Showing posts with label Fort Eustis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Eustis. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

New Member of Idaho National Guard, Left NFL?

Special note to reader. Thanks for pointing out wrong state. Goes to show what happens when brain and fingers are having a communication problem.
Super Bowl champion training as a Black Hawk mechanic at Fort Eustis
The Virginian-Pilot
By Brock Vergakis
Published: August 16, 2016

"I'm proud to sign my longest term deal of all time, 8 yrs and have enlisted in the Army National Guard," Daryn Colledge
U.S. Army Spc. Daryn Colledge, 168th Aviation Regiment UH-60 (Black Hawk) helicopter repair student, sits next to a retired Special Forces Black Hawk at Fort Eustis, Va., July 28, 2016. Colledge retired from the National Football League after nine seasons and a Super Bowl Championship, and enlisted in the Army National Guard in March 2016 out of Idaho.
DEREK SEIFERT/U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Tribune News Service) — Daryn Colledge's time as an NFL player and Super Bowl champion allowed him to frequently travel and meet the troops defending this country, men and women he long admired.

Now he's one of them in Hampton Roads.

Colledge, a 34-year-old former offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins, joined the Idaho National Guard in March. He's stationed at Fort Eustis while he trains to be a Black Hawk helicopter mechanic with the 168th Aviation Regiment.

Colledge declined an interview request, but appeared in an internal Army news story at Fort Eustis earlier this month.

He likely didn't need the extra paycheck. During his nine seasons in the NFL, Colledge made more than $24.5 million, according to spotrac.com, a site that tracks professional athletes' pay.
read more here

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Fort Eustis Soldier Surrenders After Standoff

Soldier surrenders after barricading self at base house in Va.
The Associated Press
Published: November 28, 2014

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A soldier who had barricaded himself in a home at the Fort Eustis military base has reportedly surrendered overnight to authorities.

According to the Newport News base's Facebook page, the soldier was then brought to a medical facility for a health evaluation.

During the barricade situation Thursday night, the Department of Defense told WAVY.com there was no active shooter. Base spokesman Capt. Kevin Whitlatch said no evacuations were ordered and that the man is an active duty soldier.
read more here

Friday, July 12, 2013

Fort Jackson General relieved of duty for "misconduct"

Army Relieves Fort Jackson CO
Associated Press
by Susanne M. Schafer
Jul 12, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Army has removed from the command of its largest training post the one-star general suspended in May over charges of adultery and involvement in a physical altercation.

Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts was relieved of his command at Fort Jackson, S.C., on Thursday afternoon due to misconduct, said Army spokesman Harvey Perritt.

The decision was made by Gen. Robert W. Cone, Commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command in Fort Eustis, Va., Perritt said.

"This misconduct included adultery and a physical altercation," he said. "This misconduct was not sexual assault or harassment; it was a breach of order and discipline that violated standards of the Army profession."
read more here

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Military families cope with suicides

The military Suicide Event Report for 2012 has not been released yet. It is a comprehensive collection from all branches of the military including National Guards and Reservists. It also has attempted suicides along with just about everything else except what it does to the families. The DOD has not released the numbers for Soldiers, National Guardsmen or Reservists for May yet, even though they are supposed to release it every month. While there is no way to know where Howard Altman got his numbers from, since they cannot be verified yet, these numbers are not out of whack with what most of us are expecting to see. According to Altman, there were 515 for 2012 and so far this year, 168. Usually what happens is reporters do not get all branches in the numbers they are given. Unless they look at all the data with the numbers, they have no way of knowing for sure.

When you look up the Army suicide numbers for the last release in May, for numbers up to April, this is what you'll find.
Army Releases April 2013 Suicide Information

The Army released suicide data today for the month of April 2013. During April, among active-duty soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides: one has been confirmed as a suicide and 10 remain under investigation. For March 2013, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; six have been confirmed as suicides and four are under investigation. For 2013, there have been 52 potential active-duty suicides: 22 have been confirmed as suicides and 30 remain under investigation. Updated active-duty suicide numbers for 2012: 184 (159 have been confirmed as suicides and 25 remain under investigation).

During April 2013, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 16 potential suicides (13 Army National Guard and 3 Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 16 remain under investigation. For March 2013, among that same group, the Army reported 12 potential suicides; however, subsequent to the report, another case was added bringing March’s total to 13 (nine Army National Guard and four Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 13 cases remain under investigation. For 2013, there have been 57 potential not on active duty suicides (36 Army National Guard and 21 Army Reserve): 21 have been confirmed as suicides and 36 remain under investigation. Updated not on active duty suicide numbers for 2012: 140 (93 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve); 138 have been confirmed as suicides and two remain under investigation.

