Staff Sgt. Esmeralda Hernandez, supply sergeant with Signal Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Aaron Sargent, targeting officer with the 25th Inf. Div., dance at the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Oct. 7 2011, at Camp Liberty, Iraq. They performed four different types of Hispanic Dance including the Salsa in tribute to Hispanic history. Photo by Sgt. Edwin Gray

Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division and United States Division – Center came together, Oct. 7, to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month at Camp Liberty, Iraq.

The purpose of the gathering was to reflect on the Hispanic commitment in the U.S. military and to inform others about the history of Hispanic culture through dance and ceremony.

The cultural backgrounds of 22 Hispanic countries were displayed and represented at the celebration, and many soldiers were pleased with the diverse turnout.

“I think the diversity is most important because it creates the dynamics for our force to be multidimensional, as opposed to being one dimensional with one type of soldier,” said Staff Sgt. Emanuel Alvarez, a platoon sergeant with the Personal Security Detachment with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 25th Inf. Div. “The fact that we are from many different places from all across the world and can join the United States Army is a great thing. This Army is a melting pot of people all over the world and that is a great contributor to our success as a military overall.”

The hosts said they were extremely proud of being able to present many unique sectors of Hispanic heritage. They also felt the event was a success and were gratified to be a part of it.

“I am proud of who I am and where I come from,” said Spc. Gina Palacios an administrative specialist for the command group of the 25th Inf. Div. “We work very hard to have what we have here today and I am so proud of the turn out and everyone that I worked with.”

For many soldiers, the assembly was informative. Several Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients were recognized and honored, which many soldiers at the event felt brought a special significance with it being in a deployed environment.

“I believe being deployed made this event that much special because I actually got to see all of the different Hispanic (people) from different Latin American countries that serve along with me that I rarely get to see,” said Alvarez. “It also shows that the Army actually does recognize its roots from other cultural backgrounds so it was very special.”

Staff Sgt. Esmeralda Hernandez, a supply sergeant for signal operations with 25th Inf. Div., along with Chief Warrant Officer 2 Aaron Sargent, targeting officer with the 25th Inf. Div., performed four different types of Hispanic dance including the Salsa in tribute to Hispanic History. Many in attendance said they were impressed by and proud of the overall event. Some felt this showed how diverse the U.S. military is, and it also helps to display many of the various stories within the Hispanic culture.

“We should all be proud of who we are and who we fight for,” said Sgt. Dolores Rivera, a communications shop non-commissioned officer in charge with the 25th Inf. Div. “We are many countries united with many stories but we are all just one Army.”

Story by Sgt. Edwin Gray
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Soldiers of Battery A, Task Force 2-11, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, converse with Iraqi army soldiers while maintaining security during T-wall removal in the city of Samarra, Salah ad Din province, Iraq. Lt. Col. Andy Preston, commander, Task Force 2-11, and Lt. Col. Ghayath, director of the Samarra Joint Coordination Center, led the planning team that developed the Samarra security project, which includes the removing T-walls on the streets leading to the mosque, revitalizing markets on those streets, and installing new security equipment to maintain security for pilgrims, Samarra citizens and the mosque itself. The removal of the security barriers signified vast improvements in security for a once embattled city. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Pete Cox

Two days before the fifth anniversary of the bombing of Al Askari “Golden” Mosque, the security barriers protecting one of the holiest Shia shrines in Iraq came down.

“This is a great day for Samarra, and a great day for all of Iraq,” said Lt. Col. Andy Preston, commander, Task Force 2-11, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.

“I’m happy for the citizens of Samarra, who will finally see their city restored,” said Preston, who hails from Edmond, Okla.

Following the bombing of the Al Askari Mosque, Feb. 22, 2006, U.S. and Iraqi security forces implemented enhanced security measures to protect the mosque and the Shia pilgrims who visit each year.

U.S. forces, working with Iraqi security forces, blockaded large portions of the city with “T-walls,” tall expediently emplaced concrete barriers that have become a common site across Iraq.

After Iraqis rebuilt the mosque, the T-walls remained, blocking pilgrims from the once vibrant marketplaces which colored the streets leading to the holy site.

Iraqi security forces required visitors to be escorted through blockaded T-wall channels to and from the mosque, a process which drastically impaired the tourism-based economy of Samarra.

“We have been working so hard on this project for so long, it is hard to believe it is finally happening,” said Lt. Col. Ghayath, director of the Samarra Joint Coordination Center, a site designed to synchronize the security efforts of U.S. forces, Iraqi army, Iraqi police, federal police and the Sons of Iraq.

“The people of Samarra wanted this for a very long time, and the security forces made it possible,” said Ghayath, who serves as the primary liaison between U.S. forces and the Samarra Operations Center.

The Samarra Operations Center, the command that oversees all Iraqi security forces in Samarra and much of southern Salah ad Din, developed the plan to leave T-walls around the mosque in place until a new permanent protective structure is built, said Ghayath.

ISF will maintain the re-established security in Samarra using additional police, security cameras, X-ray machines and better control of the site, he said.

Although the combined planning team primarily focused on security for pilgrims, local citizens and the mosque, other issues played an important role.

“One of the biggest problems we faced in Samarra was the lack of available employment,” Preston said. “No matter where you are in the world, people with no money and no prospects are more likely to turn to crime and violence than those who have the ability to make a way for themselves legitimately. Re-opening these markets by taking down the T-walls will provide that legitimate opportunity.”
Preston and his task force are not the first to attempt restoration of Samarra to its potential.

Two battalion commanders who preceded Preston worked alongside the leadership of Samarra through partnered efforts aimed at repairing damaged sections of the city and providing small business grants to shopkeepers to help prepare their stores for the day when the T-walls would come down.

“I wish I could see the faces of [Lt. Col.] Sam Whitehurst and [Lt. Col.] Eric Timmerman when they hear the news,” Preston said of the commanders of the last two U.S. units in Samarra—both personal friends. “I know that they truly cared about the people of Samarra and that they would love to be able to celebrate with their old friends.”

Command Sgt. Maj. Berk Parsons, senior enlisted leader of Task Force 2-11, conveyed the significance of the T-wall removal as an indication of progress in Samarra in terms of security.

“The city of Samarra holds a significant place in the history of Iraq,” he said. “Unfortunately, what most know about the city’s role is its contemporary history, specifically concerning its connection to the sectarian violence.”

“The progress of the Samarra government and the Iraqi security forces set the conditions which allow the city to begin its return to its former prestige,” Parsons said. “The removal of the T-walls is a tangible symbol and a phenomenal progression towards the city’s restoration.”

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Sgt. Sumy Guzman smiles after a brief chat with a local Mayan artist near the Mayan ruins in southern Mexico during a visit in the summer of 2009. Guzman traveled to Mexico as part of her journey to see places she read about but never had a chance to experience until joining the Army.

It’s 6 p.m. on a chilly evening at Contingency Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq. Most soldiers are already shuffling out the door from their company command posts after long days on missions, or hours spent in the planning and preparation phase to exercise those missions.

As soldiers pass one another on the way from work, greetings are exchanged among officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers.

Many respond with the crisp exchange of good evening, or have a good night, but one sergeant responds in a loud, friendly voice to the people leaving the area.

“Good evening, Sergeant Sachinger,” boomed the loud but clearly feminine voice.

“How you doing this evening Sumy!” he said back, clearly more happy even after a short exchange with Sumy.

Sumy is her name, but in the Army she goes by Sgt. Sumy Guzman, from the 556th Signal Company, 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and works daily in the Base Defense Operations Center at Contingency Operating Base Warhorse. Her job is demanding with long hours that can be spent dealing with incoming fire, or any hazard, which can impact the soldiers operating in the base.

Despite it all, she still wears a smile, which people fondly notice about her.

