september howler
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From the Commander
PROMOTIONS
1LT Oberlechner
CW2 Allen
SGT Jusi
SSGT Mann
6 September 2013 Issue 7
Wolfpack Howler
Inside this
issue:
1ST PLATOON
2ND PLATOON
3RD PLATOON
4TH PLATOON
MAINTENANCE
OPERATIONS
SGT Falankio-Bledsoe—5 Sept SPG Cheeseboro—12 Sept
SPC Rew—14 Sept PFC Bass—16 Sept PFC Kearns—27 Sept
SPC Marshall—22 Sep
BIRTHDAYS
CW2 Allen and Karie
ANNIVERSARIES
This will be my final contribution from Guam! I cannot begin
to describe how excited I am to return to Hawaii and gather the ‗Pack
back together. What our soldiers have accomplished over the last nine
months can only be described as ultimate victory. We have succeeded
in every mission we‘ve taken on. This is what makes 643rd an elite or-
ganization. The professionalism and discipline of Wolfpack troopers is
evident in everything we do. Whether it is operating on a remote is-
land 7,000 miles from home or working 12 hour days on a concrete
roof in Guam, 643rd soldiers stand up straight, walk proudly and hold
their heads high. In August, we enjoyed several ribbon cutting ceremonies
which marked the end of construction operations in Palau, Kosrae and Majuro. In Palau, COL Holland and
CSM Etter made the long trip from Schofield to be at the turnover ceremony between 643rd and the incoming
CAT. It was a packed house on Camp Katuu; the team welcomed the friends they‘d made on the island, the
project beneficiaries as well as our Navy chain of command to the festivities. In Kosrae, the very next day, LT
Leedham handed over the keys to the three major projects CCAD FSM completed. The US Ambassador to
Micronesia as well as the Governor of Kosrae were there and spoke kind words about our soldiers‘ impact.
The formal ceremony was followed by food and fellowship as the team wrote the final chapter of the story in
Kosrae. Finally, in Majuro, 3rd Platoon put the finishing touches on the massive pre-engineered building cover-
ing a basketball court and claimed: Mission Complete! Commodore Moore flew out to commemorate the
occasion and the Wolfpack soldiers challenged the locals to a basketball game—in the comfort of the shade,
courtesy of the building they assembled. Here on Guam, the team tackled the most intense month of construction to date. 2nd Platoon fin-
ished its two-story MOUT building, but got little rest. Two days later it was all hands on deck for the largest
pour ever conducted by 643rd: a 100 cubic yard concrete pour on the infamous Pure Water Storage Facility.
After months of difficult work on the project, 2nd Platoon executed this complicated pour flawlessly and the
building looks great. In addition, 1st Platoon performed the battalion‘s final construction activity for the Guam
deployment. The final two-story MOUT building was poured on 21 August, marking the end of 84th Engineer
Battalion operations in Guam. All that is left is packing up and going home! I couldn‘t be prouder of the Wolfpack family. There is an energy about this formation that makes
me believe our soldiers are special and elite. This month we talked about the Spartans and how they forged
an identity of being a ―well-drilled military machine composed of soldiers who were obedient to the word of
command, capable of enduring hardships and achieving great victories in battle." I‘m certain that when non-
Spartans entered the front gates to this elite, disciplined society, they immediately knew that they were out of
their league. They had to know that Spartan men and women were capable of great achievement by how they
carried themselves and how they performed. This had to be intimidating. That aura exists in 643rd. Our
troopers carry themselves with pride and honor. We take on tough missions and, ultimately, achieve great
victories. Well done, Wolfpack.
SGT Barnett built the 84th's perma-
nent presence on Camp Covington.
Page 2 Wolfpack Howler
1ST PLATOON Roughnecks
The Roughnecks just recently redeployed back
to Schofield Barracks on August 24th, 2013 from a very
successful 71 day mission at Anderson Air Force Base,
Guam. Since then the Roughnecks have been busy com-
pleting reverse SRP and various administrative tasks, in
preparation for the New Wolfpack Order on Septem-
ber 16, 2013. The New Wolfpack Order will reconsoli-
date the company into three line platoons, with a head-
quarters and maintenance platoon.
