Friends and Family of the Washington Artillery,

The month of April was very busy. We completed our Transfer of Authority (TOA) from 1-186 Infantry, 41st Division, Oregon Army National Guard on April 10, 2010. On that day we formerly cased the unit colors of the “Guardians” and un-cased the Washington Artillery Battalion colors. We simultaneously uncased the colors for the 1-116th Infantry Battalion “Stonewall Battalion”. They are the other battalion that assumed the aforementioned mission. The two battalions formed Task Force Overlord named in honor of the code name for the Normandy Invasion of 1944.

A typical day for most of the Soldiers starts with an early wake-up so that they can exercise prior to breakfast and before it gets hot. Most of them eat breakfast before 0800 then walk to the motor pool and conduct maintenance on their MRAP (Mine Resistant Armor Protected) vehicle. They spend the entire day working on those vehicles and preparing all of their equipment for the impending mission. That evening they receive their mission brief. The next day is spent continuing to prepare by going through a series checks and inspections then departing on the mission which typically lasts two to three days in duration. On a couple of the missions, the Soldiers drive for over thirteen to fourteen hours one way. Once they return, the cycle starts all over again; equipment maintenance, mission, equipment maintenance. As of this posting, the Washington Artillery has escorted convoys delivering millions of dollars of supplies and fuel over 27,000 miles in a safe and timely manner with convoys of trucks that sometimes exceed two miles in length. This feat is even more amazing when you consider that most of it is done at night on roads that are worse than those in New Orleans.

Many of you have asked about the living conditions and amenities that your Soldiers have in Tallil, Iraq. Apart from being away from our families and friends; life here is not all that bad. There are three dining facilities of DFACs that prepare four meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-night meal). For breakfast there are all you can eggs to order, omelets, waffles, pancakes and assorted cereals. It is very much like a Shoney’s Breakfast Bar. Lunch and both dinner meals have a main course bar, short order bar, salad bar, sandwich bar, salad bar and desert bar. On Wednesdays, we typically have steak and lobster night for dinner. All of the meals are catered and served by stewards. The best thing is there are no dishes to be done. We do not have to do laundry either. We simply bag it up, drop it off and pick it up a couple of days later; folded. We are going to have to re-trained on how to cook, clean-up and wash cloths. There are three gymnasiums with many types of workout equipment. There is also a Post Exchange (PX) with an adjoining Burger King, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

The Soldiers continue to amaze me with their professionalism and positive attitude despite the austere desert conditions and Spartan living conditions. Morale remains high especially since leave has started. I am humbled that I have the privilege of commanding such a fine group of great Americans.

Try Us!
LTC Champagne
1-141 Field Artillery Battalion
Commanding