Reenlistment Time

Newsletter from Alpha Company

Just in case some of you could not open the attachments I sent with the email, I have posted the Alpha Company update.

Mustang families & friends,
We have all made it to Bagram, Afghanistan successfully and could not have done it without your support and help over the last few intense months. The last few months prior to a deployment are full of change and long days and I thank each and every one of you for your patience and contributions. Because of your support your family member is fully prepared to take on this challenging mission.

First I would like to congratulate Pedro and Sunny Gonzalez on the birth of their beautiful little girl, Sole. You two have a blessing from God, and all the Mustang’s send their congratulations!
SPC Washington and SPC Sullivan’s families also deserve congratulations. SGT Washington was promoted on 1 February, and I can not think of anyone more deserving. SGT Washington is a tremendous asset to our team and he definitely deserves this promotion and recognition. SPC Sullivan along with Brandi has made the decision for him to reenlist and continue to serve. I know that they will enjoy the benefits of a tax free bonus, but money is just part of it and they are both committed to making sacrifices for the good of the nation. I thank both of you for your commitment to service.

Getting to Afghanistan and getting set up was no easy task. Every soldier has worked extremely hard and I could not be prouder. All of the soldiers on the advanced party did a superb job and were completely ready to receive the rest of us. WO1 Semi Lemafa really stepped into multiple different lanes and proved to be an invaluable asset as a pilot and especially in the administrative task required to set a unit up for success. I also have to thank the other early deplorers that escorted our aircraft through Rota, Spain. They could not have done a better job. Especially SGT Bullock and the other crew chiefs that worked tirelessly rebuilding our aircraft and helping the 10th Mountain fold their aircraft for redeployment. I know it was difficult for all the families of the early deplorers, but you should know that we would not have been ready to receive the mission without their efforts.

We completely took over the mission on 27 January, and have not looked back. Since arrival we have flown over 400 hours on several different mission types. Mustangs have flown missions supporting troop movements, ammo re-supply, MEDEVAC operations, VIP missions to include the Secretary of Defense, and several other general support missions. While conducting these missions the instructors have still continued to train crewmembers on gunnery, high altitude operations, and emergency GPS approaches. Needless to say our maintainers have stayed busy keeping aircraft up and safe to operate. Maintenance is definitely the center of all operations here and our maintainers are responding to the challenge. The maintenance test pilots, platoon sergeants, crew chiefs, and door gunners have been working long tireless hours, but it pays off everyday when we are able to launch and support our mission.

Everyone is doing great work and morale is still very high. We have a great team of soldiers that are dedicated to the mission but also know how to have fun. It is going to be a long year no matter how you look at it, but we are focused in the right direction and with your continued support we will get through it a day at a time. Please continue to stay in contact with Julie if there are changes to your contact information. Julie and I are here to help with any problem that comes up so please don’t hesitate to contact either one of us. You should all be very proud of your family member and the Mustang team, they are all true professionals. 1SG and I are truly proud to serve with this team, and to be associated with you. Continue to send the mail and care packages and thanks for everything that you do for us in the states.


Mustangs,
Let’s Ride!

Tyson J. Hise
Commander

Terry B. Hamm
1SG

Hard at Work

More soldiers smiling

Posing for the camera

Living Quarters

Pictures of Afghanistan

Directions to West Produce

Here are the directions from Ramsey Street and Bragg Blvd.

From Bragg Blvd.
Head North on Bragg Blvd. toward Spring Lake
Turn slight right onto Lillington Hwy/NC 210 6.0 miles
Turn Right onto Bethel Baptist Road 2.1 miles
Turn Left onto Hayes Road <0.1 miles
2026 Hayes Road West Produce

From Ramsey Street/ Hwy 401
Head North on Ramsey Street
Turn Left on Elliot Bridge Road 4.6 miles
Turn Left on Bethel Baptist Rd. 1.3 miles
Turn Right on Hayes Road <0.1 miles
2026 Hayes Road West Produce

A Note about this Site

Hello Mustang Families,
I just wanted to let you know a little bit about this site. First, I want to thank BillieJean Beaver for sharing her family website with me and giving me the idea to do this for the company. I think it will be easier to pass along information to families this way, rather than having to download a bunch of attachments.

I also have made a family website that I hope to update through the deployment so TJ can easily keep up with what is going on back here. I am including a link to my family website and BillieJean's site in case anyone is interested in creating one. I will be happy to help anyone start one if you would like.

I also plan to take pictures at our meetings, family events, and spouse's night out and include those on the site. I think the soldiers will like to check it occasionally while they are deployed to see what we are up to back here.

I will post information as I get it. I will send an email also with basic information. I hope you all find the site useful. Have a great day!

