10th Mountain Division News Roundup

in service
10th mountain division soldier, Army Spc. Samantha L. Kempson, is the focus of a May 6th article.

SGT David Mullens
This CNN salute is from Stephanie Mullens to her husband Sergeant David Mullens, U.S. Army. He is assigned to 2nd Brigrade Special Troops Battalion 10th Mountain Division.

1BCT Uncases Colors in Afghanistan
CAMP MIKE SPANN, Afghanistan -- The 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team uncased its colors, May 5, during a brief ceremony held on Camp Mike Spann in Northern Afghanistan.

Armed Forces Day parade to be May 15 in Watertown
The Watertown Armed Forces Day parade will be held at 10 a.m. May 15.

Fort Drum soldiers and the 10th Mountain Division Band, as well as a few local bands and community groups, will march down Washington Street from Watertown High School to Stone Street.

Father, daughter serve together in Iraq
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Richard Secor of the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, along with his daughter, Capt. Jessica Secor, is the focus of an article in The Daily Herald, which is published in Everett, WA.

Press Release- 2-87 INF Valorous Awards Ceremony May 7

FORT DRUM, NY -- The 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team will conduct a valorous awards ceremony 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 7, at the 2-87 INF headquarters here.

Maj. Gen. James Terry, Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division commanding general, will present awards of valor recognizing select Soldiers for their heroic actions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Soldiers receiving awards are:

Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Olson Jr. will receive the Silver Star.

Corporal Derrick V. Blackburn will receive the Bronze Star with Valor Device.

Specialist Jesse R. Sprint will receive the Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device.

The Silver Star is the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy.

Awards with a Valor Device denotes those individuals who performed valorous acts during direct combat with an enemy force or accomplishments of a heroic nature in direct support of operations against an enemy force.

Media interested in covering the ceremony must R.S.V.P. to the Fort Drum public affairs office no later than 4 p.m. Thursday, May 6, by calling Maj. Fred Harrell at 315-772-7267.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Saturday update: Gresham seeing it all; WRs free-for-all; Character check
West point grad and future 10th mountain division officer, Alejandro Villanueva, is quoted in article about work ethic of Bengals first round draft pick.

Pilot lands on the big stage
Steven Badgley, a US Army helicopter pilot assigned to Fort Drum, will make his professional boxing debut on June 12 at Madison Square Garden.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Afghanistan Contractors Rebuild Walls
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- Soldiers of Red Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, rode out to check on a school's wall repairs being made by a local contractor in Mazar e Sharif, Afghanistan, April 29.

Sackets attraction marking 25 years
The Fort Drum Fire Department is loaning their fire prevention and safety trailer to Old McDonald's Farm for their opening weekend. The trailer is an interactive vehicle that teaches children what to do in case of a fire.

Leader of men: Michael Blanchard
Future 10th Mountain Division infantry officer Michael Blanchard is the focus of article in University of Montana paper.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

From sand in Iraq to Garden stage for soldier
From a "ghetto ring" set in the sands of Kirkuk, Iraq, to a debut at Madison Square Garden amid the lights of Broadway has been quite a journey for U.S. Army helicopter pilot Steven Badgley.

Press Release- 514th Maintenance Welcome Home Ceremony May 1

A welcome home ceremony for 514th Maintenance Company
Soldiers is scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday, May 1 at Magrath Gym here.

The flight will consist of 197 personnel that are returning after a 12
month deployment to Iraq.

Media interested in covering the ceremony must R.S.V.P. to the Fort Drum
public affairs office not later than 5 p.m. Friday, April 30 by calling
315-772-7267. R.S.V.P. is required so that we can provide updates to
the ceremony time as needed.


Sincerely,
MAJ Fred Harrell
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
10th Mountain Division (LI)

315-772-7267

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Final results (and pictures) from 'Take a Soldier Fishing' tournament on Oneida Lake
The New York BASS Chapter Federation (NYBCF) held their second annual Take-A-Soldier-Fishing event on Oneida Lake for 80 Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. Many of these soldiers had recently returned from combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldiers arrived around 8 am for the morning registration, receiving a free Bass Pro Shops tackle pack, followed by coffee and donuts as they mingled with the boaters for morning introductions.

Press Release- Mountain Remembrance Ceremony

A Mountain Remembrance Ceremony will be held Thursday, April 29, 4:30 p.m. at the Main Post Chapel here to honor fallen 10th Mountain Division Soldiers.

