Dear Family & Friends,
I want to introduce someone new to the Family & Friends circle, Julie (edited to remove last name) from West Chester, PA. Julie adopted us after getting information about our team from a friend of one of my friends. She organized a bunch of great people to send us dozens and dozens of boxes of goodies. We have received so many boxes from Julie's campaign that we have been able to share them with our other US and French comrades too. (My personal favorites have been the boxes sent from the Tasty Kake bakery in Philly.) Welcome and many thanks to Julie!
I am back in cool (80's F), sunny Darulaman at the moment, and those of us here are really enjoying the weather. The east remains hot and especially humid, and the monsoon-style thunderstorms still roll through.
I came back for the relief of our French ETT team with a new team from France. Our new team is made up of soldiers from their 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. These hardy men feel at home at 6,000 foot elevation here and in the surrounding mountains.
We are in the process of preparing for our ANA brigade's return to Darulaman. You may recall from our movement out to the East in the spring that this is a very involved process that it takes weeks to complete as we phase through the relief of each separate unit with their ETTs. Some of the locations are only accessible by air.
Our guys continue to rotate through leaves and LTC Judah Whitney and SPC "Tato" Maritato are en route back to their families. We are expecting LT "Yartzie" back soon and he will pay for teasing us by sending us pictures of himself drinking beer.
This coming week marks the end of our EIGHTH month in Afghanistan. Time seems to be marching along rapidly now, and there are already signs of Fall.
Best Regards,
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Family and Friends Update
Family & Friends,
Sorry that I am late on the update this week, but I have been spending quite a bit of time on the road lately.
I am back at Camp Darulaman tonight where it was in the "cool" lower 90's today. Back in Jalalabad and the East, we had a couple of days of relief the first week of September, but this past week it was frankly miserable hot at times.
Our ANA brigade along with all of our ETTs -- PA and other Guardsmen, Marines and French -- are doing phenomenally across six different provinces right now. I don't believe that there is another brigade in the ANA or a team of advisors who are doing what we are doing right now.
The start of Ramadan has slowed down our ANA some because of their fasting during the daylight hours. It must be conditioning, but with these temperatures, I don't know how they deal without liquids during the day. They break fast just before the 1800 prayers when they have a little water and a few dates. Then after prayer, they have large meal before the 2000 prayers, which during Ramadan take an hour. Then because they can't eat again after 0400, they usually have their other meal at 0300. (The hours alone would be enough to make me grumpy all the time let alone the fasting.)
Our French advisory team is in the process of being replaced. They are on a six month tour, and it is time for them to leave already! The new group comes from their army's Mountain Brigade, and they are getting off to a great start. We were also informed that the whole brigade would be taken over by the French, which I think is very encouraging sign for the allied effort. Their new president, Sarkozy, has had some influence in the decision, and wants France to take a bigger role in global security matters. Their soldiers appear to have always been eager to participate.
This coming week is business as usual. We will be working with the ANA to finalize their plan to turn over the eastern zone area to their sister brigade, so that we can come back to Darulaman.
Warmest Regards,
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
Sorry that I am late on the update this week, but I have been spending quite a bit of time on the road lately.
I am back at Camp Darulaman tonight where it was in the "cool" lower 90's today. Back in Jalalabad and the East, we had a couple of days of relief the first week of September, but this past week it was frankly miserable hot at times.
Our ANA brigade along with all of our ETTs -- PA and other Guardsmen, Marines and French -- are doing phenomenally across six different provinces right now. I don't believe that there is another brigade in the ANA or a team of advisors who are doing what we are doing right now.
The start of Ramadan has slowed down our ANA some because of their fasting during the daylight hours. It must be conditioning, but with these temperatures, I don't know how they deal without liquids during the day. They break fast just before the 1800 prayers when they have a little water and a few dates. Then after prayer, they have large meal before the 2000 prayers, which during Ramadan take an hour. Then because they can't eat again after 0400, they usually have their other meal at 0300. (The hours alone would be enough to make me grumpy all the time let alone the fasting.)
Our French advisory team is in the process of being replaced. They are on a six month tour, and it is time for them to leave already! The new group comes from their army's Mountain Brigade, and they are getting off to a great start. We were also informed that the whole brigade would be taken over by the French, which I think is very encouraging sign for the allied effort. Their new president, Sarkozy, has had some influence in the decision, and wants France to take a bigger role in global security matters. Their soldiers appear to have always been eager to participate.
