Monday, December 05, 2005 8:15 AM
Hello Everyone,
We'll be home tomorrow!!!

Here is an update of the community welcome home ceremonies and the reintegration training.
Community Welcome Home Ceremonies:

St. Cloud - The community welcome home ceremony will be held at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud, located at 1527 Northway Drive. The Soldiers will be arriving at 3:00 PM. Families and friends should arrive by 2:30 PM so they can get in the center before the Soldiers arrive.

Brainerd - The ceremony will be held at the Brainerd High School. Soldiers will be arriving at 4:00 PM. Families and friends should arrive by 3:30 PM.

Wadena - The ceremony will be held at the Wadena / Deer Creek High School in Wadena. The Soldiers will be arriving at 4:30 PM. Families and friends should arrive by 4:00 PM.

Sauk Centre - Soldiers will be picked up by a van at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. The ceremony will be held at the Sauk Centre Armory. The Soldiers will arrive at 3:30 PM. Families and friends should arrive by 3:00 PM.


Reintegration Training at Camp Ripley:
Training on both days will be held at the Camp Ripley Recreation Center.

Here are the schedules for each day:

Day 1 - December 7th:
0900-0915 Welcome and Program Overview
0915-0945 Reintegration Experience
1000-1045 Relationship Reintegration (Separate Groups for Married and Single Soldiers and Families/Friends)
1100-1130 VA Vet Center Briefing
1130-1200 Normalization of Combat Experiences
1200-1300 Lunch - Catered Meal
1300-1330 Employer Support for Guard and Reserve Briefing
1330-1430 One-on-One Counseling and Meeting Opportunities
1430-1445 Final Formation and Dismissal

Day 2 - December 8th:
1000-1030 St. Cloud VA Center Briefing
1030-1100 Employment / Unemployment - Job Seeking Skills
1100-1130 TRICARE
1130-1200 Travel Vouchers
1200-1300 Lunch - Catered Meal
1300-1330 CVSO Briefing
1330-1400 Education Benefits
1400-1415 Legal Services Brief
1415-1500 Complete Remaining Paperwork and One-on-One Counseling / Meeting Opportunities
1500-1515 Overview of Upcoming Drill Weekends and Safety Briefing
1515-1700 Soldier and Family Personal Time
1700-1800 Official State Welcome Home Ceremony
1800 Dismissal

Soldiers will be authorized to wear civilian clothes to the reintegration training. Desert Camoflague Uniform is authorized. All Soldiers will wear their uniform for the Official State Welcome Home Ceremony.
Lodging: All Soldiers and Families (immediate family), who live more than 50 miles from Camp Ripley and elect to stay in a hotel, will stay at the Ramada Inn in Brainerd. The Ramada Inn has been contracted. Soldiers will not
receive reimbursement if they elect to stay in another hotel. The Ramada Inn is a nice hotel with resteraunt, pool, game room, etc. A continental breakfast will be provided at the Ramada Inn each morning and dinner will be
provided each evening. Lunch will be catered at the Camp Ripley Recreation Center each of the days.

We'll see you all very soon.
Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 6:35 AM
Hello everyone,

We are all safe and sound in Kuwait. Iraq is behind us and we will be back in the United States very soon. We will be flying out of Kuwait tomorrow and arriving at Fort Dix in the late afternoon on Tuesday.

The Soldiers are all doing great and spirits are very high. We'll send a message as soon as we possibly can once
we arrive at Fort Dix.

God Bless,

Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 9:07 AM
Subject: Happy thanksgiving form Paz

Happy Thanksgiving! Of course, we all wish we could be home with you. Still, we are very excited because tomorrow not only marks Thanksgiving but also our last full day in our forward operating base. We will be
leaving Iraq this weekend and will be flying back to the United States some time early next week. It is an amazing feeling to be so close to returning home.

We still do not know the exact day we will be arriving in Minnesota. Based on our projected arrival at Fort Dix, we expect complete our requirements there and return to Minnesota sometime on Sunday or Monday, the 4th or 5th of December. Again, we will notify everyone as soon as we know the flight day and time.

Many people back home are working very hard getting ready for our return. Preparations for the initial community
welcome home ceremonies are almost complete. We have arranged for one representative from each community, or family readiness group, to meet the plane in Minneapolis. They will ride the buses back to the communities and call ahead to notify everybody of the progress and expected arrival time.

Our goal is to make our return home a memorable event for the Soldiers, families, and communities. We have decided to make our initial return to our communities, instead of just returning to the airport, because we feel it is important for everyone to be able to share in the joy of our return. We are so very grateful for the support of our great communities. We want to encourage everyone to attend the community welcome home ceremonies to show their support for the Soldiers. Bring your flags and welcome home signs. It will be one of the greatest days in our
lives.

Planning for the two-day reintegration training is also coming along. Training is geared toward the Soldiers and families. We highly encourage family and friends to attend. Each of the days will begin around 9 am. Training
will primarily be conducted at the Camp Ripley Recreation Center. The first day will focus on different sessions for married and single Soldiers and their families. We expect training to end around 3 pm on the first day.

The second day will start with a church service, for those who choose to attend, at the Camp Ripley Chapel. Training on the second day will consist of sessions on medical, financial, and employment benefits. The second day will end with the Official State Welcome Home Ceremony. We expect events to end between 5 and 6 pm. All Soldiers will be released following the ceremony.

Hotel rooms will be provided for Soldiers and their immediate family members for the two nights surrounding the reintegration training. We are working on finalizing the contracts with the local hotels and will notify the Soldiers of which hotel they will be staying at when we get to Fort Dix. Daycare will be provided during the reintegration
training.

