THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE 3RD BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM, 82 AIRBORNE DIVISION PANTHER MEDICS 319TH REGIMENT’S BEST IN DIVISION 95TH BIRTHDAY 505TH MEMORIAL: DOUGHBOY QUORN, ENGLAND AWARDS 319TH DIVISION HISTORY WELCOMES NEW CITIZENS WELCOME HOME 2 PANTHER OCTOBER 2012 CONTENTS Brigade Commander 3rd Brigade History 4 Col. Michael Fenzel Doughboy Awards 6 Deputy Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Anthony Judge Medics: Panthers Best in Division 8 Command Sergeant Major 505th Memorial Ceremony 10 Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Nicholas Rolling Welcome Home 2 Panther 12 Public Affairs Officer Maj. Loren Bymer Afghan Army Prays with 2 Panther 14 Public Affairs NCOIC Division Welcomes Newest Citizens 15 Sgt. Joseph Guenther 319th Celebrates 95th Birthday 16 Public Affairs Team Sgt. Jack Smith Upcoming Events 8 Spc. Terrance Payton Spc. Mia Klavon On the Cover: 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers at Pope Army Airfield Sept. 23, 2012 after their deployment to Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Scott Naumann, commander of 5th Squadron, 73rd Airborne Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division shakes the hand of Spc. Daniel Holmes, the 5-73 CAV medic who won the division Best Medic Competition Sept. 7, 2012. Holmes will be moving on to compete at the Army Best Medic Competition at Fort Sam Houston in November. Photo by Sgt. Joseph Guenther Col. Michael Fenzel Command Sgt. Maj. 3BCT Brigade Commander Nicholas Rolling A warm welcome home to our fellow As I have observed training, a few Paratroopers from 2-505 PIR, 82nd BSB, and things have become apparent. First, we 3rd BSTB. They left on a moment’s notice need to ensure that leaders understand and filled the crucial role of covering force Army training doctrine and how the Army for the Afghan theatre of war. Indeed, they expects us to plan, prepare and execute conducted combat operations in support of training for our Paratroopers. Our Panther five different Brigade Combat Teams during Team needs to understand and implement the four month tour of duty. Senior military leaders unanimously this doctrine- because it works. Use it and every leader will expressed their appreciation for the invaluable contribution of produce trained Paratroopers. our teammates. A job incredibly well done by these disciplined NCOs are the key to executing training. The Army professionals. trains using a crawl-walk-run methodology. This means that Discipline is our foundation. We have all heard how before units can train on collective tasks, the individual tasks important the application of discipline is to any successful that support those collective tasks must be trained to stan- organization. I will take it one step further and suggest that dard. There is only one standard in our brigade. discipline is the hallmark of every great organization. As the NCOs take care of your Soldiers by good leadership weeks pass by the serious incident reports in our Brigade have and ensure that your Soldiers are taking care of their families. reduced to a trickle from what was a flood a few months ago. We are going to get very busy in the coming months and it Many of those Soldiers in our ranks who chose to go a different is critical that nothing is overlooked. Ensure that family care way and not fully commit to their fellow Paratroopers are no plans, power of attorneys, and personal finances are in order longer in our ranks. We talked about the importance of this as we may be called upon at any time. commitment on a dark morning on Pike field just before PT Train your Paratroopers, lead them, and get to know started…that message is an enduring one. And I’d like to take them. They may save your life one day. Sergeants are the first this opportunity to reiterate the importance. line leaders. Where you find a good NCO Corps you find a All of the Paratroopers in this Brigade Combat Team great organization. One of our most important tools is com- are elite. Being elite comes with responsibility. The more we munication. We must ensure counseling is performed regu- work together to shoulder that responsibility and live up to the larly. Paratroopers deserve great leadership. inherent expectations, the more our reputation will grow and the Paratroopers need to look out for one another. Make more we will inch toward greatness. I have mentioned to all of sure you are watching over your Airborne buddies and they our awesome NCOs and command teams that there is only one are looking out for you. If you need help in anyways, or think reason to look forward to coming to work every day…so that we your Airborne Buddy does...talk to your first line leader to get can be great. Together we really are an exceptional organization some assistance. “H-Minus!