Salaam! (Hello!) Chutoor haste? (How are you?) The longer we are here the better our Dari is getting. Some folks (CW2 Johnson) are speaking a lot of the basic phrases, rather affectively. This simple act of learning some basic language or phrases goes a long way to developing a relationship with our counter parts and builds trust. Last time you heard from us we were just getting back from one of our mini-deployments. The Bushmaster Team left everything we had built to come back to more of our permanent area at the JRAC. As our counter parts left for “vacation”, this allowed the Bushmasters time to get our equip-ment and vehicles fixed. During our last mini-deployment, we were out over a month and a half, of which we spent a good amount of time on the road which worn down the vehicles and equipment. The trucks had to be taken to the shop for repairs, the radios cleaned and serviced…just like your vehicle needs a regular oil change and fluids checked. Over the last several weeks, SFC Caldwell and Team spent quality time fixing and get-ting the rest of the gear back in shape. This was critical as our counter parts will be returning very soon. Once they start returning, we will begin the train-up for the next deployment. CPT Martin and crew has been putting together the plans for this up-coming training cycle. He has worked with the rest of the Team to en-sure a quality training plan will be ready for when the ANCOP returns. Dur-ing this time, the Kandak (or battalion) received a new Commander. We’ve spent time getting to know him and his background. He’s a quality leader that will make a difference at this critical time as the Afghan National Secu-rity Forces (ANSF) take the lead for security in the area. We will be there to support and advise our counter parts to ensure they are successful. Just as the ANCOP needs more training, the Bushmasters have been conducting some refresher training as well. Our Security Detach-ment, led by SGT Hooper, received a week long block of training on per-sonal security that culminated with a live fire range and the Soldiers doing some shoot’n and mov’n. They also learned offensive and defensive train-ing moves as well as J and three-point turns. Hope they avoid doing this back in the States! See page 3 “& Continued Training”

SFAT TEAM 33

NEWSLETTER Special points of interest:

Each Page.

Team Leader

“Redeployment and Amber Cycle Planning & Continued Training”

NCO’s

“Making it Happen”

Your Soldiers Pics

1 Aug 2012

Volume 1, Issue 3

Operation Enduring

Freedom

2012-2013

BUSHMASTERS

Redeployment and Amber

Cycle Planning-

MAJ Crooks taking

a break in the shade

To the Family and Friends of SFAT Team 33,

another month has passed us by and we continue to stay

busy with training and preparing ourselves for the return

of our ANCOP counterparts from their well-deserved

“vacation”. Since returning from our deployment with our

counterparts we as a team have been in a re-set mode. We

have been sending our vehicles through much needed ser-

vices; as we put many miles on them from our missions

that we executed while deployed. Along with the mainte-

nance of our vehicles we have been doing refresher train-

ing to ensure that our own individual Soldier skills are

where they need to be before we look ahead with the train-

ing phase for our ANCOP counterparts.

We as a team have developed, with the input of

the ANCOP Commander and Sergeant Major, a plan to

better prepare them for their upcoming missions and to

build their sustainment levels so that they as a Afghan

team can employ and sustain themselves once they have

completed their training and recovery. It is our hope that

once our SFAT team departs Afghanistan, the ANCOP are

capable of conducting their own training and missions with

No input or “help” from the ISAF forces.

We conducted a “Patch” ceremony with our Bri-

gade Commander awarding combat patches for our involve-

ment here in Afghanistan on the 13th of July. We also con-

ducted a zero range on the 22nd of July along with concur-

rent training on our equipment to ensure that our team is

mentally prepared when it comes time for us to deploy into

southern Afghanistan with our ANCOP counterparts.

NCO’s: Making It Happen

SFAT TEAM 33 Page 2

Future NCO of the Army, SPC Rodriguez conducts

Afghan Drivers and Preventive Maintenance classes.

SFC Darrow receives the 214 Fires “Combat Patch”

from Major Crooks during the Brigade patch ceremony.