We all have much to be grateful for this year. We will be home soon! Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

God Bless,
Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Hello everyone,

We will be home very soon. I know there is lots of excitement and anticipation. I also know many of you are trying to figure out time off from work and other things related to our coming home. Unfortunately, we can't provide definitive dates and times for our return. There are thousands of Soldiers deploying and redeploying this time of year and it is impossible to accurately project dates and times more than a week out. Any challenge for any unit generally has a cascading effect on everyone else. Planes break down, flights get canceled because of whether, and countless
other things can happen that can affect our schedule.

With that said, we project we will arrive back in Minnesota between the 5^th and 8th of December. If everything goes as planned it should be the 6th or 7th. However, these dates are not set in stone. Of course, we will let everyone know as soon as possible when we find out our actual flight times. We do not expect to know for sure until a few days prior.

I ask you all to establish an open dialogue with your employers, schools, and other organizations about the reality and challenges of our military moving so many thousands of Soldiers. I'm confident many of these groups
will understand the situation.

The Employer Support for Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Office has agreed to send out letters to family members' employers asking them to give time off from work for the day we return home and for the two-day reintegration training at Camp Ripley. This letter is intended for spouses. The letter will ask employers to consider giving time off without charging vacation time or even considering giving paid time off. Any time off with pay, or without charging vacation time, will be done as a good gesture or show of support but is not required by law.

We are putting together a spreadsheet of family members and their employers, including name of the employer, direct supervisor, and address. The ESGR Office will draft up specific letters for each family member and will mail
them out.

We have been working with the Soldiers to get the required information. We plan to send the spreadsheet to the ESGR the beginning of this next week. I will continue to encourage the Soldiers to get us the information. At the
same time, please feel free to e-mail the information directly to me. Please include your name, your place of employment, the first and last name of your boss or direct supervisor, and their mailing address.

This is a very exciting time. We are all working very hard to make the Soldiers return home memorable. We are also working equally as hard to ensure the reintegration training is a positive experience that provides Soldiers and families the resources they need to make our transition as smooth as possible. Continue to be proud of your Soldiers, the tremendous work they are doing, and focus on the positive. We will be home soon.

Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

03 NOV 05
Hello everyone,

Sadly, I have to report that a Soldier from one of the other units on our forward operating base was killed last night.
Our computers and phones will be down for the next few days to allow for family notification. All of our Apaches are safe and doing well. Please keep all Soldiers and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

God Bless,
Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Hello everyone,

Some of you may have seen on the news that a Soldier was killed near our camp two days ago. The Soldier was not from our unit or assigned to our camp. He was part of a convoy that was traveling through our area and was attacked about 20 miles from our camp. The rest of the Soldier's unit stayed on our camp the following day. Our phones and Internet were shut down the remainder of that day and yesterday so the Soldier's family, and the family of four other Soldiers who were wounded, could be notified.

Our Soldiers are all safe and well. We have less than a month left in Iraq and our replacements will be here in less than two weeks. In fact, they should be in Kuwait by the weekend. The majority of our Soldiers have about three more weeks of missions before our replacements take over.

Our redeployment plan will be done very soon and will list the dates we plan to be home. Everything is still on track and we are scheduled to be back in Minnesota around 10 December. It might even be a few days earlier if everything goes without complication.

The weather cooled down rapidly these past two weeks. The highs are now only reaching the mid-80's. Lows are dropping into the 50's which feels like the 20's to us because our bodies had adjusted to the brutal heat. The cooler weather will definitely help us begin our adjustment to the real cold when we get home.

The excitement is building here for our return home. The Soldiers are definitely smiling more than in the past months. Spirits are very high. Still, we are not overlooking the fact we have a few more weeks to go. We continue to focus and execute our missions as true professionals. Continue to be proud and excited. We'll be home soon.

Paz

Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Family and Friends, 18 October 2005

Hello everyone. I wanted to take a few minutes and update you on the great things your Soldiers have been doing these past few weeks in support of the Iraqi Constitution Referendum Vote. These past weeks have been both very
busy and rewarding. Our Soldiers had a direct impact on creating the safe environment allowing millions of Iraqis to get out and vote. Indications are over 60% of all eligible Iraqis voted nationwide, and about 66% voted in our province.

Our operations were broken into two phases: creating a safe environment in the weeks leading up to the vote and assisting in security the day of the vote. The Iraqi Army and Police did a terrific job. We were enormously successful in both phases of the operation.

Several things happened in the weeks preceding the election. First, the Iraqi Army and Police conducted numerous exercises to demonstrate their ability to provide security and to quickly respond to incidents. Second, we dramatically increased our presence in our assigned area of responsibility. We restructured our mission rotation and worked even longer hours to put out about three times our normal amount of patrols. Finally, we conducted a series of joint raids with the Iraqi Army to detain known or suspected insurgents prior to the election.

Apache Soldiers participated in two joint, night raids of two separate villages in our area. Both raids consisted of about one third of our company and an Iraqi Army Infantry Battalion. A small element from a U.S. Army Armor Task Force assisted the Iraqis with command and control and also provided a platoon as a quick reaction force. Both missions included an air weapons team consisting of OH-58 Reconnaissance Helicopters and Un-Manned Aerial Vehicles that assisted in the identification of targets. Additionally, the second raid was supported by a U.S. Army Infantry Company that conducted an Air Assault into the objective area to secure critical intersections as we moved into position.

The basic concept for each raid was for us to establish security around the villages while the Iraqi Army moved in and detained the suspects. Like with any operation, things happen along the way causing modifications to the original plan. During one of the raids, a helicopter spotted a suspicious group of people around a small set of buildings a few miles outside of the village. SSG Doug Martin and his squad were given the mission to take one
of the Iraqi Army Platoons and investigate. When they returned, they had captured a total of 27 suspects who had apparently been alerted to the raid and were trying to hide in the buildings outside of town.

In total, 67 known or suspected insurgents were detained in the two raids. It was so professionally and personally rewarding for our Soldiers to have the opportunity to participate in the raids. They had a chance to conduct a
joint operation with the Iraqi Army and multiple U.S. Army units, including both ground and air assets. More importantly, our Soldiers were directly responsible for taking 67 terrorist and thugs off the streets.

Our efforts leading up to the vote were enormously successful. As a result, our area was very quiet on the day of the vote. We conducted continuous patrols around the polling stations in our area, enforced the nation wide curfew, and even escorted some of the ballots.

The Soldiers are very proud of their work these past weeks and they are understandably tired. However, the end is in sight and we are all drawing daily strength from knowing we will be home soon.

A company of Marines recently arrived in our forward operating base to assist with the mission here. They are a motivated bunch and will be a great addition to the mission as it continues into next year. At the same time, the arrival of the Marines puts an added strain on our facilities. There are more people to rotate through the chow hall, more people using the gym, and more people trying to use our limited number of computers and phones.

Communication will not be as regular as it has been with the continued addition of more personnel. The population of our small forward operating base will soon double as replacement units begin come in. The influx of personnel is necessary as we prepare to return home.

Our replacement unit is completing their final weeks of training in Fort Lewis and will be arriving in Iraq just before the middle of November. We are continuing to prepare for their arrival to ensure a smooth transition. I have been in regular contact with their company commander and I am confident they will hit the ground motivated and ready.

We are still on track to return to Minnesota around December 10th. Our headquarters back home is working on the reintegration plan and they will release the detailed plan in early November. We will be conducting three days of reintegration training during our first few days back in Minnesota. This training is intended for the Soldiers and families to attend together. There will be briefings on medical benefits, employment rights, unemployment, financial planning, schooling, counseling, and many other topics that will be an enormous benefit to both Soldiers and families.

I know many of you have questions about the dates, times, lodging, meals, and so on. These questions will be answered when the plan is published. With 152 Soldiers and families, it is impossible to come up with a plan that
will perfectly suit everyone's needs. Still, the concept is sound and absolutely critical to assist in our reintegration. I am proud our leadership sees how essential this reintegration time is and fully confident we are doing the right thing.

I thank you all for your continued patience and support these many months. Every day brings us closer to home. Focus on the positive and continue to be very proud of your great Soldiers. They are all real American heroes.

Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations.
God Bless,

Mike Pazdernik
Captain, Armor
Commander, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor

Family and Friends,
01 October 2005

Hello everyone. October is here and will be our last full month of the deployment. October also marks two significant events here in Iraq. The first is the religious holiday of Ramadan, which is a month-long Muslim holiday marked with periods of fasting and celebration. Traditionally, the number of insurgent attacks increases during Ramadan. The insurgents use the added emphasis on religion to help fuel their skewed and fanatical beliefs. Many Muslims also believe that dying in a "holy war" during Ramadan is a direct ticket to heaven.

The second significant event here in October will be the referendum vote to either accept or reject the proposed Iraqi Constitution. On October 15th, the Iraqi people will vote a simple "yes" or "no" for the proposed constitution. The constitution is accepted if a majority is obtained in all of the provinces, or states as we refer to them back home. The constitution is not accepted if any one province votes "no" with a two-thirds majority.

If the constitution is accepted, the Iraqi people will then begin electing their first democratic government during the
upcoming December elections. If the constitution is rejected, the Iraqis will still hold elections in December. However, instead of electing a government, the people will elect another national assembly responsible for drafting a new or revised constitution. Essentially, the process starts over if the current constitution isn't accepted

Many back home will see it as a failure if the constitution is not approved in October. This would be an unfortunate interpretation of the democratic process. Our own constitution was not drafted and ratified in a less than a year. Why should we expect it to happen so quickly and easily here in a part of the world where democracy is such a foreign
concept? The most important thing is the Iraqi people get out and vote, regardless of the outcome. For the Iraqi people, who are just beginning to understand democracy, a rejection of this constitution will likely be seen as just part of the process. Either way, the Iraqi people will decide how they will be governed. That is democracy in its purest and most beautiful form.

This past week, I had an opportunity to speak with a local sheik (community leader) in one of the villages near our
forward operating base. He was recently shot in the back during an insurgent attack on his car. His son was killed in the attack. He said he was attacked because he supports the coalition. When I asked him if he was going to vote, he
said, "My people and I will vote. We will not be afraid. The terrorists will not keep us away."

Our part in this process is to provide a secure environment so people, like the sheik and his community, feel safe enough to get out and vote. This time around, we will largely assume a support role for the Iraqi Army and Police. We will still be out there providing a presence, and assisting when they need help, but the burden for security of the
streets and the polling stations will be on the Iraqis. The Iraqi Army and Police have improved immensely this past year and are rapidly developing into professional organizations. They are capable and ready. It will be a great step in building the Iraqis' confidence in their police and military force.

Of course, it would be nice if we could have some more time off and relax a little before our replacements get here.
However, that just isn't going to happen. The reality is these last weeks will likely be our busiest of the deployment. Our mission load will increase to counter the expected rise in insurgent activity. We will be out in force supporting the referendum vote. We will continue creating a secure environment to support the upcoming election. We also have to prepare our equipment for shipment home, we have to receive our replacement unit, and we have to ensure they are properly trained to take over. The Soldiers will have even less time off and will be under even more stress.

War, by its very nature, will always be tough and stressful. Incomplete information, physical fatigue, danger of
injury or death, and all of the little things that always seem to go wrong, will always impact the Soldiers and their families. However, none of us has to go this last leg of our journey alone. Your Soldiers have each other here and they have you at home supporting them. They have great leaders who will not rest until everyone is home. You have each other back home to lean on. I encourage you all to continue to support each other and keep our great family support groups strong. Our units,communities, and State have great resources and stand ready to support in anyway
possible. Help is always only a phone call away.

We will all endure and we will get through it. We will continue to always place the mission first and continue to perform better than anyone else. We will finish the deployment strong and always maintain our high standards and professionalism. I constantly remind the Soldiers not to lose sight of the prize. We will be home in two months. The road may still be bumpy but it is now a short road. We will endure and we will be home soon.

Stay strong and confident. Your Soldiers are doing magnificent things here and you can all be very, very proud.

Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations.

God Bless,

Mike Pazdernik
Captain, Armor
Commander, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor

Family and Friends,
24 September 2005

Hello everyone. September is almost over and we are quickly approaching two months until we come home. As of now, we are on track to leave Iraq the last week of November and should arrive back in Minnesota around December 10th. As always, I want to caution all of you that our dates are not yet finalized. We expect to release the
official dates and timeline the first week of November.

This update is dedicated to sharing what I know about our redeployment and reintegration. We do not have many of the details yet, so I understand it will be difficult to plan. We will provide the details as we receive them. However, we don't want to release information too quickly, have all of you make plans, and then have to change them several
times. The important thing now is that we start to understand the process.

We all know this past year has changed us all in some way, either large or small. The Soldiers have been affected and changed by their experiences here, and all of you have been changed by your experiences at home while we've been gone. It is critical we prepare ourselves for potential challenges. This doesn't mean all of us are going to have
monumental problems. It means we need to understand we are all likely to experience challenges to some degree.

The Army understands how difficult is can be for both the Soldiers and their families when they return home from war. We can look back at our Country's history and see how Soldiers have been treated and effected by war.

At the end of World War II, Soldiers redeployed as part of their unit. However, the return home took an average of three to six weeks as Soldiers moved by ship and train. During those weeks of travel, they had time to share their experiences with their fellow Soldiers. This decompression time allowed for a more smooth transition when they finally returned home. Still, there wasn't any official reintegration plan and it was really only by chance and circumstance there were relatively low instances of problems. Additionally, the whole nation supported the war
effort and the Soldiers returned home as heroes.

Vietnam was largely the opposite. There wasn't wide spread support. Soldiers often returned home to protests and ridicule. Soldiers also returned home individually instead of with their unit. To make matters
worse, Soldiers could realistically leave the jungle, get on a plane, and be home to their family in 24 hours. Again, there was no reintegration plan. However, the reintegration challenges were much worse because Soldiers did not have a chance to decompress, they were not given a lot of support, and resources were not made available to help. This meant the families were left to shoulder the burden on their own.

The Army has learned from these experiences and has developed a reintegration plan to ease the transition from combat to home. There will always be challenges, but great strides have been made to limit them, identify them, and to provide assistance. Our great State and Major General Shellito, our Adjutant General, have seen first hand the importance of reintegration and are doing everything they can to ensure our Soldiers and families are cared for as we return home.

We are so very blessed to have the support of our State, the Governor, and our leaders. They are developing a great
reintegration plan that is broken into three phases. The first phase covers our time in Kuwait and will last about two or three days. The second phase happens at Fort Dix and will last roughly six days. During both of these phases, the
Soldiers will receive briefings designed to help their reintegration. They will also have time and be encouraged to share their experiences to allow them to ease some of the stress or pain.

The third and most important phase begins when we return to Minnesota. This phase is broken into three parts. The first part is the day we return. On that day, we will arrive in Minneapolis and move by bus back to our communities. Our plan right now is to have the Soldiers return to their initial home stations. Buses will move simultaneously to St.
Cloud, Brainerd, Sauk Centre, and Wadena. This will give each of our great communities the opportunity to show their support and appreciation for the Soldiers. Communities will provide fire truck and police escorts into town, be encouraged to put up the flags and signs of support, and have a chance to plan a very short welcome home
ceremony. Soldiers will arrive at the armory, school, or arranged facility and meet you all. It will be much like the deployment ceremonies, except deliberately shorter. Soldiers will then be released for the day.

The second part will consist of two or three days of Soldier and family briefings and counseling. We have not settled on a specific location yet, but we are looking at Camp Ripley because it is central to our communities. These days are specifically designed for the Soldiers and their families. Families are encouraged to attend. The purpose is to
provide the Soldiers and families time together to learn where to go for help, to share their experiences, and to interact. We are all now part of an extended family with a shared experience. I know many of the families have formed tight bonds while we've been deployed.

Soldiers and families will report around 10 am and be released around 3 pm. Regardless of the location we select, hotels and meal vouchers will be provided for Soldiers and their families who live outside of a 50 mile commuting distance. However, no one will be forced to stay in a hotel if they still want to drive home.

The last day will consist of the official State Welcome Home Ceremony for our entire unit and will be attended by our State and local leaders. This is also the day the Soldiers are officially released.

The final part of our reintegration phase consists of a series of one day drill weekends at roughly the 30, 60, and 90 day mark. We do not have the dates confirmed yet but they will be in January, February, and March. This gives us an opportunity to follow-up on how things are going and to identify those individuals who are having a difficult time. Of course, we understand families have planned vacations and other commitments and will will address Soldier attendance on a case-by-case basis for this weekend training periods.

