The Red Warrior Path

1st battalion12th infantry regiment (light)

April 2015

Volume 3, Issue 1

AN

12
1F
IN
TR

http://www.facebook.com/one.twelve.infantry

Page 2

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Command Team Update

by LTC Michael S. Avey and CSM Steven A. Brown

SSG
Sherman
from
Blackfoot
Company
prevailed as
the NCO of
the month .

Greetings Red Warrior families

and friends!

etys Junior Officer of the Year

Award for Fort Carson.

The battalion has been

back from Afghanistan for
about four months and we are
proud of what they have accomplished. The companies have
accounted for, inspected, maintained, and in some cases upgraded most of their equipment.
Many accolades go to the Company Executive Officers for
managing this, but the one who
really made it all happen was
CW2 Pena from G Company.
His efforts and dedication
earned him the West Point Soci-

The battalion held the

inaugural Red Warrior NonCommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Month Competition.
Each NCO and Soldier had to
complete three minutes of pushups, three minutes of sit-ups, a
three and a half mile run (in
ACUs and boots), and as many
dips and pull-ups as they could
do. They also conducted a stress
shoot, land navigation, a formal
board, and a mystery event.
Each company had a NCO and
a Soldier participate in the com-

LTC Michael S. Avey

Battalion Commander

petition. Each candidate gave

100% throughout all of the
(Continued on page 3)

LTC Avey celebrates with the 1-12 IN EIB Awardees Front Row, 1LT Nieminski, 1LT Goodin, 1LT Kapacinskas.
Back Row, 1LT Moore, CPT Bowcutt, LTC Avey, 1LT Solmonson, 1LT Lee

THE RED W ARRIO R

PATH is published by 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment (Light) for the families and friends of Red Warrior Soldiers. 1-12 Infantry (L) is part of Task
Force Mountain Warrior (4 IBCT, 4 ID). Contents of THE RED WARRIOR PATH are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the U.S.
government or the Department of Defense. Please send all questions or comments about THE RED WARRIOR PATH to SGT Seth Price at
seth.a.price7.mil@mail.mil.
ON THE FRONT COVER: (FRONT) SGT Nathan Brown, holds the Nations Colors during a change of command ceremony.

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 3

Command Team Update (continued)

as the Soldier of the month.

CSM Steven A. Brown

Battalion CSM
(Continued from page 2)

events, which made it a very

close competition. Despite the
tight competition, SGT
Sherman from Blackfoot Company prevailed as the NCO of
the month and SPC Kinzel from
Arrowhead Company prevailed

Equipment reset is
normal for units returning from
a deployment, but what is not
normal is that they have begun
individual training in earnest.
Most recently, seven Red Warriors earned the distinguished
Expert Infantryman Badge,
which was established in 1944
by the Army Chief of Staff,
General George C. Marshall.
1LT Nieminski was the Brigades 12-Mile foot march
champion, completing the event
in 2:08. 1LT Kapacinskas was
one of the only Soldiers in the
Brigade to go True Blue
through the entire test. True
Blue is the moniker given to
those who complete the entire
test without any deficiencies.

The PSD receives a patrol brief prior to leaving on a mission.

LTC Avey pins 1LT Nieminski with his EIB

April is the Armys

Volunteer Recognition Month.
At the end of the month, we will
have a dinner ceremony for all
family members that have volunteered over the last year and
those that have just stepped
forward to join our growing
numbers of volunteers. We will
recognize them with a token of
our appreciation and thank
them for their dedicated selfless
service.

Red Warrior 6 and 7

SPC Kinzel
from
Arrowhead
Company
prevailed as
the Soldier
of the month.

Page 4

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Arrowhead CompanyFrom the Tip of the Spear

by CPT David Michelson and 1SG Buddy Tucker

Great
training
lies
ahead.

Families and Friends of

Arrowhead Company,
The Company has had
a productive few months since
returning from Afghanistan.
After receiving all of our equipment, and taking some well deserved time off during block
leave, we got right in to training
for the Expert Infantryman Badge training event. Getting
used to the altitude
again took time, but
the men did well
conducting tough,
but comprehensive
physical fitness training to get ready for
the PT test and 12
mile ruck march.
Weve spent a lot of
time working on our
weapons skills and
land navigation. After a few days at the
range, over 75% of
our company qualified as expert marksman.

The next few months

will be busy, but filled with great
training. After Expert Infantryman Badge testing, well train
on all the different weapons we
have in the company. Then,
well focus on Fire Team tactics
and a live fire exercise where
teams have to enter a building

and clear a room. All in all, it

will be realistic, tough, and what
we signed up to do.
ARROWHEAD 6 and 7

After over
a year in A Co, we
said goodbye to SSG
Anthony Wagner
and his family. SSG
Wagner is now a
platoon sergeant in
C Co and we are
proud of his selection to that position.
His leadership, dedication, and work
ethic will be missed,
but we know that C
Co will benefit from
having him lead
PFC Stone and PV2 Edwards from 1/A rock climb with their platoon at Iron Horse Gym.
Soldiers there.

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 5

SSG Dornbrook begins the safety brief prior

to night land navigation.

Arrowhead Soldiers check the results of their land navigation test in

preparation for EIB.

Arrowhead Families bowl at the most recent FRG function.

SGT Hooper and PV2 Edwards prepare for their night land
navigation range in March.

