He is HOME....

AND IN MY ARMS!!!! (for a week now!)

And, we leave for Puerto Rico is a few days!!! A very well earned vacation for him!!

Time is getting closer

Nightfighter Family,Hello from Balad, I hope this note finds everyone well. We are doing great hereand we are gearing up to go head first into our Relief in Place with thenext unit. I know you will be hearing and reading about a lot of 76thBrigade soldiers coming back over the next few weeks, we are stilllooking at the end of November. I had high hopes a few months back about getting home for Thanksgiving, but that is not going to happen forthe majority of the battalion. There might be a few (less than 75) thatget back in time to complete demobilization by Thanksgiving Day. It looks like most of us will either be somewhere in transit or completing demobilization at Camp Atterbury during that time period. Be patient with the process it will be completed as quickly as possible.

Right now we are concentrating on the train up of our replacements, a job we are taking very seriously. A lot of work and preparation has gone into the training plan and it is finally time to execute it. All of our soldiers feel it is our responsibility to ensure we prepare them for the mission to the best of our ability. While we do that we will be moving out ofour housing into transient housing, which may make communication alittle less accessible for many of our soldiers. If they had internet in their room, that is no longer the case, they are now living in open bay rooms with multiple soldiers. While the quality of living goes downa little bit, it is okay it means we are one step closer to being home.

During the past week or two CSM Cox and I have had the honor of presenting hundreds of "end of tour awards" to our deserving soldiers. Each company held their own ceremony, to include Team Bravo down at their new location, CSM Cox and I flew down this week to visit them. Rest assured the soldiers are in great spirits and are motivated to finish this mission as strong as they started it. We are quickly winding down a very successful mission that everyone involved with canbe proud of; we will definitely have a lot to talk about for years tocome. As always it is my honor to serve with YOUR soldier!

LTC Jerry Hadley
"Nightfighter 6"

Greetings from Balad

Nightfighter Family,

I want to start by saying I am sorry it has been so long since I have written, time has slipped away from me here. We have been extremely busy with many moving pieces and a mission operational tempo that continues to increase. We are not complaining though, at least I am not, I like keeping everyone busy it makes time go by faster. I am suresome of you have heard by now that we had to move one of our companiesto another location. Team Bravo is no longer working here with us,although we do still have a command relationship with them for awardsand other administrative actions. They are now located at a baseseveral hours south of here conducting the same type of missions. Our higher headquarters decided the unit that is replacing us was going toneed to have an additional unit south, so they decided to put our guys down there so they could train them when they come in. While it was definitely a hardship on the soldiers to pack up and move, Team Bravodid not complain one bit. The soldiers and leadership did a great jobclearing post here and then very efficiently moved south.CSM Cox and I will be heading down south in a few weeks to check on them and hold their end of tour awards ceremony. Up here we continue to prepare for our replacement unit, and no we do not know dates they will be here, any dates you are hearing are rumors. I can tell you there have been dates floating around but trust me they are not locked in stone AT ALL. Please do not get your hopes up for an early arrival home (prior to December). While there is a slight chance it could happen there is just as big of a chance it might not. Do not buy tickets or schedule vacations that lock your soldier in too early inDecember. We are at the mercy of a lot of forces we do not control, most importantly the air force and contracted commercial aircraft. I have told my family I will be home just as soon as the Army lets me outof the mobilization site. Please be sure to attend the State reintegration briefings that are being scheduled. I believe there a couple in Fort Wayne this weekend. They will give you information on how you will learn when we are coming home; I promise you they don't know when we are coming right now either. Any one that tells you they do is misinformed. As recently as a few hours ago I received information that moved dates around. Enough on that subject we will all be patient and get through this together. Let me change the subject and brag on Team Echo for a minute.I went on the longest mission I have been on yet last night with the"Stormbringers". It was not supposed to be that long but circumstances changed our plans. Bottom line after being on the road over 14 hoursour soldiers were still alert enough to locate a very well hiddenexplosive device on the road. It was rendered useless by an EOD Team(explosive ordnance Team) while we secured the site. I was so impressedwith our soldiers’ ability to stay focused after being on the road solong, trust me it is not easy. 14 hours in a gun truck with heavybullet proof vest and helmets on will take its toll on you. I had notbeen out for about 5 days before last night due to administrative requirements here, after rolling with them last night my batteries arerecharged. Our soldiers are AMAZING! They never cease to impress me and make me proud to be in their ranks. Well I will write again soon.
Proud to Serve
LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

(continue reading the next post below, I forgot one!)

Nightfighter Family,
Greetings from Iraq it is September 17th and we are just coming out oftwo days of the craziest weather I have ever seen. It has literallybeen "snowing" sand here which has shut down our missions, tonight weare getting back on track. Everyone is well; we are staying busy with mission preparation and preparations for our replacements. While we are still a few months away from our replacements arriving we are working hard to ensure a smooth transfer of authority with them. We have been communicating with them at the mobilization site to ensure they can hitthe ground running. We are continuing to write our end of tour awardsfor the soldiers and submitting them our higher headquarters forapproval. The leadership of the battalion is continuing to emphasizestaying focused on the mission and SAFETY; we cannot afford any complacency to set in. Many units lose focus as the mission winds down,we are going to ensure that does not happen with the Nightfighters. Ihave challenged each of the soldiers to finish the deployment strong andto really work on their physical fitness. We will be conducting a"Nightfighter PT Badge Challenge" in October. During this eventsoldiers have the opportunity to take the PT Test and earn thefollowing: Any soldier scoring over 250 of 300 Points will receive a Certificate of Achievement, Soldiers who score over 270 with at least 90of 100 points in each of the three events will also receive the Army Physical Fitness Badge for their PT Uniform and finally the highest scores on the extended PT Scale (over 300 points) have a chance atearning Airborne School Slots (we are still working the details on thataward). We will be conducting the PT test on three separate dates inOctober to give everyone a chance to compete. I am looking forward to maximum participation with many soldiers earning recognition. Speaking of PT it is that time of the night for me, so I am heading to the gym. I will write more next week.

Proud to Serve
LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Happy Birthday to Sery Leila Hackett

I cant believe its been an entire year.

