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Iraq, November 2004 Greetings from Iraq,
I am working in the Corps Engineer Staff Section as an Individual Augmentee from the USMC. My "day job" is as S-3 of Marine Wing Support Squadron - 272 at New River, NC. I left there in early June and should return in mid-January. Never having worked at so high a level before, this has been quite an education in Corps and mulit-national operations. There is tremendous leadership here at the Corps level, and it has been great to work with so many dedicated professionals, Active as well as Reserve members. The "Citizen-solider" concept advanced so well by Alden Partridge is alive & well, and has produced some tremendous leaders who are in action over here every day. As all Marines do on 10 Nov, we will be celebrating the USMC birthday tonight. Our ceremony will take place in a very unlikely location - one of Saddam's former palaces, which is now the MNC-I headquarters. Our celebration will be conducted in the huge rotunda of the Al-Faw Palace, and then we will adjourn to the Ballroom for our traditional birthday dinner. Even as Marines are slugging it out on the streets of Fallujah, they will be celebrating our birthday tonight in their own way. Their ceremony may consist of nothing more than a piece of MRE poundcake and a verse of the Marines' Hymn, but they will celebrate and wish each other "Happy Birthday." I'm on the far left in the photo with some of my colleagues atop the Al Faw Palace. The building where I work is in the background on the water. Great irony - the motto of US Army Engineers is "Essayons" from our own Truman Bishop Ransom. NU Forever! Major William J. Truax, Jr., USMC (NUCC 1990) Iraq, August, 2004 Dear President Schneider,
Norwich has always been a dream of mine ever since my father would bring me along to reunions. As a young man, I looked around and noticed the great bonds of friendship that these former cadets held, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, carrying on and laughing about old times like they haven't missed a beat. I saw all this and knew that this is what I wanted in my future. In 2002 I was admitted into the Corps of Cadets and finally a part of what I dreamed about for years. My father couldn't have looked more proud as we parted ways that first day. I remember his last words to me before I began recruit training were, "Remember to always smile, because they won't know what you're thinking.... Good luck, son." After that, I walked out the doors of White Chapel and started my life in the Corps. As a freshman, I was pounded with more lessons and knowledge than I knew what to do with. We were always being taught the importance of leadership, obedience, integrity, honor, and military discipline, all the things that shape a Norwich cadet. Everything we did, from marching to cleaning our rooms, had a lesson to it. Normal individuals sometimes overlook a lot of these lessons. Some people don't understand attention to detail and how important it can be. They don't understand that one day it could save their lives. In January of 2004, my National Guard unit was activated as Military Police and deployed to Iraq. Our mission over here mainly consists of convoy security but also includes highway patrols and humanitarian missions to local villages and schools in need of help. When we first arrived over here, it was nothing but training. We had to make sure we knew what we were doing, and I took up my job as a .50 cal/MK 19 machine gunner on a Humvee, stationed near Baghdad. I volunteered to teach classes on soldier skills and tasks. I used many leadership attributes which I acquired the year before, and was more than up to do the job. My platoon leaders and fellow soldiers were very pleased with the training and felt that I provided the right information. Yet I couldn't take credit for anything. All credit is owed to my Cadre for guiding me in the right direction. If it weren't for them, I most likely would have just sat back and gone with the flow, rather than step up to the awesome task for survival and being a warrior. There are many important things to remember from time spent at Norwich. Things like being prepared and helping others. We can all remember our cadre making sure we get things done the night before. They do this so we are ready at all times. Being in a combat zone with a real threat is no different. Pre-Combat Checks, and Pre-Combat Inspections are a daily occurrence. You never know when you're going to need that extra case of MRE's or extra case of water. You never know when those Night Vision Goggles are going to be necessary or all that extra ammo. Bottom line is, you never know. Last winter at Norwich was the coldest I have seen in awhile. The question that plagued us every day was, "What are we wearing tomorrow? BDU's or Winter B's?" Our cadre made sure that the night before we would