Blog-ah

Two soldiers died

By Associated Press
FORT LEWIS, Wash. (AP) - Two soldiers from Fort Lewis have died, one in Kuwait and the other in Afghanistan.

The Defense Department says 32-year-old Pfc. William T. Dix of Culver City, Calif., died Sunday at Camp Buehring, Kuwait of injuries from a non-combat incident. The incident is under investigation.

Dix was assigned to the 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade and had been in the Middle East in March. He enlisted in the Army on April 7, 2004, after serving in the Marine Corps and the Army Reserves.

The military also reported the death of 30-year-old Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell of Ramona, Calif. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and died Tuesday in Bastion, Afghanistan, of wounds from small-arms fire.

Lt. Col Evans

The Courrier Post has a story this morning on 4th Brigade Stryker
Lt. Col. Kenneth E. Evans.

Fort Lewis Offers Billions

The payroll of the military has surpassed $1 billion. Click here fo rthe PI's report.

David Hardt

Actions speak louder than words

As my wife and I stood patiently in the long line at Subway, I think I finally discovered why being deployed two times to Iraq makes me different from those around me. There in front of me stood two young men talking loudly and being rather obnoxious. I tried to ignore these clowns, but as much as I wanted to, with every foolish act they exhibited I became more infuriated. In my mind I was screaming, “Please shut the hell up and grow up.” It wasn’t long before one of the young men was interrupted from their circus performance by a phone call. I normally don’t pay much attention to people talking on their cell phones, but this time I couldn’t help it. The conversation I overheard put some things in perspective. The young men were fresh out of Basic Training. They had just arrived at the installation and were beginning their military careers. These two men happened to be wet behind the ears infantrymen, or shall I say boys. They made it clear to everyone in the Subway that they were going to Iraq and planned on getting them some … (use your imagination).

I stared at the ground gritting my teeth. I felt this overwhelming desire to confront these young soldiers and tell them what I felt about their comments and their disgraceful presentation of an American solider. My wife tapped my shoulder and said quietly, “Let it go. They’re just young boys.” Once again I found myself going through my life’s slide show. I started to think about how I was before I deployed the first time, and for that matter, how some of my friends were. Were we ever like these two young men?

My wife and I jumped in the car, and I finally exploded. “They have no clue; they’re in a dream world.” By now, my wife understands that when I go down this road to just listen and not interrupt. “You know what the difference is between men who have been through the suck and those who haven’t?” My wife answered cautiously, “I am sure there’s a lot.” I continued my rant: “The number one thing is veterans know war is not an Xbox game; there is no restart button. Also, war is nothing like the movies.” I started to calm down a little and finished. “I bet if we came across those young men when they come back from Iraq, their disposition would be different.”

With that incident on my mind, I spent some time this week asking soldiers who have been deployed what they think the big difference is between deployed soldiers and non-deployed soldiers. Their answers mirrored what I believe. The following traits seem to be the most mentioned in the survey of 50 soldiers who have been deployed twice.

Deployed soldiers' characteristics: bearing, confident, courageous, possess integrity, decisive, enduring, tactful, able to take initiative, cool, mature, assertive, dry sense of humor, competent, committed, creative, self-disciplined, humble, flexible, empathetic, compassionate.

Non-deployed soldiers' characteristics: Eager, uneducated on the realities of war, wet behind the ears, not as disciplined, egotistical, loud, lack of appreciation for life, judgmental, indecisive, invincible mentality.
While conducting this survey, the biggest thing I noticed was that those who commented seemed a little disappointed in the new men who were in the ranks. One leader I highly respect stated the following: “In my humble opinion, Hollywood and the glamorization of war has affected the new generation of soldiers. I put a lot of the blame for this generation of soldiers on playing Xbox — and not studying history and understanding war. The one thing the command leadership is great at is really getting these young boys as much experience as they can through training and exposing them to the truth of war. This includes sleepless nights, seemingly endless patrols, recovering vehicles, and — most of all — first responder drills. Some of the men might not be the greatest shooters in the world, but they will definitely know how to save your life, under stress and in calm situations.”