Nightfighter Family,Greetings from Iraq, I hope all is well back home. We are hard at work here; the missions continue to come at a pretty good pace. I know the services back home for SSG Miller were completed this week, and I understand many of our rear detachment and FRG members attended. I am sure SSG Miller's family appreciated the support; I know I appreciate everything the Rear Detachment and FRG did to support our fallen comrade's loved ones. We conducted our Memorial Service here and had over 900 in attendance; it was great show of support for an outstanding soldier. We have remained focused on our mission while still grieving the loss of one of our own. The soldiers have been outstanding the past few weeks, it has not been easy. I am not ashamed to say there were more than a few tears shed here, but that is to be expected. This is not an easy business we do and it carries its share of dangers, but our soldiers continue to impress me with their courage and determination. I have been out on two missions since the Memorial Service and walked away from both of them feeling good about what we are doing and how we are doing it. I was fortunate enough a few nights ago to go out with the same section that SSG Miller last rode with. To say their performance was superb would be an understatement. They were focused, professional and on this night successful at finding a road side explosive. While some units might get down and throw in the towel, these soldiers have stepped up their performance and did exactly what we are supposed to do here, which is to find the explosive before it finds you. I was so proud to be part of that mission; it was a testament to all their hard work. We will keep working away over here, anxiously inching closer to the day we get to come home to all of you. We will stay focused up to the last mission, that I will promise you.

Proud To Serve
LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Nightfighter Family,It is with my deepest regret that I must inform you of the tragic loss of one our great soldiers. SGT Brian Miller of Team D died from injuries sustained in an accident while on a combat logistic patrol this past weekend. SGT Miller was serving as the truck commander when the accident occurred. The driver also from Team Delta is being treated for non life threatening injuries at this time. SGT Miller has been an outstanding leader and role model for the soldiers he has worked with,he was a battle tested NCO with over 25 combat logistic patrols on this deployment. SGT Miller has left behind a wonderful and loving family:his wife Becky, daughter Nikki and son Austin. I ask that you keep them in your prayers through this very difficult period. The soldiers of the Nightfighter Battalion will pause tomorrow afternoon at 1600 (5 August)to conduct a memorial service for this great American. While we all grieve this loss we know the mission here must go on. We also know SGT Miller, being the soldier he was, would expect us to get right back at it and complete what our country has asked us to do. We are banding together and becoming even closer, which is what happens during adversity. We worry about you as much as you worry about us; right now we all need to be thinking of Becky, Nikki and Austin.Details of the services for SGT Miller will be forthcoming in a few days and will be posted on this website and available through your FamilyReadiness Groups. I will write more and post pictures from the memorial service conducted here within a day or two.

As always,
I am Proud to Serve with your Soldiers
LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6
"Follow Us"

Nightfighter Family,

I hope this note finds everyone doing well back home. It is Saturday night here which is very similar to Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…..night. While many of the days seem the same the companies are doing a good job of keeping things from getting too mundane for the soldiers. We continue to go out on missions every night, we get out to firing ranges as often as possible, we conduct safety stand down days and morale support days which helps to mix the days up a little bit. Many of the soldiers are doing a great job of getting themselves in shape. I go to the gym almost every night between midnight and two in the morning and we pretty much own the gym at that time. At any given time we will have up to 100 soldiers in there working out; many of you will get back a much different looking soldier in either weight or muscle mass. Many units here sponsor runs on Sunday morning, which we can rarely attend due to our schedule. We have decided to sponsor a “Nightfighter” Run which will take place at midnight; the date is still being set. The installation is going to pay for 800 shirts for the event, I am curious to see if we can get that many people outside our battalion up at the time of the night. The normal Sunday runners are usually sound asleep by midnight, which is really just the middle of our work day. I will keep you posted on the event as it gets closer. Speaking of shirts our unit PT shirts are in production now and hopefully will be ready to be shipped over here within the next three weeks. I believe we are having over 2,500 shirts printed for our unit.
Well I will write more in a few days, rest easy knowing we are all fine here.

Follow Us

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Here you go Hank..... =)

Nightfighter Family,

Greetings from Iraq, I wanted to take a few minutes and give you an update on the happenings here. First an update on the access to the website from over here…it appears we are going to lose the battle to have it unblocked on our DOD computers. I will continue to send reports back through CPT Breitenbucher until I get another method over here, I will probably use a computer from one of the staff officer’s rooms to get on the website, I do not have internet in my room. I still want to hear from you if you have concerns or issues, just send them directly to my email at: gerald.hadley@us.arm­y.mil , I check this email several times a day and will get back to you very quickly.

Things are going very well here, we continue to have our share of excitement on the road and have been performing very well especially in terms of locating explosive devices before they locate us. The Task Force is getting quite a good reputation as a disciplined, professional organization that knows what it is doing on the road. I have heard from numerous outside leaders that have went on one of our convoys, they always come back impressed and said they feel very secure travelling with our soldiers. I know the favorite part of my week is the 2 or 3 times I go out on the road with our soldiers, they never cease to impress me with their attitudes and attention to detail. We continue to present combat infantry badges and combat action badges to numerous soldiers that have been involved in enemy engagements on the road. At the rate we are going I would predict that over 50% of soldiers will earn these badges while they are here, that number would be a lot higher except many already have them from earlier deployments. This past week the new Commanding General for the logistical mission over here came and spent two days with us. His name is BG Lally he commands the 3rd Expeditionary Support Command, I think he was extremely impressed with what he saw. He received our command brief, attended one of our Battle Update Briefs and then went to Team D where SSG Thoman conducted a mission brief. I think the time he spent at battalion was good for an overview and to give him confidence that we were tracking on our mission, but the icing on the cake was the outstanding brief conducted by SSG Thoman and the participation by the Team Delta soldiers. I know that this mission is only successful because of the soldiers that strap on their equipment every night and go outside the wire. BG Lally saw the quality of soldiers that this task force is blessed with and I think he left feeling confident in our ability to conduct whatever mission he tasks us with.
I have given up on getting this website back on my computer in my office, but I am committed to sending you updates. I will make every effort to update you at least twice a week, I am going to aim for Mondays and Fridays. As I said feel free to email me with questions or concerns.

