DEPLOYED
AFGHANISTAN
Following are email exchanges between G Company Intruders and members of the 281st AHC Assn Troop Support Committee; CWO4 Joe Bilitzke (Ret) - Chairman, Ed Hass - Vice-Chairman, Col Jack Mayhew (Ret). The emails begin prior to deployment. I have posted them in order by date, latest shown first, along with photo’s and are organized by month. Click the link(s) below to visit that particular page.
Should I receive emails and pics from home base I have created an additional page named Ft Drum for messages and photo’s as they are received.
The photo's are "thumbnails". Click to enlarge.
Fred Mentzer
Webmaster
mentzer0191@comcast.net
JULY 2011 MAY 2011 MARCH 2011 FEBRUARY 2011 JANUARY 2011 DECEMBER 2010 NOVEMBER 2010 OCTOBER 2010
JANUARY 2011
A message from the
First Shirt in response to Joe Bilitzke's request for input about the first
female Intruder to serve in combat.....
From: Joe Bilitzke [mailto:JoeB2@mindspring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Subject: First Female Intruder
281st AHC Intruders:
We have our first female Intruder serving in combat. Please welcome SPC
“Archie” Archuleta to the organization. Below, is the reply to my request
for information from the G Company Intruders 1SG Bryan Boots.
Joe Bilitzke
Chairman, 281st AHC Intruders
Troop Support Committee
From: Bryan Boots [mailto:bryan.boots@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011
To: JoeB2@mindspring.com
Subject: intruder
Joe,
It would be pleasure to speak about our little sister here in the Intruder
family.
Ms. Archuleta came to us from another company within the Task force as a
door gunner. She is a refueler by trade and takes every opportunity to
correct her previous peers on the finer points of aircraft refueling
operations. Prior to military service, "Archie", as we affectionately call
her, was a New Mexico State trooper. She is very hardcore and insists on
doing the hard right over the easy wrong always. I can honestly say that she
is without doubt the most disciplined Soldier I have had the pleasure to
work with in my career. She began the process of becoming a door gunner with
us prior to deployment and immediately excelled in her new position. Many of
the guys in the unit have a hard time keeping up with her. She is non-stop.
Her PT (physical training) is probably the highest in the unit. You'll find
her at the gym lifting weights, training for combat or out running almost
every day.
SPC Archuleta is a one of a kind
Soldier and door gunner. I don't believe I will meet another like her while
I serve. She is intelligent, honest and very opinionated about just about
everything. We love her like a sister and enjoy flying with her. She has a
work ethic that is to be emulated by the others and tops the charts with
just about everything she does. I'm glad the "Old Intruders" have actively
sought to inquire about her. She was reluctant to let me photograph her, but
I've posted a couple. I'll catch her one day out playing around the aircraft
and post more.
1SG Bryan Boots
"Intruder 07"
Brian Middleton and Joe
Bilitzke kick off 2011.....
From: Joe Bilitzke
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2011
To: CPT Brian MIddleton
Cc: Jack Mayhew; Ed Haas; Fred Mentzer
Subject: Continued Support (UNCLASSIFIED)
Happy New Year, Brian~
A long trip from birth to delivery of the Challenge Coins. I’m happy to read
your report that they finally arrived.
Is CW2 Jonathan Bourland still handling the “frig fund?” He was hoping
T-shirt sales would help restore the depleted kitty. Do you want to promote
your T-shirts on the 281st web site? Maybe a picture of the front and back
of the shirt with the cost and ordering details can be posted. Let us know.
(I’m copying our web guru, Fred Mentzer, as he has final OK on this.)
Jack is keeping us all posted on his e-mail exchanges with your Intruders
including CW3 Russell Leslie and 1LT Andrew Brennan. Glad everyone enjoyed
the Christmas shipment. A lot of our Intruders donated to the gift fund and
Jack, his partner, Tim, and their staff did an outstanding job getting
everything bought and shipped to you guys.
(Jack is spending his new year recovering from a knee replacement. He’s a
tough youngster and we wish him a speedy recovery.)
All the best to all of you. Stay warm, fly safely, and continue to take care
of the troops.
Joe B.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian.M.Middleton
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2011
To: joeb2@mindsping.com; haased@ix.netcom.com; Jack Mayhew
Subject: Continued Support (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Joe, Ed, and Jack
I wanted to send you three a very special thank you for your continued
support, especially during this Christmas and holiday season. With your help
and your dedication, the Challenge Coins became a reality and arrived here
two days ago. 1SG and myself were able to present the Intruders of Golf
Company with a combat patch and an individually numbered Intruder challenge
coin that will go into a ledger with their name forever counted in this
company's ranks (for a couple of those in progression, their instructors are
holding on to them until they get signed off to fly). While the shipping
could take up to a month, I will be sending some numbered coins to Jack for
you three, and whomever you decide should recieve one as honorary members of
Golf Company 2-10 AVN. Let me know if 10 will be enough, I will be sending
them out shortly.
We also have company t-shirts that we had made if anyone would like them. If
it is 6-10 people I would just need their sizes and preference on color;
white, grey, or OD green (which may have turned out the best of the three
colors). If more would like them they are $14 for short sleeved and $17 for
long sleeved. They have on the right breast, and our Intruder patch on the
back. We will place another order here in a week or so since they were
pretty popular here.
Thank you again for your support. Despite how busy we may be, I would like
to continue to recognize the impact that you have on each of these young
Soldiers. May God bless you and your families this season.
Brian
"Intruders"
G CO TF 2-10 AVN
OEF XI