Missions for Vips Regardless of Weather Conditions by Staff Sgt
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume 1, Issue 91 June 4, 2010 Stingray crews complete ‘no-fail’ missions for VIPs regardless of weather conditions By Staff Sgt. Mike Alberts sions for the most experi- sion. tion Diamondback in Mosul, 25CAB, 25th Inf. Div PAO enced combat aviators. The Stingrays transport Iraq. They are doing it with For the air crew of the some of the most senior UH-60L Black Hawk heli- On a May afternoon at “Stingrays,” Company A, and influential personnel copters modified for their Contingency Operating Base 3-25th General Support throughout U.S. Division unique mission. Speicher in Iraq, visibility Aviation Battalion, 25th - North. It’s a “no-fail” mis- Each primary helicopter diminished from three miles Combat Aviation Brigade, sion and, by all accounts, one contains an Army Airborne to one in less than an hour, 25th Infantry Division, the the unit has performed flaw- Command and Control Sys- enough to cancel all but the extreme weather amounted lessly since arriving in Iraq tem, also referred to as the most critical aviation mis- to another challenging mis- almost nine months ago. A2CS2, and an experienced “Our primary mission is signal support systems spe- to support the Task Force cialist to operate it. Marne and USD-N Com- The A2C2S functions like manding General, Maj. Gen. a mobile tactical operations Tony Cucolo; the TF Marne center. In addition to multi- Deputy Commanding Gen- band and satellite radios, this eral for Maneuver, Brig. airborne command and con- Gen. Patrick Donahue; and trol system contains Com- the TF Marne Deputy Com- mand Post of the Future and manding General for Sup- Blue Force Tracker capabili- port, Brig. Gen. Thomas ties, among other systems. Vandal, as well as [certain] Both CPOF and BFT give the other general support mis- aircraft’s general officer pas- sions,” explained Capt. Bon- sengers unprecedented com- nie Wood, commander, Co. munication ability and situ- A, 3-25th GSAB, and a native ational awareness in flight. of Artemas, Pa. “The mission Since October 2009, the is critical because we allow Stingrays have flown more Task Force Marne’s senior than 700 missions, accumu- leaders to move around their lated more than 5,000 flight battle space quickly, safely hours, and have earned high and efficiently.” praise from TF Marne’s most The Stingrays have ac- senior leader. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Alberts, 25CAB, 25th Inf. Div. PAO complished their mission “Alpha Company and my Sergeant John Stefanik (top left), crew chief and mechanic, Sgt. Es- with about 50 Soldiers from particular pilot and air crew tevan Gonzales (right), signal support systems specialist and A2C2S two locations, COB Speicher, are absolutely invaluable to operator, and Pfc. Rebecca Pottebaum (left), crew chief and mechan- ic, all assigned to Co. A, 3-25th GSAB, conduct pre-flight checks and near Tikrit, Iraq, and Con- inspections on a UH-60L Black Hawk at COB Speicher, May 20. tingency Operating Loca- See FLIGHT, Page 3 The North Star Page 2 • June 4, 2010 Promotion reunites father, son in Iraq By Pfc. Jessica Luhrs, command were very sup- Rider has been there for his his son on the back. 1BCT, 1st AD PAO portive and did everything son throughout his military “It is an honor to have my they could to help arrange career. “It means the world dad here,” said Sgt. Miller. A smiling son and a this, Sgt. 1st Class Rider to do this. I was there for “Other than having my wife father, beaming with pride, said. him when he enlisted, when here to see me getting pro- stood next to Mine Resis- Sergeant Miller also he left for basic and now to- moted I couldn’t have asked tant Ambush Protected agreed that his supervisor day the day he crosses over for anything more than for vehicles on Forward Operat- was very helpful. “When to be an NCO,” said Sgt. 1st my dad to be here promot- ing Base Warrior, Kirkuk, my chain of command got Class Rider, while he patted ing me.” Iraq, saying their goodbyes, a phone call about my dad after reuniting for the first wanting to promote me, no time in over a year. questions were asked, they After a month of plan- just wanted to make it hap- ning and help from his pen,” he said. chain of command, Sgt. Upon Sgt. 1st Class 1st Class Steven Rider, a Rider’s arrival to FOB War- native of Lowville, N.Y., the rior, he was reunited with brigade battle noncommis- his son and they spent their sioned officer in charge with time hanging out, when Sgt. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Miller got off work. 10th Mountain Division, out On their third and last of Fort Drum, N.Y., boarded day together, June 1, Sgt. 1st a flight to FOB Warrior, Class Rider had the oppor- to see and promote, his tunity to pin his son from son Sgt. Timothy Miller, specialist to sergeant. a team leader with Alpha Sergeant Miller has only Battery, 2nd Battalion, 3rd been in a little over two Field Artillery, 1st Brigade years and he is already an Combat Team, 1st Armored NCO, as a father, Sgt. 1st Photo by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs, 1BCT, 1st AD PAO Division, out of Fort Bliss, Class Rider, said it made Sergeant First Class Steven Rider (right), 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. battle NCOIC, poses with his son Sgt. Timothy Miller, a team leader Texas, May 30. him really proud. with Btry. A, 2/3 FA Regt., 1st BCT, 1st AD, after pinning the sergeant Both of the chains of Sergeant First Class rank on him, June 1. 26th BSB surgeon awarded for service in White House By Master Sgt. Duff McFadden the staff at any one time – two from 2BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO the Army, two from the Navy and two from the Air Force – the Army Medical It’s a long way from the hallowed Branch nominates six physicians. This walls of the White House to the dusty list, in turn, is scoured by the Depart- environs of northern Iraq, and for Col. ment of the Army and then passed Daniel Parks, the 26th Base Support along to the White House, who selects Battalion surgeon, its been a wild ride. three personnel for interviews. From September 2001 to March Those selectees underwent three 2009, this Canton, Mass., resident days of interviews at the White House served as one of the six White House and the following day, Col. Parks physicians for U.S. Presidents George received the phone call stating the job W. Bush and Barrack Obama. was his. “I was totally excited. I mean, Quiet and professional, Col. Parks this was an opportunity of a lifetime.” recently received the Defense Supe- His first day of work was Sept. 11, rior Service Medal for his duties as a 2001 – he quickly learned the ropes. Photo by Master Sgt. Duff McFadden, 2HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO White House physician in a ceremony After undergoing Emergency Medi- Colonel Daniel Parks, battle surgeon for 26th with the 26th Base Support Battalion, cal training and Nuclear, Biological BSB, 2nd HBCT, 3rd ID, is presented the De- 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd and Chemical training, he began work- fense Superior Service Medal for his duties as a White House physician, during a cer- Infantry Division, in Mosul, Iraq. emony at COS Marez in Mosul. With six White House physicians on See AWARD, Page 3 The North Star Page 3 • June 4, 2010 Continued from FLIGHT, Page 1 my mission,” said Maj. Gen. Cucolo. extraordinary depth of experience of “I love this mission because you re- “We operate in a huge battle space, the unit’s aviators and air crews. ally feel like you are part of the game so much of which is only accessible by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Bo- so-to-speak, not sitting on the side- rotary-wing aircraft. ley, instructor pilot and primary CAC lines,” explained Sgt. Stefanik, a native Many of the locations I need to go pilot, and Sgt. John Stefanik, crew chief of Houston, Texas, who now calls Pen- are only accessible by rotary wing. As and UH-60L Black Hawk mechanic, are sacola, Fla., home. the commanding general, I simply must two Co. A, 3-25th GSAB Soldiers with “We’re successful because we have have the ability to pick up and move prior CAC experience in combat. all done this before. We understand the quickly. Alpha Company provides me Both appreciate the role the Sting- unique equipment requirements … that that ability. rays play in facilitating TF Marne’s a general officer needs. We make sure “They also bring much needed mission throughout USD-N. we’re professional and just do what we agility,” continued Maj. Gen. Cucolo. “I am an instructor pilot, but my are all trained to do during every mis- “There have been instances, for ex- primary job is to facilitate movement of sion.” ample, where I will be meeting with a the commanding general anywhere he Sheik in far western Ninewah province needs to go,” said Chief Warrant Offi- and, over the radio, my aide-de-camp cer 3 Boley, a native of St. Louis. will receive word that I am needed in “Most of us have done this type of Kirkuk province. mission before. We understand the It won’t be something that’s part of need to be flexible and dynamic, and to the day’s flight plan, but the pilots and take the general wherever his mission air crew who I have are capable of ad- dictates.