Julie Hise

Family website ~ http://www.thehisefamily.blogspot.com
BillieJean's Site (which is much better than mine!) http://www.beaversrus.blogspot.com/

To start your own blog go to www.blogger.com and follow the directions. It is free and very easy to do. Call me if you have any questions. 910-867-2604

Redeployment Reception

The battalion is planning a redeployment reception on Saturday for the soldiers when they return home. We don't have a time yet, but we are planning on decorating the hanger and having snacks for everyone. They have asked for volunteers from each company to bring snacks. Of course, we still don't have a specific time for their return or even for sure it will be Saturday, but I will let you know as soon as I find out. I know it will be a bit different for some people in the company if your husband is on a flight crew, but hopefully we will have names or our spouses will contact us with their itinary. If you would like to send food, but are not sure you can make it to the reception, I can pick up the snacks or you can drop it by my house. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for all you do!

Note from LTC Chronis

Hey everyone,

LTC Chronis wanted to pass on a note about the current deployment to JRTC. He said "morale is high, the food good, air conditioned billets, and the soldiers are doing what they came to do- fly, maintain and supporting tasks that make the TF successful."

We all know they do a great job, but it is nice to hear it sometimes also.

Have a great day!

3-82nd Talon Fall Festival

Please Join in the Fun at the
3-82 Talon Fall Festival
Saturday, October 21st
11:00 am til 1:00 pm

West Produce
2026 Hayes Road, Spring Lake

Cost is $5.00 per person and includes:
hayride, pumpkin, games, crafts, tattoos,
cookies & juice and goody bag

RSVP to your company FRG leader by: Tuesday, October 18th
A Co/3-82 Julie Hise 910.867.2604 or juliehise@yahoo.com

Free Mailing Supplies for Deployed Soldiers Families

The following is a email sent to me by Shanna J. This is a great program offered by the post office for anyone who has a deployed family member. Thanks Shanna for the information!!

I got the following today. I called the number, and this IS legit. Anyone can do it, family member or friend, so there is no more excuses regarding the cost of boxes, tape, packaging materials and labels. Best of all? It is FREE. The USPS has a program for military family members and friends to supply them with packaging materials to send packages to troops overseas.

If you call 1-800-610-8734 and select option # 1, Ask them for the "Military pack" they will send you boxes, tape, packaging materials and labels. They will also give you an I.D. number so if your supply runs low, you just call them up and they'll send you more supplies. The materials take about four to ten days to receive.

I Don't know if any of you have mailed any packages lately, but if you go to mail box etc., they will charge you for the box, tape, peanuts, labels and everything else the can think of! After a while, those charges start to add up! This is just FYI. I thought it was a pretty good deal and wanted to try and get the word out to anyone that didn't know about this program Origins: Since the preponderance of "free merchandise" offers promoted via e-mail turn out to be nothing but hoaxes and pranks targeted at the gullible, we're pleased whenever we can announce that such an offer is genuine, especially so in this case as the ultimate beneficiaries are the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who are stationed overseas. The United States Postal Service (USPS) will supply for free, to anyone who asks, specially packaged Priority Mail supplies for shipping "care kits" to members of the U.S. military stationed overseas.

Each supply kit includes the following:
4 Priority Mail Flat-Rate "shoe box"-type shipping boxes
6 Priority Mail Flat-Rate "garment box"-type shipping boxes
10 Priority Mail labels
1 roll of Priority Mail tape
10 customs forms with envelopes (The contents of the supply kits changes from time to time and sometimes includes other items, such as water-resistant Tyvek Priority Mail envelopes and Priority Mail address labels.

Most of these items are ordinarily furnished for free to customers by the USPS.) To obtain a free kit of shipping supplies, simply call the USPS' packing supplies order line at 1-800-610-8734, select option #1 ("Express Mail, Priority Mail or Global Express Guaranteed products"), and ask a customer service agent for CAREKIT04 (or a "military kit"). You need supply only your name, address, and phone number, and they'll get a kit off to you that should arrive within 7-10 days. We've tried this service ourselves: it was easy to use, the USPS customer service agent we dealt with was courteous and efficient, and we were supplied with a customer ID number to expedite the process of ordering additional supplies. (This offer includes only packing materials — senders who use these materials still have to pay the requisite postage themselves.)

The USPS also offers a "Supporting Our Troops " page on their web site with links to guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops.

Fort Bragg Vet Information

SUBJECT: Fort Bragg Veterinary Treatment Facility (VTF), Evening and Weekend Hours

1. Issue.
~Fort Bragg Veterinary Treatment Facility will conduct evening and weekend clinics to support deploying units.

2. Facts.
~Fort Bragg Veterinary Treatment Facility is located in building 2-7606 on Reilly Rd, just before the entrance to Pope AFB.

