A World War II veteran will be buried 69 years after his death on Monday, Nov. 3.
According to Military Times, the remains of Detroit native Robert McConachie were brought to the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii in 1987. They were not able to be identified at the time, but advances in technology prompted the lab to re examine the case in 2010.
The source noted that the Marine was killed at Kunishi Ridge in Okinawa, Japan. The lab contacted the relatives of soldiers who fought in this area and whose bodies were never accounted for. By examining dental records and using DNA of McConachie's late brother, provided by living family members, scientists were able to determine that the remains belonged to the soldier, who was only 18 years old when he perished on June 14, 1945.
Military Times reported that the soldier was only 17 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. His family spent the years since his death remembering his bravery and keeping his memory alive through various mementos, such as the official declaration of his death, signed by President Truman.
McConachie's nephew, Col. Andy McConachie, helped accompany the remains as they returned to the late soldier's home state on Friday, Oct. 31. They will be laid to rest at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan, reported WWMT.
The Connecticut Veterans Parade, New England's largest veterans parade, drew thousands of observers as it marched through the streets of Hartford on Sunday, Nov. 3.
According to Military Times, 3,000 Connecticut veterans of all ages marched in the parade, including members of Legion and VFW posts and drum corps.
While the event is popular now, it did not always draw a crowd. The town hosted a lightly attended parade until 1990, when the celebration was canceled. In 2000, locals decided that the area needed a tribute to soldiers in their life after service and reinstated the event as the Metro Hartford Parade. Within a year, servicemembers throughout the entire state wanted the opportunity to participate, reported the Hartford Courant.
According to the Hartford Courant, this year's grand marshal was Adm. Melvin G. Williams Jr. Though he is now retired, he spent over 30 years serving in the Navy. The honorary grand marshals were Lt. Col. Lesbia Nieves, the first Latina to earn the title of lieutenant colonel in the Connecticut Army National Guard, former Army Lt. Mark R. Shenkman and Sgt. 1st Class Alex W. Seretny, who has served over 30 months overseas since 2006.
The parade totaled 1.3 miles and started with a ceremony that honored Connecticut's fallen veterans.
Two years ago, Staff Sgt. Ryan Frye of 1st BCT, 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He was crossing a 50-meter field with two of his colleagues when they were the targets of enemy fire.
One of Frye's fellow soldiers, Staff Sgt. Jason Hamane, was able to find cover and return fire to the opposing forces. His other teammate, Spc. Antonio Burnside, was fatally wounded by the enemy, leaving Frye as the primary target for the opponents, reported Military Times.
Eventually, Frye was struck with a round of enemy ammunition from their AK-47s. He experienced an intense ringing in his ears and a rush of pain to his head. Military Times reported that it was only when he reached up to touch his helmet that Frye realized he had been shot.
After spending only 10 days in a medical facility, Frye returned to combat. He gives credit to both his helmet and Hamane's firing at the enemy for saving his life.
In a ceremony on Oct. 30, organized by Program Executive Office Soldier, an organization that works with military uniforms and gear, Frye was recognized for his bravery and received an award featuring the life-saving helmet. He was eager to be reunited with the piece of equipment not only because of its role in saving his life, but also because it reminds him of his last moments with Burnside, his colleague killed during the ambush, noted Military Times.
Prompted by threats from the jihadist terrorist group known as the Islamic State, the U.S. Department of Defense has issued an increased security warning for servicemembers and their families.
According to USA Today, the most official warning issued to date came from the Pentagon, where leaders released an internal memo urging workers to remain vigilant. The memo declared that the government institution could be a potential target for attacks involving guns, bombs or knives, though no specific threat has been made targeting the building.
Because of the militant terrorist group's use of social media, the Marine Corps warned its members to be careful about what images and information they post online. Officials at MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa, Florida, recommended servicemembers not display their military affiliations in public, as this could make them a target for "lone wolf" attacks. Similar warnings were issued by leaders at U.S. armed service bases in Europe, reported Military Times.
This increase in caution comes after the murder of two Canadian soldiers by speculated terrorist sympathizers. Government officials believe these small-scale, military personnel-targeted attacks will be one of the main tactics used by the terrorist organization in an attempt to scare and harm Western nations, noted Military Times.
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Roberts is a food service sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. His passion for serving his country does not stop when he is off duty, however. According to a Department of Defense press release, Roberts has put his skills to work at the Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinsville and Christian County, Kentucky.
Roberts first got involved with the organization through his church, which has a connection to the local youth facility. Community leaders knew that Roberts loved food and thought he might be interested in taking on some volunteer work. The minute he started helping out, he knew it was a perfect fit.
According to the release, Roberts' experience cooking for over 100 hungry soldiers came in handy when he started preparing food for the children in the program. That – in addition to making meals for his own children – made him feel right at home as he served up hot food to the kids, many of whom are extremely low income and rely on the institution for their dinner every night.
Roberts spends much of his own money purchasing food and kitchen supplies for the Boys and Girls Club, where he has become a welcomed fixture in the past year.
"He is a positive role model for the young men who come here; they look up to him," Mary Curlin, ministry coordinator for All Nations House of Prayer and a volunteer at the club, told the Department of Defense.
According to Clarksville Online, Roberts has also started coaching the club's football program. He enlisted some of his servicemember colleagues to assist with the team as well, knowing their expertise could lead the youth program to some wins.
The soldier's outstanding community contributions will be recognized at Austin State University's Military Appreciation game, were he will receive his battalion's jersey, noted the source. He attributes receiving the honor to the motto by which he lives his life.
"In all you do take pride in it, always strive for excellence, and when you're passionate about something follow that passion; stay true, stay humble," he told Clarksville Online.