Soldiers to be honored are:

Spc. Alan N. Dikcis, 21, of Niagara Falls, NY.

Spc. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 26, of Kenosha, Wis.

----

Spc. Dikcis was killed March 5 when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Dikcis served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the 630th Engineer Company (Clearance), 7th Engineer Battalion (Combat Effects), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne).

Spc. Rieckhoff was killed March 18 when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenade fire in Baghdad, Iraq. Rieckhoff served as a cannon crewmember with the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).

Media interested in covering the ceremony should be at the Media Operations Center on Route 26 no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day of the event.


Sincerely,
MAJ Fred Harrell
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
10th Mountain Division (LI)

315-772-7267

Home Page: http://taskforcemountain.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/10thMountainDiv
News Releases:
http://www.drum.army.mil/sites/installation/pao/releases/

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Soldier gets a special gift following deployment10th Mountain division soldier 1st Sgt. Charles R. Wagenbrenner of walked out to his driveway Saturday night to discover a brand-new olive green custom-built Buell motorcycle. The brainchild of his brother, Karl P. Wagenbrenner, the bike was constructed from parts donated by Vietnam, Korea and Desert Storm veterans.

Army offers glimpse at pilot training
Plattsburg NY Press Republican article about 10th Aviation Brigade training at Whiteface mountain.

We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint
NY times article about how an essay by a 10th Mountain Division officer has changed policies of several senior officers in Afghanistan.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Active duty
Army Pfc. Kristoffer Isaak, of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum N.Y., is serving in Afghanistan. Isaak is a 1999 graduate of Monroe High School. His father is David Isaak of Arlington and his mother is Linda Isaak of San Diego, Calif.

NY BASS Chapter Federation Takes A Soldier Fishing via Fishing World.com
The New York BASS Chapter Federation (NYBCF) held their second annual Take-A-Soldier-Fishing event on Oneida Lake for 80 Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Soldiers trade fatigues for fishing poles
Day on the lake for soldiers 4-24-10
80 soldiers from Fort Drum were treated to a day on the lakefront at Oneida Shores in Brewerton Saturday .

This is the second year members of the New York State Bass Chapter Federation took soldiers out on boats for a fishing trip.

Y's Healthy Kids Day gets 'em moving
10th Mountain Division soldiers from Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers helped supervise activities at YMCA activity day

Volunteers take Fort Drum soldiers fishing on Oneida Lake (video)
Until Saturday, Cpl. Thomas Lindskog had never been in a boat. And after his first fishing experience, he can boast catching — and releasing — a sheepshead, four smallmouth bass and two pickerel.

Lindskog, 22, who is originally from around the Mojave Desert in California, recently was transferred to Fort Drum from South Korea. He was with a group of 78 Fort Drum soldiers who netted some fun at Oneida Lake Shores County Park.

The outing, like any operation, began with a briefing on the rules, mainly reminders about New York state laws regarding fishing seasons and wearing life vests. Organizers raffled two Dobyn fishing rods with U.S. Reels, each valued at $400.

The homefront: Soldier on break from war
Another story on 10th Mountain Division soldier, PFC Brandon Arnold, who is home from 2 weeks of leave from Afghanistan.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Thanking those who serve
Christian and Hazel Aleman, a soldier serving with the 10th Mountain Division and his wife, are the focus of a story in Maryland Newspaper.

Fort Drum Trains Over & On Whiteface Mountain
When it comes to New York's geography, the high peaks region of the Adirondacks comes closest to resembling Afghanistan.

So, before Fort Drum's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade's next deployment, it's training destination is Whiteface Mountain.

Media joins in Black Hawk fly-along from Fort Drum to Whiteface
Pilot Casey Pfannenstel circled his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter around the top of Whiteface Mountain, not far above two sightseers who were sitting on the rocky peak taking in the view of the Adirondacks. It wasn't long before the helicopter found a perch of its own, touching down for a third time on a section of the Whiteface Veteran's Memorial Highway during a training sortie Friday.

This week, the Army's 10th Mountain Combat Aviation Brigade began exercises on Whiteface Mountain, taking advantage of New York's fifth-highest peak as helicopter pilots and crews train to deploy later this year in Afghanistan.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Fort Drum transfers 3rd Brigade leadership
Watertown Daily Times coverage of the transfer of command for the 3rd BCT.

