NY soldier from RI who was wounded on Afghan tour admits killing infant he was trying to adopt
By Associated Press, Published: January 31
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — A Fort Drum soldier wounded in Afghanistan in 2009 admitted Tuesday that he killed a 4-month-old girl he and his wife were trying to adopt by banging her head against a hard surface and throwing her into a crib.
Jeffrey Sliker, a native of Middletown, R.I., could get 15 years to life in prison at sentencing on March 14 — almost a year after his arrest at the couple’s home near the military post in northern New York.
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Showing posts with label Fort Drum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fort Drum. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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).
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 photoWritten 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.
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Monday, October 10, 2011
Dogs2Vets program helping veterans heal
Chittenango facility helps veterans cope with effects of war
Published: Monday, October 10, 2011
By Alaina Potrikus / The Post-Standard
Artemis was found wandering near Fort Drum with more than 200 porcupine quills lodged in her face.
She found a new life with U.S. Army Sgt. Arthur Meyer, of Altmar, who was injured while serving in Afghanistan last year.
The pair are healing together through a new outreach center for military veterans at the former Skyridge Family Recreation Center on Salt Springs Road in Chittenango, on a 78-acre property that spans the border of Madison and Onondaga counties.
The facility was established as a country club in the 1960s adjacent to a nine-hole golf course.
But organizers thought the site’s pool, tennis courts and community center, which had fallen into disrepair from years of disuse, could hold immense possibilities for Clear Path for Veterans. The nonprofit was conceived as a safe haven for people recovering from the effects of military service, experiencing difficulties readjusting to civilian life and rejoining their families and communities.
“These men and women have voluntarily put their lives and health in jeopardy to support and defend our country and its principles,” said Steve Kinne, board president of Clear Path for Veterans and director of the Dogs2Vets program. “We owe them more than just our thanks — we owe them the opportunity to return from their military service and recover productive and meaningful lives.”
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Published: Monday, October 10, 2011
By Alaina Potrikus / The Post-Standard
Gary Walts / The Post-Standard
Arthur Meyer, of Altmar, who is stationed at Fort Drum and was wounded in Afghanistan, works with his dog, Artemis, Friday at Clear Path for Veterans, a support facility in Chittenango for veterans dealing with war-related injuries and stress.
Artemis was found wandering near Fort Drum with more than 200 porcupine quills lodged in her face.
She found a new life with U.S. Army Sgt. Arthur Meyer, of Altmar, who was injured while serving in Afghanistan last year.
The pair are healing together through a new outreach center for military veterans at the former Skyridge Family Recreation Center on Salt Springs Road in Chittenango, on a 78-acre property that spans the border of Madison and Onondaga counties.
The facility was established as a country club in the 1960s adjacent to a nine-hole golf course.
But organizers thought the site’s pool, tennis courts and community center, which had fallen into disrepair from years of disuse, could hold immense possibilities for Clear Path for Veterans. The nonprofit was conceived as a safe haven for people recovering from the effects of military service, experiencing difficulties readjusting to civilian life and rejoining their families and communities.
“These men and women have voluntarily put their lives and health in jeopardy to support and defend our country and its principles,” said Steve Kinne, board president of Clear Path for Veterans and director of the Dogs2Vets program. “We owe them more than just our thanks — we owe them the opportunity to return from their military service and recover productive and meaningful lives.”
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.
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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.
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Friday, September 9, 2011
PTSD cases grow as combat continues for Fort Drum soldiers
PTSD cases grow as combat continues for Fort Drum soldiers
By DANIEL WOOLFOLK
TIMES STAFF WRITER
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
FORT DRUM — James E. Bonds sat on the back deck of the Captain’s Cove Motel overlooking Henderson Harbor and took a break from preparing reflective bait to watch the sea gulls feed.
“Fishing runs in me,” the lifelong angler said. “My mom said she was even dreaming of fishing when she had me.”
Even when the former soldier was deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, he fished.
“I was the only one ... who’d get dressed up in full battle gear to go fishing," he said.
Mr. Bonds survived an improvised explosive device attack. And during a raid, he was shot twice in the chest at close range. The rounds hit his armor, knocking the wind out of him before his fellow soldiers killed the shooter.
