A Wealth of Information

The last few days have been chock full of information! I guess it's feast or famine with the Army. Anyway, Col. Patton of 2BCT has a new letter out to the families, and Lt. Col. Fant also has a letter to 2-17 families.

Lieutenant Colonel John Fant who is stationed with his troops in Ramadi, oversees all of 2-17. Several of us had the priviledge of chatting with him online this morning. Below is a transcript of the session, which contained all sort of interesting information. (Please note that this is not a direct transcript. I have taken the liberty to edit it so questions and answers match up and so superfluous information has been deleted.)

Lt. Col. Fant: Good morning, afternoon or evening. I am LTC John S. Fant, Commander, 2-17 Field Artillery stationed at Camp Ramadi, Ar Ramadi, Iraq. I want to thank Ms Lyn Taylor for inviting me to join your support group occasionally.

Lyn: Thank you LTC Fant, welcome.

Lt. Col. Fant: First, I am not able to answer operational questions (mission rotation plan, exact # of Soldiers in the battalion or the brigade, etc) as this is an unsecure medium. The enemy monitors what we do. However, I will do the best to answer your most important questions.

Lt. Col. Fant: Also, there is a lot of information on our new battalion FRG website - www.steelfrg.com http://www.steelfrg.com. There are pictures of our current home and of our Soldiers. Check it out and let us know what you think.
I will start by answering what I anticipate to be the broadest question - what is the leave policy and when does it start. Leave period will be from November 04 thru May 05. The first leave window opens the first week in November. 2-17 FA will get roughly 40 slots for November and about the same # for the other months. The # of slots differs based on the unit. We are only authorized to have 10% of our Soldiers on leave or pass at anytime due to our mission requirements. Also, not everyone will leave at the same time but will depart throughout the month of November.
Soldiers will be allowed 15 days of leave. Travel time to his destination doesn’t count against him. His 15 days of leave start when he arrives at the airport in the United States. Other words, travel time doesn’t count against the Soldier.
Soldiers’ tickets will be paid by the Army to and from the closest airport to his chosen destination regardless of connecting flight requirements. I estimate about 60% of 2-17 FA will be able to take leave due to our mission and leave window closing after May 05. The Soldier is subject to recall so he must have valid primary and alternate phone # before he goes on leave.
All Soldiers going on leave will receive stress reduction classes and reintegration training in order to make the leave must enjoyable for everyone. Passes are only 4 days in length and will be taken in Qatar. The Marines have priority of passes as they are not authorized leave due to the Marines’ different rotation schedule. Our life is pretty good here given the overall situation.
All the Soldiers live in concrete buildings. Each has access to movies, internet, phones, and a gym. Mail is received about every three days and leaves our post just as often. We have a dining facility which serves 4 hot meals a day. Soldier’s down time varies based on his specific mission. We all work very long hours. Each Soldier works 12-15 hour days but all get breaks during that time. Ok, having typed all that, I will take your questions. Please try to keep your question general in topic so to benefit the most people. What questions I cannot answer because of time tonight, I will send the information to Lyn. Ready, Set, GO! (I will extend my time because of my lateness.)

Question: I have another question regarding leave, when will soldiers know?
Lt. Col. Fant: We got the slots today for the Battalion and will break them out for the batteries. The batteries already have a priority established.

Question: Can the soldiers pick the time they would like to go on leave?
Lt. Col. Fant: Soldiers can ask for certain time for leave but may not happen exactly then.

Question: I saw that there are 5 young women in the group - Is there anything special that they need or want?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have no women in our unit. We do work with women from the engineers on different operations, it puts the Iraqi women and children at ease.

Question: What kinds of facilities do they have for heating stuff up? Can we send microwave popcorn or the individual soup can for example?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have hotplates and microwave ovens available

Question: In a Stars and Stripes article it indicated that all the batteries were on four month rotations with Alpha starting out on patrol. Your letter to the families indicated that Alpha specifically received additional infantry training while in Kuwait. Is the plan still to rotate the battery’s duties and if so why didn’t all the batteries receive this training?
Lt. Col. Fant: Battery rotation schedules have changed since Kuwait but (will be) no longer than 4 months. Alpha will rotate after 4 months. Prior to rotation the other batteries will receive training preparing them for the change in mission.

