594th Soldiers return home

Christmas treat as families reunite with loved ones
Private First Class Shawn Denham
101st Sustainment Brigade

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. December 24 – Cheers erupted from the crowd gathered outside the main doors of Hanger three as the airplane opened its passenger doors to release the Soldiers returning from Kuwait.
Children and adults waved tiny American flags while calling out to the Soldiers making their way down the exit ramp off the plane. Tears could be seen in some people's eyes as they were about to be reunited with their loved ones after a year of separation.
Soldiers of the 594th Rear Detachment, 106th Transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division were welcomed home by friends and family at a reception ceremony here, Dec. 24.
Amanda Capps, wife of Specialist Randell Capps II, waited with 19 other family members for her husband’s arrival.
It was bad at times waiting for word from her husband, said Mrs. Capps. “I’m glad he’s home, I missed him.”
Her husband had wanted to join the Army since high school, she said.
“Once we discussed it, it seemed like the option for us. It was something he wanted to do,” she said.
Coping without a spouse was difficult. “Pick your battles, don’t fight over little things. It’s the big picture you need to worry about,” Capps said.
“We’ve been nervous. We were all proud though, makes you proud to tell people,” said Cynthia Capps, Randell Capps sister.
Randell Capps Sr. said the family had discussed future plans together before deployment, but not being able to be there for his son had weighed heavily on his mind, he said.
“You never realize until it’s your son or daughter and you hear something on the news. Then you worry for them, never able to get it out of your mind,” he said.
Capps mother, Misty Head, said the family was relieved for their son’s safe return.
“I was scared for him. You stay that way. There are a lot of sleepless nights but you’re proud of them at the same time,” she said.
Finding support groups and other families to communicate with is good for coping during deployment, Mrs. Head said, “Try to keep everybody close.”
Danielle Buccellato, mother of Specialist Christopher Allard, showed no signs of worry over her son’s career. Being a police officer gave her an understanding and acceptance of what her son was facing.
“I don’t think negative, I don’t worry,” she said. “I’m just very proud of what he does and hope he makes it a career. They need people like him.”
The internet had made staying in contact easier, she said.
“It’s been hard but I’m proud of him,” said Tifani Griffith, Allard’s girlfriend.
Talking about what was going on and staying in contact as long as possible made it easier to handle, said Griffith.
“I’m glad he’s home” she said.
The 594th Rear Detachment had been stationed in Arifjan Base, Kuwait, said Lieutenant Colonel Mary B. Taylor, commander of the 106th transportation Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
The Soldiers had been deployed for a year in the region to pull security for convoys, she said.
Taylor said families of Soldiers preparing to deploy should take steps to ease the transition.
“Make sure you’re linked in with the Family Readiness group in your company so you know what assets are available for the family while the Soldier is deployed,” she advised.
It is important to make sure all personal affairs are in order, she said.
She was proud of their mission and safe return, said Taylor, “Since 9/11, we’ve always had Soldiers from the Sustainment Brigade deployed, unlike other Brigades.”

Developing Strong Bonds

Soldiers learn parental skills for military family life; gather together for weekend retreat
By Private 1st Class Shawn Denham
101st Sustainment Brigade

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. December 18 – Soldiers and their families from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division attended the Strong Bonds Family Retreat in Gatlinberg, TN Dec. 18-20.
“Strong Bonds retreat is an initiative Army wide to encourage families to be equipped with relationship skills,” said Captain Michael J. Krog, chaplain for the 106th Transport Battalion, 101 Sustainment Brigade, 101 Airborne Division.
The classes teach parents how to be parents and not just friends, Krog said. The retreat focused on getting families to communicate better and deal with problems head-on. Issues such as lengthy deployments and growing up separated from family members are major concerns for Army families.
“Parents are the primary influence for values. Pass on your values to your children, and don’t hesitate to get help when needed,” Krog said.
The brigade chaplains presented slideshows and discussion groups focused on accepting changes, enhancing communication and passing on family values.
It is incredibly important to pass on your values to your kids, Krog said.
Passing on values is important to her family, said Staff Sergeant Penelope James, platoon non-commissioned officer for the Brigade Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and a single mother of two teenagers.
“I want them to think nothing negative, try to show them something positive,” she said.
A single mother of two teenagers, James said her children enjoyed the event and were eagerly discussing future events.
“I had a wonderful time and believe me, I'm going to come to more. This was just excellent, this type of stuff I think works,” James said.
“I thought it was good, especially for parents,” said Sergeant First Class Michael Bonfardine, Brigade Troops Battalion career counselor, 101st Sustainment Brigade, and father of three children.
Bonfardine said parents have a deep impact of children’s lives. “Kids are what you make of them,” he said. “Parents need to work together for structure and discipline.”

