Chester, the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division mascot, prepares for his radio debut Aug. 9 at KMAN radio in Manhattan. Chester went on the air with 3rd HBCT Command Sgt. Maj. James Savitski to discuss the future of the brigade. KMAN's In Focus program invites Fort Riley personalities monthly to discuss what's new at Fort Riley and take questions from callers. 3rd HBCT photo

In other news of the 1st Division of Foot... (of which I am an alum)

'BANDITS' ADAPT TO DEPLOYMENT CHANGES

By Pfc. Nathaniel Smith
4th IBCT, 1st Inf. Div. PAO

BAGHDAD - On a stifling summer evening, the Soldiers were going from house to house, asking questions and taking names. But the people they were protecting weren't the only ones they've had to get familiar with lately.

The cavalrymen of the Troop B "Bandits," 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division have had to get to know not only the residents, but the surrounding area and even their own commander in the past two months.

Getting to know the citizens has been relatively easy, using a census operation where the troops ask a variety of questions about resident's families, their jobs and the local area.

It's getting to know everything else that's the challenge.

The unit shifted to a new region of southern Baghdad's Rashid District shortly before their commander, Capt. J.J. Simonsen, relinquished command to Capt. Spencer Rogers of Fort Riley, Kan. Rogers came to the troop after serving as the logistics officer for 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th IBCT.

In his first command position, Rogers has followed the counter-insurgency strategy laid out by the commander of Multi-National Forces - Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus: empowering his Soldiers "If they're just going out on patrol, sitting at a checkpoint and guarding it, they're not going to fare very well, but if they go out on a mission and you tell them why they're out there, you empower them with information," Rogers said. "If you let them play an active role in intelligence gathering, you give them pictures of ... known insurgents and you introduce them to people and you let the Soldiers get engaged with the community, they'll be fine. The Soldiers have done a great job of it."

Rogers has a simple way of measuring his success in his first command - the human toll.

"The big burden, initially for me as commander, is to keep everyone from getting killed or getting hurt," he said. "So far we've done it since I've been here. To me that's a success.

"At the same time, another measure is how well we can hurt the enemy and what they want to do, and we've done that." As a testament to that success, Bandit Troop has detained more than 20 anti-Iraqi forces since Rogers has been in command.

Sgt. Clinton Johnson, the communications chief for the troop, said this success has not come easily with a new commander and unfamiliar area of operations, but the Soldiers have performed very well.

"The Soldiers adapt, and they adapt quick. Yes, there have been growing pains, but that's always going to happen when you have these massive changes," he said. "However, they have done admirable and exceedingly good work as far as being able to adapt and change and being able to accomplish the mission.

"They've got their 'A game' on 24/7, and do not stop until someone says it's time to tap or they need assistance, which has rarely ever happened," he added. "These guys do what they can when they can, and they're just phenomenal."

For Johnson, making adjustments during a deployment is nothing new. He deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division in 2003 where his unit operated as a rifle battalion.

The Beatrice, Neb., native said the sense of camaraderie within Bandit Troop has helped all the Soldiers in these times of change. "This is a big, giant Family and we have to stay together and work together as best as possible," he said. "You got your buddies on the left and right. You've got a brotherhood here."