Every Day Heroes

All the women veterans, past and present, who attended a Women's History Month ceremony at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pose for a group photo. DoD photo by Samantha L. Quigley

Artist Nancy E. Rhodes, center, stands in front of her painting "Women in the Military," which she presented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on March 26, 2009, during a Women's History Month ceremony. Alyce Dixon, left, is a World War II veteran who served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and Deb Joiner, a Vietnam veteran, is featured in Rhodes painting. DoD photo by Samantha L. Quigley


More great military women who prove that they ARE Every Day Heroes:

Veterans Affairs Honors Military Women of Past, Present

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2009 – The women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion were honored for their morale-boosting efforts during World War II in a ceremony at the Department of Veterans Affairs here yesterday.

Alyce Dixon and Mary Ragland, two former members of the battalion, were on hand to accept the accolades and to set the record straight.

“What a monumental challenge [you’d] taken on. That’s the kind of can-do spirit that is the hallmark of the American soldier,” said John Gingrich, Veterans Affairs’ chief of staff. “You cleared out two years [worth] -- 7 million pieces -- of backlogged mail in just three months.”

“It was 90,000 pieces of mail,” Dixon quipped from the front row, correcting the number of letters she and the other members of her unit cleared through a temporary post office in Birmingham, England.

Working three shifts, seven days a week, the women of the first all-woman, all African-American battalion, cleared the backlog in just three months before they were moved to France to start the same task all over again. They were given six months to complete the job. Again, they did it in three months.

“The women of the 6888 made tremendous sacrifices and endured many injustices,” Lucretia McClenney, director of the Center for Minority Veterans, said. “However, they not only prevailed, but they succeeded in their mission, and they created a positive impact on racial integration in the military.

“Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and especially the women veterans, are honored to salute you, the women veterans of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, and say thanks for answering our nation’s call to serve,” she said.

The battalion included 832 enlisted members and 31 officers. It was commanded by Army Maj. Charity Adams Earley who, by the end of the war, was the highest-ranking African-American woman in the military.

The ceremony also included the presentation of a painting honoring women veterans to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though Gingrich said it captures the “heart and spirit of the woman veteran,” its creator, Nancy E. Rhodes, is, ironically, a civilian.

The artwork, titled “Women in the Military,” holds the distinction of being the nation’s first large-scale painting solely dedicated to all women in the military, past, present and future, to be permanently installed in a federal building.

The painting serves to honor the sacrifices generations of women have made for their country.

“Before I started this important work, and especially because I wasn’t a veteran, I felt it was essential to interview many veterans, both active and retired,” Rhodes said. “After listening to the accounts of veterans spanning World War II up until the Gulf War, I realized that while many women had positive experiences in the military, there were far too many others who were not treated with the dignity and respect they deserved.

“Even sadder, many of these women, especially some of our older veterans, didn’t think that they deserved recognition either,” she added. “It was astonishing to me that these veterans didn’t even know that they could apply for veterans benefits. They didn’t consider themselves to be real veterans like the men, even after enlisting and giving up four years of their lives to serve.”

Rhodes, born in Philadelphia, has earned degrees from both the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and Temple University in her hometown. She and her family are currently living in East Lansing, Mich., where she is on the faculty at Lansing Community College.

Congress passed a resolution declaring March Women’s History Month in 1981 as an outgrowth of the celebration of Women’s History Week, which included International Woman’s Day. (source)

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'Operation Purple’ Offers Summer Fun to Military Kids

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2009 – The National Military Family Association will host more than 9,000 military children at “Operation Purple” youth camps across America this year.


These free, weeklong, overnight camps are meant to bring children of deployed servicemembers, ages 7 to 17, together for an exciting and memorable experience. Camps will be held in 62 locations and 37 states and territories across the United States.


“We understand these are trying times for our youngest heroes,” Michelle Joyner, NMFA’s director of communications, said. “Operation Purple Camps bring together kids in similar situations and teach them coping skills to better deal with their feelings. At the same time, the camp helps build their confidence by introducing new experiences like learning to be stewards of the environment.”


Military children experience a wide range of activities at the camps from horseback riding and canoeing to rock climbing and swimming. Each camp creates a “Wall of Honor” in which campers are asked to bring a photo of their parent to be posted. Campers also are given an opportunity to talk about their parent during this event. A military-themed activity day allows campers to work with their local military community on a joint project.


A military guest speaker also is invited to speak with campers.


“Outside of the traditional outdoor activities, campers are given the chance to learn more about what the deployment is really like,” Joyner said.


The Operation Purple program was created by NMFA, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., in 2004 as a way to help military children struggling with the stresses of war. The program includes traditional summer camps, teen camps, teen leadership camps, family retreat camps and day clinics in overseas locations.


“This year, we're excited to offer three Operation Purple Teen Leadership Camps for military teens who are role models and leaders in their community,” Joyner said. “These leadership camps last a bit longer, 10 days, and include travel expenses to and from camp. After camp, teens return home armed to make a difference in their community.”


Registration for this year’s camps will be open until midnight EST on April 20. Priority will be given to military children with a parent deployed or deploying anytime between September 2008 and December 2009 and who have not had the opportunity to attend an Operation Purple camp in the past.


Thanks to the support of the Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental organization, camps are free to all participants.


“Sierra Club is proud to be working with the National Military Family Association to connect our nation’s youngest heroes with the healing benefits of the outdoors,” Brittany McKee, Sierra Club’s national military representative, said. “Operation Purple camps empower military children and provide a much-needed respite from worries about their deployed parent.”


Since Operation Purple Camp’s inception, NMFA has sent more than 20,000 military kids to camp for free.(here)

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B*N*S*N1

Gail H. McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans; Marine Corps Maj. Denise Garcia; and Sharie Bourbeau, assistant deputy chief of naval operations, manpower, personnel, training and education, attend the 2009 Women's History Month Observation and Awards Program at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va., March 19, 2009. Garcia was honored in part for her leadership in securing Anbar prvince, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by C. Todd Lopez

In keeping with Womens History Month, another GREAT story to share with you!

Servicemembers, Civilians Honored at Women’s History Month Event

By C. Todd Lopez
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2009 – Ten servicemembers and civilians were honored last week as part of the Defense Department’s Women's History Month Observance and Awards Program.

The recipients were awarded the 2009 Foreign Language and Science, Engineering and Math Role Model Award on March 19 at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

"For generations, women across our great land have helped make our country stronger and better," Gail H. McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans, said. "They have improved our communities and played a vital role in achieving justice and equal rights for all our citizens.

“The [Defense Department] joins our nation to recognize the many contributions women make to our society and ensure that the history of American women is recognized."

Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Rhonda Cornum, director of the Army’s comprehensive soldier fitness program, gave the keynote address.

The general said during her years as a junior officer, she was largely unaware of the challenges women had faced in military service prior to her arrival. She said it was those who came before her who carved the path.

"We really need to recognize and celebrate those ladies who just kind of went through uncharted territory with machetes," Cornum said. "People like me who come after that think that path has always been there -- and it just has not been. I really did not appreciate that until somewhat recently."

This story really IS B*N*S*N. You won't find it in the msm, but you can - and should - read the rest here.

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B*N*S*N2

Police Arrest Taliban Commanders in Southern Afghanistan



American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 25, 2009 – Afghan National Police arrested two Taliban commanders and three other militants in southern Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province March 22, military officials reported today.


Villagers in Kandahar province notified Afghan National Police on March 21 that Qari Azizullah, Taliban district commander in Khas Oruzgan, and Mullah Hamidullah, a Khas Oruzgan Taliban district sub-commander, were on their way back to Khas Oruzgan following a trip to Pakistan.


