Old Navy Military Discount

Old Navy gives a 10% discount to Active Duty Military the 1st of each month if you show your ID. Through the second of August you can get a 30% discount by showing your ID!

Updates from CPT Ashley

I would like to begin this newsletter by congratulating SPC Paul Valles and SGT Zettie Hall on their recent promotions to SGT and SSG. They have both demonstrated increased potential, the capacity for higher levels of responsibility, and are both invaluable assets to the Hurricane Team. SPC Murray also re-enlisted this past month, and I applaud her for her decision to continue to serve. We recently welcomed CPT Patrick O’Donnell to the

Company as the new Battalion S1. Pat has served honorably as a Bravo Company (Killer Spade) Platoon Leader these past nine months. He will bring a wealth of knowledge to the Company, and will serve the entire Battalion well in his new position of responsibility.

Since November our work load has remained steady, and the Soldiers continue to amaze me with their resilience to the daily monotony and their dedication to our Security and Stability mission here in Iraq. It is not easy working alongside people who you can’t help but run into in the shower, the CHU, the dining facility, work, the gym, the laundry mat, and the MWR building! We all may be tired, and ready for some fresh faces, but the friendships that have been established here will last a lifetime.

Fort Drum Town Hall Briefing Virtual Info

The 1-10 ATK Virtual FRG Website (www.armyfrg.org) has been updated with information from the 13 June 1-10 ATK and Fort Drum Town Hall Briefing. There you will find the Q & A sheet that was e-mailed out, as well as all of the slides from each agency that was present.

If you have never signed onto www.armyfrg.org and registered before, please e-mail Alison Long and let her know so that I can send you an invitation in order to do so.

Also, please contact Alison if you have any questions!

Email: alison.l.long@us.army.mil

Need Help with the BIG MOVE???

Check out one, some or ALL of the following sites for help with the big move! If it is your first or twenty first, there is information for everyone. If anyone has a additional link to submit that you think would be helpful, please email it to beth.ashley1@us.army.mil

Life Lessons from a Military Wife Blog

http://lifelessonsmilitarywife.blogspot.com/2008/03/dont-do-another-military-move-or-any.html

MILSpouse.org Move

http://www.milspouse.org/Relocate/Moving/

Military DITY Move

http://www.helpumove.com/military.htm

Defense Link Move

http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/itsyourmove/

June Social

A fun time was had by all at the June Social! Pillow Case Craft, Cooking out and Slip -n- Slide kept everyone smiling :)

Toys at Target

These are probably "Coolest Toys" I have ever seen...for a Longbow Pilot :) Especially the TIGER SHARKS...take a closer look at the side! Bravo Team AH64D!

HHC June Social Information

Where: Tracy Duff's House

Time: 4-6 pm

Come enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs and bring a side dish for everyone to enjoy! We have a slip and side for the kids and we will be putting together a craft for the soldiers down range!
Please RSVP to tracy.duff@us.army.mil or call 843-408-1266

234th Army Birthday

HAPPY 234th Birthday Army

Two hundred and thirty-four years ago, the United States Army was established to defend our Nation. From the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror, our Soldiers remain Army Strong with a deep commitment to our core values and beliefs. This 234th birthday commemorates America’s Army – Soldiers, Families and Civilians – who are achieving a level of excellence that is truly Army Strong both here and abroad. Their willingness to sacrifice to build a better future for others and to preserve our way of life is without a doubt, the Strength of our Nation!

Town Hall Meeting about Ft. Drum

The town hall meeting was very informative. For those of you that couldn't make it or live out of town they did record it on DVD and those are available to mail or pick up. Allison Long 1-10 ATK BN FRSA has information packets available as well! She can be contacted at (912) 315-5713.

*Rear D does have Unit orders and they should be issuing individual orders this week!!

**Military Discounts**

Did you know there are many major retail chains that offer a Military Discount? Some advertise it and some don't, but it never hurts to ask!

