Hero Stories for November 2009

Spc. Tony Carrasco, Jr., 25, of Berino, New Mexico, died November 4, 2009, in Ad Dawr, Iraq, of a gunshot wound suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit. Spc. Carrasco was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. </d

Spc. Julian L. Berisford, 25, of Benwood, West Virginia, died November 4, 2009, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. Spc. Berisford was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. </d

As the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade prepares for its fourth deployment to Iraq, its Soldiers are getting lessons in the art of leading from behind as they help to set the stage for the eventual drawdown of U.S. forces in Ir

The stresses of a long deployment can wear on Soldiers. While there are a variety of activities, here on Camp Liberty, some Soldiers prefer to focus their down time in a more personal w

Spc. Jonathon M. Sylvestre, 21, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died November 2, 2009, in Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. Spc. Sylvestre was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia. </d

DoD To Implement Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay The Defense Department announced today the services' implementation plans to provide retroactive stop loss special pay. Active, reserve and former service members who had their enlistment extended or retirement suspended due to stop loss are eligible for this special pay, if they served on active duty between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009. Service members may begin submitting their claim for retroactive stop loss special pay on Oct. 21, 2...

Handling live grenades, directing your team's movement, prepping blast caps, and wiring up a detonator, all while standing a few feet from one ton of unexploded ordinance and 300 pounds of plastic explosi

More than 250 Afghan National Police graduated basic training Oct. 29, at the ANP headquarters in Herat, Afghanist

Niall D. Lyons, Army, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Chief Warrant Office Three Niall D. Lyons, 40, died October 26, 2009 when his MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed while conducting military s in western Afghanistan. Niall was a soldier and a hero. He was a loving father, son, brother and friend. His 16 years of service in the United States Army was nothing less than his life's wish. And for that he paid the ultimate price. April N. Ly