Kilo Company 2004-2005

Geography and Mission

Kilo Company arrived at FOB Gardez on 19 November, relieving Kilo Company 3rd Battalion 6th Marines, and began operating in the Paktia and Logar Provinces.

December – Conducted VCPs in support of Hamid Karzai’s inauguration. Also conducted partnered relief operations in snow-blocked villages at the higher elevations of Paktia Province, air-lifting medical supplies, food and blankets to 5 communities unable to reach outside their area.

Kilo Company spent the winter working to secure the Khowst-Gardez Pass, which ran between Khowst and Paktia Provinces, and keep it open and free of insurgent activity. Kilo also maintained a platoon in the vicinity of Chamkani collocated with an ODA conducting operations to deny the insurgents and drug-smugglers freedom of movement through that valley pass.

In late March, Kilo Company was the main effort in Operation MAVERICKS in northern Laghman Province. Kilo sent an advance party and one platoon led by Company XO 1stLt Rich Yudt to build out the FOB and initiate turnover from Lima Company. During that time, the camp grew from less than 100 servicemen to over 400 US and Afghan servicemen conducting operations throughout the province and along Highway 1.

In April, Kilo turned over its battlespace to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (2-504 PIR) from the 82nd Airborne Division and relocated to Mehtar Lam in Laghman Province. During this time, Kilo Company extended the Coalition’s influence into areas that had not had Western contact, and had not seen modern troops since their occupation by the Soviet Union.

In May, Kilo refocused its priorities on the security of Highway One running through Laghman Province, while maintaining a presence in the north of the province. On 8 May, 2nd Platoon was engaged in the Mayl Valley in the Alishang District by a platoon-sized enemy force commanded by a local insurgent called “Pashtoon”. Two Marines, Lance Corporal Kirven and Corporal Schoener were killed and three wounded. In exchange, the enemy lost four wounded and fifteen KIA, including two of Pashtoon’s brothers. First Lieutenant Boada and Corporal Arndt would receive the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Combat “V” for actions conducted during this engagement. Kilo spent much of the rest of May operating against the remnants of Pashtoon’s cell in Alishang District and associated villages. In late May Kilo participated in Operation CELTICS.

On 14 June, Kilo was relieved by Fox Company, 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines, and returned to Hawaii a week later. On 19 June, Capt Skyler Mallicoat turned over command of the company to Capt Brad Kroll.

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The Men

Command Element

Commanding Officer: Captain Skyler Mallicoat

Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant Richard Yudt Jr

First Sergeant: 1st Sergeant Vincent Santiago

Company Gunnery Sergeant: Gunnery Sergeant Chuong Nguyen

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Headquarters Platoon

2nd Lieutenant Stephen Boada

Staff Sergeant Caballero

Sergeant Thomas Hood

Corporals Elkin, Jimmy Mount and Michael Wallace Jr

Lance Corporals Robert Gaye Jr, Christopher Hendricks, Jason Hyde, Alfredo Martinez, and Seth Megargle

Private Jason Mullins

Petty Officer Second Class Alonzo Gonzales

 

HM2 McDaniels, HM1 Meaders, HM3 Paez

LCpl Megargle

Corporal Myers, LCpl Moss, LCpl Domkowski, Cpl Walker, LCpl Hyde

Sgt Hermosillo, Cpl McNeil, LCpl Contreras

Cpl Mitchell, LCpl Tompkins, Cpl Kitgareanirootama

LCpl Martinez, Cpl Wallac

Sgt Hood, LCpl Gaye, LCpl Hendricks, LCpl Bielfeldt

Engineers – LCpl Jiles, LCpl Berve, Cpl Wiland, Cpl Carr, Sgt Sherman, Cpl Pruitt, Cpl Conroy, Cpl Brinker, Cpl Woolever

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1st Platoon?

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2nd Platoon

2nd Lieutenant Sam Monte and Staff Sergeant James Horvath

Sergeants Charles Bennett III, Robert Campbell, and Michael Villanueva

Corporals Peter Delach, Elliott Keegan, David Kinman, Thomas O’Brien, John Pollander, Michael Rowland, Richard Schoener, Thomas Stickles Jr, and Jason Valencia

Lance Corporals Troy Arndt, Nicholas Collier, Adam Corcoran, Jeffrey Finn, Frank Fischbach, John Hunter, Clinton Jones, Nicholas Kirven, Thomas Lawler, William Leusink, Nicholas Long, Brandon Loyd, Loren Lynch, Michael Madalena, Jordan Mazur, Christopher Myles, Ryan Prosper, Ryan Rankins, Matthew Reynolds, Stephen Richardson, Benjamin Sadler, Anthony Sedillo, and Arden Wright

HM3 Steve Cruz

HN Laron Peller

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3rd Platoon

2nd Lieutenant Michael Poliquin and Staff Sergeant Jose Giron

Sergeants Jared Leonard, and David Restrepo, and Denver Whitley

Corporals Artem Chanturiya, Thomas Seagrove, Oscar Solavega and William Walker Jr