An ANP commander ordered the establishment of checkpoints and patrols along the route they were traveling and disseminated a description of the militants' vehicle to police on the ground.


The vehicle was positively identified and stopped by ANP at a checkpoint in Oruzgan province’s capital of Tarin Kowt. As the vehicle halted, the occupants were witnessed throwing items out of the windows. The ANP recovered the documents, which were personal identification cards for Azizullah and Hamidullah. The militant leaders were arrested and taken into custody without incident.


Azizullah and Hamidullah were wanted men, known to be aggressive extortionists of money and supplies from the people of Khas Oruzgan where they have threatened and intimidated local teachers in order to keep schools closed. The militants are responsible for coordinating numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.


(From a U.S. Forces Afghanistan news release.) (here)

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B*N*S*N3

From left, Azza Humadi, program manager, Women’s Advocate Initiative; Iraqi Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Mikhael; and Lt. Col. Sandra Rodriguez-Brown, Joint Contracting Command Iraq and Afghanistan’s director of business development and outreach program, speak at the Women-owned Business and the Future Conference at Baghdad’s Al-Rasheed Hotel, March 21, 2009. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by F. T. Eyre


Army Corps of Engineers Opens Doors for Businesswomen in Iraq

By Rick Haverinen
Special to American Forces Press Service


BAGHDAD, March 25, 2009 – The Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq unveiled two initiatives March 21 that will expand Iraqi businesswomen’s ability to gain work with the division.


GRD officials announced the initiatives at the division-hosted Women-Owned Business and the Future Conference in Baghdad’s Al-Rasheed Hotel.


The division has set aside a percentage of contracts in the Foreign Military Sales and Iraqi Security Force Funds programs to award to women-owned businesses in Iraq, Navy Capt. Joseph Konicki, GRD’s director of military programs, said.


The contract set-asides mark the first time GRD is tapping into a portion of its Foreign Military Sales program, which is ultimately funded by the Iraqi government to build its own military-related infrastructure, officials said. The additional Iraqi Security Force Funds program, which also has a set-aside portion for Iraqi businesswomen, is U.S-funded.


Konicki said Iraqi businesswomen are welcome to bid on contracts for any projects they feel competent to complete, not just the percentage of work specifically set aside for them.


The conference, organized by Azza Humadi, program manager for GRD’s Women’s Advocate Initiative, opened a dialogue for strategies to keep the program running when U.S. forces withdraw from Iraq.


“The title, ‘Women-owned Business and the Future,’ means we have finished an era, and are entering a new one,” Humadi told the audience. She expressed concern that the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq will affect her program, as fewer people will require help from Iraqis who provide service and construction work...

Here is the rest of this story. Go read!

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B*N*S*N4

An Iraqi man hooks chains onto the lifting points of a concrete barrier as the barriers are removed from a marketplace in Samarra, Iraq, March 23, 2009. This was the first step in a citywide barrier removal project.

Iraqis Tear Down Wall, Reminder of Darker Days in Iraq

By Army Sgt. Ian Terry
Special to American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE BRASSFIELD-MORA, Iraq, March 25, 2009 – Scores of Samarra civilians joined provincial and community leaders March 23 at a concrete barrier removal ceremony reminiscent of the tearing down of Germany’s Berlin Wall nearly 20 years ago.

The concrete barriers, commonly known as "T-walls," surround several government and military buildings throughout Samarra to provide a layer of protection against insurgent attacks. While T-walls are a familiar site in Iraq, they are a sign of more dangerous times, and most Samarra residents agree it's time for them to go.

Samarra Mayor Mahmood Khalaf Ahmed joined Army Lt. Col. Sam
Whitehurst, commander of the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and Samarra residents to witness the first step in a citywide barrier removal project.

The site selected for the initial barrier removal is in a
section of Samarra that was once used for public executions in darker days. Today, it is a peaceful marketplace.

"Samarra has become very peaceful," Omar Khaled, a local produce shop owner, said. "The barriers remind us of bad times, but it is time to look toward the future and enjoy our peace. It is time to reopen Samarra."...

Go read the rest of this B*N*S*N story here.

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B*N*S*N Brit BONUS!!!!!!

Royal Marines, royally kicking Taliban butt

Mar 26th, 2009 | By Claire | Category: 1-Featured Article

Awesome report out of Afghanistan. These Marines deserve a cheer and a salute, and by gosh England had better treat them right when they come home!

These are Brat’s Chaps, and nobody messes with Brat’s Chaps!

Found at RN

Taliban lose 130 in three day battle with Marines
Royal Marines have killed 130 Taliban fighters during a major three-day battle in Afghanistan in which a key enemy stronghold was destroyed, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The Daily Telegraph - by Thomas Harding, Defense Correspondent on March 26, 2009

A force of 700 troops from 42 Commando along with Danish and Afghan troops swooped on the Taliban base of Marjah in a helicopter air assault that took three waves to offload the men.

With Marjah a main base for processing opium and training forces, the enemy put up a fierce fight as the commandos swept through a network of mud brick compounds.

Fighting was at very close quarters with troops using pistols, machine guns and in one instance a £49,000 Javelin rocket to take out the enemy....

I found this at Knee Deep in the Hooah! Go over there now and read the rest. These ARE my guys...they do us all proud, every single day!

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Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Elena

Chief Master Sergeant Paul Wesley Airey


"Chief Airey was an Airman’s Airman and one of the true pioneers for our service," said Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff. "He was a warrior, an innovator… and a leader with vision well ahead of his time. His legacy lives today in the truly professional enlisted force we have serving our nation… and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude."

Chief Airey was born in Quincy, Mass., on December 13, 1923. At age eighteen, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December, 7, 1941, Airey quit high school to enlist in the Army Air Forces on November 16, 1942. He later earned his high school equivalency certificate through off-duty study. During World War II he flew as a B-24 radio operator and additional duty aerial gunner. On his 28th mission, then-Technical Sergeant Airey and his fellow crewmen were shot down over Vienna, Austria, captured, and held prisoner by the German air force from July 1944 to May 1945. During his time as a prisoner of war he worked tirelessly to meet the basic needs of fellow prisoners, even through a 90-day forced march.

Chief Airey held the top enlisted from April 3, 1967 to July 31, 1969. During his tenure he worked to change loan establishments charging exorbitant rates outside the air base gates and to improve low retention during the Vietnam Conflict. Chief Airey also led a team that laid the foundation for the Weighted Airman Promotion System, a system that has stood the test of time and which is still in use today. He also advocated for an Air Force-level Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy. His vision became reality when the academy opened in 1973, becoming the capstone in the development of Air Force Senior NCOs. Chief Airey retired August 1, 1970. He continued advocating for Airmen’s rights by serving on the boards of numerous Air Force and enlisted professional military organizations throughout the years. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Airmen Memorial Museum, a member of the Air Force Memorial Foundation and the Air University Foundation.

On the north wall of the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C., Chief Airey’s thoughts on Airmen are immortalized, "When I think of the enlisted force, I see dedication, determination, loyalty and valor." The Air Force Association honored Airey with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Chief Airey passed away on March 11, 2009 at his home in Panama City, Florida

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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NYC and LI Area Angels

Calling all NYC and Long Island area angels.

Help support the The Second Annual Soldier Ride, The Hamptons, Bike Ride and Walk, July 25, 2009

The Empire State Challenge is held in memory of Marine Lance Corporal Jordan C. Haerter of Sag Harbor who was killed in action in Ramadi, Iraq on April 22, 2008

Come ride with and support wounded warriors.

This is an important event that brings together veterans, cyclists, walkers, athletes, families, volunteers, and people from Long Island and New York City. It is the second of what we hope will be many annual events in support of our nations wounded heroes. All funds raised will go to support veterans programs of The Wounded Warrior Project.

