By the Soldiers for the Soldiers in the service
MARCH 2014 VOL. 1, NO. 2
Original YANK cover photo, published Dec. 8, 1944.
GI LIBERATORS OF KAMAL JABOUR
Stories and Photographs From the READY FIRST brigade
How we fight today, 4-17 IN, Fort Bliss
Above: Original YANK cover from Dec. 8, 1944. Cover photo: More than 50 Soldiers from Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division participate in the recreation of the YANK’s Dec. 8, 1944 cover photo at the Fort Bliss training range Kamal Jabour. Photo by: Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO No Soldiers were harmed in the recreation of this photo. 2
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Table of Contents: Memo from Col. 1-36 IN 3-41 IN 4-17 IN 6-1 CAV Bataan 2-3 FA 16 EN 501 BSB About the cover READY FIRST photos READY FIRST photos
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Spartan Soldiers install trackers in vehicles 1st Lt. Cristian Amarante, 1-36 IN UPAR
as the “Blue Force” tracker. This equipment has aided the Army to prevent fratricide, allow units arly in February, 1st Battalion, 36th In- to send orders, receive orders, display graphic fantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Divi- control measures, and serve as a navigational aid sion updated its Blue Force Tracking (BFT) system. to countless units. Units employ the Blue Force Staff Sgt. William Burgeis took to the strenu- Tracker (BFT2) to gain real time situational awareous task of installing the BFT into all Strykers ness, and provide control of the movement of suborand High Mobilidinate units. ty Multipurpose This system Wheeled Vehicle originally (HMMWV) withwas designed in the Spartan for line-ofbattalion. Bursight commugeis tirelessnications via ly ensured that the Army’s Enall the Strykers hanced Posiand HMMWVs have tion Location an effective BFT2 Reporting Syssystem. tem (EPLRS) Luckily for secure raBurgeis, he had dio network. reliable SolDuring early diers to assist iterations, in this effort, the Army fieldsuch as Spc. Jaed a satellite cob Livovich. version of the Livovich has BFT system. worked alongThe BFT system side Burgeis in has won numercalibrating all ous awards and the systems in accolades. In the Stryker ve2001, the Blue hicles throughForce Tracker out the battal- Spc. Jacob Livovich, a signal support systems specialist for 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st system was ion. Livovich recognized as Brigade, 1st Armored Division, fields a piece of equipment in a Stryker. (Photo by 1st Lt. Cristian Amarante, 1-36 IN UPAR) has used the one of the five Simple Key Loader (SKL)to update the transceiv- best-managed software programs in the entire U.S. ers and module installations on all the Strykers Government. In 2003, the BFT system won an Induring this task. stitute for Defense and Government Advancement’s For a full installation, more than 16 man award for most innovative U.S. Government program hours were required from preparation to execu- and the Federal Computer Week Monticello Award tion, said Livovich, who has worked for two years (given in recognition of an information system as a signal support systems specialist. This that has a direct, meaningful impact on human tasking was critical for situational awareness. lives.) In 2005, the BFT system also won the Blue Force Tracking is a United States mili- Battlespace Information award for best program in tary term for a GPS-enabled system which provides support of Coalition Operations. Army units with location information about friend- Burgeis and Livovich have taken pride in their ly and hostile military forces. In the North At- work and have made it their goal to ensure that lantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military sym- each Company are mission capable. These Soldiers bolism, the color blue typically denotes friendly recognize that the communication equipment has to forces. The system provides a common picture be updated and maintained in order to ensure that of the location known enemies are in relation all Soldiers are able to contact their superiors to friendly forces and is therefore referred to or subordinates at a moments notice.
