A Word from the President: We had another wonderful reunion of our great Blackhorse Family in Las Vegas. Almost 350 members from all eras, 1956 to present, attended. We were treated to two outstanding speakers, SMA Ken Preston, a former Blackhorse trooper and Mr. Joe Galloway, renowned combat journalist and co-author of the national best seller and critically acclaimed movie, "We Were Soldiers Once and Young". General Norman Schwartzkopf has called Joe Galloway, "the finest combat correspondent of our generation—a soldier’s reporter and a soldier’s friend". A full and interesting Friday was spent at Fort Irwin with our Regiment-impressive Horse Cavalry demo, static displays of Regimental fighting vehicles, museum visit, a visit to the "Box"—mock Iraqi village used to train our Army for deployment-and, a reverent walk through the Memorial Garden honoring our fallen soldiers. The Saturday General Membership Meeting was very productive in laying out the road map to our future. A road map that we feel will add some much needed stability to our Association. I thank the Officers and Trustees who guided us through 2007 and welcome the new Officers and Directors for 2008. You will note the change in our organization from some 16 Officers and Trustees to 9 Officers and Directors. The membership approved new by-laws that create a more functionally oriented organization with a smaller span of control with five directors, each with a specific area of focus. The most controversial issue was my recommendation to get the Association out of the retail business. Our Sutlery Store, a retail memorabilia outlet has not been able to turn profit that will cover the overhead. After considerable study and consult with similar retail operations it became apparent that our shopper population will not support a profitable operation with paid employees. We are attempting to locate another source of our memorabilia for our members and for our soldiers in event the store is closed. We are currently upgrading our web presence at www.blackhorse.org to better communicate with our membership. Director of Communications, Alex Silverman is coordinating this upgrade and we expect a more attractive and informative web presence in September. A revitalized Blackhorse Newsletter is in draft and will be mailed to our 19,000 members in September. Gene Johnson, Director of Memberships is our Editor and we will publish two newsletters each year. Our Blackhorse E-News emailings to 3500 plus members will kick off the first week of September—we will email you a SITREP each month. The most exciting aspect of our Association’s rebirth is in the area of scholarships-our core purpose. One of our former members has committed to donate $50,000 a year for four years and match member donations up to $100,000 a year for four years. Pete Walter, Director of Scholarships will provide updates on our program so watch your e-news emails, the Blackhorse Newsletter and our new web page to see how you can help us get to the $1 million level by 2011. We must not let this opportunity to help the children of the Blackhorse fail. I thank the 62nd Colonel, Mark Calvert and his family for their help and support of the Association and we wish them well as they move to greater things in their career. We welcome the 63rd Colonel, Paul Laughlin and his family and pledge our strongest support to them and the Regiment. Finally, for those of you who have been away, come home to your Blackhorse Family. We need you. Allons! and Blackhorse Forever! John Sherman Crow |
| News from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin Spc. David E. Alvarado Regimental Public Affairs FORT IRWIN, CALIF. – A group of translation experts and their families are making Fort Irwin their new home to assist in the training rotation operations here. |
|
 11th ACR Regimental Support Squadron Changes Command On August 6th, 2008 RSS LTC Brent Barnes changed command with the incomming RSS Commander LTC Andrew Cooper. Lieutenant Colonel Cooper was born in Copenhagen, Denmark where his family was stationed with the Army. He was a 1990 Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Tampa’s ROTC Program and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry and has served as a multifunctional logistician since 1994. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of Tampa. His last assignment was with Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) as the Chief of J4’s Logistics Plans and Operations Division.He has gained a wide variety of professional experiences in combat arms, support, special operations, and in the joint community. Lieutenant Colonel Cooper has served at Fort Bragg, NC and Fort Campbell, KY and completed regular overseas assignments in Germany and Turkey. His operational deployments include combat, peace enforcement, peace keeping, and humanitarian missions in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, the Kosovo Province of Yugoslavia, Hungary, Bosnia, Croatia, and Macedonia. He has enjoyed the honor of commanding five organizations. He commanded the 528th Special Operations Support Battalion (Airborne) for the final year before its inactivation. He previously commanded that battalion’s Charlie Forward Support Company (CFSC) in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He also commanded the Forward Operating Base and Forward Logistics Element at Masar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan, the Ground Support Company for the 160TH Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and the 200TH Theater Army Material Management Center (Forward) during Operation Joint Endeavor / IFOR. His key staff assignments include