I know this is a lot of information to absorb. I also know that many of you will have the initial reaction that you just
want to pick up your Soldier and go home, or that all of this is unnecessary. I've had these same thoughts as well.

However, I know from my previous deployment, and from past history, that this is absolutely necessary and the right thing to do for you all and for our Soldiers. We can not afford to underestimate the effects this past year has had on all of us. We owe it to each other and to ourselves to do the right thing, and that is exactly what we are going to do. I am confident our reintegration will be a positive experience.

I ask for your continued patience as we finalize the plan. We will publish a detailed plan no later than the first week
of November.

Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations.

God Bless,

Mike Pazdernik
Captain, Armor
Commander, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor

Subject: Apache Update - As of 23 AUG 05
Family and Friends, 23 August 2005
It has been a while since my last update. This last month has passed quickly. We have been very busy and it has often felt more like one long day instead of multiple days and weeks.

Most of you have heard by now that earlier this week one of our squads came under fire from an insurgent using an AK-47 Assault Rifle. Staff Sergeant Mike Sams and Sergeant Eric Bock received injuries from shrapnel caused by the bullets striking the protective armor of the vehicle. Staff Sergeant Sams was treated and released for a small laceration and bruising on his cheek. Sergeant Bock was taken to the Air Force Hospital at a base near ours and treated for wounds to his right forearm. Both soldiers are in good spirits and will make a full recovery.

The actions taken by the squad and their equipment helped save their lives and helped minimize the injuries. They were wearing their full body armor and ballistic eye wear. The armored shield and body armor protected Sergeant Bock and limited the injuries he sustained to his lower arm. Sergeant Sams' ballistic eye wear took the brunt of the
shrapnel and likely saved his eyesight.

The squad reacted quickly and violently, just as they have been trained, to neutralize the threat. The incident happened in a matter of seconds. The Soldiers did not have time to think. They only had time to react. Their ability to react, along with the skill in which they did, is a testament to their training, discipline, and courage.

First Sergeant Lepowsky and I visited Sergeant Bock at the hospital yesterday. I was so impressed with his bravery and attitude. His only concerns were making sure his wife was all right at home and getting back with his squad as soon as possible. He told us that his wounds were a small price to pay in order to make sure there was one less
insurgent terrorizing the Iraqi people and trying to prevent the new Iraqi government from taking hold. Sergeant Bock is a great hero, Soldier, and American.

I mentioned in my original message about the incident that it was "good news" there was one less terrorist in the world. I guess that may seem a little harsh. However, I hope you can understand that this man, whoever he may have been, and for whatever reasons he may have thought he had, tried to kill our soldiers. We will continue to pray for peace, but we will not show remorse for defending ourselves and doing every thing we can to survive and come home.

Our Soldiers continue to do great things here every day. Over the past several weeks our Soldiers have responded to more severe civilian accidents. They have also responded to the aftermath of an ambush of an Iraqi Army convoy. In both cases our Soldiers rendered medical aid, called in helicopters to take the severely wounded or injured to the
hospital, and saved the lives of the innocent. One of the people our Soldiers saved was a little nine-year old Iraqi girl. I was on the scene and able to see firsthand the compassion our medics and Soldiers have.

Regardless of whether they are forced to engage insurgents with deadly firepower, or they are attending to a severely injured child, our Soldiers are true professionals. Their actions here continue to bring great credit upon them, their families, and our great Country.

We recently had the opportunity to promote Walter Remick, Mike Stanek, and Scott Whittemore to Sergeant. We also promoted Robert Durham to Staff Sergeant. It was great to see these deserving Soldiers take the next step in their development as leaders. Additionally, Staff Sergeants Keith Toenies and Brian Friedrichs received long overdue Army Achievement Medals for their tremendous work during the deployment. Also, Specialist Daniel Peterson was awarded a Battalion Certificate of Achievement for his work in building a bulk fuel point on our base.

The temperatures are starting to cool down a little. The highs are around 120, instead of the 130's of a few weeks ago. The lows have actually been in the 70's the past few days, which feels incredible. The temperatures will continue to fall slowly until October when we will be able to say goodbye to the triple digits. We also expect to see the rain return sometime near the end of October or early in November.

The trailers are still on track to be completed in time for the arrival of our replacements. We are looking forward to their completion so our replacements can move directly into them. It will prevent us from having to double-up and share our living area with them as we transition. Our replacement unit is currently in Fort Lewis, Washington doing their training and is on schedule to arrive here some time in November.

We are still planning to arrive back in the United States in the first part of December. We do not expect to have hard dates of our redeployment until early November. Regardless, the time is passing and we are only a little over three months from coming home.

The Soldiers are very tired right now. However, their morale is high and they are doing well. They have great confidence in their abilities, know they are in a great unit, are feeling the temperatures starting to cool, and are beginning to see the "light at the end of the tunnel". We will continue to do our mission and will not let down our guard until we are back at home with all of you.
Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations.
God Bless,
Mike Pazdernik
Captain, Armor
Commander, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor

Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005
Subject: Enemy Contact
Family and Friends,
One of our Squads, led by SSG Mike Sams, was engaged yesterday evening by a lone gunmen. SGT Eric Bock, the Gunner of SSG Sams' vehicle, was injured in the right forearm from bullet fragments and/or shrapnel. SSG Sams received a small laceration to his face from shrapnel that entered the vehicle through the Gunner's hatch.

