‘I Am a United States F***in’ Ranger and This Guy Is Not!’:
Things Get Heated When Two Vets Confront Man Wearing Military Clothing
The Blaze
Oliver Darcy
Mar. 17, 2014
A new video posted online shows a pair of veterans confront an individual they say has recently been walking around a California college posing as an Army Ranger.
Published to YouTube Wednesday, the footage appears to capture Army Veteran Kristopher Vieira and an ex-Army Ranger confront an unidentified individual allegedly strutting Ranger, E.O.D. and 101st Airborne tabs — all while wearing an E-8 rank.
read more here
Watch the confrontation (content warning: vulgar language)
Showing posts with label Army Ranger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army Ranger. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Army Ranger Earns Silver Star at Eglin Air Force Base
Army Ranger Earns Silver Star
Army.mil/News
by Aniesa Holmes
Mar 12, 2014
FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Fuentes was presented the Silver Star Medal March 4 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., for his actions in 2011 during an insurgent attack in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
Fuentes, who is now with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion, was presented the Silver Star by Maj. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Fort Benning's commanding general.
While serving as a platoon sergeant for B Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in October 2011, Fuentes led the defense of Shal Mountain during Operation Rugged Sarak. For more than a week, the company was in near-continuous enemy contact as insurgents sought to defeat coalition efforts to build a permanent Afghan base.
Fuentes, under heavy recoilless, rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire, led the defense of his lightly armed and undermanned section and repelled a nighttime enemy attack intent on overrunning his patrol base. He supervised the casualty collection point and enabled the successful evacuation of nine casualties.
Fuentes said he could only think of the men who fought beside him as he received the medal.
read more here
Army.mil/News
by Aniesa Holmes
Mar 12, 2014
Fuentes, who is now with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion, was presented the Silver Star by Maj. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Fort Benning's commanding general.
While serving as a platoon sergeant for B Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in October 2011, Fuentes led the defense of Shal Mountain during Operation Rugged Sarak. For more than a week, the company was in near-continuous enemy contact as insurgents sought to defeat coalition efforts to build a permanent Afghan base.
Fuentes, under heavy recoilless, rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire, led the defense of his lightly armed and undermanned section and repelled a nighttime enemy attack intent on overrunning his patrol base. He supervised the casualty collection point and enabled the successful evacuation of nine casualties.
Fuentes said he could only think of the men who fought beside him as he received the medal.
read more here
Friday, February 7, 2014
Army Ranger MOH Petry to retire
MoH recipient Petry ponders future after retirement
Army Times
By Michelle Tan
Staff writer
Feb. 6, 2014
In the almost three years since he was awarded the Medal of Honor, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry has met three presidents, shared a photo with basketball star LeBron James and rapper Jay-Z, and hitched a ride with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
But as he prepares to leave the Army, Petry said he’s still the same Ranger and man he always was.
Earning the nation’s highest award for valor “changed a lot of my activities, but I think, as a person, it hasn’t changed me at all,” Petry said.
“I don’t have to wear that [medal] around my neck 24/7,” he said. “I get to hold on to it, but it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to every man and woman who has served in the U.S. military, especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Petry, who is still assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and works with wounded soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., is undergoing a medical evaluation and hopes to be medically retired this summer.
read more here
Army Times
By Michelle Tan
Staff writer
Feb. 6, 2014
Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry poses with New York Police Department officials.
(Sgt. 1st Class Michael R. Noggle/Army)
In the almost three years since he was awarded the Medal of Honor, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry has met three presidents, shared a photo with basketball star LeBron James and rapper Jay-Z, and hitched a ride with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
But as he prepares to leave the Army, Petry said he’s still the same Ranger and man he always was.
Earning the nation’s highest award for valor “changed a lot of my activities, but I think, as a person, it hasn’t changed me at all,” Petry said.
“I don’t have to wear that [medal] around my neck 24/7,” he said. “I get to hold on to it, but it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to every man and woman who has served in the U.S. military, especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Petry, who is still assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and works with wounded soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., is undergoing a medical evaluation and hopes to be medically retired this summer.
read more here
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
The rest of the story of Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg
UPDATE, The video on the DAV speech given by President Obama went viral since last night.
I was on a temp job yesterday and had to leave work a little early to go to a memorial service. The service was attended by mostly veterans gathered together to remember the son of one of the veterans. I was not able to watch the whole State of the Union speech President Obama gave. I won't be able to find out what else he said until much later today.