“Sumy’s my roommate and for as long as I’ve known her, she’s always been one of the most upbeat sergeants I have ever met,” said Sgt. Veronica Davis, 556th Signal Company. “Even on a tough day, she always wears a smile, which just rubs off on people and brightens their day.”

Sumy, is a petite, Latin woman. She stands at 5’4”, with curly dark locks hidden under her Army patrol cap. Although, she’s not a tall woman, her size hides one large fact; she has a zest for life far greater than most soldiers.

“I want to travel the world!” She said with a crinkle around her brown eyes.

Since joining the Army, Sumy has done just that.

While most soldiers are planning their trips back to their hometowns over the holidays, Sumy spends her time online searching, searching for her next big adventure.

“I’ve been to the ruins of Greece and Mexico, the islands of Tahiti, and traveled as far north as Alaska and Canada,” she confided. “Growing up, I never really got to travel to any far places and really ‘see’ the world, so I make up for that time now.”

In her seven years in the Army, if Sumy is not working, she’s exploring, planning, or visiting many places on her “To-Do”-list. Those places range from exotic locations such as Thailand, Antarctica, and even an island like Bora Bora.

“When I was growing up in Los Angeles, I never traveled to the places I always read about in books, or saw on TV,” she remarked. “Those places are truly different and really allow you to experience a different life than the one most Americans are used to.”

Those experiences are what define the raven haired girl from Los Angeles.

“In the Army, lots of the soldiers love to go out and party, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I want more than to just go to the same place all the time,” she said. “Often, soldiers will even spend a large amount of their paycheck to go out and have that fun in a club or bar. It’s hard to have memories of good times if you can’t remember them.”

Sgt. Sumy Guzman gives a wink to her camera from her Cancun resort balcony. Guzman traveled to Cancun to cross off one of the many places on her to-do-list and experience the culture of Mexico during a visit in the summer of 2009.

The first memory Sumy created for herself in her wanderlust to see the world began at the age of 29 on her trip to Greece. She was caught between where she wanted to go.

“I picked Athens, Greece for my first trip during my deployment to Iraq from 2007 to 2009,” Sumy said. “I flew into Athens and visited five different islands on that trip. They were really beautiful and I learned a lot on that visit. I even went on a guided tour to see a volcano on one of the small islands.”

Her first trip was a solo trip. She traveled alone, which was a challenge at first, especially with not speaking the native language.

“The first time you travel by yourself can be pretty scary,” she said. “You’ll get that feeling in your stomach where you almost want to make the plane turn around and take you back to someplace familiar.”

The first stop on the guided tour would be one of the first obstacles for her — an island full of Greek locals who didn’t speak a bit of English.

“I remember the captain saying feel free to walk around. We’re going to be here for a few hours. There are some nice restaurants and souvenir shops, and oh by the way, no one here speaks English, so immediately I’m like great … this is going to be tough,” she laughed.

The language barrier on her little island stop was no deterrent for wanting to see all the sights, sounds and smells the area had to offer.

“Honestly, you come to realize that once you squeeze an orange hard enough no more juice is going to come out—that’s what living in one area for a while does to me,” Sumy said. “I realize that’s what some places have come to be for me. There are a lot of places I’ve never been to, places I’ve never seen and I want to go to those places until I can say been there done that.”

Since returning to Iraq for her second deployment, Sumy has created more memories for herself. She took part in a writing contests to bring awareness to serious issues affecting soldiers, ran in numerous races to test her stamina, as well as competed in a weight-lifting competition to inspire more women to take part in events mostly male dominated.

“If I just get up and go to work every day, I would get bored real quickly,” she laughed. “I like to do as much as I can to show my support, test myself and have a good time out here!”

Even with all her activities, researching vacations, it’s hard to imagine time for work; however, it still gets done.

“I’m working from 1800 to 0600 each night,” she said. “The hours are tough because when I go to bed, everyone else is just getting up. When I’m trying to participate in special events, I have to schedule it with the day-shift (noncommissioned officer in charge). Usually, it’s not a problem, … sometimes I can’t make it, but you roll with the punches.”

