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The Claw
                              Newsletter
  Serving the Soldiers and Families of Task Force Talon
V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7

                            The Claw                               22 M AY 201 2




                      A Few Words from
                             Talon 6
To all family members and friends of Task Force Talon, your Talon Troopers
continue to make you proud by providing outstanding aviation support to our
brothers and sisters throughout Regional Command East (RC-East). Last
month, 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters relinquished command of RC-East
and returned to Fort Hood, Texas. They were replaced by 1st Infantry Division
Headquarters out of Fort Riley, Kansas. Since a very large part of TF Talon’s
mission here is supporting the RC-East command and staff, our successful inte-
gration with the new command team was critical. The Talon Troopers’ perform-
ance far exceeded their expectations and we were blessed with new opportuni-
ties to increase our support to our brothers and sisters on the ground. As a re-
sult, we are even busier this month than we have been the past seven, which
makes the time continue to fly by. The weather is beautiful here and excitement
is clearly in the air as we look forward to completing our mission and rejoining
you. As always, on behalf of all the TF Talon Troopers, I thank you for your
continued love and support. Until next time…
                                        Sincerely,
                                        LTC LANDY D. DUNHAM
                                        TALON 6



                                                        “TALON FOR A DAY,
                                                        TALON FOR LIFE!”
T HE C LAW                                                            P AGE 3




      As the time continues creeping closer and closer for your Talon
      members to be welcomed home by your warm hugs and kisses,
      we also have rituals to help us count down the months, weeks
                                and days...

                            The average person checks their
                             Facebook accounts 4-6 times a
                                          day.
                                  4-6 times x 120 days=
                                   480 - 720 FB checks left!


                                 Approximately 120 walks to
                                     and from work left!
                                .9 walk to and from work x 120
                                            days =
                                          216 more miles!

                        For dedicated Green Bean enthusiasts who
                         drink their coffee twice a day, they have
                           about 240 more cups of Afghanistan
                                  brewed joe left to buy.
                                         $4 per coffee
                                   *That’s almost $1,000*


                            Every 14 days we get a reset day,
                           which averages out to about 8 more
                                   Relaxin’ Days left.


                                We prep around 18-20 aircraft
                                 a day before each mission.
                                That averages out to be about
                                2280 aircraft preparations left
                                       in Afghanistan.



                          Transfer-of-Authority 17th September 2012
We surveyed 50 Talons and this is what they said...

     Would you rather…                                              Would you rather…
               Sit all day or stand?                         Use a communal toothbrush or shower once a week?




     36                                 14                            3     l
                                                                                                     47
                                                                                                said sho
                                                                      mmuna
                                        said                   said co                                  we
                                                                                                once a w r
       said                                                            rush
                                                                toothb                                   eek
                                       STand
         Sit

     Would you rather…                                              Would you rather…
Be able to cook really well or always tell good jokes?        Always hear the same song or taste the same thing?




        33                           said
                                          17                        36                              14
           cook                           t                        said hea
                                                                            r                   said tas
      said                          good ell                                                               te
             well                        jokes                    same so ng
     r eally                                                                                   same th
                                                                                                          ing



 Submit your own Would You                                                          ING              :
                                                                               WARN
        Rather to...
                                                                                                           ocking
               amber.m.porter@us.army.mil
                                                                                                o ntain shhilarious
                                                                                      estions c        re
     … and I will put it in the next edition of
                                                                            These qumeant to inspaiy be nauseat-
                            The Claw!                                       contentn. Questions m isturbing!
                                                                           discussio g, bizarre or d
                                                                                   in
P AGE 5                                                                  V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7




                    Holy talon
We have reached the time when there is increasing discussion and activity about our fu-
ture return home. This is good and, I think, has been a boost to the morale of Soldiers
and Families alike. Even though the thought of returning home is exciting there is a need
to remain focused. We have served our nation well and accomplished much, but we are
not done yet.
                                                        Our redeployment will happen in
                                                        time. Many are hoping that time
                                                        passes quickly, but of course,
                                                        there is still work to be done by
                                                        Task Force Talon in Afghanistan
                                                        related to our military mission.
                                                        We must continue the great work
                                                        so far accomplished. There is also
                                                        work to be done at a personal
                                                        level, for ourselves and our Fami-
                                                        lies. Many have goals they would
                                                        like to accomplish during the de-
                                                        ployment, like completing college
                                                        courses, learning to play guitar, im-
                                                        proving their fitness level and pay-
                                                        ing off a loan. While time is run-
                                                        ning out, for most, there is still
                                                        work to be done.
Importantly, we also want to improve our relationships, work on our weaknesses and pre-
pare to return better than how we left. I know Family Members feel the same. They are
working hard to be better than we left them. There is work to be done for all of us.
Remember, we are not done yet. In every way and on every day press on toward the goals
set. When we work as hard as we can now our future reunion will be better and more joy-
ous than expected.


                          CH (CPT) Marlon W. Brown
T HE C LAW                                                                                       P AGE 6




                            GLADIATORS
                                       Gladiators and friends,
            This past month we have gained two new Gladiators, SPC Marsh from HHC Brigade. Wel-
come to the Gladiators! SPC Marsh replaces SGT Caligiuri in the S2 Section as an intelligence analyst
   on the TOC floor. She is already watching reporting and is briefing our flight crews daily. We are
 looking forward to a continued strong performance from the S2 Section with SPC Marsh added to the
   team. Not yet hailed in the newsletter, 1LT Spears arrived on 25 March, and has been doing great
things in the S3 Air Mission Request Cell. He is in progression with the Animals and is already flying
                                        missions with them. Welcome!
            The Gladiators have said goodbye to CPT Geib, who has left theater for Germany, and will
   hopefully make it back to the states before too long. Brett served TF Talon well in the AMR Cell,
 planning deliberate operations, and also serving as a UH PC with Regret. We’ll see you when we get
                                                    home.
            The yearly 120 days of wind has begun in earnest here at Bagram, with our high winds cur-
rently standing at 47 knots. According to our trusty weather observers, we may see winds nearly twice
  that at times, so we will be battening down the hatches during the heavy winds this summer. It rains
  nearly daily now, and the daytime heat has started to climb into the upper 70’s Fahrenheit. Being on
               nights is starting to look quite tempting for those running 24-hour operations.
                                           Until next month,
                                             Gladiator 6




                 The S6 Shop pauses for a moment to take a photo while they smash unusable hard
                                           drives with slug hammers.
P AGE 7                                                                          V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7




                ANIMALS
The clock is ticking for the Animals. . .
We are in our last full month here in Afghanistan as part of TF Talon. With the crazy Spring
weather finally breaking and the “120 Days of Wind” around the corner, flying has been signifi-
cantly more enjoyable. The winds and warmer temperatures require solid mountain flying technique
and power management, and the enemy has embraced the 2012 fighting season.

