Sgt Santa's Sleigh at FOB Iskan

On Christmas Eve, when I spoke with Nick, he said that some guys fixed up a track vehicle to be Santa's Sleigh and was driving it around the base. Today I found this blog on the web...

The Paratroopers of Company D, 1st “Geronimo” Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division brightened up the holidays for their fellow Geronimos with their Christmas parade entry: a humvee with antlers in place of reindeer and an armored personnel carrier as a sleigh, connected by engineer tape for reins. The award-winning float earned three Company D troops well-deserved passes for some rest and relaxation in Qatar.
http://iraqpictures.blogspot.com/

Spoke with Nick on Christmas Eve

While I was in Houston for Christmas, I was lucky to get a call from Nick. Due to unforeseen delays, he didn't go out on a mission that he was scheduled for, and so he was able to spend some time on the phone. I was out shopping at the time, but after I spoke with him a few minutes, I handed to phone to Dakota and Jill. They were able to speak with him while we drove back to Lisa's house. He still had time available and then spoke with his Grandmother and his Aunt Lisa and Gary. After that, he called and talked with his Grandfather and Nancy. We feel very fortunate that all of us got to speak with him.

We wish him to be safe this Christmas season.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Scott D. Dykman, 27, of Helena, Mont., died Dec. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

http://www.defenselink.mil//Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10317

A Difficult Day

Yesterday was a difficult day, as some of you know. While selfish, I take a small comfort in knowing that Nick is OK. No matter how difficult my day was, I know it cannot compare to the challenges facing Nick and all of the 501st. Please take a moment to think of the men serving in the 501st and let us not forget that while we celebrate Christmas, there are some that cannot.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Apache Company of the 1-501st PIR.
(1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, A Company)

501st Related Press Releases

Here are some recent military press releases I found related to the 501st. (Nick is in A Company)

Dec. 20, 2006
Paratroopers discover large weapons cache in Hamiyah
HAMIYAH, Iraq – Iraqi Police and paratroopers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division, discovered a weapons cache near the Iraqi Police Station in Hamiyah, a town south of Baghdad, Dec. 19.
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8244&Itemid=21

Dec. 18, 2006
Paratroopers detain 18, secure cache at possible safe house
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Paratroopers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, detained 18 suspected insurgents and a weapons cache while searching a house near Jurf As Sakhr Dec 17.
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8199&Itemid=21

Dec. 6, 2006
...Wednesday, paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, found a bomb along a road near the village of Bahbahani, south of Baghdad. An explosive ordnance disposal team dealt with the explosive.
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7892&Itemid=109

Paratroopers find and an IED near Bahbahani
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division found an improvised explosive device (IED) along a road near the village of Bahbahani, Iraq, south of Baghdad, Tuesday. The IED was secured by an explosive ordnance disposal team.
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7818&Itemid=21

Staci Spoke to Nick

Staci spoke to Nick briefly yesterday. He was back from a 3-day mission and was leaving on another one today. He only had a couple minutes to talk and wasn't sure if he would have another chance until after the first of the year, because he has another longer mission coming up. She said he sounded pretty tired and not in a good mood. He mentioned that they had a lot of paperwork to finish up, before leaving again. He also said that he received NINE boxes in the mail and one other guy received two letters - that was all the mail for their group. Apparently, guys had to help Nick get the boxes to his room. I think Nick will be pretty popular for a while now. Many of these boxes are from Staci and friends. She has several networks of friends from the various clubs/organizations she is involved with, and they are all pulling stuff together to send to Nick's unit. Staci has a pretty impressive operation going there - maybe the USO should give her a call ;)

Nick's Christmas Plans

I spoke with Nick yesterday. He was leaving on a 3-day mission, then back at FOB for a few days. He will be leaving again on Christmas Eve for a 10+ day mission. During our holiday, please take a moment to think of all our soldiers that are unable to be with their families.

Right now, Nick is still hoping to be home sometime in February for R&R.

(I'm sorry that I have not kept up with the Blog over the past few weeks. I will be adding some previous conversations to catch up)

Staci spoke with Nick

Staci spoke with Nick today and he is OK. This was first contact in around nine days. He said he was really tired because he had been up all night helping to fix the Humvee before they had to go out on another mission. He said that they are staying very busy with missions, some of them are going to be lasting ten days at a time. He is hoping to call again in the next few days before he leaves again.

I don't have details, but I understand he was nearby when a mortar hit on their base - but he is fine. They found the two men that fired the mortar and they apparently worked at the power plant. I also heard that their Humvee was overturned on a mission recently and it took them a while to get it out of the mud - no other details on it. He mentioned that communications were shut down for a while because somthing happened, but now they are back up.

I hear that morale is not too great right now, so if everyone would send a small something for Christmas, that could help.

I hear that he will be moving to the Conex units (transformed cargo containers) in the near future, which will give him more space. (see picture here)

There is a change in the mailing address. If you send something to the old address, he will still get it, but they are asking that we begin using this new address:

PFC Nicholas Schriefer
A Company, 1-501
#40576
APO AE 09312-0576

Remembering Our Heros on Veteran's Day

Our thoughts and prayers are with our family, their brothers in arms and all those who serve.




If you can spare a moment, here are a few videos that have been compiled by other soldiers.








And a special video from Spc. Alan Burgess (I did not know this soldier, but I was moved by his pictures and video)
During the deployment of the 2/197th FA MP's to Mosul, Iraq, unit members took time out from their daily patrols to play with, aid, and make friends with the local children. Most of the videos and pictures were taken by Spc. Alan Burgess who was killed by a car bomb on October 15, 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzflKJTvjlw

Nick's back at the FOB

Spoke with Nick last night and he is fine. He is back from the mission he went out on last Friday. At the moment, he won't say what all happend, but did say that there was plenty of action. I did read this article this morning though, and this city is very nearby: http://www.blackanthem.com/News/military200610_1965.shtml

Nick's camera got broken as well. He said that it was pretty amazing that the camera survived all the action of the last week, but got broke while it was in his pocket and he slept on it. So, I'm going to be buying him a new camera, this time the ruggedized model so it can hold up to Iraq abuse - and more importantly, Nick abuse!