Visit empirestatechallenge.org for more information.

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Every Day Heroes

Army Maj. Michele P. Harper, a pilot with the North Carolina Army National Guard’s 449th Theater Aviation Brigade out of Morrisville, N.C., prepares for takeoff in Iraq. Harper is the only female Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the North Carolina Army National Guard. (Courtesy photo)

I have to share this hero with you:

Guard Pilot Hopes to Share Female Pioneer Role

By Army Pfc. Jasmine N. Walthall
North Carolina National Guard

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, (3/18/09) - If a pilot ever finds himself in the cockpit of a North Carolina Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with a female aviator, he will have no doubt who she is - there's only one.

Army Maj. Michele P. Harper became a pioneer of the sky when she graduated from flight school in Fort Rucker, Ala., 16 years ago, becoming the only female Black Hawk pilot in the North Carolina Army National Guard. She's held onto the distinction ever since, but is hopeful that will be changing soon with some up-and-coming female pilots.

"It makes me feel good to have done something that many females have not done," said Harper, a Hendersonville, N.C., native. "But at the same time, I wish more females would go for a nontraditional military role. I mean, it is flattering to say, but I definitely would not mind flying with some females."

Harper, whose male colleagues tease her about women allegedly being bad drivers, and therefore worse pilots, said women are known to have better landings because they touch down more softly.

"Females always want things to be nice and pretty, and we take that into our flying as well," she said. "Pilots are always complimenting me on what a nice landing I have."

Harper may fly Black Hawks now, but she got interested in flying with her eyes on a much bigger 'bird.'

"I have always and still want to be an astronaut," said the mother of a 17-month-old son, Soren. "Before you apply to the space program, you have to be a pilot first, and I was always at the airport getting on any aircraft that they would let me."

Harper is deployed to Iraq as Task Force 449 Aviation Brigade's administrative officer. Her job consists of overseeing all personnel actions for the Task Force, including pay issues, awards and orders.

"It's the best job," she said. "I have an awesome staff. I love to help people, because I am a people person."

However, for Harper, there is no better experience than the time she spends in the sky...

There is much more about this GREAT role model. Go here to read the rest of this one.

I have a feeling Major Harper will be reaching far beyond her current horizons in the future. Thank YOU for your service, Major Harper.

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B*N*S*N1

Lt. Col. Gregory Rawlings plays the lead mandolin part as Chaplain Lt. Col. Mike Charles accompanies him on acoustic guitar, March 15. Photo by Spc. Darryl Montgomery, Multi-National Division – Center.

Baghdad Bad Boys Strike Last Chord

Thursday, 19 March 2009 Multi-National Division –


CAMP VICTORY — For the past nine months, a group of musicians have gathered on Sunday mornings to fill the air with bluegrass music at the Green Beans coffee shop here for anyone to come and enjoy.

The Baghdad Bad Boys performed together for the last time in Iraq, March 15. The group’s members will begin heading home this week.

While looking back on how the group first came together, Lt. Col. Gregory Rawlings, 18th Airborne Corps, chief of Multi-National Corps–Iraq’s C3 Force Management Division, said it all started as an opportunity to sit down and play music with others.

“It was a lot more than just playing at Green Beans,” Rawlings said. “I left a lot of good bluegrass picking back in North Carolina, so I asked Chaplain [Lt. Col.] Jeff Houston if he would like to try and get a group started. The intent was to get a group together that sat and picked as a means of stress relief. We wanted to do something besides work and sleep.”

The group began meeting Friday evenings for two hours in the Mini Chapel at the MNC–I Chaplain’s Office, Rawlings added. Meeting to play music became an opportunity for the group to forget about the stress of being in a combat zone and feel like they were back home for the time they were together making music.

During the Friday meetings, people would just show up to listen, said Chaplain [Lt. Col.] Mike Charles, Multi-National Division – Center division chaplain. Some would bring their own instruments and join the group. Friday nights became a sustainment support group for the community by getting together to have a good time, the chaplain added.

“At some point, we were asked to play at little events going on around Victory Base Complex,” Rawlings said. “Then we started taking our instruments to Green Beans for coffee after church on Sundays.”

“We really just wanted to sit in the corner and play some tunes to relax a bit,” he continued. “The workers there didn’t throw us out, so we kept going back.”

The group has played all over Victory Base, said Charles.

“We have had more invitations for us to play than we can practically fill,” he continued. “Sometimes, to fill those invitations, we either have to say no or just sent the group members that could go. We had to say no because we were working – duty first.”

The most significant thing the group has done while they were here together, Rawlings affirmed, is a fundraiser to benefit the Fisher House, a program that recognizes the special sacrifices of servicemembers and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond what is normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

“We played for six hours at the Green Beans and people contributed over $2,100 to go to Fisher House,” he added.

The end of the deployment isn’t necessarily the end of the Bad Boys, according to Charles.

“We are going to have a reunion called the ‘Baghdad Bad Boys D-Day Reunion’ on June 6 in Fayetteville, N.C. at a central location,” Charles said. “Our families have never seen us play, so our reunion show will be the first time for them.” (source)

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B*N*S*N2

(source here and go read the amazing history there, too!)

By: Sean Capogreco.

Members of the U.S. Army Parachute Team celebrate their 50-year anniversary by cutting specially designed cakes. (l-r Honorable Pete Geren, Lt. Col. Anthony Dill, Sgt. Maj. Michael Eitnear, and Alumni President Sonny Hill).

U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team Kicks off 50th Anniversary Celebration

Mar 16

By Cheryle Rivas (USAAC)


FORT BRAGG, N.C. - The Golden Knights, the U.S. Army's official parachute demonstration team, kicked off their 50th anniversary today during a special ceremony that celebrated the team's half century of serving the country as Army ambassadors while also representing more than one million American Soldiers. Joining the team in celebration was the Honorable Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, several original members of the 1959 team, alumni, friends and family.


As part of the event, the Golden Knights unveiled a special 50th anniversary patch which all team members will wear throughout the year. Busts for former team members Sgt. 1st Class Pedro Munoz, the first combat fatality in Afghanistan who jumped with the Golden Knights from 1998 to 2002, logging more than 4,000 freefall parachute jumps while shining for the Gold Demonstration team, and Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. "Mike" Novosel, a former pilot with the Golden Knights who earned the Medal of Honor for actions in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, were also dedicated in recognition of their service.


"We have proudly represented the U.S. Army with every jump taken over the last 50 years. Each successful Golden Knights mission honors the sacrifices and accomplishments our fellow Soldiers make every day, whether they're fighting overseas or serving back home making a difference for their families, their communities and the nation," said Lt. Col. Anthony Dill, Commander of the Golden Knights. "To celebrate our 50th Anniversary this year, the Golden Knights will honor our unique history, all past and present members, our fellow U.S. Army Soldiers and the American public each time we jump."


As part on their ongoing 50th anniversary celebration, the Golden Knights have a variety of special activities planned for the coming months, including jumps into the new Yankees Stadium and the Statue of Liberty grounds in New York City.


The team will also continue to perform at air shows, compete on an international level and perform high-profile tandem jumps. In addition, the Golden Knights will visit high schools to work with local recruiters and help show young adults the variety of opportunities available in the U.S. Army.


For more information about the Golden Knights year-long 50th anniversary celebration or to learn more about the team's unique history and to view a schedule of events, visit www.usarec.army.mil/hq/GoldenKnights. (source)

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B*N*S*N3

Photo credit courtesy


Col. Leah R. Fuller-Friel is the first female U.S. Army NATO brigade commander. The brigade is headquartered in Schwetzingen, Germany.

