Postal Platoon Soldiers Deliver Themselves Home by Larry Reilly Deployment That Began Back in May USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office 2008
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HE T CITIZEN Vol. 38, CNo. 15 U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart August 20, 2009 Serving the Greater Stuttgart Military Community Postal platoon Soldiers deliver themselves home By Larry Reilly deployment that began back in May USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office 2008. “As a group, you did an amazing job or 15 months, 17 Soldiers of moving mail in a very tough environ- from 3rd Platoon, 566th Postal ment. You handled more than 20,000 FCompany, delivered thou- pounds of mail during the holiday season sands of pounds of mail through three alone,” said Maj. Nicole Heumphreus, different Army Post Offices in the region 29th Transportation Battalion com- of Baghdad, Iraq. However, their last mander, as she addressed the returning delivery may be their most memorable, Soldiers. “Reintegration can be simple, as it was the one that brought them back but take your time to reintegrate back to Stuttgart on July 29. with family and friends, and then take Family, friends and fellow Soldiers care of each other as you go through welcomed back the platoon members the process.” Birgit Thompson as they filed into the Panzer Kaserne Sgt. Daryl Thompson greets his wife, Ines, and son, Jaden, 2, after serving a Fitness Center, bringing an end to a See Postal on page 4 15-month deployment with the 3rd Platoon, 566th Postal Company, in Iraq. Green Beret gave life ‘leading his brothers in combat’ By Maj. Jim Gregory suitable polling location for the upcoming national “I needed someone whom I trusted in that posi- Special Operations Command-Europe Public elections,” said the Task Force 10 commander. tion,” said the TF-10 commander, “someone of high Affairs Office As the combined Afghan and U.S. element moved quality to interface with the CJTF in Bagram, and into the Uzbin Valley, a known hot spot for insurgent Doug was that man, but he desperately wanted to n Aug. 4, the Soldiers of 1st Battalion, activity, they decided to clear the area on foot. Vose get back onto the ground with his men. When I told 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), volunteered to clear the low ground, where the enemy him to report back to his detachment, no one could Opaid their respects to Chief Warrant Of- laid in wait. suppress the smile on his face.” ficer 2 Douglas Vose during a ceremony at Panzer “Doug’s element immediately returned effec- Vose was back with his team for less than a week Kaserne Chapel. tive fire, but he knew that they needed to quickly before he was killed. “Doug gave his life for his Vose died from wounds received during combat maneuver on the enemy, and he was on the ground brothers, and for that alone, he is a hero,” said Lt. operations on physically leading his men when he was hit,” added Col. George Thiebes, the 1st Battalion, 10th Special the afternoon the TF-10 commander. Forces Group (Airborne) commander. of July 29, in His men called for an air medevac, and the he- “But he also gave his life for a greater cause: to support of Op- licopter arrived quickly, performing his extraction ensure that the Afghan people could participate in the eration Endur- while the area was still receiving enemy fire. He democratic process of governance and thus influence ing Freedom in died as a result of his wounds, even after the heroic their own future — politically, socially and culturally. Afghanistan. actions of the pilots. The coalition element killed nu- He will not be forgotten,” he said. “ H i s d e - merous enemies, including four high-ranking enemy The Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces t a c h m e n t commanders. Group, rotate regularly into Afghanistan to support the [Special Forc- Vose, who was 38 at the time of his death, en- International Security Assistance Force mission. es Operational tered the Army in April 1989. He later attended the “Chief Vose believed in this mission,” said Thie- Detachment- SF Qualification Course, graduating in 1999 as a bes. “He died leading his brothers in combat, and he Alpha 0114] communications sergeant. In 2006, he completed the fought to be with them. I have no doubt that some of h a d b e e n Warrant Officer Basic Course. For much of his final them are alive today because of his actions.” tasked to move deployment, he served as the liaison officer between Vose is survived by his wife, Nicole; sons, Aidan into the area Combined Joint Task Force 82 and Task Force 10, and Connor, and daughters, Sharon and Noel, as well to determine a Chief Warrant Officer 2 Douglas Vose the 1-10 SFG(A) headquarters element. as his