'Bullet Magnet'-Sgt. Camacho has earned 5 Purple Hearts in 5 years
Daily News story focused on 10th Mountain Division soldier Sgt. Brandon Camacho
13 September 2009
12 September 2009
Daily Roundup
Drum tries to tackle suicide problem
Fort Drum Commanding General leads talk about Suicide Awareness during event on post to gain awareness of resources available for troops.
Queens staff sergeant hunts bombs on battlefields of Afghanistan
Article about 10th Mountain Division soldier, Staff Sgt. Robin Torres, who is assigned to 3/71 Cav.
Family members revel in the greetings in the News from their loved ones serving in Afghanistan
NY Daily News article about family response to greetings from NYC natives assigned to Ft Drum's 10th Mountain Division
11 September 2009
Daily Roundup
NY soldiers far from home: 9/11 close to home reminder for service in Afghanistan
NY Daily News article with a focus on 10th Mountain Division soldiers from NJ, Long Island and NYC.
2009-2010 Fort Drum Recreation Permits & Access Passes Available
Fort drum announces requirements for hunting, trapping, and gaining access to local training areas.
NY Daily News article with a focus on 10th Mountain Division soldiers from NJ, Long Island and NYC.
2009-2010 Fort Drum Recreation Permits & Access Passes Available
Fort drum announces requirements for hunting, trapping, and gaining access to local training areas.
10 September 2009
Daily Roundup
NY's 10th Mountain Division leads deadly eight-year hunt for Osama bin Laden in eastern Afghanistan
NY Daily News announces a 2 week series with 10th mountain division troops stations in Afghanistan.
NY Daily News announces a 2 week series with 10th mountain division troops stations in Afghanistan.
09 September 2009
Daily Roundup
Gates to explore adding stateside DoD schools
Secretary of Defense looking into the possibility of opening more Department of Defense schools at bases which see a high rate of deployment among the soldiers stationed there.
Governor orders flags at half staff
NY State flags will fly at half staff Wednesday in honor of Sergeant Darby T. Morin, 25 of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Secretary of Defense looking into the possibility of opening more Department of Defense schools at bases which see a high rate of deployment among the soldiers stationed there.
Governor orders flags at half staff
NY State flags will fly at half staff Wednesday in honor of Sergeant Darby T. Morin, 25 of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
08 September 2009
Daily Roundup
U.S. Military Challenge Allegations of Misconduct at Afghan Hospital
Military officials state that the unit which entered the hospital did so in cooperation with the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, and the staff of the hospital. They were searching for an insurgent commander was in the hospital and explained these concerns to hospital staff before seeking permission to enter the hospital.
Fort Drum fire department receives national accreditation
After an 18 to 24 month review and accreditation process, Ft Drum Firefighters are certified by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
Military officials state that the unit which entered the hospital did so in cooperation with the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, and the staff of the hospital. They were searching for an insurgent commander was in the hospital and explained these concerns to hospital staff before seeking permission to enter the hospital.
Fort Drum fire department receives national accreditation
After an 18 to 24 month review and accreditation process, Ft Drum Firefighters are certified by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
07 September 2009
Daily Roundup
U.S. troops stormed Afghan hospital, aid group says
10th Mountain Division soldiers are accused of tying up hospital guards and entering women's wards in violation of local customs while searching for Taliban fighters in Wardak province.
Fort Drum Spouse, Soldier Sound Off About Afghanistan War
Differing views on the Afghan War from a Ft Drum Soldier and Spouse.
10th Mountain Division soldiers are accused of tying up hospital guards and entering women's wards in violation of local customs while searching for Taliban fighters in Wardak province.
Fort Drum Spouse, Soldier Sound Off About Afghanistan War
Differing views on the Afghan War from a Ft Drum Soldier and Spouse.
06 September 2009
Daily roundup
He could not leave a comrade behind
Boston Globe story about the life of SFC Jered Monti, who earned the Medal of Honor in 2006.
Boston Globe story about the life of SFC Jered Monti, who earned the Medal of Honor in 2006.
05 September 2009
Daily roundup
Official: Drum can handle counseling
The behavioral health chief on Fort Drum states in article that the Ft Drum community has the resources to assist soldiers and their families with services related to mental health, substance abuse, family counseling, social services Substance Abuse, family, marriage and child therapy.
Post efforts aim to deter suicide
The division and installation staff announce that this week they will be focusing on the resources available for soldiers and their families to prevent suicides.