SGT Bock was evacuated to the Air Force Hospital, has been treated, and is being kept for a couple of days so they can monitor his arm. The doctors do not believe that any nerve damage was done. He currently has full use of his arm. He is expected to make a full and speedy recovery. 1SG Lepowsky and I visited him this morning. He was in high spirits and is excited to get back out with his Squad.

SSG Sams was treated and released. He and his Squad continued on and completed their assigned mission. They returned early this morning. The best news is both soldiers are doing just fine, are safe, and well.

The other good news is there is one less terrorist in the world today. The gunmen made the last mistake of his life yesterday when he fired upon an Apache Squad. The insurgent was in a SUV and fired on the Squad with an AK-47 Assault Rifle. SSG Sams' Squad engaged the vehicle with their M2 .50 Caliber Machine Guns, M240B Machine Gun, and M16/M4 Rifles. They destroyed the vehicle and killed the insurgent. SGT Bock continued to return fire after he was wounded. He, and all the Soldiers in his Squad, are heroes.

I know this is scary for all of you to hear back home. Just remember, that our guys are fine, we are very good at what we do, we are confident in our ability to fight and survive, and we will always give more than we take when it comes to the enemy. Don't be afraid. Be proud. Let the terrorists be the ones who are afraid.
Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations,
Mike Pazdernik, Captain, Armor
Commander, A Company "Apache", 1st Battalion, 194^th Armor

Family and Friends,
July 2, 2005

This weekend we Americans celebrate our Independence Day. We are once again grateful for the opportunity to serve our Nation and to protect the freedoms we all hold dear. Of course we would rather be home with our families but we take comfort in knowing our families, friends, and communities understand this we are where we need to be.

July marks our seventh month in Iraq. We are at the time of the deployment when frustrations typically reach their high point. We get the feeling we've been gone for so long and still have so far to go. The temperatures are still rising. The hours are long. There never seems to be time to relax or just be alone for a couple of minutes. The danger is ever present. We also know our families and friends back home are experiencing many of the same feelings and frustrations.

We are a great unit, with great soldiers and leaders. However, we are not immune to the frustrations and challenges associated with this stage in a deployment. Things that weren't a big deal a couple of months ago now seem to be a crisis. The good news is those same things won't seem like that big of a deal anymore as we get closer to coming home. Right now we are frustrated with the mission, the work load, the food, the generator going down in the middle of the afternoon, and many other things.

I'll ask you all back home to be patient with us during this time. What our soldiers are doing here is very, very difficult. Frustrations are quite natural and expected. Please know the frustrations are real but, at the same time, the soldiers are being taken care of. We have been spending time reminding ourselves of how truly fortunate we are to be American Soldiers. The power may go out, but we are so fortunate to have power. The food in the chow hall could be better, but we are so fortunate to have a chow hall and not have to eat MREs every day. The work may be hard and the hours long, but we are so fortunate to have this opportunity to serve our Country. We will get through this tough period, continue to accomplish our mission, and continue to do everything we can to bring all our soldiers home safely.

I went with one of our squads to Baghdad the other day to attend a memorial service for a lieutenant who had been shot and killed earlier in the week. The lieutenant was from a Military Police Company out of Fort Hood, TX and was only 23 years old. Our soldiers stood and watched as the lieutenant's unit paid their final respects and left with tears streaming down their faces. These services are so critical for the soldiers to have a chance to say good bye and for all of us present to renew our commitment. The commitment we renew is to do our mission right and to watch out for each other.

Prior to leaving Baghdad, we went around the squad and each of us shared one thing we were thankful for. Some of the things mentioned were small, some were funny, and some were more deep and touching. However, each thing mentioned displayed the pride our soldiers have in what they are doing here and the tight bond they have formed with each other.

This Independence Day you can be very proud of these incredible men who are sacrificing so much for our freedoms and our American way of life. Your soldiers sacrifice their emotions, comfort, time with loved ones, civilian careers, and even their lives for this thing we call freedom. They experience heartache and pain. They experience fear and anger. They also experience the pride and satisfaction reserved for those who have worn the uniform and who have endured together.

Our President recently said what we are doing here is worth the sacrifice. I am here and I agree. Freedom and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are worth fighting and sacrificing for. These are not reserved only for Americans and we are here to give the Iraqi people the chance to experience the freedoms we too often take
for granted back home. Freedom from tyranny has always come with a price. A price that we should all remember this 4th of July.

Honor is the courage to fulfill your obligations.
Mike Pazdernik, Captain, Armor
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Family and Friends,

Hello from sunny Iraq. Earlier this week we celebrated Flag Day and the 230th Birthday of the United States Army. As part of our celebration, we started flying the first of the American and Minnesota State Flags we’ve received from our Family Readiness Groups and other organizations back home. The flags will be presented to all our soldiers here and to the other people and groups who have sent us flags. Each of the flags is flown, marked with the location and date, folded, and will be delivered upon our return. Watching the American Flag fly over our unit area reminds me of the sacrifice and history that give an otherwise simple piece of cloth so much meaning and beauty.

The 100 degree temperatures of last month have given way to those in the 120’s almost every day this month. Yesterday was our hottest yet. We hit the 130 degree mark for the first time. The day starts around 80 degrees, hits 100 by 9 am, and last night it was still 95 degrees at midnight. The soldiers are amazingly resilient and are dealing with the heat as well as can be expected. The air conditioners in the vehicles don’t keep the vehicle cool like a car back home but they do help make things more bearable. We have coolers on every truck with plenty of water and ice.

