Three servicemembers from 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, received a medal on Oct. 31 recognizing their outstanding actions during the rescue of a boater in April. The men were honored with the Soldier's Medal, an award given to those who display heroism and leadership in situations not involving enemies, reported Military Times.
Spc. Christopher L. Grant and Pvt. Trenton M. Brown were fishing in the Black River when they saw a canoe flip, sending a man and a woman crying out for help as they attempted to navigate the cold, rough waters. The two men tried to use a rope from their truck to pull the boaters in, but it fell short and they could see that the man was struggling to stay afloat, according to an Army report.
The servicemembers received backup when former lifeguard Pfc. Matthew M. Phillips arrived to help them. The Army reported that together, the three soldiers were able to secure a line strong enough to hold them as they all ventured into the almost-freezing waters. Phillips was able to secure the female victim and attach her to the line. The soldiers pulled her to the shore, got her warm clothes and waited for her to get proper medical attention. Unfortunately they were not able to save the male passenger, who perished in the accident.
"If I could have gotten to the man, I would have, but I just couldn't get to him," Phillips told the Army.
Grant currently works as a paralegal specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, while Brown is a hydraulic repair specialist with B Company, 277th Aviation Support Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, and Phillips is a cavalry Scout formerly assigned to 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
When Amy Wolfe, artistic director of the Manassas Ballet Theater in Virginia, lost her son Colin in Iraq in 2006, she knew she wanted to create a lasting tribute to him. This weekend, her full-length ballet, "Colin," opened at Hylton Performing Arts Center.
Lance Cpl. Colin Wolfe was killed at the age of 18, when a roadside bomb exploded next to him in Habbaniyah, Iraq. According to Military Times, he had been a dancer prior to joining the service. His mother knew that creating an artistic memorial in his honor would be the best way to handle her loss and recognize his immense sacrifice.
The creative process
Wolfe started by creating a 30-minute performance in collaboration with a composer friend. The project drew so much attention that she decided to extend it into a full-length piece. According to Military Times, the emotional ballet shows all aspects of Colin's relationship with the service, from Sept. 11, 2001, when, at the age of 14, he decided he would enlist when he got older, to the moment right before the bomb took his life.
The source noted that Wolfe conducted interviews with his friends and colleagues to construct a realistic yet creative portrayal of her son's experience. It was through these interviews she learned that Colin had been talking about his family and his girlfriend in the moment before his death, a comforting fact for the grieving mother.
Casting the show
CBS News reported that 27-year-old Joshua Burnham is dancing the role of Colin – Wolfe chose him for his resemblance to her son, as well as the fact that he is the exact same age Colin would be if he were alive today. When casting herself, Wolfe knew that no matter how mentally and physically difficult it would be, she would need to be the one to dance the part. Although she had not danced in four years, Wolfe realized that nobody else would be able to lend such vivid emotional realness to the character.
According to CBS News, real active-duty Marines help open the show, which starts with the night Wolfe was told about her son's passing. The source also noted that members of the Marine Corps attend every performance to pay their respects to Colin and his family.
While the process has been a difficult one for Wolfe, she hopes it will help other servicemembers and their families deal with the often devastating challenges of military life.
"Every death helps those of us who are left behind to come together, to reach out to each other, to love each other better. It is sad that sometimes we have to grieve in order to love better, but it is true," Wolfe told CBS News.
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division's combat aviation brigade are set to receive Humanitarian Service Medals. They will be given their awards during a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 7, at Fort Carson, Colorado.
According to Military Times, the 100 servicemembers receiving the award are being honored for their actions during the 2013 Colorado floods. The natural disaster killed eight people and completely destroyed over 2,000 Colorado homes. Ultimately, it caused major damage to an area of almost 2,000 square miles. The CAB soldiers are being recognized for their actions between Sept.13-20, a week when their actions were extremely valuable to the devastated state.
During the floods, members of the CAB were an incredible help to the community, reported Military Times. They helped do the country's largest airlift since Hurricane Katrina, getting many citizens to safety. The source noted that these outstanding servicemembers also gave over 500 hours of their time volunteering to help local families affected by the disaster.
According to the USS Berkeley, the Humanitarian Service Medal is given to soldiers who distinguish themselves while contributing significantly to missions of a humanitarian nature.
"Stand Up For Heroes" is an event to raise money for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, an organization that aims to help injured servicemembers and their families. The star-studded fundraiser, which started in 2007, celebrated its annual night of music and comedy Wednesday, Oct. 5.
According to Newsday, the benefit took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City as a part of the New York Comedy Festival. Some of the big-name performers included comedians Louis C.K., Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan and musician Bruce Springsteen. Marketwatch reported that Springsteen auctioned off a private guitar lesson, lasagna dinner and motorcycle ride at his home, a package that raised $600,000 for the charity.
Overall, the sold-out event gathered over $6 million for the foundation, which was created in 2006 after news anchor Bob Woodruff was injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan while reporting. The organization has raised over $22 million in services and education for more than 2 million servicemembers and their families nationwide.
"We've always been so proud of Stand Up for Heroes and know what can happen when a movement of generosity inspires thousands more to act," Woodruff told Marketwatch.
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 Department of Defense issued a statement on Oct. 30 declaring it would be training more medical workers to handle domestic Ebola cases.
Currently, there is one 30-person team comprised of Army, Air Force and Navy public health specialists. The group, which was hand-picked for related experience and skill level, recently received infectious disease training at the San Antonio Military Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, according to Military Times. Their role will be to arrive at medical centers treating Ebola patients no later than 72 hours after a confirmed diagnosis. They will help take care of the infected people while instructing the hospital's staff on proper protocol.
The training focused primarily on identifying and treating Ebola while containing the virus and stopping it from spreading. Since the only people to have caught the virus within the U.S. were medical workers treating an infected patient, training health professionals on the proper handling and disposal techniques is the military's top priority.
According to USA Today, the DoD is creating more Ebola-fighting teams in anticipation of requests from the Department of Health and Human Services, which wants to be prepared with plenty of qualified medical professionals in the event of increased U.S. diagnoses.
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.
Massachusetts firefighters were recognized for their bravery during a ceremony at Boston's John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.
According to WCVB, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Public Safety Secretary Andrea Cabral presented 22 awards to the honorees, who came from 10 communities in the state. Some of the prestigious awards they distributed included two Norman Knight Awards for Excellence in Community Service, one to the organizers of the Regional Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program in Amherst and one to a firefighter who implemented a senior version of the program in Lunenburg.
A special portion of the ceremony was dedicated to honoring two Boston firefighters who perished fighting a nine-alarm fire in the spring. Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh Jr. and firefighter Michael R. Kennedy were posthumously given Medals of Honor, accepted on their behalf by their families, reported the Boston Globe. Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph E. Finn presented the medals, describing the outstanding courage displayed by the two men.
The Boston Globe noted that a father-son team from Abington, Massachusetts, also received an award for preventing the explosion of a propane tank. Jarrod Driscoll was off-duty when he saw the tank start burning but rushed to action nonetheless. After assessing the situation, he called in his father, Michael, who arrived with backup to diffuse the potentially fatal situation.