PECH XPRESS

FURY COMPANY 2-12 INFANTRY

10 March 2010

FROM THE FRONTLINE

PHOTOS FROM ACROSS AO
LETHAL WARRIOR
A VISIT FROM THE STARS
AND MORE...
SURVIVAL
OF THE
FITTEST
INSIDE THIS EDITION HOW MAINTENANCE PLATOON
SOLDIERS OF THE MONTH pg.8
NON
NON--COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE
KEEPS THE WHEELS OF THE
MONTH p.8 INFANTRY TURNING
AWARDS pg.9

Inside this issue:
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 4
HOW MAINTENANCE PLATOON
KEEPS THE WHEELS OF THE IN-
FANTRY TURNING
HEADQUARTERS PLATOON
SOLDIER OF THE MONTH
DISTRIBUTION PLATOON
SOLDIER OF THE MONTH
MAINTENANCE PLATOON
OF THE MONTH
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER 8
OF THE MONTH
AWARDS
ON THE COVER: In preparation for the
promotion board, SSG Thacker runs a PT
Test in full battle rattle. (photo courtesy of
Associated Press)
PECH XPRESS
Commander’s Corner
Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Fury out how our Maintenance Platoon keeps
everything working for the Battalion. This
Family and Friends!
After a great time on R&R I am back in the
saddle again. We are one month closer to
Platoon has the most Soldiers spread out
over more locations, fixing more vehicles
and equipment than any other Battalion in
coming home and I am sure you are all the Brigade. I am thankful to have the
anxious to hear our redeployment date. Just NCOs and Soldiers in this Platoon in our
like the email I sent a while back, we still Company. Without them, the Battalion
don't have any final dates. Our Soldiers would come to a screeching halt.
have around 90 days left in theatre, give or
Over the next few months, there will be
8 take. With that, we still have a ton to
lots of information passed about redeploy-
accomplish.
ment, reintegration training, and block
These next 90 days will
8 be as tough as our first 90
days. Our Soldiers are
tired, but they are
8 motivated to finish the
mission and do the best
possible job in order to
sustain the Lethal Warrior
Battalion. As I make my
way up the Pech River
Valley visiting all the
Soldiers, I asked them to
9
do two things over the
next 90 days: Do some-
thing to improve your work area for the leave. To get the most current information,
incoming unit and do something to improve visit http://www.armyfrg.org, and search
yourself. What I am trying to do is get them for 2-12 IN at Fort Carson. This website is
to focus on something they may have been filled with all the latest and greatest news.
putting off, always saying they will do it If you will be leaving the area or have a
tomorrow, and focus on getting it change in address or information, please
accomplished. update your Key Caller or the FRG
Leader. If you will not be having access to
The Company Leadership is trying hard to email and would like information either
keep the Soldiers from becoming compla- mailed or a phone call, pass this informa-
cent, and we would ask you to do the same tion along too.
by motivating them through phone calls,
emails, and care packages to help them Lastly, I am thankful to have such a great
keep up the hard work and finish the Company with family, friends, and organi-
mission. We don't want any Soldiers getting zations who support them. You will truly
hurt because of complacency. Over the next understand the impact you had on them
months, we will be packing containers, when they walk off the airplane with the
moving containers, finishing our equipment pride in their eyes of what they have
reset, and planning for the incoming unit's done.
Relief in Place and Transfer of Authority;
Best Wishes,
this is on top of our normal sustainment
mission. Fury Company is never without -CPT G
something to do around here. “Fury 6”
In this month’s feature article, you will find
First Sergeant’s Corner
Fury Family and Friends,
We have made it through February and
are continuing to push through March. This
month we promoted more Soldiers and
presented even more awards. The
outstanding logistics provided by your
Soldiers has not gone unnoticed. General
Petreaus even came out to Jalalabad this
month to reenlist and award some
Soldiers from Fury. I was told he had
other reasons to come here but I know his
true reason was to see the best company
in the Army! We have stayed busy
ensuring that your Soldiers are recog-
nized through awards and promotions
when we first arrived. It is the continuous
drive to be the best here at Fury that has
driven Leaders and Soldiers to not let any
detail go unnoticed and to make staggering Exciting News
improvements in each of our areas. PRIVATES LEWIS, BOYCE,
To all of you at home reading this, get OLSEN, COBURN, AND
ready for a wonderful summer because BRAMLEY WERE PROMTED
when we get back it is going to be time to TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS!
have some fun! We are definitely ready for
a summer of BBQ’s and laughs. I’m sure as PRIVATES FIRST CLASS
the stories roll off our tongues you will be PORTER, HADLEY, DUPA,
wondering how we find some things so STANFIELD, AND
hilarious. If we didn’t have a sense of humor SALGADO WERE PRO-
in a place like this, it would make for a very
MOTED TO SPECIALIST!
long year! Take care all! Thanks for being
there for us! SERGEANT SEELY WAS
PROMOTED TO STAFF

