Fort Campbell soldier dies in training accident
The Leaf-Chronicle
July 27, 2014
FORT POLK, La. – A 101st Airborne soldier died during training on Thursday during what was termed "a routine vehicle movement to a training area" at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana..
According to a spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Sgt. Tyler A. Zody, 20, died as a result of an accident involving one vehicle that also injured three soldiers.
The incident is under investigation.
Zody was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Rakkasans" at Fort Campbell as a senior sniper.
"Tyler was a dedicated and talented young NCO," said Lt. Col. Marc Cloutier, Commander of the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. "The Leader Battalion family will miss him dearly."
A native of Flemming Island, Florida, Zody was born Aug. 21, 1993. After he enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 2011, Zody completed basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, as an infantryman. After graduating from training, he was assigned as a grenadier in Company A, 1st Bn, 187th Inf. Rgt in December of the same year.
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Showing posts with label Fort Campbell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Campbell. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2014
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Screaming Eagles need help to build monument at Fort Campbell
Funds needed to build monument to 'Screaming Eagles'
Army Times
By Kathleen Curthoys
Staff report
Jul. 12, 2014
The Screaming Eagle aviation soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have flown and died and become legend in decades of missions, from Quang Tri province, Vietnam, to Kunar province, Afghanistan.
What’s missing from the astounding history of the 101st Airborne is a memorial to the aviation soldiers on their home terrain of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Four men are on a mission to fix that, and they’re calling out to Screaming Eagles, past and present.
They are working toward a memorial to be dedicated to the Screaming Eagle aviation soldiers of the 101st, and the names of their hundreds of fallen brethren will be inscribed on a wall at the site.
“We’re an all-volunteer force of about four individuals trying to make this happen,” said retired Col. J. Scott Schisser of the nonprofit Screaming Eagle Aviation Association, which works to support the soldiers and families of the 101st and 159th Combat Aviation Brigades. “The memorial is long overdue, and all of the elements are now in place.”
The design for the memorial is nearly complete, and the garrison commander has approved land at Campbell Army Airfield for the memorial site, at the intersection of Glider Road and Wickham Avenue.
Now the SEAA needs about $600,000 to build it, and it will come solely from donations, Schisser said.
read more here
Army Times
By Kathleen Curthoys
Staff report
Jul. 12, 2014
The Screaming Eagle aviation soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) have flown and died and become legend in decades of missions, from Quang Tri province, Vietnam, to Kunar province, Afghanistan.
What’s missing from the astounding history of the 101st Airborne is a memorial to the aviation soldiers on their home terrain of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Four men are on a mission to fix that, and they’re calling out to Screaming Eagles, past and present.
They are working toward a memorial to be dedicated to the Screaming Eagle aviation soldiers of the 101st, and the names of their hundreds of fallen brethren will be inscribed on a wall at the site.
“We’re an all-volunteer force of about four individuals trying to make this happen,” said retired Col. J. Scott Schisser of the nonprofit Screaming Eagle Aviation Association, which works to support the soldiers and families of the 101st and 159th Combat Aviation Brigades. “The memorial is long overdue, and all of the elements are now in place.”
The design for the memorial is nearly complete, and the garrison commander has approved land at Campbell Army Airfield for the memorial site, at the intersection of Glider Road and Wickham Avenue.
Now the SEAA needs about $600,000 to build it, and it will come solely from donations, Schisser said.
read more here
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Vietnam Veteran Father OEF-OIF Son Led Same Unit
Father, son lead Army unit 4 decades apart
Associated Press
BY BRETT BARROUQUERE
June 14, 2014
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — Like many soldiers, Lt. Col. Patrick Harkins has a veteran father who knows firsthand the stress of wartime deployments. One big difference is that Harkins' dad led the very same unit of paratroopers known as the Iron Rakkasans into combat decades earlier.
While the military has long had family legacies — and featured them prominently in Father's Day celebrations — the Harkins' achievements stand out. Capt. Charles Emmons, a spokesman for the brigade, said it appears to be the first time a father and son have commanded the same unit decades apart.
Patrick Harkins, 41, has led the 3rd Battalion of the 187th Infantry Regiment into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan four times since Sept. 11, 2001. His father, retired Col. Bob Harkins, led the same regiment four decades ago in Vietnam during Operation Apache Snow, more commonly known as the Battle of Hamburger Hill.
"It's a really unique situation," Emmons said.
The family legacy reaches back to World War II. Patrick Harkins' grandfather, Sgt. Clyde Patrick Harkins, served with the 279th Combat Engineers and was attached to the 101st Airborne Division, which also contains the Rakkasans. He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and later died of his injuries. Patrick Harkins' brother, Army Lt. Col. Gregory Harkins, 43, is stationed in Italy.
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Associated Press
BY BRETT BARROUQUERE
June 14, 2014
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — Like many soldiers, Lt. Col. Patrick Harkins has a veteran father who knows firsthand the stress of wartime deployments. One big difference is that Harkins' dad led the very same unit of paratroopers known as the Iron Rakkasans into combat decades earlier.