                                                   Redeployment movement has already begun.
                                                   Over the next few weeks we will be welcoming
                                                   aircraft and personnel from the A CO 1-168th,
                                                   fellow westerners and Guardsmen. As such, the
                                                   Animal OPTEMPO is going to be greatly in-
                                                   creased. We will be completing CCT’s, LAO’s,
                                                   and the RIP-TOA with more than 65 personnel
                                                   over the course of 10 days. It is going to re-
                                                   quire the diligence and dedication of every sol-
                                                   dier and officer to make sure that we facilitate
                                                   their success and mission readiness. This dedi-
                                                   cation will set A CO 1-168th up for success for
                                                   the entire year.

Part of the Warrior Ethos in the Sol-
dier’s Creed” states: “I will never quit.”
We own the mission until June 10th.
We will not stop performing disci-
plined, rotary wing operations until our
last duffle is loaded and we are step-
ping onto a C-17 or C-5 bound for Ft.
Hood, TX. Despite the latest setback
of losing aircraft 346, the Animals will
accomplish the mission. We won’t be
broken: A phrase fitting of our Mus-
tang heritage.


It is with great disappointment that the Animals will be parting with our “Scooby” bus. Fellow TF
Talon members may have noticed its custom cone roof ornament and actual life-size Scooby dash
dog. It has treated us well.
T HE C LAW                                                                                                                                     P AGE 8




                         REGRET
 "I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your
                                                                         heart."
Heart is what Alpha Company 3-82 is relying on as we round the corner into the last third of our deployment. Luckily it’s a heart that’s been made
strong and healthy from seven previous months of aviation success, as well as a heart that is emboldened by the thought of returning to you, our much-
longed-for families and friends. As we rapidly close the distance between us and the finish line we continue to earn distinction, serve with honor, and
still find time to have some fun.
Alpha Company’s Instructor Pilots and Flight Instructors were some of the crewmembers to find acclaim. Just a few months ago our brigade con-
ducted an inspection of all battalion and company operations. During this inspection our Standardization Department received the highest marks possi-
ble in every area inspected, no small feat considering it required the detailed review of over 120 individuals’ aviation records while simultaneously
continuing to execute the largest and most active training program in the entire brigade. Such achievement and dedication did not go un-noticed: CW3
Campbell, CW3 Ashhurst, CW2 Parsons, CW2 Baker, CW2 Owens, SFC Bloyd, SGT McGrath, SGT Stover, and SPC Felts all received Army
Achievement Medals for their direct contribution to this success.
In addition to the excellent inspection marks, Alpha Company’s IPs have also been cooking-up something special for the unit’s young pilots. In-lieu of
annually required and often monotonous aviator academic training, Aviation Jeopardy sessions will commence in the next few days. Experienced
pilots-in-command have been paired with young pilots for the past two weeks. These protégés are being groomed by their mentors to compete against
one another in this battle of brains for a prize that is well worth the extra time in the books. So great is the buzz around this event that some of our
members have even decided to set up a “financial opportunity,” if you will, where one can bet his or her hard earned pay on the results. Don’t let the
anticipation throw you from your seat as you expect the glamorous details about the ultimate victor and his/her GRAND prize in your next issue of The
Claw…
As our young pilots’ experience continues to grow, so does the number of our company’s pilots-in-command. CPT Romaneski and CW2 Eberhart both
recently passed their Day/Night PC check ride; CW2 Scott deftly did the same on his NVG PC ride.
Speaking of experience, Mr. Triplett has A LOT of it and is now CW4 Matt Triplett. As a reminder, his mustache will stay for the duration of this pay
grade as it did for the last. Such an event could not be adequately observed within the everyday confines of Bagram Airbase, so the company decided
to fly him to the top of a mountain instead. The photo below should prove sufficient evidence of the wisdom of this decision.
In case you didn’t already know or you haven’t been able to tell, flight companies like to have fun. To keep that heart on a happy beat, CPT Sulpizio
initiated a round of the game ASSASINS. For those of you who are unfamiliar, let me give you a quick once-over of the rules. All participants are
given an index card with the name of another individual in the company whom they must “kill.” This murderous act must be completed with no wit-
nesses and be executed by way of a very particular type of weapon. In this case the weapon theme was “anything you can make or find in prison,” a
field in which many of the company’s members are disturbingly well versed. Once you’ve “killed” your target, that unfortunate victim hands over his
or her index card and target to you, at which point you go on the hunt once more. The last assassin standing wins.
Don’t turn your back to SPC Bradley, because he wiped out the entire field, starting with, I’m quite honored to say, yours truly, in a matter of days. As
for a prize, he’ll get what’s coming to him.
In closing, your aviators and crewmembers continue to make this brigade and the nation it serves proud beyond expectations. As always, I simply must
close by reminding you of the necessity of and gratitude for your continued love, support, and dedication. Fulfilling the duty we are sworn to uphold is
simply impossible without it.
                                                            Keeping you all in our thoughts,
                                                                   1LT Will Walker
                                                                   2nd Flight Leader
P AGE 9                                                                                  V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7




                   FLIPPERS
                                     Dear Flipper family and friends,

I would like to start off by thanking each and every one of you for your support and understanding during the
last eight months. The job your Soldiers perform is an important one and they would not be successful with-
out you. This makes your job incredibly important as well. Do not under estimate the significance that family
 and friends play in a Soldiers motivation and success. It's extremely evident as they return from R&R com-
                                   pletely energized and ready to get after it.

  This past month I had the honor of reenlisting a couple of outstanding NCOs in SSG Acevedo and SSG
Bamba who will both enjoy some much needed down time with their families at Fort Rucker following rede-
ployment. This coming month we get to welcome another member to the Flipper family when Mr. and Mrs.
Dibble welcome a baby boy. I can tell you that he is extremely excited with each coming day and so are we.

    Again, thanks for all the support and keep sending mail to the Soldiers. Every time mail comes in, the
      Soldiers are like little children on Christmas morning. They can't wait to see what is in the new
                      package they have. Thanks again for all the support you provide.

                                                 Airborne,
                                                 Flipper 6




     SSG Bamba Reenlistment




                                             Mr. Martin New Wheels




                                                                                SSG AcevedoReenlistment
T HE C LAW                                                                                                                               P AGE 1 0




                                   Motor city
                                       muscles
                                     “The Bulk of mankind is equipped for flying as thinking” –Jonathan Swift
Motor City Muscle has had another busy month filled with promotions, awards, VIP’s, and runs. April brought warmer weather but did not decrease
the demand on our flight crews. They continue to work hard, making it possible to fly day and night missions. Congratulations to SGT Zischke and
                                             SGT Spivey who became Flight Engineers this month.
 Bravo Company had five participants in the Run for Jesus “5” Miler on Easter Sunday. 1LT Love, CW4 Zelenak, CW2 Isham, SSG Hodges and
                             SGT Zischke all finished the run and represented the Motor City Muscle with pride!