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Page 6

Blackfoot CompanyThe Blackfooted-Beast Lumbers On

by CPT Alex Tisdall and 1SG Russell ODonnell
Your Soldiers
have hit the
ground running
since we came
back from
Christmas
leave a couple
months ago.

Families and Friends of Blackfoot Company,

Your Soldiers have hit
the ground running since we
came back from Christmas leave
a couple months ago. In addition to inspecting and repairing
a lot of the equipment that was
worn down during deployment,
we have been training hard in
preparation for EIB testing. EIB
stands for Expert Infantryman
Badge and is a significant
evaluation and achievement for
all infantrymen. Soldiers are
tested on a wide spectrum of
tasks and physical events, and
the evaluation typically has a
relatively low pass rate. The
testing occurred from March 23
March 27. The high pace of
the training cycle will continue
through the spring as Soldiers

will conduct marksmanship

training on different weapons
systems. After Memorial Day,
the company will be traveling to
Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for a month
to train reserve units in preparation of their upcoming deployment.
1SG and I also want to
take the opportunity to recognize some great performances
by several Soldiers in the company. SPC Diaz who was
evacuated following wounds
from an IED blast during this
past deployment has completed the majority of his rehabilitation and moved to his next
assignment at Ft. Stewart, Georgia. Additionally, three NCOs in
the company excelled during
their time at the Warrior Leader
Course, which is a professional

development school for SGTs/

E5s. SGT Case finished second
in the class, SGT Liggett finished third and was awarded the
Distinguished Leadership
Award, and SGT Hernandez
made the Commandant's List.
Lastly, SGT Sherman competed
in the battalions NCO of the
month competition and won
first place. This success is a testament to the professionalism
and hard work of these NCOs.
1SG ODonnell and I
are always available to answer
any questions you may have.
You can reach us at
russell.l.odonnell.mil@mail.mil
and alex.w.tisdall.mil@mail.mil.
Blackfoot 6 and 7

2nd Platoon, B Company conducts a team building off post Physical Training at the Manitou Incline.

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 7

SGT Morgan and SPC Munoz conduct EIB standard training on the
M240B machine gun.

2nd Platoon, B Company Soldiers conduct training on the .50 Cal machine gun in
preparation for EIB.

PVT Rodriguez, the company armorer, completes weapons reset.

PVT Green and SSG Bethea conduct inventories

of their gear after deployment bags arrive three
months late.

Page 8

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Comanche CompanyContinuing to Serve

by CPT JB Brown and 1SG Joseph Gaskin
Right from the
start, Comanche
Company prepared
to dominate the 4th
Infantry
Divisions
Ironhorse Week
Competition.

Greetings friends and

families of Comanche Company. Since returning from winter block leave, the Soldiers of
Comanche Company have participated in a wide array of training events. Right from the start,
Comanche Company prepared
to dominate the 4th Infantry
Divisions Ironhorse Week
Competition. The Soldiers of
Comanche Company competed
in a variety of events, to include:
a 10 kilometer run, a combatives
tournament, a 7.5 mile ruck and
shoot, a litter carry run, and
many more events. 1LT Alex
Beak, the 1st Platoon Leader,
was one of the top 4 combatives
contestants within the division
in his weight class. 1LT Trevor
Hanson and SSG John Pearson,
the 2nd Platoon leadership, led
the 45 members of the 7.5 mile
ruck and shoot to a top 3 finish.
Comanche Company was an
integral reason the Red Warriors
finished 2nd overall in the entire

division.
Comanche Company
welcomed leaders into new positions from within the company
and outside the unit. 1SG Joseph Gaskin took charge on
March 26th. Additionally, we
welcomed SSG Anthony Wagner into the Comanche Ranks.
SSG Wagner comes from Arrowhead Company and is our 3 rd
Platoon Sergeant. We are excited to see him lead Soldiers at
his new position of increased
responsibility. Lastly, Comanche
Company added a new Sergeant
to our ranks, Specialist Alan
Calderon was promoted to Sergeant. We know he will continue to provide excellent leadership and mentorship to his Soldiers within 2nd Platoon.

is a week long, consisting of a

physical fitness test, a land navigation and orienteering test,
multiple lanes that simulate
combat tasks, and finally, a 12
mile ruck march. In preparation
for this grueling week, Comanche Company was out in the
field, bracing winter storms and
cold, to qualify our Soldiers on
the M4 rifle and to prepare them
for the extremely difficult land
navigation test.
We are excited to be
back in Fort Carson after a successful deployment and we are
ready to showcase some of the
best Soldiers from within the
brigade during EIB testing
week.

Upon completion of
the change of command, the
company shifted focus to preparing for the Expert Infantryman Badge Testing. The testing

1LT Hunerdosse speaks to his Platoon prior to conducting night land navigation training

Comanches!
Comanche 6 and 7

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 9

CPT Kruck relinquishes command of Comanche Company to CPT Brown

1LT Beak conducts a safety briefing for Comanche Company prior to Land
Navigation Training

PFC Haas conducts training on a M2 .50 Cal in preparation for the Expert Infantryman Badge Testing

SPC Maldonado conducts maintenance

Comanche Soldiers practice calling for artillery fire in a simulator

Comanche Soldiers practice treating a

casualty

Page 10

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Dog CompanyMoving, and Moving On

by CPT Jim Lee and 1SG James Edling
Dog Company Families,

Congratulations
is due to SGT
Korven Burns,
who successfully
completed the
United States
Army Air
Assault School