From cadet to colonel: Female brigade commander shares military experiences

Mar 18

By Kristen Marquez

HEIDELBERG, Germany -- As a cadet in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., Leah R. Fuller-Friel became her battalion's first female commander.


Now, 25 years later and a colonel, she's the first female commander of the U.S. Army NATO Brigade, headquartered at Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen.


She said it all started back in high school when a "diligent recruiter" told her of the opportunities the Army could offer her through ROTC. Back then, she admits she didn't even really know what the letters 'ROTC' stood for.


Today, she's the commander of all Soldiers serving in three NATO battalions and 10 companies scattered throughout 33 locations in 13 countries.


"My husband and I served in NATO as majors and we really didn't know this opportunity was there," she said. "We were at (Training and Doctrine Command) ... as the G1 (Adjutant General), and they said 'we want you to come and take the NATO Brigade' and I thought 'there's no such thing.'"


Sgt. 1st Class Larry Gray, USANATO Brigade's Equal Opportunity advisor, said having Fuller-Friel take command as the first female in that role is noteworthy not only for the women in the brigade, but for the Army as a whole.



"I think it's really good that other nations know that in our country, females are getting the opportunity to lead troops and can do it just as well as the men," he said. "They get those opportunities to train and lead, and having her in that role is very significant."


Fuller-Friel and her husband, retired Maj. Jack Friel, a field artilleryman, met and married at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and have three sons; John, a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas, who is currently serving his third tour in Iraq; Mark, a captain in the Indiana National Guard; and Matthew, a sixth-grader, whom she says "can't wait to be in uniform."...

It IS Women's History Month in the US. The subject of this post, and the one below are perfect examples of women being more than capable of doing anything they set their hearts on. Go read the rest of this article here.

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B*N*S*N4

Maj. Tammy Duckworth

Military women continue to break down barriers

By Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy
National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. (3/19/09) – While there are fewer barriers that need to be overcome by women, each woman serving in the military has broken barriers of her own, said Army Maj. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran and former helicopter pilot with the Illinois Army National Guard.

“Those of us females who have been in the military for a few years have our own stories of being the first this or the first that,” said Duckworth, who was recently nominated by President Barack Obama to the post of assistant secretary of public and intergovernmental affairs for the Department of Veteran Affairs. “In some ways we each had to break through in our own way proving we were just as good as the men.”

Duckworth was the keynote speaker at the National Guard Bureau’s women’s history month program this week, “Women Taking the Lead,” which highlighted the accomplishments of women in the military. It was hosted by Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

The program also highlighted the accomplishments of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a U.S. Army unit composed largely of African-American women who were given the task of sorting and delivering mail to the about seven million American troops stationed in Europe during World War II....

This really IS an awesome article. Take some time and go meet this woman here.

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Victory in Iraq Day

Get to it!

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Bratdog asks: Can you help? *woooooof*

My *almost* infamous Bratdog is my baby. Yes, she is, and as her mum I always worry about the 'what ifs'. The 'what if' I had to find someone else to look after her if I had to be away for any length of time. Lucky for me, that is not an issue because where I go, usually Bratdog goes.

However, for our military deployed far from home, finding someone to care for their furbabies while they are away serving overseas is a BIG issue. If you look at my sidebar over there >>> you will see the logo for Guardian Angels for Soldiers Pets. Just as Soldiers' Angels supports the homefront heroes - the families of our military - so the men and women away don't have to worry (too much), so too does GASP care for their furbabies if their in no other option.

Today, I find the latest from GASP:

March 9, 2009 - Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet (GASP) announced today they have finalized a contract to purchase 11 acres for the establishment of the first “Military & Veterans Pet” (MVP) Sanctuary. The property is located in eastern Garland County, Arkansas approximately 9 miles east of downtown Hot Springs and 60 miles west of downtown Little Rock off Hwy 70.

The first MVP Sanctuary will allow GASP to provide a caring, loving, and safe temporary home-like environment where an approved individual foster home is not available to care for the pet/pets to meet the deploying pet owner's time line, further ensure the pet is waiting for their owner's safe return from the deployment, and expand our programs and services to our Arkansas veterans' who need a temporary home for their pet in emergency hardship type situations.

Pet guests will be from Arkansas and surrounding states such as LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, and TX.

As part of the accepted purchase contract, the organization needs to raise $140,000 by March 31st to remove the contingency for obtaining the funds and setting the closing date.

During 2007 and 2008, we received donations earmarked for the project, but without a specific location/property identified; many people would not commit money without seeing where their donations were going. “We are now asking the military community and general public to help us make the sanctuary a reality via monetary donations”, said Linda Spurlin-Dominik, Founder/National CEO of the organization.

To make a donation, visit www.mvpsanctuary.org to make an online donation or mail check/money order payable to:

Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet – MVP Sanctuary
167 Candleberry Cir
Hot Springs, AR 71913-2109

Donations to the "MVP Sanctuary" are deductible as allowed under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code (Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet Federal Tax ID: 20-2229425).

Each donor will receive an official “Thank You” and pre-numbered receipt for their tax records.

To learn more about the MVP Sanctuary project visit www.mvpsanctuary.org and for more information about Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet visit www.guardianangelsfors...erspet.org

Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet is an ALL volunteer 501c3 nonprofit public charity organization supporting deploying military service members, veterans, and their beloved pets through programs and services aimed at reuniting the beloved pets with their owners following a deployment in harm’s way or an emergency hardship...

Go check out GASP, and see what YOU can do to help our troops and their furbabies.

Thank you.

*This message has been Bratdog approved. Woooooof!*

cross posted from Assoluta Tranquillita

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Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi

Kevin Baker


Kevin George Baker, a disabled Navy veteran, had been riding his hand-propelled bicycle from his hometown through Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Marseilles, Illinois to support a new flag designed to honor fallen members of the military. His trip began at his home on Saturday, March 7 and sadly ended on March 13 when he passed away in his sleep. Baker, who is unable to use his legs due to a neurological impairment, was flying the Honor and Remember Flag from his bike and encouraged people along the way to sign a petition urging Congress to adopt the flag as a new national symbol by passing HR Bill 1034.

You can read the rest of Baker's story here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Sean Diamond - One of the Chosen Ones

Today is Sean Diamond's birthday, but instead of a birthday celebration there will be a memorial service for this precious hero.

Staff Sgt. Sean D. Diamond, 41, of Dublin, Calif., died Feb. 15 in As Salam, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 610th Engineer Support Company, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.




A soldier, husband and father of four from Dublin was killed [Sunday] in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, defense officials reported Tuesday.


Staff Sgt. Sean Diamond, a 41-year-old heavy construction equipment operator on his third tour in Iraq, was due home next month for a break before he was killed in As-Salam, said his mother Sally Wiley, a former Danville,CA resident who now lives in Gardnerville, Nev.


Diamond had left the military in 1987, then rejoined the Army in 2000. He was stationed in Germany when the Iraq War started. Diamond volunteered to go, his mother said, then re-upped for a second tour. When his unit broke up, he was assigned to the 610th Engineer Support Company, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade out of Fort Lewis, Wash. The unit deployed to Iraq last March.


"When I saw him before he left last year I thought, 'Aren't you a little old to be going there?' But he had a lot of young guys that had never been there. He didn't want to turn them loose over there," Wiley said.


He was with engineering and we thought he wouldn't get hurt," Wiley said.


The battalion was building a rifle range in As-Salam in southern Iraq and traveled along a road checked daily for IEDs, she said.


"He was in the second Humvee, and their third day on the road, they hit one (IED) that blew up right under his feet," she said. "He was the only one hit. Everyone else just got scratches.