Proud to Serve

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6
“Follow Us"


Zac is doing great, (as good as expected) He is very tired, but still manages to make me laugh, and visa versa! =)

Trip for Daniels.

As a lot of you may know, Gov. Daniels went to Iraq. Here is a link to some pictures from him visit. I recognized a lot of the guys, but Zac wasnt in any of the pics =(

http://www.in.gov/gov/3522.htm


Just to clarify, SPC Ford that passed away, was not with Zac. He was part of the 76th Brigade from Indiana, but out of Evansville.

Please say a prayer for the Ford family

Nightfighter Family,

I hope this update finds everyone well, we are all in good shape and good spirits over here. I say that with a note of sadness due to the loss of a fellow 76th Infantry Brigade soldier from 1-152. I am sure most of you have already heard the news about SPC Ford from C Troop 1-152 who was killed last Saturday in an accident while conducting a mission. It brings back into perspective the dangerous environment we operate in... not that we allow any of our guys to forget that anyway. Keep SPC Ford's wife and parents in your thoughts and prayers while they grieve the loss of their loved one. We will continue to be vigilant with our preparation and execution of our missions, that is all we can do. I can tell you I have not seen one bit of complacency set in, which is good. The weather here continues to be crazy with quite a few of our missions getting delayed or some of our convoys getting stranded at other locations. If you go a few days without hearing from your soldier on what has become a normal time, it might be because they are at a different base waiting out the sand storms. I hope everyone has fun plans for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend, maybe spend some time with family and friends. We will celebrate it over here to the best of our ability even if it is only to have a moment or two of silence in honor of our fallen comrades from past conflicts.

Proud to Serve with YOUR Soldiers

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

M.I.A.

My computer got a virus and I havent taken the time yet to reformat it yet....I am going to work on it this weekend.

I always ask Zac is anything exciting happened on his missions.....his last answer, one of their trucks broke down and a wrecker had to tow it. And on the way back from their mission, it caught on fire!!

I sent him a video camera.....he is going to take videos and email them to me. I will post them here as soon as I get some. =)

Nightfighter Family,

I hope everyone is hanging in there and getting along well. We continue to plug away every day, getting a little bit better at what we do and a little smarter about time management. We continue to try to work a patrol cycle that allows at least a day between missions for the soldiers... we are getting better but we are not there yet. I have now been able to go out a least once with every company except Golf, they start missions here very shortly. I can tell you we have very well trained, disciplined soldiers in every formation. While each company does things a little different, which is good, there is one trait obvious in every patrol and that is professionalism. Our soldiers are showing respect on the road for the local Iraqis that are just trying to make a living. While at the same time staying vigilant to stop the small percentage of insurgents that are trying to disrupt that. We are asking young soldiers to make a lot of split second judgement calls and they are responding and doing a great job. I have total confidence in every patrol going out, that they are going to be respectful, ethical and vigilant to sort out the good from the bad. That is all I can ask for as commander.

LTC Hadley

I am still here.....

Just nothing new to report.

Zac's last mission went well....except for the fact that some Iraqi kids threw rocks at the convoy and cracked some windows in the civilian vehicles.

They lost power and had no AC for two days.....ugh!

Team Charlie soldiers, outside Saddam's Palace in Bagdad.

I cant wait until Zac sends me some pictures! I will post them immediately!

A few things.....

First, a picture of some of their vehicles.....picture title, "Mission Preparation." When they arnt on a mission, they are getting ready for the next. Zac said the base is so huge, that they take a bus from their sleeping quarters, to the motor pool (where they work).........





And secondly, another update:

Good Evening Nightfighter Family,

Thanks for all the nice comments about the updates I am glad everyone is enjoying them, we will keep them coming. The weather has been crazy here causing a lot of delays with our missions (sand storms), but we are back and running, trying to play catch up. I am sure many of you have heard we had an explosive land right in the middle of our housing area a few mornings ago. NONE OF OUR SOLDIERS WERE HURT! Many of our soldiers were among the first on the scene. Our housing is surrounded pretty well by barriers which greatly reduces the risk during such an event. Our soldiers remained calm throughout the ordeal and very quickly had accountability formations to ensure everyone was okay.

Everyone is continuing to improve their working and living conditions, making it feel more like "home". There are some Indiana Flags flying over motorpools (which is nice) and of course the Jolly Roger Flag hanging in our headquarters. We have started two contests for the soldiers: one is to design a Task Force Nightfighter Coin for the end of the deployment and the other is to design a Task Force Nightfighter PT Shirt. The winner of each competition will be given a 4 day pass to Qatar. Qatar is a small country not too far from here where soldiers go for short R&R trips. They set up excursions for the soldiers.

I have come up with one complaint since I have been here and it is pretty serious... The mess hall is out of chocolate cheesecake, and has been for over a week. I don't ask for much but chocolate cheesecake and pralines and cream ice cream have become a staple in my diet (and amazingly I am still losing weight). In all seriousness we have really nothing to complain about here, except missing our families. The living conditions are very nice (other than a few explosions). We are still working to create a more predictable schedule for everyone, so we can ensure everyone is getting enough rest between missions. The majority of the soldiers still have very little down time, they are usually on mission, preparing for a mission or sleeping.

This Sunday Toby Keith is going to be here doing a concert, hopefully we will get a few of our soldiers over there (the ones that are not out on missions).

Well I am going to go check on the nightly missions in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) and catch up on paperwork. I will provide another update in a few days.

Follow Us
LTC Jerry Hadley

I would love it if Zac won one of the contests, and got a mini vacation.....he isnt the most creative person when it comes to this kind of stuff, but his wife isnt too bad.....HMMM......=)

And the concert would be awesome too!!!

Zac said he is getting so much stuff! So much more than last time. So the letters coming!!! I know he loves getting letters from back home. He misses it so much.

Last night I was a loose canon. It was the first time I cried that hard since Sery died. I was mad. I was screaming, sobbing and praying. I kind of scared myself. I want Zac home. I want him home NOW. And I want our Sery back. I hate this. I put up such a front for everyone. I am scared for people to see how I am actually handling it, so I build a wall. And then there are times that it crumbles down and I lose it. That is what happened last night. I miss Zac, I miss Sery and I want them both back in my arms.