- 1SG Ashmore SERGEANT!

“Fury 7”

across the board. With everyone going so

many different directions to provide 2-12
Infantry the best support, it is a real
challenge to get LTC Pearl and the
awardees in the same place at the same
time in order to have an award ceremony!
Each section in the company has stepped
it up to continue our current Operational “The essence of flexibility is in the
Tempo (OPTEMPO) as well as working on
our pack-out of equipment. As I make my
mind of the commander; the substance
way around to each of the FOBs from
time to time, things are always changing. I
of flexibility is in logistics.”
see each section going through great
efforts to make improvement in their - Rear Admiral Henry Eccles,
respective areas. The next unit will have a U.S. Navy
much better starting point than we did
 THE BATTERED,
THE BROKEN,
THE TRIUMPHANT.
No matter how hard the beating, Maintenance Platoon continues to
sustain and maintain every vehicle of Task Force Lethal, pushing the
Infantry fighting force to the threshold.
By 1LT John T. O’Connell

4
A
Flashback: 330 BCE. Alexander the
Great pursues his conquest to take over
the Achaemenid Empire. Moving into
the land now known as modern day
Afghanistan, Alexander’s army of Mace-
donians faced one of the toughest battle-
fields in their entire campaign. Not only
did they face heavy resistance from
headstrong local tribes, but they also
faced the challenge of maneuvering over
treacherous terrain. The extreme weather
combined with winding roads and trails
through the mountains created a maze
that often trapped invading soldiers.
Compared to the Iran campaign which
ended in only six months, Alexander
spent nearly three years conquering the
land of Afghanistan.
Despite being one of the toughest lands
to subdue under his rule, Alexander the
Great was able to sustain his army
through two pivotal factors: intelligence
and logistics. While the Macedonians
collected intelligence from local sources
to help them progress forward through
the battlefield, they performed important
logistics practices that would help
sustain their forces throughout the battle.
They knew how to secure sources of sup-
ply, how to maintain their weapons for
operational readiness, and most signifi-
cantly when to stand down and reassem-
ble for the long fight ahead. Alexander
depended on his logisticians to drive his
forces to the limits without risking
breakdown.
Flash forward: 2010 AD. The United
States Army now occupies the land of
Afghanistan. Their mission is not to con-
quer the land, but rather to rebuild a
stronger government for the people and
to defeat the insurgency which seeks to
disrupt it. The battlefield looks much
different compared to what Alexander
the Great faced. Spears and catapults
have been replaced by machine guns and
artillery, and horses and chariots have
been dismissed for heavily armored
trucks. Although weapons and vehicles
have changed, the principles of logistics
and maintenance have remained the
same. Activities that include requisition-
ing parts and supplies to maintain vehi-
cles, fixing faults and repairing battle
damage, and setting time to conduct
preventative maintenance have helped to
prolong the quality and endurance of
equipment and have ultimately multi-
plied combat power. Only a unit who
understands the importance of mainte-
nance will be able to endure the elements
of combat, and only a seasoned group of
expert maintainers who have seen
combat alongside their infantry brethren
will be able to effectively maintain a task
force that refuses to lose.
The mission of Fury Company’s Mainte-
nance Platoon is to provide direct sup-
port field maintenance for all equipment
operated by Task Force Lethal Warrior.
The equipment that takes the heaviest
beating across the Pech River Valley is
undoubtedly the armored vehicles
driven by the light infantry companies
on their daily patrols. These vehicles
consist of the RG31 Mine Resistant
Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the
Maxxpro DASH, the M1117 Armored
Security Vehicle (ASV), and most re-
cently the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-
ATV). With a fleet of over 100 vehicles,
Top left: CW2 Gosine mentors SGT Rodriguez on
environmental protection, fiscal spending, and
motorpool operations at FOB Fenty. Bottom left:
SPC Walker installs parts onto a 60KW military
generator. Right: SPC Borcsani trains local mechanic
“Tom Araya” on the installation of the wiring har-
ness onto an M1074 Palletized Load System (PLS).
5