He said that its been raining a lot there and its getting cold at night. He now has a Surefire flashlight and he said it is REALLY bright and will light up an entire room. (for anyone interested, it is the C2 Centurion)

He did tell me a story of how brave (I would say stupid) many of the Iraqi boys are - they don't seem to be afraid of the GIs at all. He said that one of the boys almost got killed because he snuck up on Nick's buddy who was manning the turret on the Humvee. The boy threw a firecracker next to the GI and when it went off, the GI swung around ready to shoot him with the 50 Cal. I think the kid was pretty lucky.

Nick said he got to take a hot shower when he got back - first bath since Friday - it felt really good.

He mentioned that many of the young Iraqi boys working in the markets speak good English.

All for now.

Nick's Address

Here is Nick's address. However, I spoke with him last night and he said that they currently don't have a mail guy - so they don't know how long mail will take at the moment. he also stressed that they don't have very much personal space, so for the moment he asked that everyone only send small amounts of stuff.

PFC NICHOLAS SCHRIEFER
A Company, 1-501
FOB Iskan
APO, AE 09312-0506

No alcohol (including mouthwash, Jack Daniels, Rock n Rye, etc).

Any fresh baked or homemade foods should be vacuum sealed and will take ten travel days to arrive.

All mail should be sent via US Postal. FedEx, UPS, etc. are not allowed. Postage for APO mail only needs to cover deliver to the APO point - somewhere on the US Eastern coast. From there, the USPS and military handle the delivery. Read more about shipping to APOs and specifics regarding Christmas shipping here.

Here are some quick notes:

• Cards and letters can just be sent regular mail with no extra postage and no special forms.
• Packages need to have PS Form 2976-A customs form attatched (see picture right)
  
• Packages must be handed in at the post office in person.
  
• It is recommended that packages be sent Priority Mail.
  
• Paying extra for tracking numbers will only support tracking up to the East coast and not the remaining trip overseas.
• Express Mail is not supported for Nick's location
• For Christmas letters and packages, Priority Mail must be shipped by 4-Dec at the latest

Free Priority Mail boxes and forms can be picked up at your local post office, or you can order a large selection of them for free here. Here are some items you might want to order and have on hand:

• Priority Mail Box Flat Rate Box-O-FRB2 (Any weight, $8.10 postage) Great for over 4 lbs
  
• Priority Mail Box Flat Rate Box-O-FRB1 (Any weight, $8.10 postage) Great for over 4 lbs
• Priority Mail Envelope (MILI-PAC)
  
• Priority Mail Address Label
• Priority Mail Sticker (12 X 2) Great for securing boxes
  
• Priority Mail Sticker (440 Sticker Roll) Great for securing boxes
• Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note (FORM 2976-A)
• Customs Form Envelope 2976E
  

There are also a large range of shapes and sizes for other Priority Mail boxes - all free. The Flat Rate boxes are great for shipping heavy stuff (if it can fit), because it costs $8.10 - no matter what. This will save you money if your package is over 4 lbs.

The USPS also has a Military Care Kit, or “Mili-kit” to make it easier for military families and friends to send care packages to their loved ones stationed overseas. Each kit contains two Priority Mail boxes, six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, eight Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and eight customs forms with envelopes. This kit may be ordered by calling the USPS Expedited Package Supply Center at 1-800-610-8734 and requesting a Military Care Kit. There is no charge for the kit.

Reminder: Pictures of Nick in Iraq

Just a reminder - I am keeping an online album of pictures I receive while Nick is deployed. You can view them here on Snapfish.com and order any prints you like. As I receive more, I will add them.

Stories from Nick

I spoke with Nick this past Friday (3-Nov), sorry just now getting it posted. Nick is doing fine.
Here's another picture of Nick and his squad - of course there always has to be one of them with thier finger up - they can't help themselves.


In the early morning Friday, before Sunrise, a small fire started outside the FOB - they think it was unintentional. Pretty soon a palm tree caught fire and he said it was like a fireball. They were trying to look around the area with their NODS to see if there were any people around, but the fire was too intense and all they saw was white. The locals kept saying that the fire department was coming, but they never showed up - so it just burned. When I spoke with him, it was 10:30PM in Iskan and he said the fire was still smoldering. I guess that was the excitement of the day - at least what he would share. He did say that their base is under attack quite a bit, but he sluffed it off saying "they learn to ignore it".

He also told me about a guy in a row boat (homemade) paddling on the Euphrates river. The guy was having trouble because he was paddling upstream and the current was pulling him East, towards the FOB. They have orders to shoot anyone reaching the halfway point, so they kept yelling at the guy telling him to go back. He said the guy was paddling and struggling, but just couldn't overcome the current - so finally the guy jumped off the boat and swam back to the Western shore, letting his boat drift on.

Staci sent me a couple pictures that Nick took. One picture is of a bomb that exploaded during one of their missions. He said that the bomb exploded before their convoy got there. The Iraqi military discovered it and apparently detonated it unintentionally. Nick said that they tend to find what they think might be bombs and then they poke at them with sticks to see if they are real (insert your own comments here). He said when his convoy passed, he saw the soldiers getting up from the ground, dazed and walking around it.

Nick said there are dogs everywhere. When they go out on missions, he said that dogs will begin to cluster together and follow the patrol around, barking at them. This is especially dangerous at night. One of the guys was almost attacked recently. Nick said today was the first day they had hot water since he's been there - and his first bath in 4 days. He said it felt soooo good to take a hot shower.