"You always ask, 'Why him?'"


"I'm sorrowful and sad, and so proud. That was his choice and his desire. The only thing he hated was he was away from his family. He loved his family and his wife beyond anything."


Diamond leaves behind his wife, Loramay, and their four children, ages five to 13.


He loved his family more than anything in the world," his mother said. "He wrote letters to each of his children individually and he called them regularly."


"You won't see a picture his whole life he wasn't smiling," his mother said.


Wiley and Barbara Clark, also of Gardnerville, are active members of the Sierra Nevada Blue Star Mothers. Wiley called Clark after Army officials said they were coming to visit. A handful of Blue Star Mothers went to Wiley's house to offer support.


"It was very painful for all of us," Clark said. "We've done a number of ceremonies, but this is the first time we've lost from the inside. There is a lot of numbness in the group right now."


An identical twin born on St. Patrick's Day, Diamond grew up in Oakland and Berkeley before moving to Newport Beach, Florida, then Colorado, where he graduated from high school and attended a year of college before first joining the military, said his stepfather, Michael Wiley. After leaving the service, Diamond attended flight school in Oakland for a while but soon returned to the Army.


Among several honors that he earned in Iraq was the Bronze Star Medal, awarded for bravery or meritorious achievement.


Diamond was scheduled to return to the states on Feb. 27 to celebrate his 42nd birthday on March 17 in Dublin with family, said Ruth Villar sister of Diamond's wife, Loramay Diamond, 36.


The family chatted with Diamond via video hookup within the last couple of weeks.


"He was a great father ... his kids were his life," Villar said.


One of Diamond's other passions was flying, according to Villar. For several years he had been studying to obtain a pilot's license.


Diamond was on his third tour as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom; all told he spent about five years there, Villar told The Chronicle in a phone interview from Fort Lewis.


"When he would come home, he hoped he wouldn't have to be deployed again, but he viewed it as his job," she said. "It's what he had to do."


She described Diamond as "a man with vibrant blue eyes and a smile that could light up a room."


She said Diamond was a devoted family man who missed the birth of his fouth child because he was in Iraq.


His mother said Diamond kept returning to Iraq becaue he felt a responsibility to help guide all the young people serving over there.


Villar remembered him as a devoted family man whose love for his wife, Loramay Diamond, never faltered.


"He will always be a hero to his family and loved ones," Villar said.



The sergeant's wife Loramay, and their children, Taylor, 5; Madison, 8; Sean Riley, 9; and Athena, 13 live at Fort Lewis.


Services will be in Livermore, Calif., where most of his wife's family lives.


"We try to prepare ourselves for this, but it's different when it really happens to you," Wiley said. "He loved his country and he loved his family."


A memorial service is planned in Gardnerville on March 17, on what would have been her son's 42nd birthday, she said.


Sean Diamond is survived by his mother,Sally and stepfather, Michael; wife Loramay and their four children, Taylor, Madison, Sean Riley and Athena; his twin brother Michael; brother Jason, and father Jerry...(courtesy Living Legend team Soldiers' Angels)

Snapshots tell story of fallen soldier’s life

Sally Wiley holds up a photo of her son Staff Sgt. Sean Diamond before he was in the military. Diamond was killed Feb. 15 in Iraq by an improvised explosive device.

Kurt Hildebrand/The R-C



Each of the more than 100 snapshots neatly laid out on the floor of Sally Wiley’s study prompted a story about her son, Staff Sgt. Sean Diamond.


“Sean loved flying,” Wiley said. “This is his son, Taylor, who is now 13, watching a plane.”


Wiley went through the photos in preparation for the March 17 memorial service for Diamond, who was killed Feb. 15 in Iraq by an improvised explosive device.


“These are the twins when they were baptized in Berkeley,” she said.


Diamond was one of twins, born on St. Patrick’s Day 1967.


“He got confused with his brother all the time, so he got a perm in high school, otherwise no one could tell which brother was which.”


It didn’t work. When brother Michael’s date came to the door on prom night, she kissed Sean and put his boutonniere on.


“Wrong kid,” Wiley said.


Wiley was going through the photos so she could give them to a friend, who would scan them in and produce a slideshow.


Wiley is a native Nevadan, who was born in Churchill County Hospital. Her father was a district range manager for the Bureau of Land Management in Winnemucca from 1942 to 1954. His service is memorialized by Nevada cartoonist Lew Hymers, who drew the Carson Range appearing in The Record-Courier’s banner.


What people here know about Diamond they learned through his mother, who has been enthusiastic in her support of the troops, and active in the Blue Star Moms, to support the mothers of those who are serving overseas.


Diamond never lived in Carson Valley. He was born in the Bay area and grew up in California, Florida and Colorado. Before Wiley moved here, he’d joined the U.S. Army and started his own family.


“I had the first grandchildren, two boys born on St. Patrick’s Day, these photos were in Mom’s wallet all of her life,” Wiley said. “They had two girls and adopted a third. They always wanted a boy, and I hit the jackpot with twins.”


Until they were 8 years old, Sean, Michael and their younger brother were mistaken for triplets.


Wiley and the boys’ father were together for five years before they separated. She was on her own for five years before she married a steel executive and moved around the country with the boys.


Diamond became a young man in Colorado and joined the Army in 1987 after college failed to pan out after two years.


“He didn’t know what he wanted so he dropped out of college,” Wiley said.


He served until 1989 on active duty and then in the reserves. In the interim, he met his wife Loramay, and they had the first of their four children. He returned to the service in 2000.


“When I had my back surgery, I had ‘Sgt. Sean Diamond’ with the symbol for his unit on the cast,” Wiley said holding up another picture....


While the photos are important, they are not the only mementos Wiley has of her son’s service.


She has the receipts for every package she sent to Sean while he was serving his three tours in Iraq in a neat pack in her desk.


“He was important to me,” she said. “I felt anything I did for him I had to do everything perfect and he would be safe.”... (source)

Soldier ... remembered as ‘selfless and rugged’

His family, friends and fellow Soldiers remembered Diamond in a Feb. 25 memorial service at the North Fort Chapel.

“Only days away from his return from Iraq on R&R, and hours after Valentine’s Day, the news of his death struck home with incredible force,” said Capt. Corey Warren at the memorial service.

“What a cruel shock this was to both his family and fellow service members.”

Warren read the words of Lt. Col. Pete Helmlinger, the 14th Engr. Bn. commander, spoken at a memorial service held for Diamond Feb. 19 at Contingency Operating Base Adder.

“He made a huge and lasting impact on the security capabilities of Iraq,” said Helmlinger, who noted numerous engineering projects on which Diamond worked. “

"This is truly a better place because of his actions. He always took the harder right instead of the easier out. He was a noble warrior.”

Part of that difficult path Diamond followed was returning to active duty from the Army Reserve after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

“He was so committed to serve his country in its time of need that he readily accepted the active-duty grade of private,” Helmlinger said.

“He was a Soldier and epitome of what our Army stands for — hard working, steadfast, selfless and rugged.”

Helmlinger remembered that Diamond showed what he was made of last Father’s Day, when an MRAP in his patrol was hit by a powerful, buried IED.

“Staff Sergeant Diamond was one of the first to respond,” Helmlinger recalled. “The patrol leader was hit. He took charge as the senior noncommissioned officer on the ground and immediately organized security.

“He stayed on the scene for over eight hours assisting vehicle recovery and area sterilization. He did it thoroughly, calmly and professionally.”

“I know first-hand what kind of person Staff Sgt. Diamond was,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Simao, a former 610th NCO who once had Diamond in his squad. “He always set an example for other Soldiers to emulate by being ready for every mission, no matter what it was, and by leading by example.”

