Press Release- Fort Drum Garrison Change of Command Ceremony

Fort Drum Garrison Change of Command Ceremony



FORT DRUM, NY – U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Drum will conduct a change of command ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday, September 9, at Sexton Field.



Colonel Noel Nicolle will assume command from Colonel Kenneth Riddle.



Col. Riddle has led the Fort Drum Garrison since April 2008. His next duty assignment will be as the leader of plans and operations (J3) for Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF)-10, 10th Mountain Division, in Regional Command-South Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom. He will deploy with the Headquarters this fall.



Col. Nicolle’s last duty assignment was Fort Sill, Oklahoma, were he served as Director of Training and Doctrine Development of the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence.



Media interested in covering the Change of Command ceremony should be at the Media Operations Center on RT 26 no later than 9:30 a.m, Thursday, September 9.



Media with inquiries regarding this advisory should contact Kae Young, Fort Drum Media Relations Officer, 772-5463, kae.young@us.army.mil.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

As so that we can have the connector road from I-81 to Fort Drum, Goulds Corners Road use detoured for construction and is expected to reopen late next summer.

Fort Drum will be hosting a Military retiree benefits event on Sept. 11.

Eighty sevenFort Drum soldiers to run in marathon on Sept. 26.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

10th CAB conducts predeployment training at Fort Rucker

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

NY Senator Gillibrand talks to Drum troops.

10th Mountain Division soldier, Army Spc. Christopher Waugh, was welcomed home after a 10 month deployment.

The 10th Mountain's 4/25 FA shows how Artillery thrives on adrenaline, precision


Sgt. Earl Kelleher, aWounded Warrior Serves as Mentor to Local Boy Scouts

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which is stationed at Fort Polk is scheduled to deploy in Sept., Oct.

Former 10th Mountain soldier, Kenitay Salyers, Receives Purple Heart for wounds sustained in Sept 2004.

A proposed law would allow someone on post to say "Have a beer, soldier" to a servicemember under the age of 21.

The post's Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation is using Facebook to allow Drum soldiers and families to get out and enjoy local activities.

Emergency Preparedness Kit event is Saturday, Aug. 28, at Fort Polk

Former member of 2nd of the 14th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division Rico Roman makes U.S. paralympics sled hockey team.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Reminding us that winning the hearts and minds of the Afghans is just as important as beating the Taliban, 10th Mountain troops atCamp Spann troops restore water to Afghan community.

No place like home as 10th Mountain division soldier, Spec. William Moss spends time at home while on leave for two weeks before returning to Fort Drum, N.Y.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

10th Mountain soldiers from the 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion help Afghan National Police Train in Airport Security.

Expanding counter-insurgency in Taliban stronghold Canada's focus this fallas the Canadian Army partners with the 10th Mountain's 1-71 Cav in Afghanistan.

Corps of Engineers looks below the Earth's surface for green energy as new buldings are completed at Fort Drum.

SITREP: August 23rd

BloodSpite with another round of Ft Drum news!

Ferrellgas to host fundraiser for United Service Organization Fort Drum

Mountain Community Homes received the 2010 Private Sector Project of the Year award from the Association of Defense Communities

Steamboat reunion honors 10th Mountain Division Veterans of World War II who gather for the event

A large crowd enjoys the Army’s 10th Mountain Division Band followed by fireworks in Sherrill Saturday night.

SITREP: August 20th

BloodSpite here once again giving the latest Round up on Ft Drum and 10th Mountain News!


As the men and women of First Battalion, 87th Infantry deployed, planeload after planeload, to Afghanistan this year, there was an unspoken question in the air: Who among them wouldn’t make it home? Sadly the question was answered: Specialist Brian Anderson, a 24-year-old from Broadway, a small town in Virginia

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee was joined by federal, state and local officials in the Jefferson County today to mark the beginning of a $55.6 million highway project that will link Interstate 81 and the Main Gate of Fort Drum. This project will improve traffic mobility along the Route 11 corridor and will give an economic boost to the entire Fort Drum area.