Check out the following website for more details:

http://www.military.com/DC/DealIndex.jsp

Summer Camp

Registration closes TOMORROW APRIL 20th!!!

If you are interested in sending you child to an Operation Purple Camp please visit their website soon! Time and space is limited for signing up...there are camps ALL OVER the USA for children of deployed soldiers!

Visit their website: http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=camp_locations

Georgia Locations

Operation Purple Camp – Tybee Island, GA (Burton 4-H Center) – July 12-16, 2009 – Ages 10-12 – There will likely be a waiting list
Operation Purple Camp – Dahlonega, GA (Wahsega 4-H Center) – July 26-30, 2009 – Ages 10-12 – Spots remain!

Newborn Photos

If you live in the Richmond Hill area or near by...

iStork
This is a new program we are offering free of charge to military families in our area. If a father-to-be is deployed and unable to return for the birth, we will do a free photo session with the newborn. The photos must be taken within the first 4 weeks after the birth. The mother will receive a disc with email resolution images of the baby, ready to send to Daddy. There is no cost involved. As always we offer a 20% discount on our studio services to all military families.
If you would like more information on iStork, please give us a call or email us.
http://www.rowephotographers.com/special_programs/index.html

1-10 ATK BN SOCIAL

This is just a friendly reminder of April’s 1-10 ATK FRG Meeting on Friday, 24 April at 6:30pm – “Baseball with the Battalion”
Savannah Sand Gnats v. Rome Braves – gates open at 5:30pm
Come treat yourself to an evening of fun with your Tigershark Family – let’s celebrate the halfway point of the deployment!
FREE fireworks show after the game (8:30/9pm)
$5.00 per person, children three and under FREE
“Kid Zone” play area admission available for extra cost ($5/child)
Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth on the night of the game (ask for the military discount).
PLEASE RSVP to Maren Scullion by Monday, 20 April at 912-925-6033 or blockedmailto:bluemaxfrg@hotmail.com RSVPs are needed to order to reserve group seating.

Operation Birthday Cake

Bake Me a Wish is a company specializing in Cakes for all occasions. If you have a soldier with a birthday nearing, visit http://www.bakemeawish.com/. You will be able to send a birthday cake to your loved on in Iraq. Please order 3-4 weeks prior to the occasion in order to insure delivery!

HHC March Social

A good time was had at Masato Japanese steakhouse for the March HHC Social. Brad Sulentic, Glenda Hoghtower and her son and Dierdra Taylor joined in! We hope to have more join in over the coming months...Sincerely, Tracy Duff

March BN Social

Hello Tigersharks!
I just wanted to remind you all of the 1-10 ATK March BN FRG Social for Saturday, 28 March 09 from 2pm – 4pm at Hill of Beans in Savannah Mall.
Soft Play Area for younger kids.
Older kids, join us at Star Watch (next door to Hill of Beans)at 3pm to record a CD to send downrange.
PLEASE RSVP to Iwana Bruns at iwanabruns@comcast.net by 26 March

*Homecoming Banners*

Now here is a company that is Supporting our Troops and putting a smile our soldier's faces when they come home...BuildASign.com

If you are interested in making a sign for your loved one's R&R homecoming or for their homecoming down the road...go to www.buildasign.com/troops. There you will be able to create a free...YES FREE...sign. You do have to pay shipping which is approximately $20, but you can get a huge vinyl sign to hang up for your loved ones homecoming. This is anywhere from a $50-$120 dollar savings depending on how large of a banner you order! Please allow 6 weeks for delivery time, otherwise you will have to pay a little more for faster shipping. Also, they are only honoring 20,000 of these banner orders and I am not sure how many orders have already been placed since Veteran's Day '08. So hurry and get yours soon...and be sure to email them a big thank you for doing such a wonderful thing :)