service as Executive Officer for NATO’s Joint Command Southeastern Europe’s Allied Signal Group in Izmir, Turkey, G3 Plans Officer for 1ST COSCOM (Airborne), Deputy Support Operations Officer and Plans Officer for LTF 46 (46TH CSG) at Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, and as the 1ST Brigade Task Force S4 (Logistics Officer), 101ST Airborne Division (Air Assault). Lieutenant Colonel Cooper’s professional education includes completion of the Joint Forces Staff College, Command and General Staff College, Support Operations Course, NATO’s Multinational Expeditionary Logistics Course, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, and the Infantry Officer Basic Course. Lieutenant Colonel Cooper’s decorations include two Bronze Star Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, and several unit citations. He has earned the Combat Action, Expert Infantryman, Master Parachutist, and Air Assault Badges and parachutist badges from Mexico, Turkey, Poland, Germany, and Ireland. Lieutenant Colonel Cooper’ professional and civic contributions have earned him recognition with the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe, Order of Saint Martin, and the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. Lieutenant Colonel Cooper’s wife, Nadine Gretchen Cooper, is also from an Army family and is a former officer. Gretchen has taught college English and literature for ten years and is presently writing her dissertation to complete requirements for her doctorate in literature from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Welcome to the Blackhorse Family LTC Cooper! |
Register for the 2009 Border Legion Reunion Now! FULDA BAD KISSINGEN BAD HERSFELD The third gathering of the Border Legion will convene in Germany 24 – 28 June 2009. All current and former members of the 11th and 14th Armored Cavalry Regiments, assigned and attached supporting units and members of community support organizations, their family and friends are invited to attend. This might be our last reunion in Germany. Cost is $100 per person and includes registration materials, entrance to the Friday Fest in Fulda, transportation to the Saturday memorial service at OP Alpha, entrance to the OP Alpha museum, lunch at the OP, and the Saturday night Border Legion Banquet at the Orangerie in Fulda. The cost for children 12 and under attending the banquet is $40; no cost if not attending the banquet. Additional events for Wednesday and Thursday are being organized by the Squadrons and will take place in the host cities. Any expenses for these events will be paid for separately through the Squadron sponsors. Transportation, including airfare and rental car, and lodging must be organized separately. You are encouraged to make hotel reservations early. A listing of hotels with telephone numbers and web sites can be found at www.blackhorse.com or www.14cav.org. You may receive assistance with making hotel reservations by contacting Renate Stieber in Fulda at 011-49-661-79822 or 34265, FAX at 011-49-661-241036 or email at "gabaca@nullt-online.de". The reunion agenda, hotel information, planning updates and Squadron Points of Contact can be found at the Blackhorse and 14th Cavalry web sites listed above. Updates will be published regularly via email. For those without email a regular mailing will be sent spring 2009. If you have questions you may contact: Glenn Snodgrass at (703) 250-3064, jgs525@nullcox.net for 11th Cavalry |
2008 Allons Club Donors Gen.(Ret) Donn Starry Letty Starry John Poindexter MG (Ret) Steve Rippe and Ms. Kate Rice John Sherman Crow Frances G. Jones-Crow BG (Ret) Tom and Susan White CSM (Ret) C.C. Brown CSM (Ret) Bill Hutton COL (Ret) Glenn Snodgrass Joan Snodgrass Betty and Bob Kelso LTC (Ret) and Mrs. Glenn Allardyce CSM (Ret) John Stephens and Vickie MSG(Ret) Rick "Gunner" Wagner Jerry and Sandy Hensley Mr. and Mrs. Dom Izzo Mr. F. Scott Tuck BG(Ret) and Mrs. Doc Bahnsen Bob and Lois Hurt COL(Ret) Dave Cowan and Beate SGM(Ret) George Sluzenski and Kathleen Bob Grossman CSM (Ret) Don Wicks COL(Ret) and Mrs. Richard Leibert Phil Lester Joe and Suzanne Sutton Charlie Watkins Francis Gowie, Jr. Wesley Walters BG (Ret) Jimmy Leach and Marion |
2008 Scholarship Recipients The Blackhorse Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 Blackhorse Association Scholarships: David J. Casterman, is attending the University of California at Santa Barbara (Son of John Casterman, M Co, 3/11 ACR, 1965, 66,67,69,70, Vietnam) Robin Rollins, is attending the University of North Texas at Denton (Daughter of James R. Rollins, I Troop, M Co, HQ 3/11 ACR, 1977, 78, 79, 80, Bad Hersfeld, Germany) We congratulate the recipients of this year’s scholarships and thank all who applied. We encourage those applicants who did not receive a scholarship this year to reapply in 2009. (See the previous page for details and information on applying.) Recipients will receive $1,500 per year for their college education through their fourth year. The Scholarship Committee is composed of: Lois Hurt, Dave Cowan, Clint Ancker, Dick Leibert and Pete Walter (Chairman). I want to thank Lois, Clint, Dave and Dick for all their work and input throughout the judging process. I truly appreciate everything you have done! To the parents of our applicants – thank you for your interest in this program, for your support of your association and for your service and fidelity to our country and our Regiment. To the recipients – to borrow a line from Saving Private Ryan: "Earn this!" I know you will make us proud. "ALLONS!" Pete Walter, Scholarship Committee Chairman The Blackhorse Association 11th ACR, Vietnam & Cambodia, 1970 |
