Latest news with #EricDurr
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
30 Mass. National Guard troops with historic ties to Revolution marching in DC Army parade
WASHINGTON — Thirty National Guard soldiers from Massachusetts are in Washington this week, marching in Saturday's controversial — and costly — Army parade. They are members of the 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, headquartered at the Melrose Armory. They are part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 42nd Infantry Division, headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y. 'As one of the four oldest units in the U.S. military, soldiers from the 1-182 Infantry were among the Massachusetts militia who first formed the ranks of the Continental Army on Cambridge Common in 1775,' said Lt. Col. Landon Mavrelis, commander, 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, in a statement. The 42nd 'Rainbow' Division is one of the eight Army National Guard divisions in the parade, said Eric Durr, spokesman for the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Eleven of the Army's 19 divisions are participating. The 42nd was created during World War I by taking National Guard units from 26 states and creating a special division that could go quickly to France in the fall of 1917. The division was organized in Garden City, Long Island, and was nicknamed 'The Rainbow Division.' The division's first chief of staff, Douglas MacArthur — who later commanded American forces in World War II — said the division would 'stretch across the country like a rainbow.' 'The legacy forged by Rainbow Division soldiers on battlefields across France marked the 42d ID as one of the premier divisions of the American Expeditionary Force. We are honored to represent our predecessors, and all brave Americans who fought in that conflict 100 years ago,' said Major Gen. Jack James, the commander of the 42nd Infantry Division. James will lead the contingent along with a color guard. Another 30 soldiers from the 42nd Infantry Division Band, headquartered at the Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill, New York, also will march. The parade officially commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Army's founding in 1775. But the date Saturday also coincides with President Donald Trump's birthday, raising questions about the appropriateness of soldiers participating in what could be a political event. The parade is expected to cost $45 million. The Massachusetts soldiers left for Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and will return Sunday, according to the New York Guard. According to a statement from New York State, soldiers will be housed in an empty Department of Agriculture office building and an unused General Services Administration warehouse, just as they were for the inauguration. The soldiers will receive meals ready-to-eat, or MREs, for breakfast and lunch, and a hot meal for dinner along with per-diem of about $69. The cost is being picked up by the Army. Getting the construction industry 'Sublime ready' with or without the federal government With a makeover, Uncle Sam rises again for East Longmeadow's 4th of July Bankruptcy protection ends for ESG Clean Energy, Holyoke generating plant linked to Scuderi engine Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
10 New York soldiers receive Purple Heart for injuries in Tower 22 attack
Ten New York National Guard soldiers received Purple Hearts for injuries sustained in a 2024 Iranian-backed militia drone attack on a U.S. outpost known as Tower 22 in Jordan. On Jan. 28, 2024, a drone struck the housing unit at Tower 22 as soldiers slept. The attack killed three Army Reserve soldiers and injured dozens of other service members, including the 10 New York guardsmen. The Pentagon has released little details about the attack but the Purple Heart awards have given some insight into the soldiers assigned to the base and the size and scope of the attack. Some of the New York guardsmen suffered traumatic brain injuries and concussions, according to Eric Durr, a spokesperson for the New York National Guard. According to an Army press release on the award, 14 New York soldiers were stationed at Tower 22 to maintain communications equipment for the base. In all, the Jordan outpost was manned by 350 service members who were focused on reconnaissance and special forces operations as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. campaign against ISIS. Company commander for the 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion Capt. Paul Kramarz said his soldiers were part of a 'hand-selected team' who 'would operate at the far reaches of our area of responsibility.' After the drone hit, NY National Guard platoon leader 1st Lt. Ian Gallagher said the housing unit looked 'crinkled like a soda can.' Soldiers who came out of the attack unscathed lined up to donate blood for airmen and soldiers who were badly injured. Army Maj. Gen. Joel 'JB' Vowell, former commander of Operation Inherent Resolve, told Task & Purpose that one of the major lessons learned from the attack was the need for one-way drone defenses for smaller U.S. and partner nation military installations. An Army report of the attack first reported by Business Insider found that the soldiers tasked with monitoring for potential drone attacks faced insufficient staffing, inadequate battle drills and confusion over leadership roles. They had also been focused on the recovery of a Scan Eagle drone and did not see the drone coming from the south. The report found the soldiers failed to pick up the drone because it was too far away, moved too slow or seemed like a bird or debris. The Pentagon originally said the attack injured nearly 40 service members but the Army report indicated that more than 100 were injured. The ten guardsmen joined another reserve soldier and three airmen among service members assigned to Tower 22 who received Purple Hearts after the attack. In October 2024, three airmen who were assigned to the 129th Rescue Wing received the Purple Heart for their injuries. The airmen had all lost consciousness after the drone hit. When they awoke, they began banging on the bedroom doors of fellow troops in case another attack was on the way. They ran to the bunker, extinguished fires that broke out, searched for fellow service members trapped in the rubble and helped to evacuate casualties. They were treated for their injuries and continued with their deployment until May 2024. The Air Force did not explicitly say what injuries the three airmen suffered but Defense Department officials have described the majority of injuries from the attack as traumatic brain injuries and concussions. Sgt. Aneska S. Holness was awarded the Purple Heart in December 2024 prior to leaving the military due to injuries from the attack. Holness, a wheeled vehicle mechanic for the Arizona National Guard, woke up buried under the rubble of her containerized housing unit and began pulling other soldiers out. She was medically evacuated to Germany and continued TBI treatment at Fort Bliss until her separation. In October 2024, Army Reserve chaplain Maj. Chase Wilhelm was awarded four military honors 'highlighting his service in Jordan.' Wilhelm received the Bronze Star with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Four Chaplains' Medal. The New York National Guard soldiers received their awards May 10 at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor, New York. The soldiers were originally scheduled to receive the awards in March, but were delayed by state mobilization orders, Durr said. In February, Gov. Kathy Kochul called in nearly 8,200 New York National Guard soldiers and airmen to fill in for correction officers at more than 40 prisons across the state who went on strike. The ceremony was also delayed, Durr said, by the logistics of getting all 10 guardsmen together in one place at one time. 'I am honored to have received the medal, but it's never an award we wanted to get,' Sgt. Ryan Kissoon told the Army in a release. 'It's a sad relief we made it home that day, and others didn't.' The soldiers who received the award were: Staff Sgt. David Barrientos, from Zebulon, North Carolina Sgt. Anthony Gist, from Floral Park Sgt. Ryan Kissoon, from Richmond Hill Sgt. Guillermo Renderos, from Yonkers Sgt. Jarvis Ho So, from Brooklyn Spc. Christian Tiburcio, from Manhattan Spc. Matthew Crespo, from Brooklyn Spc. Domingo Perez, from Brooklyn Spc. Junior Clarke, from Brooklyn Spc. Michael Branch, from Brooklyn The Purple Heart was originally created by George Washington in 1782 to honor military merit. In the 1930s, it was given to soldiers who served in World War I and then awarded to World War II troops who were wounded or killed during combat. These awards currently give retired or separated troops certain medical benefits at Veterans Administration hospitals, federal hiring preferences and access to the Forever GI Bill. Army to eliminate 2 Security Force Assistance Brigades, reassign experienced soldiers Why the Army's new XM7 rifle reignited a debate over volume of fire Air Force delay on separation and retirement orders isn't 'stop loss,' defense official says F-35's close call over Yemen raises questions about how it's used An Army unit's 'extreme use of profanity' was so bad, they made a rule about it
