Alpha Company Newsletter
Arrow 6...
Happy Holidays from Camp McGovern and Camp Ugljevic, Bosnia-Herzegovina. We are all relatively settled in (personally and as a unit) to our mission here. The environment changes often over here, which makes our work exciting, but the basecamp procedures and living conditions provide the constant routine that we count on. Our interaction with the soldiers, NCOs and officers of the Mustang Battalion (Task Force 1-8) has been great and the teamwork is excellent. Our ACT at the Russian brigade has also enjoyed excellent cooperation and support from 2-8 Cavalry, the Russian LNOs and the Ruissian Airborne Brigade.
We have begun our leave program and our soldiers are certainly taking advantage of the break and time spent with family and loved ones. We have also been recieving a great deal of mail from school children and adults in the states from such programs as "America Remembers- Operation Dear Abby" and school writing programs. It is a priviledge to respond to these people and interact with those who took the time to write us and send thier blessings for the holidays.
The Arrows are now fully moved into "Sea Huts" for our living quarters and the most people sharing a room is eight. We have also moved our command post from a 30 foot trailer to a "Sea Hut" bay- much better due to the increased space and better heating. We have most of the headquarters functions in the CP, to include commo, supply, training, administration, and the unit arms room. Additionally, the GSS folks also operate from the CP for their monitor mission and mission planning, preparation, and electronic transfer of tape and digital photos.
We look forward to the New Year and it is hard to believe we have been deployed for nearly 120 days already. We will celebrate the holidays here but our thoughts will certainly be with those of you back home. Camp McGovern is certain to have the best possible holiday events and festivities; this will definitely be a year to reflect on and to remember.
I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and the best in the coming year.
Sincerely,
CPT DAVID W. PENDALL