Military families cope with suicides
Tampa Tribune
By Howard Altman
Tribune Staff
Published: July 7, 2013

The women get up on a hot Saturday morning in April for the long ride to Tampa.

One is making a 130-mile drive from Astor, and the other is traveling 40 miles from Dade City.

Though they are coming from different places, their paths to a Tampa ceremony honoring fallen troops is remarkably similar.

Each lost an Army son to suicide last summer. Each is suffering despair, what they say is a stigma that comes with a child who takes his own life and anger at the Army for failing to do more to prevent the deaths.

They are not alone in their misery.

More U.S. troops are dying by their own hand than by the enemy's. There were 488 confirmed suicides last year and another 27 suspected, compared with 298 deaths in combat.

The trend is continuing this year - 102 confirmed and 66 suspected suicides, compared with 75 combat deaths.
Deemed by the Army to be fit for service, LaDart began helicopter mechanic training at Fort Eustis in Virginia. His problems continued to the point that he was disciplined and demoted. He then referred himself to military behavioral health providers, who once again diagnosed him with PTSD and ADHD and started a treatment program. The Army then sent him to Germany as a tactical vehicle driver.

Things continued to deteriorate, though. LaDart threatened a superior. He expressed thoughts of killing himself and others and told his commander that he tried suicide before, Army records say. But under what the Army calls "intense care," LaDart's mental health improved. He was promoted to specialist and won the Soldier of the Month competition.

"Absent PTSD symptoms, he was returned to duty," Army records show.

Things started looking up for LaDart. He was assigned to Ft. Belvoir in Virginia in September 2011. In April 2012, he completed the Army Warrior Leadership Course, "an important developmental career step," according to the Army. But a few weeks later, his life cratered again.

A domestic dispute with his wife led to his removal from the home. A protective order was issued against him and the Army considered more discipline. His commander requested a mental health evaluation. Medical officials at the fort's hospital reviewed LaDart's recent mental evaluation and determined he was not a threat to himself or others. He kept his next mental health appointment on May 29, 2012, made no mention of suicide and talked about the future.

On June 4, LaDart arrived at work "without any outward display of distress," Army records say. "He returned to his family quarters during lunch and had a phone conversation with his wife in Louisiana. Tragically, David hanged himself in the garage without leaving a suicide note."

He was 25.
read more here
Billions spent and no one held accountable? Want to know more? Then read THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Fort Eustis Soldier charged with firing gunshots at York home

Soldier charged with firing gunshots at York home
By Amanda Kerr
February 7, 2013

YORK — A soldier with the U.S. Army has been charged with opening fire at his York County residence during an incident last week.

York-Poquoson deputies arrested 44-year-old (name removed) on Jan. 27 after an argument with two women at his home escalated.

(Name removed) has been charged with assault and battery, abduction, discharging a firearm in a public place, reckless handling of a firearm and two counts of brandishing a firearm.
read more here

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Fort Eustis soldier accused of desertion arrested

Fort Eustis soldier accused of desertion arrested in South Carolina
Daily Press
By Tara Bozick
November 20, 2012

A Fort Eustis soldier accused of being absent without leave was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Darlington County, S.C., in a traffic stop that closed part of a highway when deputies found flammable materials in his car, a department captain said.

Andrew Richard Jackson, 19, of Jacksonville, N.C., was charged with possession of marijuana after deputies found a small amount of the drug on him in a traffic stop on Interstate 20 just before 3 p.m., said Capt. Andy Locklair with Darlington County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office.

After Jackson was in custody, deputies searched the stopped car and found several containers filled with an unknown flammable liquid in the trunk, Locklair said.
read more here

Friday, September 28, 2012

At Fort Eustis, the battle against suicide intensifies

This started out to be a great day. This report about Chief Warrant Officer 4 Clifford W. Bauman provides a lot of hope. This approach will help as more and more talk about their own battles.
At Eustis, the battle against suicide intensifies
NEWPORT NEWS
By Hugh Lessig
September 27, 2012

( Sangjib Min, Daily Press / September 27, 2012 )
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Clifford W. Bauman, right, talks of his experience with PTSD during a round table discussion at Fort Eustis in Newport News on Thursday.
Plagued by anguish and misplaced guilt, Bauman began to drink and lose sleep. Co-workers who enjoyed his joking mood saw his work begin to suffer. He entered counseling, but he wasn't honest with his counselor and didn't make progress.