Lance Corporals Daniel Cary, Daniel Castillo, Kevin Dool, Jordan Gomes, Eusebio Gonzalez Faisal Hassan, Jeremy Herrin, Michael Howell, Benard Hunt, Peter Jarzabek, William Lynch Jr, Daniel Metoyer, Jonathan Naraine, Dana Potter II, Michael Robichaud, Oliver Starr, Jesse Stecklein, Richard Tucker

Privates First Class Orlando, Carrasquillo Jr, Emmanuel Diaz, Chad Felps, James Gill, Edward Holloway III, Daniel Mariakis, and Chase Snyder

Petty Officer Third Class Travis Deel Privates William Brubaker and Aaron Holmes

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Weapons Platoon

Second Lieutenant Christopher Mellon

Staff Sergeants Robert Meyer and Wesley Thompson

Sergeant Bradley Maxwell

Corporals Elliot Anderson, Joel Gazzam, Juan Pena, Gabriel Rudner, Robert Vasquez, Oscar Zamorajauregui

Lance Corporals Nathan Anderson, Logan Asay, Jeremy Bingham, Joshua Bowden, Cameron Brown, Adam Eri, Pierre Galarza, Joseph Geist, Corey Lonberger, Allen Lumpkin, Steven Marchese, Ajuna Montano, Johnathan Sikes, Michael Stringer

Privates First Class Daniel Chandler, Brian Daniel, Eric Darby, Nestor Davilacarranza, David Drayton, Gerardo Echavarria Jr, Justin Gecewicz, Daniel Gegenheimer, Kristopher Giuranna, Matthew Kallback, Joshua Lacomb, Gino Larocca, Mark Lee, James Meeks, Christopher Monsegue, and Colin Nelson

Private William Richardson

Petty Officer Third Class Ruben Palacios

SA Christopher Painter

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Cruisebook Pictures

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Company Updates

April

Greetings once again and Happy Easter from Afghanistan. The weather has begun to ease with the onset of spring and we have begun getting outside the base more often despite the odd blizzard every few days. Our operational tempo has increased as the snow has retreated, but the run-off has produced another obstacle — flooding in lower areas. Nonetheless, aerial assets have become more reliable and we have taken advantage of this increased support. In the last months, we have conducted or taken part in at least 1 battalion-level, 2 company-level and 9 platoon-level operations resulting in multiple caches discovered, medical care given to over 700 Afghans, and humanitarian assistance supplies given out to dozens of villages in 3 provinces throughout Afghanistan.

First, congratulations are in order for Corporal William and Mrs. Dove Mitchell in the birth of their daughter Lauren born on 19 March 25, 2005. Lauren measured a petite 19 inches and weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz. Both mother and daughter are doing well and are looking forward to Daddy’s return. Congratulations to both happy parents on this newest little blessing.

The last two months have seen quite a few promotions to the next rank here in-country. Those Marines promoted in February were: Corporals David R. Myers, Michael J. Pruitt, Troy M. Arndt, and Jason O. Valencia; and Lance Corporal Michael A. Madalena. Those Marines promoted in March were: First Lieutenant Steven J. Boada; Corporal Ajuna A. Montano; and Lance Corporals Arden M. Wright, Chase A. Snyder, Stephen C. Richardson, Joshua P. Ott, Colin C. Nelson, Daniel L. Moss, Christopher L. Monsegue, James Meeks, Daniel J. Mariakis, Edward L. Holloway, Kristopher L. Giuranna, Emmanuel Diaz and Orlando Carrasquillo Jr. Congratulations to these Marines in their achievements in attaining the next rank.

Kilo Company also had 3 Marines reenlist in March. These Marines are: Sergeant Robert R. Campbell, Corporal Jon K. Burns and Corporal Michael J. Rowland. Sergeant Campbell will be changing assignment to Marine Forces Pacific on Camp Smith, Hawaii; both Corporals Burns and Rowland will be transferring to Weapons and Field Training Battalion aboard MCRD Parris Island. Congratulations, good luck and Godspeed to these Marines as they embark on another chapter of their careers.

Kilo also recently recognized a few Marines for receiving the Good Conduct Medal, which is awarded to Marines who serve 3 years without any incidents resulting in company non-judicial punishment or higher. These Marines are: Staff Sergeants Jose M. Giron (third award) and Robert A. Meyer (fourth award); Sergeant Thomas J. Hood (second award); and Lance Corporals Robert D Berve and Joseph E. Brinker (first awards).

Our family and friends have been very good to us throughout the deployment by sending much-needed supplies, from baby-wipes to bibles, from candy and pens for the Afghan children to cards and letters for the Marines themselves. In fact, our supporters have been so good to us that we no longer need any boxes to be sent to us for 2 reasons: 1) we will never use all the supplies we have and so intend to turn a lot over to our relieving unit, and 2) we will soon reach a point where we will be back home before boxes arrive.

These last months serving with your Marines and Sailors have made me proud to be called their commander and I feel a sadness in knowing I will soon give up that position. This deployment has changed a lot of us including myself, but we hold our freedoms more precious for it. For some of us, this will mark a time of transition as we become reacquainted with each other and, in some cases, prepare to move on to our next assignments. That light at the end of the tunnel is getting steadily brighter, but it is still a little ways away. Until we stand in that light, we in Kilo know that we have missions still to accomplish and a war to win. Until next time, take care and God bless each of you.

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Events