Serving the Soldiers, Civilians and Families of 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

Issue 14 May 27, 2010

2-8 Families see

Soldiers in action
Story and photos by 1st Lt. Jeffrey Rudderforth
2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, put the final touches on
Gunnery 2010 by conducting Family Day at
Range 111 on May 16.
The battalion’s newly qualified tank and
Bradley crews, with support from the mortar
platoon, conducted a demonstration of the
capabilities of the weapons systems.
The day began with Soldiers, Family
and friends meeting at the Waller Gym for
transportation to Range 111. After arrival at
the range, Family members were given a 10
minute safety briefing.
Then Families were given the opportunity
to see static displays and go inside the tanks,
Bradleys, and M88 Armor Recovery Vehicles.
One station even allowed Family members to
Pvt. Sidney Forester, a cavalry scout for 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
get in the turret of a tank or Bradley!
Infantry Division, assists a young boy with a 50 caliber machine gun during 2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Reg.’s Family Day
Other stations included a table with Meals
Ready to Eat, Advanced Combat Helmet and After spending time with each of the static capabilities of these well trained and lethal
other field gear so that Family members could displays and display tables, then it was time for crews.
see how a Soldier may live in the field. the show. The tank and Bradley rolled by the After the demonstration, Family members
The highlight of the day, was Cpl. Matthew viewing stand on its way to the gun line. Then boarded the buses to head back to Waller
Dane, one of 2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Reg.’s snipers, in they were off on their 15 minute engagement, Gym. On the ride, comments such as “That
his Ghillie suite, showing off his sniper rifles. with many scenarios which showed off the continued on page 2

Command Sergeant Major’s Corner gunnery tables X-XII.

Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Dugan, CSM
204th Brigade Support Battalion
The Rough Riders
conducted company FTXs at
In the early morning hours of mountains, the early morning Range 143. It was amazing to
May 20, all was quiet on Range stillness was punctured by the watch these logistical warriors
143. 204th Brigade Support sound of machine gun fire. Thus learn new skills and refine old
Battalion was in the first of began Table XII gunnery for ones, all the while providing
two weeks of company FTXs, eight crews from the Rough Rider world-class support to the rest
and in the midst of completing Battalion’s Convoy Escort Team. of the BCT.
unstablized gunnery. During the previous two Alpha Company conducted
Leaders across Headquarters weeks, Lt. Col. Todd Bertulis and rigorous training on Entry
and Headquarters Company Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Dugan Control Point operations,
and Company A had been conducted leader training. gunnery and tactical night
working hard all week to fine- Leaders spent a full week driving; HHC focused energies
tune company Command Post’s, in the Convoy Skills Trainer on establishing the battalion
execute collective training, and and Engagement Skills trainer, TOC and refining company
validate first-line leaders. refining their tactical and battle drills.
As the sun peaked over the leadership skills prior to executing continued on page 2
page 2 Warhorse Pride Issue 14 May 27, 2010

2-8 Family Day

(above) A young boy sits on top of an M88 Recovery
Vehicle and (below) Cpl. Matthew Dane, a sniper for
2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stands with Fam-
ily members in a ghillie suit with a sniper rifle during
2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Reg.’s, Family Day on May 16.
continued from page 1
was so cool” and “I want to do that when I grow
up” could be heard from kids of all ages. “Our
Soldiers do an amazing and dangerous job
every day. I think it is important for Family
members to see and be proud of what their
Soldier does for a living,” said Lt. Col. David
Hardy, commander of 2nd Bn., 8th Inf. Reg.
The Family Day was definitely a success with
more than 300 Family members and friends of
Soldiers participating in the day’s events.
continued from page 1
Bravo Company executed collective
training on battle drills, recovery
operations, and snap-ECP operations.
Charlie Med continued to hone their
already stellar medical skill sets as well
as focus on establishing their CP in a
field environment for the first time since
redeployment.
The battalion master gunner, Staff Sgt.
Christopher Hanna, worked tirelessly to
provide tough, realistic training as crews
from 204th BSB, 2nd Special Troops
Battalion MP and COLT, E CO, F CO,
and G CO completed gunnery tables
X-XII.
During the AAR conducted upon
completion of Table XII, Soldiers
were asked if they felt confident and
competent in their leaders’ abilities; they
all responded with a loud, thunderous
“YES!” It was a proud moment to be
the senior enlisted leader for this fine
organization.
As the command sergeant major for
the Rough Rider nation, I am proud to
serve alongside some of America’s best
and brightest sons and daughters.
I continually stand in awe of all that
our Soldiers and leaders accomplish
every day. I also want to recognize
the contributions of our Families that
support us while we train; they are the
rock upon which we stand and fight for.