The Roughnecks completed the block work (13
courses, core-filled) in 10 days on August 12, 2013. The
block layers completed over 1300 CMU block, consist-
ing of 4 door openings, 7 windows, and approximately
190 linear feet of interior walls. Upon completion of the
block SGT Hurst had crews begin prepping sections for the bond beam rebar to be emplaced on the 13th course
of CMU block; the rebar crew led by SPC Brink bent
over 192 stirrups. After completing the bond beam re-
bar, crews began the formwork for the pitched roof and
the two foot walking platform around the outer section
of the roof. Upon completion of the formwork for the
roof and outer walking platform, crew‘s emplaced 172
pieces of #5 rebar at 8‖ O.C. The Roughnecks recently
on August 23, 2013 poured the roof at Anderson Air
Force Base MOUT Site, completing building 1. The pour
consisted of 29 cubic yards of concrete with the support
of Red horse (Air Force). The Roughnecks boarded the
plane the next day before heading home to Guam.
Roughnecks posing after final roof pour.
Soldier using the Razorback A-Frame with
support of the Air Force to screed the
concrete.
Page 3 Issue 7
2ND PLATOON
Closing Up Shop
As everyone is still overjoyed with 2nd Platoon
Soldiers back from the long deployment to Guam,
let‘s recap the special events that occurred in this
last month of August.
3rd Squad worked hard and extensively at MOUT
Site as they prepared for their last roof pour.
Working throughout the night with a small crew,
SSG Martir’s squad poured over 25 CY of con-
crete on Friday, August 16. ―This is such won-
derful training, my Soldiers will be able to say
they poured four overhead concrete pours during
a single deployment. I‘m so honored to have this
rare opportunity,‖ said SSG Martir.
The GM 11-808 crew worked literally from sun
up to sun down, starting their days at 0500 and
not coming home until 1900 most days. In record
time, the Soldiers were able to erect the last half
of the roof formwork in less than three weeks to
include installing the rebar. Their efforts for the
last eight months finally paid off on Saturday, August 17 when the platoon successfully poured 100 CY of concrete in about four hours!
―I knew we could do it all along, finally all the Soldiers‘ hard work paid off, I couldn‘t be happier with the results!‖ remarked SSG
Charles E. Worley.
The legacy of 2nd Platoon will live on forever on the island
of Guam with multiple concrete pours, to include the big-
gest one at GM 11-808 throughout the entire deployment.
All projects were ahead of schedule and completed to the
highest quality standards.
September will focus on reintegration back into the
Schofield Barracks community and relaxing until the New
Wolfpack Order is released. The Soldiers are excited to
return home to their families and start block leave.
September will focus on reintegration back into the
Schofield Barracks community and relaxing until the new
Wolfpack order is released. The Soldiers are excited to
return home to their families and start block leave.
Significant Events:
Happy Birthday to SSG Worley-August 21
Happy Reenlistment to SSG Martir-August 21
Happy Birthday to PV2 Higuera-August 31
Page 4 Wolfpack Howler
3RD PLATOON
With the close of the Guam mission and Construction Civic Action Detail, the We Ready Platoon has truly made
some outstanding accomplishments. Working often longer than 12 hours a day and 6 days a week through intense heat
the Platoon completed a 100 foot long, 70 foot wide, and 35 foot tall pre-engineered building. Leading the way, SSG
Kennedy emplaced all 15 primary structural members, both operating and guiding a 15 ton crane. SGT Albarico led a
crew of Soldiers and apprentices as they installed over 150 purlins across the roof beams and columns to serve as secon-
dary structural members. SPC Marshall and PFC Fernandez greatly impressed everybody on the site by being critical
members of the team that installed over 140 feet of roofing panels in less than three days, ensuring the on time comple-
tion of the project. Working the intricate electrical system were SPC Ferreria and PFC Hardy, running over 300 feet
of wire and installing 8 lights and 4 receptacles. Congratulations are especially due to SSG Nation, the crew leader for
the project who mentored and managed every crew, helped coordinate material requirements, and tracked and logged the
work of every Soldier and apprentice on the site. Truly each and every We Ready Soldier demonstrated an outstanding
amount of toughness and technical expertise in August, ensuring that the building was both high quality and completed on
time. The open air building is the biggest steel structure ever to be completed by the 643rd EN CO and is the largest scale
project outside of Guam to be conducted on the deployment.
