A/2-72 AR Commander's Letter to the Company

I have never in my life had such an amazing opportunity as I had to command you in combat. Since the day we were told we were going to war 19 May 2005 till the day we headed back to the states in August, I can say that God has given me a dream come true. We had hard times. I won't ever say that we did not. Losing SSG Vaillant, our man of God, on the first day of battle was a difficult pill to swallow, but none of you hesitated in taking the fight to the enemy. In him we lost a man of conviction and character. In the same way, three weeks later on September 29, we lost Titcomb. Our self-proclaimed porn-star could always make you laugh. He was always in the center of everything and his laughter and high spirits always seemed to carry us through tough times. We Apaches mourned with their families and carried SSG Vaillaint and Tity's memory in our hearts for the rest of the deployment and the rest of our lives.

For the year that we were here, you were the main effort of the beloved and storied Currahee Battalion. The Band of Brothers gave her hardest job to the best company in her midst. How many days not facing the enemy did we have? None. No other company amongst this battalion has the legacy of defending the fifteen kilometer stretch of Route Michigan for a year. That is truly something to be proud of. Through the grueling heat of the summer to the freezing cold nights of winter, you persevered beyond what could be expected of anyone else and for that I thank you.

To simply say thank you for your service under my command would be trite. There are really no words eloquent enough or specific enough to truly ascribe to you the honor I feel for you in my heart. We fall into a very rare breed, those who have gone to foreign shores to defend and preserve freedom. We have sweat, we have bled, and we have given the lives of our brothers in order that Iraq may experience the same freedoms many take for granted in the United States.

For us, names like 20th Street, Omar's House, J-DAMS house, Dirty Mosque, and the K-town bridge will forever be etched in our hearts as places of battle, heartache, and victory. Average people become legendary as stories of SFC Stemen stopping an ambush at the 512 and then driving through the mosque at the 635 become Apache Folklore. Stories of SSG Rangel taking 8 RPGs and SFC Davis taking 5 RPGs to his respective tank while assaulting Fallujah. We have shot more main gun rounds than most tank companies shoot at a gunnery followed by a CALFEX. Who can forget SSG Kishbaugh and his loud, strong, and unyielding soldier ethos compelling him to stay and fight while shrapnel was being pulled from his abdomen. We are warriors.

There were those who behind the scenes worked hard to ensure that we had everything we needed. My Executive Officer, LT Adam Cannon singlehandedly insured everything from supply to maintenance to ammunition counts were straight. Adam is the best officer I have ever had work for me, and he has truly made the Apaches the company that we are.

1SG Sartin was my sanity check and always kept me straight with every wild and crazy plan that I had. First Sergeants that care more about men than themselves are rare, but you have a man who understands his role as the Commander's Adviser. Many of you have no idea how many conversations and decisions that I made with the input from the Apache Senior NCO. I am indebted forever, thank you.

My platoon leaders -- LTs Dave Stewart, James Allen, Kelly Sanders, Rob Kessel, Don Anusionwu, and Josh Klemcke -- I would like to thank you for your loyalty and dedication. I am so thankful that God blessed me with great leaders like yourselves, who needed only little guidance in leading the finest warriors that our Army could provide. We shared the good the bad and the ugly together. In the end, we remained true to the calling of what it is to be an Apache.

The Non-Commisioned Officers of this company had more responsibility put on them than what is normally asked of an NCO. That made us better. I found that the more responsibility given to our NCOs in a combat environment, the more you thrived. You trained soldiers across the battalion to learn to become tankers -- to learn how to become Apaches. I am so proud of you for that. I could rest assured when there was an E5 or an E6 handling a fight. That is just how good you are.

Across the board, Apache Soldiers made a difference. As I read and approved each one of our Combat Action Badge Awards that we earned, I came to realize that this company was special. Every one of us has engaged the enemy in some manner. From cook, to supply clerk, to mechanic, to commo guy, to fister, to tanker -- everyone has been in this fight under the Apache Colors. I thank you for your dedication and you know that I love each and everyone of you.

The families of Apache who endured the greatest hardship, I extend my heartfelt thanks. Those who remained faithful to their men in the midst of what was for some of us 2 or 3 years, gave what has to be one of the toughest sacrifices for a family to make. Thank you.

I thank my Lord Jesus Christ for this opportunity to command and I pray for continued blessing for all Apaches in the years to come. As we look back upon our time as Apaches on the Warpath, let us never forget God's faithfulness.