“Lifeliners” spread Holiday cheer

Sustainment Brigade donate food clothing to area shelters
By Sergeant First Class Pete Mayes
101st Sustainment Brigade
FORT CAMPBELL, KY, December 20, 2009 – First Sergeant Danny Jones is a big advocate of getting Soldiers to volunteer their time and talents in the local community. While the opportunities here in Clarksville are limited, he believes in the making the most out of what is available.
So when a chance to spread some holiday cheer for the less fortunate presented itself, he did not hesitate to get his “Angry Dawgs” in on the action.
Soldiers from the 101st Brigade Troops Battalion (“Angry Dawgs”), joined fellow Soldiers from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, in collecting almost 3,000 canned goods and perishable items. They delivered the items to Loaves and Fishes, a homeless shelter for Clarksville’s less fortunate residents.
They also collected and donated more than 30 coats for children and adults to the Salvation Army at the company level, Jones said.
“We did this enormous food drive and it came out perfect for the holiday season,” Jones said. “We know there are going to be some needy people that needed those big mass meals, so we figured this would be a quick and inexpensive way for the Soldiers to give back.”
Staff Sergeant Kevin Burtnett, S-3 operations Non-Commissioned Officer for 101st Sustainment Brigade, and several Soldiers dropped off the items at the shelters.
“It’ll help out a large number of homeless and needy people to be fed. It’s just Soldiers doing what they can do to help the community,” he said.
Inexpensive indeed; each Soldier was asked to donate one canned food or perishable item for the food drive. And each item can go a long way to feeding those in need this holiday season, said one Loaves and Fishes official.
“(Loaves and Fishes) reaches deeper into the community than most people realize,” Assistant Food Supervisor John Carrothers said. “The soup kitchen feeds a lot of the indigents, but we also deliver a lot of food to the community. We feed a lot of people who otherwise would not have a place to eat.”
Carrothers said a sergeant from the brigade volunteered to help at the shelter, and asked if he could bring some more Soldiers on board. “I said by all means,” he said.
Everyone is welcome to volunteer at the shelter, Carrothers said, and every food donation is accepted. Loaves and Fishes, however, do not accept clothing items, he said.
Jones praised the unit NCO for their support in the food drive.
“They did this without any incentive for themselves. It was a just a desire to give back during this season,” he said. “That makes it so easy without having to twist anyone’s arm to get involved or give an explanation.”

Dining Facility Receives General’s Best Award

‘Best Thanksgiving Dining Facility’
PFC Shawn Denham
101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky Dec 15 – Soldiers of the “Lifeliners” Dining Facility gathered around the commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, as he handed them their hard-won Thanksgiving award to the DFAC manager.
Major General James Campbell presented the 101st Sustainment Brigade Dining Facility, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, with the General’s Best Thanksgiving Dining Facility Award.
DFAC Manager, Sergeant First Class Macy Fleming, received the award Dec. 15 during an impromptu ceremony.
This is the second Thanksgiving award the DFAC has received, said Sergeant First Class Keva A. Wallace, assistant manager at the DFAC. “We were quite surprised because we beat all the dining facilities on base,” she said.
Wallace said the displays and carvings also contributed to the award.
Wallace said the Soldiers of the DFAC appreciated the award. “They’re excited, it means something to them,” she said. “It makes them feel that they achieved something. We appreciate all the hard work the Soldiers put into this. It’s a team effort.”
The award had a special meaning for Specialist Thomas N. Lester, DFAC rations specialist.
“It’s nice to know you go into this post-wide competition and come out with a win,” he said.
A normal workday for DFAC Soldiers begins at 5 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. For this meal, the Soldiers spent all night working hard to prepare the Thanksgiving feast, Lester said.
The work paid off, he said “It puts our names and our faces out there. It gives us a big morale boost.”
SSG Alex J. Thibodeaux, training NCO for the 101st Sustainment Brigade DFAC, said the award is a great accomplishment for the dining facility as a whole.
This year’s decorations were different than last years, he said. While last year’s theme was more traditional, this year involved an edible theme. Gingerbread decorations, melon carvings and Soldiers dressed as Native Americans were on display in the DFAC.