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Rifle battalion participates in EFMB 1st Lt. Charles Rowell, 3-41 IN UPAR
In
mid-February, medics assigned to 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, conducted Expert Field Medical Badge preparation training. Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3-41 IN afforded its medics calendar space to utilize classrooms, equipment and supplies. This training is an annual extra-curricular event which is organized by Fort Bliss and EFMB recipients. Several Soldiers came from other installations in Texas, and some came from as far as Ohio to participate. Some of the training completed by HHC, 3-41 IN medics consisted of homework, APFT improvement, ruck marching, and M4 familiarization and qualification. Soldiers were also refreshed on procedures for: intravenous line insertion, addressing hypothermia, providing aid for burns, preventing shock to injured Soldiers, as well as other various medical Soldier tasks. “Despite combat readiness inspection, red cycle taskings, and Organizational Inspection Program, our unit provided support to assist us with our own internal training for the EFMB,” said Sgt. Sidney Norman, 3-41 IN treatment NCO, and native of Clanton, Ala. “It was a long two weeks for the 3-41 IN medical Soldiers that participated.” The intent of the training was to ensure the Soldier’s proficiency remained current, as it is beneficial to the unit, and propel the medics to succeed during the EFMB evaluations. Soldiers had a week of training prior to their week of testing, which concluded with a grueling 12-mile road march at Camp Freedom on Fort Bliss.
Top Left: Sgt. Sidney Norman, 3-41 IN treatment NCO, instructs combat medics on 9mm Beretta handgun familiarizaiton. Top Right: Soldiers from 3-41 IN participate in a six mile roadmarch in preparation for EFMB testing. Bottom Left: Pfc. Joshua Berrier and Pfc. Christian Callendar, both combat medics, practice step-by-step methods of how to treat cold weather injuries. Bottom Middle: Pvt. Giovanni Serrano and Spc. Charles Hayes, both combat medics, practice providing intravenous line insertion to treat a hypothetical heat casualty. Bottom Right: Sgt. Sidney Norman instructs and oversees combat medics on providing an IV line to a heat casualty. (Photos by 1st Lt. Charles Rowell, 3-41 IN UPAR)
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Juggernauts join Buffalo Herd Former 501st BSB company moves to 4-17 IN
1st Lt. Charles Schroeder, 4-17 IN UPAR
The
4th Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, “Buffaloes,” 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division recently welcomed a new group of Soldiers into the Buffalo herd. The Juggernauts, J. Company, 501st Brigade Support Battalion, was recently assigned as the Forward Support Company (FSC) for the Buffalo Battalion. The FSC concept is comparatively new to the
U.S. Army. Historically the Army has kept the majority of logisticians, Soldiers who provide food, water, ammo, and everything else a military unit needs to do their job, in large units at the Division or Corps level. With the recent (2004-2005) reorganization of the U.S. Army to a Combined Arms Brigade (CAB) format, many of the large units of logisticians were broken up to be placed in Brigade Support Battalions (BSB). Light Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, those who do not use or have a very limited amount of ground vehicles, and Heavy Brigade Combat Teams, brigades that contain tanks and tracked vehicles, were designed with FSCs in their BSBs. The SBCT was not. The FSC replaces the Logistic Support Team (LST). An LST consisted of mechanics, field feeding teams, and distribution Soldiers from the BSB. This improvised movement of logistics Soldiers within the SBCT left the BSB somewhat undermanned and did not provide nearly enough logistic support to the Stryker battalions. The FSC provides the logistical support a Stryker battalion was lacking. An FSC for a Stryker infantry battalion consists of more than 80 mechanics, field feeding team, and distribution Soldiers. An FSC also includes a headquarters that consists of a company executive officer, company first sergeant, and most importantly a logistically-trained company commander. This captain is a major asset to planning within the battalion. Having logisticians working permanently within a Stryker Battalion has other benefits as well. “Being closer to the unit you’re going to support really helps,” said Sgt. Essa Almasoud, a native of El Paso, Texas. Almasoud is the section leader of the fuel section within Juggernaut Company, and was previously assigned to A. Co., 501st BSB. “You get to coordinate better and have more time to prepare for missions when you support one battalion instead of the whole brigade.”