More Drum troops heading to Afghanistan
The Department of Defense announces 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters will be deployed to Afghanistan. The deployments will be in late 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The behavioral health chief on Fort Drum states in article that the Ft Drum community has the resources to assist soldiers and their families with services related to mental health, substance abuse, family counseling, social services Substance Abuse, family, marriage and child therapy.
Post efforts aim to deter suicide
The division and installation staff announce that this week they will be focusing on the resources available for soldiers and their families to prevent suicides.
More Drum troops heading to Afghanistan
The Department of Defense announces 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters will be deployed to Afghanistan. The deployments will be in late 2010 and 2011 respectively.
04 September 2009
Daily roundup
Sept. 11 concert benefits wounded Army veterans
10th Mountain soldiers will be guests at a concert on 11 Sept. The non profit charity will provide training fellowships and work for severely-disabled Army veterans nationwide, beginning about Oct. 1.
10th Mountain soldiers will be guests at a concert on 11 Sept. The non profit charity will provide training fellowships and work for severely-disabled Army veterans nationwide, beginning about Oct. 1.
03 September 2009
Terry takes command of 10th Mountain Division
Via Newsday
Maj. Gen. James Terry assumes command of the 10th Mountain Division. He's replacing Maj. Gen. Michael Oates.
Maj. Gen. James Terry assumes command of the 10th Mountain Division. He's replacing Maj. Gen. Michael Oates.
Daily roundup
Via Internet, Auburndale soldier's family watches his promotion in Iraq
Family watches as 10th Avn Bde commander receives promotion in Iraq via webcam
Area soldiers use leave time to sharpen emergency medical skills
Medics with with local EMTs to prepare for upcoming deployment
Expansion begins
Updates on several construction projects on Fort Drum
Family watches as 10th Avn Bde commander receives promotion in Iraq via webcam
Area soldiers use leave time to sharpen emergency medical skills
Medics with with local EMTs to prepare for upcoming deployment
Expansion begins
Updates on several construction projects on Fort Drum
Spc. Abraham Sherrod Wheeler
Via The State
Just before he died, Columbia soldier Spc. Abraham Sherrod Wheeler III commented on his Facebook page about the soaring U.S. death toll in Afghanistan.
“Man, so many soldiers fallin all over this ... country,” the 22-year-old Wheeler wrote Aug. 22 on the social networking Web site. “My heart goes out to them.”
On Monday, the Pentagon announced Wheeler died last week when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle during fighting in rugged Logar province.
Wheeler’s name now is listed among 47 U.S. service members who died in August — the bloodiest month since the United States started fighting in Afghanistan in 2001.
August’s toll surpasses July’s record 44 deaths. So far this year, 179 U.S. service members have been killed in action in Afghanistan.
That compares with 116 U.S. combat deaths in Iraq this year, according to the Web site icasualties.org, which tracks deaths of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Wheeler, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, died Friday in the same blast that injured CBS correspondent Cami McCormick and two other soldiers.
McCormick suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to her legs and arms, CBS reported. She was being treated at the U.S. military’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The two soldiers were treated for minor injuries and returned to duty.
Three Afghans believed to be responsible for the bombing were apprehended by U.S. soldiers and are being detained at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, CBS added.
Wheeler also is the 16th member of the U.S. military with S.C. ties to die in Afghanistan; 62 have fallen in Iraq.
Abraham Wheeler Jr. said he last talked to his son Wednesday, just two days before the blast.
They talked about “general things,” said Wheeler Jr., a retired carpenter. But his son, whom friends called “Rod,” was excited about a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme he was restoring.
Wheeler Jr. said he wanted to get the car repainted in time for his son’s homecoming this fall.
Spc. Wheeler’s unit deployed to Afghanistan in December, but rumors were flying that the troopers might be leaving Afghanistan in late October, the soldier’s father said. Wheeler said his son was home in late June for two weeks’ leave.
The 62-year-old Columbia man was home last Friday when an Army casualty officer and a chaplain showed up at his front door.
“I knew when I pulled the curtain back what they were here for,” Wheeler said. “My legs felt like they just went out from under me. My hands and arms were shaking, I could barely unlock the door. Then I walked back to the couch and sat down.
“I’ve never had a feeling like that ever. My heart, it felt like it had fallen down to my foot.”
Wheeler said his son joined the Army in 2007, two years after graduating from Ridge View High School. At 6 feet, 2 inches and 260 pounds, his son played defensive end for the Richland 2 school, Wheeler said.
