I am very pleased to report that all of your friends, family members and loved ones made it to Kosovo in one piece. The long hours at work, while still at Fort Polk, has paid big dividends as the soldiers hit the ground running and have made a positive impression on the leaders of both Task Force 504 Military Police and Task Force Falcon. We did not do this alone, I want to thank the staff of the 519th Military Police Battalion, soldiers of the 258th Military Police Company and HHD, support agencies and staff of the Garrison Command and all of the support agencies at Fort Polk. The training provided by these soldiers and civilians gave our soldiers a realistic look at our mission before arriving here in Kosovo which was not fully appreciated until the soldiers started to execute missions over here. Of course, it goes without saying, none of this would have been possible without the total and unquestionable support of the family members of everyone involved in pushing out the 209th MP Company. To all of you, I truly appreciate your untiring support.
The soldiers were very busy once we arrived into country executing inventories, signing for equipment, getting settled into their rooms and conducting ride alongs with the 21st MP Company from Fort Bragg, NC. The process took 5 days and then the soldiers were conducting missions on their own. Soldiers are currently working a 13 and 1 schedule. Thirteen days working and one day that we call personal maintenance. Soldiers use this time to get haircuts, go to the PX or MWR facility and basically just relax. In 37 days, I don't think that any soldier has gotten a full day down without something coming up and interrupting the time down. There is always something that must get done. We are trying to protect this time as much as possible. When soldiers tell you that they have been very busy, you can rest assured that in fact they have been. We, the Task Force, have gone to great lengths to ensure soldiers have facilities available for E-mail and morale calls. All of the facilities are within walking distance of five minutes or so. Soldiers work an 8 hour day which equates to 12 to 13 hour days. I have found that soldiers are very tired when they come in from mission. If you haven't heard from them in a couple of days, don't worry. They are probably just tired. The dining facility here is probably one of the best that I have seen in my 20 years of service, especially for a deployment. The soldiers are receiving very nutritious meals and we are watching them very close to ensure they keep their weight within standards.
I was happy to see that everyone's pay was straight this month. To date, all entitlements have been given with the exception of Family Separation Pay which will kick in after 31 days of separation. Next month, this too should be on the paycheck. Just as a reminder, when it does take effect, remember that you will receive two months worth in one month. The same that you saw on the entitlements this month. It showed October and November.
I hope that you can enjoy our deployment through the lense of all of the soldiers that are providing photos to the Operations cell (SFC Corcoran) who is working very hard to keep this web site up and informative.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or the commander through the E-Mail link. We will ensure that your concerns are addressed and answered in a timely manner.
In closing, All of the soldiers are getting through this difficult time, the holiday season, thanks to your excellent support. The Commander and I want to thank you for your support. Without you, this time of year would be very hard on our soldiers. You do make a difference! On behalf of all of the Warriors, may all of you have a joyous and safe holiday season and rest assured that we, the chain of command, are ensuring that your loved ones are doing the right things which in turn keep them safe.
Sincerely,
Roger Macon