The war has changed with every year it continues, and so have the men coming through the ranks. However, from those I have talked to, there is a great push for education and teaching young men to grow up and to take things seriously; to take every day of training as survivability education. As one of the leaders I talked too said, “It only takes one young man who has never been to combat to think that he is invincible while on patrol, and before he knows it, he’s no longer just a boy anymore, rather a man who just might have to grow up and do things that may save everyone around him.”

When I look back and see how I used to be and what I have learned on my two tours, I am thankful that I am still around to teach young men that once you get on that bird and fly away it is real and there’s no mommy or daddy. The streets are full of people, and the sounds of explosions and gunfire are all around. These are meant to do one thing — and that is kill. When I think of those men in the Subway, I only pray that through their training over the next months, or however long it is, they learn to grow up and realize that the party is almost over, and now is the time to start getting right — in actions and in speech.

Pacemakers On Spring Break

The 864th Engineer soldiers from Fort Lewis enjoyed an organizational day - click here for the story and photos.

1st Sgt Grand Marshall

The Grand Marshal this year for the Lacey Spring Fair, May 17-18 is Ist Sgt. Richard Stickell and family. Richard is a graduate of North Thurston High School. His multiple deployments include Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Deny Flight, and Iraqi Freedom. Members of the community are encouraged to participate in the parade.

This free, premier family event draws more than 15,000 people who come to enjoy great entertainment and fun for all ages.

Visit www.laceyspringfunfair.com for more information.

Happy Birthday Reserves

The 104th Training Division sent us this today....

VANCOUVER, Wash. On April 23, 1908, Congress established the Medical Reserve Corps, which later became the Army Reserve, out of a group of 360 doctors to provide a reservoir of trained officers in times of war. On April 23, 2008, the U.S. Army Reserve turns 100 years old with nearly 190,000 proud members belonging to it living in communities across the country.

In the Pacific Northwest, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and Washington Governor Christine Gregoire have each signed proclamations declaring April 23, 2008 as “U.S. Army Reserve Day.”

Since September 2001, nearly 2,300 Army Reservists from Washington and 550 from Oregon have been mobilized either in stateside or overseas capacities in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, approximately 70 Oregon and 200 Washington Army Reservists are mobilized. A large portion of these soldiers are part of the 104th Division headquartered in Vancouver that are returning home this month. Approximately 300 officers and enlisted personnel deployed out of the 104th Division from all across the U.S. in April 2007. The majority of the Soldiers augmented the existing staff of the Multinational Security Transition Command – Iraq (MNSTC-I), headquartered in Baghdad. The MNSTC-I is responsible for assisting the Iraqi government in the development, organization and training of the Iraqi National Army and the Iraqi National Police.

To date, the Army Reserve has mobilized approximately 190,000 soldiers. Over 42,000 of these have been mobilized more then once either supporting missions stateside or abroad.

On April 6, 2008, the 104th Division suffered its first soldier killed in action since World War II. Major Stuart Adam Wolfer, of Emmett, Idaho, was killed in action as a result of enemy indirect fire in the international zone of Baghdad, Iraq. The 36 year old father of three and another Army Reserve colonel from Florida were killed while they worked out in a gym on a Sunday afternoon. Those causalities brought the total Army Reserve hostile deaths to 108 since 2001. Non-combat related deaths of deployed Army Reservists are at 50 while injuries sustained from combat are approximately 1,190.

Persons wanting to support the Wolfer family may contribute to the 'Stuart Wolfer Memorial Fund' at any Wells Fargo location. This fund has been set up as a college fund for Maj. Wolfer's girls ages 1, 3 and 5.

