Try our Maze & Crossword! Sports stars visit our Troops PAGE 5 PAGE 10 Triple Nickel Tribune “Willing And Able!” JOINT TASK FORCE TRI P L E N I C K E L NEWSLETTER OF THE TH EATER ENGINEER BRIGADE IN AFGHANISTAN Facebook.com/JointTaskForceTripleNickel Issue 2 — March 2013 “We accept the challenge Message from today brings. It is time to roll up our sleeves and the Commander get to work.” Colonel Nicholas Katers, “Able 6” Triple Nickel Team, At A Glance… TRIPLE NICKEL SERVING AS THEATER The Soldiers, Sailors and ENGINEER BRIGADE, COMMANDING Airmen of Joint Task Force Triple ABOUT 5,000 ENGINEER TROOPS Nickel continue to set the stan- dard for excel- ENGINEER FORCES SPREAD ACROSS lence here in AFGHANISTAN IN VARIOUS ROLES Af gha nist a n. Photo by Task Force Anchor FOURTH LARGEST UNIT UNDER ISAF Naval engineers, or Seabees, place concrete for a water well pump house. These While our mis- JOINT COMMAND, BEHIND ONLY wells give units direct, cost-effective water access on bases across the country. sion is tough EAST, SOUTH, AND SOUTHWEST and dangerous, REGIONAL COMMANDS I am always Water well teams improve impressed with JOINT TEAM LED BY 555TH ENG. BRIGADE HQS… INCLUDES ARMY, the positive bases, save millions in costs NAVY, AND AIR FORCE, AS WELL AS attitudes and “Essayons” spirit of ACTIVE, RESERVE, AND GUARD our force. Every day, hundreds of Chief Eqpmt. Operator Dawn Mayhugh began to drill the first of five water Triple Nickel Warriors spend valu- Task Force Anchor Public Affairs wells across the country. TRIPLE NICKEL FOCUSED ON AFGHAN able time teaching the Afghan Two 12-man teams took charge ARMY ENGINEER PARTNERSHIP, ISAF Engineers how to perfect their CAMP KRUTKE, Afghanistan – of two Laibe drill rigs and more than TROOP CONSTRUCTION, AND ROUTE CLEARANCE (KEEPING ROADS SAFE) trade. There are now more Af- Naval engineers in Afghanistan have $2 million of materials. ghan engineers in the fight than completed their fifth water well pro- As 24-hour drilling operations U.S. engineers and they continue ject, giving coalition continued, each team to get better every day. Soon forces direct, cost- “Each well saves the overcame obstacles Inside there will be four Afghan Engi- effective water access military hundreds of ranging from equip- neer Battalions in the fight. We on bases across the thousands of dollars ment repairs to this issue… are setting the stage to let them country, saving the compared to contracted weather delays as win- CSM’S CORNER. take over completely. military millions in ter rain and snow inten- 2 drilling or having to IMPORTANT ISSUES AFFECTING YOU I have had numerous oppor- costs. sified. ENGINEERS WORK WITH STRYKER tunities over the last month to acquire and transport 3 Launching out in The teams were con- BRIGADE TO BUILD NEW ROAD visit our troops in the field, and Sept. 2012, U.S. Navy water from off-base.” stantly tested as hidden what they accomplish through Seabees from Naval rock formations and PARTNERS APPLAUD AFGHAN UNIT 4 (STORY FROM TF OUTLAW) their hard work and skill is defi- Mobile Construction Battalion voids changed drilling speeds. By nitely impressive. Commanders (NMCB) 133, Task Force Anchor, managing the “mud” program HHC GETS COMBAT PATCHES. 6 HELPING FALLEN TROOPS, FAMILIES around Afghanistan tell me that through skillful manipulation of we are a decisive force in shaping chemicals, the teams progressed in MILITARY FAMILIES RECONNECT 7 the way to Afghan self reliance. operations. “Mud” is a combination DURING AFGHANISTAN DEPLOYMENT Please follow JTF Triple Nickel on of water and a number of chemical 307TH ENGINEERS FROM TF SAW 8 Facebook to see the great accom- agents that allows the water well DEFEND ROADS FROM IEDS plishments of your Soldiers. You team to bring soil drilled out of the AFGHAN ENGINEERS BUILD UP BASE. 9 will not be disappointed. water well to the surface. US ENGINEERS HELP TRANSFER BASE We are Willing and Able! The wells have an average MEDICAL TIPS: FIGHTING MALARIA. 13 CHAPLAIN’S CLOSING depth of nearly 1,000 feet and pro- Utilitesman 2nd Class Kelby Bracken - Col. Nick Katers duce an average of 100 gallons of ABOUT THE “TRIPLE NICKEL” 14 welds a sump pump for a water (Continued on page 2) “Able 6” well during drilling operations. Page 1 Triple Nickel Tribune Issue 2 — March 2013 Command Sergeant Major’s Corner Important issues affecting you: Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Bryan, “Able 7” Food and services on bases: Suspending Tuition Assistance BOTTOM LINE: Soldiers still get at (T.A.) due to fiscal challenges: least 3 meals a day, but instead of BOTTOM LINE: No new T.A. re- Triple Nickel Family, “You can be sure your all hot chow, some may be pack- quests until further notice. Cur- aged meals. We reduce contracted rent enrollments