When Congress returns in November, the Senate will vote on whether or not to give the Veterans Affairs Department funding 12 months in advance. If the legislation passes, any government shutdowns or other budget obstacles would not be able to affect funding for VA services, reported Military Times.
The legislation is being called the Putting Veterans First Act, and closely resembles a plan awaiting decision in the House. These acts come after last year's government shutdown, during which many veterans were not able to receive necessary aid for their life after service.
"The result would be no disruptions in services for veterans in the event of any future government shutdown and no danger of cutting off veterans' checks. No one in their right mind wants a repeat of that dark period – and the Putting Veterans Funding First Act would prevent it," said Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, a supporter of the legislation, according to Roll Call.
Military Times reported that a vote in 2009 made it possible for the VA to receive about 85 percent of its budget ahead of time, but the remaining 25 percent is still a crucial amount dedicated to funding important services. The senate will vote on the act Nov. 12.
While serving in Iraq in 2004, Army Capt. Stephen Machuga experienced a number of supply drops that, while sent with the best intentions, did very little to stir up excitement among his fellow troops. According to Marine Corps Times, the soldiers often received tattered old library books that would be used for little more than target practice.
After venting about the issue to a friend in the video gaming industry, Machuga and his colleagues were greeted with what seemed like far too many copies of slightly dated but good-quality games. As soon as the soldiers started playing, however, it was clear that they would need more, reported Marine Corps Times.
Six years later, Machuga founded Operation Supply Drop, an organization committed to bringing fun to servicemembers stationed all over the world. The group takes requests from units and delivers to them in order of how severe their situation is. The more rural and dangerous a deployment is, the faster those servicemembers will receive a drop from Machuga and his team. Marine Corps Times noted that these soldiers are the ones who need a fun distraction the most, and are often the last to receive special packages because of their remote locations.
OSD also started offering the service to allied troops and quickly received requests from soldiers in the Australian, New Zealand and British armed forces.
Marine Corps Times noted that a typical package sent by OSD contains one gaming console, two to four controllers, a few headsets and a selection of around 15 games. The organization reported that so far it has helped distribute over $1 million worth of video games to troops located all around the world.
"It's hard to describe just how much of a difference one box of video games can make. It was essential," Air Force F-16 pilot Maj. Brian Gerwe told Marine Corps Times after receiving a drop from the organization.
Two female South Korean soldiers have become the first women to earn the U.S. Army's Expert Infantrymen Badge.
According to USA Today, the badge is given to servicemembers who display a complete mastering of critical infantry tasks. Soldiers undergo a rigorous five-day exam where they are assessed on more than 30 elements including marching, fitness and navigation. Typically, the rigorous exam only has a pass rate of 8-10 percent due to its extreme difficulty.
The exam was open to American infantrymen in addition to members of the Republic of Korea's infantry and soldiers in the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army, noted Army Times. While U.S. women are ineligible to join the infantry, Korean women are allowed to serve in this military occupational specialty. While in the past U.S. women soldiers have successfully completed the test, they were not able to receive the honor due to their non-infantry status.
Army Times reported that the female badge recipients, Staff Sgts. Kim Min Kyoung and Kwon Min Zy, trained since June to prepare for the test, studying both U.S. and Korean military skills. In addition to actively serving Korea, they took the time to learn U.S. Army weapon systems by watching videos. They also adopted rigorous fitness routines, noted the source.
The servicemembers earned the opportunity to compete after successfully finishing a similar evaluation implemented by the Korean armed forces. The two women encourage the U.S. to be open to the idea of female infantry members.
"Female soldiers are capable of doing the missions successfully in the ROK army, so she thinks that it's OK for the U.S. Army to allow women in the infantry. By looking at her example, women are as capable as males," a translator told Army Times on behalf of Zy.
The 437th Aircrew Flight Equipment fabrication shop is a unique organization. The operation, located in Charleston, South Carolina, is responsible for sewing all of the fabric pieces for Joint Base's 50 C-17 Globemasters.
According to Air Force Times, the shop, which employs 10 people, manufactures the pieces at a low cost to the military branch. By manufacturing the items this way, $40,000 is saved per aircraft, amounting to $1 million in yearly savings.
The head of the operation is Air Force veteran Bobby Pierce. He learned to sew in 1955 during his time crafting parachutes as a soldier and continued working in the field during his life after service, reported Air Force Times. At 80 years old, he has been a fixture in the shop for over 30 years and plans to continue working there for the foreseeable future.
Pierce manages a number of other veterans, many of whom started working at the shop as a way to stay involved with the Air Force, an organization they all love. According to Joint Base Charleston, the shop's employees have a combined 300 years of experience in the field.
The shop also crafts pieces for international sale, and has received orders from the United Arab Emirates, India, Canada, Australia and Kuwait, who appreciate the high-quality, hand-crafted work made by the small yet committed group of workers.
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters in Fort Stewart, Georgia, will deploy to Afghanistan in November for a one-year tour, officials announced Tuesday, Oct. 28. The purpose of their deployment is to take on their role as U.S. Forces Afghanistan National Security Element.
Although NATO's International Security Assistance Force Mission will end on Dec. 31, 10,000 U.S. troops – including this new deployment – will stay in Afghanistan to implement the Resolute Support mission, reported Military Times. As Afghani authorities increase their capabilities over the next year, U.S. forces will transition power to them and reduce their presence in the country significantly.
"The Resolute Support mission will focus on training, advising and assisting at higher echelons. We look forward to joining the team in Afghanistan and doing our part to ensure the [Afghan National Security Forces] are left a more capable force, and to solidify the incredible gains of those who have served and sacrificed before us," Maj. Gen. Mike Murray, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement.
Military Times noted that this mission will also have a liaison in Kuwait and a supportive element in Qatar.