“Staff Sergeant Diamond was a great man,” said Helmlinger, “a tremendously dedicated NCO, a strong and experienced leader, a highly skilled equipment operator, a patriotic American, a loving husband and a caring father of four.” (source)

Please take the time to follow the links and spend some time with Sean and his family. I TRULY believe that love NEVER dies. It is my promise to always honour our fallen, and to NEVER forget them or their families.


Rest in Peace, Sean, oh Noble Warrior. You ARE one of the chosen ones.

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Every Day Heroes

Army Spc. Magdi Ahmed, second from right, and Army Spc. Marlesh Mbory, far right, become naturalized U.S. citizens along with other members of the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team in a ceremony at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, March 3, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tim Meyer

Face of Defense: Sudanese Emigrants Become U.S. Citizens Together

By Army Staff Sgt. Tim Meyer
Special to American Forces Press Service

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq, March 13, 2009 – The two soldiers -- one a Christian from the south, the other a Muslim from the north -- have nothing against each other, despite the past which tore their homeland of Sudan apart in more than 20 years of civil war.

Today, they are deployed together in Iraq with the U.S. Army, where they work with the same unit as interpreters. Despite Sudan’s violent past, the two men share a bright future -- both became naturalized U.S. citizens in a March 3 ceremony at Al Faw Palace in Baghdad.


“I love my job, and I love my new country,” said Army Spc. Marlesh Mbory, with 25th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “I’m grateful to be American.”


Now married with two children, Mbory moved to the United States in 2003 and settled in Lincoln, Nebraska, where thousands of former southern Sudanese citizens call home. However, his path there was far from easy.


At the age of 18, Mbory’s stepbrother and uncle were killed in the second Sudanese civil war. He fled from Sudan to the Congo where he lived for several months, and then to the Central African Republic for five years before immigrating to the United States.


Mbory learned the French, Swahili, Arabic, Nigala, Sango and Moro languages in Africa. Upon arrival in the United States, Mbory’s 8-year-old daughter, Lidia, helped him learn English in Nebraska. He hesitated joining the Army because he didn’t want to leave Grace, his then-pregnant wife, alone at home. She persuaded him to go, and Munyo, their son, was born while Mbory was in initial entry training.


“I want to see the world peaceful in the future -- that is my hope,” he said.


Mbory’s father, four brothers and two sisters are still in Sudan; he is thinking of returning to visit them one day. After this deployment, he plans to work as a recruiter in Lincoln, to tell other Sudanese there of the positive advantages of joining the Army.


Army Spc. Magdi Ahmed, assigned to the same unit, said he also has found a brighter future in the United States. “I moved to the U.S. for freedom, for better opportunities, for a better life,” he said. “Joining the Army gave me the opportunity to fix things that I saw with my eyes, but I couldn’t do anything about.”


Ahmed’s parents were from Sudan, but he was born in Saudi Arabia. After working at a railway station for nearly 20 years, Ahmed’s father was forcibly retired by the government and replaced by an employee who received less pay.


The family moved to Dongla, the capital of northern Sudan, where they lived for six years during the war. Although his parents were Sudanese, they were considered foreigners because they had lived in Saudi Arabia.


“I didn’t feel like an equal in Saudi Arabia or in Sudan,” Ahmed said. Even though he had Sudanese citizenship and was a resident there, he had to pay more for college, according to Ahmed, because he was born in Saudi Arabia, a rich country.


The college faculty intentionally gave him failing grades because he didn’t agree with the government, Ahmed said. In Sudan he suffered negative experiences -- unfairness, discrimination and corruption -- but views those experiences as positives now because they prepared him for moving to the United States.


“The U.S. was the only place you could go for justice. I couldn’t get justice from my own country. The struggle I felt in Saudi Arabia and in Sudan made me feel like the U.S. would be a better place to live,” Ahmed said.


Ahmed moved back to Saudi Arabia in 2005, and immigrated to the United States a year later. In Wisconsin, a friend of his uncle’s helped Ahmed start a new life. After a month, he had his own apartment and job.


Ahmed’s parents, five brothers and sister live in Saudi Arabia, and his other relatives still live in Sudan, where his uncle died during the war. Southern Sudan will have the chance to vote for full independence in 2011, and Mbory adds, “God is watching.”


(Army Staff Sgt. Tim Meyer serves with the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade ) [source]

In my books, these soldiers, whichever way you look at them, are heroes - every single day.


Thank you for your service.

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B*N*S*N1

Navy Submarine Returns Home after Busy Year at Sea

Following a busy year which has seen HMS Trenchant at sea or at immediate readiness for ten out of the last twelve months, the nuclear-powered Trafalgar Class submarine recently returned to Devonport, Plymouth.

Trenchant has had deployments to the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and more recently, East of Suez over the last year.

She sailed from Devonport in February 2008 and spent the next five months completing a variety of exercises and operational tasking, interspersed with visits to Bergen and Den Helder. This period included embarking five aspiring Submarine Commanding Officers, including one United States Naval officer, for the sea assessment phase of their Submarine Command Course.

Returning to base port in July 2008 for some mandatory maintenance and leave, the ship's company soon learnt that the boat would be deploying to the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean regions for the Christmas period.

HMS Trenchant then headed down to the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal and spent the next four months undertaking further tasking in much warmer climes.


During this period, run's ashore were enjoyed at Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and at Mahe in the Seychelles, in company with RFA Diligence.


The submarine passed many significant milestones during this deployment. In January 2009, she reached her twenty first anniversary since first commissioning the reactor and she has steamed more than half a million miles.

Go read more on this return home, plus more Royal Navy stories here.

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B*N*S*N2

RAF heroes at home and abroad honoured - Friday 6 March 2009

Thirteen RAF personnel are amongst more than 100 brave service personnel to be included in Armed Forces Operational Awards List No.32, for the period April to September 2008. Acts of bravery in the operational theatres of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as in the UK, have been recognised.

At today’s event the award recipients were congratulated by senior representatives of their Services: Rear Admiral Simon Charlier from the Royal Navy, Lieutenant General Sir Graeme Lamb from the Army, and Air Vice Marshall Gregory Bagwell from the Royal Air Force.

Full Operational Honours and Awards List - 6 March 2009

Two of the RAF pilots - Flt Lts Kevin Harris and Alex ‘Frenchie’ Duncan – will be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross – and the third – Flt Lt Lee Turner will receive the Air Force Cross. Master Aircrewman Richard Taylor will be awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal and Corporal Simon Oswald is Mentioned in Despatches in the latest Operational and non Operational Honours and Awards.

The DFC is awarded to all ranks of the Services in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy in the air.

The Air Force Cross is awarded for gallantry in the air not in the face of the enemy and the QGM is awarded to military personnel for those acts for which military honours would not normally be granted, such as acts of exemplary bravery not in presence of the enemy.

Those personnel Mentioned in Despatches receive a public commendation in the London Gazette by order of the Sovereign. The Mention in Despatches is the oldest form of recognition of gallantry within the UK Armed Forces. Since 1993, the Mention in Despatches has been reserved for gallantry during active operations.

Go take a look here.

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B*N*S*N3

'Longknife' spouses earn their spurs

Mar 11

By Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs


FORT HOOD, Texas - When Christine Tharp saw her husband talk about getting his cavalry spurs, she knew she wanted the opportunity to earn them as well.


So, when 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division got together to put on a Spouses' Spur Ride competition March 6, on Fort Hood, she was "thrilled" to say the least and more than 60 other spouses and family members came out to the competition.


"I was like, 'thank God,'" said Tharp, of St. Johnsville, N.Y. "It's come to 2-12. Then, I found out 1-9 was going to do it. I thought, 'this'll be great; it'll be nice to meet the other wives who are supporting their husbands."