Question: Does the rotation include HHB?
Lt. Col. Fant: HHB and Service help in all missions but each's general mission of support will remain throughout the year

Question: Are communications with family, (ie. internet, phones) shut down during "close calls"?
Lt. Col. Fant: Phones and internet are shut off when the brigade experience a death of one of our brothers. It is out of respect to the families of the lost Soldier or Marine. It is not punishment for anyone

Question: (The) boys say equipment is taking a beating. Are they getting replacements and repairs quickly?
Lt. Col. Fant: Parts and supplies are coming in. As y'all know boys break things. But our top notch mechanics are all over it

Question: Is there plenty of water for the soldiers to drink?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have enough water here to irrigate Somalia! No problems with water for showers or drinking.

Question: How is the healthcare for our soldiers?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have a medical station right next to our battalion HQs. The next level care is adjacent to the mess hall in the center of camp. Serious injuries get evacuated very quickly either by air or ground.

Question: It appeared that Seth Robson of Stars & Stripes was embedded with 2-17 for a while, but I have not seen any articles from him lately. Is he still with the unit and are there any other reporters that are embedded with you?
Lt. Col. Fant: Seth left us in mid Sep. We are supposed to get another reporter soon

Question: Do they have bunkers for protection in the camps?
Lt. Col. Fant: We are continually working protection measure for our Soldiers. We have concrete buildings all the soldiers live in. All the latrines are fortified. Force protection is a work in progress. We get better every day.

Question: Are all the soldiers receiving flu shots?
Lt. Col. Fant: Flu shots are coming.

Question: Are church services available?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have a chapel on camp which offers catholic, protestant, gospel and latter day saints

Question: Is there anyone where the soldiers can talk to if the feel really down?
Lt. Col. Fant: Soldiers can talk to me anytime. The Chaplain is always available as well.

Question: No Jewish services?
Lt. Col. Fant: I don't know about Jewish services. I don't believe we have a Rabbi on camp.

Question: There was a question emailed about the losses within the 2-17 and additional personnel being brought in from Korea, is this true?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have lost four of our brothers in 2-17 FA. We are not getting replacements from Korea. All our personnel replacements are coming from Ft Carson. Everyone knows I hope that we are going back to Carson next summer.

Question: How is moral and what can we do to boost it?
Lt. Col. Fant: Morale is great. The Soldiers are into the mission are really doing well. It helps knowing y'all are behind us…Care packages are starting to flow. Movies and video games (PS2/Xbox) are very popular and in high demand.

Question: How do the people in Iraq treat our soldiers?
Lt. Col. Fant: Most of the Iraqi people are friendly. We meet them nearly everyday. But they are scared because of the terrorists threatening them. That is why we are here.

Question: Carson was reported as "temporary" is this move permanent for the 2nd BCT.
Lt. Col. Fant: The politicians will have to figure out the definition of temporary. I am just happy to know I have a home after this is over.

Question: What is the resource situation with 2-17? There is a rumor that if more soldiers are not found thru the reserves and that if there are more casualties, that they may be sent home? Please clarify. I am concerned that a short-resourced/staffed battery will place my soldier in greater jeopardy than he already is.
Lt. Col. Fant: We are at 100% strength in the battalion. 2-17 FA is not short on people or work. Every mission we do we look at the tactical (enemy) and accidental risk involved and take steps to mitigate each.

Question: What do you think the chances are that deployment time will be reduced?
Lt. Col. Fant: I don't expect the tour to be shortened.

Question: Is this true that you guys may have to stay longer over there then 1 year?
Lt. Col. Fant: We are here until our mission is completed however long that is. However, we believe we will return to CONUS sometime around September.

Question: Militarily challenged here, would the 1/9 be considered part of your battalion?
Lt. Col. Fant: 1-9 is a separate unit but is located on the camp. I have Soldiers that work with them daily. Great outfit.

