dnaught Newsletter Drea

September 2011

Battalion Commander
Family and Friends of the Dreadnaughts,
2-34 Armor CAB 7006A Siebert Street Fort Riley, KS 66442
Inside this issue:

Fear God and Dreadnaught!! LTC Chris Kidd Dreadnaught 6

Friends and Family of 2-34 AR, As our newsletter is only monthly, I am certain the news on our early redeployment has spread like wildfire throughout the Families. CSM McDwyer and I did our best to brief every platoon, squad and Soldier about our change to a January redeployment (albeit B Company had to wait a few extra days as they had some missions ongoing). I know everyone back home is very excited and perhaps are not worried about why the change, but I can tell you that the Army is very interested in bringing all of 1st Brigade back together again after it was split between Iraq and Afghanistan and with battalions on completely different timelines. Our Mortar Platoon, which left early in January 2011, will return with 3rd Brigade in December 2011 and the rest of the battalion (with our other Mortar Platoon here in Maiwand) will be back in early/mid January 2012. In the meantime, the men and women of the battalion continue to impress everyone here with their drive and motivation. There is great energy in Maiwand and it is because of the Dreadnaught Soldiers that are fighting or supporting the fight to make this a safer place. As I type this, the month of Ramadan has ended and the people are celebrating their Eid holiday in which families gather and do not worry about much more than simply being with family. These last two days have been nearly violence-free in Maiwand and it is wonderful to see the Afghan people living a normal life without the worry of intimidation or attacks. All six companies and all seven hundred plus Soldiers continue to be very busy as our focus has not shifted at all. We see progress every day and the proof is in the smiles of the children surrounding our Soldiers every day. The photos below are from a new playground that FSC and C Co helped to build and set up for the kids in Hutal, the central city in our district. For all these kids, this was the first time they had ever been on a swing set, a merry-go-round, or a see-saw. Lots of smiles. Fear God, Dreadnaught!! LTC Chris Kidd

Company Articles Rear D. Home front pictures

Pg 2 Pg 9 Pg 10 Pgs 11

HEADQUARTERS

AND

HEADQUARTERS COMPANY 2ND BN 34TH ARMOR REGIMENT

THE HOPLITE HERALD

SEPT 2011

HOPLITE HOMECOMING NEWS

As many of you now know, our battalion is projected to re-deploy earlier than we thought. This has caused us to change the way mid-tour leave was allocated. We encourage families to contact their Soldier if they have any questions regarding mid-tour leave or the actual battalion redeployment. Right now the last NCOs will take leave no later than 1 September 2011 and the final cut-off date for Soldiers will be 1 October 2011. If you have any questions please contact the RearDetachment Commander CPT Ricky Brown. Most Dreadnaughts should be home by the second week of January 2012 from this deployment. This is an estimated timeline, and anything could change. In other news, Hoplites continue to perform with distinction in Afghanistan. Hundreds of Hoplite Soldiers have been nominated for awards including Army Commendation Medals and Bronze Star Medals. These awards are completely deserved and reflect the outstanding performance HHC Soldiers have demonstrated.
TOP LEFT: SSG Perkins missing home TOP RIGHT: SSG Kirk congratulates recently promoted SSG Bradish

Commanders Corner
Greetings Hoplite Nation!

BOTTOM LEFT: SSG Henegar does some Military Working Dog training

Since our last newsletter a lot has certainly changed with our deployment timeline. The article above hopefully outlined everything for you but if some things are still unclear I encourage you to speak with your spouse and have them ask their chain of command. We still have a long way to go with this deployment. We are only about half-way done. Soldiers of HHC have been busy capturing Taliban leaders, participating in helicopter air assaults, protecting the local citizens and improving the quality of life for the people of Maiwand. 1SG Peterson continues to improve the living conditions for HHC Soldiers. The Forward Operating Base we live on is one of the nicest in all of Southern Afghanistan! Hoplite ABOVE: From left, 1SG Peterson, CPT Soldiers continue to work hard each and every day. In closing I would like to add that anything can change but keeping an open dialogue with your Soldier is the best way to be prepared. I ask that families remain ready for anything. Captain Benjamin Ryder Hoplite 6 benjamin.j.ryder@us.army.mil Page 2 Dreadnaught Newsletter
Ryder, CPT Abaldo

Alpha Company - ORPHANS

Soldiers, Family Members, and Supporters of the Orphans,
Greetings! Time continues to fly by as we are more than four months into our deployment. Im sure that everyone was delighted to hear the news that we will be redeploying a full three months early with most everyone expected to be back home in America by the middle of January. While this is great news, there is still much work to be done over here. The month of Ramadan has presented its own unique dynamics but we continue to move forward with the help of our Afghan Partners and interactions with the local populous. Our thoughts and prayers are with PVT Matthew Leyva, his wife Raelyan, and his whole family as he works through recovering from his injuries at BAMC. Our other wounded warriors, PFC Musolino and SPC Shelton are recovering back at Fort Riley with SGT Sweet just recently returning to us at our COP after receiving treatment for the gunshot wound he sustained. While at times it seems like were taking two steps forward and one step back, the company continues to impress me with its resolve in executing missions and fighting to make our country and that of the Afghans safer.

-CPT Donald E. Sedivy, Orphan 6

Talking with local leaders to talk possible solutions to water irrigation and security

Wishing elders a safe and joyful end to the month of Ramadan

Orphan Families and Friends,

Another month has come and gone, hope everyone is doing well. First, I would like to thank all the spouses who put together the August boxes for all the Soldiers here. Hope you all are enjoying your spouse as they return for 15 days of R&R, remember dont make plans until your spouse is home. A lot of dates change, flights get cancelled and emergency leave takes priority. As you all should know, we are redeploying sometime in January, which means all R&R ends around the end of October. Yes, I know, some of your spouses will not get to come home until we redeploy. Im trying to push as many Soldiers home as possible so bare with us. As you all know, one of our own was severely injured, PVT Leyva, please keep him and his wife in your prayers as we are. Continue to push forward from the rear and we will do the same from our end. - Orphan 7 out.

-1SG Tony Reese Orphan 7

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Bravo Company - BLACK DRAGONS

Dragon Families, This month instead of me telling you how great the soldiers are doing, I thought I would let their platoon leaders tell you instead. DRAGON Company is lucky to have such fine Army Leaders within its ranks. Lets let them tell a bit of their stories:
Families, Friends, FRG; Can you believe that fall is almost here? It may not feel like it on either side of the ocean, but as the days of August wind down, school starts for many of our number, and the seasons begin to shift marking the close of the growing seasons and the initiation of harvest. In Afghanistan too, we await the fall and the cooler temperatures that come with it. Currently we are still experiencing highs in the 100s but cooler days are coming. The men of 1st Platoon have not ceased to impress me with their resiliency and resolve. Whether tirelessly training our partnered Afghan National Security Forces of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, or conducting force protection and enemy area denial measures such as installing barbed wire along supply routes, your soldiers are putting it out there every day. With the recent news of our redeployment I have seen a new zeal in the platoon and indeed myself. Recognizing we are now at roughly the half way point of the tour and through the warmest part of the year, the mens morale has picked up significantly. I want to express to you with utmost gratitude for the support that you provide to your soldiers on a daily basis. Though the communication channels between us and our families are at times unreliable and unavailable, the recent upgrade of our MWR facilities should allow for more frequent communication back to the states. With Best Regards, 1LT Patrick J. Dehnart, Platoon Leader GOLD 6 Families, With five months down, the 1st Platoon Mountain Goats are continuing to excel and are enjoying the opportunity to serve as the Red Platoon for the Black Dragons. I attribute the platoons stellar performance thus far to a combination of several factors: tough-as-nails soldiers; outstanding NCOs; the Black Dragon leadership, which accepted the artillery platoon with open arms, and continue to provide caring leadership; and the families back home that consistently support the platoon with packages, mail, and conversation. The Mountain Goats have fed off of the proficiency, incredible knowledge, the unit pride of Bravo Company, and the unique situation to prove themselves as artillerymenturned-infantrymen. While the Goats still hold the Joint Readiness Training Centers record time for the fastest air assault artillery mission, that memory has faded with the task at hand, and the desire to excel, for both pride and for the mission. The Mountain Goats would like to thank the Black Dragons for accepting Red Platoon as one of their own. The platoons inclusion for FRG newsletters and updates demonstrates the extent to which 1st Platoon is a part of the Bravo Company family. Ultimately, the knowledge that the platoon will be home soon and each soldier reunited with their loved ones gives motivation and keeps morale elevated. Though we may be from Fort Drum and we have never met, thank you for your continued support and reminding us of home. Thank you also for supporting such a great company, as their excellence is a testament to your support. 1LT Grant Cuprak, Platoon Leader Mountain Goat RED 6

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Dreadnaught Newsletter

Bravo Company - BLACK DRAGONS

Dear Families, The days are passing by quickly with the workload and busy schedule 2nd platoon soldiers are handling. Not only are they up to the task but they are accomplishing all missions with much success and their efforts and dedication are being noticed by the Black Dragon Company, 2-34AR Battalion, and 4-25 Battalion here at FOB Azzizulah. 2nd platoon along with the rest of the Black Dragons are raising the bar higher every day and setting the standard in all of our lines of effort in RC South. Squad leaders such as SGT Johnson, SGT Lee, and SGT Jankowski are continuously providing guidance to the rest of the team and keep their men busy. Their hard work on patrols, focus and consideration during meetings or Shuras with the local nationals and non stop physical conditioning are all examples for their subordinates to one day aspire to be. Needless to say, some of you back home will be pleasantly surprised to see well oiled and physically fit husbands, brothers, fathers, sons, and friends return to Ft. Riley early next year. The support and care all of you back home give us is a driving force that keeps 2 nd Platoon soldiers motivated and determined to keep up the hard work. The care packages, letters, and time taken out of your days to wait for a phone call early in the morning are priceless factors in keeping our spirits up. You can not be thanked enough. The heat out here is starting to level off around the 110 range. The nights are coming sooner and the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan is coming to a close. It has been a unique experience for us seeing a different culture and way of life. We have built a strong relationship and team with the local Afghan National Army soldiers we are partnered with. Conducting missions together and training each other we are certain our combined efforts have made their military stronger with more knowledge to better handle a difficult enemy. We are staying healthy, well fed, and committed to the mission. We are a family of 32 soldiers looking out for one another and keeping things humorous; we are blessed with many comedians such as SFC Fisher who keeps us laughing. We look forward to our return in January to see the smiling faces of our families and friends. Not a day passes we dont think of our brothers back home especially SPC Troy Tow who we miss dearly and cant wait to have him a part of our 2 nd platoon team again when we reunite back at Ft. Riley. Thanks again to all of you who are staying strong and supportive for all of us over here. Dragons lead the way! 1LT Sean McIntosh Dragon 26 Families, 3rd Platoon, B Co, 2-34 AR is doing great work here at COP Azimjan Karez. We are conducting patrol bases and dismounted combat patrols most of the time, taking the fight to the enemy and supporting the Afghan people. We are all looking forward to coming home to our families in January, but until then we are fighting hard and staying motivated. Id like to thank the families for all their support, it is much appreciated. See you all in January! CPT Aaron Price Dragon36

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Dreadnaught Newsletter

Charlie Company - FIGHTING ACES

Fighting Aces Families, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as your new Charlie Company Commander; my name is Captain Keith Gauthier. I have a great wife, RacheI, and three great kids Isaak, Andrew, and Abigail. I started my military career in the Marine Corps; I served 4 years earning the rank of SGT and then decided to attend college. I received my Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from Northern Arizona University and then returned to the military but this time as an Army Officer. My first duty assignment was in Schweinfurt, Germany where I was deployed to Iraq as a Platoon Leader. Our unit was then moved to Grafenwoehr, Germany where I was deployed for a second time to Iraq, this time as Company XO. After almost 4 years in Germany, my family and I returned to Georgia for Captains Career Course and then arrived this last December to Fort Riley. I am looking forward to leading the Fighting Aces as their Company Commander. The Fighting Aces are working hard with our Afghan counterpart to further the security within the Companies area of operation. On a daily basis your soldiers are conducting patrols, training and working with Afghan Police and handing out candy to children. The positive attitude of your Soldier has built an outstanding reputation among the Afghan people. I ensure you that we will keep up the good work for the remainder of the deployment and leave Afghanistan a better place for the next unit. I look forward to meeting you all when we redeploy and dont hesitate to contact the Rear Detachment and Family Readiness Group if you need anything. Fighting Aces 6