Capts. Daniel Poole and David Sheehan, rear detachment commanders of 1st Bn., 9th Cav. Regt. and 2nd Bn., 12th Cav. Regt. respectively, co-hosted the first-ever event.


Army cavalry, in its tradition, has different decorations and accouterments that are specific to the organization that no other Army units have such as the Stetson, the saber and the spurs, said Poole, of Yucaipa, Calif.


"I think the majority of the - if not all the spouses, know what the spurs mean to their Soldiers, and they've always been around their Soldiers going to 'Spur Rides,' earning their spurs and wearing them with pride."


Poole explained there are two types of spurs: silver and gold. The silver spur, is earned during a Spur Ride, a competition with multiple, grueling events that test a cavalry Soldier's mind and body. Then, the gold spurs or "combat spurs," are earned during deployments such as the ones "Longknife" Soldiers from 4th BCT have earned for actions in Iraq.


Poole said the events were tailored down for the spouses in a series of different courses: a two-mile road march, litter and casualty carry station, rifle qualification, grenade toss with water balloons, land navigation, vehicle recognition, and a weapons simulator.


For Tharp, the collection of stations wasn't as tough as she thought they would be, but still thought the competition was great; however, the station that posed the biggest problem was the land navigation for spouse Michelle Rone, of Fayetteville, N.C.


"Probably because I'm bad with directions," Rone said laughing...

Read the rest here.

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B*N*S*N4

Special Ops medical troops help sick Afghan baby

Mar 11

By CJSOTF-A Public Affairs



BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (March 11, 2009) - Afghan baby boy Ramazan had an incredibly bleak future for most of his short life.


Not even a year old, the infant was hanging on by a thread, unable to eat normally due to a congenital defect that left an opening in the palate of his mouth. Finally, in late January, he was brought by his father to a Special Operations Forces clinic in the Shindand district, Herat province.


Ramazan's family had new reason to hope as the Shindand troops took over care of the then 6-month-old infant.


The clinic staff in Shindand developed a special bottle to help feed Ramazan, but he was still not getting enough nourishment. The clinic decided to have the baby and his father flown to Bagram Airfield for a more in-depth evaluation.


"We couldn't turn our back on Ramazan's condition, knowing he would die before the age of 5 without specialized medical attention. Our caring for this baby can also have a critical impact on the people of this area. Our true dedication and commitment to the people of Afghanistan is evident," said Army Maj. Mike Tarpey, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan surgeon.


At the hospital, Coalition doctors discovered Ramazan had Pierre Robin Sequence, a congenital condition leaving him with an abnormally small jaw, an oversized tongue and a cleft palate, or incomplete closure in the roof of his mouth. Tarpey worked in conjunction with Coalition doctors to arrange an operation for the baby.


"Ramazan had surgery to repair the cleft palate, but complications arose because he was already so fragile and malnourished," Tarpey said.


"The baby is still having difficulty breathing and feeding; essentially, he will need prolonged care as he grows into his tongue and jaw, which will need to happen before he can breathe and eat on his own," Tarpey added. Ramazan currently has a tracheotomy, as well as a feeding tube in his stomach, both of which require advanced levels of care.


After an extended stay at the hospital, Ramazan's care was turned over to CJSOTF-A medical troops, who have welcomed the baby with open arms. Ramazan's father, who has five other children under the age of seven, had to return to his home in Shindand district to support the rest of his family.


[Go here to read the rest of this one, and see a VERY cute picture which I couldn't seem to download :( ]

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Wednesday Hero

Spc. Brian K. Baker
27 years old from West Seneca, New York
2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
November 07, 2004


Near his hometown, the flag flew at half-staff outside the East Concord Volunteer Fire Department where Baker had been a junior firefighter. He joined the Army shortly after graduating from Springville-Griffith Institute in 1996 with the goal of making it his career, friends said.

"You might say it was his calling," said Lori Ploetz, a longtime family friend. "He was great at what he did. He was respected by his peers."

Spc. Brian Baker was killed when a vehicle-borne IED detonated near his security patrol in Baghdad. He leaves behind his parents, his wife, Amy, and two daughters who were born after his death.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Every Day Heroes

Army Sgt. 1st Class Mike Fairfax, left, a Special Forces intelligence sergeant with Operations Detachment, 3rd Special Forces Group, inspects a soldier's parachute aboard an aircraft over a drop zone above Raeford, N.C. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jason B. Baker

Meet Sgt. 1st Class John “Mike” Fairfax:

Face of Defense: Amputee Soldier Completes Jumpmaster Course

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason B. Baker
Special to American Forces Press Service

FORT BRAGG, N.C., March 5, 2009 – A roadside bomb in Afghanistan cost Army Sgt. 1st Class John “Mike” Fairfax his right leg, but it didn’t take away his spirit.

In November, Fairfax -- a Special Forces intelligence noncommissioned officer assigned to Headquarters Support Company, 3rd Special Forces Group -- became the first amputee soldier to complete the Army’s Jumpmaster Course here.


The journey to Fairfax’s milestone began in the summer of 2005 in a remote region of Afghanistan, when his truck was struck by an improvised explosive device. He suffered a severe injury to his right leg, as well as injuries to his right eye and left lung. His team's medic, Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Coyme, quickly went to work to stop the massive bleeding caused by Fairfax’s severed femoral artery.


He knew he was not in the best condition, he said, but he felt committed to recovering from his injuries.


"It never crossed my mind that I wouldn't get back to a team," he said. "My only goal was to get better and continue on with business as usual."


Through several surgeries and battles with infection, doctors were able to save Fairfax’s leg, and he began the long road of rehabilitation. In December 2005, he returned to the group, and his leadership gave him one mission: "Go get better."


Six months later, Fairfax was back to work, but he spent more athan a year struggling with pain. After several surgeries failed to make his leg more functional and reduce the pain, a friend and fellow amputee joked that he should just cut the leg off.


Fairfax gave the option serious consideration. After consulting several doctors and amputee soldiers, he said, he decided to go through with the amputation.


A year prior to the day of his graduation from the Jumpmaster Course, he had the operation to remove his right leg. The next year would be spent dealing with a cycle of rehabilitation and antibiotic-resistant infections. Each time an infection would come back, he was forced to remain off his prosthetic leg.


Once an infection healed, he would have to rebuild the muscle strength to walk in the socket again. When it was time for the Jumpmaster Course, it had been only three weeks since his last bout with an infection and his return to using the prosthetic leg...

Go read the rest of this great story here.

Thank you for your service.

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B*N*S*N1

Infantry Battalion Forms Bonds With Local Afghans

By Army Capt. Jeffrey Masengale and Army 2nd Lt. Steven Hassink
Special to American Forces Press Service \

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan , March 4, 2009 – Task Force Spartan soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, have been working closely with the local populace and security forces in Afghanistan’s Vardak province since their deployment to Regional Command East two months ago.

The “Catamount” battalion has had recent success with the Afghan security forces in the province’s Jalrez and Sayed Abad districts. This partnership signifies a commitment to helping the Afghan government become better connected with outlying provinces, officials said.

Team Comanche, whose area of operations extends into eastern Vardak, conducts daily patrols over rugged terrain and in challenging weather to meet with local Afghans, listen to their concerns and address their needs.

During a recent visit to the village of Kololan, one team learned that the majority of the villagers are farmers who sell their produce in the local market. But while the town is agriculturally strong, it doesn’t have a resident doctor, which forces villagers to travel long distances for medical care. Once the soldiers learned of the town’s plight, they arranged to bring basic medical care during their next patrol. The platoon came back with two medics who provided medical care to 12 men and a woman.