Question: How close are the camps to each other in Ramadi?
Lt. Col. Fant: All the camps are within roughly 20 miles of each other

Question: What is the situation with the Segovia contract specifically in the camps for 2-17? Will they no longer have access to sat phones, will you be renewing the contract with Segovia or another provider?
Lt. Col. Fant: Segovia is up and running. No problems now. We had a technical problem at one of the down link sites in Europe but works fine. That is the system I am using now

Question: What camp is HHB 2-17 at?
Lt. Col. Fant: (All of) 2-17 is on Camp Ramadi, formerly known as Camp Junction City

Question: There are so many awful things reported in the news organizations, are there any positive accomplishments or goals that you have achieved with the locals in Ramadi that you can tell us about?
Lt. Col. Fant: We have several projects in the community: We have a garbage collection program we are trying to get started, soccer teams are being formed, but the security of the people must come first and that is currently our focus. We are working to get more school supplies to each of the 17 schools in AO Steel. We will pass these out to the batteries.

Question: What to you mean about garbage collection ?
Lt. Col. Fant: There is very poor public sanitation program in our AO. We are trying to get started with garbage trucks and containers.

Question: My son is impressed with all his leaders training and equipment, he felt well prepared for being in artillery for their mission.
Lt. Col. Fant: That is great news. Glad to hear it. We came over here better prepared than probably any other Brigade Combat Team. We had a great train up. The boys are taking care of me. They are all great Americans

Question: Do our soldiers ever get days off? When will they get a day off?
Lt. Col. Fant: Soldiers work 12-15 hours a day. I have not had a day off in three months. But the Soldiers get breaks during shifts and his NCO gives him time to take care of personal business, like washing clothes and going to the PX.

Question: I am planning a trip to Walter Reed this coming week, do you know if you have a soldier there?
Participant: SGT Orlando Gill is at Walter reed getting great care, has a great attitude, they can't keep him in his room.
Lt. Col. Fant: SGT Gill is unbelievable. Even after he was injured he kept fighting. We miss him.

Question: What is gone to be done for the holidays for the soldiers?
Lt. Col. Fant: We are planning sports competitions and other games. There will be big meals in the mess hall. But the mission continues.

Question: Will there be holiday displays at all? If so, what recommendation would you have regarding Chanukah in a Muslim country?
Lt. Col. Fant: Yes, displays for the holidays are welcome. I am not involved in that so I cannot speak on that topic

Question: Do they have room for a tree?
Lt. Col. Fant: Yes to trees. We did bring some stuff so you won't need to send too many trees.

Question: How often does outgoing mail leave the 2-17 camps?
Lt. Col. Fant: Mail gets delivered about every three days and departs about the same schedule. Send the packages when you can. When mail comes it is like Christmas everyday regardless of the calendar.

Question: Is there anything the soldiers might need that they have not asked for or can't get?
Lt. Col. Fant: I don't know of any real needs. Since we can order on line and have a PX it meets most of our needs and wants.

Question: In your opinion, other than letters and packages, is there anything else that we can do to make this difficult time for our soldiers easier and to help keep their morale up?
Lt. Col. Fant: We can always use stuff. I will have to ask on what else to send. My morale is pretty high already but I am sure the Soldiers could use something that I cannot think of right now.

Question: Have things heightened with the coming of Ramadan?
Lt. Col. Fant: Ramadan is a sensitive time for this country so we are careful on what we do.

Question: Several commanders from other units do a monthly newsletter to the families to keep them informed. Would you consider doing this so that we can stay better informed or perhaps coming to visit us again here?
Lt. Col. Fant: I just posted this months letter on our new website www.steelfrg.com. Hope I helped will join again soon. Ciao. STEEL!

Thank you LTC. Fant for your time today. We really appreciate you making room in your schedule to speak with us. It is very comforting and helps us to better support our troops. We are grateful all that you do and the sacrifices you make. Stay strong and be safe.

Rory Check-in

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to let you know I got a very short email from Rory, so he is fine. :)

"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles. It empties today of its strength."--Mary Engelbreit

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Woo hoo! The Sox and the Cards are going to the series! This is going to be fun! Rory, we wish you were here! :)

2-17 Website

Hi Gang,

They finally put up a 2-17 website! There are pictures there...I scoured them all and could not see/pick out Rory in any of them, but it is still worth checking out. Hopefully we will be getting pictures of him soon. I will continue to check this site as well as all the others and post consolidated info. here as I find. (Don't know how often they will update the 2-17 information.) Cheers!

