Showing posts with label 10th Mountain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10th Mountain. Show all posts

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Fort Drum works with community on soldier mental health

Fort Drum works with community on soldier mental health
North Country Public Radio
by Joanna Richards
Fort Drum, NY
Oct 11, 2012

For the first time since Fort Drum's expansion after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, all of its three brigade combat teams are back home at the post.

After revolving deployments in two wars, the need for mental health services in the 10th Mountain Division is unprecedented, and complicated.

Suicide rates and substance abuse remain problems throughout the military. Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury are the distinctive injuries of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. At Fort Drum, as in the rest of the military, demand for services is outpacing their availability.

Colonel Mark Thompson is commander of medical services at Fort Drum. He says the post is struggling to fill the gap: "Never has an all-volunteer force fought a 12-year war over a period of time," he says. "We continue to play catch-up because we're experiencing behavioral health care needs that we've never seen before, because we have a population that has not gone through what this population has gone through before."
read more here

Monday, February 27, 2012

Fort Bragg soldier with combat-related medical problems kicked out of Army

Ex-Bragg soldier with combat-related medical problems kicked out of Army
Feb 26, 2012
By Greg Barnes
Staff writer
Contributed photo by Will Baxter
Spc. Devin Johnson, injured in the thights by shrapnel during a firefight with the Taliban in Charkh, Afghanistan, is given emergency medical treatment during his deployment in 2009.

Devin Johnson got out of Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion and the Army in December. A failed drug test and a litany of health problems caused by war saw to that.

The former 10th Mountain Division marksman said he has never used cocaine, but one Army drug screening out of more than 70 came back positive. He believes a legal drug he had been taking mimicked the cocaine.

"I never done it in my life," Johnson said. "I think they were just trying to find something to get on me."

Johnson, who is 23, faced a court-martial and lost. He said he was demoted from specialist to private, stripped of pay and put in a brig in Charleston, S.C., for 30 days.

Shortly after his release from the prison, Johnson said, he was told to gather his belongings. He was leaving the Army on a general discharge under honorable conditions after spending more than two years in Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion.

Now, two Purple Hearts later, Johnson lives with a friend in South Carolina and fights his health problems virtually alone. He said he has stopped taking his medications because he cannot get more until at least April, when he is scheduled for his first appointment with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"I'm just sitting around in pain now," Johnson said.
read more here

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Medal of Honor nominee among 26 vets at Maine "No Boundaries"

Medal of Honor nominee among 26 vets at Maine Adaptive's Veterans/No Boundaries program
By Terry Karkos, Staff Writer
Published on Saturday, Feb 4, 2012

NEWRY — From all outward appearances, Tyler Kurth looked and acted like a Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation volunteer on Friday at Sunday River Ski Resort.

Dressed head to toe in black, Kurth, 28, even wore a bright orange “Guide” vest while helping volunteer Kathy Kroll with her blind skier brother, Carl Kroll.

However, Kurth is one of 26 disabled veterans and active-duty military persons participating with their families in Maine Adaptive's seventh annual Veterans/No Boundaries program this weekend.

A retired captain with the 10th Mountain Division, he now works with the Wounded Warrior Unit at Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y.

Like many of the participating veterans, Kurth is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and physical limitations.

During a patrol on Oct. 2, 2009, with Afghan police in Afghanistan, Kurth was shot three times — in the right leg, right chest and right shoulder — from 4 feet away by an Afghan officer armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.

Kurth used his body to shield a soldier behind him, then saved the lives of two other soldiers and called for help.

Two soldiers were killed, while Kurth and two other soldiers were severely wounded. It was the first such attack of its kind by previously trusted Afghan nationals they'd trained, he said.

For his actions that day, Kurth has been nominated for the Medal of Honor. But on Friday, he just wanted to enjoy Maine Adaptive's program.
read more here

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

10th Mountain Div. Soldier Awarded Soldier's Medal

10th Mountain Div. Soldier Awarded Soldier's Medal for Acts of Heroism

Special to Newzjunky.com
Published December 13, 2011

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — A 10th Mountain Division Soldier who pulled passengers to safety from a burning tour bus July 22 on Interstate 90 was awarded the prestigious Soldier's Medal at the Multipurpose Auditorium on post Tuesday.