Grim Reapers

Nightfighter Family,

I hope all is well with everyone! It is 2340 (1140 PM) here and I am sorting through emails and work keeping track of our operations. We continue to stay busy as many of you probably know a lot of our soldiers are becoming nocturnal. The majority of what we do is at night so all of us are learning to adjust our hours, I think most people are adjusting pretty well. Everyone continues to be all okay over here. I wanted to let you know we did have a vehicle in Team Echo hit this week with a road side explosive. EVERYONE is FINE the vehicle is repaired and the guys are ready to get back on the road. Remember I do not give you specifics of what is happening over here because it is dangerous for our soldiers. Just know we are taking care of each other and growing more as a team each day. I went out two nights ago with the "Grim Reapers" of Team Foxtrot (they made up the call sign not me). The professionalism and focus on the mission was incredible, they looked like seasoned combat veterans throughout the mission. While this job does have its risk, when it is well planned out and rehearsed the execution normally goes well...we continue to get better every day, which is all I can ask.

I did get to do some fun "commander" things this week. I awarded three army achievement medals to Team Echo soldiers for locating an explosive before it located us out on the road. I also reenlisted SGT Kelly Sparks for six more years. The soldiers that are reenlisting while deployed will receive any bonus money tax free, which is nice.

I know you would like for me to provide more details of what we are doing but operational security does not allow me to. I will keep my promise to let you know as soon as I can if we have something happen, like the road side event with Team Echo. Remember we are moving in well maintained heavily armored vehicles that provide a good level of protection. We will keep training every day to get better, me and the CSM will not allow complacency and I am sure it will not be an issue with this bunch of soldiers. As always I could not be more proud of them and you should be too. No matter what some one's politics are you can't help but be in awe of the service and sacrifice of these outstanding Americans.

Proud to Serve,

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Just a reminder....

Zac LOVES getting mail! =)

From Anaconda

Nightfighter Family

Well we have officially taken over responsibility for the mission we have been training so hard and so long for, and I can tell you I think everyone is relieved.­ Yesterday we conducted the Transfer of Authority Ceremony with the outgoing unit.­ During the ceremony the Battalion Colors (flag) of the outgoing unit is rolled up (cased) and the colors of the incoming unit (us) was uncased signifying that we now are in charge of the mission.­ It was a proud moment uncasing the colors and looking at the many battle streamers representing the conflicts this unit's previous soldiers have fought in.­ For those of you that do not know our history it is traced back to the Mexican War in 1846.­ We also have battle streamers from the Civil War, WWI, WWII and of course Operation Iraqi Freedom.­ We are now writing another chapter in the proud history of the Nightfighter Battalion and our soldiers are once again setting the standard for others to follow.­ As I have told you many times I know I am a lucky man getting to command such an outstanding group of citizen soldiers.­ Our missions continue to go well, every mission we complete we are learning and getting better.­ Every night we talk about what is going well and not so well with all the commanders so we can ensure we get better each day.­ Myself and CSM Cox have both been out a few times (never together, that would drive people crazy) and we both are seeing our young NCOs and officers "growing up" very quickly.­ It is amazing how much responsibility they have and how well they handle it.­ You can see the bonds growing stronger daily through the long hours of preparation and the teamwork needed to execute our missions.­ Most soldiers continue to average 14-­16 hour days which leaves little time for much other than sleeping, eating and a little PT (physical training).­ Any of you who have been reading my messages know, me and the CSM are all about keeping soldiers busy we find it keeps the morale high.­ Which, I can tell you right know it is about as high as I have seen in the 18 months I have been commanding.­ I was out last night with the Delta Company "Dogs" on a mission and those soldiers were motivated and alert from the moment we left the motor pool until we pulled back in the following morning.­

Well now that I have my office up and running I will try to send these notes once to twice a week.­ I enjoy bragging on our soldiers and I am sure you enjoy hearing about your soldiers.­

As always thanks to the families who support us, it truly makes our job easier.­

Proud to Serve,

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6
"Follow Us"

I received another call from Zac yesterday =)

Their mission they got back from was to Normandy (another base), which is right next to the Iranian border. He said their missions are boring (which I think is good!) I dont want them to see any action! He also said something about their windows being 4-5 inches thick. And their Humvees have ceramic plating all over them. Which is basically body armour for the trucks. That made me feel better!

He said he is the "Convy Commander," so he is in charge of the convoys. Prior to each mission he also has to do a lot of administrative work to prepare for them.

Not much new stuff to report. He loves and misses everyone.

Command Update

Nightfighter Family,

I hope this update finds everyone doing well, all is well over here.­ We are having a very productive Transition of Authority (TOA) with our counterparts, in fact I could not be happier with how well both units are conducting themselves.­ Often times during a process like this the two units start getting on each others nerves but I think we have been moving so fast that has not been the case.­ Plus both our Task Force and the Task Force ­we are replacing are made up of professional dedicated soldiers who take their job serious and that makes a difference.­ We have been going out on missions for about a week now and the soldiers of this unit have been learning a lot and coming back safe.­ That is not to say that some missions are not more "intense" than others but overall we have encountered nothing we have not trained for or expected.­ The vehicles we are travelling in provide outstanding protection to our soldiers as well as ample firepower to deter any prolonged attacks.­ I am sure some of the families will start hearing a few stories of encounters outside the wire from their soldiers over here.­ I remind our leaders quite often that it is imperative that we limit specific communication about missions we are conducting here, it is for the safety of our soldiers.­ While we limit who has access to this site, that does not mean people are not trying to intercept what we write.­ So be careful what you email back and forth to your loved one.­ Trust that we will keep you as informed as we can throughout this deployment.­ Do not listen to rumors or spread rumors of activities over here, no one benefits from that.­.­.­ especially not the soldiers.­ If anything serious happens to any member of this Task Force we will ensure the communication is handled professionally and as quickly as mission allows.­

The 76th Brigade has invited several reporters to write about what is going on over here.­ While their information is interesting to the general public, it can sometimes be disturbing or misinterpreted by the family members.­ If you read something that does not sound in line with what you are hearing from this website feel free to ask myself or the CSM a question.­ We will answer it the best we can given the constraints we have.­ Just know that I feel very secure living on this base camp and I believe the soldiers do too.­ I will ensure that the leadership of this Task Force does not ask any soldier to do something that we will not do ourselves.­ That is why I have mandated that platoon leaders, company commanders and myself travel frequently in the convoys with the soldiers (the NCOs already are).­ We have been somewhat "tied" to the camp during this TOA process due to administrative and logistics demands, but that is about to come to and end and we will all be out and about very soon.­
In closing I feel very good about how the mission is going and how our soldiers are responding to the challenges.­ This Task Force is proving it is motivated, trained and ready to conduct any mission we are definitely living up to our motto of .­.­.­"Follow Us"

Sincerely,

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Now its my birthday!