unaffected; other As we pass through the first Soldier is Willing and services so we can properly draw funding sources still available. month into the second, you can Able to continue the down our forces from Afghanistan. The Secretary of the Army be sure your Soldier is Willing Transition is a continuous approved suspension of Tuition fight in a far away land, operation and one we take seri- and Able to Assistance beginning last week, alongside many other ously. Across the country our due to the current fiscal situation. continue the forces are closing bases and draw- dedicated American The suspension applies to all com- fight in a far ing down our presence here away land, service members.” To set the conditions for each ponents and will remain effect until alongside many base closure or a base transfer, non the fiscal situation matures. other dedicated -tactical logistics and support ser- Soldiers are not permitted to American ser- needs to feel better about the vices (i.e. any non-mission essential submit new requests for Tuition vice members. situation. Your Soldier needs you services) must begin to decline. Assistance through the GoArmyEd We are figuring out our battle to stay strong and remember Typically the complete cessa- portal. Soldiers currently enrolled tion of non-tactical logistics and rhythm to ensure mission suc- that they are thinking about you and participating in courses ap- services, such as laundry services proved for tuition assistance are cess, and we will continue to daily. or morale, welfare and recreation not affected and will be allowed to move forward ensuring progress services, occurs 2-3 months prior is always on the horizon. Thank you for all the contin- to a base closure or transfer. Still, complete current course(s). ued care and support you’ve commanders may determine a Soldiers can continue to ac- Remember there are a lot given to your loved ones, the need to make such changes earlier cess their GI Bill benefits, if applica- of resources available to you in Triple Nickel team, and all our or phase them in slower over a ble (either Montgomery or Post case you are feeling down and troops fighting for the Nation longer period of time. 9/11 GI Bill), or use other funding need some help. The Triple they love! Such decisions depend on sources (i.e. grants, scholarships, or many factors, such as the size of Nickel family is only as strong as Army National Guard Soldiers using the base, location and the trans- state Tuition Assistance). Soldiers its weakest link, so also be sure Willing and Able, portation assets available. The should be encouraged to contact to lend an ear to someone that CSM Kevin Bryan move to an expeditionary footprint may need someone to talk to. is nothing new. It is how we train, local education centers for addi- Sometimes being heard is all one it is how we came into Afghanistan tional information. Updates will be and it is how we will exit each base. posted to www.goarmyed.com. Water well teams (Continued from page 1) clean water per minute. “Coalition and Afghan forces will benefit for years due to their efforts,” said Chief Petty Officer This newsletter belongs to the David Asbury, construction officer with JTF Triple Nickel. WILLING AND ABLE members of Each well saves the military Joint Task Force Triple Nickel… hundreds of thousands of dollars The Triple Nickel Tribune is an authorized compared to the costs of contracted newsletter for members of the 555th drilling or having to acquire and Engineer Brigade and Joint Task Force transport water from off-base, ac- Triple Nickel. Contents are not necessarily Send us photos, stories, and ideas for cording to Asbury. endorsed by the Dept. of the Army, Dept. The military has so far saved of Defense, or United States Government. future coverage, and see your unit’s Content is reviewed, edited, and approved accomplishments highlighted on our over $2 million with these projects. by the Brigade Public Affairs Officer. Across the country, these wells For questions, comments, or submissions, Facebook page and in future editions continue to have a positive impact please contact the Brigade PAO. and increase the quality of life for of the Triple Nickel Tribune! Public Affairs Officer: CPT Spencer Garrison thousands of coalition personnel. Task Force Anchor, part of the [email protected] Theater Engineer Brigade, Joint Task Facebook.com/JointTaskForceTripleNickel Force Triple Nickel, is deployed to Email: [email protected] Afghanistan in support of coalition forces and the Afghan people. Page 2 Triple Nickel Tribune Issue 2 — March 2013 Triple Nickel & Stryker task force team up: Engineers partner with 4th Stryker Brigade to build new road By U.S. Army Sgt. Kimberly Hackbarth away any debris from the combat 4th Bde., 2nd Inf.