Dagwood Dispatches Vol. 30-No. 2 April 2020 Issue No. 103 NEWSLETTER OF THE 16th INFANTRY REGIMENT ASSOCIATION Mission: To provide a venue for past and present members of the 16th Infantry Regiment to share in the history and well-earned camaraderie of the US Army’s greatest regiment. News from the Front The 16th Infantry Regiment Association is a Commemorative Partner with the Department of Defense Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Annual membership fees ($30.00) WEre due 1 January 2020. 50 Years Ago . 1-16 IN departs FSB Dakota for Fort Riley No Mission Too Difficult No Sacrifice Too Great Duty First! Governing Board Other Board Officers Association Staff President Board Emeritii Quartermaster Steven E. Clay LTG (R) Ronald L. Watts Bill Prine 307 North Broadway Robert B. Humphries (918) 398-3493 Leavenworth, KS 66048 Woody Goldberg [email protected] (913) 651-6857 [email protected] Honorary Colonel of the Regiment DD Editorial Staff First Vice President Ralph L. Kauzlarich Steve Clay, Editor Bob Hahn 210 Manor Lane (913) 651-6857 St. Johns, FL 32259 11169 Lake Chapel Lane [email protected] (904) 310-2729 Reston, VA 20191-4719 [email protected] (202) 360-7885 Vietnam-Cold War Recruiter [email protected] Honorary Sergeant Major Dee Daugherty (804) 731-5631 Second Vice President Thomas Pendleton [email protected] Bob Humphries 1708 Kingwood Drive 1734 Ellenwood Drive Manhattan, KS 66502 Desert Storm-GWOT Recruiter Roswell, GA 30075 (785) 537-6213 Dan Alix (770) 993-8312 [email protected] (706) 573-6510 [email protected] [email protected] Adjutant Commander, 1st Battalion Erik Anthes LTC Matthew R. Kelley Chaplain 415 W. Canada Road CSM, 1st Battalion Sturgeon, MO 65284 Vacant CSM Joshua Owen 727-505-0401 [email protected] Wounded Ranger Program Bob Hahn Treasurer (202) 360-7885 [email protected] Administrative Note: Vacant The Dagwood Dispatches is the newsletter of the 16th Infantry Regiment Association. It is Technical Webmaster printed quarterly on the first day of January, April, July, and October. Articles regarding members, activities, and history of the Association and our Regiment are solicited for Tony White publication. Please send all articles to the Editor, Steve Clay, via mail or e-mail at the [email protected] addresses above at least 30 days before the scheduled date of printing. For membership card issues, please contact Phil Hall at (920) 699-2862 or [email protected] The membership fee for all Regular members of the Association is $25.00 per year, due on 1 January. From the Desk of the President Fellow Rangers: Well, winter is behind us and spring is finally here. I hope you all had a relaxing winter season with few or none of the problems that accompany that season such as heavy snows, slippery roads and sidewalks, sniffles, flu, and this year Corona Virus. I don’t know about you, but I am thoroughly weary of hearing about the hysteria foisted on us by the media business. Having said that, however, I trust you all are taking the appropriate measures to stay healthy until this thing blows over. After all, we need everyone to travel to New Orleans for the reunion in August, which by that time, I suspect all will be well. You will find more information on the reunion on page 14 of this issue of the DD. You can also find more and register for the reunion on-line at: https://www.1stid.org/annual-reunion The Coronavirus has already affected the operations of the Steve Clay Association to some degree. Several of us were set to support the Honorary Colonel’s DMOR/ HMOR investiture ceremony at Fort Riley in April, but that event has now been postponed until the reunion in August. As soon as the itinerary for the reunion is available, I will send out a modified version showing what the Association plans to do in addition to the reunion activities. It will include the DMOR/HMOR investiture and other events. The only other event of not for 2020 at this time will be the dedication of the “we were there” plaque at Fort Concho in San Angelo, Texas, which is currently planned for Saturday, 7 November. More on all this in the July issue. In the meantime, remain hale and hearty, but don’t go overboard by stocking up on too much toilet paper! Semper Paratus! Always Ready! Steven E. Clay President Dagwood Dispatches 2 April 2020 From the Desk of the Honorary Colonel Greetings to my Fellow Rangers of the 16th Infantry Regiment! I hope this update finds everyone healthy. We find ourselves in trying times with the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, but we shall prevail in the end. As Sun Tsu said, if you know yourself, your enemy, and the terrain you will fight on, you will win each and every time. Unfortunately, we will likely not know our “enemy” for at least another 4-6 