In December 2002, he downed 20 sleeping pills, wrote a suicide note and passed out. Bauman credits his brother – who "had a feeling" – with stopping by the house and saving his life. That day turned his life around.

"At that point, I realized I had to be honest, I had to be truthful," he said.

He not only progressed through private counseling, in 2010 he decided to tell his story in public. That launched him on a new phase of his life: Trying to reach soldiers who, like him, felt like they were losing control.


— Last year, two soldiers at Fort Eustis died of suicide. So far this year, two suicides are confirmed but officials said Thursday another six cases are under investigation as possible self-inflicted deaths.

The potential rising rate at the Newport News installation reflects the larger battle the Army is waging against suicide. On Thursday, the Army held a worldwide suicide prevention stand down, setting aside routine activity to focus attention on the problem and talk about dealing with soldiers who are suicidal, depressed and who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Statistics indicate the Army has yet to turn the corner.

The good news, according to Betak and others, is that large numbers of soldiers are now coming forward to talk about mental health concerns. That suggests the Army is making progress in reducing the stigma that comes with taking that first step, Betak said.

In 2008, the Eustis behavioral health clinic logged about 3,500 patient visits, Betak said. That increased to about 9,000 in 2009 and 12,000 last year.


read more here video report

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Fort Eustis soldiers welcomed home from Afghanistan

Fort Eustis troops celebrate homecoming
200 soldiers home after a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan

February 11, 2012|
Allison T. Williams
NEWPORT NEWS – Approximately 200 soldiers from Fort Eustis are greeting family and friends in Newport News this morning, after spending the past year deployed in Afghanistan.

The 7th Sustainment Brigade eturn ceremony got underway at 10 a.m. at Fort Eustis' Anderson Field House, according to a U.S. Army press release.
read more here

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Fort Eustis leaders break ground for new WTU complex

Eustis leaders break ground for new WTU complex
by Lyna Tucker
633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs

4/1/2011 - FORT EUSTIS, Va. -- "The new WTU complex is very timely as the expectation of care and needs for warriors increases," said Warrior Transition Unit Commander Capt. LaCederick Jackson in a brief speech during a ceremony marking the start of construction of a new WTU complex March 25 at Fort Eustis.

With wounded warriors, WTU cadre and leadership, and members of the Joint Base Langley-Eustis on site, Fort Eustis leadership broke ground for construction of the $9.7 million complex behind the McDonald Army Health Center at the corner of Sternberg and 25th Streets.

On the nearly 15-acre site, the new complex will consist of a 16,600-square foot, two-story Company Operations Facility to house the unit command team and WTU cadre offices and a new 7,000-square foot Soldier and Family Assistance Center. The complex will also include a 48,200-square foot, 80-room barracks facility to be awarded at the end of April. The project is set for completion July 2012.
read more here
Eustis leaders break ground for new WTU complex

Monday, September 6, 2010

Soldiers allege punishment over Christian show

Soldiers allege punishment over Christian show

By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 6, 2010 10:03:09 EDT

The Army is investigating allegations that soldiers were pressured to attend a Christian concert — and punished when they refused.

Pvt. Anthony Smith says he was one of 80 soldiers in Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Va., who were punished for opting not to attend a Christian rock concert on post. The soldiers were confined to their barracks, ordered to clean and were barred from using cell phones and other electronics, according to Smith and another soldier who asked to remain anonymous.

The Army is conducting an investigation into the incident, ordered by Lt. Gen. John E. “Jack” Sterling, Training and Doctrine Command chief of staff, TRADOC spokesman Harvey Perritt said. Perritt and a Fort Eustis spokesman declined to offer details while the investigation continues.

Col. Thomas Collins, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said the military should not impose religious views on soldiers.