For the Months of

February and March, Dog Company has been busy focusing on
individual training. The Company has spent weeks preparing
all Soldiers for Expert Infantrymans Badge (EIB) testing.
Prior to EIB testing, the Company had 56 Soldiers qualify as
Experts with their rifles, allowing them to participate in the
EIB testing. Additionally, the
Company completed three days
of day and night Land Navigation Testing in preparation for
the Land Navigation Test por-

tion of EIB. Outside of EIB

training, the Company has been
busy training Soldiers on Heavy
Weapons Platforms, to include
the TOW/ITAS missile system,
and on individual skills needed
to operate other new equipment
and vehicles within the Company. Throughout the months,
Dog Company has had three
Soldiers reenlist. Please congratulate on their commitment
to continue service, SPCs Jacob
Rannals, Manuel Pena, and Joseph Wassenaar. SPCs Rannals
and Wassenaar re-enlisted to
PCS to Germany, while SPC
Pena will stabilize at Fort Car-

son. Regardless of where they

serve, these three Soldiers are
certainly assets to the United
States Army and Dog Company
is proud to have seen them reenlist. One final congratulations
is due to SGT Korven Burns,
who successfully completed the
United States Army Air Assault
School in March. Great job
earning your Air Assault wings,
SGT Burns! With respect to
upcoming events, Dog Company will host a Section PT
Competition at the Company
Area on 02 APR. The competition will allow the 8 Sections in
the Company to compete

1LT Joshua Dragnett is promoted on 09 March by LTC Avey

(Continued on page 11)

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 11

against each other in military

tasks and physical fitness events
and will be followed by a barbecue to which all Soldiers and
families in the Company are
invited.
Dog 6 and 7

SFC Favor, 3rd Platoon Sergeant, instructs Dog Company Soldiers on the conduct of
Call For Fire during Lane 2 EIB practice.

Dog Company Soldiers refine the emplacement of the M18A1 Claymore Mine during EIB Lane 3 training on 17MAR

Page 12

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Geronimo CompanyHot at Work

by CPT Matt Howard and 1SG Joseph Davis
We have fewer
Soldiers and soon
to be fewer
vehicles. As
always, the
platoon makes
the mission
happen and
works well as a
team.

Greetings friends and family of

Geronimo Company,
Over the last few
months Geronimo Company,
(formally Eagle Company), has
been busy supporting the Battalion and reorganizing our formation. Golf Company has had
many Soldiers transfer to units
within the Brigade and has welcomed numerous Soldiers into
Geronimo Company as well.
During the last month, we welcomed in our new First Sergeant, 1SG Davis, previously
assigned to Alpha Company,
704th BSB. 1SG Davis is eager
to train and lead the Soldiers of
Golf Company for what weve
planned in the upcoming
months. 1SG Meza transitioned
to 704th BSB to be the First Sergeant of Alpha Company.

Over the last few

months, Soldiers have been getting back into the daily operations while at home. The maintenance platoon has diligently
worked at maintaining the fleet
of vehicles and finishing up the
last few items during the postdeployment RESET phase and
preparing the battalion to head
into individual training. The
specialty shops have been able
to service and repair all the battalions weapons, radios, night
vision devices and mortar systems well ahead of schedule!
Maintenance platoon has also
been re-integrating themselves
with maintaining a fleet of home
station vehicles, unlike the
MRAP variants that we became
so accustomed to over the previous deployment. Recently,
CW2 Pena was recognized and
awarded the Fort Carson Junior

Officer of the Year award, one

of only three officers on Fort
Carson to be awarded this prestigious awardcongratulations!
Distro platoon has
undergone a transformation
with the establishment of the
new company organization. We
have fewer Soldiers and soon to
be fewer vehicles. As always,
the platoon makes the mission
happen and works well as a
team. Distro platoon has been
hard at work supplying ammunition to the many small arms
ranges in preparation for the
battalion to execute Expert Infantry Badge training. During
this time, Soldiers have made
time to participate in ranges and
improving their land navigation
skills.
Geronimo 6 and 7

(Continued on page 13)

SSG Bishop teaches a class to leaders on the proper installation and utilization of snow chains on a LMTV

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 13

CW2 Pena receives the Fort Carson Junior Officer of the Year from COL (R ) James

Maintenance
platoon has
diligently worked
at maintaining
the fleet of vehicles
and finishing up
the last few items
during the postdeployment
RESET

SPC Williams, SPC Bozell, and SPC Wilson exchange an

engine within the maintenance bay.

1SG Meza changes responsibility with 1SG Davis

Distro platoon provides range safeties for PEO Soldier during the fielding of CROW
systems for Dog Company.

Page 14

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Hatchet Company RESET...Lets Get to Work!

by CPT Jaylen Smith and 1SG Matthew ONeil
As we move into
collective training
the mighty
Hatchet
Company is
ready to tackle
the difficult
mission

HHC hit ground running as we returned from block

leave resetting our equipment
and personnel that make up
Hatchet Company. In addition
to inventorying and repairing all
our equipment we took on the
deployment, we also said goodbye to dear friends and welcomed new ones.
In December HHC
said farewell to our outgoing
Company Commander, CPT
Ben Hooker, and our Executive
Officer 1LT Tyler Cline. These

two outstanding leaders are both

moving on to great opportunities. CPT Hooker will attend
Graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) in Cambridge Massachusetts, and 1LT Cline will attend
the Maneuver Captains Career
Course in Fort Benning Georgia. As they leave we welcome
our new Commanding Officer
CPT Jaylen Smith and new Executive Officer 1LT Brendan
Weed.