In their last phone call, Wheeler said his son mentioned that “things were getting a little hectic, but he told me not to worry because he would be all right.”
But on his Facebook page, Spc. Wheeler said the fighting was grim.
“Fallen comrade ceremony,” Spc. Wheeler said in an Aug. 25 entry about a fellow trooper, Cpl. Darby T. Morin, 25, of Victoria, Canada, who died Aug. 22. “That ... don’t really hit you ova here until it’s someone u kno personally. R.I.P. Darby.”
Three days later, Spc. Wheeler was dead.
Services are pending, the family said. Bostick & Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Just before he died, Columbia soldier Spc. Abraham Sherrod Wheeler III commented on his Facebook page about the soaring U.S. death toll in Afghanistan.
“Man, so many soldiers fallin all over this ... country,” the 22-year-old Wheeler wrote Aug. 22 on the social networking Web site. “My heart goes out to them.”
On Monday, the Pentagon announced Wheeler died last week when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle during fighting in rugged Logar province.
Wheeler’s name now is listed among 47 U.S. service members who died in August — the bloodiest month since the United States started fighting in Afghanistan in 2001.
August’s toll surpasses July’s record 44 deaths. So far this year, 179 U.S. service members have been killed in action in Afghanistan.
That compares with 116 U.S. combat deaths in Iraq this year, according to the Web site icasualties.org, which tracks deaths of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Wheeler, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, died Friday in the same blast that injured CBS correspondent Cami McCormick and two other soldiers.
McCormick suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to her legs and arms, CBS reported. She was being treated at the U.S. military’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The two soldiers were treated for minor injuries and returned to duty.
Three Afghans believed to be responsible for the bombing were apprehended by U.S. soldiers and are being detained at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, CBS added.
Wheeler also is the 16th member of the U.S. military with S.C. ties to die in Afghanistan; 62 have fallen in Iraq.
Abraham Wheeler Jr. said he last talked to his son Wednesday, just two days before the blast.
They talked about “general things,” said Wheeler Jr., a retired carpenter. But his son, whom friends called “Rod,” was excited about a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme he was restoring.
Wheeler Jr. said he wanted to get the car repainted in time for his son’s homecoming this fall.
Spc. Wheeler’s unit deployed to Afghanistan in December, but rumors were flying that the troopers might be leaving Afghanistan in late October, the soldier’s father said. Wheeler said his son was home in late June for two weeks’ leave.
The 62-year-old Columbia man was home last Friday when an Army casualty officer and a chaplain showed up at his front door.
“I knew when I pulled the curtain back what they were here for,” Wheeler said. “My legs felt like they just went out from under me. My hands and arms were shaking, I could barely unlock the door. Then I walked back to the couch and sat down.
“I’ve never had a feeling like that ever. My heart, it felt like it had fallen down to my foot.”
Wheeler said his son joined the Army in 2007, two years after graduating from Ridge View High School. At 6 feet, 2 inches and 260 pounds, his son played defensive end for the Richland 2 school, Wheeler said.
In their last phone call, Wheeler said his son mentioned that “things were getting a little hectic, but he told me not to worry because he would be all right.”
But on his Facebook page, Spc. Wheeler said the fighting was grim.
“Fallen comrade ceremony,” Spc. Wheeler said in an Aug. 25 entry about a fellow trooper, Cpl. Darby T. Morin, 25, of Victoria, Canada, who died Aug. 22. “That ... don’t really hit you ova here until it’s someone u kno personally. R.I.P. Darby.”
Three days later, Spc. Wheeler was dead.
Services are pending, the family said. Bostick & Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
29 August 2009
Cpl. Darby T. Morin
Via Newzjunky
FORT DRUM, N.Y., August 26, 2009 — Cpl. Darby T. Morin, 25, of Victoria, Canada, a 10th Mountain Division soldier from Fort Drum, died of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over on Aug. 22 in Logar province, Afghanistan.
Cpl. Morin served as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).
He deployed with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in January in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cpl. Morin joined the Army in March 2004 and came to Fort Drum in April 2008.
He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Cpl. Morin's awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, and Combat Action Badge.
FORT DRUM, N.Y., August 26, 2009 — Cpl. Darby T. Morin, 25, of Victoria, Canada, a 10th Mountain Division soldier from Fort Drum, died of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over on Aug. 22 in Logar province, Afghanistan.
