THE COMMANDER'S NOTES:

LTC FREDENBURGH

Hello 51st Family and Friends,

I am so immensely blessed and proud to be a member of this Battalion. The FRG, Families, and Rear Detachment have really stepped up to the plate and are working diligently to take care of business at Ft. Lewis. And regarding the Soldiers here, you all would be so proud to see them in action. They are amazing and are truly making a difference here.

Obviously much has happened since our last newsletter. We successfully deployed to Iraq and have taken over for the 63rd Signal Battalion (Expeditionary). Getting off the plane, a wall of heat met us in Kuwait. Thankfully, the weather has started to cool off as we all moved North– 97 degrees feels like a nice day here! Each company has settled into their respective locations. Teams have been de-ploying to every corner of an area that is roughly half the size of California. Our respon-sibilities here are immense; we provide voice and data communications to major Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), as well as every size of unit down to small Military Transition Teams (MTT) that train the Iraqi Army.

Every Soldier has a role in our overall success. And back stateside, behind every Soldier, there are family members making unique sacrifices. Whether it is handling the family finances, yardwork, medical issues, or raising children without the help of your spouse, I appreciate your sacrifice and commitment to your Soldier, our unit, and our great Nation.

I ask the entire 51st Family to continue our commitment of working together as a team to accomplish our mission and get everyone home safely.

Thank you again to everyone in the Battalion Family for your commitment and support.

Always Constant,
LTC Paul H. Fredenburgh III