We are incredibly
proud of our outgoing Scout
Platoon Leader 1LT Brad Kelly
who was selected to serve in the
elite Ranger Regiment. This
strong leader made an incredible
impact on our entire battalion
during his time as a Red Warrior, and we wish him well in
Savannah Georgia with 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. In
his place SFC Branden
Velasquez has taken over leadership of our Scout Platoon, and
has already proven equal to the
task. The Scout platoon is train-

(Continued on page 15)

1LT Vytas Kapacinskas, 1-12 IN BN S4, conducts EIB training on the M2 .50 Caliber machine gun.

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 15

ing hard and getting our reconnaissance Soldiers ready for the
next year of training.
The Mortar platoon
also said goodbye to it's out
going platoon leader 1LT Mike
Culak. He was accepted into the
Armys Civil Affairs branch and
we wish him well as he begins
training to serve as an Officer in
this vital mission. His replacement 1LT Jeff Lee successfully
completed Infantry Mortar Leader
Course (IMLC), and already
joined our mortar men during
their first live fire exercise.
Our Medical Platoon
was lucky enough to keep our
Battalion Medical Officer 1LT
Bieller through this critical time
of transition. The medics have
invested a tremendous amount
of time and effort these past few
months practicing the first responder and trauma treatment
techniques that they will use on
the battlefield. These Soldiers
can now bandage and brace any
injury you could I imagine, and
then some! The Red Warrior
docs are absolutely ready to get
back out to our Infantry companies and stand ready to save lives
when the time comes.
As we move into collective training the mighty
Hatchet Company is ready to
tackle the difficult mission of
training for our next deployment. No matter where our
Commander need us, we will be
ready.
Hatchet 6 and 7

SSG Mynor Rivera explains the requirements of the Army Physical Fitness Test to HHC
Major Hallows sets the pace of the 2 Mile Run during day 1 of HHC PT testing

1SG ONeil keeps time as HHC Soldiers finish the 2 Mile Run

Page 16

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Battalion Staff Sections

S1So, what exactly does the S1 do anyway?
by 1LT Eric Brauninger
The Army is
about many
things, systems,
equipment,
processes, but at
its core it is an
organization
made up of people.

Two years ago as I inprocessed at Fort Carson another new lieutenant struck up a
conversation about our different
branches. So, what exactly does
the S1 do anyway? The question struck a humorous chord
with me. I chuckled to myself
and replied, Well, everything.
And yet, if you query the average person, their understanding
of the S1 is somewhat limited.
This is largely due to the fact
that Soldiers generally only
come to the S1 shop to resolve
problems.
Our Battalion S1 Shop
takes seriously the issues that
Soldiers care deeply about, such
as pay, promotions, evaluations,

awards, orders, mail, and a host

of other Soldier-centric responsibilities. We are an entity explicitly purposed to serve Soldiers.
The Army is about many things,
systems, equipment, processes,
but at its core it is an organization made up of people. And in
an organization that is all about
people, the S1 shop is particularly relevant.
That is why my exaggerated response to my peers question was so inclusive. Allow me
to give you a practical example
of why. If you see a Soldier in
the PX, pumping gas at the
shopette, or even at a ball or
unit function, take a look at his
uniform. Every piece of it is

evidence of the S1s involvement in his life as a Soldier.

Consider an E-5, a Sergeant. His rank, proudly displayed on his shoulder or chest,
indicates that he has gone to the
promotion board and has the
ability to lead other Soldiers. His
promotion was facilitated by the
S1, who organized the board,
integrated him into the promotion standing list, cut his promotion orders, and conducted the
ceremony wherein he was officially promoted. As he continues
to progress and be evaluated by
his superiors, the S1 continually
assists his chain of command in
(Continued on page 17)

PV2 Kaymore, SPC Dart, SPC Miranda, SPC Pryor, and PV2 McDonald gather for a quick conversation in the S1 Shop

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 17

PV2 McDonald works on awards for well deserving Red Warriors

overseeing his NCOERs, ensuring that he has the opportunity

to progress further.
His awards rack, hanging above the left breast pocket,
displays his record of service
and decorations earned. The S1
reviewed, submitted, received,
and distributed each award on
that rack, whether it was a personal achievement, such as an
Army Commendation Medal, or
a deployment award, such as the
Overseas Service Ribbon. The
unit symbol, placed squarely
onto the right breast pocket,
indicating that he served with
the unit and is loyal to it. He
wears it because he belongs to
unit, and he belongs to the unit
because the S1 shop properly
placed him there.
When a Soldier arrives
at the post, his first stop is the
S1. After he is greeted at reception, he goes to the S1 for inprocessing. He is provided with
a meal card, his personal records

are reviewed and updated, such

his ERB, life insurance and nextof-kin notification, he is added
to the units identification code,
so that his command may keep
accountability of him, he is assigned a sponsor, who will assist
him in transiting to the unit, he
is assigned a Family Care Plan if
needed, and lastly he is introduced to the command team
under whom he will serve. Conversely, when a Soldier leaves
the unit, the S1 ensures that he
has received an award for his
tenure with the unit, an evaluation that tracks his professional
development, and updated personal records that will allow him
to easily in-process at his next
unit.
If a Soldier is regimentally affiliated, that special action
is routed through the S1. If his
branch is Infantry and he reclasses to Logistics, that branch
transfer is made possible by the
S1. When the S1 slots him, he

may attend a school, such as

airborne or air assault, if the
position allows for it. And before he deploys, the S1 ensures
that he has fulfilled all the necessary readiness requirements,
without which he would be ineligible. The units readiness is a
measurement maintained and
updated by the S1.
Whether we are measuring readiness, handling pay
inquiries, updating records, assisting in special actions, distributing mail, accounting for personnel, facilitating promotion
boards, or preparing scripts for
ceremonies, the S1 is directly
involved in the day to day activity of the unit. The bottom line
is that the S1 has an enormous
role in Soldiers lives. We believe
that if a Soldier does not have to
worry about his pay, his end of
tour award, or if hes going to be
promoted or not, then he trains
better, fights better, and serves
better. This is why the S1 shop
exists. By sustaining our force
we ensure that it can fight and
win.

We believe that if a
Soldier does not have
to worry about his
pay, his end of tour
award, or if hes
going to be promoted
or not, then he trains
better, fights better,
and serves better.

SSG Pondja works on Battalion Personnel

records and manning

Page 18

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Battalion Staff Sections

The concept of
the COIST has
been present
within the
United States
Army as early as
the Revolutionary
War

S2 Intelligence, Winning Wars Since the Revolution

by 1LT Isaac Gutierrez
The Company Intelligence Support Team (COIST)
was formally introduced into the
United Stated Army in January
2010 with the publication of
Handbook No. 10-20: COIST
Tactics, Techniques and Procedures. The overall goal of the
COIST is to aid the company
commander in his decision making by briefing a fused intelligence picture and assisting the

battalion by providing a flow of

bottom-up intelligence to higher
units. However, the concept of
the COIST has been present
within the United States Army
as early as the Revolutionary
War with LTC Thomas
Knowlton. General George
Washington established the
Knowltons Rangers commanded by LTC Thomas
Knowlton in September of 1776

when the need for better intelligence became apparent after the
Battle of Long Island. The creation of Knowltons Rangers is
regarded as the birth of Army
Intelligence as it was the first
intelligence and reconnaissance
unit in the United States Army.
Knowltons Rangers consisted
of 133 soldiers most combatharden veterans, handpicked
from five regiments, many with
experience from the
French and Indian War.
Although the
fundamental concept of
the COIST existed, it wasnt until the Global War on
Terror that the COIST was
formally implemented. The
nature of decentralized
conflict, in which battalions are required to own
large battle spaces, created
an intelligence vacuum due
to the vast human and
geographical terrain. It was
then that the COIST
gained momentum as a
powerful company asset
able to effectively fuse
diverse forms of information to create an accurate
common operating picture
of the battlefield.
While deployed
to Afghanistan, 1-12 Infantry Battalion successfully
employed COISTs to
achieve phenomenal results on the battlefield.
Charlie Companys COIST
lead, SGT Matthew Diehl,

CPT Ferguson and SSG Edwards lead the S2 shop on a ruck march through the snow

(Continued on page 19)

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

worked tirelessly to gather intelligence within the most volatile

district owned by the Red Warriors. Daman District consistently
experienced kinetic attacks, from
indirect fire rocket attacks to
hundred pound improvised explosive devices, which required
an intensive intelligence team to
find, fix, and finish insurgents.
SGT Diehl, in conjunction with
Battalion S2, successfully targeted insurgents by capturing
and conducting kinetic strikes
on the individuals attacking US/
NATO forces. Another extremely successful COIST was
lead by 1LT Elyse Ping Midvigy
in Delta Company. Delta Company gathered intelligence which
led to insights into criminal and
insurgent activity occurring
within 300 meters of Kandahar
Airfields perimeter. Most significantly, Delta Company acquired
intelligence on the largest and
most active terrorist organizations in South Asia, Lashkar-eTayyaba (LeT). LeT are notorious for complex suicide attacks
on high value targets. Due to the
COIST, Red Warriors were able
to thwart various would be
catastrophic attacks, build relations with various civilian and
military leaders, and destroy
multiple insurgents networks.
Building on the success
of the Red Warrior COIST,
Battalion S2 will be conducting
CoIST training with company
appointed CoIST Analysts to
prepare them with the skills and
training proficiency for a hybrid
threat environment NTC rotation and future Afghanistan
deployment. CoIST Analysts
will be able to utilize various
enablers from different echelons
to create a common operating

Page 19

picture. They will also be able to

communicate to platoons, company leadership, and BN to ensure information is disseminated
accurately and effectively to
support the mission. For further
information on the COIST or
for possible job opportunities as
a COIST, contact the Red Warrior S2 Section.

1LT Elyse Ping Medvigy, D CO FSO on the most recent deployment served as
the OIC of the Company CoIST and was the 1st female FSO in combat.

CoIST Analysts
will be able to
utilize various
enablers from
different echelons
to create a
common
operating picture.

1LT Isaac Gutierrez, 1-12 BN AS2, distributes intelligence to the Afghan Uniform Police during a mission through the Village of Morghan Kechah

SSG Mathew Diehl, led members of C CO CoIST as they search a well during a
joint patrol with AUP in the Village of Morghan Kechah

Page 20

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Battalion Staff Sections

The Expert
Infantryman
Badge was
instituted to build
and maintain
esprit de corps
within U.S.
Infantry units.