The hardest part for many of the soldiers is sleeping in the hottest part of the day. Most of the soldiers work from midnight until noon and sleep in the afternoon and evening hours. The tents have good air conditioning units but they are not insulated and it still around 100 degrees inside the tents in the middle of the afternoon. Fortunately, one of the other units here is starting to move into the new trailers and we will be able to get some of their old air conditioning units. Our goal is to put another air conditioning unit into every tent.

Trailer construction has been very slow. I mentioned the first unit is starting to move into the trailers. The original plan had all of us living in trailers by July 1st. We have all learned that nothing happens fast in Iraq. Construction is about two months behind at this point. We will be the last unit to move into the trailers and don’t expect to move until late September at the earliest. Many of the soldiers have said they would rather stay in the tents if the trailers aren’t done until September or October. By then the temperatures will be coming down and we will be getting close to coming home. At the very least, we are hopeful the new trailers will be ready for the unit that replaces us.

We have been blessed with a relatively quiet past few weeks since the explosion that destroyed SGT Tulenchik's vehicle with SPC Cameron as the Gunner and SPC Hardt the Driver. The soldiers performed brilliantly that day. They quickly evacuated the area, secured the sight, coordinated for additional security, and detained three suspicious personnel. We’ve received feedback that the detained personnel have given up valuable information that has us very close to taking down those responsible for attacks in our area. We have also stepped up our missions and have been given authorization to more aggressively patrol certain areas.

We are at the critical half-way point in our deployment where units have a tendency to get complacent. I have been very proud of our leaders and the efforts they have taken to ensure it doesn’t happen to us. We have committed ourselves to ensuring we don’t take anything for granted. We are evaluating our organization and how we operate. We will likely be moving some of our personnel around in the coming weeks to capitalize on strengths and minimize identified weaknesses. We will also be modifying some of the ways we conduct missions to keep the insurgents off balance.

Additionally, we found out recently that we will soon have the opportunity to promote several more deserving soldiers. It will be great to promote more of our young soldiers to sergeant and to watch them move from the ranks of soldier to leader. We will be sure to take pictures of the promotions and send them home to you all.

Finally, I want to again thank all of you for your continued support. The soldiers appreciate it more than they can ever say. Every letter, phone call, care package, or picture from home strengthens the soldiers. They can endure, sacrifice, and continue to serve our Country well because of the support you give. You are all our constant reminders that there are things in this world that are worth fighting for and that freedom isn’t free.

Family and Friends,
On Saturday an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) struck one of our crews while on an escort mission. SGT Tulenchik, SPC Cameron, and SPC Hardt were our three Apaches who were in the vehicle. The IED exploded under the front of the vehicle between the engine and the front, right wheel. The vehicle suffered extensive damage. BR> Most importantly however, it our three Soldiers all walked away. SGT Tulenchik and SPC Hardt suffered no injuries. SPC Cameron was the gunner and received a cut on his knee when the vehicle stopped suddenly. He was given three stitches. He also has some hearing loss in one of his ears. The doctor does not believe it is permanent. He will be going to a nearby military hospital today to have further tests done on his ear.

Unfortunately, I've been informed the reports that came down through other channels have made this incident seem much worse. Please know the soldiers are fine and in good spirits. They have all been in contact with their families and have spoken with the chaplain here. The Soldiers were doing the right things when the explosion happened and did the right things afterward. Their professionalism, courage, and equipment saved their lives. We truly have the absolute best of everything. We have the best and brightest American Soldiers. We have the best training and the best equipment. It is a testament to the Up-Armored HMMWV that it could sustain a blast like this one without any damage to the crew compartment.
Mike Pazdernik
CPT, AR
Commander, A CO, 1-194 AR

Hello from Iraq. Much has happened since my last update. The soldiers are working very hard. The long hours and hard work have been a blessing because it seems like the days are flying by. One of our soldiers pointed out the other day that we’ve already been overseas for a month. We officially took over our mission on January 19th. We conducted a Transfer of Authority Ceremony with the unit we replaced. During the ceremony, the other unit put the case on their guidon (unit flag) and we uncased our guidon signifying the passing of responsibility from their unit to ours. Later that afternoon, we raised the Minnesota State Flag given to our unit by Governor Pawlenty. The flag will fly proudly over our unit area both day and night until our mission is complete.

Our unit has already conducted over 100 combat patrols. Our two main missions continue to be convoy escorts and area security. We escort logistic convoys and designated persons. Area security patrols focus on the safety of our camp and the surrounding area. With the elections nearing, our area security patrols also enforce the curfew that is in place during hours of darkness. Most important in all of our missions is that every one of our soldiers has remained safe and well. That is not to say that things aren’t dangerous here. They are. Our training and equipment have already proven their worth. It has been said many times that our soldiers are the best trained and equipped in the world. We are now experiencing first hand just how accurate those claims are.

Regardless of hostile fire or enemy contact, just driving in Iraq is very dangerous. One of our soldiers said it best when he described it in this way, "Imagine driving around the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area with out any speed limits, stop lights, or law enforcement." Our Up-Armored HMMWVs (High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles) are very well armored and still very maneuverable. Considering the weight of the vehicle, they accelerate, handle, and brake with remarkably well. Add in the skill or our drivers and we have the tools we need to handle the craziness that we find on the roads and highways here every day.