Cpl. Morin served as a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).
He deployed with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team in January in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cpl. Morin joined the Army in March 2004 and came to Fort Drum in April 2008.
He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Cpl. Morin's awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, and Combat Action Badge.
Pfc. Brian M. Wolverton
via Ventura County Star
A jet carrying the remains of Army Private 1st Class Brian M. Wolverton of Oak Park taxied slowly on the tarmac at the Van Nuys Airport on Thursday morning.
The 21-year-old soldier’s family — his mother, Miriam, father, Christopher, brother Michael, 17, and grandmother Silvia Yin — stood in a row with Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Brentlinger, a casualty assistance officer, at their side. Brentlinger, members of an Army honor guard and other military personnel saluted as the plane came to a stop and its rumbling engines were quieted.
The 2006 Oak Park High School graduate was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 20 after insurgents attacked his unit. He died from wounds suffered by indirect fire. Funeral services are scheduled Saturday in Westlake Village.
“His heart is in the right place,” Miriam Wolverton said about her son before the plane arrived. She said he often helped younger soldiers in his unit get out of jams with his own advice and advice culled from his mother. “He likes to help people,” she said.
Meanwhile, 38 members of the volunteer Patriot Guard Riders Southern California Chapter, many of them war veterans, waited near their motorcycles to help escort the fallen solider home.
Wolverton served with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y. He completed combat training in June.
‘A way of honoring Brian’
The call sign for a plane carrying a fallen soldier is “hero,” and thus the flights are known as hero flights. In February, an 18-year military ban on news media covering the return of war dead was lifted. Under the change in policy, the military grants access only with the consent of the service member’s family. Miriam and Christopher Wolverton gave their permission for coverage of Brian’s hero flight home.
“It’s a way of honoring Brian,” said Christopher Wolverton, who served three years in the Army. “It’s a free country and the story of our soldiers and the way they are treated, I think it’s a story to be told.”
The hatch of the Falcon 20 cargo jet opened, a member of the honor guard walked to the side of the plane. Wolverton’s casket, draped with the flag, was escorted by a member of his unit.
At Brentlinger’s signal, a black hearse pulled into position.
Wolverton’s casket was lowered from the plane onto a stand. The honor guard surrounded the casket and escorted it to the hearse, as family members wiped away tears.
Wolverton received an associate’s degree in 2008 from Moorpark College. Cultural anthropology sparked his interest and he hoped to major in the subject, Christopher Wolverton said.
In high school, his son ran track, specializing in hurdles but also participating in relays and sprints. As a child he spent six years playing baseball in the Agoura Pony League. While Wolverton attended Moorpark College, he returned to Oak Park High School as an assistant track coach.
A number of Wolverton’s friends told his parents how charming he was. His former track coach told his mother that her oldest son acted mature for his age. To his parents, Wolverton was a typical teenager. His mother joked with him, asking why he didn’t turn on the charm at home.
Wolverton also loved video games, often playing them with his younger brother.
“He was mostly like a friend to me,” Michael said.
The family would travel to Mammoth Mountain once or twice a year to ski.
“Brian had gotten quite good over the years,” Christopher Wolverton said. “He could zip down anything.”
Wolverton was a fourth-generation member of the military. Although his father, grandfather and great-grandfather served, Wolverton’s announcement of joining the military one day in January came as somewhat of a surprise. He had talked about it casually.
He reported for basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia.
“I was very proud of him,” Christopher Wolverton said.
Escort of Patriot Guard Riders
Once the casket was placed in the hearse, military personnel snapped into a salute as civilians placed their right hands over their hearts. Brentlinger escorted the Wolverton family to the hearse. The black limousine would take them to Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park.
Outside the aviation facility, members of the Patriot Guard Riders put on their helmets and prepared for the procession. The group was invited by the family to participate. Craig “Gunney” Donor, the chapter’s captain, said the group was happy to be of service to the families of fallen soldiers and to show their respect.
“They are never easy,” Donor said of the processions. “It’s very emotional for us whenever we see a young person’s life cut short.”
A jet carrying the remains of Army Private 1st Class Brian M. Wolverton of Oak Park taxied slowly on the tarmac at the Van Nuys Airport on Thursday morning.
The 21-year-old soldier’s family — his mother, Miriam, father, Christopher, brother Michael, 17, and grandmother Silvia Yin — stood in a row with Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Brentlinger, a casualty assistance officer, at their side. Brentlinger, members of an Army honor guard and other military personnel saluted as the plane came to a stop and its rumbling engines were quieted.