This coming week is business as usual. We will be working with the ANA to finalize their plan to turn over the eastern zone area to their sister brigade, so that we can come back to Darulaman.
Warmest Regards,
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
Monday, September 3, 2007
Speechless
Nothing in my life, neither personal nor professional, prepared me for the difficult week. So many feelings came up this week and all I could do was let them wash through me. One by one, and in some cases handful by handful, emotions came up. Many of them got caught in my throat on their way past my heart.
In order to remain present and genuine in the face of such tragedy I needed to attend to whatever it was that came up. This, as you can imagine, was an exercise in consciousness. I wrestled my mind's urge to shut down and tune out, a coping mechanism that I commonly used while growing up. But when I felt the most alone, I realized that I had the perfect teacher at arms reach. Sophia's entire existence is about being present in the moment. She doesn't live in the future or the past. She isn't making plans for tomorrow or stuck in last week. Her life's mantra is "Be here now." So I started paying closer attention to the ways that she processes the world. The way that she lives in the moment. I felt a lightening and my heart opened.
There are still moments when I catch myself feeling heavy and wishing that I could feel the skin of George's cheeks in my hands....to have him home and safe right now....but then I hear a laugh or giggle and am reminded to "be here now."
My girl. My guru.
In order to remain present and genuine in the face of such tragedy I needed to attend to whatever it was that came up. This, as you can imagine, was an exercise in consciousness. I wrestled my mind's urge to shut down and tune out, a coping mechanism that I commonly used while growing up. But when I felt the most alone, I realized that I had the perfect teacher at arms reach. Sophia's entire existence is about being present in the moment. She doesn't live in the future or the past. She isn't making plans for tomorrow or stuck in last week. Her life's mantra is "Be here now." So I started paying closer attention to the ways that she processes the world. The way that she lives in the moment. I felt a lightening and my heart opened.
There are still moments when I catch myself feeling heavy and wishing that I could feel the skin of George's cheeks in my hands....to have him home and safe right now....but then I hear a laugh or giggle and am reminded to "be here now."
My girl. My guru.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Memorial for the Fallen
Family & Friends,
We had our memorial service today for MSG Ball, SGT Argonish and MAJ Henry Oficier.
"Hank" was the third US Soldier who was killed in that ambush. He also worked out of Camp Faez, with our LT Joe Mitchell and MSG Kevin Bittenbender, as the chief of the Provincial Police Mentoring Team. He leaves behind his grieving family in Guam and a fiancee in Georgia.
I did not know him very well, but others -- including LT Mitchell -- spoke highly about him. In addition, CPT Pat Pellegrino paid a tribute to his friend Scott, and CPL Robert Gerrity honored his good friend Jan. I said a few remarks about Scott and Jan, which are below. Words just don't suffice though...
It was a wonderful ceremony, and the 5th Kandak team led by MAJ Rob Jorgensen truly honored our fallen friends. It was a typical hot, humid August day here so our tears mixed with sweat, and there was a lot of both.
Naturally, everyone from "Team America" (that was the name Jan gave us) is in mourning, but grief is a process, and we all seem to be grieving in a healthy way.
We were very fortunate to be able to get everyone (with the exception of LT Green) from the team together too. LT Gallagher arrived at Bagram last night from leave. As I mentioned, LT Green is not here because he just arrived home for his leave. He plans to attend all of the services as our Unit Representative.
Please keep Leslie, Tyler, Allie, Jakub and Talia in your prayers. I know that many of you have plans to attend some of the services, and I speak on behalf of the team when I thank you for honoring our fallen.
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
-------------------------------------
Simple words can not be used to describe MSG Scott Ball and SGT Jan Argonish. You really had to know them like we knew them—serving with them, living with them, and sharing with them—to understand what extraordinary men they were. We are fortunate to have had that opportunity.
They were of different temperaments, but their legacies are much the same: they leave loving families, they had many, many friends who admired them, and they demonstrated that they were willing to die for what they believed in.