“ with obvious potential to be great. Part of something that we will tell our children and grandchildren about in the years to come. In order for this to happen we have to work together closely as Squads, Platoons, Troops, Batteries and Battalions to achieve that greatness. Discipline is where this greatness is derived from. It is obvious in seeing the steel in the eyes of our redeployed Paratroopers, watching the intensity of our PT sessions, seeing the tremendous focus on our live fire exercises, and precision of our DZ missions that greatness is in our grasp. In your recent small unit discussions about resiliency we all realized how teamwork can thicken our commitment to one another. And I believe we are all realizing the importance of always doing the right thing, especially when no one else is around, and no one else is looking. This is becoming a habit across our formation. Excellence is becoming a habit and it is obvious. We have talked about what it takes to be on a championship team. You don’t mind the tough practices or the hard calls that the coaches make. Those players on the team that make bad decisions or disregard their teammates don’t stay on the team much longer. And those that remain on the team after all the hard work start to feel their work pay off as the season starts. I would compare all of us Paratroopers to Professional athletes. One of the important differences is that we are in positions that are vastly more important to the nation than those sports stars. We are paid to be in top physical condition, we are coached at every level, but if we blow an assignment our teammates may not live to see the next game. There isn’t another professional league that has lost 61 teammates in the last ten years. We have lost 61 of our comrades over the last decade who made a pivotal decision, the same decision you have all made by committing to the 505th PIR, to risk everything if the nation calls for us to act. We are asking you to redouble your commitment to this legendary regiment and to this awesome Division. Redouble your commitment to one another. And redouble your commitment to every single opportunity to train that we have between now and our next mission. We will be called upon and we must be ready. Let’s take care of one another and let’s remember the responsibility we have to our fallen brothers. Let’s not forget the sacrifice made by the Paratroopers who came before us. Exacting discipline is what will pave our path toward greatness.“H-Minus!” 3rd Brigade HISTORY 319th airborne Field Artillery Regiment 1970 Vietnam n May 1965, 3rd Battalion, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Provinces. The Battalion, along with 319th Field Artillery Gallantry with Palm, the Republic the remainder of the 101st Airborne was the first U.S. Army of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Division, was converted to a fully artillery unit engaged Medal and twelve battle streamers. airmobile status from its former Oin combat in Southeast On 14 January 1972, 3-319th parachutist status by August 1968. Asia. Firing in direct support of the FA was relieved from assignment On 20 December 1971 173rd Airborne Brigade, the base from the 173d Airborne Brigade 2-319th FA departed Vietnam piece of Battery C fired the first and assigned to the 101st Airborne and deactivated in july 1972. field artillery round by a U.S. Army Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Battalion was awarded a unit in Vietnam from during a 2d Battalion, 319th Field third Presidential Unit Citation, registration in support of Operation Artillery deployed with the 101st the Valorous Unit Award, the Junction City. and arrived in Vietnam on 19 Meritorious Unit Commendation, 3-319th FA participated in November 1967, performing the two Republic of Vietnam Crosses numerous campaigns during the tactical mission of direct support to for Gallantry with Palm, and the Vietnam conflict and returned to 3d Brigade. Republic of Vietnam Civil Action the United States on 23 July 1971. In April and May of 1968, Honor Medal and seven other Battle The unit was awarded its third 2d Battalion supported 101st streamers. Presidential Unit Citation, its first operations along the highlands Meritorious Unit Commendation, of the Quang Tri and Thua Thien Retired CSM Honored with DOUGHBOY AWARD n many days you can walk through the halls of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division and hear stories of long ago being told to Paratroopers. Retired O Command Sgt. Maj. Tadeusz Gaweda, the Story by brigade’s honorary Sergeant Maj., is telling those stories. Spc. Terrance Gaweda speaks with an accent that draws you Payton and gives away the fact that must have spent his early life somewhere other than the United States.