DISPATCH 003--04 OCT 2006

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you from wonderful FOB Buehring. The majority of the 3-8 Combined Arms Battalion (CAB) soldiers have arrived safely, and we are getting ready to begin our train up for our upcoming movement into Iraq.

I would like to say a word about our training. In countless interviews and studies of soldiers in war one can discern a pattern for success and survivability in battle: good equipment, good leadership, and good training. Our battalion, in my opinion, has all three.

Our supply leadership, also known as the S-4 shop, has done their best to make sure that we have the latest in Army equipment. I have been in the Army since 1987, and I have seen a huge improvement in the basic soldier gear. Both our survivability and our livability have increased. If, because we arrived late or missed an equipment issue, we do not have the equipment we need, we have been able to get the missing stuff here in Kuwait.

Our leadership within the unit is some of the best I have seen. Our Battalion Commander and Command Sergeant Major do not just pay lip service to taking care of soldiers but make it the foundational principle of their leadership style. Some times senior enlisted and officers might tend to focus on their careers more than on their soldiers, but this is definitely not the case in 3-8. They are not here to be our friends or to cater to our whims, but instead they are here to make sure we have the best training, attitude, and support we can possibly receive.

At the company level and below, the leadership is also of high quality. All the company commanders and first sergeants make equipping their soldiers for their mission the main focus of their efforts. The commanders, first sergeants, and FRG leaders of the 3-8 have also been the most caring I have seen in my career. While making visits to soldiers and family members at Ft. Hood, I have received several comments from hospital staff about how well our chain of command does to check in on our soldiers or family members.

The last and probably most important component of our preparation for battle is our training. I only arrived to Ft. Hood in the beginning of June, but whether it is physical training, field exercises, officer or non-commissioned officer development, or section/squad level opportunity training, 3-8 has the most vigorous and task specific training I have experienced. I have had to work hard to keep up with the high physical and professional standards of our soldiers. As a soldier who will be going into combat with the 3-8, I have full confidence in the ability, preparation, and professionalism of my fellow Warhorse soldiers.

I would like to close with a reminder to all family members that I am keeping you in my prayers. If you have any prayer requests, questions, concerns, or messages that you would like to pass on to either me or your soldier, please do not hesitate to send me an email. In one of our upcoming dispatches I will list some of the items that you might want to think about sending your soldier to help make his or her life a little easier while we are here in Iraq.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
Chaplain Kevin Wainwright