As the days continue on to the eventual moment where the soldiers of the 2nd AAB, 25th Inf. Div., return from Iraq, Sumy plans to carry on her goal to see the world.

“I’ll be in (Los Angeles) when we get back from Iraq for some business, but once that’s over, I’ll be on to my next destination,” she said.

While that destination is sure to be as amazing as her previous trips, there’s only one current goal in mind for the aspiring world traveler – Thailand.

“I want to pet a tiger,” she laughs. “Thailand is one of the few places in the world where you can go and pet a real tiger, so it’s where I’ll be for R&R this year!”

As the sun begins to rise and signal the start of a new day, in reality, it’s the end of shift for Sumy. It may be some time still before she sets foot in her next country but her quest lives on.

While others will go home to visit their old stomping grounds, Sumy might watch Manta Rays in the ocean, ride on dogsleds in the frigid North, or visits ancient sites in Europe, but it’s all in her quest to see as much of the world as it has to offer.

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Story by Staff Sgt. Ricardo BranchSmall RSS Icon

1st Lt. Janelle Jones, a quartermaster officer assigned to 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, places a present beneath the Christmas tree in the battalion headquarters at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, Dec. 15. Members of the battalion Family Readiness Groups sent holiday spirit in the form of fresh pine trees, decorations, ornaments and presents donated to soldiers deployed in support of Operation New Dawn. To provide a touch of holiday spirit, battalion Family Readiness Groups mailed fresh pine trees, 6,235 miles from a tree nursery in Michigan to the Soldiers at FOB Warhorse deployed to U.S. Division-North in northern Iraq. Photo by Staff Sgt. Ricardo Branch

A fresh, aromatic pine tree stands tall, its pine needles draped with garlands and Christmas ornaments, greeting soldiers entering the 225th Brigade Support Battalion Headquarters building at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq with holiday festivity and cheer.

A real Christmas tree, complete with holiday decorations, brought holiday cheer to soldiers of 225th BSB, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, deployed to the Diyala province of northern Iraq.

“The Christmas tree is a nice morale booster for soldiers,” said Staff Sgt. Carlo Principio, a generator mechanic assigned to Company B, 225th BSB, 2nd AAB, 25th Inf. Div.

“It’s just amazing to see a real Christmas tree out here,” said Principio, a 24 year-old native of Jacksonville, Fla., serving his fourth deployment to Iraq, the third such during the holiday season. “It’s one of the last things you expect to see over in the desert; the pine smell of it alone reminds me of home.”

The battalion Family Readiness Groups mailed the fresh pine tree, 6,235 miles from a tree nursery in Michigan to the soldiers at FOB Warhorse deployed to U.S. Division-North in northern Iraq.

Tracey Murray, Family Readiness Group advisor and spouse to the deployed battalion commander, helped organize the effort to send Christmas trees to the troops of the brigade support battalion.

“One of our FRG leaders, Sherri De Silva, was here during the last deployment and remembered how they sent live Christmas trees to the troops downrange,” said Tracey, who works with the brigade’s FRG leaders in Hawaii. “We decided to do it again to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to our soldiers.”

To carry on the holiday tradition, the 225th BSB FRG’s contacted a tree nursery in McMillan, Mich., to begin the process of bringing the Christmas spirit to the troops.

The journey to bring the tree, and ten of its brothers to the desert was no simple feat, Tracey said, due to the fact the current deployment scattered the battalion across two provinces in Iraq, an area roughly the size of Pennsylvania.

“The coordination was a little trickier for this deployment,” she explained. “The brigade is responsible for a much larger area, and the BSB soldiers are literally everywhere.

“After we coordinated with Rear Detachment and our deployed soldiers, each of our FRG companies in Hawaii ‘adopted’ a FOB and sent a tree to the battalion point of contact there, regardless if it was ‘their’ soldier,” Tracey said.