Top: Spc. Roger Ramirez of Los Angeles, Calif., and Pvt. Deziah Nunn of Orlando, Fla., both food service specialists assigned to J. Company, 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, prepare lunch for Soldiers at the Ready First Dinning Facility at Fort Bliss, Texas. Right: Sgt. Essa Almasoud of El Paso, Texas, Spc. Denray Plummer of Bronx, N.Y., Pfc. Wadira Corona of El Paso, Texas, and Pfc. Adam Koenig of Rapid City, S.D., all petroleum specialists assigned to J. Company, 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1/1 AD, prepare to change a tire on their truck at the 4th Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment maintenance bay at Fort Bliss, Texas. (Photos by 1st LT. Charles Schroeder, 4-17 IN UPAR)
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Blackhawk Prestige 6-1 inducts newest members to the Order of St. George Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Wilbanks, 1/1 AD PAO
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he 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, “Blackhawks,” 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, “Ready First”, welcomed four new members to the prestigious Order of St. George, March 4. The ceremony took place in the Blackhawks’ motor pool and also included a presentation of the Or-
der of St. Maurice medal. All the recipients of the medals came from E Company “Elite,” 16th Engineer Battalion. The Elite company, until recently, was F Company, 51st Infantry and was attached to the Blackhawk Squadron during their deployment to Afghanistan last year. The St. George medal was presented to 1st Lt. Austin Caroe, 1st Lt. Daniel Culver, and 1st Lt. Tim Guilliams, all platoon leaders with Elite. 1st Lt. Jesse Hernandez, the executive officer for Elite, also received the award. 1st Sgt. Miguel Medina Jr., the company’s first sergeant, received the Order of St. Maurice Medal. The Order of St. George Medal is awarded to Soldiers who are cavalry or armor branch, or attached to the cavalry or armor branch, who distinguish themselves above other Soldiers.. The Order of St. Maurice is awarded to infantry branch members who distinguish themselves while assigned to the infantry branch or assigned to an infantry unit. Since the Order of St. George was recognized, there have only been approximately 10,000 medals awarded. The award has four different levels, with less than 100 gold, the highest level, awarded ever. It is rare for infantry branch officers to receive the award, said Master Sgt. Alvaro D. Morales, operations sergeant major for the Blackhawks. These young officers are all infantry who played a major part in the squadron’s efforts not only in combat, but in garrison as well. Above: Col. Ross Coffman, commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Divison, “Ready First,” presents the Order of St. Maurice Medal to 1st Sgt. Miguel Medina Jr., first sergeant of E Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1/1 AD. Top Three on Right: Lt. Col. Kevin Wallace, commander of the 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment “Blackhawks,” 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, presents the Order of St. George Medal to the platoon leaders and executive officer of E Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, as Col. Ross Coffman, commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division “Ready First,” knights the officers. Bottom Right: Col. Ross Coffman, commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Divison, “Ready First,” presents the Order of St. Maurice Medal to 1st Sgt. Miguel Medina Jr., first sergeant of E Company, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1/1 AD. (Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Joesph Wilbanks, 1/1 AD PAO)
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Remembering Bataan Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Wilbanks, 1/1 AD PAO
D
ecember 7, 1941 is a date immortalized in American history. The day the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The next day is lesser known, but no less important to World War II or American history. It was the beginning of a battle that would conclude with the Bataan Death March. December 8, 1941, with America still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched a second air attack on airbases in the Philippines. The attack caught the Americans by surprise and destroyed the vast majority of the military aircraft on the archipelago. Unlike Hawaii, the Japanese pushed their advantage with a ground invasion after the airstrike. The American and Filipino troops, outnumbered and outgunned, retreated to the Bataan Peninsula on December 22, 1941. This was located on the western side of the large island of Luzon in the Philippines.