Task Force Lethal requires a team of
maintainers that have both the skills and
the tools to handle such a massive work-
load. These maintainers are the masters
of their trade, and they will not rest until
every job is complete.
The Soldiers of Maintenance Platoon
make up the largest group of sustainers
across AO Lethal. Under the leadership
of 1LT Shayne Heap, CW2 J. Gosine and
SFC L. Scott, the platoon consists of 20
automotive mechanics, three power gen-
eration mechanics, three welders, one
quartermaster equipment repairer, and
three automated supply specialists who
are spread out across all of AO Lethal’s
Combat Outposts (COPs). Each detach-
ment of mechanics is equipped with an
ensemble of toolsets, parts, and supplies
which they use daily to keep every ar-
mored gun truck and power generation
system running. For heavier mainte-
nance jobs, an experienced team of main-
tainers stands ready at FOB Blessing,
armed with welding capabilities, electri-
cal supplies and recovery assets. When it
comes to jobs that require intense repairs,
the team at FOB Fenty serves as the last
line of maintenance for the Lethal War-
rior Battalion. No matter how heavy or
light the job might be, all teams at each
site have a workload that keeps them on
their feet day by day, and through their
hard work they keep the battalion mov-
ing towards mission accomplishment.
Right: SPC Estrada, armed with an M203 grenade
launcher, assists in conducting force protection in
addition to his mechanic duties at COP Michigan.
6
Few and far between
The first biggest challenge each mainte-
nance team faced as soon as they set
boots on the ground was working on
vehicles that were relatively new to the
Army. Only a few of the mechanics
received training on vehicles such as the
MRAPs and DASHes prior to deploy-
ment, and even fewer mechanics had
experience working with battle damaged
vehicles. SSG John Smith, a senior
mechanic at FOB Fenty, describes the
process of learning to maintain these
new vehicles saying, “we had to learn
how to work on three different vehicle
systems in only a few weeks. Not only
did the senior mechanics have to learn
how the systems worked, but they also
had to teach their Soldiers how to do the
same job, so it became a test of compe-
tence and leadership for everyone.”
Far right: SPC Palazzollo loads parts at FOB Fenty to
be transported to outlying COPs. Top right: SGT
Schilhab reviews parts on order for the platoon.
Bottom right: PFC Bramley services an MRAP en-
gine at COP Honaker Miracle
On top of learning how to maintain new
systems, each team soon learned that
their next biggest challenge was attaining
the right parts to repair their fleet of
vehicles. Although the Maintenance Pla-
toon deployed with enough toolsets and
supplies to last them over a year, the
necessary spare parts for the most fre-
quently used vehicles would be harder to
obtain. Thus, the teams spent their early
months conserving the supplies they
had, and they relied heavily on the hard
work of the team at FOB Fenty to push
them the right parts and supplies
needed. SGT Jerry Schilhab, the auto-
mated supplies NCO for the platoon,
manages the requisition, accounting, and
delivery of all repair parts and motor-
pool supplies to each COP. SGT Schilhab
and his team of supply specialists reach
out to each site daily with the parts they
push via host nation trucks. “It’s hard
enough waiting for parts to come in, and
when we do receive them, we need to
make sure every part goes to the right
location,” states Schilhab. “If parts get
sent to the wrong place, the mechanics
can’t get the job done.”
For many of the mechanics, adjusting to
everyday life at the COPs added a new
spin to everyday motorpool operations.
Unlike the motorpools seen in Garrison
or even at the bigger FOBs, the motor-
pools at the COPs lacked hardball pave-
ment to work on, and very few of them
had enough cover to protect people and
equipment from inclement weather. To
compensate, the teams had to find crea-
tive ways of preserving their resources
through the elements. SPC Jeremiah Os-
tuni, a mechanic at COP Able Main,
helped to create a few improvised struc-
tures to keep his motorpool functioning.
“SGT Moon and I laid down some air
force pallets over the gravel to create a
hard surface to work on,” explains
Ostuni, “and we also hung up a T10-D
parachute to provide us with some cover.
Not exactly bullet proof, but it keeps us
in the shade.” Overall, such hardships
have proven only to be trivial in the long
run, and the maintenance teams have
been able to push forward with full force.
Reinventing the steel
Now approaching nearly 10 months into
the deployment, the Maintenance Pla-
toon has worked through all challenges
and has accomplished many great things
that have kept Task Force Lethal opera-
tionally ready. With over 3500 jobs
completed, they have raised the opera-
tional readiness rate from a mere 73% at
the start of the deployment to an un-
precedented 97%. To increase combat
power, SPC Seigars and SSG Mayes, both
welders for the platoon, helped to fabri-
cate a TOW missile turret to add to Fury
Company’s Distribution Platoon MRAP
line. The turret was a unique addition
that made the Combat Logistics Patrol a
feared element throughout AO Lethal.
One of the most important things the
maintenance teams have done is to pre-
serve a program that can be used by
follow-on units and local nationals for
future operations. Training local mechan-
ics on military vehicle maintenance is a
regular activity at FOB Fenty. Joined by a
team of five local national workers, the
maintainers work alongside local
mechanics at Fenty are able to accom-
plish twice as much with a few helping
hands. SPC Justin Borcsani, a generator
mechanic, describes the time spent
alongside the local nationals saying, “we
are very fortunate to have them in our
motorpool. They are very enthusiastic
about learning to maintain the vehicles.”
At FOB Blessing, the maintenance team