What I did see was the end. That was when President Obama talked about the troops and our disabled veterans.
Obama pointed out one of the guests, Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg. It was not the first time I heard him talk about this Army Ranger. His story was told to thousands at the DAV convention in August.
I filmed President Obama at the DAV convention and you can hear the entire 45 minutes of his speech broken up by subject.
Rightly so, Cory was given a standing ovation.
During President Obama's speech at the DAV he saved Cory's story for last part of his speech. There was the same reaction to Cory there as well. Michelle Obama talked about a Marine, Cpl. Perez and how so many risked their lives to get him to the help he needed with a live RPG in his leg.
I believe they do care about the troops and our veterans. Michelle has been very active for them and their families. President Obama vowed to do whatever he could to reduce suicides. That is the most depressing thing in all of this because as more has been done for them, what is happening to them has not been met with solutions that work and no one has been held accountable. Suicides among the troops and veterans has gone up during a time when there has never been more to help them heal.
As I listened to the rest of President Obama's speech, I was waiting to hear that things were going to change for them but the speech ended and so did the lives of at least 22 veterans yesterday.
I was on a temp job yesterday and had to leave work a little early to go to a memorial service. The service was attended by mostly veterans gathered together to remember the son of one of the veterans. I was not able to watch the whole State of the Union speech President Obama gave. I won't be able to find out what else he said until much later today.
What I did see was the end. That was when President Obama talked about the troops and our disabled veterans.
Obama pointed out one of the guests, Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg. It was not the first time I heard him talk about this Army Ranger. His story was told to thousands at the DAV convention in August.
Aug 11, 2013
Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg The Army Ranger was injured in Afghanistan in 2009 on his 10th tour of duty.
I filmed President Obama at the DAV convention and you can hear the entire 45 minutes of his speech broken up by subject.
Rightly so, Cory was given a standing ovation.
Cory Remsburg's Heartwrenching Story Draws Standing Ovation At The State Of The Union Address
The Huffington Post
By Paige Lavender
Posted: 01/28/2014
Army Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg received a standing ovation after President Barack Obama told his story during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Remsburg, who sat next to First Lady Michelle Obama during the speech, was injured by a roadside bomb during his 10th deployment. Remsburg was in a coma for three months and partially paralyzed. Obama noted in his speech the soldier is still blind in one eye and "struggles on his left side."
"[S]lowly, steadily, with the support of caregivers like his dad Craig, and the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. Day by day, he’s learned to speak again and stand again and walk again – and he’s working toward the day when he can serve his country again," Obama said. "'My recovery has not been easy,' he says. 'Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.'"
"Cory is here tonight. And like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit," Obama continued.
read more here
During President Obama's speech at the DAV he saved Cory's story for last part of his speech. There was the same reaction to Cory there as well. Michelle Obama talked about a Marine, Cpl. Perez and how so many risked their lives to get him to the help he needed with a live RPG in his leg.
Aug 10, 2013 First Lady Obama spoke at the DAV convention in Orlando today and told about the men and women she has met in the military and how they inspire her. She also talked about Marine Cpl. Winder Perez wounded with a live RPG in his leg. Of the Marines risking their lives to save his, of the helicopter crew risking their's and the bomb tech risking her life.
I believe they do care about the troops and our veterans. Michelle has been very active for them and their families. President Obama vowed to do whatever he could to reduce suicides. That is the most depressing thing in all of this because as more has been done for them, what is happening to them has not been met with solutions that work and no one has been held accountable. Suicides among the troops and veterans has gone up during a time when there has never been more to help them heal.
As I listened to the rest of President Obama's speech, I was waiting to hear that things were going to change for them but the speech ended and so did the lives of at least 22 veterans yesterday.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Judge rules FBI must train amputee Army Ranger soon
Wisconsin veteran who lost hand must get FBI training soon, judge rules
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Bruce Vielmetti
Published: November 23, 2013
MILWAUKEE — The war veteran who won his case to become the first FBI agent with a prosthetic hand must be returned to individual training by April, a federal judge ruled Friday — unless the FBI knows by March that it will have a new class of trainees starting by June.
Oak Creek native Justin Slaby, 30, was dismissed from agent training in 2011 just six weeks into the 21-week program after officials decided he couldn't safely fire his weapon with his artificial hand. He sued, and a federal jury in Virginia found the FBI had discriminated against Slaby and ordered him back to training.