They recognized that this war is our war, and they answered the call to duty. The fact that they served in the Army in the first place is more than what most people have done. On this mission, they were a part of something greater than most things one can experience in any lifetime—they (and us) have been liberating an oppressed people, an entire country, and they were helping to create the army of a democratic nation so that they can protect their freedom.
In 11 days, this war -- our war -- will be six years on. We have to accept the fact that our war is not going to be like former wars. It is clear that this is going to be a long tough struggle.
They died the way we all said we wanted to go if it was our time; they went down fighting. They made their sacrifice so that Tyler, Jakub, and Allie would not have to carry on the fight. And I am certain because of their efforts that our Nates, Sophias and Evans won’t have to either.
To have something so precious as was our relationships with these two extraordinary men and then to have it suddenly taken away, is painful. The pain is inevitable, our suffering is optional. They would be the first to remind us that the job is not done. We have an army to build, we have more fights ahead of us, and we have to get the rest of us home to our loved ones.
Scott, Jan, I am heart broken that you are gone, but I am a better man for having known you both. I thank you for the examples that you gave us, and I want you to know that Team America is going to pick up where you left off. We’ll carry-on.
Simple words can not be used to describe MSG Scott Ball and SGT Jan Argonish. You really had to know them like we knew them—serving with them, living with them, and sharing with them—to understand what extraordinary men they were. We are fortunate to have had that opportunity.
They were of different temperaments, but their legacies are much the same: they leave loving families, they had many, many friends who admired them, and they demonstrated that they were willing to die for what they believed in.
They recognized that this war is our war, and they answered the call to duty. The fact that they served in the Army in the first place is more than what most people have done. On this mission, they were a part of something greater than most things one can experience in any lifetime—they (and us) have been liberating an oppressed people, an entire country, and they were helping to create the army of a democratic nation so that they can protect their freedom.
In 11 days, this war -- our war -- will be six years on. We have to accept the fact that our war is not going to be like former wars. It is clear that this is going to be a long tough struggle.
They died the way we all said we wanted to go if it was our time; they went down fighting. They made their sacrifice so that Tyler, Jakub, and Allie would not have to carry on the fight. And I am certain because of their efforts that our Nates, Sophias and Evans won’t have to either.
To have something so precious as was our relationships with these two extraordinary men and then to have it suddenly taken away, is painful. The pain is inevitable, our suffering is optional. They would be the first to remind us that the job is not done. We have an army to build, we have more fights ahead of us, and we have to get the rest of us home to our loved ones.
Scott, Jan, I am heart broken that you are gone, but I am a better man for having known you both. I thank you for the examples that you gave us, and I want you to know that Team America is going to pick up where you left off. We’ll carry-on.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Fallen Heros
Dear Family & Friends,
It is with great sorrow that I want to inform you of the deaths in combat of two of our great team members, Master Sergeant Scott Ball and Sergeant Jan Argonish during a patrol in Kunar Province yesterday.
MSG Ball is survived by his wife, Leslie, his son, Tyler (10 years old), and daughter, Allie (6 years old). He was constantly thinking about them. When we were at Fort Riley, the guys called him "Clark Griswold" after the character in the "Vacation" movies because he was always walking around taking pictures to send home. Since arriving in Afghanistan, he also must have doubled the business at the Camp Darulaman bazaar with all the things he bought to send back to his family.
Scott was very proud to be a motorcycle trooper in the State Police, but his ambition was to earn his pilot's license so that he could fly for the force after we got back. Despite urging from people like me that the Guard needed great leaders like him, Scott was going to retire from the military upon our return to focus on his family and flying career. He had certainly done his duty to our country, having previously served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division during DESERT STORM and a deployment with the PA Guard to Europe to provide force protection for US facilities immediately after 9/11.
SGT Argonish is survived by his young son, Jakub (8 years old), his parents and a loving family. Argo will also be deeply missed by Talia, whom he was very much in love with. He would proudly let us listen to Talia's music on his iPod while showing us pictures of Jakub and his "monster" pickup truck. While he was a very dedicated and skilled Soldier, Argo was also quite the subtle clown too. For instance, in the warren of bunks and wall lockers that we lived in at Fort Riley, the guys would start games of "Argo Polo" with him and he always played along. He loved to make people laugh as much as Scott loved to laugh.