Motor City Muscle Troopers were recognized for the Downed Aircraft Recovery Team (DART) mission. Sling loading over 16,000 pounds of air-
craft to a safer/salvageable location; CW3 Miller, SSG Webb, SSG Hodges and SGT Shipman were awarded the Army Achievement Medal on 21
                                                     April 2012. Great job Bravo Company!
 Bravo Company had the privilege of promoting two of its Troopers to Sergeant this month. Congratulations to SGT Mark French who accepted a
15G position in Delta Company 3/238th Aviation GSAB back in Michigan and to SGT Wade Brown who accepted a 15D position in Delta Company
      3/238th Aviation GSAB as well. We are very proud of these Troopers and welcome two new NCO’s to the Motor City Muscle family.




Motor City Muscle had the privilege of flying Toby Keith in support of his USO tour and delivered him to his last concert in theatre here at Bagram.
                        Mr. Keith thanked not only Bravo Company but all Troopers around the globe for their service.
P AGE 1 1                                                                                      V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7




                       DUSTOFF
Another month has passed by and now there are less than 90 days remaining in our deployment. We are very
excited and counting the days until we come back home. April was the birthday month of SGT Baugher and
SGT King. This gave us an excuse to celebrate with water balloons and use SGT Baugher as the target. We en-
joyed one of the cleanest birthday celebrations here to date. SGT King was on duty that day and therefore he
wasn’t able to participate in the celebration but we look forward to making it up to him. This month also, we
welcomed SPC Johns from JAF to our team. (He doesn’t know what’s coming to him.)

                                                 The frequency of missions has increased exponentially and corre-
                                                 lates directly to the warmer weather. We are expecting that fre-
                                                 quency of missions will continue to rise as the weather gets
                                                 warmer. Needless to say, things are now extremely busy around
                                                 here. Yet, in the mist of all the work, our very own Randall Skedco
                                                 still finds the time to continually pull pranks on us. His latest vic-
                                                 tim, LT Wiese lost his top for two weeks after coming back from a
                                                 mission. Reportedly, he took off his top and placed it near the din-
                                                 ing table in order to get refreshed but when he came back to get it,
                                                 it was gone.



The top mysteriously disappeared only to appear in a se-
ries of pictures strategically left at random places. The
pictures showed Randall, better known as Randy, sporting
LT’s top while sitting at different places around the
hanger. LT Wiese was puzzled. Many tried to help him
find it but the top could not be found. It is speculated that
Randy, being no “dummy”, used the Marines as his ac-
complices in order to pull the prank. Eventually Randy
returned the top to LT. Since Randy is one of the most
instrumental members of our team he never gets in trouble
for these pranks. The pictures on his Facebook page show
just how much fun he is having and how ultimately he gets
the last laugh.

Usually during that last stretch of a deployment soldiers
start to get physically and mentally tired and it’s the little
things that start making a big difference in the morale of
the group. Most recently, the fact that the dining facility
could not deliver a satisfactory hard-boiled egg had many
soldiers understandably upset. However, a simple gesture
from Mr. Kilpatrick’s mom was enough to cheer us up.
She sent us the most DELICIOUS cakes. Thank you!!!
T HE C LAW                                                                                                                 P AGE 1 2




                  DARKHORSE
  Greetings from Afghanistan Darkhorse Family and Friends! Summer is definitely on it’s way here, as the wind continues to blow
and the weather continues to warm up. Our soldiers continue to do excellent work and are getting recognized for it. Last month, SPC
  Dias was selected as Task Force Talon Soldier of the Month, and again this month, another Darkhorse was selected—SPC Razo!
               Congratulations to SPCs Dias and Razo! Awesome job representing the company. You make us proud!
  SFC Garcia and SSG Records were presented with Army Achievement Medals (AAM) for their great work moving the Company
out here and all the logistics and planning that went into that. SGT Smith and SPC Whitt were also awarded AAMs for their work on
  the CH-47 DART. SPC Guzman, SPC Ivie (with SPC Grimaldo playing the role of “Flat Ivie”), and SPC Johnson were awarded
AAMs for their work on a battle damaged OH-58 in which they completely rewired the aircraft electronics. SPC Ramon, attached to
 us from the Michigan National Guard, was awarded the Darkhorse Diver’s Knife for above and beyond contribution to the Mainte-
 nance side of the house fulfilling the role of 15T and 15U (Blackhawk and Chinook Maintenance). Thanks for all your hard work!
 The Darkhorse Team pulled together this month to beat the Commander’s Challenge, not once, but twice! CPT McDonald set goals
for each type of phase stating the amount of days in which the phases had to be completed to beat the challenge. Well, this month the
 Company completed a CH-47 200 hour inspection in 9 days and a UH-60 PMI-2 inspection in 10 days. Thanks CPT McDonald for
                        holding up your end of the Challenge and buying pizza for the whole Company twice!




                                            Prop&Rotor finishing up a CH-47 rotor head
    SPC Grimaldo filling-in and                                                                       SPC Razo receiving his
    receiving SPC Ivie’s award                                                                      award from CPT McDonald
                                                                                                     for being chosen as BN
                                                                                                      Soldier of the Month!




                                Some of our Darkhorses getting ready to receive their awards as
                                        the company is assembled in the CH-47 hangar.
P AGE 1 3                                                                               V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7