Sgt. Jacob J. Perkins, 28, a forward observer with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, stood tall before the loud cheers and applause of his fellow Soldiers, his squadron, brigade and division command groups, New York State Police officials and a Canadian family he helped save from the fire.

"This is a momentous occasion," said Maj. Gen. Mark A. Milley, Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) commander. "If there were bullets flying and it was the Taliban, Sgt. Perkins would be getting the Medal of Honor.

"This medal is a big deal," he said. "It is only the second one in the last five years given out in the 10th Mountain Division and (the second in the history) of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry (Regiment).
read more here

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Longwood soldier killed in Afghanistan on Veterans Day

Longwood soldier killed in Afghanistan


By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel
9:08 p.m. EST, November 12, 2011

A Longwood soldier was killed Friday morning in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, by an roadside bomb, the U.S, Department of Defense announced tonight.

He was on foot when he was killed, but the Army provided no further details.

Pfc. Theodore B. Rushing, 25, was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said.

A cavalry scout, he was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment; 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Fort Drum, N.Y.
read more here

Thursday, October 27, 2011

10th Mountain Division soldier killed in a vehicle rollover at Fort Drum

Calif. soldier died in crash at NY's Fort Drum

Associated Press

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Officials at Fort Drum have released the name of the 10th Mountain Division soldier killed in a vehicle rollover during training at the northern New York Army post.

Officials say 35-year-old Pvt. Michael Koepfle (KOHP'-fuhl) of San Bernardino, Calif., was in a Humvee with two other soldiers who were injured when it crashed Sunday at a training range.
read more here

Monday, October 17, 2011

Palm Bay Florida Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

DOD Identifies Army Casualty
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 881-11
October 16, 2011


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Jeremiah T. Sancho, 23, of Palm Bay, Fla., died Oct. 13 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Widow grieves for Palm Bay soldier killed in Afghanistan

Jerry Sancho, 23, was killed Thursday in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He is pictured with his wife, RaiAnne, 21, during this past Christmas season. / Courtesy photo
Written by
Rick Neale
FLORIDA TODAY

PALM BAY -- During his Army basic-training graduation ceremony in May 2010, Jerry Sancho surprised his longtime girlfriend, RaiAnne Bocco, by dropping to one knee and proposing behind the bleachers at Fort Benning, Ga.

Seven days later, the couple married in the backyard of RaiAnne’s parents’ house in Palm Bay. Jerry’s grandfather, Eddie, an ordained minister, performed the ceremony.

Jerry, 23, an avid comic-book fan and budding artist, was deployed overseas on April 9 as a “mortarman.” The 2007 Palm Bay High graduate was killed Thursday in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense announced.

RaiAnne, 21, learned of her husband’s death the next day while working at the Palm Bay Kmart. By the time her father picked her up and drove her home, an Army chaplain was already waiting at the house.
read more here

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Police searching for Fort Drum soldier after chase

Search for W. Va. soldier who led NY cops on chase

Associated Press

RICHFIELD, N.Y. — A 20-year-old soldier believed to be armed and despondent remains on the run since he escaped from military custody and led police on a multi-county car chase in central New York, police said Friday.

State Trooper Jack Keller said there had been no confirmed sightings of Russell C. Marcum as of Friday afternoon. He said police using dogs and helicopters had broadened the territory they were searching for the camouflage-clad soldier from West Virginia, who they think has a handgun and might be suicidal.

Marcum's parents had just bailed him out of a Jefferson County jail where he was held on a burglary charge when he assaulted a soldier escorting him back to Fort Drum on Thursday night and escaped in his parents' SUV, Keller said. A chase through Madison, Oneida and Otsego counties ended when police damaged the car tires with a spike strip. Marcum then ran into woods near Richfield Springs, south of Utica.
read more here

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fort Drum 10th Mountain Soldier dies of rabies


Fort Drum soldier dies of rabies
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Sep 4, 2011 15:14:18 EDT
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — A Fort Drum soldier has died of rabies believed to have been contracted during service overseas.

Officials at the northern New York Army base say Spc. Kevin R. Shumaker died on Wednesday.