have shined boots, and starched BDU's, as well as gleaming low quarters, and creased class B's. It was all about being prepared. With double the load of preparation, along with homework and studying, it gets really frustrating. Now, it is no surprise that we all need to help each other out. Sometimes, with a heavy load, we can overlook little things. I know my buddy is there to make sure that I am set up for success. Back in April, we were running missions daily. It was our sixth mission in a row. The night before was long, and no one got much sleep. I was setting up my weapon for our next mission to Baghdad. I had everything ready to go, and was waiting on my Team Leader. He looked over at me and asked, "You got everything?" "Sure do," I replied. I noticed something he could have only forgotten due to lack of sleep. "How about you?" I asked him. He knew that he was missing something. He looked around and didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Finally he said, "What is it"? I said, "You might wanna grab your M16, Sarge." He felt a little embarrassed. The thing was, no matter how important something is, everybody forgets something. If you don't look out for each other, you could end up in a situation you don't want to be in. Remember attention to detail, and help your buddies. In combat, no one does anything by himself. You rely on your fellow soldiers to get you through. As a Norwich Cadet, I learned to stick with it and never quit. I learned to walk my talk and have Perseverance. I learned the meaning of Duty. In June 2004, the situation got really tough over here. We were running fuel trucks up to Latifiyah, Iraq, so that Baghdad wouldn't lose power and have chaos. The insurgents were really beating down on us by this time. It got to where we wouldn't say, "I wonder if we are going to get hit today." We would say, "I wonder when we are going to get hit today." On June 7th, 2004, a roadside Improvised Explosive Device took the life of my friend Sergeant Jamie Allen Gray. Sergeant Gray was in my platoon. For weeks we didn't have to go back. But the word came down. Baghdad needed fuel, and we were the only company that could do it. Many men thought to themselves, "No way, I would rather take an Article 15, or Court Marshal than go back there." I didn't have the same outlook. Lord knows that I was as scared as can be. Yet all I had to do was look back at lessons I learned back on The Hill. It was my duty to my country to make sure that fuel arrives safely. It was my duty to my fellow soldiers to make sure we all arrived safely. It was my duty to myself, to make sure I did what was right. I explained the best I could to everybody that, sure, it's dangerous, sure, it's hard, but it is our job. All we have to do is look out for each other, watch each other's backs, and we will be safe. We continued bringing fuel until eventually the Army's higher up command realized the danger our soldiers were in. With the new Iraqi Government in place, we passed this great responsibility to them.
Cadet Samuel T. Slater,
Qatar, February, 2004 Hi, I deployed to Qatar on 30 September with another NU graduate, Keith Brelia '86. We live in the Fort Walton Beach area and actually work at the same place, Joint Close Air Support Joint Test Team on Eglin AFB. We immediately ran into two more NU alumni, James Roman and Kevin Perideault, from 1st Battlefield Coordination Detachment. We found three more grads: Emily Van Arman, Charlene Schroeder, and Charles Gates. I sent away for some Norwich Coins and have given one to every NU Alumni I have come into contact with. Kevin, Emily, Charlene, and Jim have all departed Al Udeid or As Saliyeh, but about two months ago my roommate, Dave Fennell, showed up. The four remaining NU grads try to get together and go downtown for dinner every other weekend. It is great to have some buddies to share some memories with, and pass the RECORD around. I have one coin left and hope to get to Baghdad to give it to COL Bob Pricone, who is working future ops for CJTF-7. There is another NU grad at CJTF 180 that I have talked with, Glenn Walsh. Dave Fennell took him my next to the last NU coin. I believe it is truly amazing to run into so many NU graduates so far from home; makes me realize just how unique our school and experiences are. Essayons, Gregory S. Valloch Iraq, October, 2003 Greetings from Iraq, On February 8, 2003, at Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA, I relinquished my Command of the 167th CSG and transferred into the IRR, and volunteered to be mobilized. I received orders on 18 February to report to EUCOM, Stuttgart, Germany, assigned to the J4. I was sent forward during the War to be the Chief of the Multinational Joint Logistics Cell Incerlik AFB, Adana Turkey. I completed my assignment, redeployed in May, REFRAD at Ft Benning in reached my Mandatory Removal Date ( MRAD) 1 JUN 03 and retired!