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The American and Filipino Soldiers dug in and waited for reinforcements that never came. The Japanese had blockaded the island, cutting them off from any food or supplies reaching them. Over the next three months, the Soldiers held out. Battling diseases, the jungle, and lack of food, they still repelled the Japanese on multiple occasions. They went from half rations, to one-third rations, to quarter rations, but relief never came. Finally, April 9, 1942, his Soldiers starving and suffering from illness, General Edward P. King signed surrender documents, ending the Battle of Bataan. The 72,000 American and Filipino Soldiers were taken as Japanese prisoners of war. What happened next would become known as the Bataan Death March. The goal of the march was to move the prisoners from Mariveles in the south to Camp O’Donnell in the north. The prisoners would be forced to March 55 miles from Mariveles to San Fernando, then travel by train to Capas. From Capas, the
prisoners would have to march the last eight miles to Camp O’Donnell. The prisoners were separated into groups of 100, assigned four Japanese guards, and were sent marching. It took each group about five days to make the journey. The march would have been incredibly difficult for anyone, but the prisoners were starving and suffering from disease. Added to this was the cruel and brutal treatment from the Japanese. The Soldiers were given no water and little food. The Japanese shot any prisoner who broke ranks in attempt to get water from any wells or streams they passed on the way. Some prisoners did manage to scoop stagnant water from puddles as they passed, but they became sick from it. The Soldiers were starving before the surrender but were given just a few balls of rice during the whole march. Many Filipino civilians tried to throw food to the marchers, and any who did were killed by the Japanese. The intense heat during the march was miserable. The Japanese made this worse by forcing the prisoners to sit in the sun for hours at a time, a torture they called “the sun treatment.” Without food and water, the prisoners were extremely weak as they marched the 63 miles in the heat. Although ill from malnutrition, wounded, or diseased, the Japanese showed no mercy. Anyone who fell behind was shot or bayoneted. There were “Buzzard Squads” who followed each group of prisoners, responsible for killing any that couldn’t
keep up. Random brutality was common. The prisoners were beaten and berated often. Bayoneting random prisoners was frequent and Japanese officers practiced beheadings on the prisoners.
Once the prisoners reached San Fernando, they were herded into boxcars. So many were shoved into each car that there was standing room only. The heat caused many more deaths during the train ride. After reaching Capas, they were forced to march the last eight miles to Camp O’Donnell. Only 54,000 of the prisoners had made it to their destination. It is estimated that 7,000 to 10,000 died during the march with the rest of the missing escaping into the jungle and joining guerrilla groups. The conditions in the camp were just as brutal and harsh as the march had been. Prisoners were dying at a rate of over 400 per day initially. The Americans would endure three years of this hell. By the time the U.S. Army liberated the Bataan Prisoners of War, two-thirds of the Americans captured during the battle of Bataan had died in Japanese custody. The photographs and map are stock photos from the Bataan Death March, available online. They document the brutality American and Filipino Soldiers were forced to endure during their time as captives from the Japanese military. More than 18,000 Soldiers died on the 63 mile march, now known as the Bataan Death March. White Sands Missile Range hosts a Bataan Death March every year in rembrance of the victims. Participants can choose between a 14.1 mile or 26.2 mile march. This year’s march will be held Sunday, March 23.
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Building Competency Crew Drills Shave Valuable Seconds Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Wilbanks, 1/1 AD PAO
In
the heat of combat, when events haven’t gone your way and things are looking grim, welltimed artillery fire can change the situation in your favor very quickly. Knowing that a dedicated crew of “red legs” are manning an M777 Howitzer and just itching to drop some steel on target is an advantage that the infantry and cavalry are thankful for every time they leave the wire. But how do those artillery men hone their skills to levels of razor sharpness? Crew drills. These are an intricate part of the artillery training. Consistently putting the gun in place accurately is crucial to quick response for a call for fire. Everything has to be perfect for a precision strike, and the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artil-
lery Regiment “Gunners,” 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, are all about perfection. The Gunners took to the fields behind their motor pool for some in-depth sergeant’s time training working on occupation, or set-up of the gun, and fire mission crew drills. Fire mission crew drills are when the gun crew is given a simulated mission and has to manipulate the gun for the correct angle and trajectory. This can vary wildly depending on what kind of round is being fired as well as what kind of effect is desired. Airburst, ground burst, delayed. These are all missions that require constant training and more training to perfect. In war, things go bad. Battlefields are unpredictable even with the best intelligence. So, if you find yourself outnumbered and unable to withdraw, remember the Gunners.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, “Gunners,” 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, practice setting up the M777 Howitzer at Fort Bliss, Feb. 19. Their diligence on maintaining complete accuracy on their weaponry ensures they are always ready to deploy and protect. (Photos by Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO)
