Operation Dragon STRIKE! STRIKE Attacks Taliban with offensive page7 What is...Howz-E-Madad? STRIKE Force in the Zharay District page 9 2-BSTB’s Combat Engineers Company A, BSTB Teach Explosives page 5 Table of Contents... 2 COLUMNS 2 Words From the Top A message to the reader from STRIKE’s Leaders, 5 Col. Arthur Kandarian and Sgt. Maj. John White. 3 The Brigade’s Surgeon & Chaplain Direction provided by the Lt. Col. Michael Wirt and Maj. David Beavers. 4 Combat Stress, The Mayor & Safety 6 Guidance, direction and standards. FEATURES 5 Engineers, Infantry & Demolition 7 2-BSTB’s Alpha Company teaches the line units explosives 6 ANA gets behind the wheel Soldiers send the ANA through driver’s training Coverpage!! 7 Operation Dragon STRIKE Combined Task Force STRIKE attacksTaliban. 9 9 What is… Howz-E-Madad? A look at STRIKE Force and its Foward Operating Base. Staff Sgt. James Leach, a platoon 11 Company D, 2nd Five-Oh-Deuce sergeant with 1/75’s HHT, points Dog Company stays together during deploying. at enemy positions while in a fire fight during an objective for Opera- STRIKE SPECIALS tion Dragon STRIKE 13 Faces of STRIKE Snap-shots of today’s STRIKE Soldiers 11 14 We Will Never Forget STRIKE honors its fallen. 13 CONTRIBUTORS OIC Maj. Larry Porter Senior Editor Sfc. William Patterson Editor Spc. Joe Padula 14 Staff Spc. Mike Monroe Staff Pfc. Shawn Denham The Heartbeat is published monthly by the STRIKE BCT Public Affairs Office, FOB Wilson, Afghanistan, APO AE 09370. In accordance with DoD Instruction 5120.4 the HB is an authorized publication of the Department of Defense. It is distributed free to service members and their families. The contents of the HB are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the Department ofArmy. All submissions are subject to editing. Editorial content is the responsibility of the STRIKE BCT Public Affairs Office. Any questions or comments the STRIKE PAO can be reached at DSN 312 672 7076. 1 STRIKE Soldiers and Leaders, We are winning. Operation DRAGON STRIKE has resulted in a significant increase of security along Highway 1. We continue to improve each day while we fight alongside our Afghan National Army partners. Elections were conducted without significant incident and our ANA Partners performed well securing the polling stations with the Afghan National Police. While we increase the security we are providing to the Afghan people we are also enabling their freedom of movement to im- prove their daily lives. STRIKE Sol- diers, Leaders and units are working tremendously hard each day; each day we get better and stronger. The Insurgents are paying a heavy cost relinquished responsibility of the ment. I am confident that TOP when they attempt to fight us and we Arghandab District and that means GUNS and KNIGHTS will continue continue to attack them in multiple that both 1-320th “TOP GUNS” and to perform superbly under command directions. Due to the incredible 1-66th “KNIGHTS” are now under of the RAIDER Brigade. strength and resolve that you and the tactical command of 1st Brigade, I could not be prouder of the your Afghan Partners have displayed 4th Infantry Division, CTF RAIDER. tremendous work TOP GUNS has we are now securing areas that were STRIKE will continue to support accomplished and continues to ac- insurgent safehavens for years. TOP GUNS with combat enablers, complish each day and they continue On 21 September, CTF STRIKE supplies, personnel, mail and equip- to win while in a tough fight. STRIKE now has tactical com- mand of 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment “Leader Rakkasans” who are partnered with three ANA Kan- dhaks. They will fight alongside STRIKE and assist us in our clearing operations before they head back to Fort Campbell. To all STRIKE Soldiers and Lead- ers, remember each day the sacrifices we make, and those made by our brothers while we continue this criti- cal mission. Maintain your focus, look out for each other and remember to “keep your head on a swivel.” We are STRIKE Soldiers, we fight where told and WIN where we fight! STRIKE! 2 Sleep, Why is it so important? Sleep is where your body snapwith at your Lt. battle Colbuddies orMichael withdraw, and doWirt not want Theand mind recuperateDoctor’s from the day’s work.Orders It changes to talk with anyone). 