Posts Tagged ‘ soldiers ’

Video: US Soldiers train Iraqi border guards.

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As Iraq’s elections approach, the biggest impression for the commander of the 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade is pleased that his soldiers are able to stay in the background.

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Pre-election Calm Validates ‘Advise, Assist’ Mission

Video: Hard-working US Soldiers in Afghanistan continue their quest to assist in laying solid foundations for the Afghan people.

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Video: Texas National Guardsmen showed their civilian bosses what they do as Soldiers, weeks before deploying to Iraq.

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Greg Reiners, flanked by his daughter-in-law Casey Reiners and his ex-wife Ronna Jackson, waited with the families of two other Soldiers killed when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle drove into their patrol in southern Afghanistan on Friday. They listened to the chaplain say a prayer. Then the caskets were rolled down the cargo ramp.

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Families More Often Meet Fallen at Dover

Video: Army National Guard Soldiers learned first-hand how to use – and how it feels to be the victim of – non-lethal weapons.

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KEARNS, Utah — Words penned by the grieving mother of a fallen soldier are blunt about the heartfelt loss, and the gratitude.”Jonathan was my only child and the center of my universe,” the letter reads. “It's been hard to try and find a balance in my life that allows me at least a little peace, but I keep working on it. Knowing that he is remembered and his sacrifice honored helps.”The letter of thanks was sent to Kearns resident Bob Morgan, a member of a national group called Portrait Freedom that taps the voluntary efforts of scroll saw enthusiasts to craft “portraits” out of wood to be given to family members of soldiers killed in action.So far, about 1,000 portraits of the 3,500 men and women who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq in the war on terror have been completed. Since his own involvement began two years ago, Morgan has painstakingly finished about a dozen or so of the intricate portraits, including four soldiers from Utah.Hunched over the saw in the cool confines of his garage, Morgan said the relatively little bit of time and money he spends through Portrait Freedom is minor compared to what families have paid.”I feel a connection with every one of these soldiers. Unless you've been there, you don't understand the brotherhood that comes from being in the military. I may not know them, but I know them in spirit. It's a healing thing for me.”Amy Alleman, the widow of Utah's first war casualty in 2009, said she regards Morgan's portrait of her husband, Micheal, a priceless treasure.”The detail in it is amazing,” she said. “Not only does the picture of Micheal bring me much comfort, but so does the fact that there are so many, like Bob Morgan, that are grateful for our soldiers' sacrifices and want to give what they can.”Morgan, 52, said there was no question of his involvement once he learned about the group.”Being retired military, I instantly felt an obligation and duty to get involved in this project,” said Morgan, a former senior master sergeant whose 20-year Air Force career took him to Okinawa and the Middle East, where he served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield.Lauded for his actions in the Middle East after he returned home, Morgan said he never felt like a hero. “I was just doing my job. These people are the real heroes. They didn't make it home.”The Portrait Freedom group first uses a team of four to five designers who craft patterns duplicating a photo of the soldier that has been submitted to them. From there, the “best” pattern is forwarded to the scroll saw artist, who is given a two-week window to complete two wood portraits of the soldier.The woodworker, however, does not know the identity of the soldier until the project is finished, something Morgan surmises is done in case there is an off-chance of a remote connection.Despite that, when Morgan completed one of his first portraits, his hand-delivery of the work took him to Roy, just a few short blocks from where he went to high school. There in the kitchen of Tim and Fay Dolan's home, he spent close to three hours learning about their son, Daniel, another Roy High School graduate who was killed in 2006 in Iraq.”It was kind of surreal to me,” he said. “It hit so close to home.”Each of Morgan's portraits took him eight to 16 hours, work that is often painstakingly tedious because of the number of details in the patterns.The eyes are often the toughest because for Morgan they truly represent a unique “look” into the personality of the fallen soldier. He saves those for last and if done incorrectly, such a slip of the saw that alters the accuracy of what the pattern intended, Morgan scraps the work and starts again.Morgan pays for his own materials and balances the time commitment between two full-time jobs and his family. Aside from his involvement with the project, he's created Christmas tree ornaments using his scroll saw, distributing them to neighbors, families, and relatives of fallen soldiers.

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Portraits of fallen soldiers comfort families