While the military has long had family legacies — and featured them prominently in Father's Day celebrations — the Harkins' achievements stand out. Capt. Charles Emmons, a spokesman for the brigade, said it appears to be the first time a father and son have commanded the same unit decades apart.
Patrick Harkins, 41, has led the 3rd Battalion of the 187th Infantry Regiment into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan four times since Sept. 11, 2001. His father, retired Col. Bob Harkins, led the same regiment four decades ago in Vietnam during Operation Apache Snow, more commonly known as the Battle of Hamburger Hill.
"It's a really unique situation," Emmons said.
The family legacy reaches back to World War II. Patrick Harkins' grandfather, Sgt. Clyde Patrick Harkins, served with the 279th Combat Engineers and was attached to the 101st Airborne Division, which also contains the Rakkasans. He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and later died of his injuries. Patrick Harkins' brother, Army Lt. Col. Gregory Harkins, 43, is stationed in Italy.
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Friday, May 2, 2014
Kentucky National Guardsman Sues Over Tattoo Rules
Kentucky guardsman sues over Army tattoo rules at Fort Campbell
Associated Press
Written by
Brett Barrouquere
May 1, 2014
LOUISVILLE, KY. — A Kentucky National Guard soldier with aspirations of joining a U.S. Army special operations unit wants a federal judge to overturn the military’s new regulations concerning soldiers with tattoos.
Staff Sgt. Adam C. Thorogood of Nashville, Tennessee, said the tattoos covering his left arm from the elbow to the wrist aren’t harmful, but the Army is using the body art against him and stopping him from fulfilling a dream of joining “The Nightstalkers,” the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Thorogood’s attorneys said the new rules are preventing their client from seeking appointment as a warrant officer.
Thorogood, 28, sued Thursday in U.S. District Court in Paducah, Kentucky, seeking to have the new rules declared unconstitutional. He is seeking $100 million in damages.
read more here
Associated Press
Written by
Brett Barrouquere
May 1, 2014
LOUISVILLE, KY. — A Kentucky National Guard soldier with aspirations of joining a U.S. Army special operations unit wants a federal judge to overturn the military’s new regulations concerning soldiers with tattoos.
Staff Sgt. Adam C. Thorogood of Nashville, Tennessee, said the tattoos covering his left arm from the elbow to the wrist aren’t harmful, but the Army is using the body art against him and stopping him from fulfilling a dream of joining “The Nightstalkers,” the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Thorogood’s attorneys said the new rules are preventing their client from seeking appointment as a warrant officer.
Thorogood, 28, sued Thursday in U.S. District Court in Paducah, Kentucky, seeking to have the new rules declared unconstitutional. He is seeking $100 million in damages.
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Monday, April 28, 2014
Tennessee Venue Told Iraq Veterans Yes Then No
Tennessee Wedding Venue Approves Then Denies Gay Couple
BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF
PUBLISHED: APRIL 28, 2014
Just days after a wedding venue in Tennessee told a gay couple that they could hold their commitment ceremony there, the venue reversed course, citing the state's ban on gay marriage.
According to NBC affiliate WSMV, Iraq war veterans Anthony Wilfert and Brian Blas fell in love nine years ago while serving at Fort Campbell.
The men thought they had found the perfect venue for their ceremony after taking a tour of Mint Springs Farm.
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BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF
PUBLISHED: APRIL 28, 2014
Just days after a wedding venue in Tennessee told a gay couple that they could hold their commitment ceremony there, the venue reversed course, citing the state's ban on gay marriage.
According to NBC affiliate WSMV, Iraq war veterans Anthony Wilfert and Brian Blas fell in love nine years ago while serving at Fort Campbell.
The men thought they had found the perfect venue for their ceremony after taking a tour of Mint Springs Farm.
read more here
Thursday, March 27, 2014
ABC Nashville show films at Fort Campbell
Soldiers, families participate in TV show filming
Kentucky News Era
By Carla Jimenez
New Era Staff Writer
March 26, 2014
The airfield on Fort Campbell transformed into a concert scene Wednesday afternoon — but it wasn’t a real concert.
The fake show was for another show: ABC’s show “Nashville,” and soldiers on Fort Campbell and their families got to watch the crew film and also be part of the concert scene.
The show, which centers on a rivalry between two country singers, filmed a concert scene taking place at Fort Campbell with soldiers from the military post in the background. Wearing a star-spangled scarf, Connie Britton — who plays reigning country queen Rayna James on the show — thanked the soldiers as the real heroesand superstars.
It’s that same patriotic sentiment Melvin Kearney said the show really takes to heart. Everyone from the crew to the stars understands and truly appreciates all service men and women.