After the verdict, the FBI argued it would be too difficult, and not effective, to train Slaby as a "class of one," but it couldn't control or know when the next training class would begin, due to federal budget cuts. That would have effectively left Slaby in limbo and could have delayed his training indefinitely if the government remained subject to sequester cuts.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ruled that, given Slaby's prior and uncompleted FBI training, his experience as an Army Ranger, and his continued role as non-agent member of FBI hostage rescue teams, the FBI could effectively train him to agent standards outside the usual group setting.
read more here
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Bruce Vielmetti
Published: November 23, 2013
MILWAUKEE — The war veteran who won his case to become the first FBI agent with a prosthetic hand must be returned to individual training by April, a federal judge ruled Friday — unless the FBI knows by March that it will have a new class of trainees starting by June.
Oak Creek native Justin Slaby, 30, was dismissed from agent training in 2011 just six weeks into the 21-week program after officials decided he couldn't safely fire his weapon with his artificial hand. He sued, and a federal jury in Virginia found the FBI had discriminated against Slaby and ordered him back to training.
After the verdict, the FBI argued it would be too difficult, and not effective, to train Slaby as a "class of one," but it couldn't control or know when the next training class would begin, due to federal budget cuts. That would have effectively left Slaby in limbo and could have delayed his training indefinitely if the government remained subject to sequester cuts.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ruled that, given Slaby's prior and uncompleted FBI training, his experience as an Army Ranger, and his continued role as non-agent member of FBI hostage rescue teams, the FBI could effectively train him to agent standards outside the usual group setting.
read more here
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Army Rangers honor bravery of Capt. Jennifer Moreno at memorial
Memorial for feisty Madigan nurse Moreno salutes her bravery in Afghanistan
The Olympian
Adam Ashton
Staff Writer
Published: November 2, 2013
They told themselves they should have been the ones to take that dangerous mission with a team of Army Rangers instead of the feisty medic from San Diego with the broad smile.
But as the days wore on after the Oct. 6 bombings that killed four soldiers and wounded 30 more, Moreno’s friend and commander Capt. Amanda King realized it “couldn’t have happened any other way.”
Only Moreno, 25, had the bravery to race through a heavily mined village to try to save wounded Rangers.
“None of us would have done what you did, running into hell to save your wounded brothers, knowing full well you probably wouldn’t make it back,” King wrote in eulogy to her friend.
read more here
The Olympian
Adam Ashton
Staff Writer
Published: November 2, 2013
Col. Stephen Yoest, foreground, deputy commander for clinical services at Madigan Army Medical Center; Lt. Col. Timothy O’Haver, Madigan chief of staff; Col. Lena Gaudreau, deputy commander for nursing; and Chaplain Lt. Col. Jimmy Davis leave flowers at a newly dedicated memorial Friday at Madigan in memory of Capt. Jennifer Moreno, a medic killed while on a mission in Afghanistan.The death of Army nurse Capt. Jennifer Moreno in Afghanistan last month devastated her teammates.
DEAN J. KOEPFLER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
They told themselves they should have been the ones to take that dangerous mission with a team of Army Rangers instead of the feisty medic from San Diego with the broad smile.
But as the days wore on after the Oct. 6 bombings that killed four soldiers and wounded 30 more, Moreno’s friend and commander Capt. Amanda King realized it “couldn’t have happened any other way.”
Only Moreno, 25, had the bravery to race through a heavily mined village to try to save wounded Rangers.
“None of us would have done what you did, running into hell to save your wounded brothers, knowing full well you probably wouldn’t make it back,” King wrote in eulogy to her friend.
read more here
Monday, October 21, 2013
Famous Salute Wounded Solider Healing in Texas
Wounded soldier who gave salute returns to US
Cincinnati.com
Cliff Radel
October 19, 2013
Josh Hargis, the wounded soldier from Cincinnati whose salute from his hospital bed remains an Internet sensation, is back on American soil.
The U.S. Army Ranger arrived in Texas for treatment at the San Antonio Military Medical Center “late Tuesday night,” said his mother, Laura Heitman of Westwood.