"What do the Greek, Mongolian, Latvian and British Armies have in common? They’ve all been in Afghanistan before: the Greeks under Alexander; the Mongols under Genghis Khan; the Latvians as part of the Soviet Union; and the British more than a few times. They are also current members of the International Security Assistance Force, and contribute troops to the coalition mission in Afghanistan" First Lt. Mark Larson is serving with the 10th Mountain Division in Kabul and has written blogs at www.handfulofdust.net has a article featured by the New York Times

The Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopter was fielded July 30 by the U.S. Army’s B Company, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. The 10th Mountain Division is the sixth Army unit to be trained and equipped with the aircraft.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

First Lt. Mark Larson of the 10th Mountain Division tells us about Our Lesser-Known Allies in Afghanistan.

The Association of Defense Communities recognized Actus Lend Lease and the US Army by announcing that Mountain Community Homes Wins Private Sector Project of the Year.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

We hear about how the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment usesAir Resupply Mitigates Convoy Risk.

A Soldier Lost, and Remembered courtesy of the NY Times.

Members belong to D Company, 2-30th Infantry, 4th Brigade/10th Mountain Division win Brothers in Arms softball tourney.

The Watertown Daily Times has a story about how some Soldiers' fishing trips are about camaraderie and fish.

SITREP: August 17th

Stand at ease!

New York National Guard's 69th Infantry Regiment undergoes training at Ft Drum

Ft. Drum Soldiers combat stress and deployments with fishing

Medics push it to the limit to receive the Expert Field Medical Badge

1-71 Scout platoon watches their step in the mountains of Afghanistan

The 10th Mountain, surrounded by civilian hostiles, keeps their heads though sometimes its hard.

NPR radio tells us how Fort Drum troops test trust with Afghan police.

Ft drum soldier Sgt. Adam Woodford earns Top Gun award after 3rd tour of duty.

1-71 Cavalry's Brooklyn-born Army Lt. Col. John Paganini training Afghan National Police to fight Taliban.

During EFMB training at Fort Drum, Medics advance skills, character.

The NY Daily News tells us about 1-71 Cavalry and how they patrol in Afghanistan.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

New garrison commander to lead Drum as of Sept. 9
The post will be getting a new garrison commander Sept. 9.

Col. Noel T. Nicolle will replace Col. Kenneth H. Riddle as the 10th Mountain Division's garrison commander at a Sexton Field ceremony.

Engagement Team Making Significant Contributions in Afghanistan
A four Soldier Human Intelligence Collection Team, operating in northern Afghanistan in support of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, is making significant contributions to securing and rebuilding northern Afghanistan.

“Upon arrival to the area, locals were very hesitant to speak with us,” said HCT leader Sgt. Kristin Barnett. “Over the past couple months this has changed drastically.”

New flag flies at Little Falls veterans memorial
The American flag that had flown over the memorial was presented to David Carpineti to present to his son, Sgt. William Carpineti, who is stationed at Fort Drum. William Carpineti, a 2001 graduate of Little Falls High School who has served two tours of duty in Iraq, raised the flag last Saturday.

Media Invited to Visit Buffalo Army National Guard Unit Training at Fort Drum
The New York Army National Guard is inviting news media to visit Fort Drum on August 18 to see members of the 105th Military Police Company from Buffalo and Rochester conducting Annual Training.The 105th was one of the first New York Army National Guard units to deploy to Iraq; serving there in 2003 during the invasion.

Touch-a-Truck slated Saturday
BIG RIGS IN EVANS MILLS: Family Counseling, USO Fort Drum to share proceeds from event
United Service Organization Fort Drum and Family Counseling Service of Northern New York have teamed up for a fundraiser to benefit the civilian and military communities here.

AFG Community Celebrates Completed Projects in Dehdadi

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs
Story by Spc. Cynthia Teears Van Cleve
DEHDADI DISTRICT, Afghanistan -- The Dehdadi District community celebrated the completion of several projects, Aug. 7, during a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Sharabad Clinic in Sharabad Village, Afghanistan.

Emam Construction-Rehabilitation Organization Construction Company employees worked alongside Soldiers of Red Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, to complete several well improvements and upgrading of latrines in villages of Dehdadi District.

SITREP: August 12th

BloodSpite here with another update on the 10th Mountain and Ft Drum!

Ft Drum Troops testing the trust of Afghan Police forces

Former Rep. David O'Brien Martin will be in Watertown today. Mr. Martin,who served six terms in the House from 1981 to 1993 was instrumental in bringing the 10th Mountain Division to Fort Drum.