Citizenship has its perks: SSO ticket vouchers for each person sworn in Thursday in Syracuse
10th Mountain Division soldier, PFC Wellyston Defaria is pictured during a naturalization ceremony Thursday at the Onondaga County Courthouse in Syracuse NY.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

US Army begins chopper training on Adirondack peak
Soldiers from the Army's 10th Mountain Division have begun high-altitude helicopter training exercises on top of Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks.

A spokeswoman with the Fort Drum-based division says Thursday the training flights began this week. Army officials announced plans last month to use the state-run Adirondack ski peak for mountain landings by the division's Combat Aviation Brigade.

Five win volunteer awards at Fort Drum
Five people were honored Tuesday night at the 2010 Fort Drum Volunteer of the Year and Man and Woman of the Mountain Appreciation Ceremony.

Hearts for Heroes effort earns local groups Volunteers of the Month honors
Officials at Fort Drum have named two local groups Volunteers of the Month.

Representatives from the Oneida County 912ers made the trip to Fort Drum for the ceremony Wednesday. The New Hartford Legion also was honored, but could not be in attendance. Colonel Kenneth Riddle personally presented the group with the award.

Retired colonel is chosen as Man of the Mountain
Retired Col. Terrence L. Roche, Carthage, was honored Tuesday night with Fort Drum's Man of the Mountain Award for his contributions to the post.

Press Release- High-Altitude Flight Training Begins in Whiteface Mountain Area

Fort Drum, NY – The 10th Mountain Division Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 10th Mountain Division is now operating with a special maneuver license for training helicopter pilots at Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack Mountains. This high-altitude mountainous training is preparation for the brigade’s planned deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) in the fall of 2010.







Whiteface Mountain provides the best and only suitable terrain and altitude to accomplish this training task in New York State. The features of Whiteface provide critical realistic high-altitude helicopter missions the CAB needs to safely conduct flight operations in Afghanistan.







A media opportunity to see a Whiteface Mountain based high-altitude training mission first hand is scheduled for April 23. Media interested in covering this event needs to be at the Media Operations Center on RT 26 not later than 8:30am on April 23.







Due to limited space, all interested media must RSVP no later than 3:30pm Thursday April 22. For more information contact Kae Young, Public Affairs @ 315-772-5463 or kae.young@us.army.mil.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Soldier back from Afghanistan surprises little brother at school
10th Mountain Division soldier Brandon Arnold focus of Boston Herald story

NY Bass taking soldiers out fishing Saturday on Oneida Lake
The New York BASS Chapter Federation (NYBCF) is sponsoring a "Take A Soldier Fishing" fishing derby from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (April 24) on Oneida Lake. The contest will be headquartered atOneida Shores Park in Brewerton.

Press Release- 3rd BCT Change of Command Ceremony Thursday

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team will conduct a consolidated
change-of-command ceremony 11 a.m. Thursday, April 22, at Sexton Field
here.

Col. David B. Haight will hand over command of the brigade to Col.
Patrick D. Frank.

Col. Frank recently served in the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley,
Kan. While there, he served as the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry
Regiment commander, division operations officer, and special assistant
to the commanding general.

Four battalions in 3rd BCT will also change command during this
ceremony. These include:

Lt. Col. Frederick O'Donnell will hand over command of the 1st
Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment to Lt. Col. Kenneth J. Mintz.

Lt. Col. Michael Gabel will hand over command of the 4th Battalion, 25th
Field Artillery Regiment to Lt. Col. Christopher P. Taylor.

Lt. Col. George Pitt will hand over command of the 3rd Brigade Special
Troops Battalion to Lt. Col. Lee Clark.

Lt. Col. Eugene Shearer will hand over command of the 710th Brigade
Support Battalion to Lt. Col. Jered Helwig.

Maj. Gen. James Terry, Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division commanding
general, will give remarks during the ceremony.

Media interested in covering the ceremony must R.S.V.P. to the Fort Drum
public affairs office no later than 5 p.m. today, April 21, by calling
Maj. Fred Harrell at 315-772-7267. All media will meet at the Media
Operations Center on Rte. 26 not later than 10:15 a.m. on the day of the
event.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Afghan Veterans Combat Stress -- With a Game of Paintball
Article on 10th Mountain soldier, Brandon Turbeville and the efforts of the 10th Mountain to combat battlefield stress.

Blackfeet woman emerges as ROTC Leader on campus
Article on Cadet Heather Parsons, who is to be assigned to Fort Drum, and will become the first Native American to complete and graduate from the ROTC program at MSU, according to MSU ROTC.