Nick will be out of contact for the next week or so. They've implemented nighttime curfews in the area - maybe having to do with the Saddam trial, but I don't know. Nick also said that he got my letter, so the address is good. He said they now have a guy handling mail, so a bunch of guys finally got stuff. I will post his address and instructions in a seperate entry.

Story from another Alaska Soldier

I found this story from another Fort Richardson soldier named Kevin who is at FOB Iskan. I don't know if Nick knows him or not, but the story provides a small glimpse of the life.
http://blog.myspace.com/kevinthib

Here's a Pic of Nick

In the past few days, Nick has IM'd and spoken with Staci, and IM'd with me. He is using the rental computers at their communications room and apparently they have many problems. Nick is doing fine and he has sent us a picture. He says that the FOB he's at "is a shit, hole trash grows on trees and from the grass in this place". I'm thinking this is mold or something, because from what I've read, there are all kinds of hazardous waste and sewage around. I asked him if there was a lot of activity there and he said "yea this place is pretty happenin".

I read an article this week from a Texas newspaper who interviewed a soldier just returning from FOB Iskan. In the article, the soldier said, "We had heavy fighting pretty much every day." He said that in his duties, "they run combat operations, man missiles and conduct raids on suspected terrorist sites." I don't know exactly what Nick is doing though, and While this article doesn't say that the soldier was based at FOB Iskan, it does say he was based in Iskandariyah which I think is the same location. The story is available at http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f4f2b6ba9b36c32c

Spoke with Nick this morning

Spoke with Nick for a while this morning. He is now at his new home; FOB Iskan. FOB stands for Forward Operating Base. FOB Iskan is also known as Camp Iskandariyah. It took them a while to get there because of attacks - he said that insurgents were dropping mortars into their drop zone.

Nick says that the base is big, but very crude (he had a more colorful expression). He describes their living quarters is an old concrete one-story building with a long hall and concrete rooms on each side. There are nine guys in his room, all sleeping on cots, and he said its the size of his bedroom here at home. When they arrived, there was no power to the building and of course, no A/C. They have now bought several window A/C units and many power extension cables, running them from somewhere else. He said they now have 2 outlets for all 9 people and have to be careful how much stuff is running at once, so they don't overload it. This is somewhat ironic, since I've read that FOB Iskan surrounds a power plant that provides a third of all Iraq's power. He said that the building has a BIG mouse problem and with the rotted ceilings, the mice were literally falling from the rafters. They secured a bunch of trash bags to the ceiling to keep the mice from falling on to the floor. The buildings have tall concrete blast walls surrounding them and in between all walkways, to block shrapnel from mortars.

Nick said its a 30 minute walk to the chow hall, which is about the size of our upstairs. There is no PX - instead, you give a guy some money and a list, and they go to a PX to get it. However, there is an Iraqi market on the FOB and you can buy stuff from them (that's where they got the A/C units). Nick was most impressed by the massive selection of DVD movies. He said you can get a single DVD that has up to 4 full movies on it, all for about $3.

Nick says the area looks like an old Mexican town, with dilapidated concrete buildings, lots of palm trees and jungle type vegetation.

I have shipped a package to Nick to verify the address. He has been told that packages take about 10 days, but for some reason letters take 30 days. Nick asked me to wait on giving his address out, until we know for sure it is correct.

Nick is using an AT&T AAFES calling card when calling home. He is able to use other calling cards as well, but this card is rechargable. It costs $0.25/min to call home from Iraq. Staci has given me the calling card info so that I can recharge it for him. If anyone would like to donate money to his calling card, let me know. While I'm sure everyone would like to get calls from him, I hope you understand that he may have few opportunities to make calls. There is one building with 10 phones and 10 computers w/Internet for the whole FOB. Plus, he will be going on missions quite a bit, some lasting a week at a time.

I don't know when Nick will have opportunity to send any pictures to us, but in the meantime, I have found some pictures of FOB Iskan from someone else posted on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAqT3sUz_VM

Jon Taking On Snow

Spoke with Jon yesterday. Colorado Springs has been getting quite a bit of snow. The base was shut down because of a blizzard. Here's a picture of Phoebe in the snow.

Nick in Baghdad

Spoke with Nick for a few minutes this morning. He has landed in Baghdad, but they are currently unable to continue to their FOB (Forward Operating Base). Each of the other groups going there have come under attack by machine gun and mortar rounds, so they have suspended the rest until its taken care of. He mentioned that he saw a Humvee come through the gates ridden with bullet holes down the side and burn marks from blasts and he thought, "wonder how many missions it took to look like that".

Not in Iraq Yet...

Spoke with Nick this morning. He still hasn't left Kuwait - will be leaving anytime though. He may not go straight to his new base though. He said they may be diverted to help some other guys out on the way. More news when available.

Spoke with Nick today

I IM'd with Nick briefly early this morning, then spoke with him by phone in the afternoon. This is probably the last contact until he makes it to his new location. Nick gave me an address, but they aren't sure if its correct or not. He asked me to mail him a letter and see if he gets it, before giving it out to everyone. His computer has died, but so far he hasn't used it to access the internet - they have only been allowed to use the internet cafe and use those machines (paying a per minute charge). He has taken a couple pictures, but he said everything pretty much looks the same... sand. Plus, he hasn't figured out a way to send them successfully yet. They've been told that at some point, they should be staying in "containers" or "cans". From what I've read on the web, these are modular aluminum units with a window A/C and they have a real bed (pictured)

IM'd and spoke with Nick this morning

IM'd with Nick early this morning. This time, he had a computer with a camera so I was able to snap a few pictures (click the pic to see them all).

He is doing fine. Got his high-and-tight haircut. He said he has heard that they may be getting their mailing address soon. He's been doing a lot of running and its pretty hot. Before he left, we signed him up for Vonage service, hoping that he could use it as an Internet phone while he was gone - but he said that so far, the internet isn't good enough to use it.

He will be leaving Kuwait and going to Iraq sometime next week - not aloud to say exactly where. Anyone wanting more specifics on this, please contact me - not going to put these type of details on the Blog. But he said its going to be a location with "lots of bunnies", implying it will be all friendly and pleasant (don't believe it). One of the jobs they will be doing will be picking up trash around the towns and spray painting over the anti-government and anti-American graffiti. They will also be paying locals to do same. The idea is to make things look better so hopefully the people will feel better too. I guess this is their "hobby" job, in between fighting insurgents.

Nick said he is currently carrying an M-4, M-16 and a M-240. Seems like a pretty heavy load to me. He especially liked his M-4 because its brand new. As for the M-16, apparently they've nicknamed it "The Musket" - guess they don't like it too much. He said that he will be walking most of the time, but when in the HMMWV (Humvee), he will be one of those riding in the turret (but they switch out). He said he recently spent some time in the new HMMWVs and that they were pretty cool (literally). They have A/C and he said it has a "Pope Dome" because the turret is incased in protective glass. He is going to try and get some pics of it for me.

That's about it for now. Click on the pic and see the various snaps I got from the IM session.

-Tavis

Pictures during Nick's visit in September

I finally got these pictures posted on to SnapFish. These are the pictures that were taken while Nick was here on leave, prior to shipping out to Kuwait. Pictures include:

• A small party we had for Nick, with family and few friends
• Dinner at Babe's with Stacy's family - We told the waitress it was Nick's Birthday, hence the chicken on the head
• Nick showing off his new uniform
  
  Click on the picture to see the album
  

Nick in Kuwait

I spoke with Nick this morning (6AM my time, 2PM his time). He has arrived at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kuwait. He said that he arrived in early morning and the sun was just rising - the air was dry and the perfect temp. Then the afternoon came and it was much hotter, but he said its still not too bad - sort of like at the beach, but no water. On the drive to the base, all you could see was sand in all directions, then an area with bright lights appeared - this was their destination.

Nick said the base has some of the best chow he's had, plus they have all types of restaurants there; Taco Bell, Baskin Robins, even a Panda Express type restaurant. And to top it off, the PX (Post Exchange, like a Military WalMart) had Monster Drinks -- YEA!! It sounds like he would rather be stationed in Kuwait than in Alaska ;)

After they got off the plane, they all loaded on to a nice big bus and headed through the desert to the base. They made a stop along the way for everyone to get out and stretch their legs, and get some water / Gatoraide. Nick stepped off the bus and looked around - sand everywhere - and got back on the bus to continue playing is PSP (Personal Sony PlayStation) game. The bus driver, a Kuwaiti, came up to him with a water bottle and made hand-gestures asking if he could cut the top of the bottle with a knife to make a glass. Nick pulls out his knife and waits for the bus driver to hand him the bottle. The driver wants to take the knife and do it himself. Nick said they stood there for a moment and he thought, "Oh, HELL no". So he took the bottle from the guy and cut the top off, then gave it back to the driver. Nick said, "We were the only two on the boss, don't know who the Hell this is, I'm not going to hand him my knife!".

They will be in Kuwait for 3-4 weeks doing additional training, so we will probably here from him again. He is using a calling card to call us ($0.21/min) and he can get on a computer with internet access for $5/hr. If anyone is interested in purchasing pre-paid calling cards for Nick, the cheapest I found for calling from Kuwait / Iraq is the AT&T AAFES card (https://thor.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx).

Jonathan's address and pictures

Jonathan's new address at Fort Carson:

SPC Jonathan Schriefer
5901C Heurtgen Forest Rd.
Fort Carson, CO 80913

Pictures of Jonathan and Stephanie's wedding (click)



http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=40071160243305365/l=213059424/g=9664036/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Starting back up the Blog

Well, its been a while, but now time to start the Blog back up. The last time I typed here was in January 2006 - Nick was stationed in Alaska and Jon was safely back at home, living in Irving, TX. Time seems to have gone by fast.

Jonathan has transferred from the Texas National Guard to active duty US Army, and is now stationed at Fort Carson in Colarodo Springs, CO. (http://www.carson.army.mil/). Jon is happily married to Stephanie and has a 2 year old daughter, Phoebe.

Nicholas has just been deployed to Iraq and shipped out from Alaska today. Nick is engaged to Staci McAdams and they plan to marry after he returns in about 15 months.

So, there's the 60-second update. Now its time to keep up with this thing again, so that others can stay up-to-date with the happen'ns.

For those that are new to my blog, I invite you to read through the history of the boys. I started the blog in January 2005 and followed Jon through his tour in Iraq, and Nick through his boot camp, training and first duty station in Alaska. When possible, I put links in the blog to pictures, so that if anyone wants to get copies, they can pretty easy. I invite any feedback or suggestions to make the blog better and please feel free to add your own comments to the blog entries.

-Tavis

Volcano Augustine in Alaska

Volcano Augustine began to erupt on 11-JAN about 175 miles from Anchorage.

Augustine is on a small uninhabited island in the Cook Inlet, off the inland coast near Anchorage, across from the Mud Flats.

Current webcam pictures and seismic activity can be seen at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Augustine.php

Here is a link to the satelite view of the volcano and surounding area (Google Maps)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=59.364508,+-153.433136+(Volcano+Augustine)&btnG=Search&t=k&ll=59.368543,-153.435402&spn=0.102158,0.309677&t=h

Jon's Homecoming

Here are pictures from Jon's homecoming at Baylor University's stadium 10-DEC-2005. There is a video as well, but I don't have it ready yet - will let you know. (click on the picture to see the album)

WELCOM BACK JONATHAN !!!

