October 5, 2004
October is finally here and we’re one month closer to this year being over with. I jinxed us a little bit last month when I mentioned that it was getting a little cooler. I keep waiting for the weather to get a little cooler but we’re still up near 110 degrees on most days. At least it’s a little bit cooler in the mornings & evenings but still roasting us during the day. We have some visitors arriving this week that we are all very excited to see. The Battalion Cdr and Command Sergeant Major for the unit out of the 3rd Infantry Division that is replacing us here in scenic Baghdad. Speaking for myself, and I think I can safely speak for all of us over here…it’s hard not to get a little bit excited about handing over the mission to our replacements.
Having said that, there is still some work for us to do here. A year ago, the Commanding General told all of us Company Commanders that the war in Iraq would be won or lost while the 1st Cavalry Division was here. He was right. The Iraqi elections are approaching quickly. We are here at a critical time in the history of a free Iraq. No matter your opinion on whether we should have gone to war here or not, a stable & free Iraq can only bring good to this very volatile region of the world which in turn is great news for the entire free world.
Everyone here in the HHC family is doing exceptional work towards the fulfillment of our mission. As usual, we’re going a thousand miles an hour here in about three hundred different directions. We have had some bad luck with the construction for the ACE Soldiers. Construction is just about done with the new building; however, there are a few kinks to work out before the ACE is able to move in. We were able to get our hands on a cake to celebrate the move…it just happened to be a few days early. We’ve reconfigured the two TUAV Platoons a little bit. We have now organized a forward Platoon operating here in Baghdad as well as a launch and recovery Platoon up north in Taji. Each Platoon has members of the old B and C Platoons. DON’T change your mail address to these Soldiers...keep it coming the way it always has and we’ll be sure to get it to your Soldier as quickly as we can no matter where they are in the Baghdad area…as the First Sergeant says…. “you call..we haul!!”
The two sections most looking forward to any change (for the cooler) in our local climate are the Maintenance, and Communications and Electronics Sections. These Soldiers have worked through the incredible temperatures of the summer. They fix EVERYTHING here and there isn’t any mission here we could accomplish without their expertise. When I say everything, I really mean everything. There was SSG Gaston fixing the throttle linkage on my very own truck, in the middle of Baghdad, with a piece of Big Red Bubblegum…and then there’s SSG Randall who in addition to his work related repair, has taken time to fix any number of personal electronic “gadgets” our Soldiers have brought or bought over here.
On a lighter note…over the course of the last few weeks, and the month to come, the Soldiers, NCOs and Officers in both the TOC and the ALOC have arranged for the Command Sergeant Major and the Field Grade Officers to take their environmental leave…so unsaddled with that burden, we will probably have the war won in a month or two. We all hope they have a wonderful break!
REMEMBER TO VOTE! Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!
CPT Dan Bishop
“Headhunter 6”
1SG Torres
“Headhunter 9”
October is finally here and we’re one month closer to this year being over with. I jinxed us a little bit last month when I mentioned that it was getting a little cooler. I keep waiting for the weather to get a little cooler but we’re still up near 110 degrees on most days. At least it’s a little bit cooler in the mornings & evenings but still roasting us during the day. We have some visitors arriving this week that we are all very excited to see. The Battalion Cdr and Command Sergeant Major for the unit out of the 3rd Infantry Division that is replacing us here in scenic Baghdad. Speaking for myself, and I think I can safely speak for all of us over here…it’s hard not to get a little bit excited about handing over the mission to our replacements.
Having said that, there is still some work for us to do here. A year ago, the Commanding General told all of us Company Commanders that the war in Iraq would be won or lost while the 1st Cavalry Division was here. He was right. The Iraqi elections are approaching quickly. We are here at a critical time in the history of a free Iraq. No matter your opinion on whether we should have gone to war here or not, a stable & free Iraq can only bring good to this very volatile region of the world which in turn is great news for the entire free world.
Everyone here in the HHC family is doing exceptional work towards the fulfillment of our mission. As usual, we’re going a thousand miles an hour here in about three hundred different directions. We have had some bad luck with the construction for the ACE Soldiers. Construction is just about done with the new building; however, there are a few kinks to work out before the ACE is able to move in. We were able to get our hands on a cake to celebrate the move…it just happened to be a few days early. We’ve reconfigured the two TUAV Platoons a little bit. We have now organized a forward Platoon operating here in Baghdad as well as a launch and recovery Platoon up north in Taji. Each Platoon has members of the old B and C Platoons. DON’T change your mail address to these Soldiers...keep it coming the way it always has and we’ll be sure to get it to your Soldier as quickly as we can no matter where they are in the Baghdad area…as the First Sergeant says…. “you call..we haul!!”
The two sections most looking forward to any change (for the cooler) in our local climate are the Maintenance, and Communications and Electronics Sections. These Soldiers have worked through the incredible temperatures of the summer. They fix EVERYTHING here and there isn’t any mission here we could accomplish without their expertise. When I say everything, I really mean everything. There was SSG Gaston fixing the throttle linkage on my very own truck, in the middle of Baghdad, with a piece of Big Red Bubblegum…and then there’s SSG Randall who in addition to his work related repair, has taken time to fix any number of personal electronic “gadgets” our Soldiers have brought or bought over here.
On a lighter note…over the course of the last few weeks, and the month to come, the Soldiers, NCOs and Officers in both the TOC and the ALOC have arranged for the Command Sergeant Major and the Field Grade Officers to take their environmental leave…so unsaddled with that burden, we will probably have the war won in a month or two. We all hope they have a wonderful break!
REMEMBER TO VOTE! Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!
CPT Dan Bishop
“Headhunter 6”
1SG Torres
“Headhunter 9”
