EUCOM ARE DET 2 Family Group Support Newsletter

 

Quarterly FRG newsletter for Jan/Feb/Mar 2009

 

ARE Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commander’s Corner

 

 

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a sincere thank you for making my command a wonderful experience so far.  I look forward to the 2009 New Year.

 

I wish the weather were better so more of the families of EUCOM ARE Detachment #2 could have made the unit Holiday Party. I would like to thank everyone for putting this festive event together.  I would especially like to thank MSG(P) Scudder for organizing the event and WOC Flythe for getting the food.

 

The JRISE Holiday party on Saturday night at the Port of Call was a great success too. I encourage everyone to attend this event next year, so they can enjoy the good times with our sister services.  I particularly enjoyed being the Master of Ceremony for the White Elephant gift exchange. There’s nothing like some good ole holiday spirit and fun with an open microphone and a captivated audience.  I would like to also thank Col Dolieslager, the EUCOM ARE Commander for taking the time out of his busy schedule to attend this event and visit our unit on Sunday. 

 

I plan to take my family to Georgia to visit my parents and escape this Illinois winter.  I’m sure it will be a lot warmer there than here. It’s a wonderful experience playing a few rounds of golf in late December even though I have to wear a sweater.  I hope everyone had the chance to spend time with his or her family and loved ones.

 

I would like to thank President George W. Bush for his support for our military service men and women over the last eight years.  I also look forward to our new Commander in Chief, President-elect Barack Obama. May he continue to guide and support our Armed Forces over the next four years.

 

Our unit conducted its first telephonic alert message in November. Even though it wasn’t perfect, I felt it was a great success overall.  I can’t stress enough the importance of updating our current information so we can contact everyone in a timely manner if there was a real emergency.  Please continue to forward any new changes through your chain of command.  I plan to execute another telephonic alert message in the future to assure we are incompliance with Army Regulations.  

 

If any Soldier wishes to have these quarterly newsletters forwarded to other family members, please notify the Headquarters with their email addresses.  Mr. Donald Russ does an excellent job editing this letter not to mention the enormous number of pictures he takes when we have a special event.  I can’t express enough thanks for the work he does to make our unit’s Family Support Group the best in the EUCOM ARE.

 

In conclusion, I want to thank everyone again for making 2008 a wonderful year. May peace and prosperity be part of your family.  I look forward to 2009 and I hope you feel the same.  God Bless America and especially the Soldiers of EUCOM ARE Detachment #2.  I look forward to seeing you for our January Battle Assembly. 

 

 

 

 

Top’s Tirade

 

Hope everyone’s Holidays were happy and safe with family and friends.  Please may sure when you travel to BA in January 2009 each soldier performs risk assesment due to weather.  Remember to call your leadership to keep them informed of any changes that may arise.  Thanks,

 

Top Scudder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards and Honors

SFC Russ: JRISE October MVP

 

MAJ Jennifer Snyder Joint Meritorious Service Medal

 

MSG Freeman Army Commendation Medal

SGT Kowalczyak: Army Reserve Element Commander’s Coin

 

APFT Award:  Awarded to those soldiers that score 90 points or better for all three events (Push-ups, Sit-ups, and 2 mile run):

 

   SGT Kowalczyk (300)

 

   MAJ Harbaugh (290)

 

   SSG Hathaway (288)


Selected for Promotion

 

MSG Scudder to Sergeant Major (E-9)

 

SFC Flythe acceptance to the Warrant Officer Course


Promotions

 

SFC Flythe (OCT)

 

SGT Grever (NOV)

 

SGT Kowalczyak (NOV)

 

MSG Freeman (DEC)


New Family Members:

 

SGT Fonneman:  Evelyn Nicole

SFC McMillan:  William Stuart

 


Farewells to the unit:

 

MSG Freeman


Hails:

 

1LT Preston

 

CW4 Leguizemon

 

SFC McMillian

 

SGT Leech

 

JRISE Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARE Christmas photos

Previous DET 2 newsletters

JRISE Christmas photos

 

 

Battle Assemblies

 

 

Drill schedule for second quarter of FY09

 

January 10-11

February 7-8

March 7-8

 

Drill schedule for third quarter of FY09

 

April 4-5

May 2-3

June 6-7

 

Drill schedule for fourth quarter of FY09

 

July 11-12

August 1-2

September 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Christmas Experience

by Kevin Lindner, age 6

as interpreted by Don Russ

 

 

 

I had some Cub Scout business that morning and was taken directly to my grandmother’s Christmas party, so I was in uniform.  There were no Buckingham Palace Guards there, nor any Marines, so I had the best-looking uniform in the room.  SFC Margaret Tackett issued me bubble gear and I went to work.

 

 

I met some people and shook hands the way my grandfather taught me – two pumps and then release.

 

 

And then I got back to my bubbles.

 

 

SFC Tackett gave a bottle of soap and a bubble wand to Brittany Bowers.

 

 

Also to her little brother, Bryce.

 

 

Bryce just wanted to talk to my mom and then run around.  I don’t think he appreciated the soap bubble opportunity we had.

 

 

But Brittany did.

 

 

She and I went to the library where we would blot out the fluorescents with our soap bubbles.

 

 

Merry Christmas.