According to a statement, the decorated 24-year-old soldier from Livermore, Calif., was from the 10th Mountain Division.
read more here

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Central Florida soldier killed in Afghanistan

Central Florida soldier killed in Afghanistan
BY MIAMI HERALD STAFF WRITER

A soldier from Central Florida who served in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Friday.

Army Spc. Dennis James Jr., 21 of Deltona, died Wednesday “from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device in Wardak province, Afghanistan,” the Defense Department said in a statement.

James had been a soldier for more than three years and had served in Afghanistan for more than 10 months, according to the Army’s Public Affairs office at Fort Drum, NY.
read more here

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Fort Drum soldier being treated for rabies after deployment

Fort Drum soldier being treated for rabies

Associated Press

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Officials at Fort Drum say they are treating a soldier believed to have contracted rabies during an overseas deployment.

Officials at the northern New York Army post say the unidentified 10th Mountain Division soldier was diagnosed Friday.
read more here

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Military Chaplain tells grieving troops inability to cry is a "blessing"

When I saw the headline, I knew it would be an emotional piece to read. I never expected to be totally pissed off!

Troops from the 10th Mountain Division gathered to honor and grieve for the loss of their friends. They were seeking comfort but instead heard the Chaplain tell them:
“So the numbness you experience, the callous attitude you may have, your inability to cry like normal people during times of grief is not a burden or a curse that you should be concerned about.


It is actually a blessing from God that allows you to continue in this fight.


“You are warriors with hearts of steel that have allowed you to fight a brutal war day in and day out. You are not normal people, you are soldiers, American soldiers who go outside the wire and accomplish your mission in spite of the reality that every step, every movement mounted or dismounted could possibly be your last.”
Yesterday I did a post about how there is more and more demand placed on Chaplains but not enough to go around. DOD manual did no good
The UMT can help Soldiers regain their emotional, psychological, and spiritual strength. The chaplain’s ability to relate religious and spiritual aspects of life to the Soldier’s situation is an essential element of the replenishment process. Chaplains contribute to replenishment by ensuring the following types of religious support:
Providing worship services, sacraments, rites, and ordinances.

Providing memorial services and/or ceremonies honoring the dead.

Assisting with the integration of personnel replacements.

Providing personal counseling to assist Soldiers dealing with the grief process.

Requesting religious resources as required for reinforcing the Soldier’s sense of hope.

Supporting TEM by providing opportunities for Soldiers to talk about their combat experiences and to facilitate integration of the combat experience into their lives.

Providing leadership training and supervision of TEM.

Reconnecting the Soldier to the foundational principles of his personal faith.

Assisting in resolving spiritual, moral, and ethical dilemmas presented by the circumstances of war.
This was issued March 2009. If this is what Chaplains are telling our troops when they are left with the loss of friends, then maybe it goes a long way to explaining why suicides have gone up and why so many still won't ask them for help.

Memorial in Afghanistan stirs soldiers’ emotions as they grapple with combat deaths
By LAURA RAUCH
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 20, 2011
FOB HOWZ-E-MADAD, Afghanistan - A muted laughter echoed under the canopy as a small band of Company C soldiers gathered on a wooden platform.

They talked of small things; unimportant things that made them smile.

But as a gentle music began to play, a somber realism took hold: The members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Regiment, part of the 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y., were there to remember. They took their seats as the other guests settled in around them. Some bowed their heads in prayer. Others began to quietly weep.

A cruel emptiness filled the space as the battalion chaplain, Capt. Omari Thompson, read the names of the soldiers being remembered: Sgt. Edward J. Frank II, 26, of Yonkers, N.Y.; Spc. Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore; Spc. Patrick L. Lay II, 21, of Fletcher, N.C.; Spc. Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Okla.; and Pfc. Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, Calif.
read more here

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Drum Silver Star recipient charged in shooting gun into air?

Drum Silver Star recipient charged in shooting
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 17, 2011 8:02:58 EDT
CHAMPION, N.Y. — A Fort Drum soldier decorated for bravery in Afghanistan has been charged with firing a gun outside a northern New York tavern.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department tells the Watertown Daily Times that Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Olson Jr. of Spencer, Mass., was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.