Updates from CPT Ashley

Hello Hurricane Families! I hope this finds you and your family doing well. We continue to remain hard at work here on COB Speicher in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11. Spring has finally arrived and we are beginning to prepare each Hurricane for the unique challenges the harsh climate of this region will soon present. My head began to spin the other day, as the Air Force Weather man briefed us regarding the 120 degree days and frequent dust storms (called either Schmaal’s or Haboobs) we can expect in the coming months. I failed to mention last month that 1SG Pilkinton, SPC Sager, and SPC Mood all successfully erected an Internet SPAWAR café here at our company headquarters complete with telephones and computers (web cam available). I truly hope that your spouses and friends have utilized either e-mail, telephone, or web cam to stay in touch with you. Speaking of our headquarters, the building itself is located in an old Iraqi Air Force hangar with 24 hour security. The offices have state-of-the-art computer equipment that operates on secure lines. Our company headquarters is located within walking distance of our living areas, gymnasium, MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) facility, and the South dining facility which has a wide range of meal choices ranging from healthy, to short-order, to traditional meals (equipped even with Baskin and Robbins ice cream too). Since I’m on a roll here, everyone has 24 hour access to DOC Kneff or DOC Schano (our Flight Surgeon team) to receive either immediate medical attention, or to get prescriptions filled. The combat support hospital on COB Speicher is a major regional hospital with all the technology and staff necessary to accomplish its wide and important mission. Open 24/7, the hospital provides the Soldiers and civilians with the best health care that can be offered.
SGT Companion, and his wife Patricia, along with their two children Iyan and Shayleigh recently welcomed a new addition to their family. Maiyah Grace Companion was born 18 February 2009, just in time for SGT Companion to be there on R & R! Along with this wonderful news, we recently conducted the Army Physical Fitness Test, and I am proud to announce we awarded ten individuals the Army Physical Fitness Badge. Congratulations to Chaplain (CPT) Crawley, CPT Schano, CW4 Osborne, MSG Grainger, SGT Rodriguez-Bertha, SGT Hall, SGT Carter, SGT Blasingame, SPC Lee, and SPC Nyanankpe. I would also like to say congratulations to all those who will soon celebrate a special day (birthdays and anniversaries). Happy Birthday to SGT Hightower (01 APR), Mrs. Langlois (07 APR), CW4 Brian Hawkanson (19 APR), Mrs. Jessica Bucher (23 APR), Mrs. Nicole Carambot-Perez (26 APR), and SPC Algie Westfield (28 APR). Happy Anniversary to SGT Hall (04 APR).
We think of you all every day, and I pray for your health, security, and happiness. Tracy, thank you, and keep up all the tremendous hard work you are doing back there for each Hurricane Family. Please do not hesitate to e-mail me at a moment’s notice for any information or problems you may have.

Sincerely,
Aaron D. Ashley
Hurricane 06

From the Desk of Chaplain Crawley

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not at all mechanically minded. This lack of giftedness means that I am not naturally drawn to the maintenance of equipment. But have you considered that engines and other mechanical components are not the only items that need to be maintained? People and relationships need maintained as well. As this newsletter finds us about halfway through this deployment, evaluate what in your life may need a little TLC and maintenance. Be careful not to run yourself or your relationship into the ground simply because you are too busy to give them a little tune up. If you run your vehicle too long without giving it an oil change, it will eventually stop and force you to do something about it. If you don’t change out the oil on your own time and terms, the engine will eventually require it on its terms. How much better to stop on the way home from the store than to be stranded on the way home from the store! As the responsibilities of life continue to mound up, be sure to give yourself and your true priorities the time that they require. So, whether or not you know how to fix a transmission, we all can maintain ourselves if we simply put forth the time and effort. Don’t run yourself so hard that you break, but rather, put forth the time and effort to do some personal maintenance. You and all your loved ones will be glad you did!

HHC hosted 1-10 ATK BN Social

(click picture to enlarge)
Thanks to all the ladies who came together to make the February Social a success!