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Creating an Engineer Battalion Pfc. Jake McCoy, 16th EN UPAR
T
he 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, “Catamounts,” formally stood up Dec. 6, 2013 after beginning it’s formation nearly two months prior. Creating a battalion does not just happen overnight, it takes Soldiers. As an old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Many things need to happen in order to stand up a battalion, such as: in-processing Soldiers, conjoining companies, gathering office supplies, getting computers and networks online, as well as other logistical tasks. Sgt. Ron Kelsey, a human resource sergeant, was one of the first Soldiers tasked to the battalion. He had come from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1/1 AD, and had recently returned with the brigade from Afghanistan. “We pretty much had to take everything we had and move it to a new location,” said Kelsey. “It was sort of similar to moving locations when I was in Iraq during my first deployment. It was kind of like starting from scratch and building it from the ground up.” Another Soldier who helped build the battal-
ion from the ground up was Spc. Michael George. George was another junior enlisted Soldier who was one of the first to move to the battalion. He was tasked with the set-up and configuration of the battalion’s computers. “As a junior enlisted Soldier, doing everything for an entire section with the help of one other Soldier, it gets extremely stressful,” said George. “For many of the tasks that needed to be done, we had to learn to work with the other battalions for help on becoming a self-sustaining unit.” Though the Catamounts existed under the brigade in the past, standing it up again was no easy task. A large amount of the work which had to be done to set up everything for the battalion came from the hard work of many junior enlisted Soldiers. The battalion is still undergoing transformations, as it will take one fiscal year to be completely operational. “The 16th Engineer Battalion is a great team to work with,” said Kelsey. “This is one of the top units at being squared-away because we are starting off new. We are setting the standards from the get-go.”
Lt. Col. Mark Nadig, 16th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division battalion commander, salutes the colors during the battalion’s reflagging ceremony at Ready First Field, Feb. 27. The battalion reunited all of their companies after more than 70 years. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO)
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501st Brigade Support Battalion changes how it supports our brigade Staff Sgt. Mike Carrigan, 501st BSB UPAR
Many
of the combat battalions of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division are seeing a change to their strength with the addition of a new company- a Forward Support Company, (FSC.) The department of the Army has dictated a new change on how the 501st Brigade Support Battalion will conduct business in supporting the combat Soldier. As Lt. Col. Jeffrey Baker, battalion commander for the 501st BSB explains, “When the 1st B r i g a d e converted from a heavy brigade to a stryker brigade more emphasis was placed on the fighting strength of the brigade and not on the supporting elements allowing all the supporting elements to come from the BSB.” Most Soldiers may remember when the brigade went to Afghanistan, elements of the 501st were attached to each battalion as Field Feeding Teams (FFT) and Combat Repair Teams (CRT). These teams were made up of food service specialists and mechanics to ensure the readiness of the combat battalion. Now, with the creation of the FSC, the structure and make up of the supporting elements are formalized and expanded. Along with the formalized structure bringing the FFT and CRT into one company and adding a headquarters element to oversee them, a supply and distribution team is also added into the mix. This provides independent transportation, fuel handling and other specialty jobs to round out the forward support concept of the company. Since the FFT and CRT portion of the com-
panies already existed, most of the Soldier and equipment elements were already in place. Currently, A Company, the transportation company, is helping fill the last portion by transferring vehicles assets over to the FSC. Baker also went on to explain, “Part of the Unit Status Report is the identification of equipment and personnel shortages to finish rounding out the needs of the companies. Items could be found throughout the Army, purchased new, or even possibly transferred from another brigade on Fort Bliss that may deactivate.” “A priority right now is making sure J Company, that will attach to 4th Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, is fully ready as 4-17 IN moves over to help support 2nd brigade for its training mission,” continued Baker. Most of the FFT and CRT assets were in place but the new Brigade Engineering Battalion had no existing equipment or Soldiers which meant all of these items and Soldiers must be sourced new or supplied from the BSB. Baker wanted to thank the combat battalions for the support during the creation and manning of the FSCs. He said it was great working with the commanders and executive officers to build a healthly relationship as the battalions help with manning issues. Top: Spc. Hector Salas and Spc. Jaime Lozano, both B. Co., 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, load batteries into a tactical vehicle at Fort Bliss, Texas. Left: A mechanic with B. Co., 501st BSB, 1/1 AD, services the brakes of a tactical vehicle. (Photos by Staff Sgt. Mike Carrigan, 501st BSB UPAR)