there conducted a program for the
Afghan National Army on preventative
maintenance checks and services (PMCS)
on the M1151 up-armored gun trucks. As
the US Army transitioned to more
advanced vehicles like the DASH and
the M-ATV, the older M1151 vehicles
have been inherited by ANA forces to
use. When it came time to train the ANA
on how to maintain these trucks, the
leaders of Task Force Lethal looked only
to the mechanics of Fury Company to
provide the best PMCS training the
Army could offer. 1LT Heap reflects on
the training, citing it as a great success
for both Coalition forces and the ANA.
“The training and partnering that we
have done over the last few months has
helped move the ANA toward self-
sufficiency,” explains Heap. “The
Soldiers are very interested in the vehi-
cles themselves and their maintenance
and operation. The mechanic that has
worked alongside us in the motor pool is
even traveling to other locations to show
other mechanics what he's learned...like
a train-the-trainer operation. It's work-
ing!"
Above: SGT Stanberry, SSG Arvizu, and 1LT Heap
pose with the 3rd Kandak after completing a Driver
and PMCS training program on the M1151 up-
armored gun truck at FOB Blessing.
Far beyond driven
Looking back on all that they have ac-
complished, the Soldiers of Maintenance
Platoon have a lot to be proud of. Their
will and determination has enabled them
to accomplish nearly impossible tasks,
and their knowledge and expertise is
recognized throughout the Battalion.
However, with all things considered, one
must ask what really keeps these main-
tainers motivated to do their job to the
fullest.
For some, it is being part of a platoon
that is very well resourced with excellent
tools and supportive leaders. For others,
it might be the simple love of being a
mechanic and having a natural knack for
fixing things. SSG J. Kyle Vance, mainte-
nance team chief at COP Honaker Mira-
cle, states, “Being a mechanic is what I
have wanted to do since I was a kid. I’ve
developed skills that can help me
throughout my life.” At the end of the
day, all of Maintenance Platoon can hang
their hat up and say that they went
through hell in a year...and they never
quit until the job was done. 
7
  SOLDIERS OF THE MONTH
Headquarters Soldier of the Month
Private First Class Amber Davis
PFC Amber Davis was
chose as the Head-
quarters Platoon Sol-
dier of the Month for
March. PFC Davis has
done an outstanding job
of assisting with daily
operations, and she has
shown a strong will and
drive to improve herself
as a Soldier.
PFC Davis was born in
Oakland, CA and was
raised in Portland, OR. PFC Davis is
extremely excited to
She joined the Army in
become the armorer
February 2009, and she for Fury Company!
attended Basic Combat
Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Upon
completion of Basic Training, PFC Davis at-
tended AIT at Fort Lee, VA where she was
trained as a 92G, Food Service Specialist.
Her first duty assignment was to 2-8 Infantry
at Ft. Carson, CO. She then transferred to F
Company, 2-12 Infantry where she volun-
teered to deploy as part of the Individual
Readiness Training (IRT) group in order to join
her Battalion in Afghanistan.
PFC Davis has worked as an orderly room
clerk for the Fury Company TOC, assisting her
leaders with administrative matters and battle
tracking missions. Most recently, she was se-
lected to take charge of the Company Arms
Room, managing all weapons for Fury Com-
pany. In her free time, PFC Davis has taken
advantage of bettering her education by
taking English classes through Central Texas
College.
Non-Commissioned Officer of the Month
Sergeant Marvin Roberts
SGT Roberts takes a break from the
kitchen and dreams of the being on the
rolling hills of the great state of Montana.
8
Distribution Soldier of the Month
Private First Class Anthony Bailey
PFC Anthony Bailey was selected
as the Distribution Platoon Sol-
dier of the Month for his hard
work and dedication as part of
the Fury Rigger Team. PFC Bailey
has been a key player in delivering slings in
support of Baker Company, 2-12 Infantry.
PFC Bailey was born in
Memphis TN April 4th,
1988. He attended
Basic Training July
2008 at Fort Knox, KY.
After graduation from
Basic Training, he at-
tended AIT at Fort
Leanardwood, MO
where he was trained
PFC Bailey shows how to become an 88M,
hard life can be as a M o t o r Transport
gangster (in Afghanistan) Operator. PFC Bailey
was stationed at Fort
Carson, Colorado in November 2008 and was
assigned to Fury Company, 2-12 Infantry. Imme-
diately, he was informed that he would deploy
in 2009 to Afghanistan. In January 2008, PFC
Bailey deployed to the Joint Readiness Training
Center at Fort Polk, LA. In June 2009, he
deployed with Fury Company in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom X. Duing his
deployment, he conducted Combat Logistics
Patrols (CLPs) from FOB Fenty to FOB Blessing
for two months. In August, he was stationed at
FOB Blessing and participated in sling load
missions to support Baker Company in Korengal
Valley. He also assists SGT Chambers in fueling
the generators on the FOB.
PFC Bailey is married to Christina Te'Lisa Bailey,
and he has one son, Ellijah Lemar Bailey.
SGT Roberts was selected as the NCO of the
Month for March. SGT Roberts has performed a
superior job of spearheading the food service
operations at COP Michigan in support of Dagger
Company, 2-12 Infantry.
SGT Roberts was born and raised in Butte, Mon-
tana. He joined the Army in January 2001, and
was trained as a 92G, Food Service Specialist at
Fort Lee, VA. His first assignment was with the
540th Quartermaster in Schofield Barracks, HI.
While stationed in Hawaii, he served in various
units at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, and Fort
Shafter. SGT Roberts then PCSed to Fort Richard-
son, Alaska where he served as a First Cook for the
98th Maintenance Company. He deployed in sup-
port of Operation Iraqi Freedom V under the com-

Maintenance Soldier of the Month
Specialist Timothy Thompson
SPC Thompson,
Timothy was born
in Oakland, CA
and was raised in
Jacksonville, FL.
He has been mar-
ried to his wife,
Sandra for almost
two years and they
have one child
SPC Thompson stands ready together, Hailey.
to terminate the Anti Afghan
Forces (AAF) outside of COP SPC Thompson
Honaker Miracle. joined the Army in
August 2005 and
attended Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, SC. After
Basic, he attended AIT at Aberdeen Proving
Grounds, MD to be trained as a 91B, Wheeled
Vehicle Mechanic. From there, he was stationed
at Ft. Carson and was assigned to Fury Com-
pany in March 2006. He first deployed with the
company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
in October 2006 and in June 2009, he de-
ployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom. Since arriving here, SPC
Thompson has played key roles in the recovery
teams stationed at FOB Fenty and COP
Honaker-Miracle. He also conducts Force Protec-
tion for the entire COP on a nightly basis. His
short term goals are to become an NCO and to
take on the new challenges facing him at his new
assignment at Ft. Hood, TX. His long term goals
are to gain as much knowledge as possible and
to start his own mechanic shop in Florida.
mand of the 15th Sustainment Brigade.
In September 2008, SGT Roberts was assigned to
Fury Company, 2-12 Infantry. As one of the senior
cooks, he led several field food service operations
in preparation for deployment to Operation Endur-
ing Freedom X. In June 2009, SGT Roberts de-
ployed to Afghanistan with Fury Company, and he
is currently stationed at COP Michigan.
SGT Roberts’ awards and decorations include the
Army Commendation Medal (3 OLC), the Army
Achievement medal (6th award), the Army Good
Conduct Medal (3 OLC), and the Combat Action
Badge.
SGT Roberts is married to Kimberly, and he has
two children, Arionna and Brady.
 FROM THE FRONTLINE

