Three months to go!! The light is at the end of the tunnel for us all here at Camp Habbiniyah. Preparing for departure has already come onto the radar screen and looking forward to our assignments on CONUS is a welcome relief.

Since December, the most welcome news aside from preparing for departure has been the implementation of the Local Area Network here on Habbiniyah. Our Signal Officer, Captain Kelly, has worked very diligently with his communications soldiers over the last three months to make Internet connections in many people's rooms a reality. Not everyone has a connection yet. About 80 soldiers in HHC, 44 in B Co, 18 in B/5-5 ADA, and 18 in C/44 EN have signed up for the Internet. This service is above and beyond what a section of 15 soldiers is required to do aside from maintaining radio and landline communications. Morale has improved due to the Communication shop's efforts.

Our under-strength maintenance team has also accomplished some impressive tasks over the last few months. Namely, installing armor on the few remaining light-skinned vehicles we have left on Habbiniyah. The purpose wasn't just to increase survivability in the event that more vehicles were needed outside the camp on mission but to ensure that we leave our replacement battalion with as much equipment as they might need over their one year tour here in Al-Anbar Iraq. Also, we don't want to have to ship too much equipment home with us.

The Pre-Deployment Site Survey for the replacement battalion finished their visit in the first week of April. They were able to see what they were getting themselves into. It was overwhelming for them; we are sure of that. They do not have nearly as much equipment as we have but they're lucky we are Currahees because we will take care of them as best we can.

We also conducted a change of command inventory in preparation for Captain Matthew Farmer's departure from HHC to take command of A Co, 1-506th. Captain Taylor Jordan, our former S-4 will be taking command of HHC in the beginning of May. We also have a new Executive Officer for HHC. 1LT Scott McCullough has taken charge of Support Platoon and 1LT Brady Bagwan has taken control of the Executive Officer's position. The inventory was in addition to being able to complete our daily duties here on Habbiniyah.

Our Medical Platoon continues to be a great factor in our operations here in the Al-Anbar province. They provide a peace of mind to every soldier who goes on mission in that if a soldier gets hurt; he knows that he will be taken care of by capable and competent medical support. The Medical Platoon also deals with the daily bellyaches of soldiers quite efficiently. We did have the "chingus" make its way around the unit in the last week of March and the first week of April. Thankfully it wasn't serious and was well short of being considered an epidemic. Furthermore, the Medical Platoon has three new Non-Commissioned Officers in Sergeants Loop, Mylek, and Remaley. SGT Park was also promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and our Physician's Assistant, 2LT Berg, was promoted to 1LT.

The Administrative Section, S-1, has been extremely busy at this point in our tour because of all the awards processing that must be conducted to ensure soldiers receive what they deserve for their time here in Iraq. This is in addition to sorting through everyone's follow-on assignment in CONUS. They are rarely thanked for their efforts but they really do keep a soldier focused on his job by not letting personal paperwork affect a soldier's state of mind.

Our intelligence section, S-2, continues to be hard at work developing targets for us to go after. They also like to crash their little toy airplanes every few days or so. It's really annoying when it happens on a mission because someone has to go out of their way to go get the darn thing. Without the S-2 section however, we would be lost as far as going after the bad guys and being effective in our mission of fighting terrorist insurgents.

The Operations section, S-3, has kept the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) in a state of maximized efficiency and effectiveness. They continue to deconflict and coordinate efforts across the battalion task force. They may stay wrapped up in the TOC on a daily basis for a 12-hour shift but that is as difficult in its own way as fixing vehicles, laying communications wire, or tending to injured soldiers. TOC Currahees will of course make the case that they have the most difficult job because they deal with the Battalion Commander on a daily basis but in truth, everybody's job is important to the completion of our mission in Habbiniyah.

The Logistics section, S-4, has also undergone a change in leadership. Captain Andrew White has replaced Captain Taylor Jordan who is taking command of HHC. Captain White has taken the bull by the horns and reenergized the weary soldiers of the S-4 shop. Logistics is a difficult game in the Army and without it, all operations would cease. SFC Taylor has been the cornerstone of the battalion's logistics efforts for some time now and he continues to be just that. We also welcome SSG Enrique Torres from 2-17 Field Artillery. The battalion is in good hands now especially as we ready ourselves to redeploy to Fort Carson.

