RD & donors.....just got word that the "Package" arrived earlier this week in Iraq......the M-9 mags have been passed out to sqd.......no range time yet......they load/unload easily with just the thumb (first test), no loader assistance required it seems......shooting/performance report still pending on next range time.  More info as I get it.

Thanks to all who helped with this project!

Not any real news to report from Iraq and the squad with the new M-9 mags we sent them.  Last word from SFC Jason's wife is that he said they would be out of contact for a couple of wks & that was almost 2 wks ago. 

So, I still don't have a range report on how the new mags functioned.  Jason did tell me that the non-issue mags were NOT a problem with the Army and they have been passed out to the squad. He also said the temps have been in the 120-130's lately over there.  Whatever the mission is they have been "working" mostly at night and sleeping days.  IBD

ps I'd post a pic but still havent figured out how....I try and it says "be patient while it loads to server".....but never seems to happen...I have dial-up so it's real slow......maybe that's the problem or the pic is too big...... 

got these from IBD:

SFC Jason at his workbase over in Iraq.

thermal image scanner….looking for badguys! SFC Jason on left.

SFC Jason on right….don’t know guy on left….

I also got this from IBD:

Hoping to get email from Jason I can pass on to the BSB with some info.....he did say he tested a few of the new mags and they seemed to be flawless so far.........more later he said..

>>>thanks Ron for posting pics for me.........<<<

no problem, glad to help!

Update on our "soldiers"........I haven't had any word for a couple of wks now.  I guess they are deployed someplace doing their OP (obervation post) business & not available to email/phones.  I guess no news is good news and it seems all the tuff work is currently going on in Afganistan per the news stories anyway.

King........sent you a PM about the ammo cans of mags you mentioned. 

ALL........a bit of news from the soldiers.......open the links below to see news releases from the Army on our soldiers......2nd link has a pic of my son SFC Jason........and see the note from my son below...RD check & see if your friends son is mentioned.....

http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-015.asp - http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-015.asp
http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-016.asp - http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-016.asp

 The above two links are Guard news releases about our company.  The first one covers operations on our outpost duty.  Now that I'm in the platoon sergeant position I don't get to stay out there for a week on end any more.   The squads rotate through, with each squad leader  having the hill for a week or so at a time.  I usually am only out there for a couple hours every other week during the squad personnel swaps or a mid week supply run.  Instead of TCing a MRAP or humvee (our standard gun truck platforms) I'm usually heading out there in an MTV (Medium Tactical Vehicle, essentially a cargo truck). 
It has both a text and video segment.  The squad leader on the hill featured for these stories is our 2nd Sqd Ldr (SSG Poor, I think you might have met him in Fond du Lac). 

Being a platoon sergeant now increases the number of soldiers I'm responsible for from 14 to 50 (well 49 now, we had one shipped back to the states for discipline/mental evaluation - that was my first major issue as plt sgt).  And instead of 4 vehicles I now have a fleet of 23 vehicles I'm responsible to oversee.   Maintenance issues take up a huge chunk of my time, primarily tracking that the proper documentation on maintenance activities is being done correctly by the individual drivers.  Last week our maintenance activity underwent a major reorganization which I didn't necessarily think was needed but it appears to be working.  Charlie Co is fortunate to have the best pool of mechanics in the battalion, but unfortunately under this reorganization we lost some of our top wrench turners to other units.  But despite that we still have a decent mechanics section.  I've maintained a generally decent rapport with the mechanics which does pay off. 

The weather is still hot but you can feel a change coming on.   Occasionally now we'll see the hint of clouds in the sky.   For about a week in August we had super oppressive humidity, that finally broke a few days ago.  The official camp meteorological people said the worst we had was 120deg and 55%, but I find that hard to believe.  You'd leave a building and you'd be instantly wet,  glasses fogged up, weapon beaded with water and just the taste of "thick" air.  I went through more CLP on my weapons during that week than the whole deployment. 

Thanks for the update IBD.

BEAR

news from the troops in Iraq from SFC Jason:

"Sorry for the long lapse in writing,  despite what appears to be a slow optempo compared to previous deployments my workdays seem to be extremely busy and just flow into one another.  It seems like just yesterday I was thinking how fast August was going by and here  it is almost the of September.  

First off, for some reason my internet here can not access the baitshop boyz website.  I've tried at different times of day.  Certian formats are blocked for vague army reasons, or else it requires something that our server doesn't have or allow.  But please pass on that the mags were well recieved and all are in the hands of Soldiers whose duties take them outside the wire.  I distributed throughout 1st Sqd (when I was still Chickenhawk 2-1, the call sign for that position).    They've been shot and work well.  I hope to have some photos of the 3-gun match next month of them being used.  I don't have any pics of any formal range use with them but I have some of me sending some rounds off of Safwan Hill into a ravine (sort of an informal range, though not officially sanctioned).  
The soldiers that have them take pride in having high end mags because they are obviously not army issue as they have a bigger floorplate and are noticeable when they are in a weapon. 

I attached some news stories that the Guard PAO has done at the end of the email.  Some you've seen.   I only copied and pasted the ones that had a connection to Charlie Company. "

http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/Bucca_Closure.asp - http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/Bucca_Closure.asp
http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-017.asp - http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-017.asp
http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-016.asp - http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-016.asp
http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-015.asp - http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2009News/32_BCT_09-015.asp


SFC Jason A. Janecek
Co. C, 2nd BN 127th INF
"Strike Forward!"