Hargis, 24, a 2007 graduate of Dater High School and a University of Cincinnati student for a year before entering the Army, suffered extensive wounds in Afghanistan on Oct. 6. He was caught in a series of blasts from 13 improvised explosive devices. The blasts claimed the lives of four members of Hargis’ 3rd Army Ranger Battalion and wounded 12.
After Cpl. Hargis emerged from surgery that day, his commanding officer presented him with the Purple Heart. The dozens of people in Hargis’ room assumed he was unconscious during the medal presentation. He was not.
read more here
Wounded Soldier's Salute
Cincinnati.com
Cliff Radel
October 19, 2013
Josh Hargis, now 24 -- as of 10-18-13 -- and an Army Ranger with the rank of corporal, shown earlier in his Army career in his boot camp graduation photo. / Provided
Josh Hargis, the wounded soldier from Cincinnati whose salute from his hospital bed remains an Internet sensation, is back on American soil.
The U.S. Army Ranger arrived in Texas for treatment at the San Antonio Military Medical Center “late Tuesday night,” said his mother, Laura Heitman of Westwood.
Hargis, 24, a 2007 graduate of Dater High School and a University of Cincinnati student for a year before entering the Army, suffered extensive wounds in Afghanistan on Oct. 6. He was caught in a series of blasts from 13 improvised explosive devices. The blasts claimed the lives of four members of Hargis’ 3rd Army Ranger Battalion and wounded 12.
After Cpl. Hargis emerged from surgery that day, his commanding officer presented him with the Purple Heart. The dozens of people in Hargis’ room assumed he was unconscious during the medal presentation. He was not.
read more here
Wounded Soldier's Salute
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wounded Soldier's Salute
Wounded soldier's salute becomes Internet sensation
Ranger wounded during capture operation
WESH News
Jay Murdock
Oct 16, 2013
CINCINNATI —A photo of a Cincinnati native wounded during an operation in Afghanistan this month is showing up all over the Internet.
According to his wife's Oct. 12 Facebook post and a post on Guardians of Valor, Army Ranger Josh Hargis was seriously wounded the week before during a capture operation when a woman detonated a suicide vest. Four members of his team were killed.
Taylor Hargis said that she got a note and a photo from Hargis' commander that described what happened when he was giving her husband a Purple Heart at the hospital where Hargis was being treated.
"Josh, whom everybody in the room (over 50 people) assumed to be unconscious, began to move his right arm under the blanket in a diligent effort to salute the Commander as is customary during these ceremonies. Despite his wounds, wrappings, tubes, and pain, Josh fought the doctor who was trying to restrain his right arm and rendered the most beautiful salute any person in that room had ever seen," the note read.
read more here
Ranger wounded during capture operation
WESH News
Jay Murdock
Oct 16, 2013
CINCINNATI —A photo of a Cincinnati native wounded during an operation in Afghanistan this month is showing up all over the Internet.
Taylor Hargis said that she got a note and a photo from Hargis' commander that described what happened when he was giving her husband a Purple Heart at the hospital where Hargis was being treated.
"Josh, whom everybody in the room (over 50 people) assumed to be unconscious, began to move his right arm under the blanket in a diligent effort to salute the Commander as is customary during these ceremonies. Despite his wounds, wrappings, tubes, and pain, Josh fought the doctor who was trying to restrain his right arm and rendered the most beautiful salute any person in that room had ever seen," the note read.
read more here
Sunday, August 11, 2013
President Obama talks about Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg
Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg
The Army Ranger was injured in Afghanistan in 2009 on his 10th tour of duty.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Army Ranger vet representing Sox at All-Star Game
Army Ranger vet representing Sox at All-Star Game
MLB.com
By Jacob Thorpe
7/10/2013
SEATTLE -- In a profession of heroes, Joe "Kap" Kapacziewski stands out. The soldier underwent 42 surgeries on his leg after a grenade explosion badly wounded Kapacziewski in Iraq in 2005. Still, the doctors couldn't fix his leg and were forced to amputate. That sacrifice made Kapacziewski a hero. It's what he did next that will make him a legend.
With a prosthetic limb where his right leg used to be, Kapacziewski returned to active combat with the Army Airborne Rangers, the first ever to do so after an amputation.
Kapacziewski went on to serve five additional combat deployments, and in 2010, he saved a fellow soldier's life by dragging the wounded warrior to safety despite heavy enemy gunfire. Now Kapacziewski mentors other veterans with Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound.