Jonathan in the USA

Jonathan called. He has landed in Maine and should be arriving in Ft. Hood around 8:30AM.

WELCOME HOME !!!

Texas National Guard Homecoming - 10 December

Below is the press release for the homecoming in Waco. At this moment, I do not know if Jon will be back in country by then. He left me a voicemail on 4 Dec and said he would not be able to speak with me for a couple days. My assumption is that he has not yet reached Kuwait. Will update when I know more.

-Tavis


Welcome Home Ceremony Dec. 10 for 56th Brigade
Nov. 28, 2005

Media: See important contact information below.

Baylor media contact: Lori Fogleman (254) 710-6275 or mobile (254) 709-5959


For more on the Jan. 1, 2005, sendoff ceremony, please click on this link.


Soldiers of the 56th Brigade Combat Team will receive their official welcome home at Baylor University's Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 10, starting at 2:00 p.m.

While the return of some units and rear detachments of the 56th BCT may be delayed until after Dec. 10, members of main body can anticipate reunion with their families and the demonstrated appreciation of a crowd that may exceed 30,000 well-wishers.

Approximately 3,000 soldiers comprise the brigade, which is part of the Texas National Guard's 36th Infantry Division. Although headquartered in Fort Worth, brigade members come from all regions of Texas.

They will be returning to the same site where family, friends and community said good-bye to them Jan. 1. The brigade was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom Aug. 15, 2004, and trained during the months leading up to their deployment. Following the Dec. 10 event, the soldiers will demobilize and return to their homes, families and civilian jobs.

"The men and women of the 56th Brigade Combat Team have made a significant contribution to the Global War on Terrorism, and now it is time for them to resume their lives in the civilian world," said Maj. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez, Adjutant General of Texas, who commands the state's military forces. "We will be happy to have them back home in Texas. We know their friends and family will cherish their return home -- a very special holiday homecoming."

Among the returning soldiers are 29 who at the time of deployment were not American citizens yet, but who loved their chosen country so much that they decided to serve it. Also on Dec. 10, they will be sworn in as American citizens by U.S. District Judge Walter Smith Jr., and will stand together with their fellow citizens to receive thanks from their fellow Americans.

The 56th Brigade Combat Team consists of the following units:


•Abilene - Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 111th Engineer Battalion; Company A, 111th Engineer Battalion;
•Amarillo - Company A, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry;
•Arlington - Company B, 2nd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Big Spring - Detachment 1, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry;
•Brady - Company C, 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Brownwood - 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Coleman - Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Denton - Company A, 2nd Battalion, 112th Armor;•El Paso - 3rd Battalion, 133rd Field Artillery;
•Fort Worth - Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 56th Brigade; H Troop, 124th Cavalry; Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Irving - Company C, 111th Engineer Battalion;
•Lubbock - Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 142nd Infantry;
•Midland - Company C, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry;
•Mineral Wells - Company B, 111th Engineer Battalion;
•Odessa - Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 133rd Field Artillery;
•Pampa - Detachment 1, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry;
•Plainview - Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry;
•San Angelo - Company A, 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Snyder - Detachment 1, Company A, 111th Engineer Battalion;
•Stephenville - Company B, 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Weatherford - Company C, 2nd Battalion, 112th Armor;
•Wellington - Company B, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry.


In addition, individuals from other units throughout Texas - although not their entire units, were deployed as members of the 56th Brigade Combat Team.


Baylor campus map: http://www.baylor.edu/map/

Stadium Seating/gate chart: http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/bay/sports/m-foo
tbl/auto_pdf/floyd-caseyseatingchart.pdf

Driving directions to Floyd Casey Stadium: http://baylorbears.collegesports.com/trads/bay-findingstadiu
m.html


Media Information

News media representatives are invited to cover the official welcome ceremony for members of the Texas National Guard 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, who deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom on Jan. 1, 2005, and will officially be welcomed back Dec. 10, 2005.

The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at Baylor University's Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas. Access the venue from Interstate Highway 35 by exiting Valley Mills Drive east to the stadium. Please be at the stadium no later than 11:30 a.m. to avoid traffic jams. Public Affairs representatives will meet media at the designated visitors' parking lot.

The press box will be made available for print media.

Information Regarding Jonathan's Return

Below is a link to the 56th Brigade Combat Team website. Once you are on this page, click on [CMDR's "DEMOB" PLAN] on the left side of the page for a letter from the Commander.

56 Brigade Combat Team

Great article on the rebuilding efforts - Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone From Yahoo! News

I read this article this morning along with some of the feedback given by readers. I think its very well written and points to the good we are doing in Iraq. Almost everything we see in media is the bad that's going on, because for whatever reason, the media thinks thats what we want to know about.

Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone From Yahoo! News

56th BCT Welcome Home Ceremony

It is very possible that Jonathan will be coming home around this time and will be at this ceremony. Of course we plan to be there and hope everyone can make it as well to welcome home all the Texas troops coming back from Iraq. -Tavis

Who - All units under the 56th BCT returning from Iraq
What - Welcome Home Ceremony
When - 10 Dec 2005, 2 pm

Where - Baylor's "Floyd Casey" stadium - Waco, TX
Driving Directions to Floyd Casey stadium - http://baylorbears.collegesports.com/trads/bay-findingstadium.html

Letter Courtesy of Darrell Mitchell - Oct 26, 2005

Soldiers and Families of HHC 111TH EN BN,

As schedules have synchorinized, it is very likely that we will be back in time to attend the 56th BCT Re-Deployment Ceremony in Waco at Baylor Stadium. More information was posted in an earlier news post regarding the ceremony.