010 Tour of the Battenkill: Ride2Recovery
Fort Drum soldier Anthony Sullivan cluthes a complimentary bottle of chocolate milk produced at the Battenkill Valley Creamery, after finishing Saturday’s rainy Ride2Recovery. Sullivan, a member of the 385th Infantry Warrior Transition Unit, had just complete the 40-mile route at Ride2Recovery, a non-competitive event held as a part of the Tour of the Battenkill Valley bicycle race to raise funds for soldiers returning from war. The Tour of the Battenkill began last weekend with a race contest by about 2,000 amateur athletes and concludes today with a 125-mile event contested by about 200 professional cyclists. The race starts at 11 a.m. in Cambridge, with viewing areas in Cambridge and Greenwich.

A Band of Brothers: A tale of soldiers in Afghanistan risking it all to save another soldier's life
Story about 10th Mountain Division soldier, Private First Class Channing Moss, who was wounded in 2007 while with 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry in Afghanistan.

JSS SUJ transferred to Iraqi Security Forces
Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, transferred responsibility of Joint Security Station Shawra Wa Umjidir to 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Federal Police Division during a ceremony there Thursday.

Press Release- Fort Drum's Cultural Resources Manager makes history with elite fellowship

Fort Drum's Cultural Resources Manager and archeologist, Dr. Laurie Rush, is making history herself as the first Department of Defense employee to accept an 11-month fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, known widely as the "Rome Prize."

Established in 1894 and chartered by an Act of Congress in 1905, the American Academy seeks to foster the pursuit of advanced research and independent study in the fine arts and humanities. Each year, through a national competition, the Rome Prize is awarded to approximately 30 individuals working in Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern, or Modern Italian Studies, and Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Design, Historic Preservation and Conservation, Literature, Musical Composition, or Visual Art. Recipients of the Rome Prize Competition are provided with a fellowship that includes a stipend, a study or studio, and room and board for a period of 6 months to 2 years in Rome, Italy. During this time prize winners will work on individual projects in their field of study.

Rush accepted her fellowship at a reception in Manhattan April 15. Her focus during her time abroad will be working with greater international understanding of cultural property protection with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defense College and other concerned organizations. As a pioneer bridging the military and archeologist career fields, Rush works with leadership from both, foreign and domestic, to preserve Fort Drum cultural and religious sites, as well as those in harm's way due to conflict overseas. She is dedicated to balancing the responsibility of cultural stewardship with achieving military mission objectives.

"It's a balancing act that has so many advantages to help people from all backgrounds share a common vision" said Rush.

While working with the NATO Defense College, Rush will also share best practices from her work in increasing cultural sensitivity through educational outreach. She anticipates highlighting the success of creating realistic training areas at home for Soldiers during their pre-deployment training. These true-to-life sites help Soldiers foster respect for monuments, mosques and other religious sites. An additional recent achievement was the development of playing cards with pictures of items of cultural significance. The playing cards are recognized as ground-breaking in the effort to better acquaint Soldiers with south-west Asian artifacts.

However, while Rush will lean on her wealth of past experiences during her fellowship, she also looks forward to the opportunity to learn from the new.

"Working for the Army is challenging and rewarding and has offered me more opportunities than I could ever possibly have imagined. I look forward to working in Rome with all the incredibly talented artists and scholars on projects that are aimed at making the world a better place. I am already thinking of ways to tap into those joining me in Rome" said Rush.

Rush will begin her fellowship in September.

For more information about the American Academy in Rome go to www.aarome.org.

For more information or to set up an interview with Dr. Laurie Rush please contact Kae Young, Fort Drum Public Affairs, at 315-772-5463.

10th Mountain Division News Roundup

Soldiers Aid People of Gormach
GHORMACH, Afghanistan – Dozens of piles of gravel lay in downtown Gormach untouched since construction came to a halt months ago. Crumbling to the ground are local shops amid dusty streets where vendors offer basic items including bicycle parts and naan, the local flat bread.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment moving into the Gormach District have started their mission by aiding the people of the area and forming relationships with the local leaders.

4-17 Community: your news


Leonard participates in U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition

10th Mountain Division soldier, Joshua R. Leonard, participated in the 35th U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition at Fort Lee, Petersburg, Va.

Growing Afghan Troops
Triple Deuce soldiers focus of story on the training of Afghan National Army soldiers.