Army Staff Sgt. Jesse W. Ainsworth, 24, of Dayton, Texas, died July 10 near Walakan, Afghanistan, of injuries from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Fort Drum and had served two combat tours in Iraq.

Lights, camera action was the scene Monday at the Home Depot in Johnson City where a promotional video was being shot. The shoot is for a day of recognition for the men and women of the 10th Mountain Division who are based at Fort Drum. The event--sponsored by Home Depot and Time Warner -- is set to take place September 3rd in the Johnson City Home Depot's parking lot.

Night watch in Afghanistan: Army Spec. Tehuti Miles of the 1-71 Calvary of the 10th Mountain Division on guard for Taliban foes

SITREP: August 9th

No your noble host has not forgotten about you. He has again been called away. Due to some technical issues I was to be here to help fill in the blanks during his departure, however I wasn't able to login.

The Mechanic got if fixed, and wa-la! Frozen in Drum is not quite so frozen and back in swing!

So without further adieu, lets get you what yer asking for eh?

-BloodSpite

Officials at the home of the Army's 10th Mountain Division say two-member "courtesy patrols" will visit clubs, restaurants and bars in the Watertown area between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. Thursday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Fort Drum community said good-bye to 100 members of the Charlie Company MEDEVAC, 3-10, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, on August 6th in a deployment ceremony.
The Charlie Company MEDEVAC, 3-10, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division recently returned home from Iraq in October, after supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom since October 2008. During their last deployment, the unit flew over 350 medical evacuation missions and transported more than 450 patients.

The company will now deploy to Afghanistan to support a similar operation, working to ensure the safety of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Families and friends welcomed 276 members of the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team back from Iraq at Magrath Sports Complex early this month. The brigade's task was to train Iraqi police and military forces. It deployed in October and returned more than three months earlier than planned. there are still about 900 members of the unit to come home.

Daughter of a 10th Mountain Division World War II Vet is giving back, by arranging a gathering of 10th Mountain Veterans and Descendants of 10th Mountain veterans

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Ghormach Elders Discuss Aid and Security Issues
Village elders from the Ghormach district of Northern Afghanistan met with members of the International Security Assistance Force and a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture recently, to discuss the agricultural needs of the area.

Before any assistants can be provided however, security needs for the district have to be addressed.

"Even though we are the largest agricultural organization in the world," said Merle Parise of the U.S.D.A., to the elders. "We are helpless without your help securing the villages,"

With the combined efforts of the local villagers, the Afghan National Security Forces and the coalition Forces, the district will reach a state of lasting security.

"With security comes the ability for others to come in and do what they need to do to help the people of the Ghormach district," said Lt. Col. Kyle Marsh, commander of 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery, of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team.

More soldiers with 2nd BCT return from mission in Iraq
Col. David M. Miller, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, arrived Saturday from Iraq with 375 of his unit's soldiers.

The unit was assigned to eastern Baghdad, where it trained Iraqi military and police forces to protect themselves by working in tandem with the forces during missions.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Panels approve Drum funding
Nearly $235 million in construction slated for next year at Fort Drum cleared a House subcommittee Wednesday, a first step toward securing money for new barracks, training facilities and other improvements.

The House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees military construction approved its spending bill for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, including the money for Fort Drum.

Lattes and Hot Showers in Afghanistan
A popular fake motivational poster here in Afghanistan is one that shows two pictures side by side: one of soldiers in full gear out on patrol covered in dust; the other of two soldiers holding trays of fast food with clean uniforms and big smiles. The caption below reads “Afghanistan: individual experiences may vary.”

This dichotomy is all too true for many soldiers around the country. As a new infantry lieutenant fresh out of Airborne and Ranger School, I arrived at the 10th Mountain Division expecting my experience to be much like the picture on the right. We had all seen images and video of firefights at remote outposts in the Hindu Kush, or house-to-house battles in Kandahar and Helmand Provinces.

Iraq US Troops Drawdown
In this Tuesday, July 13, 2010 photo, a U.S. Army soldier from 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division is seen on board a C-17 aircraft at Baghdad International Airport as they begin their journey to the United States. The soldiers, based at Fort Drum, N.Y., are headed home after nine months in Iraq as part of the U.S. drawdown of forces, which begins in earnest next month. The number of soldiers in Iraq is expected to go from 77,500 currently in the country to 50,000 by September 1.

