We spent time in the Poconos recently with our dear friends.

Family letters

Here's a copy of the latest family letter and a bonus letter from Bagram Air

Field. The Battalion Commander's letters seem to be more about Ghazni than

Bagram, so this time he attached a letter specifically about Bagram. We

continue to hear from Seth on a fairly routine basis (although Brittany

hears from him more than Jan and I - go figure) and depending on the day he

s either tired and grumpy or tired and sounding pretty good. The constant

seems to be tired. Night towers have caused a little biological time clock

confusion and he says he's averaging about four hours sleep per day. On his

day off (yeah right) earlier this week he was out on patrol, however today

it sounds like he had a real day off and spent the time hanging out with

some other soldiers watching movies all day. With the rotations back from

Ghazni he's managed to run into some people he knows from around home and

some guys he was at Fort Bragg with. I think that's lifted his spirits a

little. As mentioned in the letter that follows, he now has a combat patch

to wear on his uniform signifying that he's been in combat - a patch he

could happily through his life without. He continues to express sincere

appreciation for all the wonderful support he's received from family and

friends and he's trying to get cards out to as many people as he can. Even

if you don't hear from Seth, please know that he thanks God each day for the

wonderful people who have surrounded him with an incredible amount of love

from an incredible distance.

Here are the family letters we received today:

21 November 2004

Dear TF Normany Family Members,

Operations continue successfully here in Afghanistan. We have

begun to move into some areas that have not had a lot of US or Coalition

presence. It is very interesting to go to these areas. When we arrive the

population is very suspicious. There are no waving or smiling children and

the people stare at us. It is a great feeling that by the time we leave,

people are waving and smiling and asking us to come back soon. As I have

said so often, we truly are making a difference… in people’s attitudes if

nothing else.

We are also making a difference at Bagram. The work our

Soldiers are doing at Bagram is vitally important and they are doing it

extremely well. I have attached a letter from our Soldiers at Bagram that

describes their accomplishments. I could not be more proud of their

professionalism and dedication to duty.

This has been a big week for the troops at BAF. We had a visit

from a virtual constellation of generals. LTG Blum, the Chief of National

Guard Bureau, MG Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia and MG Wyman,

the Commanding General of the 29th Infantry Division. Though they had only

a short stay, they took the opportunity to talk to several members of the

security force at BAF. They were able to speak to two sets of guards

preparing for duty (both the day and the night shifts) as well as most of

the leaders.

Both LTG Blum and MG Williams said they had received great

comments about the work all our Soldiers were doing. In addition, they said

we were just as capable in our abilities as any other active duty unit.

This is possibly the highest praise that can be given to a reserve forces

unit working with regular Army units.

Though LTG Blum had to leave early the next morning, MG Williams

and MG Wyman were able to remain to participate in two important ceremonies…

the dedication of Camp Cherry-Beasley and the Combat Patch/CIB ceremony.

The dedication of the camp was to name it in honor of SSG Cherry and SGT

Beasley, two of our soldiers who died in an IED attack in August.

For the “Combat Patch” ceremony, the generals, as well as COL Simpson, the

Stonewall Brigade commander and COL Cheek, TF Thunder commander, awarded our

unit patch for our right shoulder to indicate that we have been in combat.

We had conducted the ceremony for Ghazni soldiers on November 2. The

generals also awarded Combat Infantry Badges and Combat Medical Badges to

about 30 soldiers.

The rotation of troops between Bagram and Ghazni continues. By

December, we should have completed this round of rotations and will be set

for the next few months.

In Ghazni, we have added additional water heaters so that we

should now have more hot water. In addition, the new well is almost

complete so we should have a generous supply of water soon. We have also

completed all the Tier 3 tents, so the living conditions should be set for

the winter. We are adding new generators which should give us more power as

well as more reliable power.

My last letter talked about Christmas mail. To be sure we get

it before Christmas, you will need to get it in the mail in the next two

weeks. Remember, it must be mailed no later than 6 December and we

recommend mailing by 28 November for Soldiers in Ghazni.

I also wanted to thank so many of you for the words of

encouragement you have been sending to the Soldiers… not just your own loved

ones. We receive a lot of letters from schools and churches and some who

just want to write and tell us how important what we are doing is. It is

always a good reminder of how great our nation is and why it is so critical

for us to be here.

