Wild Times

June 2011

1/34 BSTB

Updated News
Departure Ceremony
Left photo: Soldiers of the 1/34 BSTB stand in formation during the departure ceremony. Right photo: Sergeant First Class Robert Kiscaden along with his family sharing some conversation .

BSTB is now on Facebook! Check us out at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/ home.php#!/pages/134Brigade-Special-Troops Battalion

Captain Lotzow, Company Commander of HHC 1/34 BSTB sharing some family time together, while his son colors a sign saying I Love You Dad!

Lieutenant Colonel Gary Mundfrom, Battalion Commander of 1/34 BSTB accepts the Patriot Guard Riders flag to travel along overseas.

Specialist Jonti Roos, Specialist Derek msande, Specialist Scott Haworth, and Second Lieutenant Jacob Cavanaugh waiting patiently for the start of the Departure Ceremony at Normandale Community College.

Soldiers arrived to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin led by the Minnesota Patriot Guard Riders

Final formation at Bloomington Armory prior to departure to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin for Pre-Mobilization training.

Patriot Guard Riders and State Patrol escorting Soldiers to the MN/WI borders.

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Training at Fort McCoy, WI

1/34 BSTB

Staff Sergeant John Wadsworth conducting a search on a civilian during Entry Control Point training.

Specialist Richard Leonard, Sergeant Nikolaus Curley, Sergeant First Class Derek Bronson, and Sergeant First Class Robert Kiscaden conduct a briefing and map recon prior to lanes training.

Left photo: Soldiers waiting for lanes training. Right photo: First Sergeant Jeffrey Kasprzyk stands along a Humvee prior to lanes training.

Left and right photos: Specialist Krista Hanson, Sergeant Andrea Wittlief and SPC Nickie Buschette conduct hand and arm signal training. \.

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Recreation Day
Right photo: Soldiers of the 1/34 BSTB participate during Fort McCoys 5k in celebration of the Armys birthday

1/34 BSTB

Soldiers take a day off and play volleyball.

Congratulations to Sergeant Andrea Wittlief on her promotion. Sergeant First Class Brittany Thingvold and Captain Amber Manke of the Fighting S1 is awarded for their hard work and dedication to personnel readiness prior to arriving at Fort McCoy. Left photo: Congratulations to First Sergeant Jeffrey Kasprzyk on his promotion.

A game of softball is also played during a day of recreation and fun.

Upcoming Events
July 1 4 4-day Pass for Soldiers of 1/34 BSTB Sunday, July 10th Serving Our Troops! Saint Paul to Fort McCoy Steak Dinner 2 p.m. 7 p.m.
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Family and Friends,

1/34 BSTB

Battalion Commander-Lieutenant Colonel Gary Mund-

I'm happy to report that the Battalion is doing well. As I write this, the Brigade Special Troops Battalion is mobilized in support of three different missions. Soldiers from Alpha Company (Military Intelligence) and Bravo Company (Signal) are completing their training at Camp Shelby and Fort Polk. They have done a fantastic job and will soon be conducting operations in Afghanistan as part of the 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard. Our Tactical Unmanned Aerial Surveillance (Shadow) Platoon is also conducting training at Camp Shelby in preparation for a mission to Afghanistan. Upon mobilization, our Shadow Platoon was ranked #1 of all the Shadow Platoons in the United States Army National Guard. They are not resting on their laurels, they have continued to set the standard for others to follow. Here at Fort McCoy, approximately three hundred Soldiers from the BSTB Headquarters Company, Brigade Headquarters Company and Charlie Company "Earthpigs" are getting ready for the Brigade's mission to Kuwait. I can tell you firsthand that the Soldiers are working hard, morale is good and we are getting great results. You have every reason to be proud of the great work that is being done by your Soldier. You are a critical part of the team as we continue forward. Thank you for all the sacrifices you make on a daily basis in order to allow your loved one to serve. If you need help, I urge you to reach out and tap into the network that's available to you. Your local Family Assistance Center (http://www.btyr.org/ family-assistance-centers or (888) 234-1274) is the best resource to help family members with military pay and benefits problems. Military One Source Lieutenant Colonel (www.militaryonesource.com or 1-800-342-9647) offers many free services rangGary W. Mundfrom ing from career advice to legal assistance to money management to counseling prepares to step on the services. The Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network (www.btyr.org) can get you charter bus to depart Bloomington Armory plugged in with individuals and groups willing to help with the daily challenges of running and maintaining your household. If you're not sure where to go with for Fort McCoy. an issue please contact either the unit or your local Family Readiness Group leader. In closing thank you again for all your love and support! LTC Gary W. Mundfrom

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1/34 BSTB

Battalion Command Sergeant Major-Command Sergeant Major Bruce Stowe

Greetings from Ft McCoy to all our Task Force Wild families. First and foremost, thank you for your support. The encouragement and support from family members keeps us going and helps us do what we need to do. I wish I had enough space to talk to you about every single Soldier and the good things he/ she is doing. I'll lump them all together and tell you they are doing fantastic. Their enthusiasm, work ethic and positive attitudes have kept them focused on our training and readiness. The days start early with physical fitness before we get on with what ever training needs to be done on any given day. The Task Force Wild Soldiers continue to perform above standards. Everything we've asked them to do, they've done and better than most. I'm very proud of this team. I do mean team. They work together and watch out for one another. I wish we could do something about connectivity to computer networks during off duty hours, it's simply not available. That should change when we get to our final destination. I want to close with two items. OPSEC is a term we use to describe Operational Security. Please refrain from discussing sensitive issues like where and when we are going and any specifics you may know about our mission in public, on Facebook, and in the media. It will help us keep your Soldier safe. Second, we have a couple days off soon, please enjoy this time with your Soldier but please keep safety in mind. Safety is stressed here every day and we will encounter different risks on our days off. Thank you again for all you do. CSM Bruce L. Stowe

Command Sergeant Major Bruce L. Stowe assists with Container Operations. During a training exercise, Command Sergeant Major Bruce L. Stowe is tied onto a litter carrier and hung face down.

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