For that extraordinary bravery and service, Kapacziewski was recognized on Wednesday when Major League Baseball and People Magazine announced him as the Red Sox's representative among the 30 winners of their "Tribute for Heroes" campaign. This nationwide initiative aims to honor service members while supporting Welcome Back Veterans, which addresses the needs of veterans returning from combat.
read more here
MLB.com
By Jacob Thorpe
7/10/2013
SEATTLE -- In a profession of heroes, Joe "Kap" Kapacziewski stands out. The soldier underwent 42 surgeries on his leg after a grenade explosion badly wounded Kapacziewski in Iraq in 2005. Still, the doctors couldn't fix his leg and were forced to amputate. That sacrifice made Kapacziewski a hero. It's what he did next that will make him a legend.
With a prosthetic limb where his right leg used to be, Kapacziewski returned to active combat with the Army Airborne Rangers, the first ever to do so after an amputation.
Kapacziewski went on to serve five additional combat deployments, and in 2010, he saved a fellow soldier's life by dragging the wounded warrior to safety despite heavy enemy gunfire. Now Kapacziewski mentors other veterans with Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound.
For that extraordinary bravery and service, Kapacziewski was recognized on Wednesday when Major League Baseball and People Magazine announced him as the Red Sox's representative among the 30 winners of their "Tribute for Heroes" campaign. This nationwide initiative aims to honor service members while supporting Welcome Back Veterans, which addresses the needs of veterans returning from combat.
read more here
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
How to survive coming home with PTSD De-Tour
PTSD De-Tour will be about veterans and their families (including current military) trying to heal from PTSD. In other words, if it isn't about Combat PTSD, it won't be on De-Tour. I thought you'd like that.
Go over there now and read the latest news report from USA Today about the stresses on families of Special Forces war fighters. I bet it is something you never read before.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
A veteran's journey from the brink of suicide
How is this good reporting? Miller came close to committing suicide "five years ago" but they added in the wrong number of successful suicides from last year. Will they ever get this right?
A veteran's journey from the brink of suicide
AP
CBS
June 25, 2013
WASHINGTON Five years ago, Joe Miller, then an Army Ranger captain with three Iraq tours under his belt, sat inside his home near Fort Bragg holding a cocked Beretta 40mm, and prepared to kill himself.
He didn't pull the trigger. So Miller's name wasn't added to the list of active-duty U.S. military men and women who have committed suicide. That tally reached 350 last year, a record pace of nearly one a day. That's more than the 295 American troops who were killed in Afghanistan in the same year.
"I didn't see any hope for me at the time. Everything kind of fell apart," Miller said.
"Helplessness, worthlessness. I had been having really serious panic attacks. I had been hospitalized for a while." He said he pulled back at the last minute when he recalled how he had battled the enemy in Iraq, and decided he would fight his own depression and post-traumatic stress.
read more here
Monday, June 17, 2013
Military plans would put women in most combat jobs
Military plans would put women in most combat jobs
Associated Press
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
June 17, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — Women may be able to start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later under plans set to be announced by the Pentagon that would slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in elite special operations forces.
Details of the plans were obtained by The Associated Press. They call for requiring women and men to meet the same physical and mental standards to quality for certain infantry, armor, commando and other front-line positions across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reviewed the plans and has ordered the services to move ahead.
The move, expected to be announced Tuesday, follows revelations of a startling number of sexual assaults in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the sexual assaults might be linked to the longstanding ban on women serving in combat because the disparity between the roles of men and women creates separate classes of personnel — male "warriors" versus the rest of the force.
read more here
Associated Press
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
June 17, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — Women may be able to start training as Army Rangers by mid-2015 and as Navy SEALs a year later under plans set to be announced by the Pentagon that would slowly bring women into thousands of combat jobs, including those in elite special operations forces.
Details of the plans were obtained by The Associated Press. They call for requiring women and men to meet the same physical and mental standards to quality for certain infantry, armor, commando and other front-line positions across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reviewed the plans and has ordered the services to move ahead.
The move, expected to be announced Tuesday, follows revelations of a startling number of sexual assaults in the armed forces. Earlier this year, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the sexual assaults might be linked to the longstanding ban on women serving in combat because the disparity between the roles of men and women creates separate classes of personnel — male "warriors" versus the rest of the force.
read more here
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Army Ranger killed in parachute accident only back a month from Afghanistan
Christopher P. Dona Dead: Army Identifies Massachusetts Ranger Killed During Parachute Training
Huffington Post
AP
06/15/13
ATLANTA — The U.S. Army Ranger killed in an apparent parachuting mishap was a 21-year-old veteran from Massachusetts who recently returned from Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.