Our Fire Support Element (FSE) from 2-17 Field Artillery has always been a part of the Currahees ever since Korea. The soldiers in the FSE handle counter-battery fire on a daily basis and provide a form of protection for the base from the enemy's mortar and rocket fire. In addition to their traditional fire support duties, the FSE also handles the assignments of our few interpreters in the battalion. The FSE acts as the Information Operation (IO) section for Task Force Currahee and they've done a magnificent job with little resources. Our FSE Officer-in-Charge, Captain White (not Andy White), has been reassigned to the brigade fire support element. SFC Kohne, however, continues to be a ball of fire in the FSE and the TOC.

When the FSE receives a fire mission, they relay their commands to our battalion mortars, Hammer. These skilled mortarmen, provide extremely responsive and accurate fires on enemy targets and continue to prevent the enemy from launching more than a couple of rounds at a time for fear of the Hammer counter-battery fire. In addition to this continuous mission of counter-battery, the Hammer element also has been a tremendous factor in providing security for contractors on the eastern portion of Habbiniyah as they build and rebuild that part of camp for Iraqi soldiers. The long-term solution for Iraq's security lies in the transitioning of security responsibilities to Iraq's fledgling security forces. Hammer has played a role, a very thankless and often boring role but nonetheless relevant and important, in executing this long-term solution. Their time on East Camp and their impending return to combat operational duties is fast approaching. They are excited to get back into the "door-kicking" portion of their duties.

The Personal Security Detachment (PSD) has been hard at work providing security for the battalion's key leaders. They are always on standby to execute missions where an escort is required or whenever one of the staff members, including the Colonel needs to traverse the battlespace. SFC Burdine has taken the helm of the PSD. He has been a welcome addition to our efforts here at Habbiniyah as SFC Bell, the former PSD leader is recovering from his wounds in Colorado. Leading and controlling your element while the Battalion Commander is right next to you are daunting tasks. Let's all wish SFC Burdine some more luck.

The Mess Section, or DFAC section, continues to be a player in the upkeep of morale here on Habbiniyah. The Currahees are one of the few units in the entire theater of operations that does not enjoy the benefits of contracted dining facility support. The letters KBR are a blessing to deployed units. We have been able to do without for over 8 months now because of the hard work and impressive results that our Mess Section has put forth. Visiting Generals do not see the lack of KBR support because of the Mess Sections' efforts. That's both good and bad but we will drive on without the promised KBR support from the Marines. It's difficult to be organized under the Marine Corps. While they say we will be treated as Marines and given the same support, we still haven't seen it. The Mess Section continues to be an effective stop-gap. Also, Specialist Tunstall was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the month of March.

The battalion Support Platoon continues to provide the flexibility that the battalion needs. They continue to be tasked with everything from detainee transport, tower guard, logistics package missions (LOGPAC), detainee facility guard, forklift support, ammunition handling, scout insertions/extractions, and providing security for the medics and mechanics on battalion missions. They are essentially the thing that all soldiers hate being, the "hey you" detail. They bear that burden with grace and finesse and in doing so maximize combat power for the battalion.

Our battalion scout/sniper section is still providing the eyes and ears for the battalion in our area of operations. They continue to sneak in and out of the enemy's backyard, literally, to provide surveillance on insurgent activity areas. Their elements will sit in a hide location for up to 72 hours just watching and waiting. It's a job that requires much discipline and intestinal fortitude. Our scouts have no shortage of that. According to some intercepted enemy communications, the enemy fears our snipers most of all because our snipers turn the tables on the bad guy in his own game. Also, Corporal Davis was promoted in March to the rank of Sergeant.

The HHC Headquarters Section has been swamped during the past few weeks with change of command inventories and supply actions. SGT Adrian Hill has done a magnificent job taking over for SSG Bennett who is recovering in the US. SGT Hill, with the help of the Armorer and the Training Room NCO, has kept HHC running without missing a beat due to paperwork or administrative idiosyncrasies.

The Headquarters Company command group (Commander, Executive Officer, and First Sergeant) wishes to thank all of the families back home for their continued support and patience. We have a tough job here in a combat zone but we also understand and are compassionate to the plight of all the families back home that are driving forward without their loved ones. We will all be reunited soon in beautiful Colorado and wish you all on the homefront the best in preparing for a new life in Colorado Springs or in your current location.