Back home after the deployment, Mr. Bonds began having nightmares about being attacked. One night while asleep with his girlfriend beside him, Mr. Bonds had another nightmare and began to choke her.
“After that, I didn’t sleep in the bed with her no more,” he said. “I couldn’t trust myself.”
In 2008, a doctor diagnosed Mr. Bonds with post-traumatic stress disorder that he believes came from the countless combat experiences and a traumatic brain injury, which likely came from the IED explosion, he said. To combat the effects of the wars, he makes behavioral health appointments and constantly works to keep the bad dreams and thoughts at bay. He does that mostly by keeping busy. If he’s not fishing, he’s mowing the lawn or painting.
“The more you harp on it, the worse it gets,” he said. “That’s why I’m always doing something.”
read more here
By DANIEL WOOLFOLK
TIMES STAFF WRITER
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
FORT DRUM — James E. Bonds sat on the back deck of the Captain’s Cove Motel overlooking Henderson Harbor and took a break from preparing reflective bait to watch the sea gulls feed.
“Fishing runs in me,” the lifelong angler said. “My mom said she was even dreaming of fishing when she had me.”
Even when the former soldier was deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, he fished.
“I was the only one ... who’d get dressed up in full battle gear to go fishing," he said.
Mr. Bonds survived an improvised explosive device attack. And during a raid, he was shot twice in the chest at close range. The rounds hit his armor, knocking the wind out of him before his fellow soldiers killed the shooter.
Back home after the deployment, Mr. Bonds began having nightmares about being attacked. One night while asleep with his girlfriend beside him, Mr. Bonds had another nightmare and began to choke her.
“After that, I didn’t sleep in the bed with her no more,” he said. “I couldn’t trust myself.”
In 2008, a doctor diagnosed Mr. Bonds with post-traumatic stress disorder that he believes came from the countless combat experiences and a traumatic brain injury, which likely came from the IED explosion, he said. To combat the effects of the wars, he makes behavioral health appointments and constantly works to keep the bad dreams and thoughts at bay. He does that mostly by keeping busy. If he’s not fishing, he’s mowing the lawn or painting.
“The more you harp on it, the worse it gets,” he said. “That’s why I’m always doing something.”
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.
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Arnold the English Mastiff, Reporting for Duty at Fort Drum
Arnold the English Mastiff, Reporting for Duty
FORT DRUM, N.Y. – As they adjust his collar, he fidgets, slightly uncomfortable with the attention he’s receiving. They tell him to sit up straight and look at the camera. He deliberately turns his head away, as if to say, “We’re doing this on my terms.”
Finally, with a little coaxing, he looks deep into the lens and gives a toothy, lopsided grin. Those standing around him clap at the sight of his cooperation, and a few bystanders even wrap their arms around his neck, telling him what a great job he did.
Arnold gives another infectious smile, rolls over on his back, and prepares for his reward of belly rubs and behind-the-ear scratches.
He’s made paw prints in four branches of the armed forces, has a canine and human following on Facebook, and logs entries in his own blog.
As a 200-pound English Mastiff, Arnold has spent the past five years populating his resume with therapy hours and hospital visits. His resume now lists him as the newest member of Fort Drum’s Army Substance Abuse Program, where on Aug. 5 he received his government ID card.
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Arnold, a 200-pound English Mastiff, works as a therapy dog with Fort Drum's Army Substance Abuse Program.
FORT DRUM, N.Y. – As they adjust his collar, he fidgets, slightly uncomfortable with the attention he’s receiving. They tell him to sit up straight and look at the camera. He deliberately turns his head away, as if to say, “We’re doing this on my terms.”
Finally, with a little coaxing, he looks deep into the lens and gives a toothy, lopsided grin. Those standing around him clap at the sight of his cooperation, and a few bystanders even wrap their arms around his neck, telling him what a great job he did.
Arnold gives another infectious smile, rolls over on his back, and prepares for his reward of belly rubs and behind-the-ear scratches.
He’s made paw prints in four branches of the armed forces, has a canine and human following on Facebook, and logs entries in his own blog.
As a 200-pound English Mastiff, Arnold has spent the past five years populating his resume with therapy hours and hospital visits. His resume now lists him as the newest member of Fort Drum’s Army Substance Abuse Program, where on Aug. 5 he received his government ID card.