However, construction was only part of the extremely successful completion of 3rd PLTs mission in the Marshall
Islands. 3rd PLT was also tasked with building grass roots relationship with Marshallese citizens. Continuing to work with
16 apprentices from the College of the Marshall Islands‘ (CMI) Carpentry Program, Soldiers and apprentices became fast
friends through the tough work. Soldiers and apprentices would frequently spend much of their time together even on off
hours, and it took no less than 3 goodbye ceremonies before many of the apprentices were satisfied that the Platoon truly
appreciated how much they would be missed. As a reminder that fallen Soldiers may be gone, but they are never forgot-
ten, The We Ready Platoon hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony where the project was dedicated to the late SSG Solomon
Sam. A 523rd EN CO Soldier who passed away in Iraq in 2008, SSG Sam is the last Soldier in the Battalion to die in com-
bat. SSG Sam was originally from Majuro and many of his friends and family visited the project often to check on construc-
tion and talk with Soldiers. SSG Sam‘s parents, wife, and children were present at the ribbon cutting ceremony to bless
the building and stayed afterwards to meet with the Soldiers.
September sees the We Ready Platoon finally get some well-deserved down time. After completing redeploy-
ment inprocessing, the 3rd PLT will inventory all equipment and tools to ensure accountability, catch back up on all manda-
tory training requirements, and prep for the reorganization of the Company at the end of the month. Additionally, the
Platoon will celebrate the birthdays of SPC Cheeseboro (12 SEP), SPC Lopez (18 SEP), and SPC Marshall (22 SEP).
Thanks so much to all the family and friends who have offered their support through the tough times of the past few
months. Your Soldiers‘ hard work and great accomplishments are a testament to your continuing care. Kommol Tata!
(Left) SSG Kennedy guides
the first roof beam into
place
(Right) Project site at com-
pletion on 19 August.
Page 5 Issue 7
4th PLATOON Mighty Rhinos
Over a year ago the Mighty Rhinos were assembled for the purpose of conducting CCAD FSM, Kosrae phase. Our
original platoon of 46 Soldiers began training September, 2012 with construction field exercises at Schofield Barracks where we
were thrown head first into a new system of construction management recently adopted by our Armed Forces. By April of this
year, the 20 Soldiers that conducted CCAD FSM were selected to get the job done in Kosrae. In Kosrae, our mission read as
follows: 84th EN BN (CE) executes Humanitarian Assistance projects and provides informal skills training in the Federated States
of Micronesia (FSM) state of Kosrae from 25 April to 25 August, 2013 IOT build sustainable relationships while increasing infra-
structure capabilities, improve education infrastructure and provide a positive national presence. As of August 23, we can confi-
dently say MISSION COMPLETE. Over the past four months, the team has completed 6 major construction projects including
the Gymnasium Awning Renovation, Malem Elementary School Drainage Improvement, Tafunsak Elementary School Classroom
Renovation, Special Education Fencing Construction, Malem Courtyard Improvement, and the Roadside Flowerbed Project. We were able to place five different NCO‘s into crewleader positions including SSG Lanning, SGT Snead, SGT Fickel, SGT
Landry and SGT Simangan. Our Soldiers worked side by side with our host nation workers as we improved both our leader-
ship capabilities as well as our construction and Soldier skills through-
out the deployment. As impressive as the construction efforts proved to be, what
was just as successful was our extensive community relations program
that was built with the community from the ground up. In August, we
completed our final COMREL activity with the 5K ―Walk to a Healthier
Start‖ headed by Chief Hackley. PFC Welch finished off his final
medical training class, SGT Snead and his crew completed their final
weeks of ASVAB tutoring and our skills workers were taught their final
lessons. 30 years from now, the gymnasium awning will have been re-
placed, the pipes under Malem will have been forgotten and Tafunsak
will have a new school replacing the one we renovated. But what we
left behind will last long after this. We and the people of Kosrae will
remember the basketball and
softball games, our Insanity
Program and our field days.