We had our first experience with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). One of our convoys was struck by an IED near Baghdad. The explosion flattened the front tires, damaged parts of the engine and undercarriage, and left shrapnel in the doors. However, the crew compartment was left completely intact. None of the three soldiers in the vehicle received even so much as a scratch. I share the above incident, not to worry all of you, but to give you confidence that we have the equipment and the training to keep us as safe as possible. I also mention this because I know that rumors and exaggerations always make the rounds back home. After the incident, I asked the vehicle commander how he and his soldiers were doing. He said, "Sir, we're just fine. Not a scratch. It was loud as hell and happened so fast. We didn’t have time to think. We just reacted exactly like we were trained and like we’ve rehearsed hundreds of times. The important thing is we were in the process of passing another convoy, and right next to a civilian truck, when the IED went off. We took that blast and easily saved the lives of the people in that truck. We were in the right place at the right time." His comments, especially the last two sentences, are those spoken by a true American hero.

Back in our base camp, we continue to improve our living area every day. The First Sergeant is doing an amazing job of coordinating construction and improvement projects. We’ve moved our supply area and have built several new tents so our soldiers can have more living space. Each project is geared toward making the soldiers' living situation better and positioning us to better support them. A contractor is almost complete with the construction of a new, permanent gym. It will be very nice and a great way for the soldiers to relieve stress. Additionally, they are building a new internet café that will have more reliable internet and phone access. We are also making sure we have plenty of air conditioners for the upcoming summer. However, it isn’t summer here yet. It has actually been rainy and cold this past week. Daytime highs have been in the 50’s or low 60’s. Lows at night are down in the upper 30’s. The soldiers have been grateful for every piece of cold weather gear they’ve been issued. In addition to the rain and cold, we had our first wind storm the other night. The NCOs made sure our tents and equipment were secure. Their efforts paid off. We were the only unit in our camp that didn’t have tents blow down or have equipment damaged.

So, things are challenging. We are all very busy, but that is just fine with us. We were sent over here because we are American Soldiers and Minnesotans. Hard work, professionalism, and doing the job right are what we do. Morale is high. The soldiers know they are part of a great organization. They know they have the training, equipment, and leadership to not only survive, but to win. Finally, they have changed our address here slightly. The change is they’ve removed the "Camp Anaconda" from our address. The correct address for our soldiers is now simply:

Soldiers Name
793rd MP BN / A CO, 1-194 AR
APO AE 09391

Thank you all for your continued support. Your support is essential to our success. Please continue taking care of each other back home and supporting the soldiers. God Bless,

I finally have an opportunity to send you all an update. Hope you are all enjoying a safe and happy Holiday Season.

First things first. We are all safe and doing well. We arrived here in Kuwait on December 22nd and have been here for a little over a week now. We are currently at a camp that is out in the middle of the desert and several miles south of the Iraqi border. The camp holds around 12,000 soldiers and is a very busy place. The military machine is absolutely amazing. We are literally in the middle of no where. However, you wouldn't know it. They have essentially built a town of 12,000 right on the desert floor. We have access to just about everything you can imagine here. The chow hall is amazing. The food is great and especially good when you consider they are preparing meals for over 10,000 people each day. We have a PX for shopping, a barber shop, first aid station, dental office, post office, and a gym. There is also a MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) tent filled with pool tables, ping-pong tables, videos, a small movie theater, and video games. They even have a coffee shop, Subway, and Pizza Hut here.

Everything is either located in large trailers or tents. All of the trailers and tents have both heat and air conditioning.

Even though we are in the Middle East and in the desert, it is quite cold here. This is the cold and rainy season in this part of the world. We have had one day of rain so far. It actually rained pretty hard for a couple of hours. It gets into the 50's during the day and is around the freezing mark at night. The temperature drops very fast when the sun goes down. The wind is also a challenge this time of year. The wind starts blowing as soon as the sun comes up and it blows very hard. We are learning very quick that sand and dust get into everything. Soldiers are already learning that they need to clean their weapons several times a day to keep them functioning properly.

Our purpose here in Kuwait is to make our final preparations before deploying into Iraq. Being in Kuwait gives us a chance to adjust to the climate, get over the jet lag, make sure our equipment and weapons are ready, and to do some extra training. Our primary training focus continues to be on our weapons. While we are here, we are test firing all our weapons, conducting close quarters marksmanship, reflexive (quick reaction) fire, conducting urban warfare training, and doing more iterations of convoy live fire.

As far as the jet lag, we are all mostly past that now. The first couple of days we were zombies. Kuwait and Iraq are nine hours ahead of Minnesota time. So, as I am typing this at 11 am here, it is 2 am for all of you. Looking at it in another way, we all got to stay up until 3 am to watch the Vikings lose to the Packers in the final seconds. Well, at least we got to see the game. It made us all feel a little closer to home.

As I mentioned above, the living conditions here are just fine. We are all living in large tents with about 65 soldiers in each. We have wood floors and big heating and air conditioning units that blow into the tents. We are a little cramped for space but we are quite comfortable.

We are due to be here for two to three weeks total. We'll be making the jump into Iraq sometime in the first week or two of January. From there we will start our transition with the unit we are replacing. We will spend our first couple of weeks in Iraq working with the unit we are replacing. That gives us a chance to learn everything we can from them before they leave.

I know many of you are wanting our address. Mail takes seven to ten days to get here. So, there is no point in mailing us anything while we are here in Kuwait. However, I'd encourage all of you to start sending mail to us up in Iraq any time after the first of the year. By the time it gets here we'll have personnel there to receive it.

Here is our address in Iraq:

Soldier's Rank and Name
793rd MP BN / A CO, 1-194 AR
Camp Anaconda
APO AE 09391

I do not know what the postage charges will be. Please ask at your local post office. I do know that our soldiers will be able to send letters home at no cost. Well, with all the people here computer time is hard to come by. I have to get going. Have a Happy New Year and know that your soldiers are doing very well and will not let you down.