                        WAR DAWGS
                                            The weather is getting warmer, spring time is in the air and a great
                                            way to enjoy our time here is through Physical Training. The Main-
                                            tenance and Distribution Platoons regularly support the organized
                                            running events around the airfield, competing for free t-shirts here
                                            on Bagram that have included the Run for Jesus, Cinco de Mayo
                                            and the Boston Marathon.
                                            Toby Keith kicked off the USO celebrity tour with a concert here at
                                            Bagram Airfield. Many Troopers attended and a couple even got
                                            Toby to sign a “Red Solo Cup” for them. President Obama made a
                                            stop in Bagram Airfield; presenting a speech outlining our progress
                                            and future relationship with the Government of Afghanistan. Presi-
dent Obama expressed his sincere appreciation for our sacrifices and that of our families during our deployment.
President Obama also spent extra time with the Troops following his speech to shake hands with as many Troop-
ers as possible. Echo Troopers SPC McNally and SPC Tieman worked through the crowd of Soldiers and had
the President to sign their patrol caps.
As another month passes, we continue to have Troopers re-
enlisting and getting promoted in the Wardawg family. With
some aviation lift support from Alpha Company Regret;
SPC Jasen Toomey took a small group of Echo Company on
the side of a mountain just west of Bagram Airfield (great
idea Toomey) for his reenlistment that includes an assign-
ment to Hawaii, good luck on your future assignment. SPC
Brandon Williams reenlisted continuing his career as a 91B
Wheeled Mechanic, gaining stabilization at Fort Bragg.
Congratulations to our Troopers who were recently pro-
moted; SPC Julian Ruiz, PFC Trevor Walling, PV2 Michael
Astran, and we welcomed a new Trooper into the NCO
Corps, SGT James Warren. Congratulations to SGT Perry Shuler for winning the Task Force Talon NCO of the
Month resulting in the awarding of the Army Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance at the board.
SGT Douglas Adkins was interviewed by the Task Force Talon Senior Noncommissioned Officers and placed
on the promotable list to Staff Sergeant. We look forward to SGT Adkins representing the company at a future
Talon NCO of the Month board.
                                               We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We
                                               have started our planning for our return home and everyday look
                                               forward to rejoining with our friends and loved ones. Everyone
                                               here is doing a great job while working long and hard hours,
                                               which we couldn’t do it without those back home supporting us.
                                               Please continue to keep our spirits high with your love and sup-
                                               port. We look forward to coming home and spending much
                                               needed time with our friends and family.
T HE C LAW                                                                                                   P AGE 1 4




                      BLACKHORSE
Family and Friends,
         Woohoo, another month has come and gone! April brought warm weather, thunderstorms, dust storms, new faces,
old faces, electricity outages, reenlistments, promotions, water balloons, flying balloons, higher waves on Modern Warfare
3, Korean Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s), Easter eggs, a Glutes magazine, a new truck, backed up plumbing, an open air
gym, and much, much more… wheeew, it’s been busy!
         Congratulations to Sergeant James Dawes! SGT Dawes was recently given a much, much overdue and well de-
served promotion from Specialist to Sergeant. SGT Dawes has given more to the Army than the ordinary Soldier, and was
rewarded for it this month. We are all happy for the Dawes’ family and wish to extend our congratulations to them as well,
because we all know we wouldn’t be able to do this job without our family’s support, so thank you.
          On another note of thankfulness, Specialist Stephen Koons reenlisted for three more years in the Big Green Ma-
chine! We cannot overstate the awesomeness of that. Obviously not everyone is cut out for the Army. Obviously
(especially during our current deployment) Specialist Koons can think of many other things he could be doing with his time.
But he is here, serving freedom to the Afghan people, and serving 30mm to insurgents. Through all of this, SPC Koons has
decided to stick with the Army for another stint. We are all thankful for his continued sacrifice, and hope for nothing but
the best in his future.
         So, four months and some change left. Time is moving slowly but surely going by. We have started preparing for
our re-deployment, which no doubt has everyone excited (except for the guy who has to plan it all! Haha, sucker).
On a serious note- we are all safe, and doing our jobs well. We miss everyone back home, and hope all is well with our
family and friends.
                                                    Until next month,
                                                     Fox Troop PL’s
P AGE 1 5                                                           V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7




                        TALONS OF THE MONTH
                                       SPC Began, Nathan
                                       Company/MOS: HHC/56M Chaplain Assistant
                                       Hometown: Trenton, OH

                                       Q: What do you do on your free time?
                                       A: Take long walks on the jagged rocks, in my
                                       shower shoes!
                                       Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS
                                       this deployment?
                                       A: Try to help keep up the unit morale
                                       Q: Goals for this deployment?
                                       A: Provide religious and emotional support to
                                       Soldiers
                                       Q: What do you miss most about home?
                                       A: Seeing my families smiling faces and not
                                       having them be digitized.


SPC Darger, Kevin
Company/MOS: A 2-211/ 92A Automated
Logistical Specialist
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Q: What do you do on your free time?
A: Play World of Warcraft… yah buddy!
Q: What do you want to achieve in your
MOS this deployment?
A: I am like the rain man...I have nothing
left to achieve
Q: Goals for this deployment?
A: To annoy my 1SG as much as possible
until we leave!
Q: What do you miss most about home?
A: Teaching my children to be miscreants
T HE C LAW                                                                  P AGE 1 6


SPC Wells, Joshua
Company/MOS: A 3-82/ 15T Blackhawk
Crew Chief
Hometown: Fredricksburg, Virginia

Q: What do you do on your free time?
A: Listen to metal and people watch.
Q: What do you want to achieve in your
MOS this deployment?
A: Obtain 1,000 flight hours and get as
many worthless coins as possible.
Q: Goals for this deployment?
A: Get transferred to the arms room.
Q: What do you miss most about home?
A: Steak Lunch at Starkey's .




                                          SPC March French
                                          Company/MOS: B 3-238/ 15G Aircraft
                                          Structural Repairer
                                          Hometown: Hastings, Michigan

                                          Q: What do you do on your free time?
                                          A: Study for my MCATs.
                                          Q: What do you want to achieve in your
                                          MOS this deployment?
                                          A: Provide best coverage for crews and
                                          the copters abroad.
                                          Q: Goals for this deployment?
                                          A: Make it home safely and go to medical
                                          school.
                                          Q: What do you miss most about home?
                                          A: My dog, Nova, who is a black lab great
                                          dane mix.
P AGE 1 7                                                          V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7


SPC Ashburn, Jessie
Company/MOS: B 3-82/ 15U Chinook
Crew Chief
Hometown: Kentucky

Q: What do you do on your free time?
A: Talking to family and relaxing.
Q: What do you want to achieve in
your MOS this deployment?
A: Making Flight Engineer.
Q: Goals for this deployment?
A: Stay in the gym.
Q: What do you miss most about
home?
A: Family, friends and the good times.



                                         SPC Winn, Anthony
                                         Company/MOS: C 3-82/ 15T Blackhawk
                                         Crew Chief
                                         Hometown: Eldorado Hills, CA

                                         Q: What do you do on your free time?
                                         A: Read the free books that we get in care
                                         packages.
                                         Q: What do you want to achieve in your
                                         MOS this deployment?
                                         A: Moving from maintenance to a flight
                                         company was my goal and I got it!
                                         Q: Goals for this deployment?
                                         A: Go to the promotion board to get pro-
                                         moted and get in good shape. :)
                                         Q: What do you miss most about home?
                                         A: Every meal they offer at Waffle House
                                         and Aspen Creeks Country Fried Steak.
T HE C LAW                                                                   P AGE 1 8


PFC Mukdahanh, Soukhy
Company/MOS: D 3-82/ 15U Chinook
Maintenance Repair
Hometown: St. Charles, Minnesota

Q: What do you do on your free time?
A: I take advantage of the free facilities in
the MWR.
Q: What do you want to achieve in your
MOS this deployment?
A: Put my dime in with the ALSE shop.
Q: Goals for this deployment?
A: To get back safely and up my GT score
to over 110 in a FAST class.
Q: What do you miss most about home?
A: Miss spending valuable time with my
family on our weekend beach trips.