We hope a few of our ASVAB
students will have had a long
and impressive career in the
Army. We hope the con-
struction skills our skills transfer workers have learned will have served them well and
they‘ve gone on to lead construction projects of their own. August 17th marked the grand finale for CCAD FSM when the team conducted
its ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the end of mission. The Kosraean Governor,
Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Chief Justice and various Directors and Senators
were in attendance along with the US Ambassador to show their appreciation to the
CCAD team. After the ceremony, the team enjoyed food and the company of those in
attendance as they recalled the past four months of building relationships and improving
infrastructure.
After the mission comes reverse SRP, reintegration and time with loved ones.
Every member of the Mighty Rhinos is deserving of some rest and relaxation. Come
mid-September, the Mighty Rhinos will be broken up and split apart into 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Platoons. Our tenure was short but success undeniable. Be sure to check out our
photos on the Company FB page to see the completed projects!
Soldiers complete the final concrete pour at Malem Elemen-
tary School.
LT Leedham and SFC Stewart celebrate the
completion of the final concrete pour at
Malem.
Page 6 Wolfpack Howler
Operations
Aloha to the friends and family of the Wolfpack Headquarters Sec-
tion, the heart and soul of the U.S. Army's best engineer company! August has
definitely been a fast-paced month for this busy group of Soldiers. It has been a
month of reunions - this month the Wolfpack soldiers that have been deployed
to Palau, Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia all returned to Schofield
Barracks. This busy time has been more than just reuniting with battle buddies
for the headquarters section. In addition to the normal fast-paced work, Head-
quarters soldiers have been working around the clock to make sure that every-
one coming back to Schofield is reintegrated smoothly. Their hard work is
making a huge difference so far - and it will only become more evident when
the company seamlessly executes its plan to receive Soldiers back from their
deployments and then reor-
ganize the whole company.
The hard work invested in
terms of logistics and adminis-
trative tasks will make the
change flawless! In addition to difficult day-to-
day tasks, Headquarters was
able to take the time out to go
to the field and set up its Tacti-
cal Operations Center - the
tent that serves as the com-
pany's base of operations in
the field. The Soldiers con-
ducted a convoy out to the
site, validating the company's
radio communications systems. SPC Chris Irby did a great job working as Wolf-
pack Main. PFC David Kearns was able to show off his recent skills learned in
the RTO certification course. SGT Jaesun Won was also able to lead the effort
to set up a special
antenna on the com-
pany building that
allowed radio com-
munication to reach
between the com-
pany and the far
reaches of East Range. Great job to the whole team! Also, congratulations are due for SPC Wolfe Brower. He was
recently honored in an awards ceremony at the Joint Venture Educa-
tion Forum, a summit between top military leaders in the Pacific and
the Hawaii State Board of Education. The leaders met to discuss its
programs that partner the military and Hawaii schools. SPC Brower
was recognized for his volunteer work at Mililani Uka Elementary
School. Job well done!
We have seen an amazing amount of hard work and dedication
throughout the Wolfpack Headquarters section this past month –
can‘t wait to see all of the amazing things we will accomplish this
month! Great job all!
The experts and professionals of HQ conducted
TOC build and radio communications training at
East Range.
SPC Brower poses with grateful staff members
of Mililani Uka Elementary
SPC Gaeta gives us his best ―Blue Steel‖ at a company
barbecue
Page 7 Issue 7
Maintenance
643rd Maintenance Platoon, the Backbone of the Company, worked diligently throughout the month of August.