Local celebrations of the 100th Anniversary include a July 19th Welcome Home Warrior Citizen Ceremony the 104th Division is hosting at the Vancouver Barracks Parade Grounds. The 11:00 AM ceremony will commemorate the 100 years of the Army Reserve as well as honor some of the 300 104th Division soldiers that are returning this month and other Army Reservists returning from around the region. This event, along with having static displays of Army equipment and a community concert by the 104th Division Army Band at 2:30 PM, is joining with the Fort Vancouver National Park "Soldiers Bivouac" event running all weekend. They will have re-enactors and camps from the civil war through World War II set up on the parade grounds. The Army Reserve is joining in that theme displaying the life of the Army soldier of today. The 104th Division will also have a "fun run" starting at 8 AM, where the community is invited to join them in a formation run around the Fort Vancouver area.

On Saturday, despite winter-like weather keeping crowds to a minimum, local Army Reservists celebrated the Army Reserve’s 100th anniversary at Portland's PG & E Park. The 104th Division Band performed a pre-game concert, played and sang the National Anthem, and threw the first pitch at the Portland Beavers AAA baseball game.

From the “Minutemen” to citizen-soldiers, today’s Army Reserve Soldiers are prepared and available to rapidly deploy anywhere in the world when the nation calls. While simultaneously maintaining their civilian jobs in communities across the nation, the Army’s Reservists are meeting the challenges of today’s war on terror supporting various missions around the globe and at home. In its 100th year, the force celebrates its proud history and century-old commitment to readiness.


HISTORY of THE ARMY RESERVE:

FORERUNNERS OF THE ARMY RESERVE

The idea of a Reserve force in the United States dates well before 1908. The “Minutemen,” who played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War and earlier conflicts, were a part-time elite force which was required to assemble quickly and be highly mobile. Their name originates from their ability to march with a minute’s warning.

The United States Constitution of 1789 and the Militia Act of 1792 officially confirmed the reliance of the new nation on citizen-soldiers for defense. All citizens held the responsibility to defend and preserve their rights by serving in the armed forces. These American citizen-soldiers became the backbone of the Armed Forces from the very birth of the nation.

THE FIRST FEDERAL MILITARY RESERVE FORCE

At the start of the Civil War (1861-1865), the nation’s regular Army consisted of just over 15,000 men. As casualties mounted, both the North and South started turning to state militias, and in 1863, the Federal government created the first Federal military reserve force - the Veteran Reserve Corps.

The corps grew to include 24 regiments and 155 companies, and held combat service roles similar to those of today’s Army Reserve, such as clerks, recruiting officers, guards, and medical personnel. Over 60,000 men served in the corps, but once the war ended, the corps became inactive.




CREATION OF THE ARMY RESERVE

While the United States emerged victorious after the Spanish-American War, America learned that it needed a Reserve force of Soldiers that could answer the call to arms at a moment’s notice. The idea of “federal” citizen Soldiers was reborn.

On April 23, 1908, Congress established the Medical Reserve Corps—a group of 360 doctors in Reserve status who could be called upon to provide a reservoir of trained Officers in times of war. The Reserve force was expanded in 1916 and again in 1920.

100 YEARS OF SERVICE AND STRENGTH

Since 1908, the Army Reserve has served with excellence and honor in every major military and humanitarian engagement of the past 100 years, playing integral roles in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, Panama, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Iraq War and the Global War on Terrorism.

World War I
Without the Army Reserve, the United States would not have been able to fight the Great War. More than 160,000 Army Reserve soldiers served on active duty during the First World War. This included about 80,000 enlisted Reservists and almost 90,000 officer Reservists, who served in every division of the American Expeditionary Force, including the Regular Army, the National Army of the National Guard.

The Reserve's importance to Army medicine, its original specialty, was particularly striking during World War I—Army Reserve medical officers (29,299) outnumbered Regular Army doctors (920) more than three to one. Of the Army nurses on active duty, almost half (170 out of 403) were Reservists.

Army Reserve heroes of World War I included Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. and America's “Ace of Aces” Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, who set the standard of dedicated service that Army Reserve Soldiers have followed ever since.

The Great Depression
One of President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), created an opportunity for Army Reserve service during the Great Depression. The CCC was a work and relief program that sent mostly young, unemployed men to work on conservation projects in camps in rural areas. Between 1933 and 1939, more than 30,000 Reserve officers served as commanders or staff officers at 2,700 CCC camps, gaining valuable leadership experience.

World War II
At the start of the Second World War, only 2,700 Reserve officers were serving on active duty. Within one year, that number jumped to 57,000. By the end of the war, more than 200,000 Reserve Soldiers were on active duty, serving on every front. Roughly a quarter of the Army officers serving during the war were Army Reserve officers.

Among the notable Army Reserve heroes of World War II were Lieutenant General James H. Doolitttle, who led the first air attack on Japan in April 1942; Major General William J. Donovan, who headed the Office of Strategic Services – the predecessor of the CIA; and Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., the World War I hero who returned to duty and was the first general officer to come ashore on Normandy beach on D-Day.

Korean War
Five years after the end of World War II, more than 240,000 Army Reserve Soldiers were called to duty for war in Korea (1950-1953). Fourteen Reserve battalions and 40 separate companies actually went to Korea. Seven Reserve Soldiers, including Corporal Hiroshi Miyamura, received the Medal of Honor for their heroism in combat.

For the first time, female Organized Reservists were called to active duty in the Korean War. Army Reserve nurses served in hospitals close to the front lines in Korea, including the famous Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals—or MASH units. Many female soldiers took the places of male soldiers needed in combat units. The women reservists of the Korean War answered the call to duty and performed well, setting the stage for an increased role for women in the Army Reserve.

While the Korean War was underway, Congress began making significant changes in the structure and role of the Reserve. The Organized Reserve became the United States Army Reserve, which was divided into a Ready Reserve, Standby Reserve and Retired Reserve.

Cold War and Vietnam
More than 69,000 Army Reserve Soldiers were called to action in response to the Berlin Crisis in 1961. The Reserve also stood ready to answer the nation’s call during major events, including the Cuban Missile Crisis. Forty-two Army Reserve Units were mobilized in 1968—35 of these units went to Vietnam.

In earlier years, the mission of the Army Reserve was to serve as a “strategic” force; however by the end of the Cold War and Vietnam War, the role of the force was quickly evolving into an “operational” ready force.

Persian Gulf War
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm led to the largest call for Reserve forces since the Korean War. More than 84,000 Army Reserve Soldiers from 647 units helped liberate Kuwait. Army Reserve Soldiers contributed significantly to the total Army’s success by providing the bulk of water purification and distribution. In fact, the Army Reserve’s 316th Quartermaster Company distributed 8.4 million gallons of water during the Persian Gulf War.

The Army Reserve also provided civil affairs support, enemy prisoner-of-war handling, postal work, petroleum handling, military history, and psychological operations. Other participating Army Reserve units included chemical decontamination, transportation, military police, maintenance, and engineering. Army Reserve Soldiers were among the first to fight and were among the last to leave the desert.

Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia
A key step in the development of the Army Reserve took place in 1991 with the establishment of the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC), located in Atlanta, GA. The USARC has responsibility for command and control of Troop Program Units nationwide. The Chief of the Army Reserve commands the USARC.

Since 1991, the Army Reserve has been engaged almost constantly around the world in combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. Reserve Soldiers provided support during the Gulf War and Somalia from 1992 to 1994 and went to Haiti in 1995 to restore democracy. More than 13,000 Reserve Soldiers have been mobilized for the Bosnia operations Joint Endeavor, Joint Guard and Joint Force.

Global War on Terrorism
Less than a month after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States struck back at al Qaeda in Operation Enduring Freedom. Army Reserve Soldiers were on the front lines from the very beginning of the Global War on Terrorism.

Army Reserve Soldiers served alongside active component Soldiers to drive Afghanistan’s repressive Taliban regime from power. When Operation Iraqi Freedom began on March 20, 2003, Army Reserve Soldiers fought their way to Baghdad with other U.S. forces and coalition allies and took down Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The Army Reserve remains heavily committed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Army Reserve Soldiers have been engaged in the development of the emerging Afghan democracy and the Afghan National Army. They continue to battle Iraqi insurgents while laying the groundwork for Iraq’s security forces to take over the mission.

