Florida Comfort Food Helped Air Force Nurse in Afghanistan

Nurse saves lives during Afghanistan deployment
Chugiak Eagle River Star
Chris McCann
Published: 2014

Air Force Capt. Tavia Leonard, an intensive-care nurse assigned to the 673d Medical Group, recently returned from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, where she worked at the Craig-Joint Theater Hospital for four months. U.S. AIR FORCE JUSTIN CONNAHER

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON — The improvised explosive device detonated early — in his hand.

The 16-year-old Afghan boy was rushed to the Craig Joint Hospital on Bagram Air Field, missing a hand, an eye, and a lot of blood. Third-degree burns covered nearly half of his body.

Air Force Capt. Tania Leonard, an intensive-care nurse, was ready.

“He was an angry little fellow,” she said. “But after a while, he became the most polite kid. I may not have reached the masses in Afghanistan, but I hope in his village, he’ll tell people how we took care of him.”

Leonard joined the Air Force hoping to be an ICU nurse. Her first assignment, however, was at the pediatric unit at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. She was disappointed, but that billet prepared her for the future.

An unexpected motivation came in a care package from a friend — a jar of pickled okra. The Jacksonville, Florida, native said she was ecstatic to get such a creature comfort.

“That was the best day ever,” she said. “I was taking pictures with the okra. Oh, and there were crab legs Fridays. I was on the hunt Fridays; I’ve got to have crab legs. I love seafood. And those little comforts were just great.”
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Soldier's body found Christmas in Alaska

UPDATE December 27, 2012

Anchorage Daily News
Soldier who died of gunshot in barracks was 25-year-old infantryman, Army says
Published: December 26, 2012

The soldier found dead in a barracks at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Christmas morning was a 25-year-old private first class who'd been stationed here since September, the Army said on Wednesday.

Pfc. Grant W. Wise, of Fairport, N.Y., "was found in another soldier's barracks room with a single gunshot wound and declared deceased at approximately 7:45 a.m.," said a statement Wednesday from Lt. Col. William Coppernoll, a spokesman for the U.S. Army in Alaska.
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Alaska-based soldier found dead Christmas morning in military barracks
Eric Christopher Adams
Dec 25, 2012

A soldier was found dead Christmas morning in barracks on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a military base for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force located in Anchorage, Alaska.

The soldier appeared to have died from a gunshot wound, according to the three-sentence statement (PDF) from Lt. Col. William Coppernoll, a spokesman for the U.S. Army in Alaska.

The Army did not make clear whether the soldier died from a self-inflicted gunshot or homicide.
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Army Pilot Program Allows Soldiers to Confidentially Enroll in Alcohol Treatment

Army Pilot Program Allows Soldiers to Confidentially Enroll in Alcohol Treatment

August 23rd, 2011
A pilot Army program allows soldiers at high risk for developing alcohol problems to enroll in a confidential treatment program that will not adversely impact their careers. The program, which started at three Army installations, is now at six posts.

The Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Project (CATEP) is aimed at helping soldiers who abuse alcohol, before more serious substance abuse problems develop that could harmfully impact their finances, health, relationships and military career.

Soldiers are overwhelmingly young males, who have higher rates of drinking than the general population, according to Colonel Charles S. Milliken, MD, of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. In addition to drawing from this demographic, soldiers have specific reasons for abusing alcohol, including “self-medicating” sleep problems and irritability. These reasons are common in not just those with post-traumatic stress disorder, but in many soldiers first returning from war.


One study found that an estimated 27 percent of soldiers reported alcohol misuse three months after redeploying from Iraq, Col. Milliken says. “Soldiers who drink too much are at high risk of behaviors that put themselves and others at risk, including drinking and driving or riding with a drunk driver.”

Traditionally, when a soldier enrolls in the Army’s substance abuse treatment program, known as ASAP, his or her Commanding Officer is automatically notified. Soldiers who fail to comply with or respond successfully to treatment are processed for administrative separation from military service.

The project initially started in 2009 at three sites: Schofield Barracks Army Health Clinic in Hawaii, Fort Lewis in Washington and Fort Richardson in Alaska. In April 2010, the program was expanded to include Fort Riley in Kansas, Fort Carson in Colorado and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Col. Milliken estimates that the program now covers about 25 percent of those on active duty in the Army.

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Elmendorf-Richardson gate standoff ends

Elmendorf-Richardson gate standoff ends
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 18, 2011 21:23:21 EDT
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Anchorage police have released the name of a man involved in standoff at a gate leading to a military base.

KTUU-TV says Anchorage police took 23-year-old Joseph Hanifin of Anchorage into custody shortly after 1 p.m., or about seven hours after they were first alerted to a problem with a reportedly suicidal man.

Police say the man’s father called them shortly after 6 a.m. to report that his son was suicidal.
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4 Richardson soldiers killed by IED in Laghman

4 Richardson soldiers killed by IED in Laghman
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jun 5, 2011 8:48:36 EDT
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Four Alaska-based soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device in Laghman province, Afghanistan, the Army said Saturday.