At the beginning of the month, we welcomed a new member of the team into our ranks, 2LT Yunmi Sefers, who will
be taking over as the 643rd Maintenance Platoon Leader as 2LT Tyler Skomp gets ready to leave. The next big tasks
that the Backbone had to take care of were the change of responsibility and cyclic inventories. Even though these tasks
are tedious, time consuming, and usually dreaded, the Backbone showed some amazing resolve in knocking them out
with amazing efficiency. The next big task that the Backbone knocked out was then turn-in of nearly 30 lines of class IX
excess worth nearly $5,000. This was able to be accomplished because of the diligent work put forth by our two supply
clerks, SPC Adams and SPC Moge, in organizing the paperwork needed to conduct the turn in. Next, with invento-
ries out of the way, the Backbone worked to finish up the T.I.‘s due at the end of August. With some good coordination
with FSC, support from 1st platoon, and some elbow grease from SGT Thao, SPC Ramey, and SPC Warthon, all of
643rd‘s rolling stock and generators were inspected to the highest standard. Finally, while this occurred, 2LT Sefers and
SGT Won started working on scrubbing all of the driving packets within the company, and began organizing a method
to properly license and train all 643rd Soldiers. The coming month of September is going to be a month of reorganization for the Backbone. We will be work-
ing on installing all of the parts coming in from the
T.I.‘s. Furthermore, the clerks will be working on
the last half of the excess class IX items that still
need to be organized, tagged, and turned in. Fur-
thermore, the Backbone will assist the company
master drivers in revamping the company drivers
training program in order to meet First Quarter
training guidance in getting everyone properly
licensed. Next, the Backbone will be working with
the First Sergeant in creating a new organization
for the company vehicle line. Finally, we will get
ready to reorganize the platoon under the guid-
ance of a new motor sergeant. We look forward
to working with him, learning from him, and build-
ing a stronger team with him.
Finally, the Backbone welcomed home 4 Soldiers
and NCOs this month from their deployments
throughout the Pacific: SSG Pino, SGT
Rutledge, SPC Cheeseboro, and SPC Moya.
It is definitely good to have you guys back in the
fight. We all look forward to building a bigger and stronger team than before with you guys at our side. Furthermore,
the Backbone would like to bid farewell to Cadet Brian Ellis. CDT Ellis was attached to 643rd Maintenance for the
entire month of August and used that time to learn what it takes to be a leader in today‘s military. He will be heading
back to Texas A&M on the 1st of September, and the Backbone wished him a safe journey and a good school year.
SGT Thao welcomes SGT Rutledge back to Schofield Barracks
Page 8 Wolfpack Howler
Schofield Barracks
Page 9 Wolfpack Howler
Micronesia
Guam
Visit us on FaceBook!
643rd EN CO—Wolfpack!
FRG
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Army Community Services: (808) 655-4227
Army Substance Abuse Programs: (808) 655-8700
Battalion Chaplain: (808) 655-1297
Military Family Life Consultant: (808) 226-7307
Military One Source: 1-800-342-9647
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Tripler Trolley: (808) 433-1200
Tripler Trolley: (808) 433-1200
FRG Committee Contacts:
FRG Leader: Darcy Mainwaring (205)310-3515, 643rdfrg@gmail.com or bulla722@yahoo.com Secretary: Gabrielle Johnson
Treasurers: Kristina Spohn and Beatrice Marshall Activities Coordinator: Vacant Fundraising Chair people: Vacant
Hospitality Chairperson: Kristina Spohn Points of Contact/Key Callers:
Traci Kendall (253)720-2033, 643rdfrg@gmail.com or traci_l_kendall@yahoo.com Kristina Spohn (810)5 516 1550 kgggm1@yahoo.com
Soldier Liaison POC: SPC Fernando Gaeta
Headlines:
FRG Meeting: There will be no meeting in September—but get ready for the Wolf-
pack Bowling Social in October! Details will be published on Facebook.
The Schofield Barracks dream team poses in front of the Wolfpack‘s dump trucks
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