Current assignment as the Commander 598th U. S. Army Terminal Group (Fwd), Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) South West Asia. (SWA). Working as the Port Commander for the Ports of Ash Shuiaba, Shuwaikh and Kuwait Naval Base in Kuwait and opening the Port of Umm Qasr in Iraq. Never thought I would be returning to Kuwait,..... I was here 13 years ago for a year for Operation Desert Storm!!!
COL Mark J. Hagan Attached are two photos ... One is at the Border crossing from Kuwait entering Iraq; I am on the right with Petty Officer J. Keim of The U.S. Coast Guard, Naval Warfare Team (I thought President Schneider would appreciate my Force Protection Team). Second picture is right outside my gate at The Port of Umm Qasr, Iraq; again, my NWT proving my quick reactionary force. Iraq, October 2003
It was an enjoyable day for me to see the shiny faces of the K-6th grade students that we gave school supply bags to. I have included a few shots of my day and will continue to pass out the supplies as they continue to arrive.
Thanks again, and I will get a real letter off to all of you as time permits. Bryan Radliff, NUCC '90 Iraq, October 2003 Hello, I am writing in response to the Norwich web site's request for personnel serving overseas to make contact with the university: I am Captain Michael J. Adamski ('98). I am currently serving as a Military Intelligence Officer with the 173rd Airborne Brigade as the S2 for 2-503 Infantry Battalion (Airborne). I jumped into Iraq on 26 March 2003, and am currently in Kirkuk in northern Iraq. It has been quite a wild ride thus far, and after being here for 6 months, we are looking at another 6 ahead of us. If at all possible, can you forward this message to Coach Mike McShane of the varsity hockey team. I was a member of the Norwich hockey team and played for Coach McShane from 1994-1997. I was excited to find out that they won the NCAA's again this past season. I would love to wish congratulations to Coach McShane and the team. Thanks, I look forward to hearing back from you. CPT Mike Adamski Iraq, September 2003 Hi Norwich,
I've met a few NU grads over here so far. Attached is a picture of me while visiting the nearby military housing area. Whenever I go out there, the teenage Iraq boys come out in droves. My wife, Amy (Griffiths), '82 is home. My oldest son, Tim, is currently a Rook this year studying computer engineering. Iraq, August 2003 Dear Sir, It has been a long year so far, but we have all stayed safe and have trained hard. Being over here in the middle east on a real world mission makes it all worthwhile, knowing that we are doing our part in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. I hope Norwich has a wonderful
fall, and we all look forward to the spring semester. Essayons. Iraq, August 2003 Gentlemen, One thing the head of the history department asked me for was American textbooks. They lost many books due to looting, and what books they did have were subject to censorship under the former regime. If there is any way I could get some used textbooks donated from Norwich University to Mosul University I would be extremely grateful. They are desperate for any subjects we could help them on, American History, World History, Economics, just to name a few. Thank you very much for your time, Sincerely, CPT James Riley ***
I thought I would just update everyone on how the drive is going. So far, our office has collected over 320 textbooks and taken inventory of them all. (And we are receiving calls daily for more donations.) We are hoping to wrap up the drive this Friday and have the inventory complete and ready to send to Captain Riley on Monday of next week for his approval. With that, we will be ready to ship the books off. They will be boxed according to subject. Thank you to all who have helped to make this drive such a success! Norwich Forever! Yours in Service, Nicole DiDomenico USA, August 2003 I am writing in response to the request for news from alumni deployed overseas. My name is Patrick Cox (class of 1992) and I am a Major in the US Marine Corps Reserve and a tank company commander. My unit (Company B, 8th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division based in Syracuse, NY) and I were called up to active duty on Jan 10th and sent to Camp Lejeune, where we joined the active duty battalion and became Company D, 2d Tank Battalion. We arrived in Kuwait at the end of January and joined the 5th Marine Regiment. We crossed the border into Iraq at 1700 on the 19th of March and participated in the 5th Marines' attack to Baghdad and beyond. My company fought with 2d Tank Bn. as we secured the western Rumalyah Oilfields and the western highway approach to Basrah. We continued the attack along the central highway with the 5th Marines north toward Baghdad. Second Tanks took up the lead of the regiment as we crossed the Tigris River at An Numaniyah and led the rest of the way into Baghdad. We encountered significant resistance from the Tigris River crossing up to the southern outskirts of Baghdad, most notably from the 2d to the 4th of April. At Baghdad, we were attached to Second Bn, 5th Marines, as they continued to attack north to Samarra with the objective of occupying Tikrit. At Samarra we were ordered south to As Samawah in southern Iraq, where we stayed, providing stability until our return to Kuwait three weeks later. Once in Kuwait, we remained for three more weeks until we were sent, along with the rest of 2d Tank Bn, back to Camp Lejeune. We returned to Syracuse on June 7th and were finally de-activated on June 24th. Other Norwich alumni in 5th Marine Regiment were Maj John Orille ('92), USMC from 11th Marines; 1LT Stephenson ('00 ?), USMC of 2d Tank Battalion; and Capt Mark List ('93), USMC of 5th Marines. It was an interesting deployment for many reasons, and it was great to see some NU folks while overseas. As a Reserve Officer, I certainly felt that I was honoring the legacy of the citizen-soldier that Norwich has always been known for. Semper Fi, USA, August 2003 Dear Friends,
Although I spent a relatively short period of time with them, I was proud to get a chance to serve in the war. My thoughts are with those still over there every day. Stay the course and ESSAYONS! Semper Fidelis, Major Mike Myers, NU '92 Iraq, August 2003 Greetings from Baghdad International Airport. I've been deployed since 11 MAY 03, when my unit, 1-4 ADA of the 1st Armored Division, arrived in Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We convoyed north to Baghdad on the 27th and have been at the Airport since 28 MAY 03. My unit provides force protection for the Baghdad International Airport and will continue to do so until next April. Greetings to all the grads out in Iraq. Hope to bump into a few of you before we leave next year. 1LT Wayne F. Rush At Sea, August 2003 My name is Casey Mahon, I am a 2001 NU Grad. I am a LTJG in the USNR and am presently serving onboard USS MAHAN (DDG 72). My ship, the USS MAHAN, was deployed to the Mediterranean prior to the start of combat operations in Iraq. For three months we escorted cargo ships through high threat areas, such as the Straits of Gibraltar. These ships carried everything from Coast Guard boats to Army tanks, MRE's to Pre-Fab housing, and Air Force bombs to Navy Missiles. The vessels that carried these cargos were large, capable of carrying something like 50% of an infantry division's equipment in a single shipment. The amount of material the U.S. Military was able to move from state-side to the forces deployed in the Middle East and the relatively short time given to this task is really amazing. Escorting ships isn't the most exciting of tasks, but I like to think that at least some of the vehicles, boats, bombs, or guns I have seen in pictures of Iraq were ones that I helped escort through the Mediterranean. In between the escort missions, we got a chance to work with allied navies from Europe, many of the foreign ships we trained with then went over to the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea to participate in the maritime operations in the region. I would like to wish everyone good luck in their tasks and I hope you have a safe return. Fair Winds and Following Seas, Casey Mahon Iraq, July 2003
I am a reservist who is currently on active duty. My “day job” is a program manager with Dell in Round Rock, Texas. I am now working for Ambassador Bremer in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad. I have been here two months, already. Essayons, Gary J. Martel USA, June 2003 Dear Public Affairs Office: This e-mail is in response to a posting you had on the Norwich website. I recently returned home after serving in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. I served with the invading ground troops of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. My unit is Alpha Company, 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion (reserve,) and I was in Kuwait from 15 February until the war began, and traveled from the Iraqi berm to Baghdad. I returned to CONUS on 6 May, and was happily reunited with my bride, Jessica Argotsinger (maiden Horvat NU '01) on 19 June. I actively looked for Norwich alums out there, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) found none. While I am currently still on active duty, my reserve unit should be deactivated within the next week and I will be able to return to civilian life soon. If you would like additional information I would be more than happy to provide it for you. Thanks for your time. Semper Fidelis, Corporal Kevin Argotsinger USMC USA, June 2003 David N. Cedarleaf, 2000-2001 Regimental Commander is a 2nd Lt. in the USMC serving in Iraq. He is 3rd Plt. Commander, B. Co. 1 Bat. 4th Reg. He was involved a month or so ago in an attempted rescue of 4 Marines who were killed when their helicopter went down in a canal. David and an Iraqi civilian dove into the canal to help rescue a Marine Sgt. who had gone in to rescue the 'copter crew and ran into trouble. Although they were able to get him to shore and attempted CPR, he died. After being in the spear point moving from Kuwait to Baghdad, he has been for the last weeks in the Babylon area, but has now moved again. Recently they have been involved in working with civilian police and fire departments as well as working with other civilians in the attempt to get things back to normal. At the present time he is out of e-mail touch. Thank you. John N. Cedarleaf Iraq, June, 2003 Hello, Heading to Baghdad next week. Should be there about a year on the Infrastructure Rebuild Project for USAID. If you know of any active duty or retired military who will be in the area please advise. There are lots of NGOs in country and I would expect some are NU Alums. Just a quick note: Bechtel National was awarded a contact in April with USAID for Infrastructure Reconstruction Program. The scope includes:
We are actively working at the Umm Qasr port and performing bridge repair in the northern half of Iraq. The number of schools, clinics and water systems is needing repairs or upgrades is staggering. I am currently assigned as the Deputy Construction Manager for the project. We are very busy supporting the 6 sectors operating in the entire country. Currently, I am scheduled to be in Baghdad for about a year. Given the security issues, this is a single-status assignment, which means the company doesn't send dependents of the employees. My wife resides in Pooler, Georgia, and we stay in communication through the Internet. Our plan is to be at our 40th reunion in September 2004. FYI, I was here 12 years ago with Bechtel when we put out the Kuwaiti oil field fires as an Area Engineer responsible for reconstruction of the executive office complex, dining hall and fire station. There are very few members of our current staff who were here back in 1991. Marshall Ferris '64 Iraq, June, 2003 I am an alum from 1996. I am a signal officer for the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division (M) from Fort Benning, GA. We have just re-deployed to the Kuwaiti Desert after completing combat operations and humanitarian relief in Iraq. We are currently waiting for our next mission in the 130 degree heat! During Operation Iraqi Freedom I ran into a close friend and Norwich Alum, CPT Joshe Raetz ('96), on Objective Saints, a major intersection south of Baghdad that my battalion was responsible for attacking and securing. We >had a quick reunion and took a photo before we both had to continue on. Small world, huh? My wife, Angela, is in Georgia taking care of our two dogs and awaiting what we both hope is a speedy return. That's all for now, gotta run out and get some cold water! Essayons! CPT Steve Wellein, '96 Iraq, June, 2003 Dear Norwich: Hope all is well. I was called up on to active duty after 9/11 and have been serving since. I am currently assigned to JSOC and I have been deployed first to Afghanistan and then on to Kuwait and now Iraq. The lessons I learned at Norwich have always stayed with me -- it is a great school which I hope to pay back for all of the strength that I have drawn from my four years on the hill. Always, Kevin P. Kavanaugh USA, June 2003 Hello, I was checking out the Norwich Website and saw that you were looking for Alumni that are now serving in the Military. I am a 1993 graduate of Norwich now serving in the Army as a Medical Service Corps Captain. However, I am not a traditional Norwich graduate ... I was a Vermont College of Norwich University student, back when they had the two campuses. I played on the Women's Basketball Team all four years, the Softball team three years, and the Soccer Team my final year ... all through the Norwich campus. I graduated and enlisted in the Army as a Combat Medic. After three years, I went back to school in the ROTC Green to Gold program and commissioned in 1998 as an MSC officer. I have served in Germany as an XO of a Health Clinic and Company and as a Company Commander for a Combat Support Hospital, as an Operations Officer for an Aid Station in Macedonia, and now as a Health Care Recruiter in Richmond, Virginia ... with my next assignment at Fort Bragg in October of this year. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Respectfully, Tracy A. Coffin USA, May 2003 I just returned from deployment overseas in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM at Ahmed Al Jaber Airbase in Kuwait. I was the Senior Intelligence Officer in Support of the 75th Fighter Squadron, (Tiger Sharks) A-10s out of Pope AFB, NC. I directly supported over 550 combat missions in support of the ground war in Iraq, where we were responsible for destroying 79 tanks/armor, 55 pieces of artillery, 351 military vehicles, 727 enemy troops, and 179 buildings/structures and supporting multiple combat search and rescue missions. I returned home from Kuwait on April 25, after a three month deployment and am scheduled to return to Tallil Airfield, Iraq, in late August for another rotation. Respectfully, Capt Alison Babineau USA, May 2003 Dear Sirs, Just thought I'd drop a quick line to respond to your request for Alumni presently serving. I was class of '82 but left early to pursue a military career in another direction. Assignments over the last 23 years have included positions in all three line battalions (two CONUS based and one OCONUS) of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and in the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis, Washington. I have served in the '91 Gulf War, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and two small Embassy crisis evacuations in Africa. Presently I am assigned to manage Army Special Operations and liaise with the European Command for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This fall I will be moving to Fort Carson, in Colorado Springs Colorado to rejoin my "other alma mater", the 10th Special Forces Group (A). MSG Andrew A. Tyler Iraq, May 2003 Hello! My name is Corey R. Boudreau and I am a graduate of Norwich University Class of 98. I am a CPT in the U.S. Army serving in the CENTCOM AOR in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I am a Medical Service Corps Officer and a medical evacuation pilot. I have been in Iraq since the 20th of March and am currently assigned to the 36th Medical Evacuation Battalion stationed at FT Hood, TX. I am the BN S-3 Air and my BN coordinates all the air medical evacuation for the 3rd ID and V Corps. My wife is also stationed in Iraq and is a pilot with the 4th ID. I will be reassigned to the 571st Air Ambulance Company, who are in direct support of the 4th ID. I hope that is the kind of information you were looking for. Go, Norwich Baseball! Essayons!!! Corey R. Boudreau USA, May 2003
I finally got time to do this so here goes. 1LT Scot Frechette. B-52H Navigator. Stationed at Minot AFB, ND with the 23rd bomb squadron. Just got back from deployment to Fairford England in support of operation Iraqi Freedom. 7 Combat sorties, over 180,000 lbs ordinance dropped 94 plus hours. Scot Frechette Class of 2000 USA, May 2003 Completed tour with Patrol Squadron Special Projects ONE from 2000-2003. Flew over 40 combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Currently attached to Patrol Squadron TEN based at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine. Will be deploying for a six month deployment starting August 2003. LCDR Dustin L. Martin,
USN USA, May 2003 I am currently working at Walt Disney World in the payroll department and have only been there for about 2 months. Wednesday we had a staff meeting where we all wrote postcards to sailors aboard the USS Millieus, and several people stood up to tell everyone about their loved ones who are serving in Iraq and explain military life for those who don't have family in the service. A woman [named] Lisa stood up and starting talking about her brother, Adam, who is serving with Special Ops in Iraq and that he went to a NU. I spoke with her afterward, and, come to find out, her brother, Adam Cobb, graduated in '96, the same year as my brother. Since they are both in Iraq, we have no idea if they know each other, but being such a close knit school, they must. It brings new meaning to "it's a small world" :) Have a good one! Cheryl Griswold Kuwait, April 2003 Good afternoon,
Daniel P. Sukman "We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us." Saudi Arabia, April 2003