The soldiers, from the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, were on a mounted patrol, the Army said.

Their names were withheld while their families were notified.

NATO reported earlier Saturday that four coalition troops were killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan. The alliance did not provide further details.
4 Richardson soldiers killed by IED in Laghman

Soldier found dead at home on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Soldier found dead at home on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Military officials in Alaska say a soldier has been found dead at Join Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

Officials say the soldier's name will not be released until the family notification process is complete.

According to officials, the soldier was found dead in his family quarters at the base early Friday.
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Soldier found dead at home on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Soldier with second-degree murder of another soldier

Murder charged after Eagle River shooting
RUSSIAN ROULETTE: Friend charged with murder.
By ROSEMARY SHINOHARA
rshinohara@adn.com
Published: March 6th, 2011

Police have charged a soldier with second-degree murder in the shooting death of another soldier at an Eagle River home early Sunday. The two men were playing Russian roulette with a loaded revolver, police said.

A 26-year-old soldier from an Army brigade at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was shot in the abdomen about 2 a.m. Sunday and was pronounced dead at Providence Alaska Medical Center about an hour later, police and military officials said.

The soldier who was shot has not yet been identified pending notification of his family.


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Murder charged after Eagle River shooting

‘Green Beret’ in black beret a faker

‘Green Beret’ in black beret a faker

By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 12, 2010 9:27:41 EDT

To Sgt. Louis Brandwein, something about the “ridiculously obese” man in ACUs at the gun show looked off.

He wore a nonregulation MOLLE belt, Special Forces qualification tabs on both shoulders and a rare Combat Infantryman Badge with two stars.

“Everything was just wrong. As soon as I looked at him, I was like, ‘What the hell,’ ” said Brandwein, a 25-year-old infantryman at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

The man Brandwein saw posing as a Green Beret in Anchorage, and confronted, was con man and serial faker William James Clark. Clark did federal prison time for posing as an Army captain at a 2002 bridge disaster.

Weeks later, Clark was arrested on Aug. 27 at a hotel in Deadhorse, about 500 miles north of Anchorage. He was charged with carrying a firearm while a convicted felon.
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Green Beret in black beret a faker

Fort Richardson soldier found dead at home

Authorities investigate soldier's death

The Associated Press

Published: September 5th, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Authorities are investigating the death of a Fort Richardson soldier at his Eagle River home.

Army officials say the soldier's wife called 911 when she found her husband unresponsive late Saturday night.

Read more: Authorities investigate soldier death

Soldier charged with killing family in Alaska

Soldier charged with killing family in Alaska
By RACHEL D'ORO (AP)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A 21-year-old soldier has been charged with murder in the shooting deaths of his wife and infant daughter in their Alaska apartment soon after his return from Afghanistan.

Spc. Kip Lynch was indicted Thursday on first-degree murder charges in the April deaths of his 19-year-old wife Racquell Lynch and 8-month-old daughter Kyirsta Lynch.
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Soldier charged with killing family in Alaska

Silver Stars awarded to 2 Richardson soldiers

Silver Stars awarded to 2 Richardson soldiers

The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 23, 2010 12:03:57 EDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two Fort Richardson soldiers have been awarded the Silver Star medal for bravery in combat in Afghanistan.

In a ceremony Tuesday at the Army post, the military’s third-highest medal was presented to Spc. Ryan. S. Chester and Spc. Robert E. Parson, members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division.

The Army says Chester fought continuously for 25 minutes unprotected after being thrown from his vehicle while on patrol. Parson fought enemy fire to protect the evacuation of his wounded squad leader.

Chester was a gunman in the roof turret of an armored vehicle on July 6, 2009, when the 19-man platoon was ambushed by 30 enemy fighters, the Army said.
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Silver Stars awarded to 2 Richardson soldiers

Victim’s family: No anger at soldier from Jacksonville

Victim’s family: No anger at soldier from Jacksonville
The Atlantic Beach mother of a woman shot in Alaska says she wouldn’t press charges.
By Dana Treen
The picture pulled from the refrigerator door in an Atlantic Beach apartment shows a daddy and baby cheek to cheek in the way thousands of those moments are captured.

"Does he look upset?" Christina Kulik asks, passing the photo of her son-in-law and 8-month-old granddaughter. "Does he look like he's, 'Aw, get the kid away from me?' No."

Thursday, baffled family members of Kip Lynch and his wife Raquell were left with memories like the one caught on camera and confusion over why the 21-year-old soldier would kill his wife and daughter in what police are calling murder and an attempted suicide outside an Alaska Army base.

Kulik said her daughter and Lynch met when they were in high school and even split time living with her or with his family while they were in school. He joined the Army and was on deployment in Afghanistan while she stayed home and finished a medical business course.

She joined him at his Anchorage station when he returned in February.

On Monday police there found Raquell and Kyirsta dead and Kip Lynch gravely wounded in their apartment near Fort Richardson. All had been shot, police said.

Kip Lynch remained in critical condition Thursday and may never be able to answer police questions, said Lt. Dave Parker of the Anchorage Police Department.

