To:Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 1:28 AM
Subject: Apache Update - As of 10 MAR 05

Family and Friends,                                                   10
March 2005

This week has brought more rain and wind.  The miles of sand and barren
country around our camp have again turned into a sea of mud.  Traveling
anywhere in these conditions is challenging.  Some days we seem to spend
more time getting stuck, and unstuck, than anything else.  The best part
about it all is that it provides some much needed humor as the soldiers
reminisce about their muddy adventures of the day.

The rain has temporarily delayed our initial move in preparation for the
trailers we still plan to move into by May.  Fortunately, they were able to
get most of the rock laid in our temporary tent area prior to the rain.
First Sergeant and several of the soldiers plan to start building the wood
floors for the tents today.  We should have our temporary area set up and be
completely moved in within the next two weeks.  This temporary area is only
called that because we will be living there until our trailers are done.  It
does not mean it won’t be nice or that it won't have everything the soldiers
need.  The plan is the temporary area will become the permanent, transit
housing area for units that visit our camp.  We are keeping that in mind and
will build it so that it is even better than the area we are currently
living in.  It will be a lot of work as we move to the temporary tent area
and then into the trailers.  Still, it will be a great process that will
continue to improve the quality of life for our soldiers.

We are also very close to getting wireless internet connection in our living
area.  Many of the soldiers have told me that having internet in their
living area is the best possible morale enhancing thing we can do.  We are
working with one of the other National Guard units on our camp to make this
happen.  They have a soldier who works in his civilian career installing
internet service into large hotels.  He has purchased the necessary
equipment and is working diligently to get the system up and running.

The ability to obtain and install wireless internet service for our soldiers
is a great example of the type of skills that the National Guard brings to
deployments.  We are able to capitalize on the civilian skill sets of our
soldiers that their active duty counterparts generally do not have.  When we
have trouble with the showers, we have plumbers who can look at it.  When we
need additional lights or plug-ins in our tents, we have electricians.  Now,
as we are getting ready to build floors for our temporary tent area, we have
carpenters that can get a quality job done quickly.

I was informed by our Administrative NCO that we have had 16 soldiers
re-enlist since we were mobilized last October.  I knew we had a bunch but
that number blew me away.  I am proud that so many of our Apaches have
chosen to continue their careers as soldiers.  I hope that this high rate of
re-enlistments is at least in some small way a reflection of the pride our
soldiers have for being Apaches and members of a great team.

The soldiers continue to astonish and amaze me every day.  Their morale and
attitude are second to none.  They laugh at the rain, they mock the heat,
and they seem to have figured out a way to thrive in the never ending
16-hour days.  They have truly become a band of brothers.  They lift each
other up as only soldiers can.  Sometimes with good-natured teasing, other
times with tough language and counseling, and still other times with a
gentle hand on the shoulder and words of encouragement.  The soldiers know
each other as well as they know their closest family.  They sense when one
of their brothers needs words of encouragement or maybe just some time
alone.  In every case, they are there for each other.  They are family.

God Bless,

Mike Pazdernik
Captain, Armor
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR