4/29/11

Headhunters Return Home (slideshow)

3/5/10

Email from CPT to Karen Franxman, City Events Coordinator

It was great to talk to you earlier today and I'm glad that Union City, KY is/has been sponsoring Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT). As I said on the phone earlier today, our unit is preparing for deployment to Afghanistan in about a month and a half. After we are settled in (beginning to middle of May), 1SG or I will be able to let you know of what our Soldiers can use.

Karen, again, it was really GREAT to talk to you and we look forward to the future with ya'll. Take care and I'll be in touch.

CPT

HHT 1/32

3/6/10

Email from 1SG

Up front I would like to say thank you and thanks to the City of Union. As we embark on this journey to a pretty secluded area in Afghanistan we greatly appreciate your upcoming support. I am obviously the First Sergeant for what i consider one of the best group of professionals I have ever been with in my tenure of going on 19yrs. As you know Cavalry units are full of tradition, motivation and pride. I personally have never had this kind of support for a deployment. My Commander CPT has. I am used to only having direct family and friends sending support. For a city to support 135 Combat Soldiers is extraordinary.....it's just awesome. We will be heading out between 20-22 Apr and will probably be able to make some kind of contact around the first week of May. Where we are going we won't have access to any portable PX trailers for replenishing wants and needs. So guys are trying to take whatever items in their bags that they feel they can't do without (hygiene, tobacco, coffees, batteries, etc....). We are putting a Facebook page together for HHT , 1/32 CAV  so family and friends can keep in touch and stay up to date.......the way I see it, you just became family. I will let you know as soon as it is up and running,,,this Facebook adventure should be interesting.

Welcome to HEADHUNTER TROOP, 1/32 CAV....

3/6/10

Email sent to our units contact from ASA (City was copied)

1SG,

Linda Patterson here with ASA (America Supporting Americans) Adopt a unit.  I just wanted to also thank you for responding back to Karen Franxman who Mayor Donald Kirby has assigned to lead your unit support program within their community.   ASA explains that this is a two-sided coin, meaning we see tremendous benefits to communities that become active with their "Adopted units".  It gives Americans at home a feeling that when they say they support our troops its more than just a few words or a bumper sticker on the back of a car when their community is “Called to Action”. 

As our ASA cities put the word out to their community civic leaders, schools, churches, businesses there does become that united home support family you speak of SGT Guithues, and a “special” pride develops for their own “Adopted Unit”.  Union has one of the BEST of the BEST with HHT, 1/32 CAV. Soldiers now part of their Kentucky family.   I'm copying this message to Mayor Kirby who has indicated they want to do all that they can in Union community to show their support for your (their) unit. 

Rest assured we know how busy your troops will be in Afghanistan and that communication i.e., computers may not always be readily available, facebook, newsletters are an excellent source of letting them know, but ASA recommends whenever possible to try to keep that personal open-line of communication flowing when you can - also your FRG leader may also want to keep Karen (POC) informed with any of your unit updates.  I cannot emphasize how important our FRG (Family Readiness Group) leaders or FRSA have been to ASA's program.   When care packages arrive and troops are not able to respond to their sponsors immediately letting them know of their arrival - I know FRG's leaders maintain a correspondence with their unit’s adopted city POC. To answer any questions.    

With all that said, nothing motivates a community, its citizens, teachers, youth, seniors more than hearing from their troops via their POC it is you guys who are their heroes (America's heroes) never hesitating to take on a deployment dangerous missions for the sake of defending our country and all of us here at home.  We will pray for your all your soldiers safe return to your families and victory in your missions. 

Linda Patterson, ASA President & Founder  www.asa-usa.org

9/30/10

Email from 1SG

I think we are good with what has been coming. We have reached a severe laundry soap shortage. We have 5 local nationals who work at the laundry point here and collect the bags of laundry and do them for us. As of a couple weeks ago there has been an extreme shortage of laundry soap throughout Afghanistan's U.S. supply channels. We stopped getting any box powder about 3 weeks ago.

We have salsa left. We received some sept b-day bags. We received Aug bags as well; I got mine, thank you. Flag sounds awesome.

10/11/10

Email from 1SG

We finally got some detergent in but it goes so fast. I think we have maybe 3 weeks worth. So we are greatful. I will send more pics soon, everyone is doing fine. Shaving cream seems to be getting in short supply here. Send Union our thanks and let everyone know that yous are in our hearts.......

10/13/10

Email from 1SG

Heres some pics of the Afghan National Army helicopters, the Latvian Soldiers both ANA and Latvians are partnered with us.. And I attached some headhunters eating breakfast.

10/25/10

Part of Newsletter from 1SG

Upcoming month should provide us with the corn harvest and a change in the current weather.  We should be seeing snow on the mountain caps and chillier evenings. We will be getting December leaves dates out this October. We appreciate your support as well as Union, Kentucky’s because with your efforts, you make every time mail comes in seem like Christmas….

One Team ,One Fight, One Family…..

10/25/10

Email from 1SG

I will send more pics. It has been active around here. That's all I can say about the past few weeks. We got 2 boxes today, very much appreciated. The temp is dipping low at night to around 43 low. We will surely get a flag up and out to the Littlest Angels. Can you just send me an address that you want it to go to. Geraldo wont come up where we are, lol nobody is willing to come up here. Which as silly as it sounds, we are proud of being where we are and think less of the scared, lol.

Tell Kroger, and everyone back in Union, Sorry that the REDS didn't make it to the playoffs,(I am a ST.Louis Cardinal fan), we are over the halfway point..........one team , one fight, hang in there, we are almost done.. God bless Union.

(Littlest Angels Learning Center in Union has been decorating bags donated by Duro for our birthdays.  We have been sending a birthday bag for each person personalized with a handwritten card and lots of fun birthday goodies)  We have requested a flag be flown to them.