~Evening clinics will be offered from 1700 – 2000 hours on the following Wednesdays: 18 OCT, 01 NOV, 15 NOV, 29 NOV and 13 DEC. (2007 dates TBD)

~Weekend clinics will be offered from 0800-1200 (extended to 1600 if demand exists) on the following Saturdays: 14 OCT, 18 NOV and 09 DEC. (2007 dates TBD)

~Services are available for dogs & cats that are owned by active duty service members (or their Dependents enrolled in DEERS) or retired military personnel.

~The following services will be offered for dogs:
Rabies Vaccine $13.00
Canine Distemper/Parvo Vaccine $18.00
Canine Bordatella (Kennel Cough) Vaccine $13.00
Heartworm Test (required to get Heartguard) $16.00
Parvovirus Test $21.00
Fecal Exam (check for intestinal parasites) $10.00
Heartguard
0-25 lb 6 mo $16.00 12 mo $30.00
26-50 lb 6 mo $24.00 12 mo $46.00
51-100 lb 6 mo $32.00 12 mo $61.00
Frontline (topical Flea & Tick Control)
0-22 lb 3 mo $33.00 6 mo $62.00
23-44 lb 3 mo $35.00 6 mo $65.00
45-88 lb 3 mo $36.00 6 mo $68.00
89-132 lb 3 mo $37.00 6 mo $70.00

~The following services will be offered for cats:
Rabies Vaccine $13.00
Feline Leukemia/Distemper Vaccine $18.00
FeLV/FIV Test $25.00
Fecal Exam (check for intestinal parasites) $10.00
Frontline (topical Flea & Tick Control) 3 mo $30.00 6 mo $57.00

~The following services are available for dogs or cats: Microchip $25.00.

~In addition to the prices listed above, a $2.00 DoD transaction fee will be charged for each transaction.

3. Discussion/clarification.
a. Evening and weekend clinics will be focused on deploying units to provide preventative veterinary care to privately owned pets. The goal is to reduce the amount of pet care required during the deployment, and to reduce the burden on family members.

b. Services are by appointment only. Schedule an appointment by calling the VTF at 396-6008 / 5475 / 8930 / 9120.

c. Evening and weekend clinic hours are for preventative medicine only – not for sick or injured animals. If a pet requires veterinary care for an acute illness or injury, please schedule an appointment with a veterinarian during regular clinic hours (Monday – Friday, 0800 – 1500).

d. Health Certificates are not available during evening or weekend clinic hours. If a pet
requires a health certificate for travel, please schedule an appointment with a veterinarian during regular clinic hours (Monday – Friday, 0800 – 1500).

CPT Eileen Jenkins, DVM / Comm: (910) 396-3103

Secret Santa Shop at the Yule Mart

Shhh... Keep it quiet. There will be a Secret Santa Shop at the Yule Mart. Children will be able to act as "miniture Santas" in participating in the Secret Shop where they can purchase Christmas presents for every member of thier family (including pets) for a very small price.

Where: Lee Field House
When: Friday 17 November (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Saturday 18 November (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Sunday 19 November (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SECRET SANTA WORKSHOP!!!!

That time of the year is quickly approaching and Santa’s elves are very busy, you can help by volunteering to take their place for a day! Elves guide and help young children who are buying gifts for their family members. It is a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

**IF ANYONE WANTS TO VOLUNTEER, WE CAN TRY AND WORK IT OUT TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME. EMAIL ME IF YOU ARE INTERESTED juliehise@yahoo.com!!

These are shifts that the elves may work each day of the Yule Mart:
Friday, Nov. 17 from:
10:00 am- 1:00 pm, 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm, 4:00 pm- 7:00 pm
Saturday, Nov 18 from:
9:00 am- 12:00pm, 12:00pm- 3:00, 3:00 pm- 6:00
Sunday, Nov 19 from:
12:00 pm- 3:00 pm, 3:00pm- 5:00 pm

Anyone 13 years old or older can volunteer! Please arrive 15 minutes early to sign in at the main Volunteer Desk and receive instructions from an SSS Co-Chair. Please use the Longstreet side door of Lee Field House. Volunteers receive FREE admission on the day of their shift. We ask that volunteers are not accompanied by small children at the shop.

Please contact
Pauline Wilson PaulineWilson@nc.rr.com
Sara Conley SConley4@nc.rr.com
Kathleen Flynn Kathleen.Flynn@us.army.mil


Yule Mart Craft Fair is Fort Bragg’s fall craft fair. It is sponsored by the Officer’s Spouse’s Club. All proceeds of this event go towards the OSC Welfare Fund. The Welfare Fund benefits the entire Fort Bragg community in many ways. For more information contact one of the representatives listed.
Thank you!