2ndBCT Article

2 BCT takes fight to enemy

[10/20/2004]

Source: Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sutton

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq – Second Brigade Combat Team has taken the fight to the enemy over the past two weeks, yielding large caches of weapons and ammunition and rounding up anti-Iraqi force detainees. The brigade has captured more than 300 suspected anti-Iraqi fighters, dozens of rocket propelled grenades, mortar systems, rockets, anti-tank mines and tons of mortar, rocket and rifle ammunition. Units have also battled insurgents in fierce urban fighting. “We are relentless in our pursuit of terrorists,” said Col. Gary S. Patton, 2nd BCT commander. “We will take this battle to them at every opportunity, with overwhelming combat power, and without warning.” Patton said the brigade is making a positive impact in the brigade’s area of operations by degrading the terrorist networks, manpower, and supplies, and by denying them safe havens. The brigade’s recent successes can be attributed to the multiple brigade- and battalion-level operations conducted that give the enemy little, if any, time to reorganize and resupply before the brigade’s units conduct the next combat operation. “I am deeply proud of the men and women of this brigade combat team,” said Patton. “We have sustained some losses in close combat, but our fighting spirit remains very high. Our Soldiers and Marines recognize they are making the area safer and more secure for the Iraqi people.” The brigade’s units also are continuing efforts in the local communities to rebuild infrastructure and provide much needed humanitarian assistance to the local population. Units recently visited, and have a continuing relationship with, a local university and several local neighborhood schools, ensuring that the schools continue to operate, are safe for the students and are well supplied. Members of the brigade also recently conducted a census of a refugee camp near Habbiniyah in preparation for much needed humanitarian assistance. The unit is scheduled to deliver medical supplies to the camp this week. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, one of three brigades of the 2nd Infantry Division, deployed to Iraq in August from the Republic of Korea, where it has stood for more than 50 years as a deterrent to North Korean aggression. The brigade is organized during this deployment to include a Marine infantry battalion in addition to its six Army battalions. The brigade is scheduled to redeploy for stationing at Fort Carson, Colo., upon completion of its one-year tour in Iraq.

Christmas Mailings...

The U.S. Postal Service has released the 2004 holiday recommended mailing dates for those wanting to send packages to the United States forces in the Middle East.

If you like to send something to Rory and want it to get there before/by Christmas, follow the regulations below:

• Packages sent parcel post, the recommended deadline to send is 11/13.
• Priority mail, first-class cards and letters no later than 12/6.
• There is a 70-pound limit for incoming or outgoing APO/FPO mail.

Happy holidays (already!).

*****************************
Not a lot of other news today, other than a blurb that I found that is not worth posting about how the conflicts continue in Ramadi. Rory did email yesterday, so all is good.

At this point, and in unrelated news, I must shamelessly plug the Sox. Wooo Hooo! What a recovery! The curse will be broken! I believe, I believe! One more game baby! And if the Cards can get their act together this could be one heck of a series! I will be glued to the set tonight.

Go Sox! Go Cards!

Sorry Mark, it just wasn't meant to be for the Cubbies this year... ;P

No News...

Is good news, and bad news travels fast as they say. No new updates. Time and the NY Times have some article accounts with first hand info. on the Ramadi and Fallujah from mostly the Marines. Nothing specific from 2-17.

Rory was online yesterday AM and posted in the comments section of SPO Merville's memorial post. In case you missed it.

Hope everyone is hanging in there.

Some Good News

I got a couple of really short emails from Rory in response to some questions I sent him. I just wanted to let you all know that I heard from him and he is okay. I asked him about a "typical day" for him and this was his response:

"Our days never start or end at any specified time. We work 24/7, sleep when you can. Sometimes we drive around looking for bombs, sometimes we are an escort service, sometimes we conduct raids in the city, sometimes we sit in OPs and watch the city."

Rob Brooke, was also injured again with another concussion, but is recovering.

I am relieved that they are both okay. We love you guys! Stay strong. We are all very proud of you.

Specialist Bradley Scott Beard

Our heart breaks over the loss of Specialist Bradley Scott Beard, SVC Btry 2/17th FA.

Betsy, Randy & Staci you are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.