Sent:
Subject: Apache Update - As of 15 FEB 05
Family and Friends,
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us
here in
It actually seems more like Christmas than Valentine’s
Day for the soldiers
of Apache Company. Last Thursday, we received our M4 Carbine
Rifles.
They
are the replacement rifle for
the M16A2 Rifles that we have been working on
getting since we were alerted
for deployment. The State of
pursued the acquisition of the
rifles relentlessly and finally obtained them
in late January. Our soldiers are now among a very small
percentage of
National Guard soldiers, here in
I can not say enough about how well the State of
prepared us for this
mission. The Governor and Adjutant
General have worked
tirelessly to ensure we have
every tool we need to accomplish our mission
and return home safely. They have also trained us very well. We see
firsthand the remarkable support
our state has provided when we talk to
soldiers from other states. There just isn’t any comparison. We can all be
proud of our state and our great
leaders for not giving up, and not taking
“No” for an answer when it comes to taking care of
soldiers, and for
providing tough and realistic
training.
The M4 Rifle is basically a shorter version of the M16
and is better suited
for the mission we are executing
here. The shorter M4 is more easily used
in our vehicles and in urban
situations that cause our soldiers to enter or
move among buildings. The soldiers are now in the process of
signing for
their M4s and zeroing them on
the range just outside of our camp.
As always, the soldiers are busy. We are on the road every day. Our
soldiers have been all over
central and northern
palaces and driven through the
poverty stricken areas just outside their
gates. We’ve seen first hand the potential the Iraqi
people have as they
struggle to establish democracy
in their country. Democracy does have a
chance here. We know it will take time and there will
continue to be
challenges. We just keep pushing ahead every day. Each day brings us one
step closer to mission
accomplishment and reuniting with our families and
friends.
Speaking of family and friends, I have to thank all of
you again for all
your support. Your support has been amazing and even a
little overwhelming
at times. I have attached a photo taken on Valentine’s
Day. The photo
shows our soldiers unloading and
separating just one day’s worth of mail.
If the amount of mail is a reflection of the level of
support a unit has,
then Apache Company is by far
the best supported company here. Our
mail is
generally double what any other
unit receives on our base camp. Thank
you
so much for all you do in
coordinating and sending care packages.
They
really do lift the soldiers’
spirits.
With that said, we are completely overwhelmed with snack
foods and candy. I’ve
been joking with our cooks that
they could probably pack up and head back
home because we have enough
snacks and candy to feed the entire company for
the rest of the deployment. Many soldiers have multiple family members
and
friends sending them care
packages full of treats. The result is
more candy
than anyone person could
possibly eat. The soldiers try to share
but
everyone else seems to have just
as much.
You certainly do not need to send lots of snacks and food
out of fear that
we aren’t getting enough to
eat. Besides, some of us could probably
stand a
little less candy and
sugar. We’ll all need to eat as healthy
as we can,
especially when the summer heat
comes, so we can maintain the proper
electrolyte level and stay
well-hydrated.
Everyone back home has also done a remarkable job of
sending toiletry items.
Again, we are starting to get overwhelmed. None of us will have to worry
about tooth paste, tooth
brushes, deodorant, shampoo, etc for the rest of
the deployment. I was looking in one of our soldiers’ tents
the other day
and thinking they might not have
to buy any toiletries the rest of their
lives.
I would like to request that you all start asking your
soldiers specifically
what things they would like you
to send. That way, we are not
overwhelming
the soldiers with items. Additionally, I would request that we shift
our
focus from food and toiletries
to magazines, newspaper articles, letters,
and pictures/videos. Even if the magazines and newspapers are a
few weeks
old, they make us feel closer to
home. More importantly, a letter from a
loved one and a few pictures, or
a video, of family and friends mean far
more than all the candy in the
world.
We are grateful for all of your support. We would not be able to do what we
do without all of the love and
support from back home. You are all a
valuable part of our team. In fact, without all of you, we would not
have a
team. Please continue to keep these great soldiers
in your thoughts and
prayers.
God Bless,
Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR