1st Cavalry 27th Brigade Support Batallion Rough Riders
27th BSB PRAYER REQUESTS
~*~*~*~ 27th BSB News 1 November 2008
Greetings First Lutheran Family, It is hard to believe that it is November already and that we have completed five months of the deployment. Our missions and operational tempo make the days go by quickly. Our support to the Long Knife Brigade continues to be stellar. Thus far we have completed more than 2,750 maintenance jobs, treated more that 2,718 medical patients and completed over 85 combat logistics patrols for a total of more than 140,000 miles driven. One of our big emphasis areas is safety and I am very pleased with the dedication to safe operations shown by our leaders and Troopers. Security conditions in southern continue to improve as do our relationships with the Iraqi Security Forces. Despite the gains in security, we lost two of our finest Troopers in the Brigade to combat this month, and are doing everything we can to prevent future losses. We are working very diligently to secure the routes and our convoys as well as improve the capability of Iraqi army and police units in our area of operations. We continuously review and update our tactics to counter the threats in our area. We are seeing the results of our partnership with the Iraqi Army as they develop more competence and confidence. The Rough Riders play a key role in assisting them to develop the ability to sustain themselves. Our training program is focused on the development of their leader skills and understanding of their logistics systems, as well as providing them with maintenance and medical training. In addition to our training and mentorship role with the 10th Iraqi Division Motor Transport Regiment (MTR), we are also building a close bond of trust with them. Many of the key leaders in the battalion enjoyed an Eid Al Fitr Feast with the MTR this month to mark the end of Ramadan. We also hosted a soccer match with the MTR's soccer team which proved to be a great team building event, although they easily won 5-1. Fortunately, the here weather has started to improve significantly, with average days barely reaching 85 degrees. It is nice to see a change of season approaching at the end of a very long hot summer. Now the rainy season is on us. We are preparing for a grand Thanksgiving Dinner here at COB Adder. It will be nothing like being at home with our Families, but all of our Troopers will be able to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving spread with all of the trimmings. We recognized Halloween this month with a Halloween Fun Run. Next week, we will conduct a prayer breakfast for all of the Soldiers in the battalion. As leaders, we stress to our Soldiers that their spiritual fitness is vital to our success as individuals and as a unit. We are so grateful for the love and support that you all have shown us and your Families. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Sincerely, LTC Mark Simerly Rough Rider 6
Past Letters from Commander, Mark Simerly We recently packaged cookies for 450 troops for their deployment. Here are some pictures from that day. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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