Sheriff John Burns says the 33-year-old member of the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum fired a handgun into the air late Thursday outside a tavern located near the Army post. No one was injured.

Olson was released from jail after posting a $20,000 bond Monday. It wasn't known if he had a lawyer.

Olson was awarded a Silver Star in May 2010 for helping expel Taliban fighters from a provincial headquarters in Afghanistan and rescuing the governor.
read more here

Sunday, August 14, 2011

5 soldiers from Fort Drum, 10th Mountain killed in Afghanistan IED blast

Uncle of fallen Bradenton soldier, Specialist Patrick Lay, speaks out
11:33 PM, Aug 13, 2011

Written by
Althea Paul
BRADENTON, Fla. - A local family is mourning the loss of a Bradenton soldier who died during combat in Afghanistan.

Army Specialist Patrick Lay died Thursday when an improvised explosive device hit the armored vehicle he was in. He was just 21 years old.

"The last 24 hours have been a very big roller coaster ride of emotions. Anger, because of the conditions, yet so proud because he represented his country," said Lay's uncle, Dale Eason.

Lay was engaged to be married to his high school sweetheart. He graduated from Braden River High School in 2008, where he played football. At the summer graduation ceremony on Saturday, there was a moment of silence in his honor. School officials describe Lay as a fine young man who had character and dedication.

Lay's family says while it is tough to deal with his death, they are so proud of how he died.
read more here

Army identifies 5 soldiers killed in Kandahar
Staff report
Posted : Sunday Aug 14, 2011 11:22:38 EDT
The Army on Sunday identified the five soldiers who died Thursday in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in an improvised explosive device blast.

The soldiers were:

• Sgt. Edward J. Frank II, 26, of Yonkers, N.Y.

• Spc. Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore.

• Spc. Patrick L. Lay II, 21, of Fletcher, N.C.

• Spc. Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Okla.

• Pfc. Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, Calif.

They were assigned to the Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
go here for more information

12 minutes ago
DOD identifies five U.S. troops killed in IED blast in Afghanistan
By LAURA RAUCH
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 14, 2011

COMBAT OUTPOST NALGHAM, Afghanistan — A quiet solemnity has settled in here, and a profound sadness hangs like a fog. The gym that usually blasts with music and clangs with the sound of weights is silent. A painful emptiness pervades the post.

For those in Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Thursday was the worst of days. Five of its soldiers, all from 3rd Platoon’s 1st Squad, were killed when their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle rolled over an improvised explosive device on a desolate road in southern Kandahar province.

“It’s like your family just got ripped out of your heart,” Pfc. Thadius Deloatch said.

On Sunday, the Department of Defense identified those killed in the explosion: Sgt. Edward J. Frank II, 26, of Yonkers, N.Y.; Spc. Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore, Md.; Spc. Patrick L. Lay II, 21, of Fletcher, N.C.; Spc. Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Okla.; Pfc. Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, Calif.

After the explosion Thursday, the battalion chaplain couldn’t get here soon enough. A line of soldiers needing him waited late into the night, and early the next morning. For many, the tears pushed out in waves. For others, solace came in the form of a quiet stoicism.

“I don’t know what to do right now. My whole squad is gone,” Pfc. Jeremy Urzua said. His squad leader, Frank, was among the soldiers killed in the blast and had given him a rare day off Thursday.
read more here

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Jacksonville soldier killed in Afghanistan


Jacksonville soldier killed in Afghanistan
Posted: August 6, 2011 - 12:05am


By Jeff Brumley
Morris News Service
A 21-year-old Jacksonville man is among two soldiers killed Wednesday in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Department of Defense said Friday that Army Pfc. Gil I. Morales Del Valle and Pfc. Cody G. Baker, 19, of Holton, Kan., died in an enemy attack on their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

They were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Wardak province, Afghanistan. The men were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.
read more here
Jacksonville soldier killed in Afghanistan

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Home From Afghanistan to New Battles

There are some stories that pretty much write themselves but usually those stories are due to pictures so powerful words can't even begin to express. This is one of those stories. There are many pictures on this page and they have a story to tell. It is one we have to listen to before it is too late to notice. These men and women are dying AFTER COMBAT and this should bother all of us. The other issue to pay attention to here is the reports about the 10th Mountain and all they went through.