Each company FRG leader also sent individual boxes of lights and decorations to their deployed company commanders and adopted bases, providing the trees Christmas flair for the holidays.

“While it is hard for our families to be without their soldier during the holidays, we know it must be even harder for the soldiers downrange,” Tracey said. “We hope this brings a little bit of Christmas cheer to every one of our soldiers.”

Lt. Col. Scott Murray, battalion commander, 225th BSB, 2nd AAB, 25th Inf. Div., received the trees arriving at FOB Warhorse.

Murray, whose wife heads the battalion FRG, said he is touched to see the amazing effort of the families and friends of the battalion taking care of the soldiers during the holidays.

“It’s my view every soldier who is away from home always thinks about home,” Murray said. “Anything you can do that would remind them of that and what it feels like during Christmas is important because it lets them know people back home are thinking about them.”

Murray said seeing holiday decorations arriving from home is also a great morale booster for the troops, because it changes the mood and atmosphere around the workplace.

“A few days ago, I noticed one of my company commanders carrying a large duffel bag,” he said. “The flap was open and you could just make out the Christmas tree decorations inside. He was going to the flight line here on Warhorse and flying out to visit multiple remote sites. It’s great to see the soldiers’ spirits lifted in such a way by our families back home.”

Although far from home, soldiers of the 225th BSB received care and love from friends and family, little reminders provided by the unit’s FRGs. These little reminders served to bring a taste of home to the deployed soldiers during the holiday season.

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Story by Staff Sgt. Ricardo Branch

July 4 2009 was quite a day in the Twitterverse, that portion of the Internet community that uses Twitter. A Twitter user announced that his son had been killed in Afganistan. Messages of support came in. Others questioned if the death had actually happened. Still others took the father to task for his announcement on Twitter or for the type of business he ran on the Internet. All in all, hundreds if not thousands of people learned about Aaron Fairbairn.

No one heard about Justin Casillas.

Pfc. Justin Casillas

And that is a shame.

On Independence Day, his camp came under direct assault. Soldiers filmed part of the fighting, including footage of Casillas firing a mortar as part of a two-person team.

There’s no film of what happened next, when shrapnel from enemy ordnance severed a leg artery of Casillas’ gunmate, Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen, Wash. Casillas, trained in first aid, knew that Fairbairn, a close friend from boot camp, needed immediate treatment.

“Pfc. Casillas, without hesitation, actually pushed his . . . platoon sergeant and mortar crew chief aside,” said 1st Lt. Mike Bassi, in an interview filmed by troops.

Casillas “ran into incoming fire three different times: one to get a fire mission in order for us to return fire effectively on the enemy. The second time to retrieve Pfc. Fairbairn, who was injured in the mortar pit, and the third time to take him” for medical treatment, the lieutenant said.

But as Casillas carried his taller, wounded friend through enemy fire, a mortar round landed 5 feet away, killing them both.

by Howard Blume
Los Angeles Times
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The ceremony honoring a fallen Colusa County hero was sacred, simple and heartbreaking.

The family of Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas received a Silver Star on Monday for his heroic actions in battle on the Fourth of July, 2009.

“The Silver Star … is a celebration of Justin’s gallantry,” Capt. Bryce Kawaguchi, Casillas’ commanding officer, said during the ceremony, describing Casillas as a man that “all soldiers should seek to emulate.”

Lt. Col. Peter G. Minalga called Casillas “fearless” and described him as “the best kind of soldier.”

Casillas’ mother, Donna Casillas, and sisters, Victoria and Ashleigh, accepted the military honor together at Arbuckle Memorial Park in front of the American flag pole that bears Casillas’ name.

Casillas died in battle at the age of 19, just a year after graduating from Pierce High School in Arbuckle.

“Words cannot describe the pride we feel today,” Minalga remarked, “or the heartache of the loss of such a fine American paratrooper.”

By Rob Parsons/Tri-County Newspapers
Willows Journal