2nd STB qualifies at unstabilizied gunnery

Story and photo by Capt. Keith Angstman
2nd Special Troops Battalion
2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
conducted an unstabilized gunnery for 29
crews on Range 109 last week to qualify
Soldiers on their wheeled vehicles.
Crews navigated the course on HMMW
Vs and M1200 Armored Knight Combat
Observation Lasing Team Vehicles, using
M240B and M2 50 caliber machine guns,
AN/PVS-14 night vision devices and PAS-13
thermal weapon sights.
The 29 crews conducted gunnery table II
and a dry fire practice iteration at Range 104,
two weeks ago to prepare and train for the
live fire qualification tables. Prior to that,
the battalion conducted driver’s training and
machine gun ranges to make sure the Soldiers
were confident using their weapon systems.
During the live fire portions, crews
conducted two gunnery tables to prepare
for the live-fire qualification table. Table III
consists of an easier scenario designed to
introduce crews to the course, the targets, and
the combination of vehicles and weapons.
Each gunnery table consists of a day and a
night portion. During the time between runs,
crews used additional vehicles to rehearse crew
commands, conduct pre-combat checks, and
inspections and conduct after action reviews
on previous tables.
The crews progressed phenomenally
throughout the week; during Table V. nine
crews qualified the first time.
The Table VI scores exemplified the Soldiers’
continuous efforts at improvement, with 25
first time qualifications.
After all crews had completed their Table
VI engagements, the top score of 10 successful
engagements out of 10, with 968 points out of
1,000, belonged to Sgt. Anthony Austin’s crew.
Austin, the vehicle commander, is from
Denver, Colo. The crew’s gunner is Pvt. Robert
Taylor from Chadler, Ariz., and the driver is
Pfc. Andrew Stirling from Haverhill, Mass.
Family members of 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, walk
through static displays of different vehicles includ-
ding the M1200 Knight on Family Day, May 15.
On the last day of Gunnery Table VI,
the battalion held a Family day to promote
interaction between the unit and Families.
The activities consisted of static displays of an
up-armored HMMWV, an M1200 Knight, a
Military Police Armored Security Vehicle and
an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
Two M2A3 Bradleys, a M1200 Knight, and a
HMMWV conducted a live-fire demonstration
from the firing pad while Families watched
from the bleachers.
page 3 Warhorse Pride Issue 14 May 27, 2010

204th Convoy Escort Team refines skills

Story by 1st Lt. Jessica Maxim
204th Brigade Support Battalion
Tables I-VI of unstabilized gunnery
were executed by the Convoy Escort Team
(CET) established by 204th Brigade Support
Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, May 3-7 in order to prepare
for upcoming deployment, and the remaining
Tables VII-XII will be completed by next
month.
Each company gave up Soldiers to form
the CET and upon returning from the field,
Soldiers had this to say about the training:
“Awesome,” exclaimed Spc. Chris Glasscock.
“Excellent! Every Soldier in the Army
should do it,” agreed Spc. Darious Thomas.
“There was no ‘stand to’, we didn’t waste 12
hours a day sitting in a guard tower – that stuff
is not realistic; it’s not what we do in theater.
This training was realistic,” claimed Spc. Brad
White, “and we liked it! We didn’t know much
about each other before and now we’re a tight
knit group.” Leaders shared the sentiment of
productivity.
Sgt. Mark Flinders who was on the CET for
204th’s last deployment claimed, “It was great,
really fantastic! Not only did everything go
well, but we definitely watched the Soldiers
progress throughout the week.”
He went on to say that, “before we deployed
the last time, we had a Mobile Training Team
(MTT) from Fort Knox train us. This time, it
was internal – our own S3 was there, feeding
us scenarios with day and night training.
Everything was more realistic, thorough,
better scenarios, operations, everything.”
Another veteran to the CET, Sgt. Jason
Grace added, “It is a good way for VCs
[vehicle commanders] to evaluate their crews,
especially since this group of individuals has
not been together for very long.
After only this week, we watched Soldiers
improve tremendously, especially on their
ability to effectively communicate with one
another. It might seem like a simple task, but
anyone who has been there knows that you
have to be able to read one another, pick up
subtle differences in a person’s tone or body
language. That’s what their starting to do.”
Staff Sgt. Scott Athorp, the Platoon Sergeant
for the CET agreed.
“We learned from our mistakes, from when
we established CET last deployment. We now
know what skill sets are needed for all Soldiers,
not just the specialized skills that they bring
from their MOS. Spc. Anna Flint, for example,
is not just a medic but is qualified on four
different crew serve weapons, while Sgt. Estelle
McCall, another medic, is an excellent VC.
This time, we watched the Soldiers progress
every day, watching their individual skills
improve, we watched them develop from
individuals to crews, and by next month, they
will have developed from crews to a complex
and lethal team. It is truly impressive to watch
the Soldiers grow and adapt.”

Chaplain’s Corner: revelation of God

“You shall be clothed with power from on
high, when the Holy Spirit comes to you; and
you shall be my witnesses throughout the ends
of the earth.”
The New Testament book of Acts, begins
with the author, Luke, telling Theophilus that
this is the second book—a sequel to his gospel.
Luke’s gospel related the story of Christ’s life,
death and resurrection, while Acts tells the
story of the development of the early church
from Christ’s ascension into heaven to just
before the death of Peter and Paul.
The two books share a common flow—the
revelation of God being disseminated in the
world through passionate teaching, example
of life, expressions of love and wondrous
miracles. Both find a world that is not always
receptive to the message, affecting the death of
the messenger.
The stories differ in one sense: Christ
rose from the dead, but the apostles do not.
However, something just as wondrous occurs.
The promise of the resurrection still applies to
these apostles who have suffered with him; yet,
in the meantime, the church begins to grow
throughout the world.
Thus the life and death of the apostles
continued to manifest the presence of the Lord
in a concrete manner. This was the effect of
the Pentecost: the gift of the Holy Spirit fell
upon the apostles, transforming them as living
expressions of Christ, as if he were present
wherever they were! May this Pentecost do the
same for us.
Blessings
Chaplain (Capt.) Kevin Peek
2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment

Warhorse
Pride
Col. John S. Kolasheski..................2nd BCT Commander
Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Barteau.....2nd BCT CSM
Lt. Col. Richard Stebbins................................2nd BCT PAO
2nd Lt. Christopher McMillan....................................Editor
Staff Writers
Sgt. Seth Barham and Spc. April York
The Warhorse Pride is produced in the approved by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team
interest of the Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Public Affairs Office.
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horse Pride is prepared, edited, provided and editor: c.mcmillan2@us.army.mil