Matthew Colin's father said son never wavered in his duty in Afghanistan

Family celebrates an 'American soldier': Matthew Colin's father said son never wavered in his duty in Afghanistan (SLIDESHOW)
November 19, 2011 9:47 PM
Lauren Sage Reinlie
Daily News
NAVARRE — The first premonition Ken Colin had of the grief he would soon face was when his four dogs began howling at the window of his home Wednesday night.

He said when he looked out he saw an Army sergeant and a chaplain standing near the doorway.

“I knew exactly what they were here for,” he said. “Our lives just came crashing down on us.”

The men had come to tell him and his wife, Kathy, that their 22-year-old son, Army Pfc. Matthew Colin, had been killed by a roadside bomb while patrolling in Kandahar province in Afghanistan earlier last week.

Matthew Colin had enlisted in the Army just a year and a half before his death.

“Matt loved being in the military,” Ken Colin said at his home in Navarre on Saturday afternoon.

“God placed certain people on this earth to be soldiers, to be warriors, and my son just happened to be one of them.”

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IED attacks in Afghanistan claim lives of four Alaska-based soldiers

IED attacks in Afghanistan claim lives of four Alaska-based soldiers
By MATT MILLHAM
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 19, 2011
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LINDSEY, Afghanistan — Improvised bombs this week killed four soldiers from Fort Wainwright, Alaska’s 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, in three separate attacks in an area of Kandahar province known as the birthplace of the Taliban.

Spc. Calvin M. Pereda, 21, of Fayetteville, N.C., died Nov. 12 of injuries from a bomb strike during a foot patrol. Sgt. 1st Class Johnathan B. McCain, 38, of Apache Junction, Ariz., died the following day after an improvised explosive device detonated under his armored vehicle, according to Defense Department press releases.

On Wednesday, a powerful explosion killed Spc. James R. Burnett Jr., 21, of Wichita, Kan., and Pfc. Matthew C. Colin, 22, of Navarre, Fla.
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Fort Wainwright soldier shot by troopers at campground

Fort Wainwright soldier shot by troopers at Delta Junction campground
by Sam Friedman / sfriedman@newsminer.com
Aug 01, 2011
Updated 12:35 a.m.

FAIRBANKS - A Fort Wainwright soldier was shot by an Alaska State Trooper at a Delta Junction campground early this morning.

At 12:09 a.m., Alaska State Troopers were called to Delta State Recreation Site Campground across from the Delta Junction airport in response to the report of an intoxicated man firing a gun.

At the campground, someone pointed out Spc. Timothy J. Fitzgerald to a trooper as he was getting out of a patrol car, troopers said.

Fitzgerald, 28, was reportedly lying on the ground and pointing a gun at them. The trooper shot and hit him.


Read more: Fort Wainwright soldier shot by troopers

Fort Wainwright buried toxic waste cleaned up during construction for housing

Toxic waste cleaned up at Army housing project
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 5, 2011 12:07:32 EDT
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Toxic waste discovered during the construction of housing at Fort Wainwright has been cleaned up.

The discovery of the buried toxic waste in 2005 delayed the completion of the 55-unit development known as Taku Gardens at the Fairbanks base. It also delayed occupation of the housing. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner says the housing now is slated to open October 2012.

Joe Malen, the Army’s cleanup manager, said at a town hall Tuesday that the top level of soil is now considered safe. But tenants will not be able to dig wells or garden without using raised beds because of contamination deep in the soil.

The cleanup of Taku Gardens cost more than $21 million. The Army used the area as a dumping ground in the 1940s and 1950s.
Toxic waste cleaned up at Army housing project

Fort Wainwright soldier in custody after wife's death

Fort Wainwright soldier in custody after wife's death
by Staff Report / newsroom@newsminer.com
Jan 10, 2011
FAIRBANKS - A Fort Wainwright soldier is in military custody in connection with the death of his wife.

U.S Army officials on Monday said no charges had been filed and the case is under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Command.

The name of the dead woman and the soldier were not released, pending notification of the next of kin, Army officials said.


Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fort Wainwright soldier in custody after wife s death

Wainwright GI told to remove Facebook video

Wainwright GI told to remove Facebook video
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
An Alaska-based soldier is under investigation for a video on his Facebook page that taunts smiling Iraqi children by asking if they're gay, if they engage in certain sex acts and if they would grow up to be terrorists.

Soldier accused of shooting apartment wall

Soldier accused of shooting apartment wall

The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Dec 30, 2009 13:10:45 EST

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A Fort Wainwright soldier faces a felony weapons misconduct charge because police say he fired several shots through an apartment wall after a dispute with his wife.
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Soldier accused of shooting apartment wall

Fort Wainwright soldier recalls saving medic

Fort Wainwright soldier recalls saving medic from insurgent grenade
by Chris Freiberg

FAIRBANKS — Sgt. Ricardo Montoya didn’t feel anything as the grenade blew up at his feet.

It was May 18, and the 31-year-old father of six was on patrol in Mosul, Iraq, as part of his second deployment to the country.

While most of Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team was stationed in Iraq’s northeastern Diyala province, Montoya and the rest of Alpha Company from the 1-5 Infantry were attached to another brigade several months earlier and sent further north to Mosul.
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Fort Wainwright soldier recalls saving medic

Soldier from Blaine found dead in Alaska barracks

Soldier from Blaine found dead in Alaska barracks
The Army says the death of a Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based soldier from Blaine, Wash., is under investigation. The soldier, 31-year-old Spc. James T. Townsend, was found dead Wednesday afternoon in his barracks room by his squad leader.