Owens Announces Panel Approval of $6.7 million Requested for Fort Drum
The House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee approved Congressman Bill Owens’ funding request to construct an Alert Holding Area Facility for Fort Drum’s efforts to prepare our troops for deployment.

Command prepares 10th Mountain Division for Afghanistan
Members of U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) will conduct Unified Endeavor 10-3 Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Region Command - South (RC-S) Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) July 14- 30 at Fort Drum, N.Y.

The MRX will help the Army's 10th Mountain Division transition smoothly into Afghanistan as it replaces a multinational contingent, led by British forces currently overseeing operations in RC-S under the command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

SUNY Drum proposal advances
The effort to bring a State University of New York medical branch campus to the Fort Drum region advanced in a House subcommittee, Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, announced Friday.

An appropriations subcommittee approved $250,000 for the initiative, which supporters say will help attract health care professionals to the north country.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Fort Drum Training for NY National Guard Aircrews
New York National Guard Aviation Soldiers will train to prepare themselves for the newly formed Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Explosive (CBRNE) Consequence Management Response Force, or CCMRF. This training of Soldiers and aircrwes will certify three of New York's aviation units to be called to Federal Active Duty if needed to deploy in support of federal missions for any natural or man-made disaster beginning in the new fiscal year, starting October1.

Country superstar at the county fair
Opening for Mr. Jackson will be Timothy ("T. J.") Murphy, a soldier at Fort Drum who is a native of Kittery, Maine.

Mr. Murphy has served his country for almost 25 years and will retire from the military this year to become a full-time country music artist. He's been involved in the business for a long time, performing with his band on and off for the past 17 years.

The Badlands of Kandahar: Counterinsurgency Testing Ground
The Dand-district center is a novelty in the badlands of Kandahar province. As the seat of both the top government official and the U.S. forces based in the area, it's a seductive target for Taliban militants looking to make a statement. Yet its walls lack the extra defenses found at other district centers across Afghanistan's embattled south. On any given day, half of the guard towers are unoccupied and the front gate is left open, manned by a single police officer who casually waves visitors through. So calm is the surrounding area that U.S. Army officers living there are lobbying for permission to go outside the wire without body armor. "If there's an ink spot [of stability] forming in southern Afghanistan, I would say it's this district," says Major Edward Ash of the 1-71 Cavalry, 10th Mountain division.

Training to tackle the Taliban - and cooperate with allies
The Afghan policemen do not seem overly excited by the prospect of going on tour with their American trainers this afternoon.

Outside in Imam Sahib, in the Kunduz province of northern Afghanistan, it's 45 degrees celsius. The local police chief delegates one of his sergeants and two patrolmen to go out, vastly outnumbered by their US counterparts.

Donald R. Edgerton

Sergeant Donald R. Edgerton, age 33, of Murphy, North Carolina, was killed July 10th in an improvised explosive device attack near the city of Charadarre, Afghanistan.

Edgerton was a senior sniper, serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

Edgerton joined the U.S. Army in August 2007 and after completing training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, arrived to Fort Drum in February 2008.

Edgerton previously deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from February to October 2008. In 2009 he completed both the sniper and combat life savers courses.

Edgerton's awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and two Overseas Service Ribbons.

He is survived by his wife, daughter and parents.

See Also
www.watertowndailytimes.com

news.yahoo.com

wwnytv.com

Jesse W. Ainsworth

Staff Sergeant Jesse W. Ainsworth, age 24, of Dayton, Texas, was killed July 10th in an improvised explosive device attack near the city of Walakan, Afghanistan.

Ainsworth was a team leader, serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

Ainsworth joined the U.S. Army in November, 2005 and after completing training at Fort Benning, Georgia, came to Fort Drum in March 2006.

Ainsworth previously deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the first time from March to July 2006, and also from September 2007 to October 2008. He completed both the Warrior Leader Course and the Combat Life Savers Course in 2009.

Ainsworth's awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

He is survived by his wife, two children, mother and sister.

See Also
www.watertowndailytimes.com

freedomremembered.com

wwnytv.com

chron.com