Notes From the Commander - Fort Wainwright, AK - U.S. Army

V olume 4 I s s u e 4 D euce Four
To the Centurion Company Family,
Charlie Company - Centurions
Hello to all. I hope the Alaska weather is treating you
better than I know the mid-summer Afghanistan heat is treating
us here. Temperatures right now range from the low 70‘s at night
to right around 100 degrees in the 2 o‘clock sun, making
afternoon excursions certainly draining. That being said, we are
all more than up to the task. Through a variety of settings from
flat, open desert-like plains and mesas to the orchards and
vineyards that line the local rivers, to mountain foothills that
border our area of operations to the north, the company
continues to do a phenomenal job conducting vehicle and foot
patrols in all conditions.
First off, we must make mention of the bittersweet fact
that LT Pat Harrigan has transitioned from 3 rd Platoon Leader to
a new job coordinating air operations on Battalion Staff as the S3
Air. Pat was a
phenomenal asset
to the company,
and the Soldiers of
third platoon were
undoubtedly better
prepared for combat
and better in
combat because of
his leadership. Pat,
you will be sorely
missed by the
nation, C-NATION!
Fortunately, we are lucky to receive veteran platoon
leader LT Nicholas Sabatino from the Battalion Mortar Platoon
as his replacement. Nick brings a wealth of smarts and
experience to ease the transition in the complex environment
where third platoon conducts operations. Furthermore, he has
the soldiers of third platoon, all of whom have run the gamut of
missions from COIN-centric projects to combat operations, to
assist him. Speaking of COIN, I‘d be remiss if I didn‘t
congratulate third and make mention of the recently completed
Mizan dam, a project to help the livelihood of local residents by
improving their agricultural efficiency. Job well done Centurions!
Meanwhile, down in and around Qalat City, the
remainder of the Company continues to patrol a vast expanse of
Zabul Province, often executing very short notice missions
dealing with a broad range of tasks. Luckily, this not only ensures
we‘re always ready for the next big thing, but it keeps us busy and
helps pass our time away from home more quickly. From
boarding helicopters en route to secure other units in need of
assistance to driving miles and miles away to Kandahar to get
brand new, safer Strykers, Centurion Company has plenty to do
and the absolute best Soldiers to do it with.
P a ge 10
Before closing, numerous Soldiers have reached significant
milestones worth mentioning. We‘d like to congratulate recently
promoted CPL Chris Stewart and wife Elizabeth on welcoming a
new baby girl, Lillian, into the world on the 15 th of JULY. We
welcome SSG Justin Jacoby and wife Crystal as well as SSG Ubaldo
Valenzuela and wife Crystal to the company. They arrived mid-July
and we are lucky to have these additional leaders at such a critical
time. We have also promoted many deserving Soldiers recently.
LT Joseph Lapointe is now CPT Lapointe. Lastly, SGT‘s Dietsen
Alexander and Josh Russell have been promoted to Staff Sergeant.
As always, thank you for your continued support. Before
closing, bear in mind that although LT Harrigan has moved to
HHC, we are extremely lucky to continue to have his wife Rocky
lead the FRG, even in his absence. Please thank her if you get the
chance. She does more for the Company than most realize.
CPT Jeremy Medaris and 1SG Mark Dasch
C-NATION!