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.
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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.
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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
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
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.
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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.
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NY attorney general settles soldiers' $3.5M debt
NY attorney general settles soldiers' $3.5M debt
Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. — An agreement with a finance company will clear $3.5 million in debt for nearly a thousand soldiers who bought computers and other electronics at highly inflated prices and credit terms at a retailer outside the Army's Fort Drum military base, the state's attorney general said Tuesday.
Rome Finance Co. Inc., of Concord, Calif., also agreed through its bankruptcy trustee to take steps to restore the credit histories of hundreds of people, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. Telephone calls to Rome Finance's trustee weren't immediately returned Tuesday.
A lawsuit filed last year by the attorney general's office and pending in state Supreme Court accuses electronics retailer SmartBuy and affiliates of defrauding service personnel through "wildly inflated" prices and high interest rates paid directly from military paychecks. The lawsuit seeks restitution and credit repair.
"This company took advantage of service members using deceptive practices and roping them into high-interest contracts and ruining their credit ratings," Schneiderman said.
Schneiderman, visiting his office in Watertown, near the military base in northern New York, with Fort Drum officials, said Tuesday that one soldier ended up $6,000 in debt for a computer that costs $1,200.
"The last thing any soldier should have on their mind is the fact they were the victim of a scam back home that haunts them when they are overseas," Schneiderman said. "They're easy victims for some types of scams."
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Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. — An agreement with a finance company will clear $3.5 million in debt for nearly a thousand soldiers who bought computers and other electronics at highly inflated prices and credit terms at a retailer outside the Army's Fort Drum military base, the state's attorney general said Tuesday.
Rome Finance Co. Inc., of Concord, Calif., also agreed through its bankruptcy trustee to take steps to restore the credit histories of hundreds of people, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said. Telephone calls to Rome Finance's trustee weren't immediately returned Tuesday.
A lawsuit filed last year by the attorney general's office and pending in state Supreme Court accuses electronics retailer SmartBuy and affiliates of defrauding service personnel through "wildly inflated" prices and high interest rates paid directly from military paychecks. The lawsuit seeks restitution and credit repair.
"This company took advantage of service members using deceptive practices and roping them into high-interest contracts and ruining their credit ratings," Schneiderman said.
Schneiderman, visiting his office in Watertown, near the military base in northern New York, with Fort Drum officials, said Tuesday that one soldier ended up $6,000 in debt for a computer that costs $1,200.
"The last thing any soldier should have on their mind is the fact they were the victim of a scam back home that haunts them when they are overseas," Schneiderman said. "They're easy victims for some types of scams."
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
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
Monday, July 11, 2011
KC soldier who killed himself felt he ‘was just a number’
KC soldier who killed himself felt he ‘was just a number’
By BILL MURPHY JR.
Stars and Stripes
By September, the Army had had just about enough of Jacob Andrews, so it gave the young infantryman a general discharge and a one-way bus ticket home to Kansas City.
Andrews had plenty to think about on the 30-hour trip from Fort Drum, N.Y.
There were the alcohol-fueled mistakes that had led to the end of his military career, memories of comrades killed in Afghanistan — including one close friend crushed to death — and the night Andrews tried to kill himself.
Despite clear signs that Andrews suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), family and friends say the Army punished and abandoned him after he had done his combat tour.
Once home, he was hounded to repay a re-enlistment bonus and then was incorrectly denied educational benefits needed for a new start. Andrews became part of the grimmest military statistic of our times — one of the 18 U.S. veterans, on average, who commit suicide each day.
In April, the 22-year-old was found hanged near his parents’ home in Kansas City.
Read more: KC soldier who killed himself felt he was just a number
By BILL MURPHY JR.
Stars and Stripes
Jacob Andrews did well in the first months of his deployment in Afghanistan, where this photo was taken in 2009. But by the time of his discharge in 2010, he was a changed man.
By September, the Army had had just about enough of Jacob Andrews, so it gave the young infantryman a general discharge and a one-way bus ticket home to Kansas City.
Andrews had plenty to think about on the 30-hour trip from Fort Drum, N.Y.
There were the alcohol-fueled mistakes that had led to the end of his military career, memories of comrades killed in Afghanistan — including one close friend crushed to death — and the night Andrews tried to kill himself.