Last night, Zac called me to wish me a happy birthday. Since Iraq is 7 hours ahead, it was my birthday in Iraq, but still his birthday here in the states. So, for a while, while we were on the phone with each other, we shared the same birthday! How COOL is that!?! We were teasing about how we had a birthday for two days.

Zac is doing good. He sounded great. He has been getting tons of packages. He is so spoiled. He even got a package from someone he doesnt even know. (Thanks Kelly!) She is someone that is friends with my sister Amy in Knoxville.

He had a SMALL accident. Ok, I shouldnt say accident, how about a mishap.......he got his thumb slammed in an armored window......(I think that is what he called it.) But it tore his thumb nail off, half way down. He said it was bleeding everywhere. It was right before his mission, so he just bandaged it up, and would get it taken care of later. He showed his boss and TOLD him that he WAS still going on the mission. I think we was anxious to get out and start his job, after his mission got postponed twice. He said it hurt like hell. =( But it was nothing serious.

He is working out everyday, so I am glad that he has a way to blow off steam! =)

And, how adorable is my husband!?!? (scroll down to the next entry)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZAC!!!!

26 years old!

I (we all) LOVE you!

Nightfighter Family,

Greetings from LSA Anaconda.­­ I am happy to report we have completed our move to Iraq and now have the entire Task Force settling in to our new location.­­ It has been a long process, a very long process if you consider we started this in May 2007.­­ All of the soldiers are now in their permanent housing units.­­ The soldiers are living two per room, the rooms are air conditioned with wall lockers, and a small dresser.­­ The shower trailers and restrooms are a short walk from their housing (within 2-­­3 minutes in most cases).­­ The dining facility most of the soldiers are eating in is outstanding.­­ They have great choices for every meal, no one should be going hungry.­­ The unit we are replacing has put together a great plan for the Relief in Place and we have jumped right into it.­­ The soldiers are very busy right now and will continue to be for the next few weeks while we learn everything we can from our counterparts.­­ Many of our soldiers have already started going out on missions with the unit we are replacing.­­ The training we have conducted up to this point has really prepared the soldiers for what we are doing over here.­­ We are "falling in" on well maintained equipment that is mission ready.­­.­­.­­.­­ in short we have everything we need to accomplish our mission.­­ The morale of the soldiers within Task Force 293 is outstanding, I have already heard comments from people over here how professional and disciplined our unit is.­­ That is no surprise to me, but it still makes me proud to hear it.­­ The soldiers do have access to internet through the MWR but right now that is limited due to time contstraints of our training.­­ You will hear about some soldiers having internet capability in their room.­­ That is due to some of the soldiers purchasing sattelite dishes from departing soldiers and setting up their own internet.­­ That is not a sanctioned military system, it is not a right to have but I have not intervened in the purchase of it, and I will not unless it becomes a distraction within the unit.­­ It is my opinion that every soldier will have ample time to contact loved ones at home regardless of unit or location of housing.­­ Remember in the case of emergencies use the FRG system and they will assist you with Red Cross messages.­­

I hope this update finds all of you doing well, please take care of each other, we will do the same.­­ We have outstanding soldiers in this unit doing an important mission, if communication drops off now and then it is due to the work load.­­ Remember what I said in an earlier message.­­.­­.­­ for us, busy is good it makes time go by much faster.­­

Proud to Serve

LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

Please say an extra prayer today!

Yippeee!!!

Zac called again today! =) Its always so good to hear his voice. He sounded good! Tired, but good.

He got my 5 packages today.....which one was the birthday cake. I guess it was a waste of $65. Yep, it was that expensive. He said he was super surprised, and it was cool, but said it tasted like burnt plastic...YUCK! Oh well. He was very appreciative though. The other packages included 2 sets of pre- washed (of course) bed sheets, a nice pillow, a box full of toiletries, and a box full of snacks, gatorade etc. He said they dont have any room in their trailer. They deliver bottles of water very fequently, so they have cases of that stacked up too. I am getting together another box....(I know, I am nuts) but it includes everything a medicine cabinet would hold.....Sudafed (the good kind that they regulate) Benadryl, Visine, Bengay, Vasaline, Men's One a Day, Carmax, Aleve, Bandaids, Neosporin, Halls, Lamisil, Tums, Q-tips....I think that is all I have so far. Because I know Zac, he would go and get anything if he needed it, he would just tough it out. But if he had it, he would take it, or use it. So he and Hoover will hopefully have anything they would ever need.

I actually had dinner with his wife and daughter tonight. Man I tell you, she is a ball of fire! Sweet as could be too =) His wife, Cari, was wearing the coolest necklace tonight. I am going to try to fine a place that makes them. Hoover got it made for her at the PX when he was in Georgia. Its in the shape of a dog tage, but it has his picture engraved in it. It is awesome!

Okay, off to bed. Church in the am

A wonderul surprise all of the way from Camp Anaconda!

I was getting ready to go into an appointment at work, and ReAnn is running around the office trying to find me. "Lindsay, Zac is on the phone!!!" I took off running into her office to grab the phone. I was shaking. It was so great to hear his voice again! I dont even remember the order of our conversation, but I know we said "I love you!" A LOT!! I tried so hard to be strong, but he could hear my voice cracking. I do surprisingly well considering the circumstance, but become so vulnerable when I talk to him. I really need to work on that.