weeks, about the time we had planned to rendezvous for our Class of 2020 DMOR/HMOR Investiture at Fort Riley. With that being said, after serious discussions with the Honorary Sergeant Major, Tom Pendleton, and Association President, Steve Clay, we have decided to postpone the Investiture Ceremony until the Society of the 1st Infantry Division Reunion. By then, COVID-19 should be Ralph Kauzlarich defeated and we can safely gather to celebrate with our newest Distinguished and Honorary Members of the Regiment. The Society of the 1st Infantry Division’s 101st Annual Reunion is being held at the Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans, Louisiana, 12-16 August 2020. It is the Honorary Sergeant Major’s and my intent to induct each new DMOR/HMOR member on the afternoon of August 15, 2020 at 1500 hours. On the conclusion of the Investiture Ceremony in the 16th Infantry Regiment Command Post, I will relinquish my position as the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment to Colonel Roger Crombie, U.S. Army (Retired). I have known Roger since he was a Second Lieutenant and as an Iron Ranger 6 Emeritus, I know that he will lead as the 8th HCOR in a manner that will exceed our Regiment’s expectations. Speaking of exceeding everyone’s expectations, I want to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Drew Conover’s spectacular command of the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment these past two years. He trained, deployed and safely redeployed the Iron Rangers to and from Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Through his positive and energetic leadership, he successfully navigated the complex European geopolitical environment with his Iron Rangers and maintained the high standards that were set by the 16th Infantry Regiment Soldiers that served before us. Well-done Drew to you and your Command Sergeant Major! We now welcome Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Kelly into the fold. No doubt, he too will make an impactful difference in the months ahead as they reset the Iron Rangers and train for the next mission, wherever and whatever it may be. Welcome to the most decorated Regiment in our Army Matthew! In closing, thanks for what each of you do in support of the Regiment and one another! There is no greater Regiment than ours and it is all because of people like you. Semper Paratus! Ralph L. Kauzlarich Colonel, USA (Retired) 7th Honorary Colonel of the Regiment Dagwood Dispatches 3 April 2020 From the Desk of Iron Ranger 6 Fellow Rangers: In October 2019 the Iron Ranger Battalion completed a successful deployment to Bulgaria and Romania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and redeployed to the United States. While in Europe, 1-16 IN led the way in 1ID’s mission to assure allies and deter adversaries by training with NATO and partner military forces from across east and southeast Europe. The Iron Rangers redeployed all equipment through the port of Constanta in Romania, being the first rotational unit to redeploy through this port. This action demonstrated the strategic mobility of the U.S. Army and laid the ground work for future units to utilize this south- LTC Matthew R. Kelley East European port. Moreover, 1-16 IN completed the deployment with a 100% operational readiness rate across all platforms, with every single vehicle at the port rolling onto the vessel under its own power and ready to fight. This demonstrated the lethality that the battalion had built over the course the nine-month rotation. Upon returning to the United States, the Iron Rangers conducted a deliberate consolidation, refit, and reset the battalion footprint in preparation for receiving the unit’s vehicles and equipment. The trains carrying the battalion’s equipment arrived to Ft. Riley in mid-December, and the Iron Rangers executed their well-practiced rail operations to rapidly and safely download all vehicles and equipment and move them to the unit’s motor pool. From start to finish the disciplined Iron Rangers redeployed all Soldiers, vehicles, and equipment with zero injuries, accidents, or damage. After a well-earned period of rest, 1-16 IN began services and maintenance on the unit’s vehicle fleet in January and February to prepare for upcoming training events in the spring. Additionally, a tank platoon from Bandido Charlie, along with the Battalion Scout Platoon and support elements from India Forward Support Company, task organized to support our sister squadron, Task Force Quarterhorse. These elements will go to the National Training Center in September. Currently, the Iron Ranger Battalion is preparing for gunnery and the Expert Infantryman Badge in the upcoming months as we continue to preserve our readiness even during this dynamic time.