Captain Stiles, Commander

Greetings:

     It is an absolute pleasure for me to write this final note to the friends and families of Charlie Battery!  In a very short time, we will hand over our mission to another group of Soldiers.  Therefore, I would like to take a few moments to thank the Charlie Army.   

     My first thank you goes to the Soldiers who worked so hard throughout this difficult and long deployment.  Your efforts amaze me.  You are the BEST of the BEST.  From the highly visible task of securing the City of Baghdad during the elections to the mundane and smoky task of manning GT W7, you have performed and completed your mission in the most exemplary manner.  I am blessed to have “led” such a remarkable group of Soldiers.    

     To our friends and families, I extend to you the most sincere thank you.  I have written often of the importance of your support.  You have exceeded my expectations.  I cannot imagine how difficult of a task this mission could have been if not for your never-ending support.  Surely, no other unit can boast of such an enormous amount of support as this unit.  I am eternally grateful for your efforts. 

     Finally, I would like to openly thank the distinguished leadership of this Battery.  CSM Arends, you are the true measure of a Soldier.  I am proud to have served with such a fine man and leader.  You and your senior NCOs exemplify the true warrior spirit and the spirit of the Army.  Your NCOs alone made execution possible.  Good luck in your future assignment as Command Sergeant Major!  Thank you to my awesome LTs!  Soon, I will move on and leave the leadership of my wonderful Soldiers to you.  I have full faith and confidence in each of you.  Kerry, Scott, Damien, Scott, and Jacob, I look forward to Soldiering in a Battalion that boasts each of you as a Battery Commander.   

Thank you all. 

Phillip R. Stiles

CPT, FA

Commanding

 P.S. -  Jennifer, Ryan and Kayli, thank you for your patience and love.  I miss you but will see you very soon. 

1SG (TOP'S) MESSAGE

Sergeant Major Arends

Greetings, 

            As I sit down to write this letter, my first thought is what is on the minds of all my Soldiers and how close we are to coming home.   The morale of Charlie Battery is high as we prepare for our replacement unit to arrive.   We will have about two weeks to train the boys from Michigan up to take over our mission and then we will head south to Kuwait.  This will be the third unit that we have trained during our time here in Baghdad. 

            With all of the new units arriving in the FOB, I sit in a crowded chow hall looking at all of the young Soldiers.  It somehow reminds me of a high school cafeteria and also of our flight across the ocean a year ago with a plane full of that same innocence.  A year at this place takes away innocent Soldiers and replaces them with combat veterans.  So as we prepare to come home for the “New Normal”, a new cycle of Soldiers prepare to fight for the high cost of freedom.  I ask that everyone keep these brave men and women in their thoughts and prayers and also keep in mind the sacrifices the friends and families back home endure in their absence. 

            Once we arrive in Kuwait, we should spend a couple of days clearing U.S. Customs.   After that we will have a flight across the Atlantic Ocean and we will then be back to good ole’ Fort Dix.  The process at Fort Dix takes about six days and then we have the flight back home!!  We will keep everyone informed of the exact date as we get closer, so you will all know when to expect the homecoming and deactivation ceremony. 

Until Charlie Comes Marching Home Again, Voodoo 7… OUT!

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