When they flew into Iraq, Zac said that they were on a small plane. (I forget exactly what he called it) They were sitting on cartons and boxes. They were all so smashed in there, that their knees were touching the person's in front of them. He said they circled a lot before they landed, and they did a combat landing which (just learned today) is where they go from a very high altitude, to a very low altitude rather quickly that is lifts them off their seats.

He said they had moved into their rooms today. Boy, I tell you, the living conditions are SO much better this time! He went from living in a hole, and a tent, to living in a trailer.....which by the way has a window air conditioner!!!! He said it is MUCH better this time. Thank goodness. Considering what our military does for us, it is the least they could do to put them in tolerable living arrangements. =) That eases my mind tremendously! So, after a trip to the PX, their room is now equipped with a 21" tv, a dvd player and a mini fridge. His roomie is Scot Hoover. I am sure I will mention Hoover many times, so just to tell you who he is. They will be getting some rugs soon, they already bought a broom (that damn sand) and Zac said he bought tape. I thought, "ok?....tape?" but he said it was for him to tape my pictures up on the wall!

He loves me =)

He also said that they stocked the fridge with Dr Pepper and Red Bull. I wonder if they have access to fruits and veggies. I cant imagine not having those for a year. I will have our fridge stocked with them when he comes home! Especially pears. He also said he bought Twizzlers and Oreos. Thank goodness he is eating healthy- haha!!! Cookies, candy and soda. We will definitely visit the dentist when he gets back! =)

He said as of now, they dont have internet capabilities unless a group of them buy some sort of satellite.....which is thousands of dollars......so he isnt sure if they will do that or not. But he also said that in July, they are supposed to be getting internet in the trailers. I am looking forward to that, because I am getting a web cam. The last I heard, they are in 4 man trailers, 2 man rooms. So, I Googled ( I love Google) the sleeping/ living arrangements for soldiers at Camp Anaconda and this is what I found. So as of now, I am assuming this is the kind of set up he is in. But, I may be TOTALLY wrong.

But, Zac sounded good. His spirits were up. He said they had talked to the guys that they were relieving, just to get the scoop on things. In a few days they will slowly start to ween them out and replacing them on their missions. I think they will start with the drivers, then the gunners, then everyone else. But a good note, Zac said that, that unit hasnt had any problems, and have NOT had any kind of casualties what so ever. So that made me feel so GOOOOOOOD!!!

His birthday is next week. And so is mine. He said he was sorry that he wouldnt be able to get me anything. SILLY BOY! I DONT care! I dont even feel like celebrating my birthday. And besides, he bought me a saphire ring when we were in Savannah. A saphire for Sery, (her birthstone) and that was my birthday present. So I told him that he already bought me my birthday present, it was just early! And his birthday presents were whatever PSP games, computer games, and movies that he wanted. So we celebrated our birthdays early. (OH, and his birthday cake!!!)

I am not going to proof this entry so I apologize for any errors! And I have no idea why the spacing is weird, but its too late to try to figure out how to fix it! Good Night!

Another update!

Nightfighter Family,
I am back on the internet, I have been computer challenged the past few days. Thanks to Tracy Cox for posting an update a few days ago to let everyone know we were here. I am pleased to say that we have almost 100% of our Task Force in Kuwait, plus we also have E/113 (Team Golf) back under our command. As the CSM said in his posting the living condition here are not bad. The soldiers are on cots instead of mattresses, but the chow halls are substantially better than Fort Stewart. They also have access to coffee shops, PX, Fast Food and some limited internet. We should be here between 1 and 2 weeks, we do not all leave at the same time but fairly close together. As most of you know we cannot post dates on this site due to security reasons, if you hear the dates please keep that to yourself for the safety of our soldiers. We will continue to train on many of the same tasks we were working on at Fort Stewart. The morale of the soldiers is sky high, they look sharp and professional. It is easy to spot a TF Nightfighter soldier out in a crowd. As I have said many times I extremely proud to command this outstanding organization, I am confident our soldiers are ready for their mission... I can see it in their eyes and in their actions. I have been in contact with the battalion commander of the unit we are replacing, they are ready for us and have an excellent plan to turn over control of the mission. I will post another update before I leave Kuwait and I should have immediate internet access upon arriving in Iraq.
Continue to take care of each other, we will do the same here.
Proud to Serve with YOUR Soldier
LTC Jerry Hadley
Nightfighter 6

My Prayers

I just bought a BUNCH of blank cards, I am going to hand them out to EVERYONE I see on Easter. You will have to write a little note to Zac and I am going to mail them in a package. I know, many of you are probably thinking, "enough already!" But come on, its perfect, I will see both family on Easter!

There are so many different prayers I say from night to night and morning to morning.
This one, I just found today on a cross at Hallmark. And yes, of course I bought it!

It says:

Prayer for our Soldiers O' Lord
Be with our soldiers as the leave their homes and their families to serve our nation. Guide them as they plant the seeds of peace for these are the seeds that will forever keep America. The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Bless them O'Lord and bless their families for they are all the heroes of American Freedom. Their sacrifice for us will not be forgotten.

And another one that I say....

Lord, I lift Zac up to You and ask that You would put a hedge of protection around him. Protect his spirit, body, mind and emotions from any kind of evil or harm. I pray specifically for protection from accidents, disease, injury or any other physical, mental or emotional abuse. I pray that Zac will make refuge "in the shadow of Your wings" until "these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1). Hide Zac from any kind of evil influences that would come against him. Keep him safe from any hidden dangers and let no weapons formed against him be able to prosper. Thank You Lord, for your many promises of protection. Help Zac to walk Your ways and in obedience to Your will so that he never comes out from under your umbrella of protection. Surround him with Your angels (Sery=)) and keep him safe in all he does and wherever he goes. In Jesus' name, I pray.


I just ordered his birthday cake. Yep, you heard me correctly, a birthday cake!!! Its through Bake Me a Wish, which is connected to Make a Wish Foundation, and a bakery in New York makes them. They send birthday cakes to soldiers overseas. How cool!? Granted, its the most expensive birthday cake I have ever bought, but he HAS to have a birthday cake! Or, should I say Cookies and Creme Oreo Cake. Yumm!!! It even comes in refrigerated packaging to insure freshness! =)

Love you all!