Please remain flexible as the schedule is tight and there are no guarantees. If you plan on meeting your Solider it may be a good idea to start looking at the lodging availability as soon as possible.

I know everyone's question will be when are we going to hit ground.....It is likely to be some few days prior to the ceremony but undetermined at this point. The schedules remain to be finalized and we will not be able to give out any exacts in order to maintain security. Once we are in route Soldiers will be able to give you better ideas of when they may be landing. Please also keep in mind that the Soldiers will not be released from Active Duty as this time. We will remain at Fort Hood some duration of time before and after the ceremony in order to process from active duty.

The best news of all is that your loved ones will be home for Christmas as it appears now and I feel we are all blessed to have been able to spend the previous Christmas and the upcoming one with our families during this time of year.

As always your soldiers are doing an OUTSTANDING JOB and help them to remain focused on finishing up the next several weeks. I know there a lot of decisions that everyone has to start thinking about for the re-integration back into our lives; but if at all possible minimize the destracting items from the Soldiers current lives so they can come home safe to you.

God Speed to you all, and THANK YOU for your support to our Soldiers.

CPT Mitchell

Nicholas trained on the Javelin

Check out the new toy that Nick has trained for...

Click picture to play video

Read more about the Javelin Anti-Tank Missle here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/javelin.htm

Nick - New Address

Nick's new address is:

PFC Nicholas Schriefer
700 Quartermaster Road #704
Ft. Richardson, AK 99505-8220

Heard from both boys

Jon called today. His internet is screwing up quite a bit so he is considering terminating it. He said that they have now told them that we can continue to mail packages until November now. Also, there is rumors of extending their tour, but nothing firm yet.

Nick IM'd me breifly this morning. They went swimming this morning and he says they had to race to see who could get two bricks from the bottom of the 10ft deep pool first and make it back up with them. Fun Fun.

Nothing firm yet for Christmas for either of them.

Quick Update

Jon thinks he will be back around 26 December. We should not send any more mail to him because he may not be able to get it. He is going to start shipping his personal stuff back to USA.

Nick is back from Fairbanks. Sounds like he had a good time playing Rambo. Looks like he will be home for Christmas - 10-26 December.

Jonathan Back At Work

IM'd with Jon this morning. He is back in Iraq and went straight to a shift as soon as he arrived. Looks like he is changing squads, but job remains same with some new faces. All is fine.

Nicholas Goes to Fairbanks

Nick has left for a 2 week exercise in Fairbanks. He understands that they will be jumping in and spending the time in intensive training clearing houses and villages during live-fire exercises. He will be out of contact until first of the month.

Nick said it is getting colder up there and much darker in the mornings.

Nick's Trip to Australia - Complete Album

While Nick was visiting last week, he gave me all the pictures from Australia. A few of them I already had, but here is a link to the complete album of his pictures.

Jon and Nick visit

Jon came home on leave for a couple weeks. Nick made a suprise weekend visit, so all of us got to spend a little time together. Both have returned to their bases now, but here are a few pictures taken during their visit.

If anyone has additional photos to add, please send them to me and I will add them to the album.

CONGRATULATIONS to Nick!!

Nicholas successfully completed his EIB testing yesterday and has been awarded the Expert Infantryman Badge. Info on the badge

Here is an article describing the EIB testing and the badge: Expert Infantryman's Badge

Article - Fighting Smarter (Popular Mechanics, Aug 2005)

Here's a good article I ready recently form the August issue of Popular Mechanics...

Welcome Home!

Jon arriving at DFW

Nick in Australia

Here's a few more pictures of Nick in Australia. He says he's sending me the whole CD of pictures... We'll see.

Iraq Pictures (Apr - Jun 2005)

Here's some new pictures from Jon...

Article: Training, Hydration Help Baghdad Troops Cope With Heat

Here's a good article about the heat Jon is going through...

DefenseLINK News: Training, Hydration Help Baghdad Troops Cope With Heat

Videos from Iraq

Jon sent me these three videos a while back and I just realized that I never posted them online. To play any of them, just click on the picture.

2005-04. Video Jon took in Iraq showing his current living quarters

2005-03. Video Jon took during his unit's Easter barbecue.

2005-02. Video Jon took from the tower of a dog playing with a plastic bag.

Australia Photos

Nick sent me seven photos from Australia. Hopefully more to follow.
I spoke with him yesterday and all is fine. Some of his unit is on leave right now, so he's just doing miscellaneous stuff around for a few weeks.

Good Website: www.welcometroops.com

This website details the daily Welcome Home events at DFW airport for returning soldiers
welcometroops.com

Happy 4th of July!

Shadow wanted to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July, and show her patriotism! Click the link below to see her Stars & Stripes picture! To see the "Making of" video, click here.

Spoke with Jon yesterday

Yesterday I IM'd with Jon. His internet service has been down for a while now so he went to the Gym and used the computer there. He said all is fine. There is a sand storm going on, but it wasn't too severe - just makes it harder to breath. He said the weather hasn't been too hot there (I think its stayed below 110 F). Recently, he worked at one of the entry gates and checked vehicles as they entered the base. He said the day goes by pretty fast there.

Welcoming The Troops Home at DFW

This is a great website that talks about welcoming troops home at DFW. There are flights coming in daily and they always have groups of people there to welcome the troops and shake their hands.

http://www.welcometroops.com/

Nick Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Nick is leaving today for Rockhampton, Australia. He will be flying non-stop from Anchorage on his 17 hour flight. His Unit will be flying there aboard six C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. Info on the aircraft is available here.



His flight will take him 6,900 miles to Rockhampton near the East NE coastline of the Great Barrier Reaf. Temperatures currently are 50-75° F. - about the same as Anchorage. There is an 18 hour time difference between the two locations.