More than 190,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have been mobilized since the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Over 40,000 of those have mobilized more then once. Ninety-eight percent of Army Reserve units have provided mobilized Soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and 18 other countries. More than 140 Army Reserve Soldiers have lost their lives during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Global War on Terrorism has proved that the Army Reserve is no longer a “strategic” force in reserve, but rather an “operational ready” partner with the active Army. According to the Chief of the Army Reserve, “Wherever the Army commits forces in the world – Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and anywhere else – Army reservists are an integral part, providing critical support, force protection and augmentation…Today the nation is asking Army Reserve Soldiers to be prepared to serve on active duty when called.”

Additional information about the Army Reserve’s 100th Anniversary can be found on-line at www.armyreserve.army.mil.

4-6 Cav Story

DVIDS has a nice piece on Fort Lewis's 4-6th Cav. Click here.

MPs coming home

66th Military Police Company Soldiers return home

FORT LEWIS, Wash. – Approximately 100 soldiers from the 66th Military Police Company are expected to return from a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan on Tuesday, April 22. Approximately 50 more Soldiers from this unit will return later this month to complete the unit’s deployment.

The Soldiers are scheduled to be welcomed home by their families in a ceremony to be held that afternoon at Soldiers Field House, at approximately 4:30 p.m. The 66th Military Police Company deployed to Afghanistan in January, 2007.

While deployed, the unit’s Soldiers trained Afghan police while providing security and law enforcement support to U.S. and allied forces in the region.

Fort Lewis Officers Win Scholarship

BY Humans Resources Command Public Affairs Office

WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Eight Army officers including two from Fort Lewis have been selected for 2009 Olmsted Scholarship to study overseas.

Since 1960, the Olmsted Foundation has sponsored the scholars program to provide broadening opportunities for military officers to live and study at a foreign university.

Assignments for the selected officers next year will include Asia, the Near East, Europe, Africa, and South America.

The officers selected are:

Capt. Christina B. Bembenek, Company A, 319th Military Intelligence Battalion, Ft. Bragg, NC.

Capt. Wilbur W. Hsu, Alpha Battery, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HI.

Capt. Joshua D. Kaser, 191st Infantry Brigade, (Training Support Bde), Division West, 1st Army, Ft. Lewis, WA.

Capt. Mark D. Lehenbauer, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ft. Campbell, KY.

Capt. Eric A. Parthemore, Headquarters & Support Company, 864th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) FOB Sharana, Afghanistan.

Capt. Angela E. Reber, 201st Military Intelligence Battalion, 470th Military Intelligence Brigade, INSCOM, Baghdad, Iraq.

Capt. Joshua A. Taylor, Bravo Troop, 1-73rd Cavalry Regiment (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC.

Capt. Daniel R. Young, Headquarters Company, Operations Group, Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany.

"It is an exceptional, diverse group of young Army officers," said retired Rear Adm. Larry Marsh, president and CEO of the Olmsted Foundation. "There are more Army selectees this year than ever before, and we are very pleased with the selection."

Major David P. Elsen, Army Olmsted Scholar class of 2006, praised the program as an unbelievable experience.

"I'm going to school full-time, learning another language in another culture, not only getting paid for it, but getting paid to travel on top of it! (My family and I) feel truly blessed, and our memories and experiences from our time in China will last for a lifetime," Elsen said.

The U. S. Army Human Resources Command convenes an Olmsted Scholarship Selection Board annually to select finalists for submission to the Olmsted Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors. The board selects the scholarship recipients and announces their area of study in the spring. The tour of study is an accompanied tour.

Officers interested in an Olmsted Scholarship for 2010 must apply to their career assignment officer at Human Resources Command not later than July 18.

The next HRC board will convene on Sept. 10 and the Olmsted Foundation Board will make the final selection of scholars in March 2009.

Specifics for applying for an Olmsted Scholarship can be found at https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/protect/Active/opfamacs/FELLOWS07.htm.