S3A Tough and Thankless Job

by CPT Thomas Bowcutt
Last week, 247 Red
Warriors began testing for the
EIB. In 1944 Army Chief of
Staff, George C. Marshall initiated the development of an
Award to honor the U.S. Army
Infantryman. The Office of
Heraldic Activity of the Quartermaster General began work
on designing a badge that would
represent the U.S. Infantrys
tough, hard hitting role in combat and symbolize proficiency in
the Infantry arts.
Just as the Combat
Infantryman Badge was intended to be an award for those
U.S. fighting men whose primary mission was to close with
and destroy the enemy, both
German and Japanese, and later

Communist and North Vietnamese; the Expert Infantryman

Badge was instituted to build
and maintain esprit de corps
within U.S. Infantry units. It is
more desirable for a Soldier to
enter a branch that is cleaner,
safer and less physically demanding, or provides more career opportunities after military
service. The intent of the EIB
was to provide a drawing card
for a tough and thankless job on
the battlefield; to add prestige to
an otherwise undesirable yet
necessary task. (EIB, Maneuver
Center)
The first test began
before dawn on Monday when
all 247 candidates took the
APFT. 70% in each event was
required
to pass the
test to
EIB standard.
Following
the APFT,
the candidates
moved
immediately to
the day
land navigation
course
where they
were required to
locate
three out
of four
points in
less than

CPT Bowcutt conducts LandNav during training for EIB

two hours. The remaining candidates then completed the same

course, to the same standard, at
night.
Tuesday began the first
day of skills testing. Each,
lane was split into two separate sections, the MST (Master
Skills Test) and IIT (Individual
Tactical Tasks). The MSTs are
single events that focus on one
detailed test at a time and are
graded strictly to the letter of the
governing TM for each piece of
equipment. Tests in the MST
include tasks like, clear, load,
correct malfunction, and unload
an M249 machine gun. Upon
successful completion of each
lanes MSTs, the candidates
moved to the ITTs. ITTs are a
series of tasks performed in a
continuous flow to simulate
tasks performed during combat
operations. A candidate had to,
for example, locate an unknown
point on a map by intersection
and resection, prepare a Javelin
for firing, move under direct
fire, and adjust indirect fire all in
one continuous test. Each lanes
ITT is timed and the candidate
must complete all the tasks
within the time limit. The grading for ITTs is outcome based,
not as strict as the MSTs, but all
tasks must be completed to standard.
At the end of the three
days of testing, the remaining
candidates completed the 12mile ruck march. Candidates
were required to carry a 35
(Continued on page 21)

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 21

Candidates were
required to carry a
35 pound packing
list plus water and
individual
1LT Kapacinskas, scored the most points in the EIB competition and was named True Blue, 1LT Nieminski as the EIB Ruck
March champion. Both were presented Army Achievement Medals for their performance.

pound packing list plus water

and individual equipment. They
had to complete the 12 miles in
less than three hours in order to
meet the standard. The candidates that met all the require-

equipment. They
had to complete the

ments were presented with their

EIBs on Friday in a Brigade
formation. Out of the 247 Red
Warriors that began the testing
on Monday, 7 earned the EIB.

1-12 soldiers constituted the

plurality of Mountain Warriors
who earned the EIB and
achieved the highest pass rate of
all the Battalions.

MSG Miller explains the proper use of a compass to members of the US Mens Olympic Water Polo Team during a team
building obstacle course

12 miles in less than

three hours in order
to meet the standard.

Page 22

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Battalion Staff Sections

Effective
communication
is essential to
the Armys
ability to fight
and win the
nations war.

S6Can You Hear Me Now?

by SSG Charles Howard
When trying to convey
the importance of the S6 shop, I
am always reminded of either
Verizons cell phone commercial slogan Can you hear me
now?, or picture someone in a
movie climbing up a tree to get
a better signal on their phone or
radio. These types of humorous
situations on television, when
you need to send a combat patrol to climb a tree to provide
line of sight for a directional
antenna. Infantry doctrine
teaches the importance of a
Soldiers ability to Shoot, Move,
and Communicate. If you are a
Soldier on a mission, you have
to communicate before and
after you shoot and move. Effective communication is essential to the Armys ability to fight

and win the nations war. That is

where the S6 shop comes in.
The S6 shop is one of
several support elements in the
1-12th Infantry Regiment, and
simply responsible for all communications throughout the
Battalion. Essentially, the S6 is
responsible for anything that is
plugged into the wall, to include
telephones, computers, printers,
scanners, and all of our advanced tactical radios. Even
though Soldiers in the S6 are
referred to as Commo soldiers,
the individual soldiers in the
shop have different specialties
and functions. There are radio
maintainers that set up antennas
and radios capable of jumping
3000 frequencies per second,

ensuring secure communications. There are computer and

networking specialist to set up
independent internet networks,
linking computer to servers for
data transfer around the world
almost instantly. There are spectrum managers to calculate frequencies depending on solar
variables that determine what
frequencies will bounce off the
atmosphere, and what frequencies will blast through and out
into space.
While most days working in the S6 shop can be rewarding, others remind us why
corporations outsource this job
to India. The typical day for a
soldier in the S6 is to provide
customer service to the rest of
the Battalion.
This is done by
performing
computer updates, repairing
and maintaining
radio equipment
and planning
for future operations.
Communication
requirements
constantly
change as the
digital world
evolves. The S6
is tasked ensuring that our
Soldiers are able
to effectively
and securely
communicate

PV2 Mejia works on radios for HHC

(Continued on page 23)

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 23

The S6 is tasked
insuring that our
Infantry soldiers
are able to
effectively and
securely
communicate on
diverse battlefield
PFC Visarraga and PV2 Stegall perform operation checks on radios for HHC

on diverse battlefield in remote

locations. We do this by having
subject matter experts in communications embedded in the

companies and by providing

training to operators and individual Soldiers. Our goal is to
support Soldiers and leaders

PV2 Guaglianone fills computer trouble tickets,

keeping Red Warriors on the network

ability to relay information regardless of situational restraints

to include weather, terrain, or
the electromagnetic environment. If you are calling for fire,
calling for a medical evacuation,
or calling loved ones back at
home, the S6 will be there to
support.

in remote locations.