The 2006 Oak Park High School graduate was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 20 after insurgents attacked his unit. He died from wounds suffered by indirect fire. Funeral services are scheduled Saturday in Westlake Village.
“His heart is in the right place,” Miriam Wolverton said about her son before the plane arrived. She said he often helped younger soldiers in his unit get out of jams with his own advice and advice culled from his mother. “He likes to help people,” she said.
Meanwhile, 38 members of the volunteer Patriot Guard Riders Southern California Chapter, many of them war veterans, waited near their motorcycles to help escort the fallen solider home.
Wolverton served with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y. He completed combat training in June.
‘A way of honoring Brian’
The call sign for a plane carrying a fallen soldier is “hero,” and thus the flights are known as hero flights. In February, an 18-year military ban on news media covering the return of war dead was lifted. Under the change in policy, the military grants access only with the consent of the service member’s family. Miriam and Christopher Wolverton gave their permission for coverage of Brian’s hero flight home.
“It’s a way of honoring Brian,” said Christopher Wolverton, who served three years in the Army. “It’s a free country and the story of our soldiers and the way they are treated, I think it’s a story to be told.”
The hatch of the Falcon 20 cargo jet opened, a member of the honor guard walked to the side of the plane. Wolverton’s casket, draped with the flag, was escorted by a member of his unit.
At Brentlinger’s signal, a black hearse pulled into position.
Wolverton’s casket was lowered from the plane onto a stand. The honor guard surrounded the casket and escorted it to the hearse, as family members wiped away tears.
Wolverton received an associate’s degree in 2008 from Moorpark College. Cultural anthropology sparked his interest and he hoped to major in the subject, Christopher Wolverton said.
In high school, his son ran track, specializing in hurdles but also participating in relays and sprints. As a child he spent six years playing baseball in the Agoura Pony League. While Wolverton attended Moorpark College, he returned to Oak Park High School as an assistant track coach.
A number of Wolverton’s friends told his parents how charming he was. His former track coach told his mother that her oldest son acted mature for his age. To his parents, Wolverton was a typical teenager. His mother joked with him, asking why he didn’t turn on the charm at home.
Wolverton also loved video games, often playing them with his younger brother.
“He was mostly like a friend to me,” Michael said.
The family would travel to Mammoth Mountain once or twice a year to ski.
“Brian had gotten quite good over the years,” Christopher Wolverton said. “He could zip down anything.”
Wolverton was a fourth-generation member of the military. Although his father, grandfather and great-grandfather served, Wolverton’s announcement of joining the military one day in January came as somewhat of a surprise. He had talked about it casually.
He reported for basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia.
“I was very proud of him,” Christopher Wolverton said.
Escort of Patriot Guard Riders
Once the casket was placed in the hearse, military personnel snapped into a salute as civilians placed their right hands over their hearts. Brentlinger escorted the Wolverton family to the hearse. The black limousine would take them to Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park.
Outside the aviation facility, members of the Patriot Guard Riders put on their helmets and prepared for the procession. The group was invited by the family to participate. Craig “Gunney” Donor, the chapter’s captain, said the group was happy to be of service to the families of fallen soldiers and to show their respect.
“They are never easy,” Donor said of the processions. “It’s very emotional for us whenever we see a young person’s life cut short.”
28 August 2009
Justin Pellerin’s family remembers fallen soldier
Via The Keene Sentinel
Last week, Melissa Farmer got a phone call from her son in Afghanistan.
He didn’t talk much about war. Instead, plans were spinning in Justin Pellerin’s head: When he got home, should he be a state trooper or a police officer? Or would he go to college, maybe become a physical trainer?
Pellerin, an Army infantryman from Concord, was killed Thursday by an improvised explosive device in the Wardak province of Afghanistan.
He was 21. His wife of a little more than a year, Chelsey Pellerin, turned 21 last week.
“You just assume it’s not going to happen to you,” Farmer said Saturday, sitting at her kitchen table in Concord next to her husband, Dale, her siblings and her mother. “He was so tough — that’s what we held onto.”
Pellerin was deployed in January and was due home in December. Military officials Saturday confirmed his death and said an IED had exploded near his vehicle, but said they could not yet provide further details about the incident.
He is the 30th soldier from New Hampshire killed in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2002. The principal at Concord High, Gene Connelly, said he believes Pellerin is the school’s only graduate to die in either conflict.