KEARNS, Utah — Words penned by the grieving mother of a fallen soldier are blunt about the heartfelt loss, and the gratitude.“Jonathan was my only child and the center of my universe,” the letter reads. “It’s been hard to try and find a balance in my life that allows me at least a little peace, but I keep working on it. Knowing that he is remembered and his sacrifice honored helps.”The letter of thanks was sent to Kearns resident Bob Morgan, a member of a national group called Portrait Freedom that taps the voluntary efforts of scroll saw enthusiasts to craft “portraits” out of wood to be given to family members of soldiers killed in action.So far, about 1,000 portraits of the 3,500 men and women who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq in the war on terror have been completed. Since his own involvement began two years ago, Morgan has painstakingly finished about a dozen or so of the intricate portraits, including four soldiers from Utah.Hunched over the saw in the cool confines of his garage, Morgan said the relatively little bit of time and money he spends through Portrait Freedom is minor compared to what families have paid.“I feel a connection with every one of these soldiers. Unless you’ve been there, you don’t understand the brotherhood that comes from being in the military. I may not know them, but I know them in spirit. It’s a healing thing for me.”Amy Alleman, the widow of Utah’s first war casualty in 2009, said she regards Morgan’s portrait of her husband, Micheal, a priceless treasure.“The detail in it is amazing,” she said. “Not only does the picture of Micheal bring me much comfort, but so does the fact that there are so many, like Bob Morgan, that are grateful for our soldiers’ sacrifices and want to give what they can.”Morgan, 52, said there was no question of his involvement once he learned about the group.“Being retired military, I instantly felt an obligation and duty to get involved in this project,” said Morgan, a former senior master sergeant whose 20-year Air Force career took him to Okinawa and the Middle East, where he served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield.Lauded for his actions in the Middle East after he returned home, Morgan said he never felt like a hero. “I was just doing my job. These people are the real heroes. They didn’t make it home.”The Portrait Freedom group first uses a team of four to five designers who craft patterns duplicating a photo of the soldier that has been submitted to them. From there, the “best” pattern is forwarded to the scroll saw artist, who is given a two-week window to complete two wood portraits of the soldier.The woodworker, however, does not know the identity of the soldier until the project is finished, something Morgan surmises is done in case there is an off-chance of a remote connection.Despite that, when Morgan completed one of his first portraits, his hand-delivery of the work took him to Roy, just a few short blocks from where he went to high school. There in the kitchen of Tim and Fay Dolan’s home, he spent close to three hours learning about their son, Daniel, another Roy High School graduate who was killed in 2006 in Iraq.“It was kind of surreal to me,” he said. “It hit so close to home.”Each of Morgan’s portraits took him eight to 16 hours, work that is often painstakingly tedious because of the number of details in the patterns.The eyes are often the toughest because for Morgan they truly represent a unique “look” into the personality of the fallen soldier. He saves those for last and if done incorrectly, such a slip of the saw that alters the accuracy of what the pattern intended, Morgan scraps the work and starts again.Morgan pays for his own materials and balances the time commitment between two full-time jobs and his family. Aside from his involvement with the project, he’s created Christmas tree ornaments using his scroll saw, distributing them to neighbors, families, and relatives of fallen soldiers.

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Supporting those who support those in need

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A military panel in Kuwait has convicted a soldier of being cruel and mistreating fellow soldiers, a case undertaken after a private committed suicide in Iraq.Staff Sgt. Enoch Chatman of West Covina, Calif., was convicted Jan. 13 on two violations of the cruelty and maltreatment article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, said Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, a military spokesman in Iraq.Chatman was one of four soldiers accused of mistreating others in their platoon in Iraq through verbal abuse, physical punishment and ridicule of other soldiers.The investigation was prompted by the August death of Pvt. Keiffer Wilhelm of Willard, Ohio.Wilhelm, 19, was in Iraq with his new platoon for just 10 days when he killed himself. His family believes he was treated so badly that he took his own life, but the military has determined there was no direct evidence the four soldiers’ misconduct caused the death.His father, Shane Wilhelm, attended the trial and said he was glad Chatman “got something” but is not completely satisfied with the outcome.“We’re glad that he was found guilty because he was there for most of the occurrences that took place to our son,” he said. “He was in a position to prevent this from happening, and he didn’t.”Wilhelm’s mother has said he called her twice from Iraq and told her he was being targeted in his new unit and forced to run for miles with rocks in his pockets that smashed against his knees. He also told his mother that he was being forced to exercise for hours and that his personal items were disappearing, she said.Chatman was sentenced Thursday to three months’ confinement, a reduction in rank and a reprimand, Olson said. He had faced up to 10 years in prison.Sgt. Jarrett Taylor of Edmond, Okla., was found guilty in November and was sentenced to confinement for six months, reduction in rank and forfeiture of two-thirds pay for six months, Olson said.Staff Sgt. Bob Clements of Eastland, Texas, is scheduled to face trial Feb. 14. He faces charges of cruelty and maltreatment, making a false statement, impeding an investigation and reckless endangerment. If convicted of all counts, he faces up to 25 years in prison.Charges were dropped against Spc. Daniel Weber of Frankenmuth, Mich., who resigned from the Army.Shane Wilhelm said Army officials told him that other platoons have taken notice of the case and are taking steps to improve the way officers treat subordinates.“Hopefully, all four branches of the service make some changes so this doesn’t happen again,” he said.—————Associated Press Writer Matt Leingang contributed to this report.Related reading• Court-martial weighed in Iraq discipline cases • Family of dead pvt. expresses outrage • 4 NCOs charged with cruelty toward soldiers

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