email will love sent your way.
have to suffice. Sometimes we take for granted the times we
have with our families and loved ones, but those of us here
for this year away, would all agree that won’t be an option in SPC Miranda Hornbeck
the year to come. 120th FSC Public Affairs
During this month, Melisa Decker Horz was promoted to
the rank of Specialist (SPC). SPC Decker Horz received her
promotion after taking her Army Physical Fitness Test
(APFT). Congratulations to SPC Decker Horz on her APFT
and her promotion.
SPC Michael Moore cuts steel to make

CPT Justin Blount promotes Melissa hooks to assist in moving a building.
Decker Horz to Specialist.
SGT Stanley Lindsey moves equipment

with a forklift.
February 15th 2009 Edition Page 4
Recently, the movie “Fireproof” was released on video. “Fireproof” is the latest
movie produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA (the same church that
produced “Facing the Giants” in 2006). Using only one professional actor with a
cast and crew of staff and volunteers, the film was made with a budget of $500,000.
But even with a low budget, the film grossed more than $33 million at the box of-
fice and won the 2008 independent movie of the year. The success of the film, how-
ever, should not just be measured in dollars. Kirk Cameron, a Hollywood veteran
who plays the lead role, said, “I knew the movie had the potential to change peo-
ple’s lives and rescue marriages in real life, and that is exactly what is happening.”
On the film’s Web site (www.fireproofthe movie.com), there are stories of real cou-
ples whose marriages have been restored as a result of viewing the film. Cameron
said, “We are hearing about (troubled) couples canceling divorce hearings, walking
out of the theater holding hands, or renewing their vows.” One attorney has now
CPT William Elkins made viewing “Fireproof” a required first step for all couples who come seeking a
divorce.
The movie is about a firefighter who rescues others, but can’t seem to rescue his own marriage. “It was probably the most
challenging role I’ve played as an actor.” Cameron said, “We wanted to address (sensitive issues) in a way that was tasteful
and yet still realistic. The writers did a great job of figuring out what most people could relate to—the issues and chal-
lenges—and then deal with them.” When asked what message he wanted people to get after viewing “Fireproof,” Cameron
responded, “I would say it’s never too late. Don’t give up on your marriage. Like the old firefighter adage, never leave your
partner behind.”
I would strongly encourage all of you back home to watch “Fireproof.” The movie may not be as polished as a typical Holly-
wood movie, but the storyline and potential life changing message more than makes up for any deficiencies. My wife has
made sure that all of us at Camp Ramadi have access to the DVD (thanks honey). If you would like your solider to see the
movie, encourage them to come by my office and check out a copy.
Soli Deo Gloria

CPT William Elkins
Charlie Battery
As Charlie Soldiers begin rotations back home for some

well deserved Rest & Relaxation, their thoughts are on plans Coyote Corner: PFC Duckett
of how to spend their time. Starting in January, Soldiers
participating in the Army R&R Leave program began return-
ing home for two weeks. Below, some soldiers shared what PFC James Duckett
they did while at home or what they have planned when is a member of 2nd
Squad, 3rd Platoon. He
their leave comes up in the next few months:
enlisted in the Arkan-
SPC Eric Harlan: Spend time with my family sas Army National
SSG Jackie Bruesch: Want to eat some American food Guard in November
2002. Before being
SPC Lance Carney: Will work on my new house and spend assigned to the 1-158
time with my daughter and wife FA for this deploy-
SPC Lee Davis: Spend time with my family ment, PFC Duckett
was a member of the
SSG James Brown: Probably continue my gym workouts and 224 th Maintenance
take my kids to the pool Company in Marshall,
PV2 Joshua Martin: Spent time on my farm and shot my AR. He joined the
weapons military for personal
experience and to re-
SPC Mark Lumpkin: Spent time with family and worked on ceive additional educa-
my farm tion benefits. PFC PFC James Duckett
SGT Justin Steckman: Will attend Easter church services Duckett attended ba-
and be with my family sic training at Ft. Jack-
son, South Carolina and Advanced Individual Training at
SSG Steven Wilkerson: Had a lot of “fam” time Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
The Charlie Battery leadership wishes all soldiers a restful, James currently lives in Scotland, Arkansas. In the civil-
enjoyable and safe R&R. ian world, he is self-employed. His future military goals
include going active duty after the deployment. He also
plans to take a vacation after the deployment to “take a
SPC Ryan King break from military life.” James credits the military for
helping him place priorities in his life and learning what
Charlie Battery Public Affairs matters most.
LEFT: Charlie Battery huddles up with Coach “Coop” before a

softball game against the 81st HBCT. 1LT James Smith gets ready to put a hurt on the ball.
Spot News
Jordan Pope is promoted to Sergeant. Justin South is promoted to Specialist.
1sg Dennis Cooper and 1LT James Smith measure PFC Ephraim Hamilton and SGT John McClung
the dimensions of the new volleyball court. step out of their office for a break.
Self proclaimed “Foreign Relations Specialist”, SPC An- SPC Joshua Tate makes sure his favorite beverage is
drew Wilson readies his goody-bag for the local children. loaded up before a mission on the road.
Improving Morale
Making the best of it, HHB 1-158th uses down time to build moral and cohesion around the battalion. The previous unit
had began the initial stages of what would eventually become a volleyball court. Two poles marking the positions of a would-
be net stood behind the building belonging to HHB.
With no need to let the two monuments go to waste, members of HHB and Charlie Battery teamed up to provide work
crews that would join forces and complete the work that would provide fun and fitness for all members of the battalion. The
first challenge was to obtain sand, yes sand. It is hard to believe in the desert that sand would be an obstacle. But the sand
that is found at Camp Ramadi is not the kind you would like to use to play sports. It is a combination of rock and a clay like
mixture that remains in one of two forms. When wet, it is a paste that sticks like a thick spackle. Whatever it touches is
blessed with a thick pasty substance that will never completely wash off. When dry, it hardens to a compound similar to frag-
ile concrete. With a little finesse, some Iraqi’s are able to mold it into bricks that will eventually be made into buildings. The
sand is located and piled up for the Soldiers to spread with shovels. Moving several truckloads of sand by hand is no easy
task. But there were no complaints as everyone worked diligently to make it happen.
With the boundaries of the court laid out, and the sand leveled. The final product was nearly complete. The final touch
would be the appropriation of a set of generator lights that would be erected to provide players the ability to continue the fun
after sunset. The enables games to be played in the evenings once the heat of the day moves in and keeps Soldiers from hav-
ing to play with temperatures well into the triple digits. It also gives the ability for teams to play at any time, day or night for
those who work non traditional hours.
HHB has also been doing its part to ensure they are taking care of Soldiers. CPT Ray Betts promoted five of his troops
during this two week period. Understanding the stress that goes along with having Soldiers deployed far from home, leader-
ship throughout the 158th is doing it’s part to take care of those that make this mission a success.
Members of Charlie and HHB working on the new Timothy Blair is promoted to Specialist.
volleyball court.
Lional Elix is promoted to Specialist. Jonathan Brzowski is promoted to Specialist.

And the Mission Continues for Bravo

A lot of work has been done in Ramadi since the last update. The Personal Security Detail teams of Bravo Battery have suc-
cessfully completed a cleanup project which has taken over two months of their tour.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are still traveling to the different areas of operations in order to continue their
fight to improve the living conditions for the people of AR Ramadi. The PSD squads of Bravo Battery continue to provide
excellent security and civilian experience to the PRT teams with the hope of achieving their goal. Day by day they gain more
and more support from the people of the city and are now welcomed with smiles instead of frowns and fear. SSG Donald
Brewer has led his squad into several areas of the city and have extended their help to the people by not only providing secu-
rity for the PRT members but also for the people occupying the neighborhoods. He has counted on his soldiers to do what is
right and what is needed to show the people that their intentions are of a true and supportive nature.
Tons of garbage and debris has been removed including old cars and wreckage from previous insurgent attacks. The city
has finally started to recover from years of violence and neglect. The soldiers have really been pleased with the work that has
been done and the fact that they were a part of the rebuilding of a new life for thousands of local people. SPC Kelly Toliver
says that God has led them on this mission and has given them the will to succeed and it has finally come to be. Ramadi has
other areas that are now being concentrated on in order to complete the area beautification. The PRT teams and the brave
Soldiers of Bravo Battery have moved into different areas of operation such as the Women’s college, the fire department and
the hospital trying to insure that they have systems in place to maintain the ability to serve their citizens with quality service.
SGT Aaron Helton has even taken it upon himself to assist in the training of the guards with techniques that he has acquired
during his last deployment. The security in the areas has really stepped up with the help from the Bravo soldiers.
The PRTs teams have been very impressed with the professionalism of the Soldiers of Bravo Battery and have established
absolute confidence in their ability to perform their duties without flaw or compromise. They have praised the ability of the
new young eyes such as SPC Nicholas Brewer, SPC Henry Bui, PFC Michael Andrews and SPC Anthony Ekman who have
volunteered their own knowledge leading to successful results with the newly acquired projects. The Soldiers continue to
travel from area to area continuing their mission and doing all that is needed. They have taken ownership in the building of a
new life for the people of Ramadi and have intentions of seeing it through or at least see the progress as they prepare for
home.
The Soldiers continue to stress the need to keep their streets clean and to take pride in their homes, hoping to reduce future
mission requirements. Until they are home, the Soldiers of Bravo battery will continue to travel and clean up the streets of
Ramadi and continue to support the teams of the PRT in every area of Ramadi until mission is complete and they are safely
home with a feeling of accomplishment in their mind and heart.
1SG Emmanuel Williams

T-Bird News Page 9
Febr uar y Bir thdays
Happy Birthday to the following Soldiers in the 1-158th who were born during the month of February
SGT Thomas Adkins SPC Zakariah Graves SPC Stacey Miller

SPC Casey Allen SPC Dennis Green SPC Chad Moyer
SPC Jared Anderson SPC Tony Grigsby SPC Sean Murray
SGT Bobby Bell PFC Leslie Hayes SGT Travis Nease
SPC Derek Bentley SPC Tommy Holley SSG Larry Nix
SSG Donald Bonner SPC Timothy Huff PFC William Paddock
SPC Nicholas Brewer PFC Bradley Hukill SFC David Perky
SPC Brenton Bush SSG William Johnson SSG Aaron Pleas
SGT William Cain SPC Dustin Lamson SPC Kevin Roed
SPC Michael Cainion LTC Gregory Lankford SPC Joshua Shugert
SGT Ryan Chambers SPC David Levere SPC Michael Smith
SPC Trea Fulton SPC Jon Lewis SPC Christopher Solis
SPC Aaron Maxon SPC Justin South
SPC Jedediah May SSG Michael Tenequer
SGT Norman McCoy SGT Jon Young
How Dusty Does It Get? The two photos below were taken by SFC David
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely Perkey with the 120th FSC. The left was taken during clear weather, the right was
580-595-4403 after desert winds blew dust into Camp Ramadi. Both Photographs are of the same
charles.neely1@us.army.mil structure from the same vantage point. The dust storms are usually followed by a
thorough cleaning.
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406

Monika Harris
580-248-9714

LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
B Battery Family Readiness Group Mailing Address

Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071 The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net there name, specific battery and the APO address. Putting the Soldiers specific
battery helps the unit divide the mail among the appropriate units to speed up
C Battery Family Readiness Group the delivery process.
Renee Wright
405-574-4978
APO AE 09396
March 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Medical Readiness
In this issue: been upper respiratory infections, and
injuries involving joint sprains and
2 Commander’s strains. Another on going project has
been the upkeep of immunizations to
Corner maintain the Soldier’s health. SFC
CPT Westley
Mickey Grannan and SSG Christopher
2 CSM’s Notes Carter prepares to
Gay, with the assistance of the rest of the
provide medical medical section have also organized
3 Medical cont.. care to a Soldier of training to maintain Combat Lifesaver
the 158th. certification.
4 Chaplain
CPT Carter identified the need to ex-
5 Charlie Battery pand space in the aid station to prevent
over crowding during the hours of sick
6 120th FSC The medical section of the 1-158th
call which occur twice a day. A new
building was constructed and brought in
has been working not only to sustain the
7 Photos health of the Soldiers, but has been mak-
to allow more space to conduct not only
sick call operations, but physical therapy
ing improvements to operations which as well.
prepares them for future incidents that
can occur in a combat theater. The members of the medical section all
work together to support all aspects of
Organization, structures and training operations. SGT Ryan Chambers man-
have been on the fore front for CPT ages the battalions medical records and
Westley Carter and the Soldiers on his maintains the large amounts of medical
medical team. CPT Carter is a physician supplies that are kept on hand. SSG
assistant at Comanche County Memorial Christopher Gay is the aid station Non
Hospital in Lawton. His intentions for Commissioned Officer In Charge
running his medical section is to have (NCOIC).
the section operate in the model of a
civilian medical facility. Cleanliness, ad- (continued on page 3)
ministration and procedures are con-
ducted in order to provide the standard
of care for the Soldiers of the 1-158th
FA.
The medical section has made numer-
ous improvements to the Battalion Aid
A new building is brought in which will Station, which started with installing
provide additional work space for the cabinets and shelves to organize and
medical section. secure medical supplies. Treatment ta-
bles were built to better evaluate and
treat patients. SSG Christopher Gay goes through sup-
The most common care provided has plies stored in the remodeled Battalion Aid
Station.
T-Bird News Page 2
February proved to be much dustier than expected. We’ve had several days where the
visibility was very low and just walking to chow and back is a sandblasting. Our confer-
ence room (The Redleg Room) is a plywood hut that, needless to say, isn’t very well
sealed. Our last staff meeting went pretty fast because of the wind and dust that was en-
tering the building, my notebook that was sitting on the conference table ended up with a
nice layer of sand on top of it by the time the meeting was over. Just lovely!
Speaking of dusty conditions, I’ve been inspired by the predominate smells of Iraq to
write a song titled Diesel and Dust. Between all of the industrial sized generators run-
ning all of the time and dust blowing around it seemed only natural. And with a title like
Diesel and Dust, I figured it had to be a country song- so yes, I’m going way out of my
comfort zone on this one. 1LT Bill Ponder, CPT Westley Carter and myself have been
working on a few other Iraq inspired songs I’ve written including a blues tune named
LTC Greg Lankford DFAC Blues and funk song named Get The Funk Out Of My CHU. The DFAC is our
Battalion Commander chow hall so even though the food is generally pretty good, there’s still plenty of inspira-
tion there for the singing the blues. CHU is short for Containerized Housing Unit which
is the portable buildings that we live in. That particular song was brought about by the rather “funky” condition that many
of these had when we took them over from their previous owners. We’ve got both of these songs to a point where we can
play them live and are working on recording them using Doc Carter’s recording studio software. I must admit that they are
pretty darn good and we’ll be sharing these, and some others that are in the works, with everyone as soon as we get them put
down.
Doc Carter is now also the proud father a brand new MRAP ambulance that we just got in the other day. The two
HMMWV ambulances we inherited were in sad shape so this vehicle gives us some nice capabilities should we ever need it-
and while it is a very neat truck, we hope that we never have a good use for it. In addition to the ambulance, the Battalion
Aid Station has recently been given a new building to expand their operations. The medics have been making out pretty
good lately with all of their new “toys”. The next thing you know we’ll be putting in an indoor pool for them! Don’t hold
your breath Doc…
LTC Greg Lankford
The Rear Detachment sent out an email concerning the State Volunteer Workshop &
Youth Symposium starting a couple of weeks from now. I highly encourage all that can to
try to attend. It has many workshops that not only help you to support your soldier, but also
can give you valuable skills that can transfer to your career. The workshop also provides
programs geared toward your teens that range in a variety of topics. If you live outside of 50
miles, you will receive travel reimbursement. If you are interested or have questions, you can
contact CPT Neely 580-595-4403 or email at charles.neely1@us.army.mil.
CSM Jimmy Venable
CSM Jimmy Venable

T-Bird News Page 3
Medical Readiness (cont. from page 1)
His skill and leadership help keep the just returned from Baghdad where
operations of the aid station running they spent a week of training on the
smoothly. PFC Ray Hernandez, SPC new MRAP ambulance that has been
Frank Fleming and SPC Scott Schroeder issued to the battalion. This ambu-
work with the base Quick Reaction lance was necessary to provide proper
Force to provide them with immediate medical care for the Soldiers in the
medical support if needed. They are area, and replace the older ambulance
there to maintain readiness, and be pre- which has been having maintenance
pared to immediately respond to any troubles. The new ambulance is heav-
emergency 24 hours a day. ily armored on the outside, and has
Not all medical operations take place SFC Grannan with the new ambulance. the latest technology in field medical
within the confines of Camp Ramadi. supplies that can give the medical sec-
Working with Personal Security Teams, tion more equipment to help them
SPC Jordan Williams, SPC James Black perform their mission.
and SPC Brandon Landrum give the With all the improvement the medics
necessary medical support which can have done, mission readiness has been
provide immediate response to medical dramatically improved and response
emergencies that may arise while the times have been greatly reduced. The
PSD team is performing it’s mission. care provided insures the Soldiers
Having medics who are ready to react needing it are taken care of not only
can save those crucial minutes when on their first visit, but follows up with
time is a critical factor. SFC Mickey aftercare to check on the Soldiers and
Grannan and SGT Robert Coble have The new ambulance is escorted by HHB take care of any medical concerns they
from Baghdad back to Camp Ramadi. may have.
Mailing address
The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include there name, specific battery and the APO ad-
dress. Putting the Soldiers specific battery helps the unit divide the mail among the appropriate units to speed up the delivery
process.

APO AE 09396
March 1st 2009 Edition Page 4
The suicide rate among the U.S. military rose again in 2008 with 128 confirmed sui-
cides and 15 still under investigation. There were 115 suicides in 2007, 102 in 2006,
and 87 in 2005. These rising rates have alarmed defense officials who have ordered a
service-wide ‘stand-down’ between February 15 and March 15. Within this timeframe,
chaplains are to lead every Soldier through phase one of a three phase suicide preven-
tion program. At this point, the 158 is near completion of phase one.
This first phase involves the use of an interactive video entitled, ‘Beyond the Front,’
which portrays the kinds of stress a Soldier can encounter during a deployment. In the
video one particular Soldier encounters a break up with his fiancé, his bank account is
CPT William Elkins cleaned out, and he loses a buddy in combat. As a result, the Soldier slips into a deep
depression and contemplates taking his own life. During the video, the class is pre-
sented with a series of choices that could lead to a positive or tragic outcome in the scenario. Two of the main goals of
the course are to create an awareness of warning signs and reduce the stigma on service members who seek counseling.
Major General Mark A. Graham admits that for most of his career he thought “it was a sign of weakness” for a Soldier
to seek help for emotional trauma. His attitude changed after his youngest son, an ROTC cadet, committed suicide in
June of 2003. Eight months later his other son was killed by an IED in Iraq. Major General Graham now works with the
Suicide Prevention Action Network. In an interview with NBC News, Graham said, “The epidemic of suicides in the
military is a wake-up call.” He now encourages Soldiers to seek the help they need. “The message is it’s OK to ask for
help,” He said, “It’s a sign of strength and not weakness to come forward.”
One important aspect of suicide prevention is for Soldiers to maintain a healthy social network of family and friends.
Those most at risk are Soldiers who have faced traumatic physical or emotional events and, due to depression, have with-
drawn from social interaction. If you have any concerns about your loved one at Camp Ramadi, please contact the Rear
Detachment. They, in return, can contact me; I’ll be happy to check on them for you. In order to reduce the suicide rate
in the military, it will take all of us working together.
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
Charlie Battery
In the article “Staying Busy”, families and friends were informed of some of the activities in which their Soldiers partici-
pate. Afterwards, many readers back home (and several Soldiers, too) and requested additional information concerning the
sporting events. With the numerous jobs that Charlie Soldiers are involved with, it can be difficult to “spread the news.”
Since arriving here at Camp Ramadi, the big Charlie Battery sports news has been the flag football and softball league.
During November and December, Charlie Soldiers took part in the Camp Ramadi flag football tournament. Soldiers par-
ticipated on both the Battery and Battalion teams. Unfortunately, the Battery team was knocked out in the 1st round. How-
ever, with the aid of Charlie troops, the Battalion team won three games, taking them all the way to the Championship. In a
hard fought match, the Battalion team lost by 10, taking a well earned 2nd place in the tournament.
In January, Charlie Battery once again fielded a team; this time to play in the Ramadi softball league. Currently, the Coyotes
are 5-1 and in second place in their division. Their wins have come by impressive margins, including a 24-7 victory over the
81st BDE Chaplains’ team. The Coyote’s only loss was against their Bravo Battery counterparts in a 10-11 squeaker where
Bravo Battery scored the final run in the bottom of the sixth inning with time expired. Charlie is eagerly looking forward to
avenging their sole loss next month.
James Seibert is promoted Cody Alldredge is promoted James Bland is promoted to

to 1LT. to Specialist. Specialist. Mario Ramirez is pro-
moted to Specialist.
Coyote Corner: SSG James Brown

SSG James Brown is the squad leader of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon. He enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in De-
cember of 2000 in Chickasha, OK. James cited the educational opportunities as a major reason he enlisted in the military.
SSG Brown attended basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Sill, OK, graduating in fire
direction.
James currently lives in Amarillo, TX. He works at B&W Pantex as a Security Police Officer. His future military goals in-
clude achieving E-7 rank before branching into the officer corps. James credits the military for providing him the skills,
knowledge, and experience that have assisted him in his civilian career advancement.
After the deployment, James is plans to spend time with his family, go on a vacation, finish college, and complete his NCO
development courses.
One thing you don’t know about SSG Brown is that, due to the comical nature of his name, he often goes by Blake.
SPC Ryan King
120th FSC
We are all constantly looking for ways to improve the op-

eration of the motor pool. Everything from building and
installing shelves to rearranging the entire layout of the motor
pool are all done in an effort to make our motor pool operate
more smoothly and efficiently. The need for more office
space was identified very early on and, thankfully, we have
received a building from a unit that was heading home. We
are all glad to have the additional office space. We hope to be
moving in soon, but the electrical and HVAC must be in-
stalled first.
All of the soldiers in the 120th will be participating in a
Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), during the first week of
April. They have all be diligently working out and preparing
for the APFT. Currently, the 120th has one of the highest
pass rates of any unit in the Battalion. The soldiers of the
120th are looking forward to a great performance on the Field Service Representative Bill Powell and WO1 Howard
APFT. Ross work together to address maintenance issues of the
MRAP vehicle.
The primary vehicle used by the Battalion is the MRAP
(Mine Resistant Ambush Protected). The MRAP is very new
to the military and is a great improvement over the older
HMMWV. Since the MRAP is so new, many mechanics
have little experience working on the vehicle before they get
to Iraq. We have several FSRs (Field Service Representa-
tives) that are civilians, hired by the company that manufac-
tures MRAPs, that are specifically trained in the maintenance
of MRAPs. The FSRs work daily along side our maintenance
personnel repairing and maintaining the MRAPs that are vital
to the Battalions success. The specialized technical expertise
that the FSRs have brought to our motor pool has been a
great asset to the unit.
CPT Justin Blount
120th FSC Commander
SPC Denny Cargal uses a metal grinder to get the job done.
SGT Corey Coats puts his carpentry skills to work to build

shelves which will be used in the motor pool offices.
Ramadi Photos
SFC Pierre, SSG Thompson, SGT Kerr, SGT Blount, SPC Kaumavae and SPC
Terwilligar are sworn in by CPT Justin Blount to extend their military ser-
vice along the banks of the Euphrates River.
CPT Donald Anderson is awarded the

Army Commendation Medal.
SPC Eric Sikes poses with CPT Anderson and a G.I. Joe action figure
after reenlisting on the rooftop of the QRF building.
James Keesee is promoted to Sergeant.
SSG Roberto Herrera visits with a couple of small

visitors in the battalion Area.
SSG Jackie Bruesch reenlists on top of the QRF building.
T-Bird News Page 8
Mission Complete for the PGC
The Soldiers of HHB who have been out at the provincial

Government Center (PGC) did an outstanding job providing
security for the agencies of the Iraqi Government that work in
the complex. They resided at the PGC twenty four hours a day
working with the Marines who are also conducting operations
there. The Marines have assumed all of the mission require-
ments for the center, which has allowed the member of HHB
to return back to Camp Ramadi and join their fellow T-Birds.
This move benefits both the 158 and the Marines by centraliz-
ing their forces.
The PGC security teams will be moving into the living areas
with the rest of the battalion on Camp Ramadi. They will inte-
grate with the other batteries to augment the forces that have
Soldiers gather their gear at the Provincial Government been working hard to fill in the gaps left by those who are re-
Center after completing their mission (Photo by SPC turning home for R&R leave.
Hornbeck).
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403

Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406

Monika Harris
580-248-9714

LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051

Kenna Pemberton Bags are tossed into a trailer for the move back to
580-467-2071
Camp Ramadi. (Photo by SPC Hornbeck)

Renee Wright
405-574-4978
March 15th 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Prep for Success

In this issue: This newsletter period has been a
busy one for the battalion. Leadership
2 Commander’s for the unit that is planned to replace
Corner the 1-158th FA arrived for a very im-
portant look at the mission require-
2 CSM’s Notes ments currently being conducted by the
158.
3 Show of Support The Colorado based unit arrived at
Camp Ramadi to conduct a Pre De-
4 Chaplain ployment Site Survey (PDSS). This is a
5 Bravo first look that a replacement unit takes
to understand what their Soldiers will SSG Phillip Miller gives a briefing to some of
8 Charlie be facing once the unit assumes re- the leadership of the PDSS. (The photo has an
sponsibility of the mission. Leadership orange tint due to the extreme dust)
10 120th FSC of the 1-158 conducted the same PDSS
before our mobilization training at Ft. the new unit to get an overview of what has
Hood, Texas. The visit allows observa- been conducted, and identify the challenges
tion of the current operations, and the our battalion has faced since leaving Okla-
ability to answer questions to gain a bet- homa.
ter understanding of mission require- As always, operational security is critical in
ments, and tailor pre-mobilization train- military planning, and the visiting unit is not
ing to meet those mission needs. being identified to preserve that confidenti-
Members of the 1-158th FA began ality. As the new unit prepares to mobilize,
preparing for the PDSS visit months communication is continually open be-
before their arrival. Each section of the tween the two battalions. The Soldiers of
battalion began listing every responsibil- 158th wish to set up the replacement unit
ity of their area. One of the most critical for success, and are as dedicate to replace-
parts of the PDSS preparation is to iden- ment’s mission as they are to our own.
tify some of the situations that can hap-
pen during a deployment, but were not
addressed in training.
The 1-158th FA dedicated long hours
to prepare for the PDSS. The 158 is not
only dedicated not only to the success of
our mission, but determined to set up
the replacement unit for it’s success. The
leadership of the follow-on unit was able
to observe all operations being con-
ducted and ask any questions that they
have generated before visiting the 158. SFC Corey Klaassen gives direction to the
Many briefings were held which enabled replacement leadership at a nearby base.
T-Bird News Page 2

The big news from the past week was that the command team from the unit that
will be replacing us came to Ramadi to have a look around. They are from a fellow
artillery unit in the Colorado Guard so needless to say they fit right in. We showed
them all of our facilities and spent a good deal of time explaining what it is that we
do so they’ll be able to go back and train more effectively for the mission. We’re
sure looking forward to the next time they come to visit because on that trip they’ll
be here to stay and we’ll be heading to the house!
Spring has sprung here at Rancho Ramadi- the nights aren’t quite as cool and the
days are getting warmer. It won’t be very long before we’re all wishing that it was
still cold because the heat comes on quickly around here and it will be unbearable
before you know it. But for now, the weather is very nice and the troops are able to
do some more social activities outside in the evenings. We’ll have to enjoy it while
we can.
LTC Greg Lankford I am going home on leave here shortly so the XO, MAJ Harris, will be “the man”.
Battalion Commander I’ve tasked him with writing the commander’s comments for the April 1st edition so
don’t think that it’s some type of April Fool’s gag that we’re running. Hopefully the
power won’t go to his head and he starts doing some wacky stuff. I have to keep an eye on him even while I’m here so
there’s no telling what the place will look like when I get back. But I’m definitely looking forward to getting home and seeing
Amy and the boys for a little while and eating some “real” food. I’m not too sure about driving in Dallas traffic though. I’m
going to be a bit out of practice since I haven’t personally driven a vehicle over 30 mph since I left Fort Hood. I’m likely to
get run over in the first couple of days.
And finally, let me say thanks to everyone that sent me goodies for my birthday. Right when I thought I was finished with all
of the Valentines treats, the boxes started arriving. The chocolate chip cake was delicious and everyone raved about it. The
chocolate chip cookies that came in the zip lock bags were some of the best I’ve ever had. And thanks Mom for the 5 boxes
of Girl Scout Thin Mints. I’m not sure that I needed that many, but I’ve squirreled them all away in various locations just in
case I do. Between all of this and eating while I’m home on leave, I’m likely to gain 20 pounds. I see a lot more gym time in
my future.
LTC Greg Lankford
A little rest for the Command Sergeant Major

