February marked a month of change for Headquarters Platoon. 1LT Lincoln Ward has moved on to become a Platoon Leader in Charlie Battery, 2-17 Field Artillery, located in nearby Al Ramadi. 1LT Ward poured his heart into the company and served admirably as the Company Fire Support Officer, the Headquarters Platoon Leader, and the Executive Officer. He will be sorely missed.

We welcome 1LT Mark Ross. He takes over the duties of our Company Fire Support Officer and Headquarters Platoon Leader. He comes to us from the Battalion Staff, where he served as the Battalion Targeting Officer for the past nine months. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is married to Jill Ross, who currently resides in Florida and works as a Credit Analyst for a local bank. Headquarters would like to wish both 1LT Ward and 1LT Ross the best of luck in their new positions.

Congratulations to SGT Culver who re-enlisted in the Army this month. At the completion of our tour in Iraq, he returns to Korea to serve on freedom's frontier once again and spend time with his wife.

The end of February also brought the realization that we are over the "hump" of our tour. Every step and every passing day brings us closer and closer to our goal... redeployment and our loved ones. Your support allows every Soldier to remain "Gator Tough." Thank you for all you do and be on the look out for next month's newsletter.

HQ Platoon