                                           SPC May, Chauncey
                                           Company/MOS: E 3-82/ 91J Quartermaster
                                           and Chemical Equipment Repairer
                                           Hometown: Duncanville, Texas

                                           Q: What do you do on your free time?
                                           A: All my free time goes to homework for
                                           college.
                                           Q: What do you want to achieve in your
                                           MOS this deployment?
                                           A: Achieve an 8 hour shift...one day!
                                           Q: Goals for this deployment?
                                           A: Continuing working on my Bachelors
                                           and complete 27 more credit hours.
                                           Q: What do you miss most about home?
                                           A: I miss my 15 month old son, Jaiden.
P AGE 1 9                             V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7


            SGT Dawes, James
            Company/MOS: F Trp 1/17/ 15S Kiowa
            Crew Chief
            Hometown: Madison, New York

            Q: What do you do on your free time?
            A: When I have free time, I talk to the
            family.
            Q: What do you want to achieve in your
            MOS this deployment?
            A: Making my E-5 was my MOS goal.
            Q: Goals for this deployment?
            A: Continue working towards degree in
            General Studies.
            Q: What do you miss most about home?
            A: New York Pizza and Wings
TALON FOR A DAY
             Our address is still the same:



                    LAST NAME, FIRST
                      TF TALON, C/O
                BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN
                      APO, AE 09354



    Feel free to send me an email if you have any sug-
          gestions or questions. Until next time...

                 SPC Porter, Amber
                   TF Talon PAO
               amber.m.porter@us.army.mil




    The ache from home lives in
      all of use,, the safe place
     where we can go as we are
       and not be questioned.
            -Mary Angelou




 TALON FOR LIFE!