As the R&R Cycle continues sending Soldiers from the battalion home to friends and fami-
lies, the time has come for CSM Venable to return home to spend some time with his fam-
ily.
Every day involves work when deployed. There are no weekends, no holidays, and little
time to unwind. Soldiers of the 158 have continued to focus on the mission tasks they face
every day, and that includes our leadership. CSM Venable has worked diligently to ensure
mission success and Soldier safety, as have all the Command and Staff of the battalion.
R&R is a great way to step back and spend some time unwinding with loved ones. CSM
Venable will be reading this issue of the newsletter from the comfort of his own home, pro-
viding he is not catching up on some work around the house. Until CSM Venable returns,
SGM Gary Nix is acting as the Battalion Command Sergeant Major. CSM Jimmy Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
Showing Their Support

The past week has been a busy one for the 1-158th FA. The visit from the
leadership of the unit that will be replacing the 1-158th was preceded by a visit
from four players from the National Football League. Larry Fitzgerald with the
Arizona Cardinals, Jared Allen with the Minnesota Vikings, Danny Clark with the
New York Giants and Will Witherspoon from the Saint Louis Rams all arrived at
Camp Ramadi to meet with the Soldiers of the base. Their visit was to show their
appreciation for the service being performed by the men and women deployed
overseas.
During the evening, the players took
the stage at the Green Beans Café,
which is the entertainment venue for 1sg Mark Rackley shakes hands with Larry
Camp Ramadi. They spoke with the Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals.
troops about the support for the Sol-
diers and took questions from the audience. Several questions were directed to Car-
dinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald about his performance during the 2009 Superbowl..
The Soldiers were able to learn about life as an NFL player, as well as hear about
how much members of the NFL are grateful for the service and dedication of the
United States Armed Forces.
NFL Players take turns giving their ap- After questions were fielded, Soldiers were able to shake hands and receive auto-
preciation to the Soldiers. graphs from the players, who were happy to pose for pictures for anyone with a
camera.
Only five days after the NFL players departed Ramadi, Country Music Star Chely
Wright arrived to continue a tour she was conducting at various bases in Iraq. Chely
Wright has had a long history with the Armed Forces, back to when her grandfather
served at Normandy. Coming from a strong background with the military, her fa-
ther always encouraged her to be appreciative of the sacrifice of what Soldiers have
done for America. At one point during her performance , she borrowed a cellular
phone to call her brother, a U.S. Marine with eighteen years in service, to say hello
and let him know she was in the middle of performing for the troops.
Prior to singing one of her hit songs “Bumper of my S.U.V”, she explained that
the song was written due to the lack of
appreciation displayed by a woman who
did not share her enthusiasm for a U.S. Chely Wright autographs a guitar be-
Marine decal that is displayed on the back longing to 1LT Dax Thomas.
of Chely Wright’s vehicle in support of
her brother. After singing this particular song, she became emotional, to which she
received a standing ovation by the Soldiers listening.
The celebrities who take their time to travel far from home in order to shake
hands with deployed Soldiers show that they truly appreciate the sacrifice of those
who serve. They do not do it for publicity or money, they do it because they are
grateful for what Soldiers are doing and want to see them face to face, and tell
Chely Wright performs for the Soldiers at them “thank you”.
Camp Ramadi
March 15th 2009 Edition Page 4
One of the roles of the military chaplain is to insure the religious liberty of Sol-
diers. The First Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof…”
When the First Amendment was adopted, the United States became one of the
most unique nations in world history. But few people realize just how close we
came to not having religious freedom. After the Revolutionary War, 9 of the 13
colonies still had state sponsored churches, and many religious groups continued
to suffer religious persecution.
Before the Revolutionary war, Baptist pastor Isaac Backus documented many
examples of religious persecutions. He formed the “Grievance Committee” in
Chaplain William Elkins 1769, and wrote “Government and Liberty” in 1778. In Virginia, the General
Assessment Bill, supported by Patrick Henry and George Washington, would
have created a tax to support religious ministries, with Anglicans as the intended
beneficiaries. However, in 1784 the Virginia Baptist General Committee lobbied against the Bill. Baptist pastor John
Leland lobbied and ultimately won the support and friendship of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Soon Madison
drafted a petition entitled “Memorial and Remonstrance,” and in 1785 Jefferson introduced what he called one of his
greatest achievements, “An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom.”
When a draft of the proposed United States Constitution was circulating, John Leland protested that there needed to be
more explicit guarantees for the freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Madison agreed and
helped to insure these freedoms with the passing of the First Amendment.
Today, the First Amendment is as vital as ever to our nation. Other countries have adopted similar laws guaranteeing
religious freedom, and even the United Nations, at least on paper, recognizes religious liberty as a basic human right. To
the American citizen, the First Amendment guarantees the right of the individual to attend the church of one’s own
choosing, or to stay at home and mow the lawn.
There is, however, a downside to the First Amendment. In his book, “Shopping for God,” James Twitchell suggests that
the freedom created by the First Amendment has created a free-for-all in religion. This has left each group with the task
of capturing a piece of the religious market. Today religion is marketed on television, billboards, and magazines like any
other commodity. When religion is turned into a commodity, the consumer is king, leaving churches scrambling to build
the nicest buildings, develop the best programs, create the most exciting worship, and incorporate the latest technologies
in order to capture market shares (i.e., members). This competition leaves many churches vulnerable to the church down
the street that does it bigger and better.
Unfortunately, all of this marketing cheapens the message of the church by placing it on the same level as soap and ex-
ercise equipment. Lost in all of the marketing techniques is the pure Gospel, which the Apostle Paul calls “the power of
God unto salvation.” (Rom. 1:16) Even with this inherent challenge to the church, however, the First Amendment, con-
ceived and lobbied for by religious leaders, is one of the greatest ideas in the history of nations and is well worth protect-
ing.
Soli Deo Gloria

CPT William Elkins
Bravo Battery: One Day Closer
The work in Ramadi conducted by the Soldiers of Bravo Battery contin-

ues to move as they are taking up new areas of operation and responsibil-
ity. The previous areas have been cleaned up and are showing much im-
provement, even the attitudes of the people within the neighborhoods
have become positive ones, focused on keeping their city clean. The peo-
ple are now taking pride in their streets and are realizing that all the work
conducted by our soldiers was for them and have now seen what team
work combined with a little pride and hard work can do for their com-
munity and for the morale of the people.
When this mission first started, the people of Ramadi were content with
living a with a “Leave it lie” attitude as some would say. They used the
streets as their own personal dumping ground due to the fact that the
heavy war had taken many jobs away from the community and even
much of the will to continue. When the Soldiers of Bravo first came on
SGT William Cain pulls guard at a conference in the scene they were very discouraged by what they saw and felt that the
Ramadi. job was a never ending one as well as a waste of time. Soldiers on their
second tour here who remembered what it was like during their prior
experiences had to admit that it was much better and cleaner even though the new soldiers would ask “so you mean it was
worse ?” as they looked around. Well the soldiers of Bravo Battery such as SSG Yancy Baldwin and SGT William Martin
who are on their second tour, Took a deep breath, looked ahead of themselves and began planning their method of approach
to turning this wrecked and war ridden city into a livable and enjoyable one.
The most challenging part of the cleanup was the removal of all war stricken debris and trash. The city’s garbage and debris
management system has been put back into play and have established pick-ups and burn pits for disposal. Every day thou-
sands of pounds of household garbage, litter, and wreckage ranging from broken cinderblocks to burned-out vehicles are
being removed from the city. SPC Scot Fitzhugh has even mentioned that he should be paid by the pound while being here.
Other soldiers such as SPC Daniel Mendoza and SPC Aaron Aries-Vales have seen the effects of war being here for their
first term and have realized the toll that war can take on a place. They have taken a special interest in this project to include
talking to the children about what it means to have pride in their city. The children truly listen to the young soldiers, partially
bribed by soft candy and chocolates.
Continued on page 5
SGT William Martin, SPC Martin Parker and SPC Har-

rold Burrows enjoy a locally prepared lunch.
Bravo Battery: One Day Closer cont.
Bravo Battery soldiers are dedicated to their mission, which is an extremely

difficult one as how they must assist in the reconstruction of a war torn city as
well as maintain their own defense, insuring that all members of their teams
and the PRT members are safe at all times. Even though the project is a
friendly one there are still dangers that surround them every moment of op-
eration. Being able to assist and protect with such small numbers is a chal-
lenge that we are faced with everyday and each day must be properly planned
with intelligence collection, prior planning and proper execution. SGT Dwight
Hansel has described the process as “brain damaging”, but has successfully
guided his squad through many missions day in and day out. SFC Lance Grant
and LT. Chad Richardson have been the key to every planning process for
each mission and have dedicated many long hours properly preparing their
teams for every mission, insuring that the right personnel are specifically se- SFC Lance Grant and 1LT Chad Richardson
lected for the missions that come down. All the soldiers are thoroughly give a mission briefing to their squad.
briefed prior to every mission in order to better understand their responsibili-
ties and the effects that they have on a successful outcome. The members of the PRT teams have been greatly appreciative
and extremely impressed with the work and professionalism shown by our soldiers. They have gained the upmost confidence
in our soldiers and continue to put their lives in our hands. The soldiers know what their mission is and arrive every morning
with a sense of purpose and leave the day with a bigger sense of accomplishment. As SPC Tony Grigsby said once after a
mission, “how many people can say that they rebuilt a city”. The soldiers are faced with the responsibility of the security of
the PRT teams and the responsibility of assisting the project, but their mission requirements do not stop there. They have
been tasked with other missions outside the clean-up such as providing security for council meetings, city progress meetings
and even support for the elections. The tasks in the overall clean-up involve so many different areas of operation outside the
beautification projects that our soldiers have even seen a lot of the political side of the fight. Although most of what they
witness is arguing and disagreement, they continue to push through until the mission is complete. Even though our time here
grows shorter, the thought of it being over is a very distant. The soldiers know that is not over until we are safely home with
our loved ones and they realize that until then, we must remain here with our game face on at all times.
1SG 1SG Emmanuel Williams
SPC Daniel Mendoza and SSG Yancy Bald-

win go over their final mission plans.
SPC Scot Fitzhugh and PFC Aaron Arias-

Vales stand by for an intelligence brief.
Spot News
Christopher Malone is promoted to Sergeant. James Heston is promoted to Master Sergeant.
SGT Stanley Lindsey talks to Larry Fitzgerald of PFC Jeremy Aston stand his post during a heavy
the Arizona Cardinals. dust storm.
Danny Clark of the N.Y. Giant meets with mem- SGT Travis Ulrich sits down to speak with Chely
bers of the 158 outside the dining facility. Wright.
Charlie Advances
Charlie Battery has had a busy time promoting it’s Soldiers. The hard work the unit has been conducting has paid off with
the ability for the battery to recognize members of the unit who have earned they're advancement.
William Paddock is promoted to SPC. John Rowlan is promoted to SPC.
Jeremy Aston is promoted to SPC. Delbert Dye is promoted to SPC.
Jody Elmore is promoted to SPC. Ricky Myers is promoted to SPC.

Charlie Advances… cont
Gregory Self is promoted to SPC. Timothy Skitt is promoted to SPC.
Michael Swain is promoted to SPC. Nicholas Thompson is promoted to SPC.
Andrew Waddell is promoted to SPC. Michael Bebo is promoted to PFC.

120th FSC
Well, here it is March already, time is marching on. Seems like it was
just yesterday the 120th FSC arrived at North Fort Hood and began
their year long mission. Several changes came about and now we are
about half way complete with our mission. The month of March has
brought about several sand storms here in Iraq. Some days it’s hard to
find the motor pool. The Soldiers of the 120th continue to have high
spirits and moral is very high. The MWR staff here continues to find
and bring great talent to Camp Ramadi. Just last week we had four
NFL players spend the day hanging out with the troops, they included
Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings), Danny Clark (New York Giants), Will
Witherspoon (St. Louis Rams) and the MVP of the 2009 Pro Bowl
Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), the players had a meal in the din-
ning facility selected member of the battalion. SGT Lindsey, SSG Gra-
ham, and SPC McDaniel were the lucky ones from the 120th who were
SPC Brenton Bush and SPC Denny Cargal administer
chosen to set and enjoy a meal with the NFL players. Last night Chely
I.V.’s to each other during CLS re-certification.
Wright made a stop at Camp Ramadi and spent the day touring the
area, then spent the evening singing and talking with the Soldiers.
When Soldiers at not hooked up in the motor-pool conducting maintenance, or making a parts run, they find plenty to do.
Some play video games, some work out in the gym, they play softball, basketball, as well as volleyball. They even find time on
most Sundays to have a cookout in the motor-pool. The 120th FSC is starting to get a reputation for having the best grill mas-
ter in Ramadi.
Training continues even as we conduct our daily mission. We will be going to the firing range over the next month, and
Combat Life Saver training continues weekly.
The unit has several Soldiers that are rotating back to Oklahoma to enjoy two weeks leave with family and friends. The trip
home for leave seems so long. Some times Soldiers are delayed due to the sand storms and coordinating flights out. It gets
frustrating, but trust me it is worth it. We encourage each Soldier to take his time and enjoy his leave but, to be careful and
not to over due it.
1SG Mark Rackley
Members of 120th FSC enjoy some down time playing

1SG Mark Rackley returns to Ramadi where volleyball.
he had over 30 packages waiting on him.
T-Bird News Page 11
March Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following Soldiers in the 1-158th who were born during the month of March.
SPC Robert Ahrens PFC Austin Marvin CPL Christopher Root

SPC Preston Allen SPC William McDaniel SPC Taylor Sandefur
CPT Donald Anderson SPC Dwight Mcelveen PFC Benjamin Short
SFC Paul Burden PFC Gerald Negelein SPC Justin Smith
SPC Casara Butler PFC Daniel Olson SGT Lee Smith
SGT Robert Cook SPC Patrick Ontiveros SPC Nicholas Thompson
SSG Michale Graham SPC Kevin Painter SGT Matthew Wood
1LT Johnny Hart SPC Shawn Pierce PFC Barry Woodruff
SPC John Hefner PFC Mario Ramirez
SPC Jonathan Heim SFC Adam Rogers
PFC Joshua Luers SSG Jeffrey Rooks
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403 FA M I LY E M E R G E N C I E S
Family Assistance Center, Lawton Family Emergencies for soldiers who are deployed need to be channeled
Sherri Blasengame through the Red Cross. Any emergency that may require a soldier to take an ab-
580-595-4406 sence from his duties while mobilized must go through the nearest Red Cross
Chapter of the family who has the emergency. The process can be faster if you
Headquarters Family Readiness Group have the Soldiers Social Security Number and unit information handy. That chap-
Monika Harris ter will relay the information to the deployed unit, who will notify the soldiers
580-248-9714 Unit Commander.
FSC Family Readiness Group Carol, Adam or Sandy: DSN# 845 1049 or VOIP# 242-1212
LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
B Battery Family Readiness Group Mailing Address

Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071 The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net there name, specific battery and the APO address. Putting the Soldiers specific
C Battery Family Readiness Group the delivery process.
Renee Wright
405-574-4978
APO AE 09396
April 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Behind the Scenes

In this issue:
The administrative duties in
the Battalion are vital to making
the unit’s mission a success.
2 MAJ Harris’ Often overlooked, it is the
Corner administration personnel that
address nearly every need of
2 Charlie Btry every Soldier.
There is not a single day that
4 Chaplain passes by where a Soldier does
not go to his or her Administra-
5 120th FSC tion NCO for some type of as-
sistance. Seven days a week, the
6 Photos Personnel Administration Cen-
ter (PAC) is open for business. CPT Dave Peyok, SFC Vincent Moscatello, SSG Jeff
No issue can be left unresolved, Rooks, SGT Michael Gildow, SPC Steven Latre and SPC
as it impact the mission and
James De La O are the Battalion Administrators.
moral quickly.
The duties of the administrators in-
requires late night phone calls to allow for
volve the same duties that would be tak-
the eight hour time zone difference.
ing place back home, the deployment
only adds to the normal workload. Pro- Many months of planning and paperwork
motions, awards, evaluations and pay are occurred before the 158th FA deployed to
a few of the year round issues that take theater, and the same process happens for
place. With the amount of Soldiers in re-deployment home. The administration
the battalion, it is easy to see why con- work has already begun to ensure every-
cerns can arise on a daily thing is in order when the time comes to
basis. release the Soldiers from active duty.
Every battery has admin- There are fifteen Administrative personnel
istrative personnel which in the battalion to provide services for
are in place to assist their every Soldier. For every Soldier there are
Soldiers as far as their several files averaging a thickness of a small
scope of duties will allow city phonebook. The records start from the
them. If there needs to be Soldiers enlistment, and continue through
further involvement, the present day. Every change in a Soldiers
Battalion PAC section is in status has to be documented and main-
place to assist. Sometimes tained and during a mobilization there are
issues have to be brought additional documents that have to be
to the attention of joint added.
SFC Jose Saldana and SGT Richard Sholar manage forces Headquarters in
(cont. on page 7)
administration for Charlie Battery. Oklahoma City, which
T-Bird News Page 2
At this time, both LTC Greg Lankford

and CSM Jimmy Venable are back home
enjoying some down time. In their absence,
MAJ Paul Harris and SGM Gary Nix are
running the battalion. It was a little work
during the transition, Soldiers were busy
moving furniture out of LTC Lankford’s
office to make room for the furniture MAJ
Harris brought in. MAJ Harris seems to be
enjoying himself in his new office location.
Once the paint dried there was far more
LTC Greg Lankford
room to hang his pictures and numerous CSM Jimmy Venable
Battalion Commander Kansas City sports paraphernalia.
Major Harris’ Notes
The Commander has set the journalistic bar very high in his previous columns just as he has in being the Commander of the
T-Bird Battalion. The past few weeks I have had a crash course in having the responsibility of being “The Man” for our bat-
talion. The biggest lesson that I have taken from this experience is that it isn’t about being “The Man” it is about being a
part of the team that is the “T Bird Battalion”. Our Battalion is made up of professional soldiers who are an inspiration to be
around. Each has their own reason for being here that range from volunteering to falling under the stop loss program.
Whatever the reason, all have come together to perform several different missions to a standard that is well beyond “the
standard”.
As your read the pages of this month’s edition you will see soldiers who work behind the scenes, soldiers getting promoted,
and soldiers being awarded for their work. This is a small sampling of the team that makes this unit successful. Our success
comes from not only the Soldiers here at Camp Ramadi, but also those serving in the Rear Detachment, the organizations
that have supported us with care packages, letters and cards but most of all from the support of friends and family members.
Good or bad these will be the memories that we will
have with us forever. The phone call when it was really
needed, a letter that arrived at just the right time, the
care box with that special message in it. This combined
effort is what makes the T-Bird Battalion successful.
In closing I did get to finally remove all of the Com-
manders OU and Dallas Cowboy items from his…um
my…office and stored them away for safe keeping. I
just hope the mice haven’t been very destructive. Now
that the LTC Lankford and CSM Venable are coming
back we will have to put away the flip flops and Hawai-
ian shirts and return to Army standards. Well…it was
fun while it lasted.
MAJ Paul Harris
Battalion Executive Officer

T-Bird News Page 3
Q&A from Charlie Battery
As Charlie battery begins the downhill slope of their ’08-’09 Iraqi deployment, numerous questions have begun to arise. In
this two part article, some of the more frequently asked questions by Soldiers and families alike will be addressed. In Part II
of the next issue, we will have a face-to-face with the Coyote leadership.
Question: I’ve heard that some Soldiers are no longer doing the jobs they first had when they arrived. Will these Soldiers get
to come home early?
Answer: While it is true that some soldiers have changed jobs, i.e. from working at the guard towers to doing QRF, these
Soldiers are still vitally needed here. As troops rotate home for R&R, many sections could find themselves shorthanded with-
out additional personnel. Other events like family emergencies, medical issues and mission changes affect personnel levels.
Every Soldier is needed to ensure that Charlie battery is mission capable 24 hours a day.
Question: Will the 1-158th leave as soon as the replacing unit arrives?
Answer: Not immediately; it will be up to the 1-158th to assist the new unit with assuming mission responsibilities. Every sol-
dier will “teach” their job to the replacing soldiers to ensure they are as ready as possible. Only once unit leadership is assured
that our replacements are mission capable will the 1-158th leave theater.
Question: When should I stop sending mail?
Answer: The recommended date is July 10th. Packages sent after this date are at risk of arriving too late for Soldiers to receive
it.
Question: I hear a lot of rumors concerning when the 1-158th is coming home. Which are true?
Answer: Rumors can be the Soldiers’ worst enemy. They take your mind off the mission at hand and can raise, or lower,
hopes and expectations falsely if you believe them. Only information received from a credible source, such as your chain-of-
command, the battalion newsletter, or the Rear Detachment command should be accepted as true.
Question: What happens during the demobilization process?
Answer: Demobilization is the process by which Soldiers are released from their current active duty status to their pre-
mobilization status. Just as Soldiers attended an SRP (Soldier Readiness Processing) before mobilization, they will attend an-
other during demobilization. Any personal changes that have occurred while deployed will be addressed. Soldiers will attend
briefings to assist with their reintegration back to civilian life. They will also receive information concerning their rights and
privileges as a military veteran, such as VA benefits, reemployment rights and educational benefits.
SPC Ryan King
Mailing address
process.
Note: Be advised that July 10th will be the day we ask all
Soldiers Name and Rank family and friends to stop sending mail to the Soldiers of
the 158th FA. Due to the amount of time it takes for
(Battery) 1-158th FA mail to arrive at Camp Ramadi, anything mailed after the
APO AE 09396 10th of July may not arrive by the time the unit has
completed it’s mission in Iraq.
April 1st 2009 Edition Page 4
One of the roles of a Christian chaplain is to perform the ordinances of the Lord’s Sup-
per and Baptism. These two ordinances are essential elements in the practice of the Chris-
tian faith and are performed by chaplains to protect the Soldier’s ‘free exercise’ of religion.
In the past week, I‘ve had the privilege of baptizing three Soldiers who have expressed
faith in Christ. For those who grew up in church the meaning of baptism may be clear, but
for others, the purpose of baptism is not so obvious. The importance of baptism rests on
Christ’s command to baptize those who place their faith in Him. Matthew 28:18-20, says
"And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go there-
fore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,
CPT William Elkins to the end of the age.’" Because of this command, baptism has always been an essential ele-
ment in Christianity. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter called the crowd who
heard his sermon to “repent and be baptized.” The Scripture tells us that on that day 3000 people were saved and baptized
(Acts 2). Through other passages, we learn the important symbolism of baptism. When a person is baptized because of their
faith in Christ, he or she is identified with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4). When a believer is immersed
(Greek: baptizo) in water, it represents Christ’s death and the believer’s death to his or her old way of life. When he or she is
brought up out of the water, it represents Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s new life in Christ. It’s been said that bap-
tism is an outward expression of an inward faith; an important confession of faith by the one being baptized to those who
witness the baptism. In essences, the one being baptized is saying, “Christ hung on the cross in open shame for my sins, and
I am not ashamed to be identified with Him.” (Mark 8:38) Despite much confusion and debate concerning baptism (i.e. who
and how) within the Christian faith, it should be clear from Scripture that baptism is not optional. This is why it’s important
for Christian chaplains to carry out this essential Christian practice.
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
SPC Patrick Simpson SSG Michael Graham SPC Misty Kirchen
120th FSC
The month of March is coming to a close. Time seems to be going by

quicker now. It’s amazing to see what the MWR continues to come up
with to keep the Soldiers busy. Some of the Soldiers in the 120th FSC
elected to make the St. Patrick’s day 5K run. 2LT Vasquez, SFC Klaas-
sen, SGT Streeter, SPC Edwards and PFC McElveen were among the
field of those who ran the 5K.
Having different activities to engage in during down time makes time
go by faster than just sitting around. The 120th FSC keeps busy during
the duty day by repairing and fixing downed vehicles for the 1-158 FA
(HIMARS) and other units as well. Just the other day a Marine unit
stopped in Camp Ramadi to see if the 120th FSC could assist them with
placing some new equipment on their vehicles. They were travelling from
one location to another in Iraq and had a new piece of equipment, but Representatives of 120th FSC participate in a 5K run
needed it installed on their vehicles. They had stopped in several different on Camp Ramadi .
locations to ask for assistance and no one could assist them. Well, the
120th FSC came to their rescue. The Soldiers went to work along with the FSR (Field Service Rep) and mounted the items
and the Marines were back on the road with their new equipment installed and operational.
Several units on Camp Ramadi have learned that the 120th FSC are the ones to go to any time you need something no one
else can do. We have two of the best welders on Camp Ramadi and
maybe in Iraq. SPC Cargal and SPC Moore can take a pile of metal and
produce just about anything you need in no time at all. It is simply
amazing to watch these two Soldiers work. They will listen to what
needs to be produced and then take a peace of soapstone and draw the
idea on a piece of metal then start to cut and weld, measuring and lev-
eling, and the next thing you know the mission is accomplished. They
are true masters of their craft.
CPT Blount has been home enjoying two weeks R&R leave so, 2LT
Vasquez has been filling in as Commander of the 120th FSC during
CPT Blount’s absence. LT Vasquez presented two awards this month.
SSG Korey Kimble was award the Army Achievement Medal for his
service and commitment to duty and training during PMT at Camp
Gruber in 2008, and SPC Kimberly Kaumavae was awarded the Army
SPC Michael Moore utilizing his skills. Achievement Medal for her service and outstanding performance dur-
ing Mobilization at FT Hood TX.
1SG Mark Rackley
SSG Korey Kimble is awarded the SPC Kimberly Kaumavae is awarded the
Army Achievement Medal. Army Achievement Medal.
Ramadi Photos
PV2 Nathan Simpson cleans the glass on the gunners turret of

a HMMWV.
Raymond Hernandez is promoted to Specialist.
Benjamin Short is promoted to Specialist.
1LT Francisco Vasquez finishes up the 5K run.
SGT James Bozarth repairs some radio equip-

ment in a HMMWV.
Bryan Turnbull is promoted to Specialist.
T-Bird News Page 7
Behind the Scenes (continued from page 1)
One example of the work involved deals with awards. Some

awards are based on how much time a Soldier has been in the
service. Battery administrators have to go through every military
record, computing the number of years each one has served.
Once that is accomplished, the information is recorded to dis-
tinguish those that are due one of the time based awards, It
doesn't end there, then the documents to request the award for
those Soldiers has to be started, and gets passed up the com-
mand chain for approval. Keep in mind, as this is taking place
other requirements are being added to those waiting to be com-
pleted.
Like fighting the tide, the process never ends. For every Sol-
SGT Jay Wick and SSG Dominic Pawlowski handle dier there are records. For every record, there are those that
administrative duties for HHB. (SSG Pawlowski is not build and maintain them. They get little credit for the job they
pictured, he is currently on R&R) do, but if it were not for them, no job could be done.
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403

Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406
Headquarters Family Readiness

Group
Monika Harris
580-248-9714

LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
SSG Paul Thompson and SFC David Perkey are the 120th Admin
B Battery Family Readiness Group representatives.
Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071

Mandy Saldana
405-535-0557
mandysaldana@yahoo.com
AP RIL 15TH 2009 EDITIO N
T- BIR D NE W S
INFORMING THE FAMILIES OF THE 1-158 FA
“FORT NIX” NEARING COMPLETION
IN THIS ISSUE: Charlie Battery personnel

have been working hard to make
2 Commander’s the improvements necessary to relo-
Corner cate Ogden Gate at Camp Ramadi.
One of those improvements is the
3 CSM’s Notes construction of a “gate guard
shack” at the new Ogden Gate.
3 Chaplain
Ideally, an existing building or trailer
4 B Battery Behind the would be set in place for such use.
Scenes However, upon being advised there
were no available buildings or trail- SGM Gary Nix and MAJ Jerald Gilbert prepare
8 HHB Pictures ers to offer, SGM Nix was con- rafters for the new roof.
9 C Battery Pictures sulted.