Although a traditional Guardsman, this was Argo's second deployment since he was a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom-II. During that mission, he put his skills as a Federal Prison Guard to good use when he was part of the company from the 28th Infantry Division that guarded Saddam Hussein and his fellow war criminals. Sadly, Argo had made a deal with his son that this was going to be his last deployment, and he was looking forward to working on his pickup, fishing with his son, and spending more time with his loved ones.
Both were outstanding in their roles as mentors, and had been making a big difference over here. We used to joke with MSG Ball about all the improvements that he had made to Camp Faez, that we should start calling it "Ball-istan." SGT Argo had been learning Pashto while training the ANA mechanics.
Both also strongly believed in what they were doing. This is a truly war of good versus evil, and Scott and Jan were most assuredly two of the best good guys. I am convinced that we will be victorious in this struggle due to the service, courage and sacrifice of men like them. They remain an inspiration to us who remain, we are very proud to have served with them.
At this point, their families have been informed and the Casualty Assistance process and their mourning have started. Please keep them in your thoughts and intentions, but please give them some time for now. An announcement regarding the fallen will be made by the Pennsylvania National Guard later today.
Because they were so loved, everyone here is in mourning—US, ANA and even the interpreters—so I ask you to lend your support and prayers to your Soldier and the rest of the Pennsylvanians as we carry on. Despite our pain, everyone recognizes that the job is still not done until the rest of us are safely home with you. We plan on holding a memorial service for our heroic comrades this Friday at Camp Faez.
...edited to exclude phone numbers....
Sincerely,
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Update from the Field
Dear Family and Friends,
We are just two days away from the seven month mark! Already thoughts have started to turn towards and actual plans are starting to be made for our departure. Things are looking more likely that French ETTs will be replacing us too, so we will have a unique challenge to work through, unlike the average team of ETTs.
Everyone that is here is doing weill. We have quite a few of the guys either on leave, getting ready to come back or getting ready to head out. It is a tiresome process that starts with waiting around an airport here, then flying to Kuwait for more waiting around, etc. -- the old Army process of hurry up and wait. 1SG Walter is back from leave and Deborah, Evan and the older two boys are really doing well; he said that it was the quickest two weeks of the deployment!
As you know, a lot of the Pennsylvanians are in the 5th Kandak. They were busy this week with guiding the ANA medics to train Afghan Police n first responder skills; the training process ended with a "MEDCAP" for the police and their children, where they received a free medical screening and any prescriptions that they required. Unfortunately, we could not get a female medical professional to help out, so they were not able to provide service to any of their wives or older daughters; that's the way things go in Afghanistan.
This coming week we continue a staff training process with the brigade headquarters here in Jalalabad. We are taking them through the planning process and in the process, creating the plan for the hand-over here in the east to another ANA brigade and then our movement back to Darulaman.
I imagine that school is getting started soon for all of the kids back home, and we all hope that it gets off to a good start!
Warm Regards,
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
We are just two days away from the seven month mark! Already thoughts have started to turn towards and actual plans are starting to be made for our departure. Things are looking more likely that French ETTs will be replacing us too, so we will have a unique challenge to work through, unlike the average team of ETTs.
Everyone that is here is doing weill. We have quite a few of the guys either on leave, getting ready to come back or getting ready to head out. It is a tiresome process that starts with waiting around an airport here, then flying to Kuwait for more waiting around, etc. -- the old Army process of hurry up and wait. 1SG Walter is back from leave and Deborah, Evan and the older two boys are really doing well; he said that it was the quickest two weeks of the deployment!
As you know, a lot of the Pennsylvanians are in the 5th Kandak. They were busy this week with guiding the ANA medics to train Afghan Police n first responder skills; the training process ended with a "MEDCAP" for the police and their children, where they received a free medical screening and any prescriptions that they required. Unfortunately, we could not get a female medical professional to help out, so they were not able to provide service to any of their wives or older daughters; that's the way things go in Afghanistan.
This coming week we continue a staff training process with the brigade headquarters here in Jalalabad. We are taking them through the planning process and in the process, creating the plan for the hand-over here in the east to another ANA brigade and then our movement back to Darulaman.
I imagine that school is getting started soon for all of the kids back home, and we all hope that it gets off to a good start!
Warm Regards,
GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)
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