Left: SPC Hanes is awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor by GEN David Patreaus at FOB Fenty
Right: SSG Chaney gives feedback on the Multicam uniform to GEN Anne Dunwoody at FOB Fenty.

RE-ENLISTMENTS
Congratulations to the following Soldiers and
NCOs who have re-enlisted over the past month.
The Army Commendation is awarded These individuals have taken an important step to
V to any person who distinguished ARCOM (V) Awardees V
progress in their careers and are also doing a
himself or herself by heroic or merito-
rious achievement or service while Staff Sergeant Dalluge great thing in volunteering to continue serving our
engaged in an action against an country in a time of conflict. Thank you for your
enemy of the United States. The “V” Specialist Hanes continued service!
device serves as a clarification for
medals that are awarded for valor
(bravery against the enemy). AAM Awardees Specialist Aguilar
The Army Achievement Medal is
Specialist Dupa
Specialist Dumont
Staff Sergeant Chaney
awarded to members of the Private First Class Parker
Corporal Schoepp
Corporal Smith
Armed Forces of the United States
Specialist Funchess
who distinguished themselves by
Private First Class Kennedy Photo credits: 1LT O’Connell, 1LT Heap, SSG Thacker,
meritorious service or achievement. Corporal Hoeksema SSG Vance, SGT Schilhab, SGT Rogers, 1SG Ash-
Specialist Seigars more, CPT Gutierrez, SPC Cushing, PFC Raney

Top left clockwise: PFC Lewis is promoted at FOB Blessing, 24 February; SPC Seigars receives the Army
Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance in Maintenance Platoon; LTC Pearl congratulates SSG
Seely on his promotion at FOB Blessing; a view of the Korengal Valley; SPC Stanfield is congratulated by SGT
9
Rodriguez at FOB Fenty; SPC Hecke scans the ridgeline during a CLP through the Pech River Valley.