SGM Nix is not only the bat- see his craftsmanship highlighted below.
10 120th FSC
talion operations sergeant major and
11 Birthdays and Contact a fireman on the civilian side, but he
Information is a master builder and carpenter too!
Since I knew this, I thought I would
ask him to build us a “shack” to
meet Charlie Battery’s needs. He
gladly accepted the offer and worked
diligently with personnel from Char-
lie and HHB to complete the
“shack” in little more than a week.
He designed it, made the cuts, and
did most of the hammering. As you 1SG Cooper’s Bent Nail Contribution
can see from the pictures, he did an
outstanding job. From the Soldiers of Charlie
It is a high quality “shack” Battery and HHB, thanks SGM Nix for
that will do the job for years to your fantastic efforts. You did a great
come. job and it looks terrific!
As you can see from the pic-
tures, the shack looks great. Even MAJ Jerald Gilbert
1SG Cooper contributed to the con-
struction of the shack and you can Battalion S-3
“Fort Nix”
T-BIRD NEWS Page 2
COMMANDER’S CORNER
I hope everyone had a good Easter despite not having your soldier
home to participate. I know that it was a little difficult for me personally- know-
ing how much my boys love to hunt Easter eggs and it’s usually my job to hide
them. Thanks to Chief Gormely, we had our own batch of Iraqi Easter eggs.
He snagged some hard boiled eggs from the chow hall the morning before and
decorated them with whatever markers he could find during his night shift. He
presented them on Easter morning at the 0700 shift change brief (yes, the mis-
sion never stops- even on Easter Sunday). I think he did a pretty darn good job
since dry erase markers make it very difficult to handle and decorate the eggs at
LTC Greg Lankford
Battalion Commander
the same time!
Some of the few “real” Easter eggs in Iraq. CW2 Jim “The Easter Bunny” Gormley
This weekend is the Military Ball and for many of us, this will be one of the few we’ve missed in some
time. In fact, the last one I missed was in 1991 when I was in Iraq on the first go-around. Funny how that works.
Anyway, we’ve identified six spouses that are going to attend and represent their soldiers and the battalion in our
absence. I’d like to give a big “thanks” in advance to Monika Harris, Karen Rackley, Misti Heston, Carla Betts,
Crystal Elkins and my wife Amy for taking the time to attend. We have a little surprise for you guys- I hope you
enjoy it. Oh, and don’t do anything that we wouldn’t do while you’re there. On second thought, just do what you
normally do when we are there and I’m sure you’ll be less embarrassed than usual (except of course for you Crys-
tal, I don’t think the Chaplin usually gets too out of hand).
SSG Lima is currently home on leave so I’m doing the layout on this and the next newsletter in his ab-
sence. If anything looks odd or out of place, that’s because I meant it to look that way.
LTC Greg Lankford

APRIL 15TH 2009 EDITION Page 3
COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR
Well it feels like an eternity since I last wrote for the newsletter, including travel, I
was gone for 24 days. Upon my arrival back in country, I was pleasantly surprised
that the unit did not implode during the Commanders and my absence, Maj. Harris
looked like from the last newsletter he had it all under control. I really had no doubts
that life would go on as normal (if you could call this place normal) with the strong
leadership that we have emplace. I was however disappointed to learn that Axe, one
of my favorite bands from my high school days, was here for a concert while I was
on leave; oh well I guess leave was worth it. During my travel back from leave, SFC
Rogers from BTRY C said something that puts how much time we have on the
ground into perspective. He said if you count the months we have left it seems it is a CSM Jimmy Venable
lot but if you count the paydays, which is only eight, it makes it seem short; I could
not agree more. I know we are getting short on our time left here but I know that are soldiers will continue per-
forming their jobs to the 158 standard.
CSM Jimmy Venable
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAIN
I’m often asked by Soldiers how I know God exists. The best answer I can give
is that God has made Himself known in the Bible. Theologians have called the
Bible ‘special revelation’ because God has revealed Himself in a particular way in
the pages of Scripture. There is, however, another form of revelation called
‘general revelation.’ General revelation points to a powerful creator, but is insuffi-
cient to tell us everything we need to know about God. If you liked a particular
artist and wanted to know more about his life, you would read his autobiography
and not just gaze at his paintings. This illustrates the difference (in an imperfect
way) between special revelation and general revelation. One may, through science
Chaplain William Elkins and philosophy, point to proofs for God’s existence, but one can never discover
the true nature and character of this God without the Bible.
The cosmological argument is an example of a proof for the existence of God using general revelation.
This argument originated with the Greek philosopher Aristotle and was later used by the medieval philosopher/
theologian Thomas Aquinas. The cosmological argument states that everything within the universe has a cause. It
would be absurd, however, to concluded that there is an infinite regression of causes. If dominos are placed in a
line and each domino causes the next to fall, no one would conclude that there is an infinite number of dominos
and that they’ve always been falling—something had to push over the first domino. In similar fashion, it should be
obvious that something had to put the universe in motion. Something had to be the first cause of all that exists.
According to the cosmological argument, this ‘something’ is God who is the cause of all things, but who is Himself
eternal and uncaused. The fact that there is something rather than nothing points to the existence of God. How
irrational it is to believe that nothing is the cause of everything. Something must have always existed in order for
anything to exist at all. Both science and religion agree on this point—there must be something eternal.
I’ll give a few more examples of general revelation arguments in the weeks to come.
Soli Deo Gloria

Chaplain Elkins
Bravo Battery: Buzzards Behind the Scenes (page 1 of 4…. yes, 4!)
You have been to the movies and have witnessed some of the greatest stunts and action scenes that
you have ever seen. You have returned home trying to reenact them which resulted in failure or injury.
You sit down and ask “how did he do that”. Well the movies utilize stunt men and stunt doubles in order
to give the appearance that your favorite actor is invincible and can do anything, when the whole time
someone else was sacrificing themselves so he could be famous. Well the Bravo Battery mission is no dif-
ferent than a movie, with the exception that it is real. As you have read in previous articles, the soldiers of
Bravo have accomplished great tasks and have turned a war ridden city into a thriving community. They
have worked alongside the PRT teams in order to give the people of Ramadi new hope and a new way of
life. Their efforts and dedication have made the mission a success up to this point. They continue to
move out every day with a plan and the will to accomplish it. They put their own personal selves on the
line in order to achieve a goal which was once just a dream to the citizens of Ramadi. We know that what
the soldiers do day in and day out is a great thing, but they are not all that is involved in the mission suc-
cess. This is where the stunt men come in.
Prior to every mission that our soldiers venture out on, there are a lot of things that must happen in
order for that mission to be completed. In order for the mission to begin the soldiers need equipment to
keep them secure as well as weapons. This is where supply person-
nel SSG Kerry Pemberton, SPC Cody Campbell, SPC Lorenzo Wil-
liams and PFC Montrel Boston come in. These men are all who
make up our supply section. They are indeed behind the scenes and
do not receive full credit for what they truly do for our soldiers.
Without these men our soldiers would not have the proper gear in
order to protect and defend themselves. The supply office provides
them with weapons, ammunition, aiming devices, night vision,
SPC Williams, SSG Pemberton, PFC Boston and
body armor, uniforms, gloves, eyewear, food and many other
SPC Campbell in the “Buzzard Roost”
items. SSG Pemberton, who is an AGR soldier, knows the impor-
tance of insuring that the soldiers have the proper gear prior to every mission and insures that it is avail-
able if the supply system allows. SPC Campbell, SPC Williams and PFC Boston are the backbones of the
supply section and are also utilized as combat PSD soldiers, filling in empty slots needed within the
squads so that a mission will roll on.
Soldiers running missions also must have vehicles. The soldiers in theatre today are utilizing MRAPS
as their primary vehicle. There are many different versions so I would say we probably have the 62 foot
model. We have gained confidence in this vehicle which is totally new to us. Even the soldiers from the
previous deployment knew nothing about the vehicle. So it is obvious that we knew nothing about how to
Bravo Battery: Buzzards Behind the Scenes cont... Pg 2 of 4
work on it. Well that is where the maintenance team comes in. Led by SSG Roberto Herrera along with
SPC Daniel Olson, we may have the best maintenance crew in theatre. SSG Herrera and SPC Olson are
our wheeled vehicle mechanics who are responsible for keeping our Hum-
mers and LMTVs operational. These vehicles are used for runs in smaller
areas where the MRAP will not fit or will cause too much damage. They
have maintained the Battery operational percentage above 90% for the entire
deployment and continue to handle jobs as they go. SSG Herrera and SPC
Olson are not alone in our maintenance
support. SGT Kevin Streeter and SPC Kim-
berly Kaumavae are also a big part of the
SPC Kimberly Kaumavae
team. The two combined with our civilian
counterparts MR. William Howard (aka Will) and Jonathan Brooks (aka
John John ) who are our Field Service Reps to keep us well above the
90% margin on all MRAPS, insuring that we are always equipped for
every mission. They have insured that all MRAPs were ready and that all
SGT Kevin Streeter the soldiers were familiar with the operations of the vehicle. SGT
Streeter (aka The MRAP Guru) and SPC Kaumavae (aka BATMAN) have worked long hours every day
to get us to where we are. They have proven that it just takes time and dedication to be the best and
make the Battery the best.
Next on our list of background supporters is the operations department led by LT Aaron Hinkle. LT
Hinkle is supported by the Operations NCOIC SSG Roland Morales and our Administration NCO CPL
Ernest “RAMPAGE” Childers. LT Hinkle is responsible for insuring that our squads’ security systems
are operational and that the status of all vehicles are reported in order
for the squads to be able to see what assets they have prior to every mis-
sion. With the assistance of SSG Morales, LT Hinkle also coordinates
training for the entire battery insuring that the soldiers stay up on their
combat skills, weapons training and military bearing. They also double
task as Personal Security Detail members, filling in when needed to fur-
ther assist in mission accomplishment. CPL Childers is definitely an im-
portant asset to the battery. He is responsible for insuring all the sol-
1LT Aaron Hinkle
diers personal information is kept up to date and any changes in their
status is processed. He is also responsible for other issues such as NCOERs, Awards, pay, and many
other tasks sent from higher. His position is no easy one. As one man having to support 131 soldiers, he
has definitely earned the name “RAMPAGE”.
NEWSLETTER TITLE Page 6
Bravo Battery: Buzzards Behind the Scenes cont... Pg. 3 of 4
The true key to the mission lies in our mission planning. The platoon sergeants and platoon leaders
of the battery have one of the most important roles in the entire process. SFC Lance Grant, 1LT Chad
Richardson, SFC Andy Callihan, 1LT Anthony Clark, SSG William Johnson and 1LT Paul Jackson make
up our platoon leadership. They must insure that all the soldiers are
mentally and physically prepared for every mission as well as play
occasional counselor. They are the brains behind the planning of
every mission and attempt to choose the best process for each mis-
sion’s success. They develop the plans and assign the best squad to
each mission. They prepare the Intel on enemy situations, best
routes, mission goals and push it out to each squad leader. They
study what is currently going on and make decisions that will keep
our soldiers safe, and insure that they all have what is needed to
SFC Lance Grant, SFC Andy Callihan and
succeed and return home. Their dedication to the care of our sol-
SSG William Johnson
diers is ongoing, and highly appreciated and respected by all their
soldiers. They have taken the responsibility for all the soldiers and their road to success as well as their
military needs, personal and professional, and have always stepped up to the plate whenever needed.
The truly unseen stunt men of bravo that I am about to mention have been no less important in our
mission success. SSG Darin Carman, SGT Kyle Hood and CPL Derrick Tadlock have headed up our op-
erations center, and have taken responsibility of coordinating convoy movements and tracking of all mis-
sions and personnel. They spend hours upon hours insuring that all convoys are pushed out daily and
track their progress on monitors and radios. They intercept
mission traffic and push it up to insure that all updates of en-
emy activity or mission change is acknowledged by the
squads. This has been a very important part of our unit’s sur-
vivability when on the streets of Ramadi. SSG Carman, the
mission NCOIC, has made the communications of squad’s
easier, and has devised a system to insure communication pro-
ficiency. SGT Hood, well let’s just say that I am still trying to
figure out exactly what SGT Hood does, but I do know that he
is an assistant to SSG Carman and has been our Mayor for our
living areas who insures that the soldiers are living in the best SSG Darin Carman and CPL Derrick Tadlock
conditions possible for a combat zone. CPL Tadlock maintains radio and digital traffic watch tracking all
communication between the squads and our upper leadership relaying anything not tracked by the
squads. He has also taken up the role of Electronic Warfare Officer during certain periods of operations
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 Page 7
Bravo Battery: Buzzards Behind the Scenes cont... Pg. 4 of 4
insuring the safety of the squads when they are on the streets.
Last but definitely not least there is CPT Robert Mcleod (aka BIG ROB, aka THE MAN, aka THE
LEGEND) of course he came up with all the aka names. CPT Mcleod is definitely the greatest link in
the battery’s success. He is the middle man and has run interference for us with every mission. He re-
ceives the missions and distributes them to the platoons. He coordinates between the Marines and the
Civilian contractors in order to properly support our mission goals. He has insured that the missions
would in no way endanger the soldiers and are at the best interest of the soldiers and the people of
Ramadi. He has pushed back when he felt
that the missions were unnecessary and in
any way, a danger to the soldiers. He dedi-
cates many long hours receiving missions
and, like Santa Clause, he checks them once
then checks them twice before pushing them
to the platoons. He has made soldier safety
his primary concern and has never compro-
mised on anything involving them. He is
highly respected by all the soldiers in the bat-
tery and has made himself easy to approach.
He has defended his soldier’s decisions and
corrected them in case of wrongness. He has
always been fair and never makes decisions
CPT Robert McLeod and his “Freebie” Non-Tactical Vehicle.
And no, you can’t have a ride. without thought. CPT Mcleod is on site for
every mission and insures that the squads get
out without any trouble. CPT Mcleod has also become the battery scavenger, coming up with all sorts of
equipment for the unit to aid in its success. I want tell you how or where he gets this stuff-m but let’s just
say he is the Fred Sanford of the battery. He has acquired a Non Tactical Vehicle, which is a feat in itself
in a combat zone, which he loves dearly but does share with others. All I want to do is convince him that
he cannot mount a M2 machine gun to the fender of an SUV.
Well that is the tale of the stunt men of Bravo battery. So now you know that there are so many people
that are tied in to the success of the unit. We are all one team and no one is more or less important than
the other. We are a family and we are taking care of each other as one. We do what it takes to be success-
ful and what it takes to come home. As for me and what I do? I am the engine of the whole operation. I
remind them all what they need to do to make our mission a success and keep the morale up. I guess you
can say “I AM THE MAN”!! The views and opinions of this article do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
HHB NEWS
Emanuel Arroyo is promoted to Specialist. SPC James De La O is awarded the Army

Commendation Medal.
SPC Steven Latre is awarded the Army SFC Vincent Moscatello is awarded the Army
Commendation Medal. Commendation Medal.
SGT Michael Gildow is awarded the Army

Achievement Medal.
Chief Dowen’s brother has been sending boxes of

stuff like crazy. Every mail day is like Christmas!
CHARLIE BATTERY PICS...
1SG Cooper takes a break from working hard to pet the Force SPC Skitt is recognized as the Outstanding Junior Enlisted Soldier in
C Battery from 01 January through 31 March 2009
Protection Donkey (yea, we’re not sure about that either)
PFC Hayes is promoted to Specialist PFC Phillips is promoted to Specialist
PV2 Nathan Simpson is promoted to PFC SPC Johnson is promoted to Corporal

120TH FSC
Well, the month of April has arrived and all is well here at Camp Ramadi. The month has started out with
the wind blowing which causes sand storms, which we are starting to get used to by now. Our commander (CPT
Blount) is back from his R&R Leave. CPT Blount advises the issues a Soldier runs into trying to get home for their
R&R leave (connecting flights, layovers, sand storms) is well worth it. Soldiers continue to rotate out on R&R
Leave and a few have selected to just take a 4 day pass and they all have stories to share about their time back
home and away from Camp Ramadi.
I have talked before about the Sunday cookouts that has
become a 120th tradition and the grill masters that we have in our
unit (SGT Brooks and SPC Painter). Along with the great Grill
Masters that we have here in the 120th FSC we also have one of the
best negotiators around, SSG
Kimble, he can wheel and
deal with the best of them.
SSG Kimble carries on with
the supply tradition that is as
old as the Army it’s self. If
there is anything we need SGT Brooks mans the grill at the motorpool.
SSG Kimble can wheel and
SPC Cargal pitches some shoes. deal, trade and swap until he acquires the desired item. Armed with his fine
tuned skill of negotiations, coupled with the Grill Masters ability to grill, the
Soldiers enjoy the fine cooked meal of steaks, hamburgers, hotdogs, wings, chips, cookies, cake and soda, then
they set around and start telling some of those “I’ll never forget the time” stories, and playing horseshoes, listening
to music, passing around a football, building ever lasting friendships,
and enjoying the camaraderie. The mission still drives on, we just take a
little time to unwind but keep an eye on business.
Training continues on even during our deployment. The FSC
started rotating to the firing range this month. Soldiers will verify the
zero on their M4 and then qualify. SPC Mateo-Prez used his carpentry
skills and built some
target frames for the
unit to use due to the
fact that there are none
on the range. This will
SFC Perkey coaches some 120 shooters.
th give us something to
post our targets on dur-
ing firing. SFC Perkey, SFC Klaassen and SSG Thompson escort
the Soldiers out to the firing range then conduct safety briefings
and also coach Soldiers on the proper stance and techniques to
assist the Soldiers with improving their scores.
The 120th FSC had two promotions so far this month. Sec- 2LT Vasquez is promoted to 1LT and WO1 Ross is
ond Lieutenant (2LT) Vasquez was promoted to the rank of First promoted to WO2.
Lieutenant (1LT) and, Warrant Officer One (WO1) Ross was pro-
moted to Chief Warrant Officer (CW2). The 120th FSC and the 1-158 FA (HIMARS) would like to congratulate
these two Officers on their promotions.
T-BIRD NEWS Page 11
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
Happy Birthday to the following Soldiers in the 1-158th who were born during the month of April.
SPC Chris Adamson SPC Frank Fleming SPC Paul Payne

SPC Gilbert Aitken SGT Chad Gilley SSG Kerry Pemberton
SGT Jason Bray SPC Colbert Gordon SGT Christopher Pettit
SPC Jonathan Brzowski SFC Michael Grannan 1LT Chad Richardson
SGT Corey Coats SSG Nicholas Green SSG Joe Rivera
SPC Lee Davis SPC Robert Hardy SGT Steven Schoeppach
SFC Randall Dedert SSG Larry Harper SPC Michael Starr
SPC Kevin Dornan SGT Kyle Hood SGT Kevin Streeter
SPC Tyler Ferguson SGT Tanner Keasler CPT Kenny Toms
SPC Jay Fertig SSG Robert Lutonsky SGT Kaleb Wallace
SGT Shawn Fields SPC Adam Manoles SPC James Woodman
SSG John Fitzgerald SGT Wesley Parra
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely FAMILY EMERGENCIES
580-595-4403 Family Emergencies for soldiers who are deployed need to be channeled through the Red
charles.neely1@us.army.mil Cross. Any emergency that may require a soldier to take an absence from his duties while
mobilized must go through the nearest Red Cross Chapter of the family who has the emer-
Family Assistance Center, Lawton gency. The process can be faster if you have the Soldiers Social Security Number and unit
Sherri Blasengame information handy. That chapter will relay the information to the deployed unit, who will no-
580-595-4406 tify the soldiers Unit Commander.
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil Points of contact at Camp Ramadi to give to your local Red Cross are :
Monika Harris
580-248-9714

LeAnn Terwilligar
MAILING ADDRESS
580-483-1051
Kenna Pemberton (Battery) 1-158th FA
580-467-2071 APO AE 09396
C Battery Family Readiness Group Note: Be advised that July 10th will be the day we ask all family and friends to stop
Mandy Saldana sending mail to the Soldiers of the 158th FA. Due to the amount of time it takes for mail
405-535-0557 to arrive at Camp Ramadi, anything mailed after the 10th of July may not arrive by the
mandysaldana@yahoo.com time the unit has completed it’s mission in Iraq.
May 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
The Tactical Operations Center

In this issue:
By MSG James Heston
2 Commander’s
Comments The Battalion Tactical Opera-
tions Center (TOC) is the command and
3 CSM’s Notes control center for the Battalion. Under
the supervision of the S3 (MAJ Gilbert)
4 OKC Marathon and the Operations Sergeant Major
6 New Aid Station (SGM Nix), the battalion TOC ensures
the Battalion Commander is aware of
7 CPT Kim and situations in and around Camp Ramadi.
Ponder That is our ultimate responsibility. We
are his eyes and ears. It is our responsi-
8 C Battery bility to know the adjacent units, ongo-
The Day Shift:
ing operations, and policies and proce- SPC Justin South, SPC Paul Payne, CPT David
10 Chaplin dures in our area of operations so that Stewart, SGT Robert Shipley and MSG James
we may keep the Battalion Commander Heston
11 FSC
and units aware. view, and much more are monitored
14 B Battery and reported on through the TOC.
The TOC is manned by three
shifts that operate seven days a week, Working closely with the S2 intelligence
17 Fireman’s
twenty-four hours per day. Each shift section, products are developed that will
Challenge
has a Battle CPT, Battle guide and inform our units rolling out-
NCO, and 2-3 Radio side Camp Ramadi concerning routes,
Telephone Operators weather, enemy activity, communication
(RTOs). The TOC call signs and frequencies, and any spe-
tracks the two primary cial instructions. The TOC also re-
battalion missions of sponds to any threats that are found.
base defense and per- The TOC communicates frequently
sonnel security details. with all of the base defense elements
On average, the TOC including the quick reaction force, both
will track anywhere be- gates that allow access into the camp
tween 9 to 30 missions and all of the guard towers. The TOC
per day. Many other works closely with Charlie Battery and
tasks such as leave per- Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
sonnel status, rifle range to ensure that Camp Ramadi is secure
The Mid-shift crew:
SPC Gerald Negelein, SPC Scott Pepi, SSG David management, higher and on a daily basis.
Chasteen and CPT Mark Todd adjacent unit orders re- Continued on page 18
T-Bird News Page 2
I usually don’t write about the hardships we encounter here because it

would probably just make you worry more about your soldier than you already
do. Normally our days are fairly boring and routine, but this week we’ve had our
first significant incident. Since many of you have already been called about it and
probably have many questions, I feel that I need to provide some more details.
One of our Bravo Battery soldiers was wounded by enemy gunfire on
April 22nd while performing a security mission. His team did an excellent job at
providing him aid and getting him back to Camp Ramadi in record time. He was
very alert and stable and although his wound was pretty serious, he was not in a
life threatening condition when I saw him shortly after his arrival. He was flown
LTC Greg Lankford
Battalion Commander to a Combat Support Hospital where he received basic surgery to prepare him for
travel to the US. I was informed that the surgeon who performed this surgery
thought that he would make a very good recovery, but it will take a least a few surgeries to get his issues addressed.
He has since been evacuated to a hospital in the US where he will do his recovery.
Immediately following the incident, the Mayor of Ramadi and the local Marine units mobilized a large
number of Iraqi Police to look for the gunman. That search is ongoing, but there is a concerted effort to bring
this person to justice.
I want to express my deepest sympathy to the soldier and his family. This is a very difficult situation and
there will be a long road to recovery. But rest assured, the T-Bird Battalion will ensure that they do not have to
travel that road alone.
His family has asked that his name not be released for privacy reasons, but if you are interested in sending
a card or letter to the soldier or his family, use the address below and the rear detachment will forward it to them.
Wounded Soldier
National Guard Armory
600 NW Cache Rd
Lawton, OK 73507
On a more positive note, we’ve had a bunch of interesting things going on in the past couple of weeks that
we’ve covered in this edition. The most different thing we’ve done is to host the 9th annual (and first ever in
Ramadi) running of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. We had excellent participation by all units on the
camp in the marathon including three relay teams and four individuals that were pushing to go all 26.2 miles by
themselves. The event was a huge success thanks to 1LT Dax Thomas who put it all together and ran the mara-
thon to boot. Psychological evaluations of the four soldiers who opted to try and run it alone are still pending.
There is more about all of the events in the newsletter, so take a look.
LTC Greg Lankford

T-Bird News Page 3
Sergeant Major’s Message
The Commander touched on the incident about one of our soldiers in

his notes; I wanted to talk a little about the actions of his squad after the attack.
His squad performed superbly after realizing what had happened.
I read a book one time that said when soldiers are confronted with a ma-
jor event like this one, they do not rise to the occasion but instead rise to the
level of their training; that is exactly what your soldiers have done, rose to the
level of their training. They continued to safe guard their PRT members, admin-
ister first aide, provide force protection for follow on attacks, and sped the casu-
alty to a treatment facility. This isn’t something that could be done if this squad
CSM Jimmy Venable
and all of the BN hadn’t continued “battle drills” and training after FT Hood.
We as a BN do not rest on our laurels we continue to improve and refine our procedures. We have all
heard the saying “I rather be lucky than good”, well I say that the BN wants to be both and we are. I say all this to
let you know at home, our training does have value and we are continually striving to improve on it.
Please pray for our soldier and his family for a speedy recovery. And to our soldier, we can’t wait to see
you when we get home!
CSM Venable
Family Emergencies
Mailing Address
process.
Note: Be advised that July 10th will be the day we ask all
May 1st 2009 Edition Page 4
T-Birds Host OKC Memorial Marathon in Ramadi
By 1LT Dax Thomas and CW2 Robert Dowen
It was at 4am on April 24, 2009 when 107 runners with a common purpose faced a blinding Ramadi dust
storm to honor 168 people they not only never knew, but would never have an opportunity to meet. Most Ameri-
cans remember the tragedy that struck America’s heartland
April 19, 1995 when the Oklahoma City bombing served as the
largest terrorist attack on American soil to that point in our
country’s history. For the past 9 years, the Oklahoma City Me-
morial Marathon has been run in honor of those that lost their
lives in that attack. This year that tradition was extended across
the globe to the Soldiers and Marines of Camp Ramadi, Iraq, as
the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s own 1-158th FA spon-
sored its version of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
There were several events ranging from a 5k walk to a

half marathon of 13.1 miles to a full marathon of 26.2 miles. T-Bird soldiers sign in Marine participants at 3:30 am.
The full marathon consisted of both individual runners and
relay teams. There was a strong showing from the 120th FSC, as every soldier from the FSC participated in either
the 5K walk or the marathon relay team. The FSC’s 1SG Mark Rackley led the way by winning the 5K walk with a
very impressive time of 32:40. The FSC also had 3 relay teams that
finished the marathon. Finishing in 4th place for the Battalion, with
a time of 3:43:00, was team “But But” which included SGT Kevin
Streeter, SPC Casara Butler, SFC Vincente Pierre, SPC William
McDaniel and CW2 Howard Ross. In 3rd place, with a time of
3:26:47, was “The A Team” which included SPC Misty Kirchen,
1LT Francisco
Vasquez, SFC
Corey Klassen, SPC
Runners prepare to start the punishment.
Richard Narvaiz
and SPC Jesse
Shillingstad. In 2nd place, with a time of 3:08:00, was team
“Running Cobras” which included PFC Miranda Hornbeck, SSG
Kory Kimble, CPT Justin Blount, MAJ Paul Harris and SSG Paul
Thompson. Finally, winning the team relay for the Battalion with a
time of 3:07:10 was team “HHB Dragoners” thanks to a very
strong finish by SSG Christopher Bussell. The rest of the winning CPTgoing Carter and 1LT Thomas keep their motivation
on the way to completing the course.
team included CPT Charles Betts, CPT William Elkins, SGT Jay (note the difference in sweat accumulation)
Wick and SPC Mark McFarland.
OKC Memorial Marathon cont...
The fasted full marathon time for the Battalion was turned in by 1LT
Dax Thomas with a time of 3:29:45. He was followed by C Battery’s Ephraim
Hamilton with a time of 3:42:40. HHB’s CPT Westley Carter also had an im-
pressive finish with a time of 3:58:00. 1SG Dennis Cooper and MAJ Wade
Murry completed the half marathon portion of the event.
The Camp Ramadi version of the OKC Memorial Marathon turned

out to be a great success. The Soldiers and Marines that participated had a
great time and the event not only represented the 1-158 FA well, but also the
State of Oklahoma. This
marathon was unlike any
other marathon because it
combined the intensely
personal challenges of run-
ning a marathon in non-
typical weather conditions,
with the emotion of a
shared national tragedy. SPC Ephraim Hamilton completes the
26.2 mile race.
The OKC Marathon is not
about the runners and
MAJ Wade Murry keeps rolling along. He completed a
hard earned 21 miles.
what place they finish in. Rather, it is about remembering
those that lost their lives in a great American tragedy and serves
as a reminder of why we are here still fighting for American freedoms and our way of life.
I thank every soldier in the 1-158 who gave of their time and efforts to make this special event happen.
T-Bird medics and support troops man one of several Chaplain Elkins relays to SSG Bussell as part of the
checkpoints along the route. team competition.
Medics Open New Battalion Aid Station
By CPT Westley “Doc” Carter
Whether it is starting an IV or swinging a hammer, the 1-158 medical section will get the job done. In
January, the medical section received a SWA (Southwest Asia) hut to supply additional space to the Battalion
Aid Station (BAS). Many steps had to take place in order to get the SWA hut to the super deluxe status that it
is today.
SFC Grannan (medical section

NCOIC) and SPC Schroeder got right
to work by building two exam rooms
complete with exam tables, a desk,
pull out drawers for storing medical
supplies, and laminate flooring.
Last week the final touches were put

on the lobby and waiting area. The
flooring in the lobby received a lot of
LTC Lankford uses trauma
attention. The flooring material is a T-Bird soldiers tour the new facility.
shears to cut the ribbon.
concoction created by SFC Grannan
consisting of four scoops of sand (from sandbags) mixed with four coffee cans of a plastic resin (similar to
Elmer’s Glue). The material was applied ten coats thick with rollers. SSG Gay and SGT Coble together en-
sured that the floor was a huge success.
The walls were painted white to provide a “medical clinic” ambience.