Rockhampton, Australia

Nick Going to Battle Crocodile Dundee

Nick leaving in a couple days to Australia. He will enjoy a lengthly flight aboard a military trasnport plane from Alaska to Australia accompanied by a jump into the Outback to invade and take over an air base. He will enjoy 10 action packed days with 180 of his closest battle buddies battling Ausi Insurgents to capture their "Barbe".

He said there will be six aircraft and they will have to make two passes to allow everyone to jump off the planes. Sounds like a wild ride.

Two New Articles in Dallas Morning News

Two new articles appeared in the Dallas Morning News recently.

The first is about a unit in the 56th BCT (Jon's Brigade) looking for IEDs.



The second is about a Sgt in the 111th Engineering Battallion (Jon's Battallion) fishing in Victory Lake. (You may recall that Jon sent several pictures of Victory Lake - see April 18, Pictures from Baghdad)

Mowing Grass in Iraq

This photo and text is from one of the soldier's families of the 56th BCT. Its amazing what we will do for reminders of home.

"Here is a soldier stationed in Iraq, stationed in a big sand box. He asked his wife to send him dirt (U.S. soil), fertilizer and some grass seeds, so he can have the sweet aroma and feel the grass grow beneath his feet.If you notice, he is even cutting the grass with a pair of a scissors. Sometimes we are in such a hurry that we don't stop and think about the little things that we take for granted. "


Mowing Grass in Iraq

PV2 Nick's New Job

Spoke to Nick briefly. He now has a stripe so he's a Private 2nd Class (PV2).

He also has a new job - AG (Alternate Gunner maybe?). He's the guy who carries the rounds and the tripod for the M240 machine gun. Another guy carries the machine gun and additional rounds. Nick's job is to feed the rounds to the machine gun and point at the targets for the gunner to shoot at.

Jon's and Nick's Addresses

Here is a reminder of the mailing addresses for the boys...

PV2 Jonathan Schriefer
B Co. 111th EN BN WPMUB0 (<-- zero)
APO, AE 09342-1400


PV2 Nicholas Schriefer
FCO 1st BN, 19th INF
618 Access Drive
Mailbox 28
Fort Richardson AK 99505


Tips:
I have found that USPS Priority Mail is the best method to ship packages to both of them. A Priority Mail envelope takes about 1.5 weeks to reach Jonathan and a Priority Mail package takes about 2 weeks. For Nicholas, Priority Mail takes 3 days - plus its cheaper and faster than UPS or FedEx ground services (taking 5-6 days).

You can get free Priority Mail boxes in various sizes for free from the Post Office and online at usps.com. There are several sizes, two of which are flat rate ($7.70) and are the cheapest way to ship if over 2 lbs. Shipments to Jonathan must also have a Customs Declaration form (PS Form 2976) since it is an International package. All of these supplies can be ordered from the USPS website for free so that you always have them available and don't have to search at your local Post Office (takes 2 weeks to deliver them).

Mail going to Jonathan must be taken to the Post Office in person, but can be sealed prior. You cannot use online postage for International packages. Mail to Nicholas can be sent just like any other US package and you can print the postage online at USPS.com.

Quick Update - Nick

I've also spoken with Nick several times over past couple weeks, the last time during the Desperados game. There are some recent rumors regarding his deployment. Instead of waiting until mid-2006 to deploy to Iraq, they may be deploying in several months to Afghanistan for a while, then on to Iraq. I think he will be coming home on leave prior to deployment.

Nick went camping weekend before last and said it was a blast. He sent a few pictures (click on pic)


Camping Trip

Quick Update - Jon

I've spoken / IM'd with Jon several times over past couple weeks. Everything is fine. He went to a USO concert on base the other night to see Toby Keith (sings "American Soldier"). He said he had a good time, even though it was Country music.


Toby Kieth at Victory

Dallas Desperados

Sunday, the Dallas Desperados (arena football) provided 500 tickets to families of the 56th Brigade Combat Team (Jon's Brigade). Jill and I went, along with Jill's parents and my Mother. There were quite a few families there and we all wore t-shirts with US and Texas flags. They honored some of the soldiers on the field during the game and Channel 5 had a blurb about it on the news Sunday night - here's the news clip... http://photos.imageevent.com/schriefer/jonsvideos/Desperados_20050522.WMV

There's also some pictures I took at the game (click on the pic below). Sorry some are a bit blurry, but we were pretty far back. I tried to keep the boys in mind by including some cheerleader pictures too! ;)


Desperados Game

Jon's Units in the News

Here's an article I read about K-9 bomb sniffing dogs being used in the 111th EN (Jonathan's unit). http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/apr2005/a042805la1.html

An article appeared in Friday's Dallas Morning News about internet access and other comforts of home that Jon's units have. Click on the picture to download the PDF file.


A previous article appeared in the DMN about a school that the 56th Brigade helped build in Bahgdad. This is probably one of several Iraqi schools that the 56th is currently taking donations to help buy schools supplies (info at serveoursoldiers.us).

Nick's New Address and Phone Number

Nick sent me a couple pictures earlier this month and I'm just now getting them online. He said he has some more to send, but don't have them yet. Clicking on the picture below will take you to his photo album.

Also, here is Nick's new address and phone:

Pvt Schriefer
A Co. TF1 / 501st ABN
618 Access Drive, Mailbox 28
Fort Richardson, AK 99505-8105

907-223-7299
Nick's cell phone plan has unlimited minutes after 7:00 PM (10:00 PM Central) and on weekends.

Pictures from Baghdad

Friday, I received a CD from Jonathan with lots of pictures he has taken over the past few months. Here is a link to the album on Snapfish.com. There were videos on the CD as well - I will be uploading them in the next few days. -Tavis

"Hello from Iraq"

Update from Nick

Nick is now settled in his new room and so far looks like he has it to himself. He has now finished with his in-processing and is now starting to do training exercises and lots of PT (Physical Training).