“Providing humanitarian assistance to Vardak citizens is one of the most important steps we can take in forming positive relations that will lead to a cohesive struggle against economic decline and ultimately the defeat of enemy forces in their area,” said Army 1st Lt. Christopher Stachura, an infantry officer with the Catamount battalion. ...

There is more on the fine work our troops are doing, which you won't find in the msm. Lucky for us, we can read more here.

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B*N*S*N2

Vermont Army Guard Sgt. Jesse Downs cruises to a five-minute victory in the 20-km individual biathlon race March 4 at the 28th Chief of the National Guard Bureau Biathlon Championships held at Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, Vt. Downs won the race in a time of 54 minutes, 28 seconds, missing only two targets. About 60 competitors took part in the race. Downs also won the sprint race. (Photo by Sgt First Class Steven Kilde, North Dakota National Guard)

Vermont Guardsman sweeps CNGB biathlon championships

By Master Sgt. Greg Rudl
National Guard Bureau

ETHAN ALLEN FIRING RANGE, Jericho, Vt. (3/5/09) - After falling short of sweeping both of last year's individual races here at the Chief of the National Guard Bureau Biathlon Championships, Vermont Army National Guard Sgt. Jesse Downs was determined to vindicate himself at this year's 28th annual event.

Last year, Downs was defeated in the 10k race by just one second by a fellow All-Guard team member, 2nd Lt. Samuel Morse. He managed to edge out Morse by 44 seconds this year with a time of 26 minutes, 34 seconds.

Downs' time in the 20k race was 54 minutes, 28 seconds, missing only two targets.

“This race is later in the year so my fitness is good right now and that helps my shooting,” said Downs, who only missed three shots in both the 10k and 20k races....

And there is more - here.

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B*N*S*N3

Regional Courthouse Ready to Serve Justice in Iraq
American Forces Press Service


BASRA, Iraq, Feb. 27, 2009 – Hundreds of people celebrated the dedication yesterday of a new six-court regional justice courthouse here, slated to become the highest court in Iraq’s Basra province.

"This courthouse will be a monument of justice," Medhatt al-Mahmoud, chairman for the Iraqi Judiciary Commission, said. "Iraqi justice is very strong. It will not allow outside influences to keep it from serving justice."


The regional courthouse is a $10 million, U.S.-funded project, and is scheduled to become operational in about 10 days. It will serve as the highest court in the province, handling civil and criminal cases.


"I think this building is a reflection of the progress that the coalition and the Iraqis have made," Army Capt. Charles Bronowski, Multinational Corps Iraq judge advocate, said. "Rule of law is one of the most important aspects of self-governance."


It took Iraqi contractors about a year to complete the building, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers providing oversight.


In addition to courtrooms, the facility includes investigation rooms, legal offices, a conference room and staff training facilities.


"This is a symbol of the establishment of the rule of law and an increase in the judicial capacity," British Royal Marine Maj. Gen. Andy Salmon, commander of Multinational Division Southeast, said. "This is exactly what is required at this stage on the road from where we've been to where we've got to get to, which is a stable and peaceful Basra."



(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.) (here)

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B*N*S*N4

Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Korey Ketola, current holder of the Neptune Award for having completed 35 strategic submarine patrols -- the most patrols among active-duty officers and enlisted members in the Navy -- poses with his 2005 Neptune Award, which he received for completing 29 patrols, at Naval Submarine Base King’s Bay, Ga., Feb. 18, 2009. DoD photo by Gerry J. Gilmore

Face of Defense: Veteran Submariner Garners Coveted Neptune Award

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2009 – Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Korey Ketola recalled that he was uneasy when he embarked on his first submarine patrol in 1983.

“I was scared,” Ketola told reporters at Naval Submarine Base King’s Bay, Ga., Feb. 18.

Yet, today, Ketola is the current holder of the coveted Neptune Award for having completed 35 strategic submarine patrols -- the most patrols among active-duty officers and enlisted members in the U.S. Navy.

Ketola, now the senior noncommissioned officer at the Trident submarine training facility at King’s Bay, will retain the award until someone else surpasses his total or he retires.

All 35 of his patrols, Ketola said, were made aboard Trident strategic missile submarines.

Tridents are nuclear-powered, Ohio-class submarines. At 560 feet long and 42 feet wide, Tridents are the largest submarines in the U.S. Navy’s inventory.

A Trident crew consists of about 160 officers and enlisted sailors. The original ballistic missile versions are nicknamed “Boomers,” and they feature the designator SSBN. The Boomers are capable of carrying as many as 24 Trident II D-5 nuclear missiles. The vessel also carries Mark-48 torpedoes.

Ketola completed his first patrol aboard the USS Michigan. Later, he went on to serve aboard the submarines USS West Virginia, USS Wyoming and USS Maine.

The veteran submariner also earned the Neptune Award in 2005 by accruing 29 completed Trident submarine patrols.

The Trident submarine “is a fantastic machine, probably the second-most complex machine you have, next to the space shuttle,” Ketola told reporters. (source)

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B*N*S*N Bonus!

03/04/2009 - U.S. Navy Cmdr. Richard "Miggs" Zins, outgoing commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 87, gets soaked with water by his fellow aviators on the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) while under way in the Gulf of Oman March 4, 2009, following his aerial change of command ceremony with Cmdr. Richard “Cheese” McGrath Jr., the squadron’s incoming commanding officer. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and Carrier Air Wing 8 are operating the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder, U.S. Navy/Released) (here)

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Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Stephen Howell


Sgt. Stephen Howell, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band percussionist, races a student at Palisades Elementary School in Pearl City, Hawaii during an 11-event circuit course Feb. 20. More than 20 Marines assisted local park volunteers with manning the different events.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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Every Day Heroes

Eric Gillespie and his father, Denver Gillespie, both Navy veterans and Army Corps of Engineers employees from Arkansas, are serving together on a six-month deployment with ACE’s Gulf Region South district overseeing construction projects in Iraq. U.S. Army photo

Face of Defense: Father, Son Team Up for Iraq Reconstruction

By Norris Jones
Special to American Forces Press Service

TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq, Feb. 25, 2009 – An Arkansas father-and-son team is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ massive rebuilding efforts in Iraq.

Denver and Eric Gillespie, both Navy veterans and ACE employees, soon will complete their six-month tours. What made the deployment so special was meeting, working with and getting to know the Iraqi people, they said.

The Gillespies are construction representatives with the Adder Area Office here. Denver is overseeing $150 million in projects, including the expansion of the Tallil airfield, the new Ur Location Command for the Iraqi army, and upgrading two electrical substations in Dhi Qar province.

Eric is helping to ensure quality work at seven projects worth more than $50 million, including the new 80-bed Maysan surgical hospital, the Iraqi army's new Maymona Location Command, expansion of two roads, and the upgrade of the Amarah landfill with a new incinerator, all in Maysan province.

One of the highlights of the tour, they said, was visiting Al Haboosh Primary School in December to hand out toys, soccer balls and school supplies to the 225 students there.

The school is next to a new $650,000 water treatment plant that will provide access to clean water to that community for the first time. The local tribal leader, Sheik Abdul Razak, said residents there historically had just pumped raw water out of the local canal for household use.

"It is very bad water," he said. "This project is important for the health of everyone who lives here. It's a great sign of progress."

Eric noted many of the students at that school were the same age as his sons, Drake, 7, and Caleb, 6.

"It was great to see their smiles,” he said. “They were so appreciative of what we're trying to do.” ...

Go and read the rest of this GREAT story here. Yet more unsung "Every Day Heroes."

Thank you BOTH for your service.

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