SGT Chambers and SPC Hernandez took the lead with brushes in
hand. CPT Carter even jumped in to paint the base boards. The med-
ics were humorously quick to point out the occasional run of paint in
CPT Carter’s work.
Additional thanks to the S4 section and SGT Arry Johnson for their
hard work arranging for trenches to be dug and for power cables to be
LTC Lankford, newly promoted CPT Ponder run from a generator over 100 yards away. The final “hook-up” oc-
and Doc “I ran the marathon yesterday and curred last week and the SWA BAS is open for business. The “Grand
can still walk” Carter take a look around.
Opening” was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony graced by
the presence of Battalion Commander, LTC Lankford.
CPT Carter, the battalion Physician Assistant and medical section OIC views the project as “a total suc-
cess and a display of ingenuity and teamwork.”. Hats off to the medical section for a job well done!
Brothers Reunited in Baghdad

By CPT Chin U Kim
On April 22, 2009 on the balcony of the Palace at Camp Victory, Baghdad, I had the privilege of reenlist-
ing my brother to serve his country indefinitely. Staff Sergeant Malcolm Laird, my second oldest brother, is as-
signed to the 1st Armor Division from Bohmholder, Germany. He has been in active duty service for about 13
years and was reenlisting indefinitely– an option available for Career Soldiers. This is his first deployment to Iraq
on a 15th month tour ending in May. It would have been about 2 years since we last met when he was stationed at
Fort Sill. It was great to see my brother in Baghdad and honor to reenlist him as a Career Soldier serving for his
country. SSG Laird will return to back to Germany to his wife and two kids and hopes to get his next duty station
in South Korea.
CPT Kim swears in his brother, SSG Laird.

SSG Laird with his reenlistment certificates.
1LT Bill Ponder is Promoted to Captain
1LT William E Ponder was promoted to Captain

on Saturday, April 25th at Camp Ramadi, Iraq. His
promotion was long awaited since it had been delayed
due to an administrative SNAFU that was finally re-
solved. He was naturally excited and pleased to have
received federal recognition of his advancement while
at work on the TOC night shift. His promotion cere-
mony was scheduled later that morning where LTC
Lankford promoted and slugged him (as T-Bird tradi-
tion requires!).
LTC Lankford “pins” CPT Ponder shortly before punch-
ing him in the chest “just to make sure it sticks”.
Coyote Corner x2
By SPC Ryan King
SPC James Woodman is a member of 2nd Squad, 3rd Pla-

toon. He enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in April
of 2007 in Duncan, Oklahoma. SPC Woodman attended basic
training and AIT at Ft. Sill, OK, graduating with the 13P MOS
(Fire Direction Specialist).
James currently lives in Rush Springs, Oklahoma. He

joined the military while still a junior in high school. Using the split
option, he attended basic during the summer between his junior
and senior year and AIT after graduation.
After this deployment, James plans to start college,

possibly at the University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma or
Cameron University. He wants to work toward a Criminal Justice SPC James Woodman
Fish Hunter
degree and pursue a career in law enforcement.
One thing you don’t know about SPC Woodman is that he spends most of his free time back
home fishing, usually in the Washita River or Lake Taylor.
SSG Matthew Robertson is the squad leader for 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon. He enlisted in the Marine Corps
in August of 1995. After six years, he joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard, starting in the 1-180th In-
fantry. He transferred to the 1-171st FA in May of 2004 and the 1-
158th FA in April of 2008. SSG Robertson attended boot camp with
the Marines in San Diego.
Matthew currently lives in Yukon, Oklahoma. He recently ac-

cepted an AGR position as the Training NCO for Headquarters and
Headquarters Battery 271st Brigade Support Battalion. His duties will
include creating training schedules, preparing troops for various mili-
tary schools, and assisting with the units overall readiness. One of his
military goals is “…to be a Sergeant Major or stay in the military until
they kick me out, whichever comes first.”.
Following this deployment, Matthew has a planned family trip

SSG Matthew Robertson to Sedona, AZ.
Converted Marine
One thing you don’t know about SSG Robertson is that he at-
tended the All Boys Boarding Military School in Mexico, Missouri.
Charlie Battery News
Corporal Michael Clark is promoted to Sergeant
Private Martin is promoted to

Private First Class
SPC Barney received the Army Achievement Award for

Meritorious Service while conducting training at FT
Hood, TX.
1LT James Smith received the Army Achievement
Award for outstanding leadership and training
SPC Ferguson received the guidance at FT Hood, TX.
Army Commendation
Medal for outstanding
administrative support
during mobilization
training at FT Hood, TX.
CPT Anderson meets with

local tribal leaders to dis-
cuss some issues affecting
their neighborhood and
Camp Ramadi.
In the last article, I mentioned that I’m often asked by Soldiers about the
existence of God. I then discussed the importance of the Bible and the
cosmological argument. This week I’ll focus on the teleological argument,
or argument from design. This argument has many forms and is not with-
out its weaknesses, but it has become an important link in the chain of
proofs for the existence of God. In his book Natural Theology, William
Paley (1743-1805) wrote, “There cannot be a design without a designer;
contrivance without a contriver; order without choice; arrangement with-
out anything capable of arranging…” In this same book, Paley formulated
his famous pocket watch analogy. Suppose you are walking in a field,
when suddenly you notice a shiny object in the dirt. You reach down, pick
it up, clean it off, and then realize you’re holding a pocket watch. As you
CPT William Elkins
examine the watch, you notice the inner workings—the springs and the
movement of tiny gears. It’s doubtful you would conclude that the watch
was a result of natural processes. Most would conclude that the watch was designed by an intelligent being (a
watchmaker) and dropped in the field. This analogy assumes most of us would recognize the presence of design,
which implies a designer.
When applied to the universe, we discover that from the tiny atom to the massive galaxy, the universe is far
more complex and intricate than a pocket watch. The human body itself exhibits the characteristics of design. We
come equipped with two complex, camera-like objects called eyes; if the Mars Rover had discovered a box with a
camera inside, it would have provided sufficient evidence for other intelligent life. With an estimated 10 billion
gigabytes of storage capacity, the brain functions much like a complex computer; intelligent computer designers
and programmers have still not been able to match the design and complexity of the brain. If we, as intelligent be-
ings, cannot match the complexities of the human body, can random chance really be a plausible explanation for
our existence?
The universe itself seems to be fine-tuned for life. From the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere to the
mass density of the universe, hundreds of conditions must be just right in order to support life. The odds that this
fine-tuning occurred without a fine tuner are beyond comprehension. With this much evidence of design, it is rea-
sonable to conclude that there must be a designer. In fact, the well-known atheistic philosopher Antony Flew re-
cently became a theist based primarily on this argument.
The Bible also contains a type of the teleological argument. Psalm 19:1 (NIV) says, “The heavens declare
the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Paul writes in Romans 1:20 (NIV) “For since the
creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Paul believed the created order so clearly
pointed to the Creator that no excuse could be offered for unbelief. This is the essence of the teleological argu-
ment. In the next article, we’ll take a look at another important argument for God’s existence.
Soli Deo Gloria

Chaplain Elkins
120th FSC (page 1 of 3)
By 1SG Mark Rackley
Well, the MWR continues to find things for us to do. In the

past two weeks the 120th FSC has competed in the Fireman’s Chal-
lenge and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. During the
Fireman’s Challenge SPC Butler represented the 120th FSC. SPC
Butler competed in several events such as the tire drag, the fire
hose pull, the MRAP pull, she even had to operate a live fire hose
just to mention a few of the events. Then on the 24th of April the
120th FSC made a showing at the OKC Marathon here at Camp SPC Butler on the Tire Drag at the
Ramadi. Everyone was involved in one way or another. SSG Pleas, Fireman’s Challenge.
SGT Heckathorne, SGT Brooks and PFC McElveen due to medi-
cal reasons were not able to make the run so they handed out
water to the runners and kept track of times. The 120th FSC had
three teams competing in the Marathon. MAJ Harris, CPT
Blount, SSG Thompson, SSG Kimble and PFC Hornbeck made
up the 120th FSC winning team within the Company. The sec-
ond place 120th Team consisted of 1LT Vasquez, SFC Klaassen,
SPC Shillingstad, SPC Narvaiz and SPC Kirchen, and the third
place team was made up of CW2 Ross, SFC Pierre, SGT Streeter,
SPC McDaniel and SPC Butler. The Relay Teams were required
to run a relay
consisting of a
MAJ Harris, CPT Blount, SSG Thompson, SSG
5K, then 10K,
Kimble and PFC Hornbeck comprised the fastest of 3
FSC teams in the marathon. then 5K, then
10K and a final
12K run. The other 20 Soldiers competed in the 5K walk. Over all
we had a great turnout with the Marines, the 81st and the rest of the
1-158 FA (HIMARS) supporting the Oklahoma City Memorial
Marathon.
The FSC’s other two marathon teams “cheese” it up
Well, we all know that the main focus of the 120th FSC for the camera.
(HIMARS) mission here at Camp Ramadi is to provide mainte-
nance for the 1-158 FA (HIMARS) but how many know what all has to occur prior to the actual maintenance tak-
ing place. Here is a little insight into part of the behind the scene world of maintenance. First we have CW2 Ross
who is the Maintenance Control Officer and part of his duties includes the review reports and work orders, man-
ages supply parts ordering and returns and works directly with SSA (Supply Support Activity) for tracking and re-
120th continued… (2 of 3)
ceiving parts. He also works with CSSAMO (Combat Service Support Automated Management Office) for com-
puter repairs, reviews and corrects recon reports for conflicting records between SAARS-1 (Standard Army Resup-
ply System-1) and SAMS-E (Standardized Army Management System-Enhanced.) Then we have SFC Klaassen
who is the Maintenance Control Sergeant and the Maintenance Pla-
toon Sergeant. His job is to manage personnel productivity and re-
view supply status for correct parts ordering. He also coordinates
with inspectors for work orders needing to be worked or closed out
and he is also assigned as the master driver trainer for the 120th FSC.
That’s his maintenance job then he is responsible for the mainte-
nance platoon as well. Next we have SSG Pleas who is the lead in-
spector. SSG Pleas supervises a team of inspectors along with per-
forming inspections on ve-
SFC Klaassen and the hicles. He is required to
Maintenance Control Section
research and request parts
to be ordered toward equipment. He conducts final inspections on
equipment when task are completed. SSG Pleas is also tasked with addi-
tional duty of Squad Leader. Then we have SSG Graham and SGT
Blount who are inspectors. Their duties include inspecting vehicles, con-
ducting research and requesting parts to be ordered for equipment, and
conducting final inspections on equipment when task are complete. Then
we have SGT Heckathorne. He is the Tool and Parts NCO/SAMS-E
SGT Blount
Operator and his duties
consist of organizing parts for PLL, and orders POL (Petroleum,
Oil and lubricants). He is required to order parts when restock is
needed, prepare paperwork for parts turn-in and is also required
to dispatch vehicles to the 1-158th FA (HIMARS). SGT
Heckathorne has built bins and racks inside the connexs and
done an outstanding job in organizing the parts department. SGT
Heckathorne is assisted by SPC McDaniel who also works in the
Tool and Parts section. Last but not least we have SPC Edwards.
He is our SAMS-E Administrator. He creates work orders and
orders parts, dispatches equipment, organizes work order files,
submits records for recon reports. This section of the motor
pool is vital to our success in ensuring that the proper mainte-
nance can be performed on all equipment that the 120th FSC has
been charged with to maintain. Now with all of that said and
CW2 Ross and SGT Heckathrone
done, we can talk about what happens after the parts are ordered
someone has to go pick them up, that’s where SGT Fields, SGT Coats, SGT Carrisalez come in. They are the parts
T-Bird News Page 13
120th continued…(3 of 3)
chasers that load up any parts being retuned and head out on a two hour ride.
They meet up with SGT Polsgrove who is assigned to stay at that FOB full
time and assist the 120th FSC with
gathering required parts during the
week and have them ready when
the parts chasers arrive so the
process will be expedited and the
parts chasers can retune sooner
(weather permitting). Then the
parts are returned to Camp
Ramadi and unloaded then inven-
SGT Polsgrove , the “unsung” hero of toried sorted and stored. Nothing
the 120th FSC, lives in Al Asad. can begin yet, we have all of the
work orders ready, we have all of
the parts inventoried, sorted, and put away but one more thing has to
happen before any mechanic can start to work. CW3 Kuehny, he is the
The parts chasers: SPC McDaniel
MAN. CW3 Kuehny is the one that makes it all come together, his job and SGT Fields
is to review all work orders and assign the jobs out to the mechanics.
He makes it all flow together, he over sees the entire operation and ensures that we have a good end result, and
1LT Vasquez is the Maintenance Platoon Leader he is overall responsible for all maintenance operations being
performed.
Getting parts is the first problem, finding somewhere to put

them all until they get used is the next!
The FSC’s parts truck: The Drag’n Wagon.

Meet B Battery’s 3rd Platoon (page 1 of 3)
By 1SG Emmanuel Williams
Third platoon of Bravo battery has been a strong part of the mission. They are primarily responsible for the
movement and operations of the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams throughout the city of Ramadi util-
izing their three PSD squads. They have successfully conducted support missions transporting personnel through-
out Ramadi and other areas such as Baghdad during their mission. The soldiers of third platoon are led by 1Lt Paul
Jackson and SSG William Johnson. They are responsible for all missions that are conducted by their platoons. SSG
Johnson who is a Staff Sergeant who has successfully filled the shoes of a sergeant first Class has proven himself to
the command and the battery as a true leader. He has
taken the responsibility of all 38 soldiers and their well
-being. 1LT Jackson has also taken the responsibility
of the care of the platoon as well as other duties re-
quired by the battery. Together these two men are like
batman and robin. They have established a relation-
ship that has been the secret to their success. Their
mission begins with Mission planning. They receive
the missions from the commander (CPT McLeod) and
then they retreat to the operations room or (BAT
Cave) where they sit and plan which squad will receive
the mission, what routes to use and what threats are
present. They spend an average of 3 hours planning 1
mission of a possible 3 per day. The missions are put
2nd Squad conducts a Mission Briefing. out to the squad leaders who they thoroughly brief on
the mission and the mission goals. Once the mission
has been put out, the squads prepare and begin execution the next day. SSG Johnson and 1LT Jackson are on the
scene insuring that all necessary items are available and accounted for . They perform Pre-Combat Checks (PCC’s)
and Pre-Combat Inspections (PCI’s) on the soldiers to insure that they have all they need to include complete the
mission. They receive mission back briefs from the squad members to insure that they received and understood
the mission and all that surrounds it. Once all checks are made, the squads are then pushed to the staging area
where the passengers are picked up, briefed then loaded. SSG Johnson and 1LT Jackson insure that the squads get
pushed out on time and then return to the Operations room and drink coffee and track their squads as they con-
duct their missions.
First up on the list of Third platoon squads is First Squad led by SSG Robert Cook. They have truly been out-
standing with SSG Cook insuring that his soldiers are prepared for any mission passed down to them. The squad
members have really become a great team and have been able to maintain their sanity and still get the job done.
First squad has a lot of great soldiers that have dedicated themselves to the mission and have become very aware
of their importance to the survival of IRAQ. They have really grown since day one coming into this deployment
B Battery (page 2 of 3)
and have shown veteran ability with every mission conducted. The
squad, that is made up of soldiers like SGT James Hendrickson,
SGT Kyle Glasgow, Christopher Petit who are team leaders and
assistants to the squad leader have also proven their worth taking a
lot of pressure off of the squad leader. SSG Cook has given a lot of
responsibility to his team leaders and they have stepped up to the
plate and have been very successful. The supporting soldiers of
each team who are
CPL Nicholas
Sevedge, SPC Jason
1ST Squad Mission Brief Mcdonald, SPC
Stacey Miller, SPC
Christopher Newman, SPC Michael Andrews, SPC David Levere,
SPC Michael Starr and their medic SPC James Black have been the
backbone of the squad and have really grown as men as well as sol-
diers. They have gained so much experience and knowledge of
combat operations that they are now an asset not only to the unit
but to the entire AL Anbar province.
SGT Hendrickson , SPC Huddleston and

SPC Levere in rare form.
Up next is the mighty second platoon led by none other than
SSG Nicholas Green. SSG Green has really done an outstanding job. He has really taken extra steps in insuring
that his squad is ready for anything. He has really stepped up as a
squad leader and has continued to build on his knowledge of lead-
ership and combat operations. His squad has been selected for nu-
merous missions that required long hauls to complete. His squad
always made sure that their missions were planned and executed
accordingly. SSG Green has become a good leader and is re-
spected by his entire squad. He has dedicated himself to insuring
that they were taken care of military wise and personally. He has
become a role model for his soldiers and has led them with confi-
dence and pride. His dedication to his mission and his soldiers has
made him a successful leader among leaders. His supporting leader
SSG Green and SGT Parra test the effectiveness of a
cast consists of SGT Jason Farmer, SGT Tanner Keasler and SGT
new combat vehicle.
Wesley Parra who are team leaders for the squad. They have been
very supportive and have taken the responsibilities of the squad leader while he was on R&R. Their leadership and
B Battery (page 3 of 3)
ability to move up has been a true showing of SSG Green’s leadership. They have a great bunch of soldiers who
have given their all day-in and day-out. This great group is made up
of SPC Harrold Burris, SPC Dustin Carney, SPC Dennis Green,
SPC James Hock, SPC Danny Huddleston, SPC Raymond Morri-
son and SPC Justin Wilkerson. Without these soldiers the mission
would be impossible to complete.
Last but definitely not least, is the mighty third squad led by
SSG Bennett Jackson who is on his first deployment. SSG Jackson
has utilized his newly acquired experience to ready all of his sol-
diers for what is to or might come along. He has drilled his soldiers
in every area of operations and has insured that his team leaders
take responsibility for
SGT Keasler, SGT Parra, SGT Green and SGT
Farmer of 3rd Platoon all their soldiers and
their decisions. SSG
Jackson Is a soldier's soldier and seeks new knowledge with every mis-
sion and implements new findings into everyday operations. He has
been a source of knowledge for his platoon and has shared many ex-
periences with soldiers of the battery. SSG Jackson’s Platoon is made
up of some great NCOs as team leaders in SGT Johnathan Ditch,
SGT Chad Gilley and SPC Wesley Sharp who have accepted every
challenge and has performed above standard with every mission. They
have been the true reason for the success of the squad and have taken SPC Norris provides security at a venue.
all that SSG Jackson has

given them in the form of knowledge and put it to good use within their
teams. Their teams have outstandingly performed throughout the de-
ployment and must be mentioned. PVT Michael Mccracken, SPC Kevin
Dornan, SPC Albert Folske, SPC Joshua Fox, SPC Robert Hardy, SPC
Sean Murray and SPC Joseph Norris are true soldiers and have definitely
proven themselves to their leadership as such. They cannot and will not
fail because of their belief that they can achieve anything if they stick
together and stay focused.
SPC Sharp and SPC Black Well that is the mighty “DEATH CROWS” in a nut shell. They have
been a true reason for the battery’s success and are not to be down-
graded. They have the heart and the spirit to achieve all tasks assigned and has proven to possess that ability. With
them here, the mission cannot fail.
Fireman’s Challenge
On April 19th, the civilian firemen here at Camp Ramadi devised a strenuous course that simulates several activi-
ties that test the strength, stamina and willpower of firefighters doing their “thing”. The course consisted of a 125
pound tire drag, a hose drag, an 80 pound bucket carry, a ~ 6 foot wood block slide (using a sledge hammer), a
water hose target, a 100’ “buddy” drag using a 160 pound dummy, and a 75’ MRAP pull. There were 5 members
per team and the entire team was evaluated on overall team time. Several teams joined the completion including
one battalion combination team and one team from B Btry. Our teams fought hard and collapsed hard after this
grueling competition.
CPT Peyok and the “Anteater” team gets

ready for the start.
SPC Lemons tears into

SPC Johnson knocks
the tire drag.
out the bucket carry.
SPC Butler hoses CPT Peyok pulling some

down the targets. hose.
SPC Landrum on the

SPC Johnson works the sledge.
“dummy” drag.
The battalion team on the MRAP pull. SPC Latre takes a break after losing his lunch.
This course was a “killer”!
The TOC (continued from page 1)
The TOC uses different systems that help track units out-
side Camp Ramadi, and monitors the perimeter. One system is
the Blue Force Tracker (BFT). It is very similar to having a GPS
in a car. It is a useful tool for squads to track their navigation and
plan other routes. It even provides another form of communica-
tion, much like text messages on cell phones. It also enables the
TOC to track all units throughout Iraq on different maps. This
ensures that the Battalion Commander can track all of his units
and see where they are located in relation to the battlefield and
adjacent units. Other useful systems are tower mounted cameras
that feed imagery to a wall full 36” inch monitors that display all
the sectors of Camp Ramadi. This allows the TOC to have a vis-
ual on events that occur within Camp Ramadi and quite some
distance outside of the camp, day or night. A very rare picture of the Night Shift in daylight
hours: SPC Cody Miller, SPC Bryan Turnbull, CPT Bill
The day shift is when many of the missions roll “outside Ponder and SFC Matthew Ellison
the wire.” It is also the time in which there is a lot of movement
in and out of Camp Ramadi. The main focus is to keep the Battalion Commander and staff aware of any situa-
tions and make any final coordination with any adjacent units. We also track and inform units of events that could
have an impact on their missions.
The second shift continues the tracking of units “outside the
wire.” They also receive Convoy Operations (CONOPS) for the
next day, and conduct initial reviews, checking for discrepancies such
as personnel changes, planned routes, or locations. They enter the
next day’s missions in the portal and submit the ground transporta-
tion requests to our higher headquarters. They also prepare briefing
products for the Battalion Commander’s update briefs to our higher
headquarters.
The night shift conducts the final review of CONOPs and ensures all
The TOC’s senior staff members: MAJ Gerald discrepancies, if any, have been corrected before approval is granted.
Gilbert, SGM Gary Nix and MAJ Wade Murry Working with the S2 intelligence section, they produce the Friendly
Forces Convoy Coordination (FFCC) which consists of intelligence
products for weather, planned and alternate routes, and communication procedures with units throughout Iraq.
The battalion is located in an area that is managed by the Marines. This provides for some challenges
when coordinating different events and missions to take
place. All shifts work collectively with the Marine units to We’d like to show you some pictures of the inside of the
ensure proper procedures are followed so missions can be TOC, but we can’t for obvious security reasons. So,
successful and contribute to the main effort in Iraq. envision it as something like a Redneck version of the
bridge on the starship Enterprise and you’ll get the pic-
In summary, the TOC tracks all our missions and ture: noisy window units for air-conditioning, plywood
maintains situational awareness for the Battalion Com- furniture as furnishings and some really expensive TVs.
mander. The TOC will have tracked over 3,000 missions LTC Lankford
by the end of our tour.
T-Bird News Page 19
Signed Sheets Bring Well Wishes from Home

By SPC Mark McFarland, 1-158th FA Chaplain Assistant
Sheets were signed at the Tulsa Zoo, Living Mu-

seum, and Oklahoma City Zoo during the 2008 Oklahoma
National Guard Zoo Day. The National Guard Apprecia-
tion Day at the Oklahoma Zoos had an awesome attendance
of 1,500 guardsmen and their families. The Zoos reported a
total attendance of 12,000 visitors that day. The two sheets
we received contain over 1,570 messages, wishes, and
prayers for our armed forces. These were divided up be-
tween different guardsmen and airmen groups who are serv-
ing overseas. People got the opportunity to see the HI-
MARS on exhibit. Many families and Fires Brigade soldiers Well Wishes from home.
volunteered to make
Contact Information: this event a very successful one.
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely On behalf of the 1-158th FA, we want to say thank you for your
580-595-4403 continued support. Thank you SFC Laura Motley for helping to make
these events happen. Chaplain Elkins and myself (SPC McFarland), re-
Sherri Blasengame
ceived the sheets and immediately hung them up on the concrete barriers
580-595-4406 outside of our office. We also posted the letter up beside them and sent
out an announcement so everybody could come and read the messages.
Headquarters Family Readiness Reading these warm and heartfelt messages really remind us why we are
Group
Monika Harris here. These kinds of things really make a difference and raise morale for
580-248-9714 the soldiers over here. Keep on doing what you’re doing knowing that you
are making a difference in our lives. Again, thank you so much for all of
LeAnn Terwilligar your support. God bless.
580-483-1051

Kenna Pemberton
Happy Mothers day! (in advance)
580-467-2071
C Battery Family Readiness Group To all the Moms out there, we miss you and yes, we wash
Mandy Saldana
405-535-0557 our hands before every meal….
May 15th 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Ramadi 911
In this issue: The Quick Reaction Force of the
158th FA is responsible for security
2 Commander’s and responding to emergencies
Corner around Camp Ramadi. This around
the clock responsibility keeps them
2 CSM’s Notes busy. Not only do they have to react
to any emergency, but they provide
3 QRF cont. proactive security by making their
presence know.
4 Chaplain Like local police, they are trained to
5 120th respond to any situation that may
arise. They remain on call twenty-
8 Bravo Battery four hours a day, able to be on the
scene of an emergency within min- SGT Jason Schaeffer holds a briefing to members of
10 Charlie Battery utes. When they are not responding the QRF team to discuss the mission.
to emergencies, they provide a
“presence patrol”. This shows accessibil-
ity to those that may need help, as well
as a deterrent to those who are contem- the HMMWV passes through. Truly a sign
plating a hostile act. of a highly motivated Soldier.
In a village adjacent to Camp Ramadi, a Once arriving at the village, members of

QRF team loaded up their gear and the QRF dismount and begin walking
mounted their HMMWV’s. This mission through the area while HMMWV’s follow
will be lead Led by Team leader SGT closely. Local children begin to peek out
Jason Schaeffer, with from behind walls and fences at the Sol-
the intent of patrolling diers moving through. Soon, they overcome
the small village. This their shyness, and approach the trucks to
will serve to maintain say hello and see if any Soldiers might have
a relationship with the candy to share. Coming prepared, the sol-
local populace, as well diers begin tossing beanie babies and pieces
as help maintain the of candy from the truck. The young ones
area security around rally along the road, scooping up the good-
camp Ramadi. ies. The locals step out to say hello, and
some bring out the very small children in
Passing through the hopes a Soldier will not forget the ones that
gate, SPC Ephraim are too young to run around in the street.
Hamilton gives a loud
“WOOO !” at the top
of his lungs to the (continued on page 3)
SSG David Andrews hands a beanie baby to a small child Ugandan Coalition
along the road. Forces standing at the
gate. They yell back as
T-Bird News Page 2
The summer heat is now upon us here in the Greater Ramadi area. Average daily
temperatures are in the low 100’s and the sun is pretty unforgiving on non-overcast
days. Fortunately, it’s a very “dry heat” so it’s much more tolerable than your aver-
age 100 degree day in Oklahoma. But even so, I caution you to think about what
you are mailing to your soldier since it will have to survive the “oven” on its way
here.
The unit that is coming to replace us is currently doing their pre-deployment train-
ing at Ft Hood. We can see light at the end of the tunnel, but unfortunately it is still
only a pin hole at that this point! We still have daily missions to perform and there is
a ton of work to do between now and us getting on a plane, so we’re all keeping our
anticipation in check so far. I’ll have to ask all of you to do the same.
LTC Greg Lankford

A quick update on CPL Schuster (the soldier who was wounded in late April) - he is
Battalion Commander
progressing with his recovery and will likely be home in Oklahoma on convalescent
leave by the time you read this. We are obviously very happy that he is making good
progress and will be home soon. If you’d like to send him a card or letter, please send it to the Lawton armory to his atten-
tion and we’ll forward it to the family.
National Guard Armory
Attn: CPL Adam Schuster
600 NW Cache Rd
Lawton, OK 73507
LTC Greg Lankford
A little rest for the Command Sergeant Major
Summer is fast approaching and with it rising temperatures, but luckily so far we have had
some really mild days for this time of year. Our mild temperatures are just a bonus but it
will get very hot in a few weeks; with the rising temperatures our Soldiers need to be very
attentive and drink appropriate amounts of water to stay hydrated. The type of heat in Iraq
which usually reaches an average of 115 to 120 degrees can be deadly, but with proper hy-
dration, diet, and physical fitness it can be mitigated. Leadership always encourages Soldiers
to drink water and stay in top physical fitness but you can also play a part in this by encour-
aging your loved one to take care of themselves by drinking plenty of water, to continue to
work out, and eat healthy.
CSM Jimmy Venable CSM Jimmy Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
Local 911 (cont)

SSG David Andrews stops to pass some gifts to some of the
little ones being held by a mom or dad. Their posture may ap-
pear soft, but they remain vigilant to their surroundings. They
maintain communication with each other, as they scan the area
for anything suspicious.
The team moves safely along the roads. Helping them main-
tain security is Lance-Corporal David Pond, a K-9 handler with
the Marines. His German Sheppard “Zora” paces back and
forth, moving throughout the team. The security of the area is
the top priority, and every member of the QRF is well aware of
their surroundings.
When not on the road, the members of QRF spend a great
deal of time maintaining weapons systems and emergency
equipment. As first responders, they also undergo medical train-
ing which enables them to provide immediate care if necessary. Children reach up to catch a beanie as it flies through the air.
They are pre-
pared to move at a moments notice. They are able to react to the unknown,
and immediately and effectively execute their training.
There are many pieces to the puzzle of missions that the 158th FA has
been assigned. There are many squads that make up all the members of the
QRF. Every member helps provides an immediate response to anyone in
need and maintain security for all of Camp Ramadi. At any time day or
night, this ever-ready group shows its dedication to their job, and makes its
presence known whenever and wherever duty calls.
SGT Thomas Adkins and LCPL David Pond scan

the area for any threats.
Mailing Address
The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include
there name, specific battery and the APO address. Putting the Soldiers specific
the delivery process.