Page 24

The R e d W a rri o r P a t h

Chaplains Message
Before I came onto active
duty as an Army Chaplain, I served
two rural parishes in northeast Kansas, in the area north of Fort Riley
but south of Nebraska. I was an
Army brat growing up and quite
familiar with the unique experience
of living in different countries and
different cultures. I had considered
myself pretty well traveled for a 26
year old brand-new pastor.
However, in all my cultural journeys, I had never lived
in a rural area. It quickly became obvious I was in a foreign land
experiencing a foreign way of doing things and, in some ways, a
foreign culture. I had always lived on Army bases or in large cities, but I suddenly found myself in a town of 600 people who all
considered nice jeans to be dressy clothing and where the topic
of the rainfall had far more importance and relevance in daily
conversation.
The natural thing for a minister to do is to engage the
culture and the lifestyle as much as possible. I threw myself into
community events and activities. I also threw myself into as much
of the day-to-day life of the farmers and ranchers as they were
willing to drag their pastor along to. I saw calves pulled, helped
plant crops, did chores with the high school youth and even got
to drive a half million dollar combine to pick corn and cut
wheat at harvest time.
Although new, and foreign experiences to me, they were
mostly what I expected when I pictured rural life. That suddenly
changed in my first spring in Kansas, when the farmers all lit their
fields on fire. You could imagine my surprise at driving around
the countryside for weeks at a time seeing fallow fields charred to
a crisp and smoking into the evening sunset. Wasnt this the venerated Kansas tall grass prairie, the breadbasket soil that produces
enormous yields of food? I quickly took up the question with my
parishioners. Much like how they simply chuckled and shook
their heads at me the first time I described the rainfall as
Enough to get the street wet (farmers measure rain in 32nds of
an inch, not vague descriptions), they chided me and set out to
explain their world to me.
The Kansas tall grass prairie is often suffocated by its
own prodigious ability to support plant life. There are grasses
that are not as valuable to livestock grazing that have a tendency
to overwhelm a field and choke out the fresh grasses that help
calves grow into delicious hamburgers. The solution to this is not
found in a lawnmower or a chemical. Instead, when the wind

and the season is right, a rancher will simply light his field on fire
and burn out all the plant growth on that plot of land in a matter
of minutes. The result looks almost like a moonscape. A field
that thrived yesterday with grasses as tall as a teenager becomes
reduced to a barren landscape of charred ash an inch off the
ground.
This is an apt image for how people feel when life isnt
working out very well. We have such high hopes for so many
things, and we try so valiantly to use our access to enormous resources to produce fruit for our families and our lives. Usually,
we do quite well for ourselves, and our careers progress while our
children grow and our relationships flower. But sometimes
things go terribly wrong, sometimes our childrens development
stunts into an awkward phase, sometimes our marriages crumble,
and sometimes our careers disintegrate. Sometimes our health
evaporates or a tragedy upends our entire way of life in the time it
takes a car to roll off of the highway in an accident. When we
step back from these low points and survey the carnage, it can
feel overwhelmingly depressing as we scan for anything hopeful
and yet find only an inch of cold, cruel ash.
Even after the famers explained their strange ways to
me, I still had my doubts. Because seriously, who lights one of
their most valuable possessions on fire on purpose? I didnt
voice my doubts, and Im glad I didnt. For what I saw over the
next few weeks took my breath away.
Only a few days after a field is burned, shoots of green
grass start to break the ashen surface. A week later, buds of new
grasses are everywhere. This is exactly what the ranchers want,
because these fresh grasses provide much better nutrients to the
grazing livestock. Less than a month after the torch lit the field
on fire, the ashen landscape was nowhere to be found. In its
place was a field as far as the eye could scan of lush, green, succulent grass, growing at an alarming rate, ready to support the
growth of cattle. Spring truly sprung out of the ground before
my very eyes in Kansas.
This is my prayer for you when you find yourself surveying a barren field of ash and dust that so recently had been
something much bettermay the God who brings forth life with
nothing more than a whisper work in your world to regenerate
what was lost, to replace your tragedy with triumph, to heal the
scars of the wounds of your relationship and make them fade into
nothing but a bad memory. May the God who has a peculiar way
of using death to make new life breathe into your marriage or
your childrens minds or your broken hearts or your fading health
to reinvigorate you with new growth, with shoots of hope and
strength and nourishment that can spring you forward into a new
chapter of wholeness. This is my prayer for you-where you know
death, may there be impossible life.
Chaplain (Captain) Jeremie Vore

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 25

1-12 Infantry History

by 1LT Aaron Pool
Units have long used
crests as a symbol both of their
heritages and to represent their
current identity, and the 12th
Infantry Regiment follows in
this long tradition. The crest of
the 12th Infantry Regiment
represents the current regiment,
which dates from May 3rd, 1861.
Our first engagement was at
Gaines Mills, Virginia on June
27th and 28th, 1862 not long
after the Civil War began. The battle devastated the unit as our
regiment suffered almost 50% losses over
the two days. The two
Moline crosses in the
center of the crest represent the crushing losses
sustained at Gaines
Mills. The Moline cross
itself was chosen since it
represents a millrind,
which was an iron clamp
that bore the weight of a
mill stone and held the
machine together. The
pair of crosses represents the weight of the
losses borne by the
Regiment.

west, build telegraph lines, guard

gold fields, and continually
fought off native tribes.

