10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Fort Drum hoping for OK on mountain training plan
High-altitude helicopter training near Whiteface Mountain could start for 10th Mountain Division soldiers as early as next week, according to military officials.

Local woman brings soul, sweetness to U.S. Military Bases
Woman starts a line of soul foods and seasonings after visiting soldiers at Fort Drum.

Fowler woman urged to keep active in son's case
The mother of slain Fort Drum soldier Patrick S. Rust was encouraged Monday by Jefferson County Sheriff John P. Burns to do all that she can to keep the death investigation active and in the public eye.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

'Take a Soldier Fishing' tournament set for April 24 on Oneida Lake
The ice is gone, warm weather has arrived and local fishing tournaments aren’t far behind.

Among the more unique contests is the “Take a Soldier Fishing, “ set for April 24 on Oneida Lake.

A total of 40 local bass anglers, all members of New York B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation, have volunteered to take out an expected 80 active soldiers from Fort Drum for a day of fishing.

'One Diamond' fundraiser brings in $36,000 for SMC
Samaritan Auxiliary's largest annual fundraiser raised enough money to cover the cost of three instruments used to diagnose and treat cancer.

"One Night, One Diamond," held March 27 at The Commons, Fort Drum, raised almost $36,000, said Irene C. Carman, co-chairwoman of the fundraising effort and an auxiliary member.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Marketing push urged for NNY
DRUM COUNTRY: Civic, military leaders want to entice soldiers' families to stay

FORT DRUM — Jefferson County and the Army must better market the advantages of living in the north county so that military families opt to stay in the region when soldiers deploy, civic and military leaders said Thursday at the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization meeting.

Rust's mother establishes tip line for info on death
Hoping to revive the investigation into the "wrongful death" of Sgt. Patrick S. Rust, his mother has established a tip line.

Picks & Pecks: Rio Vista ahead in Census
Welcome home to Army Staff Sgt. Christian Hughes, who is recuperating in Vacaville for a few weeks between surgeries to repair nerve damage to his legs following an Oct. 2 attack in Afghanistan. The sergeant, stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y., was awarded a Purple Heart and, now, a pick as well.

Military Law Workshop at Suny Canton April 6
The SUNY Canton Legal Studies Department will be holding a special workshop on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

Representatives from the Fort Drum Judge Advocate General's Office will be on campus for a Military Law Workshop at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, in the Miller Campus Center. They will be joining Legal Studies faculty members to discuss the military aspects of divorce and representation of clients before the Veteran's Administration, among other topics.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Fort Drum troops have key role in Afghanistan surge
New York Times military correspondent Jim Dao is embedding with the brigade’s 1-87th battalion. He spoke with David Sommerstein from Fort Drum a couple days before the unit deployed. He says the unit represents a new mission in Afghanistan.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Actus Lend Lease wins award for its energy efficient homes
FORT DRUM — Actus Lend Lease, the development firm that built the majority of soldier housing on Fort Drum, won an Environmental Protection Agency award two weeks ago for continuing to build energy efficient homes on base.

Conversation from Kabul: Capt. Sean Kane
About 3,500 troops from the Army's 10th Mountain Division's First Brigade Combat Team are in Afghanistan, part of the Obama Administration’s strategy sending tens of thousands of troops, as well as trainers, diplomats, and economic aid to the region. Lake Placid native Sean Kane is among them. Kane is a captain with the Second Battalion 22nd Infantry Regiment.

From floundering sophomore to student success, military brought structure to MSU's first Native American ROTC grad
Cadet Heather Parsons, who will be assigned to the 10th mountain Division as a chemical officer, is the focus of a Montana State University news article.

10th mountain Division News Roundup

NY suspends construction projects in fiscal crisis
Because of New York's budget deficit, a highway to Fort Drum is among hundreds of current and new construction projects Gov. Paterson is suspending.

Comment deadline approaching on Whiteface traininghttp://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/512075.html?nav=5008
The public comment period runs through Thursday on a proposal for the Army to use sites on Whiteface Mountain to conduct high-altitude helicopter training in April and May.

Drum offers plethora of eats for its hungry civilian visitors
Article to remind civilian visitors to post that while they are not authorized to patronize some businesses on post, they are authorized to use the fast food restaurants and convenience stores.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

A soldier's life, at the front and back home
10th Mountain Division soldier, SSG Brendan Kearns is focus of Times Union story

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Afghanistan Wartime Architecture August-November 2009
Photo montage from Afghanistan, includes pictures of 10th Mountain Division soldiers.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Climb to Kilimanjaro peak completed in heavy rain
The Fort Drum soldier who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last month to raise money for wounded comrades had no easy time of it.

Sgt. Thomas G. Bauschke endured heavy rains and flooding on his six-day journey to the summit of Africa's tallest mountain.


Man shares credit for fire assistance
ST. PATRICK'S DAY BLAZE: Fort Drum soldier says others 'did more than me' to avert tragedy

Sikh Soldiers allowed to serve, retain their articles of faith
Capt. (Dr.) Tejdeep Singh Rattan, a dentist, will be assigned to Fort Drum as a dentist. Capt. Rattan is the first Sikh soldier to serve in the Army is 26 years.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Kennewick soldier out of coma after N. Carolina crash
10th Mountain division soldier, Sgt Caleb Darling is recovering from injuries sustained during an accident while home on leave.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

http://readme.readmedia.com/Governor-Paterson-Directs-Flags-to-Be-Flown-at-Half-Staff/1213114
Governor David A. Paterson has directed that flags on State government buildings be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, March 24, in honor of Army Specialist Robert Rieckhoff who was killed in Iraq on Thursday, March 18.