An account to help defer the expenses has been set up in Kulik's name at BB&T banks in Jacksonville
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Victim's family: No anger at soldier Florida Times-Union

Soldier suspected in double homicide of wife, baby

Soldier suspected in double homicide of wife, baby

By DAN JOLING
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 27, 2010; 6:39 PM

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska police say the person responsible for killing a 19-year-old woman and her 8-month-old daughter likely was the woman's husband, a military policeman who returned from Afghanistan two months ago.

The bodies of Racquell Lynch and Kyirsta Lynch were found Monday morning in their Anchorage apartment.

Military police had gone there looking for 21-year-old Spc. Kip Lynch, who had not shown up for duties at Fort Richardson Army Post.
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Soldier suspected in double homicide of wife, baby

Did Iraq veteran's PTSD spark his shoplifting charge?

Did Iraq veteran's PTSD spark his shoplifting charge?
By Julia O'Malley
Anchorage Daily News
ANCHORAGE — John Mayo had mayhem etched in his skin. I noticed it when I first saw him in the lobby of the Daily News. Sleeve tattoos. Black skulls, explosions and flames. Demon drill sergeants. A rifle made to look like a deadly cartoon.

He introduced himself and his wife, Ellie. He carried their baby, Cason, in a car seat. I showed them into a room where we could talk. Mayo limped when he walked and held his shoulders tight, his T-shirt flagging over muscle and bone.

I asked them to come by after speaking with his mother-in-law. She had called asking for help. She told me he had been kicked out of the Army for committing a crime he didn't remember.

It was late August. It had been about a month since he'd left the Army. He was discharged for shoplifting at the Base Exchange. Now they were broke. Neither he nor Ellie had a job. They were halfway homeless, camped out in a house under construction in Wasilla.

Mayo pushed a piece of paper across the table. It was written by the defense attorney at his military discharge proceeding. It summarized his record as a soldier. He deployed to Iraq from Fort Richardson in 2006 with about 3,500 others in the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division. He was in Iraq for more than a year.
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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/75617.html

Captured soldier identified by DoD

Captured soldier identified by DoD

Staff report
Posted : Sunday Jul 19, 2009 10:13:20 EDT

The Defense Department on Sunday identified the soldier who has been listed as missing/captured in Afghanistan.

Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, of Ketchum, Idaho, was declared Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1. His status was changed to missing/captured July 3.

Bergdahl is a member of 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, of Fort Richardson, Alaska.
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Captured soldier identified by DoD


Family of captured soldier asks for privacy

By John Miller - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 19, 2009 15:28:25 EDT

HAILEY, Idaho — A soldier from Idaho who disappeared from his base in Afghanistan has been captured, the Pentagon confirmed Sunday, a day after he was seen in a Taliban video posted online.

The Defense Department released the name of Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, who was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment. The private was serving at a base near the border with Pakistan in an area known to be a Taliban stronghold.
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Family of captured soldier asks for privacy

Soldier from La Porte Texas death under investigation

DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Jarrett P. Griemel, 20, of La Porte, Texas, died June 3 at Forward Operating Base Gardez, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
http://icasualties.org/oef/

Army probes Alaska death of Brooklyn soldier

Army probes Alaska death of Brooklyn soldier
New York Daily News - New York,NY,USA
BY Christina Boyle
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, February 13th 2009, 12:27 AM

An Army investigation is underway after a Brooklyn soldier was found dead at his base in Alaska.

The body of Sgt. Naquan Reinaldo Williams was discovered Sunday night in the motor pool building of the Fort Richardson facility in Anchorage.

The 32-year-old was a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear scientist and had been assigned to the base for nearly three years, the Army said.
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Soldier found dead in Richardson barracks

Soldier found dead in Richardson barracks
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Nov 29, 2008 15:54:00 EST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Army has launched a criminal investigation into the death of a 25-year-old soldier whose body was found in his barracks at Fort Richardson.

Army officials say Spc. Blake A. Bronaugh of Wichita Falls, Texas, was found dead of unknown causes on Thanksgiving Day.

Bronaugh was a construction equipment operator assigned to C Company, 864th Engineer Combat Battalion.

He joined the Army in September 2005.

He received his engineer training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and arrived in Alaska in April 2006.

Officials say Bronaugh’s next of kin have been notified of his death.

Wentzville soldier dies at military base in Iraq

Wentzville soldier dies at military base in Iraq

By Tim Bryant
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/16/2008

A military police officer who grew up in Wentzville and joined the Army when he was 33 has died in a noncombat shooting in Iraq, his wife said Monday.

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel R. Sexton, 53, died Wednesday at Joint Base Balad, the Army said. He had been assigned since June 2004 to the 164th Military Police Company at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

A Fort Richardson spokesman did not provide details of the fatality but Sexton's wife, Tori, said her husband was the victim of an accidental shooting. She added that the Army had yet to provide her with much information about his death, which remains under investigation.

Before his assignment to Fort Richardson, Sexton had been attached to several Army posts, including Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He was a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
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