A wigwam with five

poles represents the five separate campaigns the 12th Regiment fought in during the almost 25 years of Indian Wars on
the western frontier in the later
part of the 19th century. Alone
and unafraid, the Regiment deployed to the far reaches of the
country, often in company outposts with as little as forty to
fifty men. In its service on the
frontier, the Regiment helped
secure pioneers in their first trek

Juan Hill strongpoint, the 12th

captured its twin, the fort at El
Caney, five miles to the north.
After withstanding withering
rifle and cannon fire, the 12th
surged over the bastions of the
fort and carried the day. The
broken block, or castellated, line
separating the yellow and blue
portions of the crest represent
the victory at El Caney.

The yellow band, or

chief, across the top represents the Regiments role in the
Spanish and Philippine Wars.
The 12th worked in concert with
the famed Rough Riders to capture key Spanish forts in the
summer of 1898. While the
Rough Riders assaulted the San

Scarcely a year later the

12th saw action in the Philip-

pines against the insurrection.

The men fought through hellish
conditions of steaming rains and
temperatures over 120 to envelope the enemy and ultimately
seize the key town of Luzon.
After several more years of sporadic fighting mixed with garrison duty the Regiment returned
to the United States in 1906. In
commemoration for the bravery
of the men and officers of the
Regiment a red sea
lion, brandishing a
sword, from the
Philippine coat-ofarms was added to
the Regimental crest.
Today our
crest captures but a
section of the storied
history of the 12th
Infantry Regiment.
In the early twentieth century, the
Regiment fought off
bandit Mexican armies along our
southern border.
The unit served valorously in World
War II, including a
crucial role on the
D-Day landings.
After WWII the unit continued
to serve in Germany in the early
days of the Cold War and eventually deployed to Vietnam in
1966. Since then its been heavily deployed to both Iraq and
Afghanistan in the first two decades of the 21st Century.

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 26

EMT Wilderness Training

By SPC Hostetler
Six outstanding 68W
medics graduated from the Wilderness Advanced Life Support
training in Denver. Medical professionals provided instruction
on their fields of expertise to
include Skeletal System injuries,
chest decompression, and a cadaver portion. These medics are
bringing back their knowledge
to improve the medical proficiency across the battalion. We
will continue looking for opportunities to develop our individual medical skills for our medics
and Soldiers.
During the EMT Wilderness class there was a lot of
knowledge to be gained. There
were multiple experts in different fields who came in to talk to
us about their respective fields
like altitude related problems,
proper foot wear and feet injuries, respiratory issues, fluid
management, dental emergen-

cies, and traumatic amputation/ compartment syndrome.

The class had three
days spent in a cadaver lab
where every system of the
body was covered in detail. We
were shown where everything
in the body from muscles to
organs and bones were located, how they were connected, and how they worked
in conjunction with the parts
around it. This was useful because in books everything is 2
dimensional but by seeing it in
person it gives you a 3D view,
helping you better understand
the complexities of the body.
It is important that
medics should be offered the
opportunity to go to this class
or similar classes to learn from
the knowledge of medical professionals covering topics that
can also be used by the military.

Specialized medical equipment and training aids used by students in the EMT Wilderness School

Special tools and plasters used for dental emergencies

SPC Hostetler participates in hands on training during EMT

Wilderness School

V o l um e 3 , I ssue 1

Page 27

U. S. National Water Polo Team

Trains on Fort Carson
1-12 IN Soldiers spent
Saturday, March 21st conducting team building exercises with
the US Mens National Water
Polo Team. LTC Avey welcomed Coach John Kocur and
his athletes to Fort Carson to
train with the Red Warriors. The
Water Polo Team includes
members that have competed in
up to 4 Olympics.
CPT Amy Tang and
1LT Amanda Young, Army
Master Fitness Trainers out of
Fort Jackson, SC, conducted
Physical Readiness Training and
Military Movement Drills with
the team prior to the event. The
athletes stated that they conduct
very similar exercises for their
dry-land training in the gym.
Coach Kocur was most impressed with the level of discipline expected out of Soldiers
during Physical Training which
is something that he wanted his
team to experience.

lenges include solving problems,

and working through an obstacle without verbal communication, balance, and pictograms.
Divided into two
teams, the athletes battled
through the course ending in a
neck-in-neck finish. The group
of men enjoyed their unconventional training at Fort Carson as
they continue their journey of
traveling and training to reach
their collective goal of winning
gold in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

MSG Miller leads the US Mens Olympic Water Polo Team through the
obstacle course

Coach Kocur appreciated the opportunity to train

with the U.S. Army so his team
can see and feel how they represent the U.S. while competing
around the world.

Members of the US Mens Olympic Water Polo Team push a humvee

as a team building activity

Throughout the event,

the team rotated between physical challenges and team building
exercises. Physical challenges
included log carries, water jug
carries, litter carries, HMMWV
push, and running. Mental chal-

LTC Avey welcomes the US Mens Olympic Water Polo Team to Fort
Carson