“I’m just heartbroken for (Chelsey), and for his family and friends,” Connelly said. “It’s just — he’s so young.”
Pellerin, who grew up in Concord and has sisters ages 14 and 9, was “always around a whole bunch of kids,” Melissa Farmer said. A camera ham who enjoyed attention, he’d do impassioned Enrique Iglesias impressions while singing karaoke, his family members recalled. A competitive guy, he liked being tough; if he got hurt, he’d show off his scars.
He was smart, but he grew disinterested in school, Farmer said, and he began talking to military recruiters when he was 16. He graduated through an alternative diploma program with the intention of joining the Army.
“He was really looking for some direction, and he knew he could do good things in the service,” Farmer said. “And he ended up being really good at what he did.”
Her son was proud of that, she said. “Of course, we were really proud of him, too.”
Chelsey Pellerin, who met Justin near the start of high school, said a number of their friends had talked about joining the military. But they talked about joining for mechanics, she said, and she was taken aback when Justin enlisted in the Army as an infantryman.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to kill him,’” she said Saturday.
“You don’t do infantry.”
Pellerin shipped off to Georgia in the summer of 2007 for training, his family said, before ending up at Fort Drum, N.Y., that fall.
He came home when he could — it was about a seven-hour drive — and though he always stopped by to visit his family, it was Chelsey he saw the most, his parents said.
“He was in love, you know?” said Dale Farmer.
“We didn’t consider ourselves just married,” Chelsey said. “It was, ‘Hey, you’re my best friend, no one can ever take your spot. You’re my best friend.’“
For months, there was talk of Justin deploying, but “the date kept switching,” Chelsey said. For a while, he thought he was going to Iraq.
“It really was December before we knew for sure,” Melissa Farmer said.
They drove down to Fort Drum before he left in January, to say goodbye.
Justin wanted to use his training — “He was a very good shot,” Dale Farmer said — and if he had qualms about going, he didn’t share many with his family.
“He was most concerned about how we felt. Definitely,” Melissa Farmer said. “He didn’t even want to tell me he was going into the infantry.”
It was the same when he got to Afghanistan, deployed with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. When Justin called, he didn’t say much about what he’d been doing. “Especially with me, he didn’t want to tell me anything,” his mother said. “He would say, ’It’s really bad.’“
Last week, Melissa Farmer got a phone call from her son in Afghanistan.
He didn’t talk much about war. Instead, plans were spinning in Justin Pellerin’s head: When he got home, should he be a state trooper or a police officer? Or would he go to college, maybe become a physical trainer?
Pellerin, an Army infantryman from Concord, was killed Thursday by an improvised explosive device in the Wardak province of Afghanistan.
He was 21. His wife of a little more than a year, Chelsey Pellerin, turned 21 last week.
“You just assume it’s not going to happen to you,” Farmer said Saturday, sitting at her kitchen table in Concord next to her husband, Dale, her siblings and her mother. “He was so tough — that’s what we held onto.”
Pellerin was deployed in January and was due home in December. Military officials Saturday confirmed his death and said an IED had exploded near his vehicle, but said they could not yet provide further details about the incident.
He is the 30th soldier from New Hampshire killed in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2002. The principal at Concord High, Gene Connelly, said he believes Pellerin is the school’s only graduate to die in either conflict.
“I’m just heartbroken for (Chelsey), and for his family and friends,” Connelly said. “It’s just — he’s so young.”
Pellerin, who grew up in Concord and has sisters ages 14 and 9, was “always around a whole bunch of kids,” Melissa Farmer said. A camera ham who enjoyed attention, he’d do impassioned Enrique Iglesias impressions while singing karaoke, his family members recalled. A competitive guy, he liked being tough; if he got hurt, he’d show off his scars.
He was smart, but he grew disinterested in school, Farmer said, and he began talking to military recruiters when he was 16. He graduated through an alternative diploma program with the intention of joining the Army.
“He was really looking for some direction, and he knew he could do good things in the service,” Farmer said. “And he ended up being really good at what he did.”
Her son was proud of that, she said. “Of course, we were really proud of him, too.”
Chelsey Pellerin, who met Justin near the start of high school, said a number of their friends had talked about joining the military. But they talked about joining for mechanics, she said, and she was taken aback when Justin enlisted in the Army as an infantryman.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to kill him,’” she said Saturday.
“You don’t do infantry.”