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The Claw May 2012 Edition

  • 1. The Claw Newsletter Serving the Soldiers and Families of Task Force Talon
  • 2. V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 The Claw 22 M AY 201 2 A Few Words from Talon 6 To all family members and friends of Task Force Talon, your Talon Troopers continue to make you proud by providing outstanding aviation support to our brothers and sisters throughout Regional Command East (RC-East). Last month, 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters relinquished command of RC-East and returned to Fort Hood, Texas. They were replaced by 1st Infantry Division Headquarters out of Fort Riley, Kansas. Since a very large part of TF Talon’s mission here is supporting the RC-East command and staff, our successful inte- gration with the new command team was critical. The Talon Troopers’ perform- ance far exceeded their expectations and we were blessed with new opportuni- ties to increase our support to our brothers and sisters on the ground. As a re- sult, we are even busier this month than we have been the past seven, which makes the time continue to fly by. The weather is beautiful here and excitement is clearly in the air as we look forward to completing our mission and rejoining you. As always, on behalf of all the TF Talon Troopers, I thank you for your continued love and support. Until next time… Sincerely, LTC LANDY D. DUNHAM TALON 6 “TALON FOR A DAY, TALON FOR LIFE!”
  • 3. T HE C LAW P AGE 3 As the time continues creeping closer and closer for your Talon members to be welcomed home by your warm hugs and kisses, we also have rituals to help us count down the months, weeks and days... The average person checks their Facebook accounts 4-6 times a day. 4-6 times x 120 days= 480 - 720 FB checks left! Approximately 120 walks to and from work left! .9 walk to and from work x 120 days = 216 more miles! For dedicated Green Bean enthusiasts who drink their coffee twice a day, they have about 240 more cups of Afghanistan brewed joe left to buy. $4 per coffee *That’s almost $1,000* Every 14 days we get a reset day, which averages out to about 8 more Relaxin’ Days left. We prep around 18-20 aircraft a day before each mission. That averages out to be about 2280 aircraft preparations left in Afghanistan. Transfer-of-Authority 17th September 2012
  • 4. We surveyed 50 Talons and this is what they said... Would you rather… Would you rather… Sit all day or stand? Use a communal toothbrush or shower once a week? 36 14 3 l 47 said sho mmuna said said co we once a w r said rush toothb eek STand Sit Would you rather… Would you rather… Be able to cook really well or always tell good jokes? Always hear the same song or taste the same thing? 33 said 17 36 14 cook t said hea r said tas said good ell te well jokes same so ng r eally same th ing Submit your own Would You ING : WARN Rather to... ocking amber.m.porter@us.army.mil o ntain shhilarious estions c re … and I will put it in the next edition of These qumeant to inspaiy be nauseat- The Claw! contentn. Questions m isturbing! discussio g, bizarre or d in
  • 5. P AGE 5 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 Holy talon We have reached the time when there is increasing discussion and activity about our fu- ture return home. This is good and, I think, has been a boost to the morale of Soldiers and Families alike. Even though the thought of returning home is exciting there is a need to remain focused. We have served our nation well and accomplished much, but we are not done yet. Our redeployment will happen in time. Many are hoping that time passes quickly, but of course, there is still work to be done by Task Force Talon in Afghanistan related to our military mission. We must continue the great work so far accomplished. There is also work to be done at a personal level, for ourselves and our Fami- lies. Many have goals they would like to accomplish during the de- ployment, like completing college courses, learning to play guitar, im- proving their fitness level and pay- ing off a loan. While time is run- ning out, for most, there is still work to be done. Importantly, we also want to improve our relationships, work on our weaknesses and pre- pare to return better than how we left. I know Family Members feel the same. They are working hard to be better than we left them. There is work to be done for all of us. Remember, we are not done yet. In every way and on every day press on toward the goals set. When we work as hard as we can now our future reunion will be better and more joy- ous than expected. CH (CPT) Marlon W. Brown
  • 6. T HE C LAW P AGE 6 GLADIATORS Gladiators and friends, This past month we have gained two new Gladiators, SPC Marsh from HHC Brigade. Wel- come to the Gladiators! SPC Marsh replaces SGT Caligiuri in the S2 Section as an intelligence analyst on the TOC floor. She is already watching reporting and is briefing our flight crews daily. We are looking forward to a continued strong performance from the S2 Section with SPC Marsh added to the team. Not yet hailed in the newsletter, 1LT Spears arrived on 25 March, and has been doing great things in the S3 Air Mission Request Cell. He is in progression with the Animals and is already flying missions with them. Welcome! The Gladiators have said goodbye to CPT Geib, who has left theater for Germany, and will hopefully make it back to the states before too long. Brett served TF Talon well in the AMR Cell, planning deliberate operations, and also serving as a UH PC with Regret. We’ll see you when we get home. The yearly 120 days of wind has begun in earnest here at Bagram, with our high winds cur- rently standing at 47 knots. According to our trusty weather observers, we may see winds nearly twice that at times, so we will be battening down the hatches during the heavy winds this summer. It rains nearly daily now, and the daytime heat has started to climb into the upper 70’s Fahrenheit. Being on nights is starting to look quite tempting for those running 24-hour operations. Until next month, Gladiator 6 The S6 Shop pauses for a moment to take a photo while they smash unusable hard drives with slug hammers.
  • 7. P AGE 7 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 ANIMALS The clock is ticking for the Animals. . . We are in our last full month here in Afghanistan as part of TF Talon. With the crazy Spring weather finally breaking and the “120 Days of Wind” around the corner, flying has been signifi- cantly more enjoyable. The winds and warmer temperatures require solid mountain flying technique and power management, and the enemy has embraced the 2012 fighting season. Redeployment movement has already begun. Over the next few weeks we will be welcoming aircraft and personnel from the A CO 1-168th, fellow westerners and Guardsmen. As such, the Animal OPTEMPO is going to be greatly in- creased. We will be completing CCT’s, LAO’s, and the RIP-TOA with more than 65 personnel over the course of 10 days. It is going to re- quire the diligence and dedication of every sol- dier and officer to make sure that we facilitate their success and mission readiness. This dedi- cation will set A CO 1-168th up for success for the entire year. Part of the Warrior Ethos in the Sol- dier’s Creed” states: “I will never quit.” We own the mission until June 10th. We will not stop performing disci- plined, rotary wing operations until our last duffle is loaded and we are step- ping onto a C-17 or C-5 bound for Ft. Hood, TX. Despite the latest setback of losing aircraft 346, the Animals will accomplish the mission. We won’t be broken: A phrase fitting of our Mus- tang heritage. It is with great disappointment that the Animals will be parting with our “Scooby” bus. Fellow TF Talon members may have noticed its custom cone roof ornament and actual life-size Scooby dash dog. It has treated us well.
  • 8. T HE C LAW P AGE 8 REGRET "I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." Heart is what Alpha Company 3-82 is relying on as we round the corner into the last third of our deployment. Luckily it’s a heart that’s been made strong and healthy from seven previous months of aviation success, as well as a heart that is emboldened by the thought of returning to you, our much- longed-for families and friends. As we rapidly close the distance between us and the finish line we continue to earn distinction, serve with honor, and still find time to have some fun. Alpha Company’s Instructor Pilots and Flight Instructors were some of the crewmembers to find acclaim. Just a few months ago our brigade con- ducted an inspection of all battalion and company operations. During this inspection our Standardization Department received the highest marks possi- ble in every area inspected, no small feat considering it required the detailed review of over 120 individuals’ aviation records while simultaneously continuing to execute the largest and most active training program in the entire brigade. Such achievement and dedication did not go un-noticed: CW3 Campbell, CW3 Ashhurst, CW2 Parsons, CW2 Baker, CW2 Owens, SFC Bloyd, SGT McGrath, SGT Stover, and SPC Felts all received Army Achievement Medals for their direct contribution to this success. In addition to the excellent inspection marks, Alpha Company’s IPs have also been cooking-up something special for the unit’s young pilots. In-lieu of annually required and often monotonous aviator academic training, Aviation Jeopardy sessions will commence in the next few days. Experienced pilots-in-command have been paired with young pilots for the past two weeks. These protégés are being groomed by their mentors to compete against one another in this battle of brains for a prize