Death of 4 Soldiers in C Battery, 5-3 Field Artillery (Fort Lewis): In a 24 July 2010 message from LTC Peter Andrysiak, the battalion commander, "To our family and friends: It is with great regret that I inform you of the loss of 4 Soldiers from C 5/3 of Ft. Lewis. They died when their vehicle struck an IED while on patrol early this morning. A fifth Soldier, SPC Tim Martin from 510th [Engineer Company, Fort Hood], was injured, but is currently stable and receiving excellent care. Please keep the families of our fallen heroes in your prayers, as we also wish SPC Martin a speedy recovery."
Death of 4 More Soldiers in 618th Engineer Company (Airborne): In a 17 July 2010 message from LTC Peter Andrysiak, the battalion commander, "On Wednesday [14 July 2010] Task Force LUMBERJACK lost four heroes from the 618th Engineer Support Company from Fort Bragg, NC. Please pray for their families as they endure through these troubling times. Also pray for SPC Adam Keys and his family as he continues to recover from his wounds. Their memorial ceremony was held today at FOB Lagman, we will post a memorial tribute in the near future." The fallen soldiers were
- Sgt. Chase Stanley, 21, of Napa, Calif.
- Spc. Jesse D. Reed, 26, of Orefield, Penn.
- Spc. Matthew J. Johnson, 21, of Maplewood, Minn.
- Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher, 24, of Ballwin, Mo.
Spec. Scott Andrews, also of the 618th, was killed in action just a few weeks earlier.
News Reports and Articles on the 20th Engineers in Afghanistan:
Insurgents Plant Bomb Disguised as Candy in Afghan Neighborhood
Successfully Defeating IEDs in Afghanistan
Logistical Support Vital to the Counter-IED Fight in Afghanistan
Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, Visits Fort Hood Shooting Victims in Afghanistan
Specialized 'Route Clearance' Units Conduct Joint Missions with Afghan Forces
Coalition
510th Route Clearance Company Successfully Defeating IEDs in Afghanistan
New: Article with Videos Showing 20th Engineers Anti-Bomb Operations (Kevin Sites, Global Post)
Transfer of Authority from 630th Engineer Co to 860th Engineer Co: TF Lumberjack reorganized in July 2010, as the 630th Engineer Company returned to Fort Drum. The 806th Engineer Company (USAR, Conway, Arkansas) replaced them. TF Lumberjack further grew with the arrival of the 618th Engineer Company (Fort Bragg) and Company B, 40th Engineer Battalion (Baumholder, Germany).
On xx January 2010 the 20th Engineers arrived at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, under the command of Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak. The battalion was flown from Fort Hood to Kyrgyzstan, then was moved into Afghanistan.
On 6 February 2010 the 20th Engineers, as Task Force Lumberjack, assumed the mission of route clearance throughout southern Afghanistan. The parent headquarters of Task Force Lumberjack is Task Force Stryker, organized around the 5th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, normally stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. The 20th Engineers are part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), a component of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The task organization of Task Force Lumberjack in Afghanistan is shown below. Two engineer companies trained and deployed as part of the 20th Engineers at Fort Hood: the 510th Engineer Company (Route Clearance) and the 584th Engineer Company (Mobility Augmentation). Three company-sized elements were attached to Task Force Lumberjack in Afghanistan: Battery C, 5-3 Field Artillery, normally stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, and specially trained to augment Engineers for route clearance; the 562nd Engineer Company (Sapper), also from Fort Lewis; and the 630th Engineer Company (Route Clearance) from Fort Drum, New York.
Waiting to move from Kyrgyzstan into Afghanistan
Transfer of Authority ceremony--assuming the mission of route clearance
On 5 March 2010, Specialist Alan Dikcis of the 630th Engineer Company was killed when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle. The 630th Engineer Company, attached to the 20th Engineers from Fort Drum, had been actively participating in operations to push the Taliban out of the Marjah region of Afghanistan.
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630th Engineer Company at Memorial Ceremony for Specialist Dikcis
Soldiers of the 562nd Engineer Company, Task Force Lumberjack, work on a small bridge over a canal West of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. The unit is operating as part of an offensive against the Taliban in the Marjah area. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
Ceremony Awarding Combat Patch to 20th Engineers
Re-enlistment Ceremony at Kandahar Air Field
Commander's Conference - March 2010
New York Times article on combat operations of Task Force Lumberjack
Photo (Tim Winborne, Reuters) shows members of the 584th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, on patrol. Click the photo below to see the article.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Visits 20th Engineer Battalion
Four-star Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the soldiers of Task Force Lumberjack at the end of March. He did so as a promise he made in November 2009, when he first visited the 20th Engineer Battalion at Fort Hood after the terrorist murder of Lumberjack soldiers. The admiral spent a lot of time with the soldiers, speaking with them, reenlisting several of them, and presenting awards and decorations. Click on either of the images below for more pictures of the visit.
4th Platoon, 510th Engineer Company on patrol. Pictured are the platoon leader, 1LT Mackey; and soldier named Metzger.
The remains of Specialist Christian M. Adams (Forward Support Company, 20th Engineer Battalion) arrive at Dover Air Force Base. SPC Adams died on 11 June 2010 from wounds associated with a noncombat-related incident.
Battalion Commander Update, June 2010: In a message from LTC Peter Andrysiak, the battalion commander, "Hello Family & Friends - We're at month five of the 20th Engineer Battalion's Afghanistan deployment; Task Force LUMBERJACK continues to make a positive impact in Afghanistan in support of Regional Command South. To date, the LUMBERJACKS have conducted 899 missions and cleared 58,881 kilometers of road over a period of 4705 hours. During these missions, the LUMBERJACKS have conducted 977 interrogations of potential IEDs, found and rendered safe 76 IEDs, detonated 57 IEDs and found 40 pieces of unexploded ordnance.
LUMBERJACK Soldiers recently injured while on patrol in Kandahar, PFC Allen and SGT Raines, 510th, have both been treated and have returned to duty; also injured on the same patrol were SFC Tysor and SGT Herron, 510th, both of whom were flown to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany and are being treated for injuries. On a sad note, Spc. Christian M. Adams, 26, of Sierra Vista, Ariz., died June 11 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from a non-combat related incident. His funeral will be held at Fort Huachuca on Tuesday, June 22.
Thank you for your continued support of our the 20th Engineer Battalion and our family - Build & Fight!"
Mission Photos: TF Lumberjack employs a robot to investigate a possible IED. TF Lumberjack patrol arrives at an Afghan National Army outpost to coordinate mobility operations.
Death of Specialist Scott Andrews: In a message from LTC Peter Andrysiak, the battalion commander, "To our LUMBERJACK friends and family, it is with great sadness that we announce the death of SPC Scott Andrews, a member of the 618th Engineer Support Company (Airborne) attached to the 20th Engineer Battalion. SPC Andrews was killed by an IED strike while on a route clearance mission yesterday in Zabul Province. He was assigned to the 618th Engineer Support Company, 27th Engineer Battalion on October 2, 2008. He was constantly recognized by his peers and leaders for his motivation and knowledge. His family has been notified; please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. SPC Andrews will be missed by all.
618th Engineer Company (Airborne)
The 5th Brigade is organized around the Stryker vehicle, a wheeled, armored fighting vehicle designed to be highly mobile. There are actually a series of Stryker vehicles, each specialized to execute a certain mission, such as an Infantry squad carrier, Engineer squad carrier, ambulance, etc.