June 7, 2011, 5:00 AM
Home From Afghanistan to New Battles
By JAMES ESTRIN



In Afghanistan with the Third Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, the photojournalist Erin Trieb faced firefights, anxieties about land mines and the strangeness of being the only woman among hundreds of alpha males. Then came the hard part.

Ms. Trieb, 28, said she found it far more daunting to photograph the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder among the same soldiers when they returned to Fort Drum in upstate New York in December 2009. “Almost every soldier I talked to said they were having problems,” she said. These included drug abuse, binge drinking, attempted suicide and spousal abuse.

She would like to do something about it. On Tuesday, Ms. Trieb plans to open the Homecoming Project, a Web site intended to encourage discussion about the aftermath of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to connect soldiers and their families with the assistance they need and to offer opportunities for service to organizations and individuals. She is raising money through Kickstarter to expand the site and keep the project going. In addition, her work will be shown Saturday at the Look 3 photo festival in Charlottesville, Va.

“I‘ve been privileged to see things behind closed doors that others don’t get to see,” Ms. Trieb said. “It’s a sacred exchange that comes with responsibilities.”
read more here
Home From Afghanistan to New Battles

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Specialist’s sacrifice spurs soldiers to reach out to Afghan villagers

Specialist’s sacrifice spurs soldiers to reach out to Afghan villagers
By LAURA RAUCH
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 30, 2011

COMBAT OUTPOST NALGHAM, Afghanistan - Spc. Preston Dennis didn’t have to come back just yet. It had been less than a year since he had left Afghanistan, and the Army owed him more time with his wife before he had to return.

But his new unit, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, was deploying to the Kandahar province. At just 23, he was a veteran and a team leader, and he couldn’t let his men go without him. He and his wife, Heather, signed the official paperwork allowing him to return three months early.

“It’s kind of hard. You want to be there for your family, but once you become a leader, you’re supposed to be there for your military family, too,” said Staff Sgt. Chuck Stevens, Dennis’ squad leader. “That’s what he chose to do.”

A month had passed since Company C arrived in the Nalgham region, just southwest of Kandahar city and about two miles from Sangsar, home of Taliban founder and spiritual leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. Patrols were going out daily, and most were taking small arms fire. Several improvised explosive devices had been uncovered, and a few had blown. More than 10 soldiers had been wounded.

Just before dusk on April 28, soldiers from the third platoon set out on a night patrol near the village of Sarkilla. As they made their way from a poppy field onto a road, an insurgent spotter was perched nearby, quietly waiting to kill them.

Dennis was at the end of the column and one of the last to leave the poppy field. When it was his turn to step into the road, the silent attacker tripped a device, which sent a current of electricity down a wire to a buried IED. The earth beneath Dennis ripped open in a violent explosion of debris and smoke.
read more here
Specialist’s sacrifice spurs soldiers to reach out to Afghan villagers

Thursday, May 19, 2011

10th Mountain Soldier in custody after shooting at Fort Drum

Soldier in custody after shooting at Fort Drum
Fort Drum (WSYR-TV) - A Fort Drum soldier is in custody after a domestic dispute in which shots were fired and a woman was injured.

read more here
Soldier in custody after shooting at Fort Drum

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Army is investigating death of Fort Drum soldier

Army is investigating death of Fort Drum soldier
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2011
FORT DRUM — The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the non-combat-related death of a 10th Mountain Division soldier last month in the final days of his Afghan deployment.

Spc. Andrew P. Wade, 22, of Antioch, Ill., died March 10 in Kunduz, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered March 7.
read more here
Army is investigating death of Fort Drum soldier

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Spc. Keith Buzinski Soldier from Daytona Beach killed in Afghanistan

Soldier from Daytona Beach killed in Afghanistan
By Anika Myers Palm, Orlando Sentinel
1:52 p.m. EDT, April 9, 2011
The Department of Defense announced today that a Daytona Beach man died this week while serving with the U.S. Army as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Keith Buzinski, 26, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30 Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y.
Soldier from Daytona Beach killed in Afghanistan