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Delta Company - DAUNTLESS

From the Outgoing Commanders Desk
Friends and Family of DAUNTLESS,
Chances are good that by the time you read this, I will no longer be the commander of this great company. The change of command is scheduled for September 4th, where I will hand the guidon over to Captain Jared Coil. I have been uniquely privileged with the opportunity to command Dauntless. When most commanders take a guidon, it is for a company that is already a capable organization with systems in place. The unit already has an identity, and the new commander shapes it to match his personality. When I assumed command of Delta Company, it consisted of twelve men and four HMMWVs. I, along with 1SG Mosher, had the challenging yet rewarding task of building Dauntless from a small transition team company into a fully functional tank company, and later a tank and infantry company team. The company had no name, no logo, and no identity. Everything that Dauntless would become had to be deliberately emplaced. Because of the amount of emotional time and energy I have invested into Daunt-less, I am incredibly sad to hand the reigns over to a new commander. I have long been worried about who the next commander would be, and if he would be deserving of such a magnificent organization. I am very happy to report that Jared Coil will be a terrific commander. In the short time that I have known him, Jared has proven to be a top notch officer who is extremely intelligent and capable. If I am honest with myself, I have to admit that I believe he will be a better commander than I was. One of my last requests as Dauntless 6 is to ask that you please sup-port him in the same manner that you have supported me. There are countless people that I must thank for making this command such a success. The space in this news-letter is far too short to list everyone that I am indebted to, how-ever there are two people that deserve public recognition. 1SG Mosher has been by my side since my very first day in command. It did not take me long to realize how lucky I was to have a man of his caliber as my top NCO, and I knew almost instantly that our ideals were very similar and our leader-ship styles would compliment each others perfectly. Top, I cannot thank you enough for how enjoyable you made this command. Finally, my beautiful wife, Kim. When I took command, Kim had already been a company commander for a year, and I learned more from her than she will ever know. So that we could both realize our own career aspirations, Kim selflessly assumed the role of a single mom to our son, and subsequently our new daughter, as she completed the Army Baylor Program at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. Kim, you are my angel and my hero. Without your strength, my command would have been far shorter and less rewarding. In closing I ask that you please continue to support each other and your Soldiers. You all have a tremendous amount to be proud of, and I will miss being in the company of such fine men and their families.

Sincerely, Timmy
Dauntless 6 Ancient

From the Incoming Commanders Desk

Friends and Family of DAUNTLESS, My name is Jared Coil, and as the incoming commander to DAUNT-LESS, I would like to intro-duce myself, my wife Alex, and our three children, Bran-don, Laura, and Jayden, to the friends and families of DAUNTLESS as Timmy Decker and I transition the Company. Thank you to CPT Decker and 1SG Mosher for allowing me to join this al-ready great organization. They have built this company from scratch and can be proud of the work accomplished already. I am proud to serve you and the men of DAUNTLESS. CPT Jared Coil Dauntless 6

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Dreadnaught Newsletter

Forward Support Company - TWO GUN

Hello again friends and families of Fox Company. August proved to be another successful month for HQ platoon in our support of OEF. Even though as a whole, HQ accomplished numerous tasks assigned with expertise and impressive expediency. One Soldier stood out as the go to guy and I would like to give recognition to SGT Christopher Dann aka Dead Hook 1. SGT Dann had his hands on practically everything to include FOB improvement projects such as gym renovation and equipment set up. He was directly involved in setting up three tents at the flight line to use as AMR office, Pax Terminal, Transient tent and occasionally one is used as a Holding Facility. SGT Dann spent countless personal hours improving living areas for Soldiers by putting up camo net for cover, built a rest area for down time and built a giant deck in front of Soldiers room to muffle the gravel noise when people walk thru, so Soldiers can get better rest. He also traveled to other combat outposts to assist in moving barriers for checkpoints and local soccer field to heighten security in those locations. His latest project is cleaning up the old ANCOP village for health and safety purposes. SGT Dann is proficient at his job as a Recovery NCO and definitely is a Jack of all Trades. His enthusiasm and cheerfulness always motivates us to do more and to do better for ourselves and those that we support. So please join me in recognition of an outstanding NCO whom we have the privilege to work with and once again, thank you for your love and support. You are always in our hearts. Distro Platoon Family and Friends, another month has quickly passed by. We have a new addition to the Platoon Family. Sergeant Quincy Buckley and family welcomed Aayden Buckley born 23 August at 0443 weighing 7lbs 6oz and 20 inches long. All of the Soldiers in Distro Platoon work very hard each and every day. However, this month SPC David Lira went over and above his daily duties. While out on mission the Maxpro that he was driving broke down. SPC Lira had recently been to a maintenance training class for this vehicle type. The mechanics on site were not able to fix the vehicle. However, through his recently acquired knowledge SPC Lira was able to trouble shoot the problem, discover the cause and fix it on site. This saved the Platoon from having to recover the vehicle and discontinue mission. SPC Lira is the driver for SSG Jeremy Martin who said that SPC Lira takes special pride in his vehicle making sure that maintenance is completed and the truck is always mission ready. In other activities this month Distro took part in the Fox Company barbeque and the Soldiers had time to relax and challenge each other in a friendly game of volleyball. Since the Company arrived at FOB Sarkari Karez the Soldiers have been weighing in weekly for the Biggest Looser Challenge. Every Soldier has their individual goal. Some are working hard to trim down and others are lifting weights to tone up and build muscle. The gym has really brought a lot of Soldiers together as they support each other in trying to achieve their individual goals. Some of the Soldiers are also focusing on self improvement. You should be very proud of the hard work and effort that your Soldiers are putting forth everyday in Distro Platoon. Auto platoon had a great month and accomplished countless tasks for the battalion. Not only has the platoon kept up to speed on all maintenance tasks, they have been extremely flexible and accomplished many non-maintenance missions. CPL Wilkinson had a very busy month of non-stop welding. He began working on a brigade initiative Culvert Denial System. This system, which requires hours of welding salvaged steel and iron, will deny the enemy the opportunity to emplace IEDs in the culverts under our roads. He also spent countless hours building Dreadnaught Field, which is a large pavilion with great overhead cover and will be used for promotions, training and other battalion functions. This is a sustainable and very well built structure that future units will be able to utilize for years to come.

Two Gun Command Team

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Mortars Platoon attached to 6-4 CAV - MARAUDERS

2-34 MORTARS
Camp Clark, Afghanistan- 2-34 AR Mortars (MARAUDERS) are still remaining vigilant with their current mission of providing Camp security with 120mm and 81mm Mortars. The Marauders participated in training their fellow National Guard Mortar men of Task Force Creek on the capabilities and employment of the Armys newest mortar round the XM395 Precision Guided Munition (PGM). A few of the Marauders travelled home and had the opportunity to spend some well deserved rest and relaxation with their families. Let us all congratulate CPL Myers for the US Armys decision to select and promote him to Sergeant, as well as PFC Rays promotion to Specialist. Well earned and richly deserved, keep up the Good Work Warriors. I would also like to take the opportunity to recognize one of our professional Marauders CPLWeber. He was coined by the Squadron CSM for excellence for delivering precise effective fire during a Squadron Live Fire Exercise. The Marauders are remaining ever vigilant, non- complacent, and mission focused, theyre taking care of one another, and we will be home real soon. God Speed!!! Fear God Dreadnaughts! Felipe H. Brown SFC, USA 2-34 AR (MORTARS) Mortar Platoon Sergeant Marauder 7
SPC Sierra and SFC Fields standing by

Raider Review

SPC Ayala and Plumms

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Dreadnaught Newsletter

Rear Detachment - SENTINELS

Friends and Families of the Dreadnaught Battalion,

Friends and Families of the Dreadnaught Battalion, It is now August! Almost 4 months down with the deployment already! This month is a bittersweet one however. We are forced to say farewell to our long-term Family Readiness Support Assistant (FRSA), Melissa Valdez, as her and her family move on to the next assignment at Arizona State University in Arizona. This is a great opportunity for her and her family and she will definitely be missed. Melissa practically built the entire Family Readiness Group program in the Battalion as the unit transitioned from the MTT Team mission to stand up as a Combined Arms Battalion. Melissa has been the organizing force behind making sure our families were prepared for this deployment as they have shown they are through their resiliency and volunteerism. It is sweet though because we get to welcome a new member to the Dreadnaught team. We get to welcome our new FRSA, Jennifer Farinosi. Jennifer came highly recommended with many years of experience as an FRSA during her familys previous assignment in Germany. Like Melissa, Jennifer was one of the original FRSAs and helped define what that position was going to be. Her experience and expertise in this role is going to be very helpful in the Battalions next step as we begin to anxiously look forward to the redeployment and the joy, jubilation, and hardships that come with that. August is also going to mark the start of the school year and I personally hope this means the return of a lot of families who went home for the summer to be with their families. Get the kids back into school and get back here with the unit. We have some great events scheduled for the fall to include a Haunted House event at the new Battalion Headquarters in October. It would be great to see as many Dreadnaught Family Members there as possible. I know its been a hot summer and I hope everyone has been able to beat the heat! Fear God and Dreadnaught!

CPT RICKY BROWN Sentinel 6

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PICTURES FOR THE HOMEFRONT

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