Kearney plays Bo, a bodyguard for one of the country stars on the show. He’s also a veteran who served as a sergeant for two combat tours in Iraq. So for him, seeing all the soldiers and families gathered for the filming was a lot like coming home.
read more here
Kentucky News Era
By Carla Jimenez
New Era Staff Writer
March 26, 2014
The airfield on Fort Campbell transformed into a concert scene Wednesday afternoon — but it wasn’t a real concert.
The fake show was for another show: ABC’s show “Nashville,” and soldiers on Fort Campbell and their families got to watch the crew film and also be part of the concert scene.
The show, which centers on a rivalry between two country singers, filmed a concert scene taking place at Fort Campbell with soldiers from the military post in the background. Wearing a star-spangled scarf, Connie Britton — who plays reigning country queen Rayna James on the show — thanked the soldiers as the real heroesand superstars.
It’s that same patriotic sentiment Melvin Kearney said the show really takes to heart. Everyone from the crew to the stars understands and truly appreciates all service men and women.
Kearney plays Bo, a bodyguard for one of the country stars on the show. He’s also a veteran who served as a sergeant for two combat tours in Iraq. So for him, seeing all the soldiers and families gathered for the filming was a lot like coming home.
read more here
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Fort Campbell Vietnam Veteran to Receive Medal of Honor
Former Fort Campbell Soldier, Vietnam hero to receive Congressional Medal of Honor
Clarksville Online
Elizabeth M. Collins Soldiers Live
March 4, 2014
It was the year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated. It was also the year the Vietnam War exploded into new levels of violence. And as troops poured into ‘Nam and more and more young men died — 1968 was the deadliest year of the Vietnam War — Americans watched it all from their living rooms with anger and disgust. The protest movement gained traction.
Protesters spit on returning Soldiers, called them rapists and baby killers. In fact, the U.S. agreed to begin peace talks in Paris that year, due in part to the dwindling support at home.
It was also the year Santiago Erevia became a Soldier.
He had been scraping by, working in restaurants in San Antonio. The future stretched before him, an endless sea of dead-end job after dead-end job. So he volunteered. If you volunteered versus being drafted, it meant fewer years of service, he explained. He knew he would end up in Vietnam, but he figured the Army would give him a lot of opportunities he wouldn’t have if he stayed in Texas. Erevia knew what he was risking — a friend had just come home horribly wounded and disfigured after only a month in combat and many more months in the hospital.
“People take their chances,” Erevia said. It didn’t mean anything would happen to him.
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Clarksville Online
Elizabeth M. Collins Soldiers Live
March 4, 2014
Sgt. Santiago J. Erevia will be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions near Tam Ky in May 1969. (DOD)Washington, DC – The year was 1968. It was a year of war, of protests, of death.
It was the year Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated. It was also the year the Vietnam War exploded into new levels of violence. And as troops poured into ‘Nam and more and more young men died — 1968 was the deadliest year of the Vietnam War — Americans watched it all from their living rooms with anger and disgust. The protest movement gained traction.
Protesters spit on returning Soldiers, called them rapists and baby killers. In fact, the U.S. agreed to begin peace talks in Paris that year, due in part to the dwindling support at home.
It was also the year Santiago Erevia became a Soldier.
He had been scraping by, working in restaurants in San Antonio. The future stretched before him, an endless sea of dead-end job after dead-end job. So he volunteered. If you volunteered versus being drafted, it meant fewer years of service, he explained. He knew he would end up in Vietnam, but he figured the Army would give him a lot of opportunities he wouldn’t have if he stayed in Texas. Erevia knew what he was risking — a friend had just come home horribly wounded and disfigured after only a month in combat and many more months in the hospital.
“People take their chances,” Erevia said. It didn’t mean anything would happen to him.
read more here
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Hungry military families helped by donations to buy food?
All the other scandals Congress wants you to pay attention to this is one of the ones they don't want to talk about.
Operation Homefront Receives $50,000 from the Walmart Foundation
The Leaf Chronicle
Feb. 11, 2014
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (Feb. 11, 2014) – Operation Homefront today announced that it received a $50,000 contribution to assist with food distribution to military families during the recent holiday season. The grant – which was given to the non-profit organization through the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program – helped provide gift cards to military families in Tennessee and Kentucky who needed assistance purchasing food for holiday meals.
“Thanks to the Walmart Foundation, our annual Holiday House in December not only helped military families shop for gifts, but it ensured every family left with a $50 or $100 Walmart gift card to help pay for food,” said Tina Englen, Operation Homefront – Tennessee/Kentucky’s Executive Director. “It was a needed addition to our program this year, and we are very grateful for the grant.”
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront provides emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has met more than 750,000 needs of military families since its inception in 2002, including financial assistance, emergency food, emergency home repairs, and more. This year’s Holiday House in Oak Grove, Ky., served about 600 military families living in the Fort Campbell region.
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Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Fort Campbell Soldier killed trying to get help on highway
Fort Campbell soldier killed on Interstate 24 trying to flag down help
Leaf-Chronicle
Written by
Tavia D. Green
February 3, 2014
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — A family is grieving the loss of a Fort Campbell soldier who was killed Sunday night while trying to flag down help on Intestate 24.