7. You just cannot stay awake. your body temperature, affects your digestion, heart Intentional Sleep Restriction is the most common reason rate, chemical levels and muscle tissue repair. Adequate we don’t get the sleep needed. This can be as simple as sleep is not “optional.” The average person needs 8 decreasing sleep time by a few hours a night, working hours of sleep a night. About 95% of fatigue is due to longer hours. In the operational environment it can be lack of sleep! unavoidable and necessary for these actions to happen, As TF STRIKE continues successful operations just be aware of the their affects. in Arghandab, Zhari and Maiwand Districts, our The best countermeasure is prevention through adequate operational tempo is increasing. With a rise in the pace sleep, but this isn’t always possible. Stick to a consistent and hours of work, we expect to experience a degree of bedtime/wake-up schedule when possible. Create a quiet fatigue. This is ok, as we all have experienced fatigue and comfortable sleep environment. Maintain an aerobic for short periods of time.When this becomes a normal exercise routine during daytime. No exercise within three feeling or steady state, you need to take action. Your to four hours of going to bed. It produces short term medics, PAs and Physicians at your aid station can help. alerting affects and interferes with sleep. Don’t consume There are seven signs and symptoms of Chronic caffeine within four hours of bedtime and don’t smoke Fatigue: 1. Difficulty in keeping your attention or cigarettes within one hour of bedtime. Maximize every concentration on a task. 2. You feel or appear sleep opportunity and consider using ear plugs and eye dull and sluggish (just cannot snap out of shades. it). 3. Your accuracy decreases, reaction Another countermeasure is strategic napping. This is the time increases, and ability to think is best countermeasure, other than full 8 hours sleep. Even clearly reduced. 4. You are always short naps are helpful (20-30 minutes) although longer trying to conserve energy. 5. Your naps (2-4 hours) are optimal. It is best to nap between instincts are just not right and you feel 0100-0600 and 1400-1600 as it generally matches your careless, uncoordinated, confused, body’s normal rhythm. To minimize grogginess, keep or irritable. 6. Social naps less than 45 minutes or at least 2 hours in length. interactions decline (you Sleep, it can save your life and your buddies. Lack of it get angry too easy and can get you both killed, so get some rest! The Chaplain Says... by Chaplain (Maj.) David Beavers Many years ago, a dump truck In the book of Proverbs you learn from a ‘first-timer’. Further, driver decided to take a short-cut can read: “Pride goes before it never hurts to ask questions to through a small town, instead of destruction, a haughty spirit before make sure we understand what taking the highway. Unfortunately, a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) is intended or what the desired his truck was too tall for the tunnel In the story above, the Sheriff and outcome is. This will prevent under a bridge in the middle of the townspeople could have ignored confusion or misunderstandings. town. He managed to slam on the little girl‘s question as being Don’t hesitate to ask a questions brakes to avoid a catastrophe, but naive or irrelevant because she was and don’t be afraid still wedged his truck in the tunnel. too young or lacked experience and to try ideas The townspeople didn’t know what their egos could have stood in the from those to do, since the town’s only two way of success. who may be truck was on the other side of the When we think we know everything young in age tunnel. After several failed attempts or that we can’t ask a question or experience, to pull the truck free and everyone because others may think less of but might have was at their wits end, a little girl us, then we run the risk of failure a good idea walked up to the Sheriff and asked based solely on our ego. While this nonetheless. a question “Why don’t you let some deployment may not be our first for air out of the tires?” They followed either a Soldier or a spouse, there the little girls advice and it worked. still may be something for us to 3 Combat Stress Afghanistan recently made the head- Time is of the essence, so this should lines with its elections, Sept. 18. For be done as soon as possible and once Column years, Taliban had denied a choice for complete, look for the results on Elec- Suicide is a difficult topic to the people and today’s Afghan citizens tion Day, Nov. 4. talk about, but it must be discussed. understand the importance of having Voting is important and the process Last year alone, there were 162 that choice. needs to continue, especially during suicides in the Army. In 2008 Americans are fortunate enough to deployment. there were 128, so the problem is be born with the right to vote.