Despite clear signs that Andrews suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), family and friends say the Army punished and abandoned him after he had done his combat tour.
Once home, he was hounded to repay a re-enlistment bonus and then was incorrectly denied educational benefits needed for a new start. Andrews became part of the grimmest military statistic of our times — one of the 18 U.S. veterans, on average, who commit suicide each day.
In April, the 22-year-old was found hanged near his parents’ home in Kansas City.
Read more: KC soldier who killed himself felt he was just a number
Friday, June 24, 2011
Oops, President Obama gets Medal of Honor heroes mixed up
UPDATE:
The Christian Broadcasting Network contacted the White House to see what happened and was told the President didn’t have prepared remarks. They quoted White House Press Secretary Jay Carney as saying, ”At Fort Drum, the President misspoke when discussing the first Medal of Honor he presented posthumously to Jared Monti, who was a member of the 10th Mountain Division. The President paid tribute to Monti in his remarks to troops in Afghanistan in March 2010. Last year, the President presented the Medal of Honor to Salvatore Giunta, who was the first living recipient of the Medal who served in Afghanistan.”
read more here
Obama flubs at 10th Mountain meet-and-greet [UPDATE]
JUNE 23RD, 2011 | OUTSIDE THE WIRE | POSTED BY JOE GOULD
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Soldier's death at Fort Drum under investigation
Soldier's death under investigation
Posted: 06.18.2011 at 10:38 PM
The Menominee native was found dead in a barracks at his base on Thursday.
Read more: Local, Military, News, Mark Ackerman, Eagle Herald, U.S. Army Soldier, Investigation, Death
FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation is trying to find out the cause of a soldier's death in New York.
That soldier, 28-year-old Sgt. Mark Ackerman was a Menominee native.
According to the Eagle-Herald, he was found dead Thursday in a barracks at the Fort Drum Army Base in Jefferson County, New York.
Ackerman lived off base, and had not been seen since May 25th.
read more here
Soldier death under investigation
Posted: 06.18.2011 at 10:38 PM
The Menominee native was found dead in a barracks at his base on Thursday.
Read more: Local, Military, News, Mark Ackerman, Eagle Herald, U.S. Army Soldier, Investigation, Death
FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation is trying to find out the cause of a soldier's death in New York.
That soldier, 28-year-old Sgt. Mark Ackerman was a Menominee native.
According to the Eagle-Herald, he was found dead Thursday in a barracks at the Fort Drum Army Base in Jefferson County, New York.
Ackerman lived off base, and had not been seen since May 25th.
read more here
Soldier death under investigation
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Another PTSD soldier to end up in jail instead of getting help
DWI shooter gets two-year sentence
DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: Fort Drum soldier told he's lucky to have avoided a murder charge
By BRIAN KELLY
TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2011
A Fort Drum soldier diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder said Friday he does not know why he shot a stranger from a motorcycle on Gotham Street.
read more here
DWI shooter gets two-year sentence
DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: Fort Drum soldier told he's lucky to have avoided a murder charge
By BRIAN KELLY
TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2011
A Fort Drum soldier diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder said Friday he does not know why he shot a stranger from a motorcycle on Gotham Street.
read more here
DWI shooter gets two-year sentence
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fort Drum soldier gets help instead of jail
Drum soldier admits to robbing Kinney's Pamelia location twice
By BRIAN KELLY
TIMES STAFF WRITER
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
A Fort Drum soldier admitted Wednesday in Jefferson County Court that he twice robbed the same pharmacy of drugs while threatening that he had a gun.
read more here
Drum soldier admits to robbing
By BRIAN KELLY
TIMES STAFF WRITER
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011
A Fort Drum soldier admitted Wednesday in Jefferson County Court that he twice robbed the same pharmacy of drugs while threatening that he had a gun.
Sentencing was deferred until Aug. 12 while Mr. Languet completes an inpatient substance abuse rehabilitation program. Mr. L......, an Army truck driver with the rank of sergeant, served with the 3rd Battalion, 85th Infantry, Warrior Transition Unit, which is for injured and ill soldiers working to transition back to a deployable unit or to become a civilian.
read more here
Drum soldier admits to robbing
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