Update from Kuwait

Now, before I go believing all of these wonderful things, I want to ask Zac. He said they always make things sound better than they really are, but at least its wishful thinking......

Nightfighter Families & Friends,
I arrived in Kuwait at 3 AM this morning.­ I was on the last flight carrying 1-­293rd soldiers, so they are all here and are doing fine.­ The soldiers are staying in Air conditioned tents and have two very good mess halls to eat in.­ There is a Taco Bell, Pizza Inn, Chinese Restaurant and even a Starbucks here.­ The soldiers seem to have everything they need, except that the phones and internet are very limited -­ lots of soldiers with little resources.­ The phone and internet accessibility should greatly improve by the time we arrive in Iraq in the next couple of weeks (I CANNOT TELL YOU THE EXACT DATE).­ Please bear with us and be patient for the next couple of weeks while we get ready to move.­ LTC Hadley and I will do our best to keep you informed on as much info as we can.­ This is a time when the Nightfighters really need your support and for the soldiers to focus on our mission, so we can be as successful as possible.­ I will send more soon.­

Fighter 7

Savannah Georgia

When I arrived, I could hardly stand it. I was so excited to see Zac for the first time in two months. But, I had a entire day and a half before I would even see him. Jamie (my travel buddy) and I picked up our rental cars, made a trip to Walmart and got I some of Zac's favorite snacks to make an Easter basket for him, found a liquor store to buy some Miller Lite, and a cigar shop to get him a few cigars. That didnt take up nearly enough time.....The next day, we headed to Fort Stewart, just to look around, and find our way for the ceremony the next day. I wanted to hurry and go to bed early (and try to sleep) to make Saturday come even quicker. When I woke up, I got ready so quick, I had time to waste, go figure....Got to the ceremony early, too early. There were soldiers everywhere. Fat chance I was going to find Zac..........The ceremony started, we stayed back away from the bleachers, and sat on a parking curb. A Savannah news reporter started talking to us, and took us in front of the bleachers where the media/ reporters were. We were front row for the ceremony. Still couldnt see Zac though =( At the end of the ceremony, all of the soldiers marched around the field and saluted the 4 star general (which we JUST HAPPENED to be standing by) When the 1-293rd marched by, I was desperately hoping to get a first glance at Zac in 2 months. (This was when the Journal Gazette reported was writing down what I said, I HAD NO IDEA THAT SHE WAS!!!) But, no luck- I didnt see Zac, BUT later when I talked to him, HE SAW ME!!!!!! =) How cool!!??! We had time to kill (again) before we would finally be reunited with our soldiers. They had to turn in their sensitive materials (weapons, night vision etc) and everything had to be accounted for. His platoon was of course one of the last to be released GO FIGURE. When they were finally released, he called and asked where I was. I said I told him where I was and that I was jumping up and down waving my arms- basically making as big of a fool out of myself as I possibly could. He said he saw me and then he hung up the phone. I was going crazy looking all over for him. FINALLY I saw him in the distance. In uniform, looking just like the other thousands of soldiers there. But I knew him by his walk. Is that love or what!? I took off running to him. Not toofast though, because Jamie was my camera woman, capturing our reunion! I LOVE these pictures!

And then he twirled me!!! WEEE!!!!

And now, my NEW favorite picture of us....

One of the first things I noticed was how much weight he lost. You wont believe it. But he brought up a good point....what do you expect with sometimes just one meal a day, and a few hours of sleep?

We had a wonderful few days together. It was over way too fast. =(

Everything I felt is too deep to write about. I wouldnt even know how to put it into words. I am actually still working on writing everything about Sery. So maybe in time I will be able to write what it was like to say "good-bye" to Zac. We wouldnt say good bye to each other, we would say "See you soon." I still cry everyday. I think my face and eyes are going to permanently stay red and splotchy.

Here are a couple of home videos we took with my camera. This is within minutes from leaving the hotel to take him back to the base. I cry every time I watch them. I should probably stop watching them.

It beaks my heart when he apologizes for leaving....as much as I dont want him to go, I am so incredibly proud of him.

These were the last pictures we took before he reported back. (see what I mean about my red eyes and my splotchiness?)

My most favorite picture of Zac.......

Zac said he didnt want to walk away, and me have to watch him walk away......So he wanted me to get into the car and drive way. What the difference is/ was, I still dont know. It was just as hard to have to drive away as it would have been to watch him walk away. When I "drove away" I had my window down, and was driving along side of him. I couldnt do it. I just couldnt. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. That, and leave Sery at the cemetery, and walk away. Why is it that I keep having to walk away from the people I love most in the world?

But, Zac will be home soon, and all will be better.

Pictures of Zac!!!!

I didnt realize that Zac had sent me so many pictures via cell phone.....so I thought I would post them. You can tell in a lot of them that he is so exhausted. It just breaks my heart.

This one, is one of my favorites. It was taken while he was learning Arabic. Yep, he had to learn Arabic. "Hi, my name is Zac" and "Do you have any weapons on you?" are a few of the things he had to learn.

Now, before you think that he is cuddling up with his baby blanket, shame on you! He is cuddling up with a matching baby blanket of Sery's. My sister Heather made one to bury her with and then made each of us a matching one. We both sleep with them every night. Its kind of a way to feel close to her, and close to each other.

I just want to climb in right next to him and fall asleep!

Another Update!!!!