Robert Riechhoff

FORT DRUM, NY - A 2nd Brigade Combat Team Soldier was killed Thursday,
March 18 when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled
grenade fire in Baghdad, Iraq.

The Fort Drum Soldier killed is Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, of
Kenosha, Wis.

Spc. Rieckhoff served as a cannon crewmember with the 2nd Battalion,
15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain
Division (Light Infantry). He deployed in October 2009 in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Rieckhoff joined the Army in August 2007 and arrived to Fort Drum
in November 2008.

Spc. Rieckhoff is survived by his two children, mother and grandmother.

Spc. Rieckhoff's awards and decorations include the National Defense
Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.

Also seeJSOnline.com
Watertown Daily Times
Star Tribune.com
WSAU.com
WEAU.com
Syracuse.com

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Norfolk Lions Planning Care Packages For Drum Soldiers
Norfolk Lions Club adopts platoon from Fort Drum. The club is planning to send monthly care packages stuffed with some of life's simpler pleasures.

Drum soldiers laid to rest
Four Fort Drum pilots that were killed in Iraq in January 2009 were buried together Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Parkchester Honors Homegrown Hero
A rainbow of community members, veterans and elected officials joined family members and friends of PV2 Issac T. Cortez, for a street renaming in honor of the Parkchester resident.

Former Alexis soldier returns
Caleb Larson, a 2004 graduate of Alexis High School and son of Bob and Kelsey Larson, formerly of Alexis, now of Mt. Vernon, has returned to the United States after his second deployment to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Divison of the U.S. Army based out of Fort Drum, N.Y. Sgt. Larson re-enlisted for another three years with the U.S. Army while on his deployment, according to his mother.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Army chopper training at Whiteface?
There could be quite a few helicopters sighted in the area as the United States Army's 10th Mountain Division Airborne unit from Fort Drum is hoping to use Whiteface Mountain as a stage for high-altitude flight training missions from early April through the middle of May.

City braces for Reserve unit move to post
LESO-LEANO CENTER: Officials to tour 10.3-acre South Massey Street facility to gauge its potential uses
I have spoken to some of the soldiers in the unit and was told that they were notified they would be moving to Fort Drum starting this May.

Soldier's response saves Carthage home

10th mountain Division soldier, Jonathan E. Hicks, is credited by the Carthage Fire Department with quelling a fire that could have caused extensive damage to a house on John Street Wednesday.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

"Three Cups of Tea" brings hope to Fort Drum
NPR article on the visit to the spouses of Fort Drum’s officers by author of the best-selling book, Three Cups of Tea.

Letter to the Editor: Fort Drum meets soldiers' needs
Todd L. Benham, Chief of Fort Drum's Behavioral Health Department sends a letter to the Albany NY Times Union about an article which understated mntal health services at Fort Drum.

The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education
Review of book authored by former Ft Drum soldier, Cpt Craig Mullaney about his time in combat with the 10th Mountain Division and the loss of one of his soldiers.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Local businesses collecting items for Fort Drum platoon
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - A platoon from Fort Drum is preparing for their deployment to Afghanistan, and Friday a local grocery store announced a campaign to support them - but they're asking for your help.

Members of the 10th Mountain Division visit Green Hills Market in Syracuse
Photot of US Army Sgt. Todd Doss at the Green Hills Market in Syracuse during a celebration of the store adopting a Fort drum Platoon.

Afghan heritage the focus of trip
LIFE IN WAR ZONE: Drum culture official brings back tips for deployed U.S. troops

Preserving Afghanistan's cultural history and archeological sites
"The Afghans wish to use their glorious past to build a glorious future," Fort Drum Manager of Cultural Resources Laurie Rush said.

But in order to do that, that past needs to stay intact. Which is part of the reason Rush recently traveled to the war-torn nation. She spoke during a three-day conference focusing on environmental concerns. Rush focused on ending the destruction of archeological sites.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Green Hills Market has adopted a platoon
A CNY business has adopted a platoon from Ft Drum prior to their upcoming deployment.

Mutiny in the making at Ft. Drum?
North Country Public Radio blog article concerning the group Oathkeepers and an unidentified soldier at Ft Drum.

Ski time for military heroes
Wounded Warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan will be spending the weekend participating in rehabilitative adaptive skiing and snowboarding lessons at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort. The Warriors hail from New York and Massachusetts region, including six from the Warrior Transition Unit of Fort Drum, home of the 10th Mountain Division.

Drum leadership posts change hands with retirements
Two members of the Army post's leadership have retired.

10th Mountain Division Command Sgt. Maj. James W. Redmore has retired after a 29-year Army career, and Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald D. Andrews retired after 30 years of Army service. Both men were honored during separate ceremonies last week.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Air Cav UAV Hub Reaches 20,000 Flight Hours

10th Mountain division soldiers, along with multiple other units operating out of a single hub have provided ground commanders in and around Baghdad with 20,000 hours worth of aerial coverage, hitting the milestone, March 7.

Press Release- FREE PARENT TO PARENT WORKSHOP TO FOCUS ON ENPOWERING ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Fort Drum, NY – The Military Child Education Coalition will host 2 workshops empowering parents as their child’s best advocate on March 10, 2010 here at the Commons. The workshops will focus on several keys to success including navigating school transitions and getting the most out of parent teacher conferences. The workshops will address educational issues facing children from toddler to college-age.



Media interested in covering the workshop should meet at the Media Operations Center on Route 26 no later than 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10. For more information, contact Kae Young at Fort Drum Public Affairs, 315-772-5463