We have also been busy conducting upgrades to our own facilities here in “Mentor Village”. We had a cam-

era system installed for better security of our compound as well as constructing many upgrades to our “Command

Post” Constant maintenance to out living quarters ensure

our living conditions are clean and a bit more bearable. We are working every day to improve Ourselves, our

Afghan counterparts, and our team here in Afghanistan. I believe the team has a sense that we “SFAT Team 33” have made a huge contribution and positive difference

in the people of Afghanistan that we have encountered.

You are all surely missed by your Soldiers and

your care packages, cards and letters keep the morale up

every day. You are thought of daily and all your contin-

ued communications and daily prayers are much appreci-

ated here in Afghanistan. I’d like to take the opportunity

to say Happy Birthday to my son R.J, who turned 15 this

month, I Love you Son and I’ll be home soon. And last but

certainly not least our thoughts and prayers go out to the

victims and family members of the tragedy in Aurora

Colorado. God Bless you and bring you peace in this pain-

ful time in your lives.

SFC Richard E. Darrow

2nd Kandak 2nd ANCOP

SFAT Team # 33 NCOIC

Train the Trainer:

Assistant Instructor SFC Caldwell

overlooks as SPC Rodriguez

explains the major components

under the hood of the vehicle.

SGT Hooper at

the M4 Rifle

Range

SGT McWilliams smiles for the camera.

Your Soldiers PICS

-& Continued Training

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 3

Happy Birthday to

PFC Guerreravazquez.

25 YEARS OLD

in Afghanistan.

SFC Caldwell receiving a

214 Fires Commanders Coin

for Excellence

Major Crooks: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1:

Over the next couple of days, the rest of the Bushmasters will be going back to the range for more shooting, having classes on new radio equipment and other such refresher training. You can never shoot too much in my opinion. Team Bushmasters will wrap up this month and head into August training our ANCOP counterparts and preparing for the next mini-deployment. The training tempo will begin to increase and time will begin to move faster and before you know it, this deployment will be in the bag! Hang in their friends and family. If you have girls like mine, sometimes they had to dress up in dad’s cloths to remember him. This would have been a funny picture to see! What are some of the funny ways you or your family remembers your Soldier? As always, please feel free to send comments or recommenda-tions to Kevin.crooks@us.army.mil . Until next time, baamaane khudaa (good bye) in Dari. Thanks again and have a Steel Warrior day! Kevin Crooks Major, United States Army Team Leader

SGT Hooper working arm in arm with his

ANCOP counterparts.

1LT Schwen and PFC Page taking a break

from of the sun at the M4 Rifle Range.

Your Soldiers PICS

Ha ve a Box o r M ai l fo r y our S o l d ie r ?

First Name, Last

JRAC

SFAT TEAM 33

APO-AE 09355

CW2

Johnson

in The

new office

taking

time

to

sharpen

his knife

1LT Ostruske takes a picture

break as MAJ Crooks, CW2

Johnson, and 1LT Horvath

continue with push-ups.

SGT Hooper, SPC Rani, PFC Page, PFC Ford,

PFC Morris, and PFC Guerreravazquez

conduct Advanced Personal Security Training

at local area Afghan small arms range.

PFC Ford

giving

thumbs

up

for

ANCOP

training.

The Team adjusting their indi-

vidual sights at the rifle range

Team checking there targets at range.

PFC Morris with his assigned

rifle at the Small Arms Range

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To

SGT McWilliams

7 AUG 12

CPT Martin, SPC Rani, SPC Rodriguez,

and SPC Buckland working in the

Ammunition Shed at the M4 Range.

Team building in the morning with

some good old physical training.

CPL Johnson salutes

after receiving his

214 Fires Combat Patch

Happy

Birthday

to

SGT

Bashant

on

12 July

he turned

23 Years

old in

sunny

Afghanistan

I

N

S

A

N

I

T

Y

I

A

M

R

E

A

D

Y

2ID

W

A

R

R

I

O

R

S PT

H

O

O

A

H

!

!

H

A

P

P

Y

4th SGT

Bashant

stands

on a

vehicle

during

classes