Pfc. Christopher P. Dona was found dead Thursday with parachute cords and canvas straps from a harness wrapped around his neck after a routine training jump at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia. It was not immediately clear what caused the fatality. Army authorities are investigating the incident.
An Army spokesman earlier said Dona's parachute seemed to work normally during the jump. When he landed, wind filled the parachute's canopy, dragging Dona about 350 feet along the ground. Dona was unconscious by the time fellow soldiers reached him.
Dona served in the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. He was a combat veteran who returned last month from his first deployment to Afghanistan.
read more here
Huffington Post
AP
06/15/13
ATLANTA — The U.S. Army Ranger killed in an apparent parachuting mishap was a 21-year-old veteran from Massachusetts who recently returned from Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.
Pfc. Christopher P. Dona was found dead Thursday with parachute cords and canvas straps from a harness wrapped around his neck after a routine training jump at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia. It was not immediately clear what caused the fatality. Army authorities are investigating the incident.
An Army spokesman earlier said Dona's parachute seemed to work normally during the jump. When he landed, wind filled the parachute's canopy, dragging Dona about 350 feet along the ground. Dona was unconscious by the time fellow soldiers reached him.
Dona served in the 1st Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. He was a combat veteran who returned last month from his first deployment to Afghanistan.
read more here
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Army Ranger died after 6 tours at the age of 26
There are so many stories out there the general public never knows unless they happen in their own hometowns. Staff Sgt. Ryan Coyer passed away a year ago at the age of 26 and after 6 tours of duty. Think about that for a second and then think about all the others going through that many deployments. Then think about the others doing even more tours in our name.
read more here
Family grieves for soldier who died after six tours of duty
By Elizabeth Chuck
Staff Writer
NBC News
March 12, 2013
At 26, Staff Sgt. Ryan Coyer already had a lifetime of accomplishments: four tours to Afghanistan, two tours to Iraq, and being named a member of the elite U.S. Army Rangers.
On Monday, the eve of the one-year anniversary of Coyer’s death, his family gathered at his graveside to commemorate that lifetime of accomplishments, unexpectedly cut short when Coyer died of cardiac arrest.
"The kid could do anything he wanted as long as he put his mind to it," Anthony Coyer, Ryan’s father, told Michigan’s MLive.com last year of his son, who was born in Nashville but grew up in Saginaw, Mich., playing football and frequently landing on the honor roll. "He wouldn't admit that."
Kevin Lamarque / ReutersLesleigh Coyer, 25, of Saginaw, Michigan, lies down in front of the grave of her brother, Ryan Coyer, who served with the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on March 11, 2013. Coyer died one year ago.
read more here
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Green Beret in the classroom
Green Beret in the classroom
By Bayne Hughes
The Decatur Daily, Ala.
Published: February 15, 2013
ATHENS, Ala. - Col. Eli Ballard believes he found the perfect retirement transition from life as a tough guy in the U.S. Army special forces.
The 56-year-old became the lead instructor for the Athens High School JROTC, giving himself a chance to provide the same inspiration he received as a teenager.
Ballard has gone from serving in the Green Beret and Rangers Airborne to high school teacher. He ended his Army career as brigade commander at Redstone Arsenal.
"I'm still working with young people who are trying to discover their place in life," Ballard said.
read more here
By Bayne Hughes
The Decatur Daily, Ala.
Published: February 15, 2013
ATHENS, Ala. - Col. Eli Ballard believes he found the perfect retirement transition from life as a tough guy in the U.S. Army special forces.
The 56-year-old became the lead instructor for the Athens High School JROTC, giving himself a chance to provide the same inspiration he received as a teenager.
Ballard has gone from serving in the Green Beret and Rangers Airborne to high school teacher. He ended his Army career as brigade commander at Redstone Arsenal.
"I'm still working with young people who are trying to discover their place in life," Ballard said.
read more here
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Army Ranger honors Iraqi teenager
To a family in Iraq, I owe a debt I can’t repay
Washington Post
By Blake Hall
Published: January 11
I wired $1,000 to a woman in Iraq on New Year’s Eve. I sent it to repay part of a debt that I, and my country, will always owe. As I looked down at the $100 bills, stacked in two piles on the counter of a Western Union in McLean, I was overwhelmed by my inability to do more for this woman. There is no amount of money that can compensate a mother for the loss of her oldest son.
His name was Mohammed; we called him Roy to protect his identity while he accompanied my platoon of scouts and snipers on combat patrols in Baghdad from December 2006 to September 2007. Roy, a mere teenager at the time, was our interpreter — and a highly skilled one. He questioned insurgent leaders we had captured; he served as my eyes and ears among the local population; he was like a younger brother to me and the scout team leader responsible for him. Roy died in a house bombing in Diyala province in January 2008 along with sixAmerican soldiers from the platoon that replaced mine in Iraq. I cry every time I write that sentence, just like I cried the first time I spoke with his mom.
read more here
Washington Post
By Blake Hall
Published: January 11
Blake Hall - A teenage Iraqi interpreter, with the code name "Roy," served with a reconnaisance platoon in Iraq in 2007.Blake Hall, an Army Ranger, led a reconnaissance platoon in Iraq for 15 months from 2006 to 2007. He is the founder and chief executive of Troop ID, an online service to verify military affiliation.
I wired $1,000 to a woman in Iraq on New Year’s Eve. I sent it to repay part of a debt that I, and my country, will always owe. As I looked down at the $100 bills, stacked in two piles on the counter of a Western Union in McLean, I was overwhelmed by my inability to do more for this woman. There is no amount of money that can compensate a mother for the loss of her oldest son.
His name was Mohammed; we called him Roy to protect his identity while he accompanied my platoon of scouts and snipers on combat patrols in Baghdad from December 2006 to September 2007. Roy, a mere teenager at the time, was our interpreter — and a highly skilled one. He questioned insurgent leaders we had captured; he served as my eyes and ears among the local population; he was like a younger brother to me and the scout team leader responsible for him. Roy died in a house bombing in Diyala province in January 2008 along with sixAmerican soldiers from the platoon that replaced mine in Iraq. I cry every time I write that sentence, just like I cried the first time I spoke with his mom.
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Sunday, December 2, 2012
New Jersey suicide victim was an Army veteran, outdoorsman
Franklin suicide victim was an Army veteran, outdoorsman
New Jersey Herald
By ROB JENNINGS
December 1, 2012
FRANKLIN — With much public attention on Michael John Elekes' final tragic hours, his survivors sought to portray a fuller picture of his life in an obituary released to the media Nov. 30.
Elekes, 53, fatally shot himself Nov. 19 inside the Auche Drive home he shared with his parents, hours after shooting his mother, who survived, and holding his father hostage.
Following a private memorial service — the date was not disclosed — his family offered some insights into the lifelong Franklin resident, grandfather, U.S. Army veteran, heavy equipment operator and accomplished outdoorsman.
Michael Elekes, in 1991, donated a kidney to his elder brother, James, who has diabetes.
Several years later, he organized a blood drive when James required open-heart surgery, "offering to donate vascular material should it be required for James to complete successful surgery," according to the obituary prepared by his family and released Friday by F. John Ramsey Funeral Home in Franklin.
The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has not disclosed a motive in connection with the standoff at 30 Auche Drive, which lasted for more than seven hours and drew approximately 70 law enforcement officers.
Anna Elekes, 77, was wounded in the abdomen and leg — possibly with birdshot, according to Franklin Police Detective Nevin Mattessich — upon fleeing the house when three Franklin police officers pulled up outside her home around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.
She had called 9-1-1 to report her son was threatening her with a shotgun.
Elekes, at some point during a seven-hour standoff, released his 79-year-old father, James.
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New Jersey Herald
By ROB JENNINGS
December 1, 2012
FRANKLIN — With much public attention on Michael John Elekes' final tragic hours, his survivors sought to portray a fuller picture of his life in an obituary released to the media Nov. 30.
Elekes, 53, fatally shot himself Nov. 19 inside the Auche Drive home he shared with his parents, hours after shooting his mother, who survived, and holding his father hostage.
Following a private memorial service — the date was not disclosed — his family offered some insights into the lifelong Franklin resident, grandfather, U.S. Army veteran, heavy equipment operator and accomplished outdoorsman.
Michael Elekes, in 1991, donated a kidney to his elder brother, James, who has diabetes.
Several years later, he organized a blood drive when James required open-heart surgery, "offering to donate vascular material should it be required for James to complete successful surgery," according to the obituary prepared by his family and released Friday by F. John Ramsey Funeral Home in Franklin.
The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has not disclosed a motive in connection with the standoff at 30 Auche Drive, which lasted for more than seven hours and drew approximately 70 law enforcement officers.
Anna Elekes, 77, was wounded in the abdomen and leg — possibly with birdshot, according to Franklin Police Detective Nevin Mattessich — upon fleeing the house when three Franklin police officers pulled up outside her home around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.
She had called 9-1-1 to report her son was threatening her with a shotgun.
Elekes, at some point during a seven-hour standoff, released his 79-year-old father, James.
read more here
Monday, November 5, 2012
1st. LT. Nick Vogt Alive Day after 300 fought for him
Lieutenant journeys back from the dead
How more than 300 troops rallied to save one soldier
Army Times
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 5, 2012
Nick Vogt graduated from West Point in 2010 with an acceptance to medical school and plans to become one of the Army’s top trauma surgeons.
But first, the Ohio-born 22-year-old wanted to understand the physical and mental demands on an infantryman in combat. So he went to Ranger School and Airborne and landed with 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, first in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and later, Afghanistan.
“It felt necessary for me to go out there, to experience what the soldiers experience, so when I’m a doctor, I’ll know,” said Vogt, now 24.
In Panjwai, near Kandahar, Vogt’s affable demeanor and willingness to learn quickly earned his men’s allegiance.
“I really liked the guy. He was really motivated to get out there and work with us,” recalled team leader Sgt. Adam Lundy.
But within two months, the popular lieutenant would be clinically dead, having taken a wrong step onto an improvised explosive device.
And what happened afterward is now a chapter in the annals of military medicine.
On Nov. 12, Vogt, now a first lieutenant, will celebrate his first “Alive Day,” the anniversary of the day both his legs were shorn off by a makeshift bomb.
read more here
How more than 300 troops rallied to save one soldier
Army Times
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 5, 2012
Nick Vogt graduated from West Point in 2010 with an acceptance to medical school and plans to become one of the Army’s top trauma surgeons.
But first, the Ohio-born 22-year-old wanted to understand the physical and mental demands on an infantryman in combat. So he went to Ranger School and Airborne and landed with 1st Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, first in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and later, Afghanistan.
“It felt necessary for me to go out there, to experience what the soldiers experience, so when I’m a doctor, I’ll know,” said Vogt, now 24.
In Panjwai, near Kandahar, Vogt’s affable demeanor and willingness to learn quickly earned his men’s allegiance.
“I really liked the guy. He was really motivated to get out there and work with us,” recalled team leader Sgt. Adam Lundy.
But within two months, the popular lieutenant would be clinically dead, having taken a wrong step onto an improvised explosive device.
And what happened afterward is now a chapter in the annals of military medicine.
On Nov. 12, Vogt, now a first lieutenant, will celebrate his first “Alive Day,” the anniversary of the day both his legs were shorn off by a makeshift bomb.
read more here
Sunday, October 28, 2012
4 Army Rangers honored for valor
4 Army Rangers honored for valor
Stars and Stripes
By MEGAN MCCLOSKEY
Published: October 27, 2012
HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. — On a day when the Army’s top general was on hand to recognize an entire battalion for gallantry in Afghanistan, four soldiers stood out.
Sgt. Craig Warfle was pinned with the Distinguished Service Cross, marking him as the first Army Ranger in the post-9/11 era to earn the nation’s second highest honor for valor in combat.
Three Silver Stars were awarded to Sgt. Michael Ross, Staff Sgt. Dominic Annecchini and Sgt. Christopher Coray.
read more here
Stars and Stripes
By MEGAN MCCLOSKEY
Published: October 27, 2012
HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. — On a day when the Army’s top general was on hand to recognize an entire battalion for gallantry in Afghanistan, four soldiers stood out.
Sgt. Craig Warfle was pinned with the Distinguished Service Cross, marking him as the first Army Ranger in the post-9/11 era to earn the nation’s second highest honor for valor in combat.
Three Silver Stars were awarded to Sgt. Michael Ross, Staff Sgt. Dominic Annecchini and Sgt. Christopher Coray.
read more here
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