Thank you all.

Take care, may God bless you and your family and God Bless America.

LTC Blake C. Ortner

Battalion Commander

Letter from the Soldiers at Bagram

Dear Family Members:

We (the soldiers of B Company, 3-116th INF, and attached platoons from A, C

and HHC Companies) are writing this in response to the number of growing

questions and concerns about the soldiers posted at Bagram Air Field (BAF).

It has been brought to our attention recently that very little is mentioned

about us in the monthly e-mail updates and that you wish to hear more about

our activities here. It is our wish that this letter will shed some light

on our missions here at BAF and also list some of our achievements, of which

you can be proud.

First and foremost, please accept our gratitude for the support you have

shown us. The care package drive has been a huge success and has provided

many necessary supplies to the soldiers here at BAF. We also thank you for

your contributions to our coat and clothing drive, supporting our effort to

provide humanitarian aide to the local population in the villages

surrounding BAF. These people are very poor and their common complaint is

that there are not enough jobs to sustain them in this area of the country.

The over-all mission at BAF is perimeter security. This mission

consists of several parts – all of which are equally important to the safety

and security of this installation and the military and civilian personnel

stationed here.

The first part consists of manning the guard towers that

overlook the fence surrounding this post. This is the hardest task that we

have to accomplish here at BAF because it’s the one that requires the most

manpower. The towers have to be manned 24/7, two soldiers per tower. To

accomplish this, we have four platoons on the towers at all times, two

during the day and two during the night. Each shift is twelve hours long.

The soldiers on tower duty have a rough schedule. In addition to a twelve

hour shift, posting the soldiers to the towers takes an additional hour, and

reciprocally it takes an hour for a soldier to be relieved from his post.

So by the time a soldier is done for the day, he’s already worked 14 hours.

Add to that time to unwind or do PT, eat and conduct personal hygiene and

the soldier has now had a 17 to 18 hour day.

The perimeter security company also provides a Ready Reaction Force squad to

the post commander of BAF. This usually consists of a squad and an attached

machine gun team to respond to any emergencies here on BAF – usually in

support of a security breach along the fence line. The platoon on RRF duty

is on call 24/7.

About two months ago, we were tasked with conducting patrols through the

surrounding villages. These patrols were in response to rocket attacks on

BAF and were a means of deterring insurgents from setting up launch sites.

The squads met with leaders and spokesmen from the villages and the local

Afghan Militia Forces (AMF). Even in light of their poverty, the locals

we’ve visited have been very hospitable and have opened their homes –

inviting soldiers in for tea. The squads on patrol have been responsible

for marking the positions of numerous pieces of unexploded ordinance and

mines (mostly left over from the Soviets) – which greatly assisted the Air

Force Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams in their efforts to make the

surrounding countryside safer for everyone. Several weapons and munitions

caches have also been discovered, seized and disposed of.

The patrols also identify problems in the villages and pass these concerns

on to Civil Affairs. School supplies and candy are passed out in large

amounts to the local children. To date, the soldiers on patrol have

identified two villages that are requesting visits from the Afghan National

Army recruiting teams. During the elections, patrols were conducted to

prevent anyone from disrupting the polling sites.

As you can see, we here at BAF have been, and continue to be, very busy. We

still find time for important things like phone calls, e-mails and letters

home. We will try and get letters like this out to you more often so that

you may stay informed of the day to day of the soldiers at BAF. Again,

thank you for your support. Thank you for all the letters and packages from

home.

Sincerely and respectfully yours,

The 3-116th at Bagram Air Field

Happy Thanksgiving to all and as always, thanks for listening.