APO AE 09396
**Please remember that JULY 10th is the cut off date for any mail to be sent
from the U.S. This will help to insure that packages will arrive in time before
members of the battalion have begun their movement home. **
May 15th 2009 Edition Page 4
Can you offer any proof that God exists? (Part 3)

The next argument for the existence of God we’ll discuss is the moral argument.
This argument has been used by many thinkers, from Immanuel Kant to C. S.
Lewis. Kant rejected the possibility of making rational arguments for the existence
of God, but he did view the common innate moral sense in humanity as sufficient
to presume God. However, Christian apologist C. S. Lewis did formulate the moral
argument into rational evidence for God’s existence. The moral argument is based
on the premise that there is a universal objective moral law.
In his book, “Mere Christianity,” Lewis argues that everyone possesses an
innate sense of right and wrong. Like a reflex, we immediately appeal to this com-
mon moral law when we feel wronged. If someone tries to take something from us,
we may say, “That’s mine,” or “You shouldn’t take that.” We expect the would-be
Chaplain William Elkins thief to acknowledge the wrongness of the act without additional explanation. To
further support this premise, it has been observed that remote tribes, with no con-
nection to the outside world, possess the same moral code as the rest of the world. There are some civil differences, but vir-
tues like bravery and loyalty and vices like greed and cowardice are common to all civilizations.
There are some who claim not to believe in a universal moral law, but when wronged, they respond the same as everyone
else. Lewis writes that when a man says the behavior of another man is wrong, he is not “merely saying that the other man’s
behavior does not happen to please him. He is appealing to some kind of standard of behavior which he expects the other
man to know about.” Lewis also suggests that when someone transgresses the moral law, the transgressor does not deny that
such a law exists; he/she merely tries to show why the moral law did not apply in his/her case. The moral law is inescapable,
even for those who attempt to deny it.
The universal nature of the moral law and our inability to perfectly live up to its demands are good indicators that
the moral law did not originate in the heart of man. If this is true, where did this moral law originate? In Romans 2:14-15, the
Apostle Paul writes that God has written His law upon our hearts. God has also given us a conscience to help us discern
right from wrong. In other words, there is a universal objective moral law because there is a universal objective moral law-
giver.
If God doesn’t exist, who decides what’s right or wrong? Should it be left to the governments and the laws they en-
act? What if a government decides that genocide is legally and morally right? On what basis can anyone condemn its atroci-
ties? Because God does exit, we have the foundation to call genocide exactly what it is--evil and morally reprehensible. The
existence of God is the reason for the existence of a universal objective moral law. If there were no God, how could we ex-
pect anyone to be good?
Billy Elkins is the pastor of Trinity Church (trinitychickasha.org). He has a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Bap-
tist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he focused on theology and philosophy of religion. Write your questions by e-mail to ques-
tions@trinitychickasha.org or to Billy Elkins, 428 E. Almar Dr., Chickasha, OK.
Soli Deo Gloria

CPT William Elkins
120th FSC by 1SG Mark Rackley
Members of the 120th FSC vehicle recovery Team The 120th “Recovery Beast” for retrieving disabled vehicles.
Well, May has arrived and the 120th FSC started the month off with the promotions of two Soldiers. SPC Michael Smith
and SPC Jose Mateoperez were both promoted to the rank of SGT. The 120th FSC and the 1-158 FA (HIMARS) would like
to congratulate these two fine NCO’s.
In this edition we would like to highlight our Vehicle Recovery Team (VRT). This section is called upon all hours of the day
and night to go out and recover (tow ) disabled vehicles. SSG Bonner is the section chief that runs the recovery team. SSG
Bonner is also the generator mechanic for the Battalion. His section consists of SGT Fields, SGT Carrisalez, SPC Terwilligar
and SPC Riley. These Soldiers can and have been called out in the middle of the night to recover vehicles and are a vital part
of the unit. Rain or shine, even dust storms cannot stop this section from running a mission. They must be ready to gear up
and move out at a moment’s notice.
It has been discovered that the commander (CPT Blount) of the 120th FSC (HIMARS) has a green thumb. His fiancée was
kind enough to send him a small planter along with some pepper seeds and the soil to grow them in. CPT Blount has been
vigilant about watering and caring for his pepper plants. For two weeks he watered them twice a day, he talked to them giving
them guidance and encouragement, making sure they received the much needed love and sun shine. Then one morning when
he arrived at work there they were. Excitement filled the air, ten out
of ten plants had broken the topsoil and were visible. High fives
were given all around , and as the day moved forward so did the
plants, by the end of the day they were standing tall, I could see the
smile of a proud man on the Captains face. He does indeed have a
green thumb.
The Company Headquarters office became victim to a remodeling
over the past couple of days. KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root) civil-
ian contractors arrived and started to work. They replaced two A/C
units, repaired the ceiling where a fire (two years ago) had burned
thru. They replaced the lighting, painted the trim around the outside.
We even have a door knob now, and it works. They have plans of
replacing part of the flooring that was also damaged during the fire.
Now if we could just get a 60” flat screen TV and a Jacuzzi we
would be set.
120th FAC Headquarters undergoes some remodeling. (continued on page 6)
120th FSC (cont.)
On the 9th of May the 120th FSC awarded Certificates of Partici-

pation to the Soldiers that took part in the Oklahoma City Mara-
thon. Pictured is CW3 Kuehny receiving his certificate. We also
awarded three Soldiers with the Sergeants Major Challenge Cer-
tificate for completing a 5K run plus 10 times up and down a
landmark know as “Signal Hill” , This is an open challenge to
any Soldier at any time.
The one day that the 120th FSC attempted to stand down for
half a day, giving Soldiers time off to take care of personal issues,
we found SFC Klaassen, SPC Roed and SPC Edwards putting
their construction skills to good use. The small gym (AKA the
Battalion gym or the Prison gym,) in the Battalion area was in
much need of repairs. CSM Venable requested that the units all
take a portion of the gym and repair it. The 120th FSC was as-
signed one wall. Now this gym or should we say the building, no
let’s say the shack that holds gym equipment in it was at one CPT Blount’s pepper plants break ground.
time a tent and someone removed the tent leaving the frame,
then someone attempted to construct a building around the
frame. I don’t believe the building had two straight boards in it but our fine construction crew consisting of crew foreman
SFC Klaassen with crew members SPC Roed and SPC Edwards were able to construct a fine, upright, straighter than
most ,wall which sealed most of the holes that was letting in sand and keeping our gym all dusty inside. A big ‘Thank You”
and a job well done goes out to these
three Soldiers for taking their down
time to fix our gym.
SFC Klaassen supervises building improve- SPC Michael Smith is promoted to SGT.
ments for the Battalion gym.
CW3 John Kuehny receives a certificate for SPC Jose Mateoperez is promoted to SGT.
running in the Oklahoma city Marathon.
Bravo Batter y by 1sg Emmanuel Williams
The soldiers of B-BTRY have started to see the light at

the end of the tunnel and have begun to prepare for the
long journey home. They have started to inventory and
pack up unneeded equipment in order to prepare to ship
it home. Yes, we are getting ready to return to our fami-
lies who have supported us through all the times that we
have had since this deployment has begun. The soldiers
have really opened their eyes and have begun looking in
different directions but have also continued to concen-
trate their efforts on the mission. They have continued to
perform as expected and have successfully accomplished
every mission and have reacted to every incident with
extreme excellence and knowledge. These soldiers have
been through a lot and have earned the right to look
ahead and see home and freedom. They can taste the
meals and feel the hugs that await them upon arrival.
They know that their children are waiting to be picked up
and held and family members hugged and kissed. The
couch potatoes can visualize their favorite spot on the
PFC Taylor Sandefur prepares for his mission as a gunner insuring sofa and the strategically placed remote. They dread but
that his weapon system is fully operational. look forward to the “honey dos” mainly because it means
they are home.
The soldiers of Bravo battery are anxious to get home and want nothing more than to put this all behind them and come
home to their real lives. They want to discover themselves once again and live life as they have earned the right to, “FREE”.
Even though the light at the end of the tunnel can be clearly seen, the work still left to be done is also in clear sight. The sol-
diers know that they still must maintain their position in this fight until the plane has landed on their home ground. The pla-
toon leadership has really stepped their mission planning up and the leadership have dedicated themselves to developing new
techniques and tactics for operations to insure soldier survival. We have continued training insuring that our combat skills are
at their best. We have seen the importance of maintaining these skills and how much the lives of our team mates depend on
them. Skills such as combat life savers, MRAP maintenance and
communications as well as weapons training have become a
weekly process for our soldiers. Hesitation is not something any
soldier wants. They want to react instantly and train to do just
that.
The missions have become very precise with careful planning
and with squad and team selection. Every soldier has stepped up
with ideas and new ways of operating to keep us safe and suc-
cessful. The city of Ramadi has really grown in the area of
beauty and advancement and these soldiers have been the cause
of it. Their bravery and dedication along with immeasurable
drive has kept hope alive for the citizens of Ramadi. We have
continued to grow and can only get better as time winds down.
We have generated some great leaders since the beginning who
are going to produce more great leaders giving us the edge as a
military.
These soldiers of Bravo battery have proven themselves in
SPC Jared Page poses with a local Iraqi policeman during
many situations and have trained and adjusted in order to im-
prove every day , every mission and every mile. their mission into Ramadi.
(continued on page 8)
Bravo Batter y… cont
The soldiers have really learned so much from each other.

The power of the National Guard and especially Bravo
battery is the civilian knowledge and experience that is
deployed with every battery. We have Carpenters, plumb-
ers, medics and yes even lawyers. We have all we need to
help in the success of not only combat situations but home
as well. We live here as a family in Bravo and we insure
that no one is alone. We have accepted each other and
have learned more and more about each other. The com-
bined unit set-up has benefitted us, giving us friends in
other parts of the state, and even out of state bringing the
Oklahoma National Guard even closer together as a
whole. I am personally proud of every soldier that I was
mobilized with and have had the privilege to work with
thus far, and I can say that I could not have asked for any-
thing more. The soldiers have developed a need for knowl-
edge and have started to force feed themselves everything
there is to offer in combat training, but at the same time
have continued to take actions to secure their futures.
Many soldiers have taken advantage of the education SGT William Cain shows the people of Ramadi his good side and
benefits and have learned to balance school, missions and poses with them during a walk through the neighborhood .
home all at once. To do this takes a lot of dedication and a
thirst for success. As I have stated I am very proud of my soldiers and I have learned that there is nothing that can stop them
once they have set their eyes on a goal. They are driven by a thirst for success and have not strayed away from they want.
They are here doing things to standard and they are here setting standards. So next time you see your loved one who is serv-
ing here, take a really good look at him/her and insure you look deep because you are looking at a true soldier who has made
all we have possible, and you are the reason for his success.
Coyote Cor ner: SPC Thomas Br yant, POST!
SPC Thomas Bryant is a member of 1st Squad, 1st Platoon. He

enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in May of 2006. He
started as a member of 1-171 FA before he transferred to the 1/158 FA.
SPC Bryant attended both basic training and AIT at Ft. Sill, OK, graduat-
ing with the 13P MOS.
Thomas currently lives in Weatherford, OK with his wife Cath-
erine. Before this deployment, he worked for OG&E as a member of a
pipe layer crew. One of his future military goals is to become an Officer.
After the deployment, Thomas and his wife plan on visiting Ireland.
One thing you don’t know about Thomas is that he was
born in Uba City, California. SPC Thomas Bryant.
Charlie Battery Softball by CPT Donald Anderson
On April 26, 2009, Charlie Battery met their destiny out

on Striker Field here at Camp Ramadi. After a condensed
schedule was forced on to the leagues teams, the playoffs
were scheduled to start on Friday April 24 and run
through Sunday April 26. While the season only spanned
9 regular season games, the laughs and jokes still resonate
around the office.
In early January, Coach / 1SG (Silverback) Cooper gath-
ered his prospective team out on the practice field to see
what he had to work with. Immediately, he was impressed
with the likes of SPC (Tater Salad) Tate who cleaned up
most every throw that was anywhere near first base. Pro-
tecting the right side of the field at second base was a
combination of SFC (Rican Widow Maker) Saldana and
SGT (I Like Baseball) Bray. Continuing around the horn
we had SPC Jimmy Bland and 1LT (Rally Stripe) Seibert at
Let the Sparkling grape soda fly as the team celebrates it’s victory.
shortstop and CPT (The Commander) Anderson taking
the bad hops and making plenty of his own errors at third.
In left field, of course neither SGT (T-Rich) Ulrich nor SFC (Flex) Rogers need an introduction. In left center and right cen-
ter were the likes of SGT (I am not Jimmy) Mitchell, SPC (Huffer) Huff, and SPC Lee Davis. In right field, SSG (I’ve got
wheels…. Where are my smokes?) Bruesch and SGT Chris Koehler kept the lefties honest. Of course behind the plate we
had 1LT (XO) Smith and SGT (Old Guy) Cox and 1SG Cooper was on the mound.
As you can see, there were plenty of characters, which made the games a lot of fun. I think I speak for our team when I say
that we were really disappointed that the season was shortened. I really enjoyed playing with a bunch of guys who hated
losing as much as I do. Over the course of the season, we remained undefeated until we played 1st Platoon from Bravo Bat-
tery. We battled back and forth and managed to lose the game with two outs in the bottom of the last inning with time ex-
pired. It was a tough loss that we had a hard time getting over. I still wince at the thought of the horrible call that the home
plate umpire (Thanks SSG Ray Charles) made at third base. For some reason, the photographic evidence that he was shown
after the game still didn’t change his mind. We recovered from that game only because we were scheduled for a re-match
down the road, but that game never materialized. We regularly beat teams by more than 15 runs and enjoyed a few 25 run
games. This was definitely the most offensively talented team that I have ever played with.
But, back to our championship run. Over a period of two days, we played a total of four games against two separate Marine
Corp units (ERRReeeerrrr…. Or whatever it is that they say!), 2nd Platoon from Bravo Battery, and the 81st Heavy Brigade
Combat Team. We beat some by almost 10 runs and one by 24. Quite
impressive if you ask me. Most importantly, we had fun… making fun
of guys like 1LT Rally Stripe Seibert who shaved his own head before the
first game and missed a long stripe down the back. Of course, being the
superstitious types, we made him leave it which meant he couldn’t go to
the dining facility for two days because he looked pretty funny with a big
stripe of fuzz down the back of his head.
After the championship game, SPC (Tater) Tate surprised us with a bot-
tle of vintage white grape juice which he sprayed all over the team and
then passed around for celebratory drinks. It was a bittersweet end to a
great softball season. Of course now the weather is starting to heat up,
which makes these types of activities pretty difficult. Congratulations to
“Charlie Rocks” for their outstanding performance and thanks to 1SG
Cooper for the great coaching job, even if you did play for other teams Charlie Battery’s team photo after taking first place
on our off weekends! in Camp Ramadi’s Softball Championship.
Charlie Battery by Ryan King
ET simply needed to phone; all Dorothy had to do was

click her heels three times. However, the feat of getting all
of Charlie Battery back home will prove to be a much
more difficult task. Despite still being months from get-
ting there, the job, led by the Supply section, is already in
the works.
A 100% inventory of sensitive items and equip-
ment is the goal of SSG Eric Ray, Battery Supply Sergeant
and CPT Donald Anderson, Battery Commander. All
equipment must be accounted for and located. Also, many
items must be checked to ensure they are operational and
in working condition. Some equipment, such as vehicles,
ammunition, and maintenance items will remain here to be
assigned to the replacing unit. These, too, must be ser-
CPT Donald Anderson, SPC Joshua Jezisek, SSG Eric Ray
viced and inspected to ensure they are ready to be handed
and SPC Joaquin Puente performing inventory.
over. And last, but not least, each Platoon has their own
personal equipment they use to complete their specific missions. With guidance from the Supply Section, each
Platoon will also inventory and inspect their specific equipment.
Once an inventory is completed, all equipment returning home must be packed and stored away. It is
definitely a daunting and time consuming task loading thousands of pounds of gear and equipment into various
storage containers. Each container must be marked in accordance with shipping standards and Army regula-
tions. All Soldiers’ personal gear must be marked and be easily identifiable. To top it all off, with every item
and every crate comes quite the paper trail. Paperwork must be organized and maintained to aid in shipping
and tracking, inventory, identification, and possible claims made if any of the equipment is damaged during
shipment.
As can be imagined, this job is too much work to be completed by supply personnel alone. Over the
next month or so, one will find any number of Charlie Soldiers assisting supply, be it double checking serial
numbers or carrying equipment from A to B. Whatever it
takes to make it home, though, Charlie Battery will do it,
and then some. Rest assured…with a lot of hard work,
and maybe just an ounce of good fortune, Charlie will be
sure to put ET’s ship and Dorothy’s red shoes to shame.
Charlie Battery’s equipment is prepared to be loaded into

one of the shipping connexes.
Spot News..
SGT Brummett is recognized as the Outstanding Private First Class Ephraim Hamilton is promoted to
NCO of the Quarter For Charlie Battery for the Specialist
period 01 January through 31 March.
SGT Kelly is promoted to Staff Sergeant in Charlie SPC Shawn Johnson is promoted to Sergeant in HHB.
Battery.
PFC Gerald Negelein is Promoted to Specialist in SGT Steven Schoeppach is promoted to Staff Sergeant
HHB. in HHB.
T-Bird News Page 12
May Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following Soldiers in the 1-158th who were born during the month of May.
SGT Shawn Johnson 1LT Paul Jackson SGT Jason Bray

SGT Chad Greenwood SGT Zachary Jessen SPC Keaton Aldridge
SPC Dillon Jones SPC Jeremy Mansell SPC Eric Harlan
SPC James Black CPT Robert Mcleod PFC Brian Slater
SPC Jeremy Brady SPC Daniel Mendoza SPC Thomas Bryant
SPC Kevin Cecil SPC Christopher Newman SPC Adam Newton
SGT Jason Farmer SGT William Reid SGT Elloid Carrisalez
SPC Lance Gassett SSG John Weekley SPC Michael Moore
SGT Earle Hudson SGT Casey Kerr
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403 FA M I LY E M E R G E N C I E S
Family Assistance Center, Lawton Family Emergencies for soldiers who are deployed need to be channeled
Sherri Blasengame through the Red Cross. Any emergency that may require a soldier to take an ab-
580-595-4406 sence from his duties while mobilized must go through the nearest Red Cross
Chapter of the family who has the emergency. The process can be faster if you
Headquarters Family Readiness have the Soldiers Social Security Number and unit information handy. That chap-
Group ter will relay the information to the deployed unit, who will notify the soldiers
Monika Harris Unit Commander.
580-248-9714
Monika.Harris@us.army.mil Points of contact at Camp Ramadi to give to your local Red Cross are :
LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
Mailing Address
Kenna Pemberton The mailing address for 1-158th FA Soldiers at Camp Ramadi should include
580-467-2071 there name, specific battery and the APO address. Putting the Soldiers specific
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net battery helps the unit divide the mail among the appropriate units to speed up
the delivery process.
Mandy Saldana
405-535-0557
mandysaldana@yahoo.com (Battery) 1-158th FA
APO AE 09396
June 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Battalion COMMO
In this issue:
allows the COMMO section to
maintain all systems simultane-
2 Commander’s ously.
Corner CPT Chin Kim is the Signal
Officer in charge of the section.
2 From the CSM He oversees operations, and
keeps LTC Lankford informed
4 Chaplain of the current status and future
plans for communications. He is
5 Bravo Battery also the Electronic Warfare Offi-
cer for the battalion. This par-
6 Charlie Battery ticular position adds the respon-
Members of the 1-158th Communications team.
sibility of maintaining specialized
9 120th FSC equipment used on the vehicles.
(CPT Chin Kim and SGT James Keesee not pictured) This equipment is designed to
counteract specific threats
Members of the 158th FA communi- against our Soldiers both on and off Camp
cations section are another vital compo- Ramadi. SFC Tracy Taylor is the Senior
nent to the success of the mission in NCO in charge of the section. He assists
Iraq. CPT Kim with all aspects of communica-
The three elements required for a mili- tions, and directly supervises the COMMO
tary to operate are: shoot, move and team. His job requires not only the ability
communicate. The 1-158 FA Communi- to effectively lead and manage a team but,
cation Section, or “COMMO”, is re- the skills and knowledge to execute the
sponsible for the communication ele- tasks his team faces.
ment. To be successful in their SSG John Fitzgerald is the COMMO
mission, tactical proficiency is NCO, and supervises the team members
required of every member in assigned to each battery in the battalion.
their specific job. The SGT Christopher Malone is the COMMO
COMMO section is divided team chief for HHB, and also maintains the
into teams which address the tracking system, which is similar to a super
entire battalion’s communica- GPS, but with a few more bells and whis-
tion needs. Some of the spe- tles. SGT Malone also conducts operational
cific functional areas that the training of the tracking system to other
COMMO teams support in- members of the battalion. Other COMMO
clude: radios, computer hard- team chiefs include SGT Jeremy Beard who
ware and software, specialized manages communications for Bravo Battery
CPT. Chin Kim gives a thumbs up to confirm on electronics equipment, and and SGT James Bozarth who takes care of
board equipment is functioning.
networking. Having teams Charlie Battery.
assigned to specialized areas
(cont. on page 3)
T-Bird News Page 2

Last Monday the camp conducted a Memorial Day ceremony to honor all of those
that have fallen defending our nation’s freedom. It was a somewhat strange feeling
though, to be deployed and conducting missions on that day while remembering
those that did the same thing and didn’t return. We have been very fortunate to
not have to know firsthand what that experience is like, but I’m certain that for
many of us Memorial Day will have a much deeper meaning than just being another
holiday.
Our rear detachment soldiers back in Oklahoma are heading out to Camp Gruber
and Fort Sill for their two week annual training this weekend. I tasked Alpha Bat-
tery with continuing our artillery mission and training in our absence and they are
doing just that. They’ll be firing their rocket launchers at Fort Sill and doing all
kinds of cool artillery stuff that makes me jealous just thinking about it. It’s hard to
imagine two weeks seeming like a long time to be away from home at this point, but
LTC Greg Lankford I’m sure it will be for those troops! Well, I’m looking forward to seeing some pic-
Battalion Commander tures of them firing because they have worked hard to maintain their proficiency.
Keep your spirits up- we’re on the “downhill slide” to coming home.
LTC Greg Lankford
Command Sergeant Major

For the next few newsletters, I will be writing about some of the benefits that the mili-
tary offers to its soldiers and family members. We will receive many of these briefings
during the DEMOB process, but it is fast and furious and it is usually not what your
soldiers have on their mind, so it might be forgotten.
With deployments at one time or another hardship will befall your family while your
loved ones are deployed, though most of them will be minor some can be more diffi-
cult; these hardships can be very frustrating and counterproductive to your daily life and
the morale of your soldier. To help, the Department of Defense and the Oklahoma Na-
tional Guard have set up many resources that offer a wide variety of services. Even
though we near our arrival home, it is still not too late to take advantage of these pro-
grams, but it is up to you to reach out and make contact with them. While we are still
deployed the most prominent of these agencies is Military One Source (*); it is kind of CSM Jimmy Venable
like your one stop shop service for military members and their families, it also can be
used for when we redeploy home but it does has a time limitation. Military One source offers services like finding emergency
childcare, planning a budget, and even face-to-face counseling. Credentialed consultants offer support and practical solutions
24 hours a day, 7 days a week / 365 days a year through phone or online consultation. This service is completely free and
confidential.
For when we return home the Oklahoma National Guard has pioneered a program in hopes of changing how Soldiers are
reintegrated back to their communities, it is called Beyond the Yellow Ribbon (*). It too offers a wide range of services for
Guardsmen and their family members. When we do return home, the next 90 days will be dedicated to the Yellow Ribbon
program, this will help in the process of reintegration for soldiers and family members; family members are encouraged to
also attend.
In the meantime, I encourage all family members to research the many benefits that you are entitled to and make use of
them if needed.
If you have any questions about these programs, you can also contact your Family Assistance Center (FAC), or the Rear
Detachment for details.
(*)- see back page for web links CSM Venable
T-Bird News Page 3
Battalion COMMO (continued)
No battery can begin a mission without having communications in

proper working order. It is imperative that all COMMO systems are
ready to go at all times. Typically missions are scheduled in advance, but
there are occasional times when a mission is tasked to the battalion at a
moment’s notice. There is no time to begin working on radios when
there is a mission waiting to be accomplished. Time is money and the
members of COMMO work hard to earn theirs.
SGT James Keesee not only works on radio systems, he also assists the
Electronics Warfare Officer, CPT Kim, with maintaining the specialized
mission equipment installed in the vehicles. These pieces of classified
equipment help preserve the safety of our Soldiers. This equipment must
be tested and operational before any convoy can roll off of Camp
SGT Chris Malone and SPC Howard Erikson assem- Ramadi.
ble a computer printer to be used by the battalion. SSG Sammy Hunt is the Local Access Network Manager NCOIC.
With the assistance of SPC Howard Erikson and SPC Michael Cainion,
they work together to insure all equipment and computer hardware is up and running effectively. If it attaches to a computer,
they take care of it. Running network cables, setting up workstations, and even tracking computer user accounts all fall within
their duties. Computer technology is constantly changing, and they stay
very busy keeping the 1-158th FA updated with the latest computer
equipment and software requirements. Every office in the battalion calls
on them if there is a computer, software or printer problem. Mission
tasks occur not only on Camp Ramadi. Operational areas have to com-
municate with 45th Fires Brigade Headquarters in Kuwait, and the ar-
mories back in Oklahoma. Losing contact can have adverse effects on the
unit’s ability to manage operations and personnel.
Always available, the COMMO section keeps the battalion communicat-
ing. From across the base, to around the world, they are the lifeline that
makes the mission happen. Without their dedication and technical exper-
tise the battalion would lose its ability to communicate and you cannot
shoot or move unless you can communicate.
SGT Jeremy Beard checks radios equipment in one
of the battalion’s many MRAPS.
Mailing address
process.
NEW CUT OFF DATE IS JULY 1st
Note: Be advised that July 1st will be the day we ask all
June 1st 2009 Edition Page 4

Before we end this series, I want to include one more argument (that requires a little
more thought) called the Kalãm argument. Kalãm means “speech”, but came to connote a
type of philosophical theology which attempts to demonstrate that the world cannot be
infinitely old.
The Kalãm argument can be expressed like this:
(1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause for it coming into being.
(2) The universe began to exist.
CPT William Elkins (3) Therefore, the universe has a cause for its coming into being.
No one really doubts premise one (1) except, as philosopher Peter Kreeft says, those in
asylums and graduate schools. How about premise two (2)? With the advent of Big Bang cosmology this premise is suddenly
in vogue. It’s interesting to note that when Einstein found the universe to be expanding, he tried to fudge the numbers to
show it static (a move he would later regret). Einstein understood if the universe was expanding, it implied a beginning, and
possibly a creator. Currently, most Big Bang cosmologists have been able to successfully navigate around this apparently
frightful conclusion. Along with scientific reasons, there are philosophical reasons to support premise two. For example, if
the universe is infinitely old, how could we arrive at this present day? In order to reach this day, an infinite number of days
must have preceded it. But if an infinite number of days have proceeded this day, how could we ever arrive at today?
Whether or not we understand or agree with this argument, most of us would agree with premises one and two.
The sticking point in the Kalãm argument is in the conclusion (3). What or who caused the universe to come into being?
Was it blind random chance or a creator who is, among other things, very powerful and very intelligent? Naturalists attribute
the existence of this vast and complex universe to the workings of blind random chance, as if random chance possessed
some sort of creative power. However, random chance cannot explain the existence of the universe because chance is not a
thing—and if it’s nothing, then something cannot come from it. The concept of random chance may help us calculate the
odds of winning the lottery, but it cannot explain the existence of the lottery tickets. The tickets must be designed and cre-
ated by intelligent beings (FYI: I don’t actually play the lottery). Still, many scientists insist that we speak of random chance as
if it had some sort of being or creative power.
Atheists (and some theists) contend that any argument for the existence of God falls short. However, it must be pointed out
that any argument for God’s non-existence falls short on the same grounds. Theists may not be able to absolutely prove
God’s existence to everyone’s satisfaction, but neither can atheists absolutely prove God’s non-existence. Hence we see a
commonality between theism and atheism—they both require faith.
We’ll have more on that next time.
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
Family Emergencies for soldiers who are deployed need to be channeled through the Red Cross. Any emergency that
may require a soldier to take an absence from his duties while mobilized must go through the nearest Red Cross Chapter of
the family who has the emergency. The process can be faster if you have the Soldiers Social Security Number and unit infor-
mation handy. That chapter will relay the information to the deployed unit, who will notify the soldiers Unit Commander.
Bravo makes the best of it: by 1SG Emmanuel Williams
Even though Bravo battery soldiers are thousands of miles from

home they have learned that you have to make the best of things that
are accessible in order to keep sane. Bravo Battery personnel have
realized that the little things in life are the things that must not be
taken lightly in order to be prepared for this theatre of operation. SSG
Billy Holley has taken his squad through training that will keep their
skills sharp ready to perform at an instant. His latest training consisted
of Combat Life Savers Skills. This is a very critical skill that is highly
needed for all the soldiers assigned. The soldiers must have confi-
dence in this skill in order to be ready to assist their buddy in time of
need without hesitation. The soldiers take their training serious and
perform the tasks until it has been perfected. The training is rough
sometimes but the soldiers suck it up because they know the impor-
tance of it and how critical it is to possess. Now don’t get me wrong, a
lot of the training is definitely fun training. The guys love to go to
ranges to enhance their marksmanship skills, conducting the training 1LT Paul Jackson celebrates his 25th birthday in the
as a competition. They fire their M9, M4, M2 and 240B as often as comforts of someone else’s CHU. 1LT Chad Richardson
possible to maintain these skills. SGT Earl Hudson who is a squad sits and continues to enjoy his dinner as he mumbles
designated marksman (which is someone who shoots real well) has “blow out the candles and get out”
run the ranges for the his platoon’s training, insuring they get all the
instruction they need. He has said that the soldiers have made great progress since qualifying at Fort Hood. Their marksman-
ship skills have risen, making the battery a force to be reck-
oned with by providing them with more expert marksmen.
We here in Bravo battery have made it a point to acknowl-
edge the little things such as a Soldier’s birthday. This month’s
victim was LT Paul Jackson who we insisted on recognizing in
order to remind him just how old he really is. This birthday
celebration included what they said was a cake and a happy
birthday song by the leadership mass choir consisting of CPT
Robert Mcleod, LT Chad Richardson, SSG William Johnson,
SFC Lance Grant and singing background 1SG Emmanuel
Williams (ALBUM COMING SOON). We have also had sev-
eral other things going on throughout the battery that has
made a difference. We have conducted the reenlistment of
SPC Joshua Avants who has reenlisted for 6 years. SPC
Avants has been an outstanding soldier and has served his
squad, platoon and his battery with a high level of dedication.
The soldiers that have made the commitment to continue ser-
vice in the Guard such as SGT William Reid, SGT Chad
SPC Joshua Avants stands in front of his squad to re-enlist as Gilley and SPC Stacey Miller all have made a huge difference
CPT Robert Mcleod swears him in during his tour in Iraq. He in the operations of the battery while deployed. The Reenlist-
has dedicated himself to serving in the Oklahoma National ment of soldiers here is a great thing to see, because past de-
Guard and will continue his service for 6 more years. ployments have usually driven soldiers out but these soldiers
stand strong in the fight.
(Continued on page 6)
Bravo makes the best of it: (cont.)
The mission still continues as we do what is

needed to support our soldiers. SSG Donald Brewer,
SSG Dwight Hansel, SSG John Weekley and SSG
Brian Hekia all have said that they are being chal-
lenged as much as ever and that their soldiers have
really stepped up and increased their performance.
They are very proud of their soldiers and how they
have become connected with their mission and their
purpose and have pushed themselves to be the best
they can. The soldiers have not missed a beat with
every mission performed, from missions in Ramadi or
missions running to Baghdad and other areas of op-
eration. The long hauls take a lot out of the soldiers
and tire them out but it is never a show stopper as
they maintain their posture and insure mission suc-
cess. SPC Henry Bui, who is a gunner for 1st platoon
says that he has stood his position insuring his squad
is secure never noticing how long they have truly been
on ground. He says that all he knows is what he is
responsible for and he focuses on it until the mission SFC Grant, 1SG Williams, SFC Slezicky and MR. Brooks enjoy one of the
is complete. The long hauls do have its perks. Bagh- perks of going on a long haul to Baghdad. These soldiers are very par-
dad runs are full of celebrating items such as Pizza ticular about what they eat and sometimes even count calories but hey
Hut, Taco Bell, Popeye’s, Burger King and the all what can we say it was our “CHEAT DAY”.
great CINNABON! When soldiers travel to these
areas they are rewarded with a taste of the real world. Most of our soldiers have committed themselves to a strenuous and
strict workout program which does not allow these items within their diet so being inventive they have created what is called
the official “CHEAT DAY”. This day is celebrated on any day you go to a place with restaurants. No one makes fun of you
or calls you a cheater as long as you tell them this is my cheat day. There is no limit to cheat days, a rule no one seems to un-
derstand.
The soldiers have really gotten into working out and bettering their physical fitness. They have adopted the workout pro-
grams of fellow soldiers and have paired up with self made HULKS such as SGT Chad Gilley, SSG Robert Cook and SPC
Wesley Sharp (aka Pocket Hulk). These soldiers have not left their fellow soldiers behind as they offer their guidance and
support to other soldiers within the battery. The overall physical conditioning of the battery has risen dramatically as you
have seen as they went home on R&R. Our MWR here accommodates these soldiers seeking that dream physique and is
packed daily. We have a group of soldiers who prefer to do it the old fashion way and utilize the battalion “Prison Gym”, no
membership required! The equipment is not up to date but very effective. The equipment is strong and durable secured with
top of the line duct tape and bubble gum, but has served us well.
This place is nothing like home but the soldiers have made the best of it. We have learned that we can be comfortable
here until we are stationed back at Fort Living room. We have seen the long days and the short ones, we have seen the time
fly and the time drag but yet we maintain our pace and move through this deployment awaiting the final day and our return
home.

Bravo Battery 1SG
Charlie Battery Colors: by SPC Ryan King
Whether one calls it hoisting the colors or posting the Stars & Stripes,
one can be sure to call the flying of the flag of the United States of
America one of the most common and patriotic themes in military
history. The flag has served many military purposes in its short 220
years of history, from identifying units in combat, to serving as a sign
of victory on the battlefield, or simply providing a morale booster for
weary troops. Today, the flag serves yet another purpose: to recognize
the hard work and dedication of the Soldiers and families of Charlie
Battery.
Each soldier will receive a USA flag that has been flown over
Camp Ramadi, along with a certificate marking the date and the occa-
sion. “Soldiers can choose a particular date to mark a special event,”
says SFC Scott Buehre, who is serving as acting 1SG while 1SG Den-
nis Cooper is on R&R leave. “It was 1SG Cooper’s idea as a way to
honor all the sacrifices that everyone involved with this deployment Flag and certificate for Charlie Battery Soldiers.
has made, to include those back home.” From birthdays to anniversa-
ries, Soldiers are finding it a great way to remember loved ones and
friends. SFC Buehre also stated that if Soldiers wish to have additional flags, they
may buy them from the PX and request them to be flown.
Along with flying the national colors, Charlie battery also flies the Apache
Nation flag. This flag was given as a gift during the FRG Pow-Wow event held in
Anadarko before the mobilization. It serves as a symbol from the Apache Nation
to soldiers for their “continued safe passage while deployed.” It is also a daily re-
minder of the many Americans back home praying for the safety of all military per-
sonnel.
Finally, with Memorial Day approaching, it is important to remember that the
Red, White, and Blue fly high only because of those who came before us. The Sol-
diers of C 1/158FA wish eternal thanks and gratitude to all individuals who have
heard their nations call and served Old Glory with honor. Only through their brave
spirits does she find the strength to take flight.
SPC Ryan King

SFC Scott Buehre Raising the Colors.

Coyote Corner: SPC Gregory Self

SPC Gregory Self is a member of 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon. He enlisted in the
Oklahoma Army National Guard in Midwest City, OK in June of 2007. He
attended both basic training and AIT at Fort Benning, GA, graduating with the
11B MOS. At the age of 39, SPC Self cited that his reasons for enlisting were
to see if he “had it in [him] to do something difficult” and to serve his country.
Gregory currently lives in Oklahoma City, OK. As a civilian, he is a master
craftsman with over 25 years of experience. Gregory currently specializes in
residential fire-restoration, in which he assists individuals with their construc-
tion needs following fire damage. When asked about his future military goals,
they included achieving the rank of Sergeant and continuing to advance his
career. Gregory wishes to expand his military understanding as much as possi-
ble by learning from others with more experience. With this in mind, he plans
to attend the Warrior Leadership Course at Ft. Hood, TX after the deploy- SPC Gregory Self.
ment.
One thing you don’t know about SPC Gregory Self is that he deeply cares for his fellow soldiers and tries to be a positive
role model for others.
SPC Ryan King
PFC Danny Britton is promoted to Specialist. PFC Steven Shell is promoted to Specialist
SGT Richard Sholar is awarded the Meritorious

PFC Joshua Luers is promoted to Specialist Service Medal.
120th: by 1SG Mark Rackley
Well, here we are closing out the month of May. I have posted a new pic-
ture of CPT Blount’s peppers, as you can see he has been giving them plenty
of love along with sunshine and water. They continue to grow and make him
proud.
On the 15 of May the 120th FSC awarded SFC David P. Perkey JR. the Meri-
torious Service Medal for outstand service from September 2007 until Au-
gust 2008. SFC Perkey was very instrumental in getting the 120th Forward
Support Company up and running.
This edition we will take a look at one of the maintenance squads. SGT
Streeter is the squad leader for Bravo Battery maintenance. One of the many
requirements bestowed upon this SGT is to make sure that all of the routine
SFC Perkey receiving the Meritorious Service maintenance is completed in a timely manner. He is required to schedule
Medal. and supervise their maintenance day and work in any issues that pop up
during their missions. SGT Streeter is assisted by SGT Coats who is in
charge of the tool room. SGT Coats is responsible for thousands of dollars
worth of tools that are contained in a special made connex called the SATS.
SGT Coat is assisted by SPC Gordan, these two Soldiers maintain control of
all of the tools and equipment needed by the mechanics. The other Soldiers
in SGT Streeters squad are SPC Roed, SPC McElveen, SPC Shillingstad and
SPC Kirchen. All of these Soldiers perform mechanic’s duties along with
other required duties and missions. Some days start early and end late for
these mechanics, but they have an attitude that the mission comes first and
they can and will do whatever it takes to make sure that Bravo Battery’s
equipment is up and running.
Several of the Soldiers in the 120th enjoyed a Memorial Day softball tourna-
ment. A lot of fun was had and camaraderie took place as the teams played
and relaxed for a couple of hours.
SGT Kevin Streeter in his office.
SPC McElveen and SPC Kirchen at work. CPT Blount’s Peppers.

Ramadi Photos
PV2 Nathan Simpson cleans the glass on the gunners turret of

a HMMWV.
SPC Blake Collett is promoted to Sergeant.
Gathering in remembrance of Memorial Day at

the Green Bean’s stage.
Soldiers get up close for a recent concert by Sevendust at camp

Ramadi.
SPC Anthony Ekman surfs the crowd at the Sevendust concert.
SGT Richard “Shifty” Sholar takes up a defensive admin posi-

tion behind sandbags.
T-Bird News Page 11
Ye l l o w R i b b o n M e e t i n g i n L a w t o n
On Saturday June 13th, there will be a Oklahoma Yellow Ribbon

Reintegration Workshop held at First Baptist Church in Lawton. The
church is located at 510 SW B Avenue. Sign in will be from 8:00am to
9:00 am. The presentation will begin at 9:00 am tand is expected to
last until 3:00 pm.
The Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program is designed to help Sol-
diers and their families make the transition from deployment to post
deployment life. Information can be obtained concerning medical
care, college tuition and family programs designed to assist Soldiers
and their families deal with the changes that will occur as loved ones
welcome their families home.
Resource agencies will be on hand to assist families in a seamless
transition during the redeployment process. Rear Detachment Com-
mand representation will be available to answer questions you may have regarding “Welcome Home Ceremonies” and how
the return home process works.
The agenda for the meeting consists of the following:
9:00am Welcome
Contact Information: 9:15am What Reintegration looks like
Rear Detachment 10:25am Suicide Prevention / Intervention
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403 11:10am Military One Source
charles.neely1@us.army.mil 11:35am Tri Care Medical
Family Assistance Center, Lawton 12:00pm Lunch
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406
1:00pm Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / Traumatic Brain Injury
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil Awareness
Headquarters Family Readiness 1:20pm Financial Planning
Group 1:45pm Dealing With grief / Coping with an Uncertain Future
Monika Harris
580-248-9714 2:45pm Questions and Answers
Childcare and Youth Workshops will be provided so bring the kids and lunch
FSC Family Readiness Group will be served at the event as well. Please register for the event to help account for
LeAnn Terwilligar expected meals to be served.
580-483-1051
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil You can register online at www.guardfamily.org or by telephone at 1-866-649-
6031.
Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071 For more information you may call the Yellow Ribbon Hotline at 1-866-649-6031
C Battery Family Readiness Group Useful Web Addresses

Mandy Saldana
405-535-0557
mandysaldana@yahoo.com http://www.militaryonesource.com
http://www.ok.ngb.army.mil/yellowribbon/
June 15th 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Another Milestone for Al Anbar

In this issue:
ince. The Al Anbar Pal-
ace of Justice is the most
2 Commander’s secure facility in the
province. The complex
Corner provides judges, officers
2 From the CSM and staff a working envi-
ronment that is safe and
4 Chaplain minimizes outside influ-
ences. It creates a secure
5 Bravo Battery community for those
that uphold the rule of
7 120th FSC law for the people of Al
Anbar.
8 Charlie Battery Nearly all personnel
from Bravo Battery were
10 Awards The Al Anbar Provincial Governor cuts the ribbon marking the on site to provide secu-
official opening of the Anbar Palace of Justice. rity for the VIP’s that
attended the ceremony.
Bravo Battery took part in another his- Not wanting to interfere with Iraq’s role in
tory making moment for the Iraqi peo- assuming control of the complex, Bravo
ple, the opening of the Al Anbar Palace Soldiers stayed in the background, and al-
of Justice. lowed Iraqi Security personnel to be in the
Providing security for provincial recon- forefront of the operation. Bravo’s Soldiers
struction teams, Bravo battery Soldiers took positions throughout the complex that
assisted in the handing allowed them to be able to mitigate any
over of a complex that was threat around the complex of buildings in a
once used as a recreation low visibility role.
facility for Saddam Hus- Staying in the shadows, there was little
sain’s military officers. The notice of Bravo Battery outside of the shift
buildings have been used changes that took place in order to allow
by Coalition Forces until it the teams time to cool down from the tem-
was decided that it would peratures that tipped 120 degrees. CPT
be utilized as the new judi- Robert Mcleod continued to make the
cial compex for Al Anbar rounds, visiting personnel to ensure they
Province. were consuming water and were in good
It is only the second judi- shape. There were frequent rotations of
cial complex for the Coun- personnel so they could cool down in the
SSG Donald Brewer and CPT Robert Mcleod make try of Iraq, and the first air conditioned MRAP vehicles that were
the rounds around the new judicial complex one in AL Anbar Prov- staged off to one side of the
T-Bird News Page 2

Another milestone has been reached by the battalion as Alpha Battery (our Rear De-
tachment unit) has completed their Annual Training (AT). I had set a very aggressive
training plan for the A Battery soldiers before we left with the goal of firing live rock-
ets during their AT. Last Thursday they achieved that goal by safely firing 36 rockets
from their 6 HIMARS launchers at Fort Sill. I knew it could be done and had faith in
their ability to “Make It Happen”, but it took a ton of work on the part of everyone in
the unit to successfully complete this mission. I congratulate all of the leaders and
soldiers in the rear on a job well done. The rest of the battalion will have a similar
goal upon our return and this will be no easy task since we haven’t touched our
launchers in over two years. But we now have an ace in the hole- we’ll be looking to
the soldiers coming out of A Battery to help get us quickly back up to speed on our
artillery mission. The work is never done!
LTC Greg Lankford On this side of the world, things are as busy as ever while we continue performing
Battalion Commander our missions, prepare to receive our replacement unit and start getting things ready to
go. There’s a lot of moving parts and any one of them could be the cog in the ma-
chine that delays one of these tasks, but our leaders and soldiers are VERY focused on doing whatever it takes to end this
deployment successfully. I have every confidence that the rest of the battalion will finish up the deployment just as strongly
as Alpha Battery did with their AT- because that’s what T-Birds do!
LTC Greg Lankford

With the economic downturn, there is a justified concern that your soldier’s employ-
ment might be in jeopardy or in some cases, your Soldier is already looking for employ-
ment. In this month’s newsletter, I am going to go over some programs and websites
that can assist you in finding a job or preparing you for the job hunt.
Now is the best time to start looking for possibilities of employment since we are about
60 days out from coming home. Most of these websites require you to register and up-
load a resume into their database. Therefore, if you do not have a resume it would be
wise to start one now. Once we return, FT Sill offers a service called Army Career &
Alumni Program (ACAP (1)), it offers workshops for military personnel transitioning to
civilian life. ACAP (2) provides Soldiers, their family’s transition, and job assistance ser-
vices on major Army installations and limited long distance assistance for those not on,
or near, an installation. ACAP services include transition counseling and information CSM Jimmy Venable
related to pre-separation, employment, relocation, education and training, health and life
insurance, personal finances, Reserve affiliation, disabled veterans programs, and retirement. Like most programs for the Na-
tional Guard, there is a time limitation on ACAP services, which is 180 days after the DEMOB date. The Army’s newest
ACAP service is ACAP Express (3) it provides immediate access to services via a high-speed portal for those considering
transition and those in the process of transition; anywhere you have Internet access you can use ACAP Express. After the
last deployment, I took part in the ACAP program and I can tell you it is a valuable tool provided for you, and highly recom-
mend it.
With the Internet, the job search has become increasingly easier; you just have to know where to look. You can focus on
several avenues of employment like the State or Federal Government, military ADSW, or civilian jobs. The key to searching
for jobs on the Internet is using several sites and to continually check for updated job announcements.
(continued on back page)

T-Bird News Page 3
Al Anbar (cont.)
complex where the troops could maintain a centralized area for

their equipment, and utilize as little space as possible to help in
maintaining the low footprint for the Iraqi people.
The mission was well planned and executed. Soldiers were poi-
soned in locations that allowed them to observe the people and
surroundings, but very little of their presence was felt. They kept
an eye out for threats and looked after one another to make sure
they were managing the intense heat. Pushing water and frequent
breaks allowed the troops to remain alert without compromising
their well being.
The Al Anbar Provincial Governor, Qassim Abid Muhammad al
-Fahadawi, cut the ribbon at the entrance of the Al Anbar Palace
of Justice, marking the official opening of the new judicial com-
1LT Paul Jackson, CPT Robert Mcleod and SSG Bennett plex. It was a great moment for the people of Al Anbar province,
Jackson keep and eye out behind the new Palace of Justice.
as well as the Soldiers of Bravo Battery. With their support, this
historical event was able to take place and highlight an important
moment in the transition for a sovereign Iraq. Bravo’s Soldiers
remained in the background ready to react if needed. Every mem-
ber of Bravo took part in the mission, and their teamwork was the
key to success.
CPL Warren Williams and SPC Dustin Lamson take their

post at the Anbar Rule of Law Complex.
Mailing address
process.
Soldiers Name and Rank NEW CUT OFF DATE IS JULY 1st
Please do not send any mail after 1 July
APO AE 09396
June 15th 2009 Edition Page 4

In the past few weeks we’ve examined several classical arguments for the existence of
God. More could be given, but most are just nuances of the basic arguments already dis-
cussed. Having spent all these weeks laying out various historical proofs, let me conclude
this series by demonstrating that a belief in God can be rationally justified without formal
arguments.
In this day of scientific inquiry we wrongly conclude that we must have positive
proof in order for a belief to be warranted. W. K. Clifford, in an essay entitled “The Eth-
ics of Belief,” summed it up this way: “It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to
believe anything upon insufficient evidence.” Clifford believed it is not only irrational, but
CPT William Elkins immoral to believe anything without proper evidence. Many Christian theists accept this
claim and subsequently the burden of proof. They continue to search for indisputable evi-
dence for God’s existence in order for belief in God to be deemed rational. Is this really necessary? Must we prove God’s
existence before we can claim that belief in God is rational? Not at all.
Clifford’s statement is self-defeating. If it’s wrong to believe anything without sufficient evidence, it would be immoral and
irrational to believe his claim, because he offers no evidence to support it. Furthermore, there are many rational beliefs we
hold that do not require propositional proofs. For instance, we believe that the physical world continues to exist when we are
asleep. It’s perfectly rational to believe this, even without argumentation. We also believe that other people have minds, and
again we believe this without requiring proof. Since many of our beliefs fall into this category, so should our belief in God,
according to philosopher Alvin Plantinga. Plantinga calls belief in God a properly basic belief—a foundational belief that re-
quires no further proof. He writes, “Under widely realized conditions it is perfectly rational, reasonable, intellectually respect-
able and acceptable to believe that there is such a person as God without believing it on the basis of propositional evidence.”
Since belief in God is properly basic, it is rational to believe in God without proof.
The Scripture seems to support the idea that belief in God is properly basic. It never attempts to prove God’s existence; it
merely assumes His existence (i.e. In the beginning God…). In the book of Romans, Paul suggests that everyone is born with
a belief in God and that the evidence of creation is sufficient, but some suppress this truth because of sin (Romans 1:18-32).
Though belief in God is properly basic and requires no proof, this doesn’t mean there are no good arguments for God’s exis-
tence. It merely means theists don’t have to carry the burden of proof. In this series we’ve laid the foundation for belief in
the existence of God. The question now becomes, “what is God like?” The answer is found in God’s self-revelation called
the Bible.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8
Soli Deo Gloria
CPT William Elkins
Bravo: Still Doing Good Things: by 1SG Emmanuel Williams
Our time here in Ramadi is growing even shorter but is far from
over. The Soldiers of Bravo Battery are anxiously awaiting the day to
return home and take up where they left off before they were taken
away from home answering the call of the country. They have seen
the days go by and have finally begun to see the end of the long tour
which has given them insight on what they mean to the world as sol-
diers. They have come to a country which was unknown to them and
have made a difference. They have affected the lives of thousands of
people who truly have needed the presence and assistance of this
breed of Soldier that was once a hard working civilian in the US and
who has now transformed into a group of bound together Oklahoma
Guard Soldiers. They have proven that there is no task that their
country can put before them that they cannot handle. They not only
have answered the call to help a country in need, but they have also
maintained their responsibilities to their own. The balancing of two
lives is not an easy task and should be seen as a feat that is incredible. Members of bravo Battery prepare for a mission to
Our Soldiers have taken their mission and have exceeded standards Baghdad.
and have dedicated themselves to its success.
The mission here has really changed from when we first arrived. We operated within the Ramadi area mainly during our
initial startup and now we are making runs to areas like AL Asad, Fallujah and Baghdad. The support for other organizations
has been growing as our time here has increased. The support of these other organizations is always greatly appreciated and
has given our Soldiers new experiences. To be able to move
about the country makes it easier to bear the work and the
Soldiers get to break the regular routine which has become
well, kind of boring but still is no less important. But to visit
these other areas for soldier morale building items like Pizza
Hut, Popeye’s, Taco Bella and Burger king is very important
and yes I mentioned them this month also, they are nice mo-
rale boosters. We have not forgotten what we are here for but
we do make the best of things in order to stay grounded.
The mission has been pretty exciting for the most part and
the Soldiers such as SPC Jeremy and Matthew Mansell, SPC
Joshua Cook, SPC Jared Page, SPC Kenneth Keeton and SPC
Kevin Everley who are some of our young soldiers have ex-
perienced something totally new. They have been able to
come to Iraq and serve among veteran soldiers taking in all
they can in order to better themselves. They have experienced
every part of war that they could and have learned that being a
CPL Davis, SPC Pena and SPC Avants listen in on their pre- well trained team and doing your part is what survival depends
convoy briefing. on. Television has not told the whole story, Soldiers such as
SPC Justin Wilkerson who is on his second tour has said that
during both deployments, it has been nothing like you would
see on TV. It is a lot more complicated than that. There is a lot involved in developing peace and we have really seen it more
this time around then the last. They say that there is more to war than fighting, it is an attempt to bring to other countries
what we have brought to our own. A feeling of peace and safety is all most here ask for and our efforts are in support of that.
We are proud of what we do and have truly made the mission a part of our everyday life here. Insuring that we are always
prepared is a must.
Bravo : Still Doing Good Things (cont.)
There is no time for forgetting or taking short cuts. Every-

thing we do to prepare is essential and our buddies’ lives depend
on us doing our part as a member of the team.
Well as I have said the mission grows close to end for us but
Soldiers such as SPC Christopher Newman, Jason McDonald,
SPC Raymond Morrison and SPC Kevin Cecil have not let their
guard down knowing it isn’t over till it’s over. One day of relaxa-
tion could cost us a fellow Soldier which is unacceptable for
these Soldiers. From the gunner to the driver to the team leader,
everyone has a role they play and it is crucial that that role is
played with the upmost confidence and preparation. We have
come a long way and have dodged the big one on several occa-
sions and our goal is we came here together and we will leave
together. SSG Donald Brewer has said that this experience is
something he has added to what he has learned from his previ-
ous deployment and will take it home and build off of it for the
future. He says he now realizes the call can come at any moment
SSG Dwight Hansel loads up for a fun-filled day in Iraq.
and he plans on being as prepared as possible. We in my eyes we
have been very successful and we don’t ever plan on not achieving our mission goals with every assignment. There has been
many lessons learned during this deployment and they have all been very valuable. The Oklahoma National Guard will be
getting back some of the finest combat trained Soldiers we have to offer and they are ready for anything. The future leaders
of this battery will lead Soldiers into similar situations with the knowledge to get them through and bring them back. I myself
am very proud of the leaders we have built and assure everyone that with them and the fine motivated and dedicated Soldiers
of Bravo Battery we will never fail. Again, time here grows short so please just bare with us as we finish what we started and
then we will be back in your presence to tell you all about it. Just know that we are doing fine and keeping our heads up ( or
down when outside the wire). And as for CPT Robert Mcleod, well let’s just say he is keeping his COOL!!

Bravo Battery 1SG
CPT Robert Mcleod keeps his cool outside the Bravo Battery office.
120th FSC : by 1SG Mark Rackley
Well, here it is the middle of June already. The 120th FSC promoted one Soldier in
the past two weeks. SPC Arvie Wess was promoted to the rank of SGT E5, the
unit would like to congratulate SGT Wess on his promotion. I must take this time
to break the news to you all. The famous pepper plants that CPT Blount was the
proud owner of have passed on to bigger pastures. He transplanted them into a big-
ger container with Iraqi dirt and when he added water it made a brick and the poor
pepper plants could not overcome the culture shock, he did observe a moment of
silence for them.
The Field Service Reps. (FSR’s) awarded six of our Soldiers an FSR coin
and a training certificate for their assistance and training. 1LT Vanquez, CW3 Kue-
hny, SFC Pierre, SSG Pleas, SGT Streeter and SPC Kaumavae were the six recipi-
ents of the coins and certificates.
Our welders, SPC Moore and SPC Cargal have been extremely busy build-
ing some new gates that will be used on Camp Ramadi. The gates were loaded and
transported out to their new location. Arvie Wess is promoted to Sergeant.
One of the busiest sections in the 120th FSC during this time of the De-
ployment is Supply. Our Supply section is run by SSG Kimble. He is assisted by SGT Smith and the Supply section consists
of SGT Wess, SPC Kaumavae and PFC Landrum. These five Soldiers are kept busy with inventories, reordering, turn-ins,
inspections, cleaning connex’s, just to name a few of their jobs. They do all of this while they continue to conduct daily busi-
ness without any interruptions. With time growing closer to our end of mission, supply gets even busier and busier. 100%
inventories must be conducted, equipment cleaned, paper work forever. These five Soldiers are called upon during all hours
of the day and night; they assist not only the 120th FSC but other units and Battalions as well. Their mission will not end with
everyone else, they will still be called upon to receive equipment and conduct inventories when all of the unit’s equipment
arrives much later on.
Members of 120th FSC Supply
Six members of 120th FSC receive certifi-

Newly built gates are loaded onto trucks. cates by the Field Service representatives.
Charlie Battery Looks Ahead : by SPC Ryan King

While there still may be several weeks before this deployment
comes to a close, that isn’t stopping Soldiers from looking to
the future and making plans. Each Coyote Soldier has their own
distinct pre-deployment stories, and, as this reporter has
learned, their post-deployment plans are just as unique and in-
triguing.
One option open to deployed individuals is to extend their
current orders and stay in theatre attached to other units. PFC
Joshua Martin and SPC Patrick Simpson are among those that
have chosen this option. It is an excellent opportunity to gain
additional experience and continue to receive the financial
benefits that come with serving in a combat zone.
Numerous troops are looking forward to sharing their knowl-
edge by participating in training courses or attending classes of
their own to gain military experience and advance their careers. SFC Jose Saldana and SGT Richard Sholar working away.
SPC Joaquin Puente is one of many applying for the Army’s
Operation Warrior Trainer program. Through OWT, recently
deployed Soldiers serve as mentors and a “voice of experience” to other service members in the pre-deployment and mobili-
zation stages. If selected, he will help to provide real-world experience and share lessons learned to further assist mobilizing
Soldiers in preparing for their deployment. SPC Gilbert Aitken, SPC Jody Elmore and CPL Jason Bellar will be among the
many persons attending the Warrior Leadership Course at Ft. Hood immediately after demobilization. This course is de-
signed to teach basic troop leading procedures to lower enlisted individuals. While at WLC, troops will study and practice
topics such as Drill and Ceremony, leading physical training formations and maintaining their own physical fitness, land navi-
gation and professional development techniques. WLC culminates with a field training exercise in which Soldiers practice
displaying the skills they have learned throughout the course. In short, it prepares enlisted Soldiers to become leaders and
NCO’s.
Other Soldiers have accepted promotions while deployed or are preparing for transfers to new duty positions. They are
looking forward to new career paths once they return to their home units. SPC T.J. Holley recently accepted an E-5 position
at the Headquarters Battery in Lawton. He is currently awaiting promotion and is looking forward to beginning his new ca-
reer as an NCO. Recently promoted to E-6, SSG Steven Kelly is also eagerly anticipating returning home to his new assign-
ment. He will serve as the new Senior 1st Cook at the 700th Sup-
port Battalion in Oklahoma City. CPT Donald Anderson will be
leaving as Charlie Battery Commander to become the Battalion
Fire Direction Officer, or FDO. There, CPT Anderson will serve
to coordinate the field artillery fire of each separate battery. He
will assist with and plan target selection and acquisition and help
to oversee the overall completion of fire missions.
SGT Michael Clark and 1LT David Clinton shooting the

breeze.
Charlie Battery Looks Ahead (cont)
A well deserved vacation and time off is on the minds of others.

SPC Matthew Adamson is planning a trip to Jamaica with his wife
before returning home to his job as a police officer. SGT Richard
Sholar will be traveling to California. He plans to drive through
the state, from San Diego up to Oregon, enjoying the area and the
many tourist attractions.
For many other Charlie Soldiers, this deployment marks
the end of their military careers. Both SPC Lance Carney and SGT
JR Griffin will finish their military contracts just after the deploy-
ment and be exiting service with the Oklahoma National Guard.
Each is looking forward to moving on to bigger and better things.
Besides spending time with his family, SPC Carney is especially
SPC Delano Barney performing weapons mainte- excited about spend-
nance on a M249. ing time with his
new daughter,
Emma. He is thrilled to finally go home and get the opportunity to
be a dad. SGT Griffin is equally ready to return home, looking for-
ward to beginning his own family. He wishes to continue in his
HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) career that he
started before the deployment.
There are few places like a combat zone that helps to define
who one is, and even fewer places that can help bring future plans to
such life. It would take many more lines and many more pages to
fully describe the ambitions and aspirations of each Soldier here; nor
is it possible to give each Soldier’s unique dreams and desires the full
credit they deserve. With that in mind, this reporter would like to SSG Gordon Underwood and CPL Raul Perez re-
simply extend the best of all possible wishes to all service members laxing after PT.
and their families, no matter which roads they travel or which goals
they pursue. SPC Ryan King
1LT Jimmy Seibert is awarded the Army Commen- SSG Gordon Underwood is awarded the Army Com-
dation Medal . mendation Medal .
Awards :
As we move towards the end of the deployment, battery Commanders have began to submit awards for the Sol-
diers of the 158th FA for their performance during the mobilization,. Each battery is presenting their awards based
on their own time schedule, so the announcements from each battery may be published at different times.
Combat Action Badge
Bravo Battery presented the following Soldiers with the Combat Action Badge for engaging in direct contact with the enemy while
performing various missions in Iraq.
SPC Dustin Carney SPC Jarrett Portwood SPC Jaren Johnston
SPC Anthony Eckman SPC Joshua Cook SPC Jordon Williams
SPC Lance Gassett SPC Jay Fertig SGT Frederic Tabert
SPC Aaron Howard SPC Arias-Vales

Awards
Army Commendation
Medal
Bravo Battery presented the Army Commendation Medal to the following Soldiers.
SPC Anthony Ekman

SPC Jay Fertig
SPC Jesse Pena
Bravo battery awarded the Army Achievement Medal to the following Soldiers:
SGT Kyle Hood 1LT Chad Richardson

1LT Paul Jackson 1LT Aaron Hinkle
1LT Anthony Clark
Presentation of the Army Commendation Medal. Presentation of the Army Achievement Medal.
Ramadi Photos
Christopher Solis is promoted to Sergeant.
SSG Dwight Hansel is promoted to SSG.
CPT Justin Blount’s pepper plants have moved

on to greener pastures.
SGT Michael Gildow finds a way to beat the heat by lounging in a

small swimming pool filled with ice.
SFC Jose Saldana maintains radio communications during an SPC Jared Page shakes hands with country music star Joe
inspection for local nationals on Camp Ramadi. Nichols during a recent concert on Camp Ramadi.
T-Bird News Page 13
Happy Bir thday for the month of June
We would like to wish happy Birthday to the members of the battalion who are celebrating a birthday this month.
SPC Emanuel Arroyo SGT Aaron Helton SSG Phillip Miller
CPT Ray Betts SSG Billy Holley SPC John Phillips
SGT Blake Collett SPC Ronald Johnson SPC Patrick Simpson
SGT William Fry SPC Eugene Ross SGT Justin Steckman
SPC Eric Gambill SGT Frederick Tabert SPC Joshua Tate
SPC Mark McFarland SPC Kreston Taylor SSG Gordon Underwood
SPC Jonathan Sokoll SPC Lorenzo Williams SSG Stephen Wilkerson
SSG Aaron Warnke SPC Jeremy Aston SSG Jonathan Zerger
SPC Michael Andrews SPC Michael Bebo CPT Justin Blount
SPC Cody Campbell SGT Josh Brummett CW3 John Kuehny
SPC Anthony Ekman SGT Fred Cox SGT Stanley Lindsey
SGT Kyle Glasgow SPC Alex Elliott PFC Zachary McElveen
SPC Haden Andrew SPC Taylor Green SSG Randy Roland
Rear Detachment
From the CSM (cont.)
CPT Charles Neely
580-595-4403 If ADSW jobs are an interest to you, Guard Knowledge Online (GKO (6)) is a
charles.neely1@us.army.mil good place to start; it lists all job announcements across the Nation with a va-
riety of jobs. For civilian employment working with or on military installations
Sherri Blasengame Civilian Personnel Online (CPOL (7)) has a variety of job opportunities in sev-
580-595-4406
eral career fields. I have attached a couple of other popular sites for the online
job hunt. Keep in mind the biggest hurdle with the online job hunt is persis-
Headquarters Family Readiness tence, jobs are posted sometimes daily, and every site as a different procedure
Group
Monika Harris for applying, but with persistence the payoff can be big, so good luck job
580-248-9714 hunting!
FSC Family Readiness Group CSM Jimmy Venable

LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil Useful Web Addresses
http://sill-www.army.mil/Acap/acap_bu14dec06.htm
Kenna Pemberton http://www.acap.army.mil/reserve/reserve.cfm
580-467-2071
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net https://www.acapcenters.army.mil/ACAP_WEB/expressWelcomePage.do
www.govjobs.com
Mandy Saldana www.usajobs.gov/
405-535-0557
mandysaldana@yahoo.com https://gko.ngb.army.mil/Login/welcome.aspx
http://acpol.army.mil/employment/
July 1st 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
The Return of Heroes

In this issue:
tioned in Ramadi when he re-
ceived injuries that caused one
2 Commander’s leg to be amputated after a build-
ing he was occupying came un-
Corner der attack in the city of Ramadi.
2 From the CSM While being given a tour of the
base, SGT Brown asked to go by
3 Chaplains Office his old barracks, where his unit
worked and lived during his de-
5 Awards ployment. The barracks is cur-
rently vacant, but the emotions
9 Charlie Battery and memories were evident as he
climbed the stairs and entered his
10 120th FSC LTC Greg Lankford presents SGT Robert Brown a flag old room. SGT Brown was able
that was flown over Camp Ramadi. to visualize every detail of the
17 CSM Web Links building as it was when he was
The 1-158th FA had the honor to host last there.
six wounded warriors who visited Camp
Ramadi as they had the opportunity to Their ability to return to Iraq helped them
return to Iraq after being wounded while to answer their own questions. Their ser-
performing their missions. vice has helped save the lives of fellow Sol-
diers as well as helping bring freedom to a
The group of six extraordinary veterans country of oppressed people. Their mission
accompanied by members of the Troops is not over. As they visit bases across Iraq,
First Foundation and Multi- they inspire deployed Soldiers with their
National Forces Iraq CSM courage and warrior spirit, with a continu-
Lawrence Wilson met with ing desire to load up into trucks and help
LTC Lankford and CSM assist the military as it continues to make a
Venable for a briefing that out- difference in Iraq.
lined the progress that has
been made in Iraq, and the It is not the last visit for Wounded Warri-
improvements the military has ors. The program will continue to offer
made on equipment currently other Soldiers the opportunity to return to
used in theater. the country. It allows those who served to
see that they made a difference. Iraq has
Their visit to Iraq helped improved dramatically, and facilities that
them to observe the progress were closed due to violence have reopened
that has been due to their ser- thanks to their efforts. SGT Brown
LTC Lankford and MNF-I CSM Wilson sit with
vice and heroism. summed up his visit to Iraq best when he
the six Soldiers who returned to Iraq.
One member of the group, stated “ it’s good to say I’m leaving here on
SGT Robert Brown was sta- my own two feet.”
T-Bird News Page 2

You know the time is getting closer when you start turning in equipment and pack-
ing containers for the trip home. Everything must be completely inventoried and
cleaned before it can be packed and doing this in 120 degree heat is no small issue.
Add to that the fact that we must still be able to perform our missions and prepare to
conduct our hand-off training to the incoming unit and I’m sure you can get a feel for
just how busy we are these days.
COL Moore, CSM Riggs, SGM Dobbins and company came up from the brigade’s
location in Kuwait for a visit last week. They brought a footlocker full of medals and
awards to acknowledge the outstanding job our soldiers have done here. We had sev-
eral awards formations while we had COL Moore here to help present some of the
awards. The most memorable of these events was one in which SPC Heim received
LTC Greg Lankford his Purple Heart medal for the gunshot wound he received in May. This was the one
Battalion Commander medal I had hoped not to award to
any of our soldiers during this tour,
but unfortunately we aren’t the only ones that have a “say” in that matter.
Since the time has now come to stop sending packages to us, let me take a
moment to thank each and every one of you that has sent things to the
troops of the 1-158. The letters, goodies, mementos from home and all of
the odds and ends that have come to us mean so much more than just the
material value or usefulness of the items sent. The thoughtfulness and
caring that goes into each and every package, letter and email is what
means the most to us. And while some may say they support our troops-
you have proven to us that you truly do and we appreciate it more than
you can ever imagine. So thank you again, everyone, for helping to re-
mind us that we are not in this alone. LTC Lankford would like to extend a special “thank
LTC Greg Lankford you” to Signs Now for their care package.

The benefits veterans receive today compared to those in the past have increased immensely.
Like many Government programs, they go unused, usually because of lack of knowledge about
them or it is very difficult to navigate through. With a little persistence though, you can find
many programs that will benefit you.
One of the programs is the VA Disability Compensation Program (1); it pays you based on your
service-connected injuries. The pay based on the severity of injuries and the limitations to your
daily life determine how much compensation you receive. The injuries that the VA will pay for
can be as minor as tinnitus (ringing in your ears), to major back injuries. FT Sill has a top-notch
VA claims department that will help you in every step of the process. Once you have a service-
connected disability, whether or not you receive benefits you can go to a VA hospital for treat-
ment.
CSM Jimmy Venable
The Post-9/11 GI Bill (2) is a program that many of your Soldiers have taken advantage, but
still some that have not. This is different from the State Tuition waiver that Oklahoma offers; it is up to the individual to determine
what plan is best for them. The Post-9-11 GI Bill is for individuals with at least 90 days of service on or after September 11, 2001.
You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
(continued on back page)
July 1st 2009 Edition Page 3
Abraham’s Oasis: By Specialist Mark McFarland (Chaplain’s Assistant)

In the hot, dry desert of Al Asad, Iraq, lies a small body of water
known as Abraham’s Oasis. This oasis has served as a refuge and sanc-
tuary for thirsty travelers going back to the days of the Bible. It is a
complete ecosystem of life that otherwise could not exist in the desert.
In or around this small spring-fed pond one can readily see birds, rab-
bits, ducks, fish and turtles. The water is murky and smells of sulfur,
but surely was a welcomed sight to ancient travelers.
According to an Arab legend, Abraham, the biblical patriarch, visited

the oasis at Al Asad on his journey from Ur to Haran (Gen 11:31). Ac-
cording to the legend, he and his family stopped to drink the water and
bathe before continuing their journey to Haran. The Arabic name of
the village near the oasis is
Eyen Al Asad, which
SPC Mark McFarland and Chaplain William Elkins stand at means “Spring of the
the edge of the Oasis in Al Asad. Lion.” This name was most
likely given during a time
when lions populated the region. Although there’s no hard proof that Abraham and his
family stopped at this oasis, it’s very likely that they did; Bedouins have used this oasis for
thousands of years.
Chaplain Elkins and I, along with some other soldiers from the 158, visited the area dur-
ing the last week of June. The oasis is closely guarded and can only be visited by obtaining
special permission. Nearby is an Iraqi cemetery from the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980’s. Sur-
rounding the oasis are hundreds of beautiful date trees and a few historical concrete build-
ings. In 2005, there was a massive clean-up effort by the 67th Area Support Group and
local Iraqis. This project prepared the date trees for the growing season, which provided
the local village with food.
It was a very hot morning on the day of our visit, but it was truly astounding to be
possibly walking the same ground as so many historical and biblical figures.
Putting the Guard in a New Light

SPC Scott Pepi from HHB Battery temperatures continued and the sand
and SPC Wesley Sharp from Bravo storms wept through the area every
Battery attended the Tactical Small two to three days.
Unit Training Course, where they had During one of the weapons courses,
the opportunity to give a new perspec- SPC Wesley Sharp was clearing the
tive on the National Guard by attend- M240 Machine Gun when a round
ing a course which has been tradition- “cooked off” in the chamber. This is
ally comprised of U.S. Marines. when the temperature of the weapon
SPC Pepi volunteered to attend the is so high, it has the ability to ignite a
course and SPC Sharp was selected by round just by contact. SPC Sharp ex-
his Battery Commander, CPT Robert perienced what it feels to have your
Mcleod to represent the Battalion. nose broken by a bullet casing coming
Both individuals were the first non out the wrong end of the weapon.
Marines to attend the course at Al Instead of complaining about the in-
Asad. jury, he continued through the re-
mainder of the training in order to test
Upon arrival, both Soldiers assumed himself and know that “I could do it”.
they would be staying in tents on Al
Asad Air Base where they would be Upon arrival, the Marines did not
housed, and transported to ranges to know what to expect from the two
conduct weapons training. The sur- Soldiers that had infiltrated their train-
prise came when the 32 Soldiers at- ing. They did not believe that Army
tending the course were loaded onto Soldiers would have the heart of dedi-
trucks and moved out into the desert SPC Scott Pepi and SPC Wesley Sharp cation to complete the course. SPC
where they would spend the entire stand with LTC Lankford and CSM Pepi and SPC Sharp were both told
course or training living in two man Venable outside the Advanced Infantry that their performance had broke a lot
tents with no electricity, refrigeration Training Center in Al Asad following their of the stereotypes that they had felt
or showers. It was truly living in the graduation. towards the Army. SPC Sharp and
field. SPC Pepi trained and fought with
was referred to as “big boy” training. drive of a true Soldiers. They were
The desert environment would be never last during any event, and SPC
This meant that the maneuvers were
there temporary home where they Sharp graduated second in the class
all performed utilizing live rounds as
would drink bottled water that shared based on his overall performance.
the servicemembers moved and en-
the same high temperatures as they
gaged targets. Teamwork was the key SGT Morgan, lead instructor for the
did, and eat military meals (MREs)
to success. It allowed them to coordi- course stated “I don't know why more
three times a day.
nate all movement and actions while Army Soldiers don't attend, the course
There was only one hardened build- engaged in a full combat scenario. is open to anyone.” he went on to say
ing where they would conduct class- SPC Sharp stated the school stressed he “would be proud to have more
room training over tactics and weap- “being able to be a leader in a situa- Army soldiers come through, espe-
onry that they would have to perform tion where you may not necessarily cially if they heart and mindset of you
in order to complete the course. Fol- know everybody”. The training was two”, referring to SPC Pepi and SPC
lowing the blocks of classroom in- designed as advanced infantry training Sharp.
struction, they Soldiers would walk up with the emphasis on developing lead-
to three miles through the desert ership skills. These two Soldiers of the 158th FA
where they would perform the re- were able to not only complete this
The most difficult part of the train- course which had the ability challenge
quired tasks. The temperatures during
ing was dealing with the heat. The way the most dedicated Soldiers, but they
the course reached as high as 134 de-
to deal with it was to consume a lot of were able to demonstrate that some of
grees, which is difficult enough to deal
water and just “suck it up”. The day the assumptions about National
with, but add the wearing of full com-
started 5:00 am and didn't end until Guard troops were as realistic as be-
bat gear it can be excruciating.
11:00 pm. Maintaining an energy level lieving this course would have air con-
The training the Soldiers conducted to perform was difficult as the ditioning.
Recognizing Our Soldiers
45th Fires Brigade Commander COL

Glen Moore, CSM Tony Riggs and CSM
Doug Dobbins traveled with several other
members of the brigade to Camp Ramadi
for a visit with the 1-158th FA Battalion.
They brought with them over 350 awards
to be presented to our Soldiers for the
achievements they have made while per-
forming our mission in Ramadi.
SPC Jonathan Heim was awarded the Pur-
ple Heart for injuries sustained while pro-
viding security in Ramadi with Bravo Bat-
tery.
CPL Adam Schuster was also awarded the Purple Heart by
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. CPL Schuster was trans-
ferred to the United States for care at Walter Reed Medical SPC Jonathan Heim is presented the Purple Heart by 45th
Center after receiving a gunshot wound in the city of Ramadi. FiB Commander COL Glen Moore.
He continues to receive periodic care as he travels between
Maryland and Oklahoma to recover with his family.
The following personnel were awarded the Bronze Star Medal
LTC Greg Lankford
CSM Jimmy Venable SGM Gary Nix
MAJ Paul Harris

MAJ Wade Murray CPT Donald Anderson
Awards: continued
The following personnel were also awarded the Bronze Star Medal
CPT Westley Carter SFC Vincent Moscatello

CPT William Elkins SSG Christopher Bussell
CPT David Peyok SSG Jeffrey Shields
CPT Robert Mcleod, SSG Robert Cook, SSG Billy Holley
1LT Chad Headrick SGT Chad Underwood
SFC Michael Grannan SPC Timothy Blair
The following personnel were awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
CW3 John Kuehny

SGT Arry Johnson
Awards: continued
The following personnel were also awarded the Army Commendation Medal
CPL Christopher Adamson

CPL Anthony Davis
CPL derrick Tadlock
CPL Warren Williams
SPC Anthony Ekman
SPC Scot Fitzhugh
SPC Nicholas Fowler
SPC Brandon Landrum
SPC Martin Parker
SPC Taylor Sandefur
SPC Wesley Sharp
SPC Jordan Willaims
CPT Charles Betts SPC Raymond Hernandez

CPT David Stewart SPC Steven Latre
CPT Mark Todd SPC Adam Manoles
1LT Dax Thomas SPC Cody Miller
CW3 Gary England SPC Scott Pepi
CW2 James Gormley SPC Bryan Turnbull
SGT James Keesee SPC Christopher Solis
SPC Howard Erikson
SSG Donald Bonner SPC Justin Edwards

SGT Gordon Brooks SPC Kimberly Kaumavae
SPC Brenton Bush SGT Jose Mateo-Perez
SPC Casara Butler SPC Richard Navaiz
SPC Denny Cargal SPC Kevin Roed
SGT Elloid Carrisalez SPC Jesse Shillingstad
SPC Melissa Decker-Horz SGT Michael Smith
Awards: continued
The following personnel were awarded the Combat Action Badge
SPC James Hock

SPC Joshua Garrison
SPC Harold Burris
SPC Jonathan Holt
SGT Jason Farmer
SGT John Young
SPC Jonathan Heim
The following personnel were awarded the Army Achievement Medal.
SPC Dustin Carney SPC Daniel Olson

SPC Kevin Cecil SPC Jared Page
SPC Joshua Cook SGT Tanner Keasler
SPC Christopher Degraffenried SPC Wesley Sharp
SPC Joshua Garison SGT Jeremy Beard
SPC Lance Gassett
SPC Tony Grigsby
SPC Jonathan Heim
Charlie Battery; A Year Remembered : by SPC Ryan King

Soldiers are inventorying items, turning in equipment, and packing unused gear. Leadership personnel are busy making ar-
rangements to welcome our replacements and begin providing them with specific mission essential training. Offices are being
moved out and cleaned out. Maintenance personnel are storing away tools. Storage containers once empty, are now a flurry
of traffic with equipment and supply section individuals. Awards ceremonies are being held left and right, recognizing the
hard work and dedication of everyone during the deployment. And, of course, July is finally here.
The signs are all around us. The end of a year-long activation is just around the corner. And, as is common among Soldiers as
they reach the end of their deployments, the stories and memories of what has occurred while mobilized come to mind. Be-
low are just a few samples of what some troops have most remembered about the past year.
SGT Fred Cox: My downtown Camp Ramadi adventures to Green Beans Coffee and the many new friends I’ve made
SPC Preston Allen/SSG Robert Lutonsky: The transition we made from the old Ogden Gates to the new Charlie Gate;
helped to make our jobs much easier
SGT Travis Ulrich: The plane ride over here from Ft. Hood; we all joked about the deployment, but the plane ride was the
realization that we were actually going
SSG Steven Kelly: Getting promoted to E-6
SPC Joaquin Puente: Traveling to Baghdad for some training and getting to do some sightseeing
SPC Nicholas Thompson: Played 4 separate shows with 4 different bands during MWR concert events
SGT Robert Mitchell: I got married when I went home for R&R leave.
SPC Taylor Green: My wife and I had a child April 10th; playing during MWR concert events with my band, “House of
Black”
SGT Franklin Armstrong: Watching the developmental growth of my fellow Soldiers, from their fitness, to maturity, to their
future career potential
SGT Michael Clark: Watching the Iraqi Police graduations from the Ramadi training center; watching them try to load 25-30
guys into a single truck…it was funny.
SPC Cody Alldredge: Got the opportunity to use and fire different types of weapons I’d never used before
SPC David Thronesbery: Worked with numerous different sections, from Supply, to the Towers to QRF
SSG James Brown: For 6 hours, we attempted to dig out a stuck MRAP…by hand
SPC Eric Harlan: While on a patrol, the rear tire on our HMMWV fell off. The TC thought I was horse playing when the
vehicle started to skid.
Mail Information
Please do not send mail to the Soldiers of the 158. As much as we love re-
ceiving mail, it may be to late to receive mail before we depart Camp
Ramadi. Your packages and letters have helped us get through this mobi-
lization, and we thank you very much for all the support you have given
us throughout the year.
120th FSC: by 1SG Mark Rackley
Reality hits as we approach the EOM (End of Mission) as they would

say in Artillery terms, you might even say CSMO (Close Station March
Order) as the beginning of the end approaches us. We are starting to
clean tools and equipment, conduct inventories, trying to figure out
what gets packed where and when. What paperwork needs to be com-
pleted and whom we turn it in too are just a few of the questions that
Soldiers ask. Soldiers are busy trying to keep things organized while they
continue their mission of repairing and fixing vehicles for the 1-158 FA
(HIMARS) as well as other units on Camp Ramadi. SPC Moore is ob-
served in a basket hoisted high in the air while he washes one of the
maintenance tents so that it can be taken down, folded and stored away
as it is made ready to ship.
The 120th FSC did take time out to promote a couple of Soldiers this
Chris Polsgrove is promoted to SSG.
week. SGT Polsgrove was promoted to Staff Sergeant (SSG) and PFC
McElveen was pro-
moted to Specialist
(SPC). The 120th FSC and the 1-158 FA (HIMARS) would like to congratu-
late SSG Polsgrove and SPC McElveen on their new promotions.
The 120th FSC dispatched three Soldiers to instruct the Iraqi Police on the
Military Humvee (HMMWV) maintenance. SGT Streeter, SPC Narvaiz and
SPC Bush instructed approximately a dozen Iraqi Policeman on the proper
care and maintenance of a HMMWV. They stated that the language barrier
was the most difficult portion of the instruction but with a little assistance
everything worked out just fine for them.
SSG Graham represented the 120th FSC in a horseshoe tournament last
week and took first place.
SGT Kevin Streeter, SPC Brenton Bush and SPC
The 45th Fires Brigade Commander (COL Moore), 45th FiB Command Ser-
geants Major (CSM Riggs) along with some of the Brigade staff took time Richard Narvaiz with Iraqi Police Officers.
out of their busy schedule to come to Camp Ramadi to present some
awards to our Soldiers, along with other business.
SPC Richard Narvaiz training Iraqi Police.

SSG Kory Kimble and crew cleaning and conducting
inventories.
Awards :
The following Soldiers were presented the Combat Action Badge for engaging in direct
contact with the enemy while performing various missions in Iraq.
SGT Michael Clark SGT Dwight Hansel

SPC Austin Marvin SGT Kelly Toliver
SSG Billy Holley
Combat Action Badge

Awards
The following Soldiers were also awarded the Army Commendation Medal
Army Commendation
Medal
SSG Jeffrey Rooks CPT Justin Blount
The Army Achievement Medal was awarded to the following Soldiers

SPC Jonathan Williamson
PFC Benjamin Short
SPC Jason Ratliff
SPC Kale Howes
SPC Lional Elix
SPC Gerald Spangler
SPC Christopher Brown
SPC Donnie Macom
SGT Robert Strong
SPC Shawn Johnson
Awards
The following Soldiers were also awarded the Army Achievement Medal
SGT Kaleb Wallace SPC Eric Gambill SPC Preston Allen

SPC Jonathan Sokoll SPC Blake Collett SPC Jared Anderson
SPC Jonathan Brzowski SPC Rickey Raper SPC Clent Baker
SPC Randy Carnes SGT Billie England SPC Taylor Green
SPC Aaron Long SGT Steven Schoeppach SPC Eric Guyton
SPC William Hunt SPC Austin Marvin SGT Leon Hawkins
SGT Leslie Hayes SGT Travis Nease SPC William Robinson
SPC Timothy Huff PFC John Phillips SPC Cody Alldredge
SPC Michael Alonzo SPC Danny Britton SPC Gregory Self
SPC Franklin Armstrong SSG Matthew Robertson SGT Justin Steckman
SPC Michael Swain SPC Steven Shell Chad Moyer
SPC Mario Ramirez SPC Michael Bebo SPC Antonio Olvera
Awards (continued)
Promotions
Larry Harper was promoted to Sergeant First Class. Pedro Valle was promoted to Specialist.
Promotions
Tommy Holley is promoted to SGT.
Franklin Armstrong is promoted to SGT.
Zachary Mcelveen is promoted to SPC.
Michael Bebo is promoted to SPC.
James Black is promoted to SGT. Brian Slater is promoted to SPC.