that is well worth the extra time in the books. So great is the buzz around this event that some of our members have even decided to set up a “financial opportunity,” if you will, where one can bet his or her hard earned pay on the results. Don’t let the anticipation throw you from your seat as you expect the glamorous details about the ultimate victor and his/her GRAND prize in your next issue of The Claw… As our young pilots’ experience continues to grow, so does the number of our company’s pilots-in-command. CPT Romaneski and CW2 Eberhart both recently passed their Day/Night PC check ride; CW2 Scott deftly did the same on his NVG PC ride. Speaking of experience, Mr. Triplett has A LOT of it and is now CW4 Matt Triplett. As a reminder, his mustache will stay for the duration of this pay grade as it did for the last. Such an event could not be adequately observed within the everyday confines of Bagram Airbase, so the company decided to fly him to the top of a mountain instead. The photo below should prove sufficient evidence of the wisdom of this decision. In case you didn’t already know or you haven’t been able to tell, flight companies like to have fun. To keep that heart on a happy beat, CPT Sulpizio initiated a round of the game ASSASINS. For those of you who are unfamiliar, let me give you a quick once-over of the rules. All participants are given an index card with the name of another individual in the company whom they must “kill.” This murderous act must be completed with no wit- nesses and be executed by way of a very particular type of weapon. In this case the weapon theme was “anything you can make or find in prison,” a field in which many of the company’s members are disturbingly well versed. Once you’ve “killed” your target, that unfortunate victim hands over his or her index card and target to you, at which point you go on the hunt once more. The last assassin standing wins. Don’t turn your back to SPC Bradley, because he wiped out the entire field, starting with, I’m quite honored to say, yours truly, in a matter of days. As for a prize, he’ll get what’s coming to him. In closing, your aviators and crewmembers continue to make this brigade and the nation it serves proud beyond expectations. As always, I simply must close by reminding you of the necessity of and gratitude for your continued love, support, and dedication. Fulfilling the duty we are sworn to uphold is simply impossible without it. Keeping you all in our thoughts, 1LT Will Walker 2nd Flight Leader
  • 9. P AGE 9 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 FLIPPERS Dear Flipper family and friends, I would like to start off by thanking each and every one of you for your support and understanding during the last eight months. The job your Soldiers perform is an important one and they would not be successful with- out you. This makes your job incredibly important as well. Do not under estimate the significance that family and friends play in a Soldiers motivation and success. It's extremely evident as they return from R&R com- pletely energized and ready to get after it. This past month I had the honor of reenlisting a couple of outstanding NCOs in SSG Acevedo and SSG Bamba who will both enjoy some much needed down time with their families at Fort Rucker following rede- ployment. This coming month we get to welcome another member to the Flipper family when Mr. and Mrs. Dibble welcome a baby boy. I can tell you that he is extremely excited with each coming day and so are we. Again, thanks for all the support and keep sending mail to the Soldiers. Every time mail comes in, the Soldiers are like little children on Christmas morning. They can't wait to see what is in the new package they have. Thanks again for all the support you provide. Airborne, Flipper 6 SSG Bamba Reenlistment Mr. Martin New Wheels SSG AcevedoReenlistment
  • 10. T HE C LAW P AGE 1 0 Motor city muscles “The Bulk of mankind is equipped for flying as thinking” –Jonathan Swift Motor City Muscle has had another busy month filled with promotions, awards, VIP’s, and runs. April brought warmer weather but did not decrease the demand on our flight crews. They continue to work hard, making it possible to fly day and night missions. Congratulations to SGT Zischke and SGT Spivey who became Flight Engineers this month. Bravo Company had five participants in the Run for Jesus “5” Miler on Easter Sunday. 1LT Love, CW4 Zelenak, CW2 Isham, SSG Hodges and SGT Zischke all finished the run and represented the Motor City Muscle with pride! Motor City Muscle Troopers were recognized for the Downed Aircraft Recovery Team (DART) mission. Sling loading over 16,000 pounds of air- craft to a safer/salvageable location; CW3 Miller, SSG Webb, SSG Hodges and SGT Shipman were awarded the Army Achievement Medal on 21 April 2012. Great job Bravo Company! Bravo Company had the privilege of promoting two of its Troopers to Sergeant this month. Congratulations to SGT Mark French who accepted a 15G position in Delta Company 3/238th Aviation GSAB back in Michigan and to SGT Wade Brown who accepted a 15D position in Delta Company 3/238th Aviation GSAB as well. We are very proud of these Troopers and welcome two new NCO’s to the Motor City Muscle family. Motor City Muscle had the privilege of flying Toby Keith in support of his USO tour and delivered him to his last concert in theatre here at Bagram. Mr. Keith thanked not only Bravo Company but all Troopers around the globe for their service.
  • 11. P AGE 1 1 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 DUSTOFF Another month has passed by and now there are less than 90 days remaining in our deployment. We are very excited and counting the days until we come back home. April was the birthday month of SGT Baugher and SGT King. This gave us an excuse to celebrate with water balloons and use SGT Baugher as the target. We en- joyed one of the cleanest birthday celebrations here to date. SGT King was on duty that day and therefore he wasn’t able to participate in the celebration but we look forward to making it up to him. This month also, we welcomed SPC Johns from JAF to our team. (He doesn’t know what’s coming to him.) The frequency of missions has increased exponentially and corre- lates directly to the warmer weather. We are expecting that fre- quency of missions will continue to rise as the weather gets warmer. Needless to say, things are now extremely busy around here. Yet, in the mist of all the work, our very own Randall Skedco still finds the time to continually pull pranks on us. His latest vic- tim, LT Wiese lost his top for two weeks after coming back from a mission. Reportedly, he took off his top and placed it near the din- ing table in order to get refreshed but when he came back to get it, it was gone. The top mysteriously disappeared only to appear in a se- ries of pictures strategically left at random places. The pictures showed Randall, better known as Randy, sporting LT’s top while sitting at different places around the hanger. LT Wiese was puzzled. Many tried to help him find it but the top could not be found. It is speculated that Randy, being no “dummy”, used the Marines as his ac- complices in order to pull the prank. Eventually Randy returned the top to LT. Since Randy is one of the most instrumental members of our team he never gets in trouble for these pranks. The pictures on his Facebook page show just how much fun he is having and how ultimately he gets the last laugh. Usually during that last stretch of a deployment soldiers start to get physically and mentally tired and it’s the little things that start making a big difference in the morale of the group. Most recently, the fact that the dining facility could not deliver a satisfactory hard-boiled egg had many soldiers understandably upset. However, a simple gesture from Mr. Kilpatrick’s mom was enough to cheer us up. She sent us the most DELICIOUS cakes. Thank you!!!
  • 12. T HE C LAW P AGE 1 2 DARKHORSE Greetings from Afghanistan Darkhorse Family and Friends! Summer is definitely on it’s way here, as the wind continues to blow and the weather continues to warm up. Our soldiers continue to do excellent work and are getting recognized for it. Last month, SPC Dias was selected as Task Force Talon Soldier of the Month, and again this month, another Darkhorse was selected—SPC Razo! Congratulations to SPCs Dias and Razo! Awesome job representing the company. You make us proud! SFC Garcia and SSG Records were presented with Army Achievement Medals (AAM) for their great work moving the Company out here and all the logistics and planning that went into that. SGT Smith and SPC Whitt were also awarded AAMs for their work on the CH-47 DART. SPC Guzman, SPC Ivie (with SPC Grimaldo playing the role of “Flat Ivie”), and SPC Johnson were awarded AAMs for their work on a battle damaged OH-58 in which they completely rewired the aircraft electronics. SPC Ramon, attached to us from the Michigan National Guard, was awarded the Darkhorse Diver’s Knife for above and beyond contribution to the Mainte- nance side of the house fulfilling the role of 15T and 15U (Blackhawk and Chinook Maintenance). Thanks for all your hard work! The Darkhorse Team pulled together this month to beat the Commander’s Challenge, not once, but twice! CPT McDonald set goals for each type of phase stating the amount of days in which the phases had to be completed to beat the challenge. Well, this month the Company completed a CH-47 200 hour inspection in 9 days and a UH-60 PMI-2 inspection in 10 days. Thanks CPT McDonald for holding up your end of the Challenge and buying pizza for the whole Company twice! Prop&Rotor finishing up a CH-47 rotor head SPC Grimaldo filling-in and SPC Razo receiving his receiving SPC Ivie’s award award from CPT McDonald for being chosen as BN Soldier of the Month! Some of our Darkhorses getting ready to receive their awards as the company is assembled in the CH-47 hangar.