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About the cover photo:
The liberation of the Phillippines F
ollowing the events of Bataan, the Philippines came under Japanese control for more than three years. The Philippines suffered under the Japanese occupation with large numbers of the population being put into work camps. All was not bleak though, as a large guerilla force controlled more than 60 percent of the islands, but it was mostly jungle and mountain areas. On October 20, 1944, that would change. MacArthur returned to the Philippines with an extremely large American force to retake the islands he had been forced to abandon at the start of the war. The initial engagements were largely naval with American forces meeting steady but weak resistance. On December 7, 1944, the American Military landed at Ormoc, where the Americans would see the first heavy resistance. This was one of the first battles of the war that the Japanese used widespread use of kamikaze pilots. The island was also heavily fortified with pill-boxes and heavy artillery. Despite these obstacles, MacArthur fought north all through the fall of 1944, reaching Manila and the main island of Luzon in January of 1945. The initial landing in Lingayen Gulf was unopposed, but the Japanese would continue a guerilla war with the American forces for the rest of the war using a network of caves, pillboxes, and artillery. The Japanese defenders hoped to prevent an invasion of the home islands of Japan with a stiff resistance in the Philippines.
Photos provided by Army stock.
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Top Left: Pfc. Nicholas Karcher, a medic with 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, and a native of Lampasas, Texas, checks his azimuth at the land navigation site during EFMB practice, Feb. 19. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO) Top Middle: Pfc. Brittany Foster, a medic with 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, belts her way into third place, earning herself $100, and her unit $500 in this year’s Bliss Has Talent. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Wilbanks, 1/1 AD PAO) Top Right: The Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division color guard, led by Sgt. Michael Moore, presents the colors for Monster Jam at Sunbowl Stadium, March 2. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO) Bottom: READY FIRST brigade is all about PT. Ensure your Soldiers use their time! (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO)
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Top: Maj. Gen. Sean B. MacFarland pins the Expert Field Medical Badge on a Soldier during the EFMB graduation, Feb. 28. More than 200 Soldiers began the testing, but only 46 completed it successfully, earning the coveted EFMB. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez, 1/1 AD PAO) Bottom: Sgt. Marcus Christiansen, a mechanic with Bravo Company, 501st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, keeps current with wrecker recovery drills at the Donya Anna field site, as he stands by for a wrecker to move into place to move a de-commissioned road grater. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Carrigan, 501st BSB UPAR)
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Have a voice in the YANK! Send all questions, comments or suggestions to our editors. We want to hear from YOU! Private message the editors through the Brigade Facebook page or email us directly. Do you draw? The YANK wants to publish your comics or drawings! Contact the editors. Staff: Senior editor: Capt. Jennifer Dyrcz Layout/design, editor: Staff Sgt. Kristen Duus-Vasquez Editor, writer: Sgt. 1st. Class Joseph Wilbanks Contributing writers: 1st Lt. Cristian Amarante, 1-36 IN 1st Lt. Charles Rowell, 3-41 IN 1st Lt. Charles Schroeder, 4-17 IN Pfc. Jake McCoy, 16th EN Staff Sgt. Mike Carrigan, 501st BSB Contact the editors: jennifer.e.dyrcz.mil@mail.mil kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil joseph.w.wilbanks.mil@mail.mil Facebook: 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division Ready First COL Ross Coffman Twitter: @ReadyFirst6
You tell us WHERE and WE will take the photos. Send your photo suggestions to the editors! YANK, the Army Weekly, was a magazine published by the United States military during World War II. The first issue was published with the cover date of June 17, 1942. The magazine was written by enlisted rank Soldiers only for service members stationed overseas. YANK was published at facilities around the world, for a total of 21 editions in 17 countries. It was the most widely read magazine in the history of the U.S. military, achieving worldwide circulation of more than 2.6 million readers.