What we Know Now About Our Deployment - And Another Core Team Meeting

I created a “What we now know” document to try to figure out what is going on with our deployment. Here ‘tis:

What we now know/believe regarding our deployment


Dates:

AT04 - 10-17 July at Camp McCain

Log Inventories – 30 July through 5 August

MOB SRP - 6-10 August at Cp McCain - this will require 150 pax per day incremented over 5 days

MOB Date – Unknown, but possibly on/about 15 August

Early Deployment of 10% - possibly by 1 August (15 days prior to MOB Date)

Remaining 90% - 3-4 days prior to MOB Date

New MTOE goes into effect 1 July 2004

Desk top computers will not deploy

Laptops can deploy - but may be taken up by MOB station and another one reissued.

We've (the 155th) been alerted to a possible deployment in support of OIF.

We (the 155th) will probably be reconfigured to an Infantry Brigade prior to deployment.

We (the 155th) has split up Annual training into five (5) AT periods:

1-155 IN goes to McCain 12-19 JUN

150th Engineer BN goes to Shelby 19-26 JUN

Main BDE goes to McCain 26 JUN - 3 JUL

2-198 AR BN goes to McCain 10-17 JUN

2-114 Goes to McCain 31 JUL - 7 AUG



Elements of the 11th ACR will be OPCONNED to us (the 155th) prior to deployment.

The Colonel feels we'll probably receive our MOB Order prior to AUG.

We will be fielded with new equipment. This is part of the Army's "Equip, Train, Deploy" model. It will include improved body armor and Up-Armored Hummers...It is saving many lives right now. In fact, if we go to Iraq (highly probable!) we won't even start North out of Kuwait until we have it.

Once we are in-country, we'll be there for at least 365 days.

Once we are in-country, we will not receive any fillers. Our highest level of strength will be the number of soldiers we bring with us.

Our biggest enemy will be lack of discipline.

The change (handover) of Government occurs at the end of JUN - Most officials believe there will be an increase in insurgency/IED use.

If we're deployed to Iraq (highly probable), it takes 11 days for mail to travel, and 5 days for the IRC (Red Cross) to get a soldier out of a remote area in an emergency...Family Support Groups are of the utmost importance, get your .mil email address ASAP, and start using it.

Weather and Environment WILL BE harsh wherever we go, get out and run NOW! Don't worry about PT clothes, you won't be wearing those when you run during missions.

We won't be "Guardsmen" when we deploy, we'll be Active Duty. Get in that mentality. Also, wherever we go, the people there are not our friends. We simply have a job to do, and we're going to do it.

We (Det 1, HHC 2-198 AR) have drill at 0700 for all NCO's, Formation at 0730 on 5-6 JUN. We will focus on Weapons and Communications training, 100% Inventory, Family and Soldier (SRP) readiness, and probably (hint, hint) unconventional PT. Bring everything you've ever been issued, and bring padlocks. You should also bring any documents you can get your hands on, such as Marriage Licenses, Birth Certificates, Civilian Education, Orders, Medical info, Mortgage and Rental Contracts, etc. It's YO MONEY! We will work long and hard, and you will be hot, sweaty and tired at the end of drill. This is good.

All soldiers who require BASIC / AIT may mob later and catch up after completing MOSQ but this has not worked well in the past. Don't count on it.

ID all medical non-deploying ASAP

REPS will not mob until training completed.

OCS/SMP/ROTC will not mob

P3 profiles will MMRB to determine deployability

Temp. profiles have 60 days to get well or will not deploy

Officers who require OBC/OES may not deploy unless they can complete within 60 days past the mob date

Begin cross-leveling now to create a shortage list. BP to forward to Bde S1 soon.

Security clearances will be a big problem - Start the process now. An interim clearance can be requested if the ESPQ packets are already started and no derogatory comments are listed.

ID all dental Cl 3 now. Money is available to fix now before they get them pulled at the mob station.

BP to conduct deployment briefs to your soldiers families - We will get a brief format to you soon.

Pull a list of all ING soldiers in your units and start calling them - tell them "welcome back to your unit" because they will be coming back one way or they other.

ETS will be adjusted due to stop loss

We will be able to put E6 and below in E5 and below slots - we can double downward but not upward

ID soldiers who have already performed duty for OIF, OEF and/or Noble Eagle. Their deployment clock has already stated and they may not be able to deploy unless they volunteer.

Notify all spouses to attend the Unit MOB briefings - those that attend have fewer problems. Begin scheduling these briefs soon. Plan on 3-4 hours in length due to questions.

Pay special attention to single soldiers. They may have unique problems that must be dealt with also i.e. apartment leases, storage of household goods, etc.

Get a copy of the briefing "Better Than a Shoe Box" for the family readiness briefs.

Look hard at Family Care Plans during AT04

3/85th TSB will probably be our trainers

Camp Atterbury, Indiana will probably be our MOB Station

Address While you are there:

your name
your address
Soldiers Name
Soldiers Unit (most important)
Camp Atterbury
P.O. Box 5000
Edinburgh, IN 46124-5000

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Looks like we may only be able to bring 10% of our unit strength on about 15 days early (around 1 Aug?). The remaining 90% on 3-4 days prior to mob.

Pay special attention to the province of Babil. Some indication that this would be 155 AOR. We would be under control of 1 MEF.

Fallujah

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FedEx Core Team meeting notes:

Core Team meeting 6/2/04.

Joann, Anita, Harold

Ray reaches one year in July. It is my plan to end our contract at that time.

Chris will pay for Venu and one other contractor for June, splitting the charge across two cost centers.

Status report, Anita has not gotten to this yet. She’s working on Results and Objectives.

Rotating time off. Joann has a list of 1st Quarter requests.

Old timeoff requests…Anita usually keeps previous year in a folder and two to three years in another folder. VRC gets all others for long-term storage.

Friday, Joann will do an exploratory interview Rashawna Crenshaw this week. Roshawnda and Daryl Harvey have shown an interest.

Harold needs to call to get procedure for obtaining Contractor claims. Today.

Move DVX reports to production. Will start the process today.

POD alerting piece. Ray will work on this. Need to check to see what the cost for Ray and Venu are. Chris Connors wants to let the tracker-tracers go….need the alerting piece for this.

Harold will get a copy of NDA.

FY’05 Objectives. How do we do merit increases? Ask Michael Clark about this.

Renewing timesheets. Need to get Bob to approve.

Harold Taylor will call Chris and get Vendor Accounting contacts to get the contractors paid by Chris.

Pulse Survey Tuesday at 10 AM.

Monday we pick up seven interns around 12pm.

Demo of system to Ken Masterson.