Promotions
SPC Brenton Bush training Iraqi Police.
Members of 120th FSC who participated in the Flag Day Run.
45th FiB Commander COL Glen Moore holds a town hall meeting
for members of 1-158th FA.
SSG Michael Graham takes 1st Place in horseshoes.
SGT Earle Hudson steps inside to escape a

dust storm.
T-Bird News Page 17
Thinking Outside the Box
SPC Denny Cargal and SPC Michael Moore were presented a coin from
CSM Robert Sweeny of the 81st BCT.
The 81st BCT is in command of Camp Ramadi and it’s operations.
Some of those operations include the construction and placement of
small buildings that are used as offices and work areas for all the units
that are housed here. As these building were being moved to their per-
manent location, they were experiencing structural damage during their
placement. SPC Cargal and SPC More devised a support system for the
buildings that would distribute the weight of the building and prevent it
from becoming damaged.
They put their welding skills to use and presented their idea to the 81st
BCT. Their support system quickly became a part of the emplacement
process for these buildings and saved the military thousands of dollars in
repair during a short amount of time.
CSM Sweeny wanted to recognize their devotion to not only their own
mission, but to other unit’s outside the Battalion. Their actions show that
they recognize all forces are a team and together we can ensure mission
success.
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely CSM continued
580-595-4403
One other popular VA program is the VA Home loan, the main purpose of the VA
Family Assistance Center, Lawton home loan program (3) is to help veterans finance the purchase of homes with favor-
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406
able loan terms, and at a rate of interest, which is usually lower than the rate charged
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil on other types of mortgage loans. Usually the closing cost is cheaper than a traditional
mortgage and there is not a need for a down payment. I have used my VA Home loan
Group two times and have been very satisfied with it. The VA streamline refinance home
Monika Harris loan also known as an interest rate reduction loan or IRRRL (4), is without a doubt
580-248-9714 the best mortgage refinance loan on the market. It is fast and easy and there is no
credit check, you do have some closing cost charges but it is within the norm. In addi-
FSC Family Readiness Group tion, if you receive any disability compensation some of the charges are waived.
LeAnn Terwilligar
580-483-1051

Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net Useful Web Addresses
C Battery Family Readiness Group 1. http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/index.htm
Mandy Saldana 2. http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/benefits.htm#CH33
405-535-0557 3. http://www.homeloans.va.gov/index.htm
4. http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/roanoke/rlc/forms/irrrl.pdf
July 15th 2009 Edition
T-Bird News
Look Who’s Here!

In this issue:
members of the 3-157th were at
Camp Ramadi only a few days
2 Commander’s before they stated “we feel like
were part of your unit”. The
Corner 158th FA has had reputation for
2 From the CSM its high level of dedication and
professionalism, and wants to
3 Chaplain ensure that the replacement units
has a successful year. Soldiers of
4 Awards the 158th spent a long time pre-
paring for the hand-off, and have
11 Promotions prepared training for every sce-
nario that they can imagine.
12 120th FSC There were many surprises that
Members of 3-157 FA, Colorado National Guard arrive at
Camp Ramadi to relieve the 1-158th FA.
crept up during our deployment,
13 Charlie Battery and what was not covered during
It has been a long road for the 1-158th our mission preparation had to
14 Supply FA Soldiers and their families. The new be learned through research and improvisa-
light at the end of the tunnel has come tion. There is a large amount of training
in the form of the new tenants of Camp and knowledge that will be handed over to
Ramadi, the relief for the 1-158th FA. the 3-157th. Their ability to take over is in
the hands of the 158th. If our unit fails to
They are the 3rd BN 157th FA from prepare them, they will have a very difficult
the Colorado National Guard. They be- year. We train them as our own, one team
gan arriving at Camp Ramadi on fight.
in mid July, and have begun to
settle in as they prepare to take The fact that they have arrived also brings
over the roles and responsibili- the realization that soon we will be return-
ties they will be conducting ing home to families and the good ol’
during their deployment. The 1 U.S.A. It is easy to imagine being home, but
-158th Soldiers will work with the mission still continues. The 158th re-
each of them to ensure they mains focused on what still needs to be
know the ins and out of Camp achieved while were here. Distractions can
Ramadi and the area, and the create problems, and the Soldiers of the
tasks they will need to know to battalion are fully aware they still have a job
conduct the missions they are to do. As good as it feels to know how
being assigned. close we are, there is still more road to
Soldiers of 3-157th FA load up an LMTV to move travel. And as Soldiers and families get anx-
As a fellow rocket artillery ious, we must all remember that this mis-
their equipment to their temporary quarters.
unit, they fit right in with our sion does not end until the final formation
Oklahoma Soldiers. Some is dismissed at our home station.
T-Bird News Page 2

They say that the only thing that is constant is change- and whoever said that sure got it
right. It seems like the only thing that hasn’t changed over the past few weeks is that the
battalion will be redeploying and coming home soon. That’s the good news and is quite
frankly the only news most of us care about. On our end though, change has been constant
and furious as we try to get all of the details resolved on not only getting ourselves home,
but also getting our replacement unit here and ready to perform the mission. Add to that
the fact that the entire political climate has changed in Iraq as a result of the “out of the cit-
ies by June 30th” mandate and you get some really interesting challenges to overcome right
in the middle of everything else. Needless to say, it is an interesting time around ole Camp
Ramadi these days.
I mentioned several weeks ago that I had been working on some Iraq inspired songs and I
LTC Greg Lankford just know you have all been waiting in eager anticipation to hear them. CPT Ponder, CPT
Battalion Commander Carter, KBR Keith (a KBR employee that I don’t know his last name- sorry) and I actually
had the opportunity to put together play 3 of the 5 songs I’ve written during our own 1-158
FA Farewell Concert that was held July 10th. Our band, T-Bird 6 and the Rusty Craters, as well as two other battalion bands, Southern
Comfort and The House of Black, played well into the night. The good news is that SSG Lima videoed a good sample of the perform-
ances and I now have proof that three of the songs I wrote actually exist and were performed. That was personal goal of mine for the
deployment and it’s only fitting that we got it done right before coming home. Now if I can figure out a way to post the videos on the
web somewhere, the rest of the world can fully appreciate our musical genius. Well, genius may be a bit of a stretch, but at least our
musical “C student that’s worked a lot with a tutor” level of talent. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and I think the troops were a little
shocked that I can in fact play the harmonica.
The next and final newsletter will be slightly delayed as it will be posted from sunny Fort Hood. We’ll be able to list the actual Home-
coming Ceremony date at that point so standby for that. I’m certain that we are all looking forward to that edition more than any
other.
LTC Greg Lankford
The 3-157th FA has arrived at Camp Ramadi and they are a welcome sight for sore eyes.
Even though we are very close to coming home, we still have several tasks to attend to, before
“Rounds Complete.” This includes training the 3-157th on their mission task, the arduous trip back
to Kuwait, and the clearing of Ft Hood. All just important as the next, but FT Hood being the most
important step in our final days before coming home. As I have said in a previous newsletter, this
is the time that your Soldiers have only one thing on their mind, coming home to you. A lot of
information is disseminated to them by Army tradition, fire hose style, all at once in large vol-
umes, making it easy to miss something that can benefit your family in the future. Some of your
Soldiers will have medical conditions that will require them to stay at FT Hood until they have
recovered; but some will choose to come home without addressing these concerns. You and your CSM Jimmy Venable
Soldier will need to decide what is best for your family. I however, strongly encourage your Sol-
dier to stay and receive whatever medical care might be needed. So encourage your Soldier to get CSM Jimmy Venable
all the information he or she can, or ask questions if unsure of something before leaving FT Hood
and we will see you in the near future.
CSM Jimmy Venable

July 15th 2009 Edition Page 3
Abraham’s Oasis: By Specialist Mark McFarland (Chaplain’s Assistant)

It’s hard to believe this deployment is almost over. Like most military families, I’m
sure you’ve faced your share of difficult challenges this past year. But before your
loved one gets off the bus you need to be aware of one more challenge. According
to the VA, 75 to 80% of returning Soldiers have a positive experience reintegrating
with their family, friends, and jobs. However, the remaining 20 to 25% do need ad-
ditional reintegration services (medical, psychological, family and marital, vocational,
educational, and financial). The reintegration process is not the same for everyone;
many factors determine whether the reunion process is pleasant or difficult. I rec-
ommend reading books or visiting web sites that deal specifically with the reintegra-
tion process. Below are two aspects of reintegration that are mentioned often in
briefs, books, and blogs.
The first is to manage your expectations. You and your returning Soldier may have
Chaplain William Elkins a mental picture of what the first few days home will be like. Problems will occur
when these two mental pictures don’t match. A returning Soldier may be expecting
a few quiet days at home with his/her immediate family; while the family is ready to get out of the house and have some fun.
While there’s nothing wrong with either option, the conflicting expectations may cause unnecessary tension. It’s important to
discuss these expectations before the reunion.
The second thing to remember is that, in the course of the year, you and your loved one have had very different experi-
ences. These experiences have changed you both to some degree. In the first few days or weeks of your reunion, these
changes will become evident; some changes may be better, some worse, and some just…different. It will take time to deter-
mine whether these changes are permanent or temporary, but how these changes are dealt with makes all the difference.
When working through these changes, try to remain positive and patient, try not to be easily offended, and allow time for
your loved one to acclimate to home life again. Also, take some time to get to know each other again. For married couples, I
highly recommend attending a Strong Bonds retreat. These retreats are paid for by the military and are designed to help cou-
ples develop important relational skills for a healthy and happy marriage.
If the VA statistics hold true, most of you will have a happy reunion. But for those who may experience problems, there are
many resources available to help you work through any difficulty. I’ll also be available to assist you and your family in any
way I can. I wish you the best and I hope you have a wonderful reunion. See you at home.
Soli Deo Gloria
Chaplain Elkins
Recognizing Our Soldiers
The 1-158th FA continues to

recognize Soldiers of the battalion
for their hard work and dedication
to the mission we have performed
since leaving home. There have
been hundreds of awards pre-
sented to the Soldiers which will
continue to trickle in even after
arriving back home.
SSG James Baldwin and SSG John Weekley were awarded

the Bronze Star Medal.
The following personnel were awarded the Army Commendation Medal
SPC Brian Slater

SGT Josh Brummett
SFC Earl Johnson
SPC Joshua Luers
SPC Christopher Root
1LT James Seibert
SSG Paul Tate
1LT David Clinton
SSG Jeremy Woolver
SPC Brian Slater
SPC Timothy Skitt 1SG Dennis Cooper

1LT James Shepard SSG Samual Mooneyham
SSG James Brown SFC Jose Saldana
SGT Jason Bray SFC Adam Rogers
SPC Stephen Pennington SFC Scott Buehre
SSG Gordon Underwood SGT Richard Sholar
CPL Eric Sikes SPC Matthew Adamson
1LT James Smith
Awards: continued
SPC Jeremy Aston

SPC Joshua Palmer
SGT Matthew Wood
SGT Randy Woodman
SGT Jonathan Zerger
SPC Ralph Douvillier
SPC Joshua Jezisek

SSG Robert Lutonsky
SPC Ricky Myers
SGT Michael Clark

SFC David Slezickey
SFC Carlton Speller
SGT Lance Zerger
Awards: continued
The following personnel were also awarded the Army Commendation Medal
SGT Christopher Heckathorne

SFC Corey Klaassen
SPC Kevin Painter
SFC david Perkey
SSG Aaron Pleas
SSG Randy Roland
SSG Paul Thompson
1LT Francisco Vasquez
1SG Mark Rackley
SSG Larry Nix
SGT Shawn Peirce
NOT PHOTOGRAPHED
SFC Lance Grant 1LT Anthony Clark SGT Ryan Chambers

SGT Tanner Keasler 1LT Aaron Hinkle SGT Roland Kvarme
SGT Kyle Hood 1LT Chad Richardson SGT Chad Gilley
SGT Jeremy Beard SSG Darin Carman SGT Kyle Glasgow
SGT Aaron Helton SSG Christopher Gay SGT William Martin
SGT Earle Hudson SSG Dwight Hansel SGT Danny McKillip
SSG Bennett Jackson SSG Brian Hekia SGT Jesse Neugebauer
1LT Paul Jackson SSG Nicholas Green SGT William Reid
SSG Donald Brewer SSG Roberto Herrera SGT Frederic Taylor
SGT Zachary Jessen SSG Roland Morales SGT Kreston Taylor
SFC Andy Callihan SSG Kerry Pemberton SGT Jon Young
Awards: continued
The following personnel were awarded the Army Achievement Medal.
SPC Thomas Bryant

SPC Delbert Dye
SPC Casey Allen
SPC Aaron Pawnee
SPC Kyle Watson
SPC Barry Woodruff
SGT Thomas Adkins
CPL Jason Bellar
SPC Justin Coffey
SGT Fred Cox
SGT Stephen Fike
SPC Ephraim Hamilton
SPC Christopher Luinaquintero
CPL Raul Perez

SSG Joe Rivera
SPC Nicholas Thompson
SGT Travis Ulrich
SPC Andrew Waddel
PFC William Wasson
SSG Stephen Wilkerson
SPC Lee Davis
SSG Eric Ray
SPC Delano Barney
SPC Brian Mason

SGT Jason Schaeffer
SPC Joaquin Puente
SGT Robert Mitchell
SGT Steven Kelly
SPC Tommy Holley
SPC Eric Harlan
SGT Vanice Griffin
SPC Lance Carney
Awards: continued
The following personnel were also awarded the Army Achievement Medal.
SGT Shawn Fields

SPC Colbert Gordon
SSG Michael Graham
SPC Casey Kerr
SGT Stanley Lindsey
SPC William McDaniel
SPC Dwight Mcelveen
SPC Zachary Mcelveen
SPC Emanuel Arroyo
SPC Jeremy Bennett

SPC James Bland
Awards: continued
SGT William Cain

SPC Kenneth Keeton
SPC Cody Campbell
SPC Dustin Lamson
SPC Steven Lemons
SPC Jeremy Mansell
SPC Matthew Mansell
SPC Aaron Maxon
PVT Michael McCracken

SPC Jason McDonald
SPC Jeremy Menchaca
SPC Daniel Mendoza
SPC Stacey Miller

SPC Raymond Morrison
SPC Jesse Murray
SPC Joseph Norris
SPC Robert Hardy
SPC Andrew Haden
SPC Sean Murray
Awards: continued
Not Photographed
SPC Christopher Newman SPC Mitchell Betchan SPC Danny Huddleston

SSG James Baldwin SPC Montrel Boston SPC Joshua Hunter
SSG Brian Hekia SPC Jeremy Brady SPC Ronald Johnson
SGT James Black SPC Nicholas Brewer SPC Jaren Johnston
SGT E.W. Childers SPC Henry Bui SPC Quinn Jones
SGT Jonathan Ditch SPC Harold Burris SPC Jarett Portwood
SGT Jason Farmer SPC Justin Burrows SPC Jacob Roberson
SGT James Hendrickson SPC Kevin Dornan SPC Justin Wilkerson
SGT Wesley Parra SPC Kevin Everley SPC Michael Starr
SGT Christopher Pettit SPC Jay Fertig SPC Michael Thompson
CPL Nicholas Sevedge SPC Albert Folske SPC Eugene Ross
SPC Michael Andrews SPC Joshua Fox SPC Kelly Toliver
SPC Aaron Arias Vales SPC Jonathan Holt SPC Lorenzo Williams
SPC Joshua Avants SPC Aaron Howard PFC James Hock
SPC Derek Bentley
The following personnel were awarded the Combat Action Badge.
LEFT: SSG Kory Kimble

BELOW: SGT Shawn Pierce, NOT PHOTOGRAPHED
SFC Jeffrey Shields and 1LT Anthony Clark
SPC Christopher Brown
SSG Billy Holley
SGT Roland Kvarme
SPC Derek Bentley
SPC Cody Campbell
SPC Scott Fitzhugh
SPC Tony Grigsby
SPC Joshua Hunter
SPC Matthew Mansell
SPC Jesse Murray
SPC Jacob Roberson
Promotions
Jeffrey Shields was promoted to SFC Nathan Simpson was promoted to SPC
Commanding General for MNC-I, Lt. Gen Charles Jacoby visited Camp
Ramadi to attend a ceremony for the 81st HBCT. During the ceremony, five
Soldiers from the 1-158th FA were presented with the Commanders Coin of
Excellence for their performance during the mobilization. Each unit identified
a Soldier they believed had performed their duty in an outstanding manner
and believed they earned the coin. SGT Lance Zerger, SGT Michael Smith,
SPC Scott Schroeder, SPC Daniel Olson and SPC Martin Parker were those
selected from the battalion to receive the recognition.
120th FSC : by 1SG Mark Rackley

Well, here we are my last article. I have been witness to a lot of changes over the past year. I can recall when this mission
began. We stood up 132 Soldiers and moved out. After several change of missions we are ending this mission with 47 Sol-
diers. Some remained in Kuwait to carry out a mission there, others were moved to units inside the 1/158 FA assisting with
their mission and 47 of us completed the maintenance mission here at Camp Ramadi. I have watched as several individuals
grow and mature into professional Soldiers, I have witnessed Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) take charge and lead from
the front, officers leading their units with pride. It is always amazing to watch the traditional “M” day Soldier transpose into a
full time Soldier. I have had the honor of serving our great country for 34+ years (Active and National Guard) and it has al-
ways been this way. The active duty Soldiers are impressed with the performance of the National Guard. We can get more
done in a weekend than a lot of active duty units do in a week or more. We shatter the old image of what they thought about
the National Guard. They now have a new outlook on what a National Guard Soldier is made of and what they can achieve.
We put our lives on hold and transform into Soldiers. You cannot tell the difference between the National Guard Soldier and
the active duty Soldier. We work side by side with them and in many cases we can even teach them a few things. The Na-
tional Guard Soldiers brings civilian experience with them which when coupled with the military way of doing things be-
comes an unstoppable force. I am very proud of the 120th FSC (HIMARS) they had done an excellent job. This mission
could not have been as successful if it had not been for the support of family and friends back home. The spouses and family
that wait patiently for their Soldiers return are just as
much a part of this war as the Soldier themselves.
The Commander (CPT Blount) decided to have a coin
made to honor our time and service here at Camp
Ramadi, Iraq. The coin displays a Cobra head with
crossed wrenches on one side and the shape of Iraq with
the 45th FiB patch on the other. The commander per-
sonally presented each Soldier with one of the com-
mander’s coin to commemorate this event. The 120th
FSC also presented several Soldiers with awards in the
past two weeks.
The advance unit that will be replacing us has arrived
on Camp Ramadi. Anxiety builds as our Soldiers prepare
to teach their replacements what they have been doing
during the deployment, but our Soldiers remain steadfast
and alert of their duty and mission here for the mission
120th FSC’s unit coin. is not complete until we arrive home.
Mail Information
As of July 15th, all mail for the 1-158th FA at Camp Ramadi has been
stopped. Any packages or letters that have not arrived will be forwarded
to the rear units in Oklahoma. No mail operations will be conducted at
Ft. Hood.
Charlie Battery: by SPC Ryan King
Q: What do you feel has been the greatest achievement for Charlie Battery during this deployment?
CPT Anderson: Our ability to adapt to the changes in our mission was the key to our success. Our unit saw gate modifica-
tions, patrol adjustments, personnel changes, etc., and the Soldiers stayed flexible and maintained a positive attitude through-
out these events. Also, it is always an achievement when a unit has no losses and every Soldier is able to return home.
Q: What advice would you give to the Soldiers as they return home?
CPT Anderson: Be patient as you settle back into home life. Think and rethink any life altering decisions and don’t do any-
thing “on a whim.” Use the experience that you have gained to be a better resource for the military and your civilian job.
Q: As the Soldiers return home and return to monthly drills, what can they expect?
CPT Anderson: Soldiers will begin reset training as they begin to “re-learn” their jobs and get back into a Field Artillery
mindset. Equipment will have to be brought out of storage and prepared for future FTX’s. Soldiers will soon be attending
the annual safety school and our first communication exercise involving the launchers and the fire direction center is just
around the corner.
Q: Do you have a message for Charlie Soldiers?

CPT Anderson: I want the Soldiers to know how proud of them I am. At times, our mission may not have been difficult, but
it was still very necessary. While some parts of our mission may have lacked in it difficulty, it was made up in complexity and
persistence. Also, they showed incredible heart by handling issues at home as best as possible given their situation. I some-
times stand back and say, “Wow!” as I see the sacrifices that many of these Soldiers were forced to make. I am very im-
pressed with our unit and all its Soldiers.
Coyote Corner: SPC John Rowlan
SPC John Rowlan is a member of 2nd Squad, 1st PLT. He enlisted in

the military in January of 2006. He attended Basic Training and AIT at
Ft. Knox, KY, graduating with the 19D MOS. He was assigned to A
2/194th Cavalry Scout in Hibbing, Minnesota before joining the
1/158th FA for this deployment. SPC Rowlan cited his desire to serve
his country as one of the reasons he enlisted in the military.
John currently lives in Comanche, OK. He has one daughter,
Makenze. Outside of the military, he works as a brick mason. John
plans to take a vacation to Indiana and Minnesota after this deploy-
ment to visit family. He also plans to continue with his education.
One thing that you don’t know about SPC John Rowlan is that he use
to race Endurals and SuperStocks.
SPC John Rowlan

Supply Personnel
The supply section of the 1-158 is another very important
gear in the machine that drives the battalions mission in
Ramadi.
Since the time the unit was notified of its upcoming mission
in Iraq, the Soldiers working in supply have been working fe-
verishly to prepare for the deployment, and have continued
the pace since our mission began. They have to think proac-
tively to maintain the amount of supplies needed by every Sol-
dier in the battalion. Accounting for every piece of equipment,
and making arrangement to get that equipment where it needs
to go requires a lot of paperwork and man hours to make it
happen.
Its more than protective equipment and weapons, it’s the box
of pens needed by the administration section to fill out paper-
The Soldiers of the 1-158th FA who have performed all supply work or the exhausted items that have to be ordered again..
functions which supported our mission throughout the year. Every single item requested has to go through the supply sec-
tion.
It’s not enough to maintain and provide the supplies, but every item the battalion that has been issued has to be moved
from supply to Soldier and base to base. It is tracked from the time it is received to the final issue of where it needs to be.
When it is time to move locations, they have to estimate the amount of space needed and coordinate with outside units that
will provide the connexes, trucks, and personnel that will have to take the equipment to its final destination.
As we get closer to our mission being complete, the unit’s supply personnel have had to work even harder to account for all
of the equipment and personnel that are preparing to return home. Equipment, vehicles and weapons have to be accounted
for, transferred or moved. It is more than a one man band, it’s a group effort. Every battery has supply personnel, but there
are many more personnel that assist in the supply effort even though they are assigned other duties.
The final touches for supply in Ramadi have begun as we prepare to redeploy. The vast amount gear has to be transported
back home and its accountability will never end. Every item will be tracked through the entire movement and final invento-
ries will be conducted after all the Soldiers have returned. Although they are not often thanked for the amount of effort they
put into the mission’s success, they are a big part of why the 1-158th is able to perform their mission with such success.
From start to finish, these Soldiers have dedicated themselves to every mission tasked to the 1-158th. Overseas or at home,
their preparation begins long before the mission begins and ends long after every boot has returned home. We are all grateful
for the work they have done for each of us.
CPT Kenny Toms and SSG Samual Mooneyham check CPT Robert Mcleod and SPC Cody Campbell conduct a
serial numbers before loading equipment into a connex. full inventory of equipment in preparation to head home.
T-Bird News Page 15
1 5 8 t h FA F a r e w e l l To u r
On July 10th, our very own battalion held

a farewell tour for the Soldiers of Camp
Ramadi. T-Bird 6 and the Rusty Craters Members of T Bird 6 and the
opened with a surprising performance by Rusty Craters include LTC Greg
LTC Lankford on the harmonica. Appar- Lankford, CPT William Ponder,
ently he has been hiding his talent all year.
Southern Comfort and House of Black con- CPT Westley Carter and a civilian
tinued the concert into the late evening. working on Camp Ramadi, “Keith”.
Our Soldiers have held several perform-
ances throughout the year and have gained
quite a following. Their performances have
had audiences on their feet and singing to
the music, some of which was written by
these very Soldiers. They have built morale
and good times for the Camp, and their Southern Comfort members
farewell tour presented a final performance Christopher Solis, Nicholas
to show what our very own Soldiers can do
with the talents each of them possess. Our Thompson, Gerald Spangler and
thanks to each of them for the good times Jesse Shillingstad with the addi-
they brought to the camp. tion of a drummer from 81st
HBCT perform for the crowd.
Rear Detachment
CPT Charles Neely Dustin Carney, Casey Kerr, Tan-
580-595-4403 ner Keasler and Taylor Green hold
charles.neely1@us.army.mil another concert for the Soldiers of
Camp Ramadi. House of Black has
performed several concerts since
Sherri Blasengame
580-595-4406 they first played on camp Ramadi
Sherri.Blasengame@us.army.mil beginning with a New Years Con-
cert on December 31st,.
Group
Monika Harris
580-248-9714
Monika.Harris@us.army.mil Useful Web Addresses
LeAnn Terwilligar Veterans Administration www.seamlesstransition.va.gov
580-483-1051 www.va.gov/rcs/index.htm
leann.m.terwilligar@us.army.mil Military OneSource www.militaryonesource.com
B Battery Family Readiness Group American Red Cross www.redcross.org

Kenna Pemberton
580-467-2071
kpemberton@sbcglobal.net Wounded Warrior Care www.warriorcare.mil
C Battery Family Readiness Group Employment www.vetjobs.com

Mandy Saldana
405-535-0557 www.veteranemployment.com
Depression issues www.allaboutdepression.com/about.html
Established 26 February 1920

158th Field Artillery Official Extract No. 141

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158th Field Artillery Official Extract No. 141

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Official Extract

Informing the Families of the 1-158 FA

Sergeant Major’s Notes

CSM Jimmy Venable

Aaron Tippin Live from Ramadi

Country music star Aaron Tippin stopped by in Ramadi

SPC Joshua Cook of Bravo Battery meets with

Soldiers Name and Rank

Message from the Chaplain

1st Annual Ramadi Turkey Bowl

Thanksgiving has a long standing tradition with sports fans as

Team T-Bird gathers for a photo after winning the

Bravo Battery has finally arrived at Camp Ar Ramadi and has

CPL Ernest W. Childers

Bravo Batter y Promotions

Paul Jackson promoted to First Lieutenant. Tanner Keasler promoted to Sergeant

Wesley Parra promoted to Sergeant Christopher Pettit promoted to Sergeant

Coyote Cor ner: Andrew Wilson

120th FSC Gives Thanks for Thanksgiving

Informing the Families of the 1-158 FA

In this issue: Merry Christmas from Ramadi

Sergeant Major’s Notes

The Transfer of Authority for the 1-158th FA took place

Ramadi, and supporting those operations is a tedious

Soldiers Name and Rank

Message from the Chaplain

Joshua Jezisek promoted to SPC Brain Slater promoted to PFC

Nate Green promoted to SPC

Delbert Dye promoted to PFC William Wasson promoted to PFC

Last week Bravo Battery conducted training for Provincial

CPL Ernest W. Childers

SGT James Baldwin gives a briefing on Personnel Security to PRT

We are blessed to have chaplains working

“A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a

Clockwise from above: SSG Donald Bonner &

SSG Paul Thompson with his Christmas Tree

Informing the Families of the 1-158 FA

Provincial Gover nment Center

Commander’s Cor ner

Sergeant Major’s Notes

CSM Jimmy Venable

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, Page 3

Not only from families and friends, support groups such

Photo by 1sg Dennis Moody

Thanks to so many back home for making Christmas Day as

Soldiers Name and Rank

Message from the Chaplain

A Visit from the Adjutant General

Their tour of Camp Ramadi included visits to the troops

James Woodman of C Battery is promoted to SPC

SPC Ryan King

LEFT: SSG Paul Tate, SGT Jon Zerger, SGT

RIGHT:SPC Lee Davis at the plate during

Coyote Cor ner: TJ Holley

Merry Christmas from Charlie Battery

Members of Charlie Battery 3rd Platoon QRF

Visiting with the Battalion

Informing the Families of the 1-158 FA

Doing Their Par t

Commander’s Cor ner

LTC Greg Lankford

Sergeant Major’s Notes

45th Fires Brigade Commander visits Ramadi

Message from the Chaplain