Hero Stories for May 2009

Staff Sgt. Randy S. Agno, 29, of Pearl City, Hawaii, died May 8, 2009, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, of wounds sustained April 27 from a non-combat related incident at Forward Operating Base Olsen in Samarra, Iraq. Staff Sgt. Agno was assigned to the 325th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. </d

Spc. Shawn D. Sykes, 28, of Portsmouth, Virginia, died May 7, 2009, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered from an accident that occurred May 5 at Combat Outpost Crazy Horse, Iraq. Spc. Sykes was assigned to 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. </d

The new U.S. Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, with more troops and nonmilitary resources to flow into Afghanistan to support it, opens a window of opportunity to break a security "stalemate" here, said the senior coalition military official in Afghanista

The Army is taking steps now to save fuel by revitalizing a 40-year old insulation method. But this method does more than decrease fuel consumption; it also helps save liv

It is not often Soldiers receive a special delivery of packages from celebrities in Iraq. Actor Stephen A. Baldwin and television host Leeann Tweeden surprised Sgt. Brian C. Lawson, assistant convoy and scout truck commander with Alpha Company, 56th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 167th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, after returning from a mission to a local Iraqi school on April 13

The Army's Avenger air defense system is not part of the fire fight these days in overseas contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But its machine gun - the M3P .50 caliber - is gaining rave reviews from Army pilots thanks to a new application developed by AMCOM and Program Executive Office for Aviation worke

The remains of Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were identified on May 5, 2009. Previously listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN), he died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using direct fire on May 1, 2009, near the village of Nishagam, in Konar Province, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Vile was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. </d

[caption id="attachment_1951" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Jill and Jim Papagni show off their HeroBracelets."][/capti

Each year there is a Grand Lodge sponsored Americanism Essay Contest through the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Drew Gooding participated locally in this essay contest through the New Philadelphia Lodge #510. He was picked as one of the six local winners from that lodge, and was sent on for district judging in the Southeast District. He was also chosen as a first place winner in that district and will receive a $200.00 savings bond. Drew's essay then went on to state judging, where ...

Soldiers wearing the Red Bull patch of the 34th Infantry Division will replace the 10th Mountain Division and assume command of Multi-National Division-South later this month.