Pellerin shipped off to Georgia in the summer of 2007 for training, his family said, before ending up at Fort Drum, N.Y., that fall.
He came home when he could — it was about a seven-hour drive — and though he always stopped by to visit his family, it was Chelsey he saw the most, his parents said.
“He was in love, you know?” said Dale Farmer.
“We didn’t consider ourselves just married,” Chelsey said. “It was, ‘Hey, you’re my best friend, no one can ever take your spot. You’re my best friend.’“
For months, there was talk of Justin deploying, but “the date kept switching,” Chelsey said. For a while, he thought he was going to Iraq.
“It really was December before we knew for sure,” Melissa Farmer said.
They drove down to Fort Drum before he left in January, to say goodbye.
Justin wanted to use his training — “He was a very good shot,” Dale Farmer said — and if he had qualms about going, he didn’t share many with his family.
“He was most concerned about how we felt. Definitely,” Melissa Farmer said. “He didn’t even want to tell me he was going into the infantry.”
It was the same when he got to Afghanistan, deployed with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. When Justin called, he didn’t say much about what he’d been doing. “Especially with me, he didn’t want to tell me anything,” his mother said. “He would say, ’It’s really bad.’“
Daily Roundup (23-28 Aug)
Catching up for time missed, I will be back to the daily posting of news soon.
Appreciate military spouses who also serve
Letter to the Editor of the Watertown daily Times thanking Fort Drum families for their service.
1-star selections announced by DoD
Col. Jeffrey L. Bannister, 10th Mountain Division deputy commander (support) has been announced as 1 of 39 colonels selected for promotion.
Maj. Gen. Oates Posts Final Blog
Outgoing division commander asks for suggestions and advice to his replacement, Maj. Gen. James Terry.
PROGRAM SERVES SURVIVORS
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Michael "Sonny" Mitchell interviewed about Survivor Outreach Services for family members of fallen soldiers.
Appreciate military spouses who also serve
Letter to the Editor of the Watertown daily Times thanking Fort Drum families for their service.
1-star selections announced by DoD
Col. Jeffrey L. Bannister, 10th Mountain Division deputy commander (support) has been announced as 1 of 39 colonels selected for promotion.
Maj. Gen. Oates Posts Final Blog
Outgoing division commander asks for suggestions and advice to his replacement, Maj. Gen. James Terry.
PROGRAM SERVES SURVIVORS
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Michael "Sonny" Mitchell interviewed about Survivor Outreach Services for family members of fallen soldiers.
Daily (covering 15-22 Aug) roundup
Reporter's Notebook: In Afghanistan, Itching for a Fight that Never Comes
4/25 Artillery Battalion with a new role in Afghanistan.
Woman aims to fund aquatic therapy pool
Watertown Woman looks to help soldiers who have suffered Traumatic Brain Injuries recover.
Kharwar Flood: Supporting the rule of law in a distant insurgent haven
Fort Drum's 3/71 Cav operating in Afghanistan.
U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan look to ensure safe presidential election
Ft Drum's 3rd Brigade Combat Team conducting security mission during the Afghanistan election.
Soldier's Wife Waits for Husband's Safe Return
Wife of deployed soldier talks about husband in Afghanistan
Miller soldier to be buried today in Arlington
3rd Brigade Combat Team's PFC Matthew Willard will be buried at Arlington National Cemetary
Philadelphia port to handle military cargo again
After a 2 year hiatus, Philadephia's port returns to the mission of transporting military cargo, the first load will be of 10th Mountain eqpt to either Iraq or Afghanistan
Gen. Oates prepares to leave Fort Drum
General Oates prepares to leave Fort Drum after almost 2 1/2 years as commander of the division.
Sister, Brother Reunite in Iraq
2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment pilot, meets sister assigned to Mn NG 34th Infantry Division in Iraq.
4/25 Artillery Battalion with a new role in Afghanistan.
Woman aims to fund aquatic therapy pool
Watertown Woman looks to help soldiers who have suffered Traumatic Brain Injuries recover.
Kharwar Flood: Supporting the rule of law in a distant insurgent haven
Fort Drum's 3/71 Cav operating in Afghanistan.
U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan look to ensure safe presidential election
Ft Drum's 3rd Brigade Combat Team conducting security mission during the Afghanistan election.