Charlie Battery Soldiers visit Alexandria

By Captain Nathan Minott
Charlie Battery Commander,
2-44th ADA

Soldiers from Charlie Battery, 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery from Fort Campbell, Kentucky visited their benefactors in Alexandria, Kentucky to thank them for their continued support of the Battery. Fourteen Soldiers were selected to represent the battery in this second visit to a city that adopted the unit in 2005. Since the relationship began, the city has sponsored individual soldiers through two deployments in support of OIF. Business owners, teachers, students and staunch supporters from Alexandria make up the group know in Alexandria as “Charlie’s Angel’s.” These were the supporters that Charlie Battery Troops thanked.
The Day started with a visit to the Ft. Thomas VA medical center. The hospital houses veterans from Ohio and Kentucky who have fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Veterans, workers and volunteers alike received thanks from Charlie Battery Soldiers for their service to the nation. The Soldiers then proceeded to visit five surrounding schools, K-12 to meet with students and discuss what it is like to serve in the Army. The elementary schools held special assemblies with a question and answer session and one even had Soldiers sing Christmas carols with the students. The trip ended with a steak dinner at the local VFW with 25 hand selected students from across the city. Gifts for each of these children and others were collected in a battalion wide toy drive. Each student received a personalized gift from Soldiers, returning the feeling that our Soldiers felt when they received care packages and letters addressed to them in Iraq. An additional 150 toys were given to the organizers of the event to hand out to needy children in the city.
The event is just one more in a long line of planned interactions between the city and Charlie Battery. Plans have been made to begin a letter writing campaign with one of the elementary schools, while the unit remains at fort Campbell, Kentucky. This will foster a closer relationship with the students, allowing children to place a face to a Soldier’s name in future support activities.

"Lifeliners" brings holiday joy to families

Teams up with Operation Homefront for toy giveaway
By Private 1st Class Shawn Denham
101st Sustainment Brigade

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. November 4 – The 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division volunteered with Operation Homefront and Oak Grove, Kentucky, Wal-Mart to provide toys to children of deployed Soldiers.
About 40 soldiers volunteered to assist the project, and about 750 family members attended the event. The Soldiers handed out toys and maintained the displays, while spouses of deployed Soldiers selected from hundreds of name brand toys for their children.
The Fort Campbell chapter of Operation Homefront provides services to Soldiers and their families during deployment.
The group worked with Wal-Mart to plan the event to show support for the Soldiers while Operation Homefront coordinated the volunteers, said Tina Englen, chapter president of Operation Homefront
The event was a huge success, Englen said.“It was non-stop all day. Incredibly busy,” she said.
“Oak Grove Wal-Mart has been incredible. They supplied anything needed,” Englen said. “We didn't know how many volunteers we were getting,” said Englen, “We're volunteer heavy. Red Cross supplied volunteers too.”
This is the first time Operation Homefront has sponsored such an event. Englen said they hope to have more in the future.
Englen said Operation Homefront was thankful to the United Korean Church of Oak Grove, Kentucky, for donating their building for the event and to Oak Grove Wal-Mart for the donating of the toys. “It was definitely not possible without them,” she said.
Sergeant Ty M. Peasley and Specialist Jonathan C. Leroy, motor transportation for the 594th Rear Detachment, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division teamed up to hand out toys at the event.
“I'm here to help other people out, make sure they enjoy the holidays because I know how it is, being away from family members,” Leroy said, “I’d come back if another program was done,”
The turnout was good, Leroy said, with a steady stream of families coming through.
“It's nice knowing your family is being taken care of,” said Peasley,
“It's working out well,” Afreeca A. Blackwell, wife of a deployed Soldier said, “I think it’s cool. We don't really have the money so this helps out.”
The children would love the toys, she said. “It's lonely, and just the absence of your husband around the holidays makes it a difficult time of year.”
“This is telling them over there a big 'Thank you',” Peasley said, “Everyone taking care of each other. That’s what families do.”
Only a few toys were left over from the hundreds on display, she said, the remainder would be transported to Fort Campbell and donated to Soldiers on base.