Mobilized with 4th MAW (Marine Air Wing) HQ on 14 JAN 03. Was the Airspace Planner/Air Defense Planner MARLO (Marine Liaison Officer) attached to the CFACC (Combined Forces Air Component Commander) CENTAF-PSAB J3 (US Central Command Air Forces-Prince Sultan Air Base, Joint Operations) at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this capacity, helped in the transition from Operation Southern Watch (OSW) to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), establishing new air space, air craft routing, and deconfliction procedures for aircraft, artillery, naval gunfire, and all cruise missiles. Further tasked to be one of the few MARLOs attached to the Air Force's 363rd EAACS (Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron) on the E-3C AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System). In the air 2 out of every 3 days. Flew over 60 hours in support of OSW (Operation Southern Watch), transitioned into OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), with over 110 hours, much of it over Iraq. In this capacity assured that the DS (Direct Support) sorties were preserved for I MEF (1st Marine Expeditionary Force) and the Marines on the ground, provided air command and control expertise in both the Army's V Corps' and the MEF's AO (Area of Operation), re-tasking aircraft as needed in each sector and between both sectors as needed for TSTs (Time Sensitive Targets) and immediate CAS (Close Air Support) missions, etc. Currently re-tasked back to the CAOC during retrograde of U.S. Forces. Nominated for the Air Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. Hope this is the type of stuff you were looking for. Essayons, MAJ MICK WABREK ('88),
USMC Korea, April 2003 Greetings from Korea, My name is David Lewen (class of '99). While at NU my last name was Lewentowicz; however, I had my name legally shortened to Lewen in 2001. My wife, Julie, and I are currently stationed at Camp Henry, Taegu, Korea. We will be in Korea for the next 24 months. I am a 1LT in the Judge Advocate General's Corps (Army lawyers). I am currently Chief of Client Services, I handle all legal assistance and claims matters involving US soldiers stationed in Korea. Sincerely, 1LT David P. Lewen, US Army USA, April 2003 I am writing for my husband Capt Neil Murphy Class of 94. Right now, he is in Iraq, south of Baghdad, and cannot access email as often as he would like.
Unfortunately I don't have too much information on things happening over there currently, as is the military way not to disclose too much info. I will forward this email on to Neil, and when he finally has access, I am sure he will write and fill in the details of which Norwich alums he has seen and what they have been doing. Thank you. Alicia Murphy Los Angeles, USA, April 2003 Hi, I am Mike Hirka, class of '82. I am the Program Manager for the Milstar (Military Strategic and Tactical Relay) satellite communications system. I am currently assigned to the AF Space and Missile Center in LA. We launched the sixth and final satellite on 8 April. This completes a constellation that provides global communications. During the war, the existing constellation provided support to the naval, land and air order of battle. Each of the services used the system to synchronize maneuvers and execute missions. All of the air tasking orders were transmitted through Milstar as well as the enroute retargeting of air assets. The Marines and the Army used the system as they converged on Baghdad. While I was not in Iraq, the system that I am responsible for was working hard for those deployed. In addition to providing operational support, I was conducting launch operations and early orbit check out. You may have seen our launch; it was on a Titan IV, the heaviest lift booster launched from the Cape on 8 April. VR, Mike Hirka Afghanistan, 24 April 2003 Sir, Thanks so much for the hat and towel. COL Cull and I have been closely following the NU Hockey Team all season, and has been a great diversion from the routine here. COL Cull was the CPT of the team when I showed up and played JV as a freshman. Simonetti, Roberto, Palazzi, Trinceri, Odonahue, to name a few in my class. Thought I was a pretty decent skater from Maine until I saw these guys play. Sixteen years later, COL Cull and I connected again at Ft Bragg, and here we are. Have actually been quite a few NU grads serving here at OEF. Everything going well, and soldiers doing great work. Appreciate the note from the president, as well. Best to everyone at the "Wich." Take care and thanks again. VR, Mike Shields '84 |
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