July 2011

Volume 1, Issue 2

TF Attack,

FOB Sharana

Movin’ on Up!

Dark Horse Soldiers Receive Combat Patch by SSG Kelly Suesberry

our great Nation whenever and

wherever called.

“Having earned my combat

patch means I have now become

a Soldier,” said SPC Rachael

Nieto, 89B Ammo Specialist/

Operations Clerk. “It is a re-

minder to me of why I joined the

Army; to protect and serve my

country.” She continued, “this

combat patch symbolizes my

dedication to my commitment

and when I return to states, I will

wear it proudly.”

The 1st Cavalry Division

patch is a historic symbol of iron,

armor, strength, and agility. The

Cavalry patch has been worn

since WWII as has undergone

several changes, ending with the

current OCP brown color de-

picted in the photo to the left.

Soldiers of Echo Company,

Task Force Attack, 1-227th Avia-

tion Regiment, celebrated this

year’s Fourth of

July commemora-

tion by earning

the right to wear

the 1st Cavalry

Division combat

patch. The

Shoulder Sleeve

Insignia-Former

Wartime Service,

commonly

known as a

“combat patch,”

symbolizes their

participation in

actions in support

of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The fact that the patch cere-

mony was held on Independence

Day is not the only reason it was

so special. For many Soldiers,

the occasion marked the first

time in their careers that they

would wear a

combat patch on

their right shoul-

der. According

to Army regula-

tion 670-1, the

combat patch is

worn under the

American flag to

show the unit

under which

members served

while deployed.

The significance

of the combat

patch isn’t about adding another

piece of cloth or material to a

uniform, but rather it honors

warriors for their bravery who

have answered the call of serve

Happy Birthday!

SPC Hathaway—1 July

SPC Chiu—2 July

PFC Farmer—9 July

SFC Garrett—9 July

SSG Lorenzo—9 July

SPC Munoz—17 July

PFC Green—30 July

Happy Anniversary!

SSG Polite & Petra—5 July

PFC Menteer & Megan—9 July

SPC Grebas & Debra—12 July

SSG Suesberry & Derric—15

July

SPC Ramirez & Adelia—26 July

SGT Mata & Valerie—28 July

Inside this issue:

Movin’ on Up! 1

Dark Horse Soldiers

Receive Combat Patch

1

Photos 2-4

DARK HORSE

NEWS

Army Terms: Lesson 2

BLAHA—Basic Load Am-

munition Holding Area;

where basic load ammo is

stored

EML—Environmental

Morale Leave, formerly

known as R&R; this is the

leave your Soldier takes

during their deployment

AAM—Army Achieve-

ment Medal; this award is

approved by the Battalion

Commander to recognize

outstanding achievements

by our Soldiers

“Rode Hard, Put Up Wet”

SPC Spencer receives her “combat patch” from CPT Kelly at the Dark

Horse Patch Ceremony

and I know he will rise to the

occasion, having worked above

his pay grade for some time.

Hopefully, you’ve been keeping

up with us on Facebook. I will

try to post pictures soon after

significant events and more just

for fun. If you haven’t “liked” us

yet, please so do at: www.facebook.com/echo1227.dark.horse

Once you “like” the Dark Horse

Page, you will receive notifica-

tions as soon as updates and

pictures are posted.

We are also working on a

radical new company t-shirt and

poker chip. We’ll post those

images as soon as they are com-

pleted. Until next time, take

care and know that we miss all

of you very much.

Sincerely,

CPT R. Kelly

Dark Horse 6

To the Families and Friends of

Dark Horse,

We’ve come a long way in

the short time since our last

newsletter. Your dedicated

Soldiers have been making major

improvements in both opera-

tional and morale-focused areas.

The ammunition section has

been making big changes in

ammo storage and accountability

while the fuel section remains

focused on supporting aviation

assets across our area of opera-

tions. The motor pool has al-

ready begun to prep equipment

for the upcoming winter season,

while also making major up-

grades throughout the Task

Force area. As always, our

cooks have been doing what

they can to teach our contactors

how to cook!

The highlight of the month has

to be the long-awaited promo-

tion of STAFF Sergeant

Mauricio. Having known him

personally years before taking

command, I can attest to his

unmatched dedication to both

his Soldiers and to mission ac-

complishment. It was an honor

to be a part of his promotion

From left to right: CSM Smoots, TF CSM, SSG Mauricio, and LTC

Brockhard, TF CDR, at Orgun-E following the promotion ceremony

Page 2 DARK HORSE NEWS

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 2

U.S. Army