  • 13. P AGE 1 3 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 WAR DAWGS The weather is getting warmer, spring time is in the air and a great way to enjoy our time here is through Physical Training. The Main- tenance and Distribution Platoons regularly support the organized running events around the airfield, competing for free t-shirts here on Bagram that have included the Run for Jesus, Cinco de Mayo and the Boston Marathon. Toby Keith kicked off the USO celebrity tour with a concert here at Bagram Airfield. Many Troopers attended and a couple even got Toby to sign a “Red Solo Cup” for them. President Obama made a stop in Bagram Airfield; presenting a speech outlining our progress and future relationship with the Government of Afghanistan. Presi- dent Obama expressed his sincere appreciation for our sacrifices and that of our families during our deployment. President Obama also spent extra time with the Troops following his speech to shake hands with as many Troop- ers as possible. Echo Troopers SPC McNally and SPC Tieman worked through the crowd of Soldiers and had the President to sign their patrol caps. As another month passes, we continue to have Troopers re- enlisting and getting promoted in the Wardawg family. With some aviation lift support from Alpha Company Regret; SPC Jasen Toomey took a small group of Echo Company on the side of a mountain just west of Bagram Airfield (great idea Toomey) for his reenlistment that includes an assign- ment to Hawaii, good luck on your future assignment. SPC Brandon Williams reenlisted continuing his career as a 91B Wheeled Mechanic, gaining stabilization at Fort Bragg. Congratulations to our Troopers who were recently pro- moted; SPC Julian Ruiz, PFC Trevor Walling, PV2 Michael Astran, and we welcomed a new Trooper into the NCO Corps, SGT James Warren. Congratulations to SGT Perry Shuler for winning the Task Force Talon NCO of the Month resulting in the awarding of the Army Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance at the board. SGT Douglas Adkins was interviewed by the Task Force Talon Senior Noncommissioned Officers and placed on the promotable list to Staff Sergeant. We look forward to SGT Adkins representing the company at a future Talon NCO of the Month board. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have started our planning for our return home and everyday look forward to rejoining with our friends and loved ones. Everyone here is doing a great job while working long and hard hours, which we couldn’t do it without those back home supporting us. Please continue to keep our spirits high with your love and sup- port. We look forward to coming home and spending much needed time with our friends and family.
  • 14. T HE C LAW P AGE 1 4 BLACKHORSE Family and Friends, Woohoo, another month has come and gone! April brought warm weather, thunderstorms, dust storms, new faces, old faces, electricity outages, reenlistments, promotions, water balloons, flying balloons, higher waves on Modern Warfare 3, Korean Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s), Easter eggs, a Glutes magazine, a new truck, backed up plumbing, an open air gym, and much, much more… wheeew, it’s been busy! Congratulations to Sergeant James Dawes! SGT Dawes was recently given a much, much overdue and well de- served promotion from Specialist to Sergeant. SGT Dawes has given more to the Army than the ordinary Soldier, and was rewarded for it this month. We are all happy for the Dawes’ family and wish to extend our congratulations to them as well, because we all know we wouldn’t be able to do this job without our family’s support, so thank you. On another note of thankfulness, Specialist Stephen Koons reenlisted for three more years in the Big Green Ma- chine! We cannot overstate the awesomeness of that. Obviously not everyone is cut out for the Army. Obviously (especially during our current deployment) Specialist Koons can think of many other things he could be doing with his time. But he is here, serving freedom to the Afghan people, and serving 30mm to insurgents. Through all of this, SPC Koons has decided to stick with the Army for another stint. We are all thankful for his continued sacrifice, and hope for nothing but the best in his future. So, four months and some change left. Time is moving slowly but surely going by. We have started preparing for our re-deployment, which no doubt has everyone excited (except for the guy who has to plan it all! Haha, sucker). On a serious note- we are all safe, and doing our jobs well. We miss everyone back home, and hope all is well with our family and friends. Until next month, Fox Troop PL’s
  • 15. P AGE 1 5 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 TALONS OF THE MONTH SPC Began, Nathan Company/MOS: HHC/56M Chaplain Assistant Hometown: Trenton, OH Q: What do you do on your free time? A: Take long walks on the jagged rocks, in my shower shoes! Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Try to help keep up the unit morale Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Provide religious and emotional support to Soldiers Q: What do you miss most about home? A: Seeing my families smiling faces and not having them be digitized. SPC Darger, Kevin Company/MOS: A 2-211/ 92A Automated Logistical Specialist Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah Q: What do you do on your free time? A: Play World of Warcraft… yah buddy! Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: I am like the rain man...I have nothing left to achieve Q: Goals for this deployment? A: To annoy my 1SG as much as possible until we leave! Q: What do you miss most about home? A: Teaching my children to be miscreants
  • 16. T HE C LAW P AGE 1 6 SPC Wells, Joshua Company/MOS: A 3-82/ 15T Blackhawk Crew Chief Hometown: Fredricksburg, Virginia Q: What do you do on your free time? A: Listen to metal and people watch. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Obtain 1,000 flight hours and get as many worthless coins as possible. Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Get transferred to the arms room. Q: What do you miss most about home? A: Steak Lunch at Starkey's . SPC March French Company/MOS: B 3-238/ 15G Aircraft Structural Repairer Hometown: Hastings, Michigan Q: What do you do on your free time? A: Study for my MCATs. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Provide best coverage for crews and the copters abroad. Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Make it home safely and go to medical school. Q: What do you miss most about home? A: My dog, Nova, who is a black lab great dane mix.
  • 17. P AGE 1 7 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 SPC Ashburn, Jessie Company/MOS: B 3-82/ 15U Chinook Crew Chief Hometown: Kentucky Q: What do you do on your free time? A: Talking to family and relaxing. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Making Flight Engineer. Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Stay in the gym. Q: What do you miss most about home? A: Family, friends and the good times. SPC Winn, Anthony Company/MOS: C 3-82/ 15T Blackhawk Crew Chief Hometown: Eldorado Hills, CA Q: What do you do on your free time? A: Read the free books that we get in care packages. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Moving from maintenance to a flight company was my goal and I got it! Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Go to the promotion board to get pro- moted and get in good shape. :) Q: What do you miss most about home? A: Every meal they offer at Waffle House and Aspen Creeks Country Fried Steak.
  • 18. T HE C LAW P AGE 1 8 PFC Mukdahanh, Soukhy Company/MOS: D 3-82/ 15U Chinook Maintenance Repair Hometown: St. Charles, Minnesota Q: What do you do on your free time? A: I take advantage of the free facilities in the MWR. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Put my dime in with the ALSE shop. Q: Goals for this deployment? A: To get back safely and up my GT score to over 110 in a FAST class. Q: What do you miss most about home? A: Miss spending valuable time with my family on our weekend beach trips. SPC May, Chauncey Company/MOS: E 3-82/ 91J Quartermaster and Chemical Equipment Repairer Hometown: Duncanville, Texas Q: What do you do on your free time? A: All my free time goes to homework for college. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Achieve an 8 hour shift...one day! Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Continuing working on my Bachelors and complete 27 more credit hours. Q: What do you miss most about home? A: I miss my 15 month old son, Jaiden.
  • 19. P AGE 1 9 V O LUME 1 , I SSUE 7 SGT Dawes, James Company/MOS: F Trp 1/17/ 15S Kiowa Crew Chief Hometown: Madison, New York Q: What do you do on your free time? A: When I have free time, I talk to the family. Q: What do you want to achieve in your MOS this deployment? A: Making my E-5 was my MOS goal. Q: Goals for this deployment? A: Continue working towards degree in General Studies. Q: What do you miss most about home? A: New York Pizza and Wings
  • 20. TALON FOR A DAY Our address is still the same: LAST NAME, FIRST TF TALON, C/O BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN APO, AE 09354 Feel free to send me an email if you have any sug- gestions or questions. Until next time... SPC Porter, Amber TF Talon PAO amber.m.porter@us.army.mil The ache from home lives in all of use,, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. -Mary Angelou TALON FOR LIFE!