mother, Paulette. Page 7 Page 10-11 INSIDE Theatre workshop Stuttgart schools HIS spotlights creativity receive make overs T Children and teens in U.S. Army Garrison U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart schools Stuttgart expressed themselves through underwent more than $2 million in EDITION their own play during the Summer improvements and renovations this Theatre Workshop. summer. Page 2 OPINION The Citizen, August 20, 2009 The Citizen, August 20, 2009 NEWS Page 3 Why shouldn’t the Pentagon ban smoking in the military? Ask a JAG Commentary by Brittany Carlson Editor’s Note: Do you have a question you USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office would like to see answered in a future edition If service members are trained not to start, they won’t of The Citizen? If so, contact “Ask a JAG” at lthough the Pentagon announced mid- [email protected]. June that it would not ban tobacco in the miss smoking. They won’t have to deal with the im- Amilitary as of yet, according to the Associ- paired fitness, vision and hearing loss that smoking can By Capt. Aaron L. Lancaster ated Press, my question is, ‘Why not?’ Stuttgart Legal Center An Institute of Medicine study commissioned by cause ... They won’t have to suffer in years to come the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs in Q: Traveling around Europe, I have come early June revealed the depth of the tobacco problem in from lung cancer or pulmonary disease. across things that are legal in the local area the military: one in three active-duty military personnel (marijuana, prostitution and Cuban cigars) smoke, leading to poor health, decreased readiness and but are illegal in most of the United States. a high cost for the DoD — $1.6 billion per year to care to deal with the impaired fitness, vision and hearing either. Service members work so hard to defend our As a service member, am I allowed to engage for service members with tobacco-related illnesses. loss that smoking can cause, according to the study. country, they deserve to have a stress reliever that in these activities while in Europe? In response, the Committee on Smoking Cessa- They won’t have to suffer in years to come from lung won’t kill them in the long run. (For ideas, enroll in tion in Military and Veteran Populations proposed a cancer or pulmonary disease. one of the smoking cessation programs provided to A: As an American service member, you complete ban on tobacco within the military, and I And the extra $1.6 billion the DoD will save? I’ll service members free of charge.) are not allowed to engage in the above conduct think they’re right. let you use your imagination to come up with some In the military world, so many regulations exist to while stationed in Europe. Like any American The part of the ban I most agree with is this: it’s good ideas for that. keep service members healthy. It’s amazing that smok- visiting a country outside of the United States, gradual. In fact, it’s more like a withdrawal. The In- Service members who smoke may feel that their ing has flown under the radar for so long. The proposed Angelo Jasper you are required to follow the laws of the local stitute recommended that the DoD phase out smoking smoking habits are their own personal rights. I would ban is a way of bringing the military into a new age of Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), stand in formation following country. Unlike civilians* though, as a service over a 20-year period by stopping the sale of tobacco argue that they gave up their personal rights when health and smoking awareness, and, in the end, saving a valor award ceremony in which two received the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and four received the member you must also follow the Uniform products in military commissaries (or raising the price they joined the service. Banning smoking is not very the precious lives of our service members. Army Commendation Medal with “V” device. Three other Soldiers also earned the Bronze Star for valor. Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) while serv- to equal that of tobacco on the economy), and treating different from restricting ing under Title 10 status. Those under Title tobacco use like it does alcohol abuse. alcohol use or mandating ORRECTION 10 status include all active duty personnel, Service members won’t have cigarettes ripped drug abuse counseling. C Two days of hell, nine men of valor activated reservists (typically anything beyond from their mouths or have to quit cold turkey. They may add that In the story on the Strong Beginnings pre-kindergarten program in the July drill weekends and training), and members of the ground situation.” The major part of the plan is to prohibit smok- smoking relieves stress.