Some of A Company Personnel

Tappety, tap, tap, tappety, tap, tap...

Trigger, the Super Reporter signing in.

I felt it's about time to show some of the personnel in A Company, better known as the Kyotes. An undisclosed source, (Why am I always "undisclosed"?) who spoke on the condition of anonymity (And why always "anonymous"?)...Could you keep it down, I'm trying to work here, but this should answer your question... because he was not authorized to say anything! (I'm not?)...at all...stay out of this Poppy...I'm trying to work some magic here.

Here are some of the personnel in action.

CW3 Aidan Anderson served as the poster model for the 12th CAB welcoming everyone into Kuwait. When he's not defending the world against terrorists, Jhadists, Al Qaida, and people with a bad attitude, he serves as an AH-64D Longbow pilot down at the WAATS north of Tucson. He must have really said the wrong thing to somebody important in order to be invited along on this deployment.

CW2 Tyler Fricke prior to practicing Roll-over Training in an MRAP simulator. Tyler generally has that crazy disposition when he gets behind the wheel of anything. Must be something he gets in those care packages from Natalie. He probably knows my brother Tex, the Chandler Policeman. Seems when he was a teenager he got to meet quite a few of them.

On the C-130 out of Kuwait heading for FOB Delta, from L-R:  CW4 Paul Duff (full-time Instructor Pilot at Papago), SGT Dustin Jakes (door gunner, constuction foreman, and weight lifting guru), CW2 Aidrian Manuel (recording artist and self-proclaimed uniform model...but he has fun), and CW2 Chuck Hoelzel (2nd deployment, body builder and AH-64D Longbow pilot as well).

The other side of the C-130 out of Kuwait, from L-R: CW3 Emmit Williams (electronics wizard and Tucson police officer), CW3 Aidan Anderson (who you've already met), CW3 Josh DeLand (crazy man, 2nd deployment), SGT Casper Bierman (former car salesman and aspiring fixed-wing pilot), 1SG Enrique Hernandez (2nd deployment, the only sane person in the company...note the helmet), SGT Matt Ferguson (crew-chief, door gunner, and all-around nice guy), and CW2 Glenn Whiting (always smiling, must be happy).

CW2 Jonathan Rover (accountant, sail plane pilot, fixed wing pilot, seaplane pilot, UH-60 pilot...I think he genuinely enjoys flying) and CW3 Chris Pedersen (Oh yea, you already know him).

1LT Caleb Grandy (Military contractor to Boeing Helicopters, Mechanical Engineer, inventor of a high-speed electric-motored skateboard). One of the brightest young officers I've ever met. Recently got transferred out to serve at the Battalion Level. Our loss.

1LT Jason Kumle (serves as a Border Patrol agent when he's not flying with us). Sharp young officer, too. Recently got transferred out, too.

CW4 Marla McFarland (WAATS Instructor Pilot in OH-58 Kiowas) as she shows us how to relax when she calls her hubby who is a retired, former Instructor Pilot. Too smart. Nicknamed "Cougar".

Relaxation by Annihilation - the X-box games. From L-R:  CW2 Rovey, SGT Peter Leslie (pre-law student), 1LT Grandy, and CW3 Josh DeLand. Josh always wins. Always. He's highly competitive.

CPT Eric Salisbury discusses how Safety Goggles can save your eyesight. The CPT has a sharp wit and a great sense of humor. He is cursed to be totally misunderstood by his higher ups but unanimously loved and respected by his troops. Exceptional leader.

But why would anyone put on a pair of glasses and intentionally look so dorky...

...Well, guess we have an answer for that. Winner! CW3 Pedersen models Special helmet with simulator lenses during pre-deployment training at Ft Rucker. He hated that simulator, but ended up getting the most flight time of anyone in the company in the black box. His green skin color matched his uniform after too many hours in the box.

So there you have a sampling of the personalities in Kyote Company.

...Okay, Mr. Poppy, no more need for your "anonymous source" information. You're dismissed...

And that's the way I see Southern Iraq. This has been Trigger, the Super Reporter, signing off.