At about 11:43 p.m., Tyler Carl Wilsdorf, 23, of Dadesville, Ala, was riding as a passenger in a car that was traveling east on Interstate 24 from Exit 4, when the driver became lost and tried to make a u-turn in the eastbound lanes near the six mile marker, according to wreck report by Trooper Todd Pitts of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The driver began driving west in the median while still on the eastbound side of I-24. The car got stuck in the median, the report said.
Leaf-Chronicle
Written by
Tavia D. Green
February 3, 2014
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — A family is grieving the loss of a Fort Campbell soldier who was killed Sunday night while trying to flag down help on Intestate 24.
At about 11:43 p.m., Tyler Carl Wilsdorf, 23, of Dadesville, Ala, was riding as a passenger in a car that was traveling east on Interstate 24 from Exit 4, when the driver became lost and tried to make a u-turn in the eastbound lanes near the six mile marker, according to wreck report by Trooper Todd Pitts of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The driver began driving west in the median while still on the eastbound side of I-24. The car got stuck in the median, the report said.
Wilsdorf was deployed to Afghanistan and received a Purple Heart. Caddell said he was a Christian who had re-dedicated his life to Christ about three months ago.
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101st Super Bowl flyover 5 seconds after National Anthem
Fort Campbell contribution: The making of a Super Bowl flyover
'What a difference a year makes' for unit that watched game in Afghanistan last year
The Leaf Chronicle
Philip Grey
Feb. 3, 2014
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — On the Monday before the big game in the Big Apple, ground controllers of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, were at Fort Campbell’s Fryar Stadium getting ready for the Super Bowl.
Their part of the game would be all of maybe five seconds, but they were intent on making it a perfect five seconds.
As night set in, it was cold enough to freeze skin on contact with metal or anything other than a lit match, but Command Sgt. Maj. John Martin and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brett Chivers were just warming up as the first run was coming in from Clarksville, headed for the south end of the stadium.
“We’ve got line-of-sight,” someone yelled as nine helicopters came into view as distant points of light.
The time-on-target over the goalpost was 1805 hours, 6:05 p.m., and they had to hit it just right.
Come Sunday, there would be no do-overs. The plan called for them to crest the end of MetLife Stadium within 5 seconds of the last note of the National Anthem.
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This is from New Jersey.com
WATCH: Spectacular footage of Super Bowl 2014 flyover from a Chinook helicopter
'What a difference a year makes' for unit that watched game in Afghanistan last year
The Leaf Chronicle
Philip Grey
Feb. 3, 2014
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — On the Monday before the big game in the Big Apple, ground controllers of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, were at Fort Campbell’s Fryar Stadium getting ready for the Super Bowl.
Their part of the game would be all of maybe five seconds, but they were intent on making it a perfect five seconds.
As night set in, it was cold enough to freeze skin on contact with metal or anything other than a lit match, but Command Sgt. Maj. John Martin and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brett Chivers were just warming up as the first run was coming in from Clarksville, headed for the south end of the stadium.
“We’ve got line-of-sight,” someone yelled as nine helicopters came into view as distant points of light.
The time-on-target over the goalpost was 1805 hours, 6:05 p.m., and they had to hit it just right.
Come Sunday, there would be no do-overs. The plan called for them to crest the end of MetLife Stadium within 5 seconds of the last note of the National Anthem.
read more here
This is from New Jersey.com
WATCH: Spectacular footage of Super Bowl 2014 flyover from a Chinook helicopter
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Fort Campbell pilot killed in accident survived Iraq and Afghanistan deployments
Fort Campbell pilot killed in accident described as leader
Leaf Chronicle
Written by Shawn Cohen
The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News
Jan. 20, 2014
CORTLANDT, N.Y. — The member of an elite U.S. Army helicopter unit who was killed last week in a Blackhawk helicopter training accident in Savannah, Ga., will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery after family and friends gather for a funeral expected to be held in New York on Saturday.
"We have lost not only a member of our church, but a gifted young man many of us thought would become a great leader and a national treasure," said Pastor Jacob Dharmaraj of Shrub Oak United Methodist Church, where Army Capt. Clayton Carpenter was active as a child and continued to attend services as an adult in his military uniform.
Leaf Chronicle
Written by Shawn Cohen
The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News
Jan. 20, 2014
CORTLANDT, N.Y. — The member of an elite U.S. Army helicopter unit who was killed last week in a Blackhawk helicopter training accident in Savannah, Ga., will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery after family and friends gather for a funeral expected to be held in New York on Saturday.
"We have lost not only a member of our church, but a gifted young man many of us thought would become a great leader and a national treasure," said Pastor Jacob Dharmaraj of Shrub Oak United Methodist Church, where Army Capt. Clayton Carpenter was active as a child and continued to attend services as an adult in his military uniform.
His death during a training exercise, stateside, came as a particular shock because Carpenter had survived tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Thursday, January 16, 2014
Family being forced to move while Soldier serves in Afghanistan
Military families near Fort Riley being forced to move
WDAF News Kansas
by Sean McDowell
January 15, 2014
MILFORD, Kan. – They’re a military family based near Fort Riley. As of next week, they say they’ll have no place to live.
The Mondick Family lives in a campground in Milford, Kansas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is forcing them to leave. Teresita Mondick says she and her three young children have made their home in a camper near Ft. Riley for about six months.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the land, and as of next Thursday morning, its policy says she’ll have to take her 40-foot camper and find a new place to live.
The Mondicks live in a camper while Teresita’s husband, Sgt. Jeremy Mondick, is serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
A spokesman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told FOX 4 News the campgrounds were never meant to be permanent homes, and that residents were notified months ago they’d need to leave. “I understand policy is policy, and regulation is regulation,” Mondick said. “They have to toe the line, but there can always be exceptions to the rule.”
Teresita also served in the military, and she’s accustomed to being relocated for deployment. She said her family still owns a home in Tennessee near Fort Campbell, and can’t afford additional housing costs.
read more here
WDAF News Kansas
by Sean McDowell
January 15, 2014
MILFORD, Kan. – They’re a military family based near Fort Riley. As of next week, they say they’ll have no place to live.
The Mondick Family lives in a campground in Milford, Kansas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is forcing them to leave. Teresita Mondick says she and her three young children have made their home in a camper near Ft. Riley for about six months.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the land, and as of next Thursday morning, its policy says she’ll have to take her 40-foot camper and find a new place to live.
The Mondicks live in a camper while Teresita’s husband, Sgt. Jeremy Mondick, is serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
A spokesman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told FOX 4 News the campgrounds were never meant to be permanent homes, and that residents were notified months ago they’d need to leave. “I understand policy is policy, and regulation is regulation,” Mondick said. “They have to toe the line, but there can always be exceptions to the rule.”
Teresita also served in the military, and she’s accustomed to being relocated for deployment. She said her family still owns a home in Tennessee near Fort Campbell, and can’t afford additional housing costs.
read more here
Special Ops Member killed in Black Hawk hard landing
Member Of Elite Army Helicopter Unit Killed In 'Hard Landing' Accident; At Least 2 Others Injured
Huffington Post
By RUSS BYNUM
01/16/14
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A member of an elite Army helicopter unit was killed and two crew members suffered injuries when their aircraft slammed into the ground as they tried to land at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, a military spokesman said Thursday.
The MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was returning from a routine training flight when it made a "hard landing" just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday on or near the airstrip at the base in coastal Georgia, said Army Maj. Allen Hill, a spokesman for the crew's aviation unit.
The three-man crew was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which trains soldiers to fly helicopters behind enemy lines under cover of darkness. Nicknamed the Night Stalkers, the unit was responsible for flying Navy SEALs into Pakistan during the 2010 raid in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. The 160th regiment is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky., but has a battalion stationed in Savannah.
read more here
Huffington Post
By RUSS BYNUM
01/16/14
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A member of an elite Army helicopter unit was killed and two crew members suffered injuries when their aircraft slammed into the ground as they tried to land at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, a military spokesman said Thursday.
The MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was returning from a routine training flight when it made a "hard landing" just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday on or near the airstrip at the base in coastal Georgia, said Army Maj. Allen Hill, a spokesman for the crew's aviation unit.
The three-man crew was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which trains soldiers to fly helicopters behind enemy lines under cover of darkness. Nicknamed the Night Stalkers, the unit was responsible for flying Navy SEALs into Pakistan during the 2010 raid in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. The 160th regiment is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky., but has a battalion stationed in Savannah.
read more here
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Army Spc. Shannon Chihuahua's family will accept a Silver Star in his honor.
Fallen soldier to receive Silver Star
WALB ABC News
By Troy Washington
Posted: Dec 27, 2013
OCHLOCKNEE, GA
A South Georgia soldier killed in action will be awarded one of the nation's highest military honors.
Army specialist Shannon Chihuahua's family will accept a Silver Star in his honor.
It's been three years since Kristen Chihuahua lost her husband and their two daughters lost their dad. Now, he's being honored for his bravery and sacrifice.
Six year old Sophia Chihuahua may not fully understand the sacrifice that her father made for her country, but she does know that daddy was a hero.
"Sometimes when I get scared in the dark at night, alone with my sister and I can't sleep I just snuggle with my bear and I just fall asleep," said Sophia.
The bear that Sophia and her three year old sister Annabelle are holding so closely is made from pieces of their father's uniform. Shannon Chihuahua was an army medic, who died in Afghanistan in 2010 after his unit was attacked by insurgents. He was fatally wounded while trying to help a fellow soldier.
"He had no regard for what might happen to him he was just trying to get to the person that needed help," said Kristen Chihuahua.
It's that kind of courage that earned him two Purple Hearts, numerous other awards, and most recently a Silver Star, the second highest military honor.
"He truly deserves it, if any soldier deserves it would be him, for not thinking about himself or what may happen to him, but instead thinking that someone else needed him," said Kristen.
On February 7th the entire family will travel to Fort Campbell in Kentucky to receive the soldier's award.
read more here
WALB ABC News
By Troy Washington
Posted: Dec 27, 2013
A South Georgia soldier killed in action will be awarded one of the nation's highest military honors.
Army specialist Shannon Chihuahua's family will accept a Silver Star in his honor.
It's been three years since Kristen Chihuahua lost her husband and their two daughters lost their dad. Now, he's being honored for his bravery and sacrifice.
Six year old Sophia Chihuahua may not fully understand the sacrifice that her father made for her country, but she does know that daddy was a hero.
"Sometimes when I get scared in the dark at night, alone with my sister and I can't sleep I just snuggle with my bear and I just fall asleep," said Sophia.
The bear that Sophia and her three year old sister Annabelle are holding so closely is made from pieces of their father's uniform. Shannon Chihuahua was an army medic, who died in Afghanistan in 2010 after his unit was attacked by insurgents. He was fatally wounded while trying to help a fellow soldier.
"He had no regard for what might happen to him he was just trying to get to the person that needed help," said Kristen Chihuahua.
It's that kind of courage that earned him two Purple Hearts, numerous other awards, and most recently a Silver Star, the second highest military honor.
"He truly deserves it, if any soldier deserves it would be him, for not thinking about himself or what may happen to him, but instead thinking that someone else needed him," said Kristen.
On February 7th the entire family will travel to Fort Campbell in Kentucky to receive the soldier's award.
read more here
Monday, December 9, 2013
Fort Campbell soldier missing after discharge
Missing: recently discharged Fort Campbell soldier
WPSD
Web Editor - Amanda Roberts
Story Created: Mon Dec 9, 2013
MADISONVILLE, Ky - The Kentucky State Police is requesting help in the search for a recently discharged missing soldier.
Jordan T. Welch, 21 has been out of contact for several weeks. His sister, Jennifer Wheeler contacted KSP about his disappearance.
Welch received a general discharge from the US Army September 24th and was stationed at Fort Campbell. Wheeler last had contact with Welch by phone September 29th; he had told his sister he was working a construction job but did not indicate the job location.
Jordan Thomas Welch has brown hair and eyes, is 5'9'' and weighs approximately 115 pounds.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact KSP at (270) 676-3313 or call toll-free at (800) 222-5555
go here for updates
WPSD
Web Editor - Amanda Roberts
Story Created: Mon Dec 9, 2013
MADISONVILLE, Ky - The Kentucky State Police is requesting help in the search for a recently discharged missing soldier.
Jordan T. Welch, 21 has been out of contact for several weeks. His sister, Jennifer Wheeler contacted KSP about his disappearance.
Welch received a general discharge from the US Army September 24th and was stationed at Fort Campbell. Wheeler last had contact with Welch by phone September 29th; he had told his sister he was working a construction job but did not indicate the job location.
Jordan Thomas Welch has brown hair and eyes, is 5'9'' and weighs approximately 115 pounds.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact KSP at (270) 676-3313 or call toll-free at (800) 222-5555
go here for updates
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Fort Campbell Giving thanks loudly for safe return of 345 soldiers
Giving thanks loudly for safe return of 345 soldiers
'Currahees' bring hundreds home to Fort Campbell for holiday
Leaf-Chronicle
Written by
Philip Grey
November 28, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The biggest return flight of soldiers from Afghanistan in recent memory could not have come at a better time than the evening before Thanksgiving.
And the hundreds of family members, friends and comrades waiting for 345 soldiers could not have been more unanimously in agreement on that point.
Certainly, for the soldiers who came home to Fort Campbell on Wednesday – nearly all from the 4th Brigade Combat Team “Currahee, 101st Airborne Division – the pumpkin pie will taste a little sweeter on this side of the world for this particular holiday.
What was even sweeter for all involved was a deployment cut short, from nine months to six months, for the best possible reason – mission accomplishment.
More Currahees are on the way home soon. Most will be in time for Christmas, as the transition of more areas of Afghanistan to Afghan self-sufficiency proceeds apace.
read more here
'Currahees' bring hundreds home to Fort Campbell for holiday
Leaf-Chronicle
Written by
Philip Grey
November 28, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The biggest return flight of soldiers from Afghanistan in recent memory could not have come at a better time than the evening before Thanksgiving.
And the hundreds of family members, friends and comrades waiting for 345 soldiers could not have been more unanimously in agreement on that point.
Certainly, for the soldiers who came home to Fort Campbell on Wednesday – nearly all from the 4th Brigade Combat Team “Currahee, 101st Airborne Division – the pumpkin pie will taste a little sweeter on this side of the world for this particular holiday.
What was even sweeter for all involved was a deployment cut short, from nine months to six months, for the best possible reason – mission accomplishment.
More Currahees are on the way home soon. Most will be in time for Christmas, as the transition of more areas of Afghanistan to Afghan self-sufficiency proceeds apace.
read more here
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Military training changed over sequestration budget cuts
Military alters training to deal with budget woes
Associated Press
By BRETT BARROUQUERE and SUSANNE M. SCHAFER
Posted: Nov 24, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) - The skies above Shaw Air Force Base in central South Carolina and the fields across Fort Campbell on the Tennessee-Kentucky line have been a bit quieter in recent months.
Budget cuts to the military have forced installations around the country to alter training exercises and daily routines to save money. For airmen and pilots, that means fewer flights. For soldiers and Marines, it means fewer drills or delaying them until a deployment nears.
The automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, come as the military is in the midst of a drawdown in Afghanistan and shrinking its overall size.
The Army has retooled training regimens to focus on soldiers deploying to Afghanistan and Korea - those who will be in hostile areas soonest, said George Wright, a civilian Army spokesman in Washington. The Army curtailed training to smaller units of eight to 14 soldiers each -the squad level - for 80 percent of the fighting force in fiscal year 2013 and canceled seven Brigade Combat Team training center rotations.
In cases where only part of a brigade is deploying from Fort Campbell, some soldiers are being pushed into field training while others are held back until their departure date draws nearer, spokesman Bob Jenkins said.
read more here
Associated Press
By BRETT BARROUQUERE and SUSANNE M. SCHAFER
Posted: Nov 24, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) - The skies above Shaw Air Force Base in central South Carolina and the fields across Fort Campbell on the Tennessee-Kentucky line have been a bit quieter in recent months.
Budget cuts to the military have forced installations around the country to alter training exercises and daily routines to save money. For airmen and pilots, that means fewer flights. For soldiers and Marines, it means fewer drills or delaying them until a deployment nears.
The automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, come as the military is in the midst of a drawdown in Afghanistan and shrinking its overall size.
The Army has retooled training regimens to focus on soldiers deploying to Afghanistan and Korea - those who will be in hostile areas soonest, said George Wright, a civilian Army spokesman in Washington. The Army curtailed training to smaller units of eight to 14 soldiers each -the squad level - for 80 percent of the fighting force in fiscal year 2013 and canceled seven Brigade Combat Team training center rotations.
In cases where only part of a brigade is deploying from Fort Campbell, some soldiers are being pushed into field training while others are held back until their departure date draws nearer, spokesman Bob Jenkins said.
read more here
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Wounded, injured and ill Soldiers pedal 164 miles
Wounded, injured and ill Soldiers pedal 164 miles
DVIDS
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital
Stacy Rzepka
November 13, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – More than 40 wounded, injured and ill soldiers and their supporters from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, Ky. Warrior Transition Battalions (WTBs) and their supporters participated in the first Bluegrass Rendezvous Bike Ride Sept. 24 and 25.
The therapeutic and challenging ride between the two installations was designed to help strengthen the bonds between the soldiers while giving them a challenge they could meet and overcome with the help of their fellow riders.
As riders completed the last leg of the 164-mile trip, members of Fort Campbell and the surrounding communities came out to cheer them along. Groups of people stood along Trenton Road, Tiny Town Road, Fort Campbell Boulevard and throughout the installation to wave and cheer. Staff members from the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters building also stood along Indiana Avenue, saluting and encouraging the riders.
Staff Sgt. John Quarles, who has deployed multiple times, said that he felt emotional when he saw people who don’t even know him cheering along the route. Quarles said that it reminded him of coming home from a deployment. “It felt really good to see everyone out to support us,” he said.
WTB staff and soldiers, as well as the 101st Airborne Division Band, welcomed the returning riders with a finish-line celebration. Every rider received a medal, a goodie bag from Morale, Welfare and Recreation, pizza provided by the USO and the knowledge that they overcame a major challenge.
Sgt. Bryan Flanery, who was recognized as Fort Campbell’s most valuable rider, said that successfully completing the ride felt awesome. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment that has been missing for a long time,” Flanery said.
Healing power of biking
read more here
DVIDS
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital
Stacy Rzepka
November 13, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – More than 40 wounded, injured and ill soldiers and their supporters from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, Ky. Warrior Transition Battalions (WTBs) and their supporters participated in the first Bluegrass Rendezvous Bike Ride Sept. 24 and 25.
The therapeutic and challenging ride between the two installations was designed to help strengthen the bonds between the soldiers while giving them a challenge they could meet and overcome with the help of their fellow riders.
As riders completed the last leg of the 164-mile trip, members of Fort Campbell and the surrounding communities came out to cheer them along. Groups of people stood along Trenton Road, Tiny Town Road, Fort Campbell Boulevard and throughout the installation to wave and cheer. Staff members from the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters building also stood along Indiana Avenue, saluting and encouraging the riders.
Staff Sgt. John Quarles, who has deployed multiple times, said that he felt emotional when he saw people who don’t even know him cheering along the route. Quarles said that it reminded him of coming home from a deployment. “It felt really good to see everyone out to support us,” he said.
WTB staff and soldiers, as well as the 101st Airborne Division Band, welcomed the returning riders with a finish-line celebration. Every rider received a medal, a goodie bag from Morale, Welfare and Recreation, pizza provided by the USO and the knowledge that they overcame a major challenge.
Sgt. Bryan Flanery, who was recognized as Fort Campbell’s most valuable rider, said that successfully completing the ride felt awesome. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment that has been missing for a long time,” Flanery said.
Healing power of biking
read more here
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Combat wounded veterans trip to "God's grocery store"
Hunters organize event for wounded Army warriors
AGRI News
Jeannine Otto, Field Editor
Friday, October 25, 2013
MCLEAN, Ill. — Hunting to feed their family and friends from “God’s grocery store” is part of it. So is enjoying the great outdoors and the breathtaking scenery that the timber tracts and open grasslands of central Illinois have to offer.
So is matching wits and skill against wild creatures whose very instincts are designed for eluding them.
But the main reason that hunters such as Tom Huffington and Matt Graden hunt deer, quail and pheasants can be found sitting on the front porch of the hunting lodge on the land owned by the Sugar Grove Foundation, which operates and owns the Sugar Grove Nature Center and the land surrounding it.
“I’ve killed enough critters in my life that by now more than half of why I hunt is who I spend time doing that with. The actual time spent with family and friends, who you deal with, is more than half of why I hunt,” said Graden, who works for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
“It’s the camaraderie,” said Tom Huffington, who has hunted since he was in his early teens.
It was through their sons hunting that Graden and Huffington got to know each other and became friends. They and a covey of their hunting buddies and volunteers have turned their sights from hunting themselves to creating a very special hunting and outdoor experience for six wounded U.S. Army veterans from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox in Kentucky.
Huffington thought up the idea of offering to bring wounded military veterans to the wildlife-rich timbers and grasslands of central Illinois in early 2013. He saw a show on the Outdoor Channel in which veterans were taken on a hunting trip.
“We’ve talked about doing that before, so this year we sat down and we came up with a plan,” he said.
read more here
AGRI News
Jeannine Otto, Field Editor
Friday, October 25, 2013
MCLEAN, Ill. — Hunting to feed their family and friends from “God’s grocery store” is part of it. So is enjoying the great outdoors and the breathtaking scenery that the timber tracts and open grasslands of central Illinois have to offer.
So is matching wits and skill against wild creatures whose very instincts are designed for eluding them.
But the main reason that hunters such as Tom Huffington and Matt Graden hunt deer, quail and pheasants can be found sitting on the front porch of the hunting lodge on the land owned by the Sugar Grove Foundation, which operates and owns the Sugar Grove Nature Center and the land surrounding it.
“I’ve killed enough critters in my life that by now more than half of why I hunt is who I spend time doing that with. The actual time spent with family and friends, who you deal with, is more than half of why I hunt,” said Graden, who works for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
“It’s the camaraderie,” said Tom Huffington, who has hunted since he was in his early teens.
It was through their sons hunting that Graden and Huffington got to know each other and became friends. They and a covey of their hunting buddies and volunteers have turned their sights from hunting themselves to creating a very special hunting and outdoor experience for six wounded U.S. Army veterans from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox in Kentucky.
Huffington thought up the idea of offering to bring wounded military veterans to the wildlife-rich timbers and grasslands of central Illinois in early 2013. He saw a show on the Outdoor Channel in which veterans were taken on a hunting trip.
“We’ve talked about doing that before, so this year we sat down and we came up with a plan,” he said.
read more here
Friday, October 4, 2013
Soldier seeking help for PTSD told it is a "catchall" by psychiatrist
Soldier seeking help for PTSD told it is a "catchall" by psychiatrist? Really? A wife wrote into Miss Vickie at Fort Campbell looking for help because her life is falling apart. Reading it mad me sad until I got to this part.
Just one more piece of the puzzle to help us all understand that when it comes to what the military tells the general public, what they tell the troops is a whole other story! Any more questions on why they keep saying everything is being done yet the troops say nothing has changed?
My husband won’t take the medication. He also said the psychologist and the psychiatrist said you can’t really diagnose PTSD because it’s just a catch-all diagnosis. My husband also said he was told by the same people that PTSD cannot be treated. So now he won’t go back to for help. This is really breaking me down and I don’t know how to convince him that he needs to get help.
Just one more piece of the puzzle to help us all understand that when it comes to what the military tells the general public, what they tell the troops is a whole other story! Any more questions on why they keep saying everything is being done yet the troops say nothing has changed?
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