YAY! We have an update! Its pretty sad that I have to wait for emails from LTC Hadley to find out what they have been up to! I miss hearing about it from Zac! =( I know they have been insanely busy, with only a few hours of sleep a night! A few times they have gone to bed at 2 am and had to be up at 3:30 am!!! I can only imagine how badly he wants a nap!!! ZZzzzzzz


Nightfighter Family,

Greetings once again from Fort Stewart, sorry for waiting so long to write, needless to say it has been a little busy here.­ During the past three weeks we have completed almost all of our collective training and are just 2 days away from starting our final training exercise.­ It is like our final exam and will run from Feb 21 through Feb 29.­ The battalion will be tested and evaluated on all the tasks we have been training on; this will be done by through a 24 hour a day Field Training Exercise (FTX).­ Each company will plan and execute 6 convoy logistic patrols a day and at battalion we will exercise our ability to track and resource those patrols.­ Every night there will be After Action Reviews conducted by our Observer Controllers from First Army.­ I am sure it will be extremely challenging but it should make the time go by very fast leading up to our pass.­

All of the companies did great on all of the training leading up to this final exercise.­ Our battalion led the way on gunnery tables, to give you an example of how much they excelled there were only 8 perfect scores on Gunnery Table VIII in the whole brigade and TF 293 had 6 of them.­ Three of those perfect scores came from one company.­.­.­Team Delta! It has been a pleasure travelling around to the training events, every where I go I am complimented on how well trained and disciplined our soldiers are.­ This of course is a direct reflection on the outstanding leadership of our company teams.­ The morale of the soldiers remains high, they enjoyed spending time on the gunnery ranges and I believe they are looking forward to completing our evaluation.

Follow Us,

LTC Jerry Hadley

Keep scrolling down!!!

Zac's new friend

A few days ago, Zac sent me this picture via his cell phone, and titled it, "Me and a new friend." I think it is hilarious! (if you dont get it, its a cardboard cut out!!) haha!! I am glad that they still are able to find humor in the day and things to laugh about =) LOVE HIM!!!

Keep scrolling down and see Zac at Basic Trainning!

1999.......

Look how young and sweet he is!!!
He looks the exact same, only a little boy. He was 17 years old when he enlisted, and 18 years old when he went to Fort Benning, GA for basic trainning.

He has started his 9th year ......crazy huh!?

Mention My Child

Remembering

Go ahead and mention my child,
The one that died, you know.
Dont worry about hurting me further.
The depth of my pain doesnt show.
I'm already crying inside.
Help me to heal, by releasing
The tears that I try to hide.
I'm hurt when you just keep silent,
Pretending she didnit exsist.
I'd rather you mention my child,
Knowing that she has been missed.
You ask me how I was doing.
I say "pretty good" or "fine."
But healing is something ongoing
I feel it will take a lifetime.

Michael Israel

I am going to see Michael Israel!!! Check him out, trust me, you will want to take the time to see these!!! I am so darn excited for Saturday, I cant even stand it. I havent even been able to tell Zac yet!!!! I am not sure what will be in the program, but I would LOVE to see one of these!!!! I am so incredibly vulnerable these days, I cant watch these without sobbing.

One of the MANY things that I miss......

Zac's goofiness, and sense of humor......I miss so much.
I hardly laugh anymore......Zac ALWAYS made me laugh. All I wanted on Christmas Eve, was a nice picture of my husband and a good one of us......Do you guys know how hard that was!?!? =) Little did I know, whoever was taking the picture was in on Zac's idea.....(hence why I was cropped out of all of them!!)

I know a few people out there that need a good laugh....I hope I helped! I definitely had a good one, while I was posting these! =)

Mission accomplished!!!!!

As I Sit and Cry

My good friend, and (soon-to-be cousin :)) Alisha, wrote this for me and Zac, in honor of us, how ever you want to say it......

She said, "I wrote what I felt that you feel. That inner wife is inside screaming, you need to quit hiding and quit saying that I am going to be tough. I know you are a very strong person, but sometimes you just have to let it all out and that is okay. It is really okay."

I can say I am strong
I can say that I won’t cry
But that day I had to let go
And say goodbye
Ripped my heart right in two
I cannot believe I will be without you
You make me whole, you make me one
You live in me; together look what we have accomplished
And done.

I promise I will hold you in my heart
Day in and day out and pray to God
They pull you out
Out of the depths of hell
You have to stand
But know, the brave like you
Will sit at God’s right hand
I don’t understand, I don’t know why
I ask God to help me as I sit and Cry.

Please don’t forget that I love you
I know our love will hold you strong
And as our little daughter sits in heaven
Holding you in her hands, just like you daddy,
Dream to hold her in your arms.

To Zac Hackett you are such a brave man
A kind heart and warm hand, you are willing to forgive
To fight for what is right. God will cherish you forever
So hold your head high and do not forget the ones back here who love you
And support you in whatever you do, Keep looking forward
It will come soon, you will be back home, your work will be through.

Alisha is marrying Zac's cousin Jake, in May. And I am in the wedding! :) So, cheers to my cousin-to-be!

Pictures from Fort Stewart

I was told about these pictures being online, so I thought I would share. They just show a wide range of things that are going on down there. Zac isnt necessarily doing all of them, since these pictures are of the 76th Brigade, and not just his specific unit.

Pictures: assisting to a casualty from a simulated attack drill.....

This is actually one of Zac's soldiers, Nakia Peterson, So I am sure that Zac was nearby! =)

I am positive that Zac is somewhere in the picture too. Its Company Team Fox, and the guy pointing is his boss, SFC Bennett.

Since Zac is a squad leader, he has a little extra perks, and privileges....This is similar to his sleeping arrangement....

.....And this is everyone else......yuck.


Now, I know that pics of guys that arnt Zac isnt as fun, but this just shows the kind of things that they ARNT allowed to do.....THEY HAVE TO EAT STANDING UP!!!!! What the heck!? Its to keep them from loitering for too long. I think this is ridiculous. Let them catch their breath for a minute. GEEZ!!! The little things that we all take for granted. These guys are so exhausted. Out of the 24 hours, they are busting their ass probably between 18-20 of those hours.


CSM Cox, who is in command of the entire 1-293rd

Training includes using actually Iraqis, and people role playing Iraqis....

Oooh, somebody got in trouble! Can you imagine doing push-ups with all of your gear on, and body armor!? Zac said said they got issued 4 more plates for their body armor, and they can hardly move.....

......Taking a break between tactical training and range firing.

Far left.....Zac's boss SFC Bennett.

I am hoping this was a picture of guys heading to bed.....but I highly doubt it. There are many nights that they get only 3 hours of sleep! =(

Zac's boss, that I have mentioned before, is actually heading to Iraq earlier than the other guys. And Zac is going to have to take his place for a while......which is in charge of 48 guys!! This means, even less sleep, and more busy than he is now. WOW Poor Zac. The way I look at it is, at least they think he can do it!!!! My husband is a bad ass! =)