Soldier's Wife Waits for Husband's Safe Return
Wife of deployed soldier talks about husband in Afghanistan
Miller soldier to be buried today in Arlington
3rd Brigade Combat Team's PFC Matthew Willard will be buried at Arlington National Cemetary
Philadelphia port to handle military cargo again
After a 2 year hiatus, Philadephia's port returns to the mission of transporting military cargo, the first load will be of 10th Mountain eqpt to either Iraq or Afghanistan
Gen. Oates prepares to leave Fort Drum
General Oates prepares to leave Fort Drum after almost 2 1/2 years as commander of the division.
Sister, Brother Reunite in Iraq
2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment pilot, meets sister assigned to Mn NG 34th Infantry Division in Iraq.
Sorry for the absence
Unexpected family issues kept me away, I hope to be back on a regular posting schedule very soon.
14 August 2009
Daily Roundup
Editor: I am looking at the layout of the site and it is starting to look cluttered and chaotic. Starting today, any stories not about fallen heroes will be in a compact form, with a synopsis of the story below a link to the story.
New campaign streamers available now for unit flags
The current campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are now going to assigned to a time period and if a unit has had multiple deployments in more than 1 time period, they will be authorized a streamer for each time period.
Warriors train on the bayou
The 1st BCT has deployed to Ft Polk to trainup for a deployment to Iraq.
1-71 Cavalry recognizes Soldiers for extending contracts
Leaders of 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment recognized 32 service members who extended their current enlistments at a breakfast ceremony on July 23.
110th Transportation Company Soldiers hit road for Iraq
On Aug. 5, Fort Drum bid farewell to the 110th Transportation Company as they left for a tour in Iraq.
Tennessee officials name bridge for 10th Mountain Division Soldier
A bridge outside Smyrna, Tn was named after Raymond Neal Mitchell III, who was killed in action on Jan. 6, 2007.
VA outreach aims at seamless transition
The Obama administration's Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced several changes to the transition from active duty medical care to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mountain Community Homes announces new construction complete in Rhicard Hills
New home construction in the Rhicard Hills community was completed with the announcement of with 526 new homes built for soldiers and their families.
Directorate of Logistics will undergo conversion
The Directorate of Logistics is reorganizing into Directorate of Support Service, which will focus on support services including laundry, bulk petroleum, personnel movements, unit movements, Railhead Operations, to name a few tasks and the Directorate of Materiel, which will focus on materiel support like Supply Support Activity, Ammunition Supply Point, Central Issue Facility, heavy mobile equipment repair, left behind equipment, predeployment training equipment and National Maintenance Program, among others.
3rd Brigade Combat Team Soldiers will defend democracy in Afghanistan
3rd BCT and NATO troops will be a final backup and also supply fire and air support if needed to Afghan National Army forces who will be responsible for local security during the elections.
New campaign streamers available now for unit flags
The current campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are now going to assigned to a time period and if a unit has had multiple deployments in more than 1 time period, they will be authorized a streamer for each time period.
Warriors train on the bayou
The 1st BCT has deployed to Ft Polk to trainup for a deployment to Iraq.
1-71 Cavalry recognizes Soldiers for extending contracts
Leaders of 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment recognized 32 service members who extended their current enlistments at a breakfast ceremony on July 23.
110th Transportation Company Soldiers hit road for Iraq
On Aug. 5, Fort Drum bid farewell to the 110th Transportation Company as they left for a tour in Iraq.
Tennessee officials name bridge for 10th Mountain Division Soldier
A bridge outside Smyrna, Tn was named after Raymond Neal Mitchell III, who was killed in action on Jan. 6, 2007.
VA outreach aims at seamless transition
The Obama administration's Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced several changes to the transition from active duty medical care to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mountain Community Homes announces new construction complete in Rhicard Hills
New home construction in the Rhicard Hills community was completed with the announcement of with 526 new homes built for soldiers and their families.
Directorate of Logistics will undergo conversion
The Directorate of Logistics is reorganizing into Directorate of Support Service, which will focus on support services including laundry, bulk petroleum, personnel movements, unit movements, Railhead Operations, to name a few tasks and the Directorate of Materiel, which will focus on materiel support like Supply Support Activity, Ammunition Supply Point, Central Issue Facility, heavy mobile equipment repair, left behind equipment, predeployment training equipment and National Maintenance Program, among others.
3rd Brigade Combat Team Soldiers will defend democracy in Afghanistan
3rd BCT and NATO troops will be a final backup and also supply fire and air support if needed to Afghan National Army forces who will be responsible for local security during the elections.
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