Ed

Night time towers

We talked to Seth on Saturday and Jan talked to him today (Monday.) He continues to do well and maintains a positive attitude. He is finishing his first round of night tower duty and finding that there is something more boring than standing towers during the day. He is looking forward to a December move to the forward operating base at Ghazni and apparently this will be a good move for everybody involved. When the 116th was sent to Afghanistan their mission was base security at Bagram. The original plan involved the 550+ soldiers working at Bagram. Apparently the Battalion Commander volunteered the 116th for additional duties. Seth notes that most folks think he did this because it would look good for him and the Guard. Motivation aside, this split the 116th with approximately half the troops heading to Ghazni and Camp Tiger. Instead of 550 men for perimeter security at Bagram, we now have half the number needed. That has meant longer and more shifts in the tower and less time off. Of course the conditions at Camp Tiger were so primitive that all the men eventually ended up at Ghazni. Conditions at Ghazni are not quite as good as at Bagram (although that is changing). Those troops spend more time on patrol, but don't have to do the endless hours of tower standing so there is a trade-off on both sides. They have begun rotating troops from Bagram to Ghazni and the other way around. Seth is scheduled to head to Ghazni sometime in December and is actually looking forward to that move. Once the move is made, I don't think we'll hear from him as regularly. Here is the latest family letter from the Battilion Commander:

Nov. 4, 2004

Dear 3-116 Infantry Family Members:

I would like to welcome our newest Task Force members from the 229th Engineers out of Fredericksburg and augmentees from around the state.

The engineers have made an immediate impact by helping with construction on Camp Ghazni and by conducting operations. The new maintenance team was put straight to work fixing vehicles. The new staff members have jumped right into operations. All of our soldiers are benefiting from the skills and hard work of our new team members. They are very welcome arrivals.

Winter has arrived in Afghanistan. The weather is turning cold, especially up here in the mountains of Ghazni.

However, some areas are heating up.

In a province where we recently began operations, we have had some direct fire engagements with the enemy. There were no casualties on either side. When our soldiers were fired at, they responded with overwhelming firepower including mortars. We also called in A-10 attack aircraft and B-1 bombers and the engagements ended quickly. Our soldiers performed exceptionally well.

At Bagram [Air Base], our soldiers continue to perform the perimeter security mission. Their efforts will soon be enhanced by surveillance technology that will improve security. They continue to patrol in the vicinity of Bagram.

The rotation of troops from Bagram to Ghazni has begun. This will benefit every soldier. One of the greatest dangers we face is the potential for complacency when we do the same things in the same place day after day. Putting soldiers in a new environment keeps them alert. Changes throw off the enemy who looks for patterns of behavior in patrol areas and at Bagram. New soldiers seeing things for the first time, notice things people who have been in a place for a long time stop seeing. It is tough to pick up and move, but it is something we expected and are trained to do.

Yesterday was an important day for our battalion. We conducted our "combat patch" ceremony. We placed our unit patch on our right shoulder to indicate that we have been in combat.

This was a very proud moment because the 29th Division patch has not been awarded for combat since World War II. Even more profound, there will only be about 650 soldiers in the entire Army who will wear our combat patch.

In addition, we awarded Combat Infantry Badges and Combat Medical Badges to those who have been approved. The division commander made a very important point. He said that awarding the 29th patch was a historical moment, but we were taking part in even a more historical event. Last month, for the first time in its 5000 year history, the people of Afghanistan elected their leader.

I have received questions about Christmas mail. To ensure that mail is received in time for Christmas, it must be mailed no later than 6 December.

But if your loved one is in Ghazni, it takes about an extra week to get it from Bagram to Ghazni. You should mail gifts for soldiers in Ghazni by Nov. 28.

We are making plans to get all the mail that we expect to see down here. It will be a challenge, but we face challenges every day and never fail to meet them.

Living conditions in Ghazni are improving. We have placed heaters in all the permanent buildings and about 75 percent of Tier 3 tents. Within the next few days, every soldier will have heat. Additional water heaters are coming, which should give us more hot water, and so is a new shower facility. They are also going to start enlarging the dining facility and gym. Plans for more internet computers and phones are moving forward.

I know there has been a great deal of concern about vehicles. We just received five more up-armored HMMWVs [Humvees]. Other equipment is coming as well.

We are about three months into our 12 month deployment. I have talked to many soldiers and some say it has gone quickly, others say it is dragging on forever. All I can say is that we are one-quarter of the way through with a long way still to go.

The holidays are often lonely times for deployed soldiers, so the more you can write and keep in touch, the better it will be for them.

We all wish we could be home, but we will be home soon. Please know that our shared sacrifice is making a huge difference in the lives of the Afghan people and for the security of our country. Your loved ones are doing an amazing job.

Take care, may God bless you and your family and God Bless America.

As always, Thanks for reading. Ed.