By The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE — The Army says the death of a Fort Wainwright, Alaska-based soldier from Blaine is under investigation.

The soldier, 31-year-old Spc. James T. Townsend, was found dead Wednesday afternoon in his barracks room by his squad leader.

The Anchorage Daily News says Townsend had just returned from a 12-month deployment to Iraq.
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Soldier from Blaine found dead in Alaska barracks

Fort Wainwright soldiers want congress to stop unfit soldiers being deployed

Soldiers say unfit troops being deployed

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 26, 2009 12:19:14 EDT

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A group of active-duty soldiers at Fort Wainwright is accusing commanders of forcing medically unfit soldiers to deploy to Iraq.

The soldiers are gathering signatures to send a petition to Congress calling for a full investigation.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/ap_deployment_complaint_032609/

Memorial service set for Fort Wainwright soldier

Memorial service set for Fort Wainwright soldier
February 02, 2009 19:01 EST


FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska (AP) -- A memorial service for an Alaskan-based Tennessee soldier is set for Thursday afternoon.

The Army says Spc. Cody Lamb was found dead at his family's home while he was on a mid-tour leave.

Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris said last week foul play is not suspected and suicide has been ruled out.

Lamb was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.

Officials say the brigade was deployed to Iraq in September.

The artilleryman entered the Army in November 2006 and was assigned to Fort Wainwright four months later.

Wainwright GI on Iraq leave dies at family home

Wainwright GI on Iraq leave dies at family home
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 29, 2009 6:56:24 EST

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — Army officials say a Fort Wainwright-based soldier has been found dead at his parent’s home.

The Army says 28-year-old Spc. Cody L. Lamb was discovered Sunday morning at the family home in Johnson City, Tenn.

Officials say the cause of death is pending autopsy results.
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Non-combat death in Iraq

DoD Identifies Army Casualty


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

1st Lt. William K. Jernigan, 35, of Doraville, Ga., died Nov. 24 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
http://icasualties.org/oif/

Fort Wainwright Family housing is toxic dump site

Army Knew Alaska Base Family Housing Site was Toxic
Carol Goldberg


Public Employees for Environmenal Responsibility

Jul 09, 2008

July 7, 2008, Washington, DC - The U.S. Army knew that the site chosen to build a family housing complex at Fort Wainwright was a toxic dump but proceeded anyway, in violation of federal laws and service policies, according to an audit by the Army’s own Office of Staff Judge Advocate that was released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Despite creating a hugely expensive debacle, sickening workers, spreading pollution and retaliating against whistleblowers, the base command has absolved itself and issued an "outstanding" rating to the official who green-lighted the project.

The January 2007 Army audit questioned "the wisdom of building a family housing complex on top of a known 1950s-era military landfill" and concluded that "the situation with the Taku construction project is the direct result of multiple individuals failing to adhere to Army and federal regulations and guidance."

Nonetheless, the Army command excused the failures at Fort Wainwright by issuing a report just six months later which dismissed any major concerns but skipped over most of the audit findings, including –

Construction workers became ill at both Taku Gardens and another toxic hotspot because the projects were not slowed to properly analyze the sites. As with the illnesses, worker safety in digging through unexploded ordnance was dismissed with one base official stating "if a bulldozer did encounter a live artillery shell, it would simply scare the driver."
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10603

Bodies found at Fort Wainwright ID as soldier and wife

Wainwright bodies ID’d as spc., wife

The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jun 6, 2008 6:16:55 EDT

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Army officials have released the identities of two people found dead at Fort Wainwright.

Officials identified them as 23-year-old Spc. Benjamin Bays, of Brazil, Ind., and his 22-year-old wife, Faith.

Their bodies were found in their residence Tuesday morning. The discovery was announced late Wednesday, and identities released Thursday after relatives were notified.

Base spokeswoman Linda Douglass said Bays was a radio operator with the 28th Military Police Detachment.

He joined the Army in March 2005 and was stationed at Fort Wainwright five months later.

Douglass said the causes of death are not known. The Army is still investigating and has released no other details.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_wainwrightbodies_060508/


NOTE:
To the person claiming to know how these two people died, it will be posted when it is made public and not, repeat, not, before that. This post was not tagged as PTSD, so stop trying to comment and threaten me. The PTSD tag is on everything because that is the nature of this blog however if you bothered to look at the tags belonging to this post alone as they all have their own tags, you would see clearly there was nothing mentioned as PTSD. If you cannot get it through your head this blog is about other things that is your problem.

2 Fort Wainwright deaths investigated

2 Wainwright deaths investigated

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jun 5, 2008 8:29:42 EDT

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The Army says Fort Wainwright police are investigating the deaths of two adults on base.

Spokeswoman Linda Douglas says the two people died earlier this week, but the cause of death has not been determined.

Douglass said Wednesday she could not release more information about the deaths until next of kin was notified.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_wainwrightbodies_060508/

Soldier attacks wife, Army officer

Soldier attacks wife, Army officer

The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 23, 2008 12:40:14 EST

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A 22-year-old Fairbanks soldier has been charged with assaulting his wife and a commanding officer.

Alaska State Troopers say Bronson Patrick Bourg of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright was charged Friday with assault and resisting arrest.

Troopers say Bourg and his wife had been drinking at a bar and that he assaulted her in their vehicle and caused her to drive off the road.

Her father and brother took the couple home, and troopers say Bourg beat and choked the woman again.

She called his military squad leader, who called troopers.

Troopers say Bourg assaulted the Army officer and the arresting officers as he was taken into custody.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_soldierassault_080123/