“It’s not a problem to hold a Christian rock concert on an Army post; it’s a problem if soldiers who didn’t want to attend were compelled to attend or feel punished for not attending,” he said. “That is not consistent with Army policy.”
read more here
Soldiers allege punishment over Christian show


I felt the same way when I wrote this,,,,,

Monday, August 23, 2010

Soldiers Punished for Refusing to Attend a Christian Rock Concert
There is nothing wrong with being a Christian. There is something very wrong with trying to force others to become one. There is nothing wrong with talking about the love of Christ. There is something wrong with trying to force someone to love Christ. There is nothing wrong with talking about your own faith, no matter which group you happen to belong to. There is something wrong with power being given to your denomination over others just as there is something wrong with the military doing any of this.Maybe you're devoted like I am but thinking of what Christ means in your own life was not forced on you. You had the right to decide which church to attend. Christians come from many different denominations and each has their own set of rules as well as beliefs. If you read this story based on your own faith then look deeper and know this isn't about just being a Christian, but a member of the selected group of Christians above all others. This isn't about making a choice of your own freewill but being forced to conform. This nation was built on the foundation of religious freedom and was defended by the blood of those who serve in the military. If you find no problem with these things going on in the military then you are not supporting your own faith, your own country or the troops.
click link for the rest of this

Friday, August 21, 2009

DoD investigating death of Eustis soldier


DoD investigating death of Eustis soldier

The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 21, 2009 8:33:02 EDT

RICHMOND, Va. — Military authorities are investigating the death of a soldier in a noncombat related incident in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense said Thursday that Spc. Paul E. Dumont Jr., 23, of Williamsburg died Wednesday at Kandahar Airfield. The department didn’t provide details of the incident.

Dumont was assigned to the 149th Transportation Company, 10th Transportation Battalion, Fort Eustis.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Records: Eustis soldier was 'preparing for war,' idolized Joker

Records: Eustis soldier was 'preparing for war,' idolized Joker
The Virginian-Pilot - Norfolk,VA,USA
By Kate Wiltrout
Patrick Wilson
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 13, 2009
Spc. Christopher Lanum loved the Joker, the character from Batman.

There were Joker posters and Joker masks in his barracks room at Fort Eustis.

Early Sunday morning, Lanum cleaned his knives and told his girlfriend, Patsy Ann Marie Montowski, that he was "preparing for war." He'd told her that before, but this time he was dressing the part, putting on a Joker costume he'd worn for Halloween.

He dictated a good bye note to his daughter; Montowski wrote one to her own children. The letter, labeled "To our families and friends," also contained messages to both their parents.

The letter was found hours later in Lanum's car at Fort Eustis, after the couple allegedly attacked Spc. Mitchell Stone, a soldier who shared a suite with Lanum in Building 696 at the Newport News post.
click link for more

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Wanted Eustis GI killed by law enforcement

Wanted Eustis GI killed by law enforcement
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 12, 2009 20:31:21 EDT

An early morning incident at Fort Eustis, Va., turned into a manhunt in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and the shooting death of Spc. Christopher Lanum by federal and state law enforcement officials.

Lanum, 25, allegedly attacked a fellow soldier, Spc. Mitchell Stone, on March 8 at an undisclosed location on Fort Eustis, then fled the scene, according to a statement released by Fort Eustis.

Both soldiers were medics assigned to the Fort Eustis Medical Department Activity.

“Lanum arrived here in April 2008 and the soldier who was stabbed, Stone, has been here since November 2005,” said Fort Eustis spokeswoman Vicki Bowker.

Stone, she said, was released from the hospital in stable condition.

click link for more

Monday, February 23, 2009

Search suspended for soldier who fell overboard near NC

Search suspended for soldier who fell overboard near NC
The Virginian-Pilot - Norfolk,VA,USA
By Lauren King
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 23, 2009
DRUM INLET, N.C.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search today for a U.S. Army soldier who fell overboard Sunday morning off the North Carolina coast.

Coast Guard and Marine Corps search crews were helping to search for a crewmember of the Army tugboat Major General Winfield Scott, which is homeported at Fort Eustis, according to a Coast Guard news release.
click link for more

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Capt. Donald C. Little takes charge of Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Eustis

Warrior transition unit gets new leader
Daily Press - Newport News,VA,USA
Capt. Donald C. Little says that at Fort Eustis, "everybody has the right to their treatment."
BY HUGH LESSIG 804-225-7345
December 6, 2008
NEWPORT NEWS - The special recovery unit for wounded soldiers at Fort Eustis never stops running.

Just ask Capt. Donald C. Little, who assumed command on Friday.

His acceptance speech was briefly interrupted by a faint buzzing sound from the lectern — the official Blackberry passed to him by the outgoing commander. New e-mail had already arrived.

"There it goes," he said with a smile.