My thoughts turn to Gomer Pyle out on the snowy tundra doing jumping jacks - I'm sure Nick thinks it was that easy. From what I understand, it is quite strenuous to run in a foot of snow, however he likes the moments when they have to "take a knee", putting one knee on the ground (packed snow) because it acts as an ice pack to his strained knee.


He has spent a bit of money lately buying and preparing his uniforms with the various patches and such. Seems they will provide the stuff eventually, but they will hound you until its done - so better to just do it at your own expense. As one of the "new guys", many of the NCOs give them shit for a while - sort of like a Freshman in High School, but instead of punches in the arm, they make you see how many push-ups you can do or see how long you can "pick cherries" (stand with your arms fully extended and touch alternating fingers to your thumb).

It looks like his unit is going to be quite busy. Here are the plans as he knows so far...

• Next week he is on a 4-day exercise on the base where they will drop in (parachute) and take over a mock city.
• Sometime before July they will be going to Australia and then to Thailand for additional maneuvers
• He will be home in July for leave - don't know how long yet
• Mid-2006 it looks like their unit will be going to Iraq for a tour of duty. Obviously this info will change 48 times before then as well.

I gave him a book before he left, titled "Generation Kill", that I started reading on my trip to Germany. He told me last night that he has been reading it a lot and really likes it (wow, Nick likes a book). I planned to send (or have Nick send) it to Jonathan after Nick was done with it.

All for now.

Message from Nick

Its pretty nice down here so far, ive heard many things bout the "hazings" that go on here when ur new to tha unit. I think it was last year when a SGT got in trouble for gettin a soldier all cut up and beat to hell. im not really to worried bout it. It also seems lik EVERYONE i talk to that has lived here thier whole life hates it and wants to leave. They say the Summer is great, but the winter SUKS! sooo cant decide if i like it or not until ive been here for at LEAST 1 winter.P.S.- I do know that im goin to the 501 INF Unit and it IS an airborne unit. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Nick called last night

Nick called last night. He will probably have his new cell phone by Monday. He said they are still building the dorms that he will be living in for the next 3 years - and he hears that they may have their own rooms. He said it doesn't feel as cold as the temp really is, probably because its dry. According to Nick, Fort Richardson is a very small base with only about 4 main streets. They have to go to Elmendorf AFB to go to the PX. He said that there are free transprotation around the bases provided by a wife's club. Sounds like he likes it there and the people have been very nice to him.

Desert Jon called today

Jonathan called today. Its getting warmer there now and apparently the mosquitoes are out in force. His Grandmother gave me some citronella candles to ship him and I will be adding a few movies to the box.

Everything is going fine.

Polar Nick has landed

Nick called me a few minutes ago. He has landed in Anchorage and said there is about 2 feet of snow. He said the mountains are beautiful. He also didn't waste any time meeting women and has already got a phone number. He was joined in Salt Lake City by several of his Airborne buddies who are stationed at Fort Richardson as well.

Nick Goes To Alaska

Here's an update on Nick. He graduated Airborne school on 11 March and came home for leave before going to his first duty station at Fort Richardson, Alaska (in Anchorage and next to Elmendorf AFB).


Fort Richardson

Looks like the "polar" opposite of Jon's current location. His cell phone won't work there because Sprint's "nationwide" service doesn't cover Alaska, so everyone that has his number, just hold on to it until you hear of a new one.

Nick leaves tomorrow and will probably enjoy the weather there since he is complaining that our 70 degree weather is too hot. Here are a couple links to the area with some pictures...

http://www.usarak.army.mil/
http://www.usarak.army.mil/framwr/photos.htm

Spoke with Jon yesterday

I spoke with Jon yesterday - first time by phone in a while. I did IM with him a couple times while I was in Germany. He is doing fine. He has access to internet from time to time, but its slow . He said he had pictures to send when he can. He also IM'd with Nick for a while the other day (Nick has been back home on leave)

Online Photo Albums

It's taking me forever, but I'm starting to get our photo albums online. I've created a second blog to make it easier for everyone else to see our general family photo albums. However I will continue to update this blog with information and pictures regarding the boys and their tours of duty. The Schrifer Photo Album blog is at http://schrieferphotos.blogspot.com/

Here are the new additions for Jon and Nick...

8/19/2004 - Jon's Bootcamp Graduation
Here are pictures of Jon's graduation from Bootcamp at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Tavis, Nick and Jan drove there and spent 4 days.




10/8/2004 - Jon's AIT Graduation Ceremony
Here are pictures of Jon's AIT Graduation Ceremony at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Tavis and Jill drove there for the ceremony and brought Jon back for a few days before he reported in at Fort Hood, Texas.






2/11/2005 - Nick's Bootcamp Graduation Ceremony
Here is the photo album of Nick's Turning Blue Ceremony (10 Feb 2005) and Graduation Ceremony (11 Feb 2005) at Fort Benning, Georgia. There are also pictures of the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.

Baghdad Update

Hey everyone, we finally got internet in our barracks! It's not all that fast, but it IS faster than a dial-up connection and it actually works, so I'm happy with it. Especially since i don't have to ride my bike to go to the gym to get online :D Although I still don't have a phone close by. The DSN phone line (military phones) that is close by me didn't work last I checked on Saturday. I've also taken a lot more pics and now that I have my own internet, i can start uploading them. Also, I mailed a letter to Lenn (did i spell that right??). And I don't have grandpa and grandnan's yahoo id's yet...but I did want to say thank you for the care packages - they are all very much appreciated not only by me but by the rest of the guys in my platoon as well!