DOCSLIB.ORG

Report Decumber Killed in Germany

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Report Decumber Killed in Germany 1 4 0 5 1 0 5 4 De Cumber, P h ilip , Jr priv ate Headquarters Battery, 4 5 6 th Parachute P . A APO 469 c/o PM NYC Killed 4 /2 8 /4 5 Entered Newark Pompton Tpk. Mountain View Mr. & Mrs. P hilip De Cumber, parents §S8§| HI ■\ - ) ... we were per­ Phillip DeCumber mitted to read a very interesting , casualty lists ■letter the other day from a E i1™^yen dead, three worn Dutch boy . ,ot the DeCumber to ™ ? and eight libei Killed In Action family .... this <boy in the Dutch r a § n" ^ a m S°rViCe Mt. View Paratrooper Army 'had an understanding with Reported To Family As Phillip DeCumber .... about writ­ b ' f hll”, t Cumber, Mrs. Philij Killed April 27 in Germany ing .... and he wrote the family ; tr °f Mountain View. Pvt. 1st Class Phillip DeCumber .... and it was their .... job to I ^ vaten te rPe Cumber son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip De-. write this friend and tell Mm the A p r m28er AWa S ]i Cumber of Mt. View according to a sad' news . telegram received by the family on i thea(ei“d nferved in th e 1 ftt, ]ijs Pfv.War. as a i Tuesday made the supreme sacri­ if* firm nff1S a niel fice in Germany, April 27. i»f?o'al ^Michael am * Mai dealers, Mom Full particulars are not as yet available. Young DeCumber enlist- • ed in 1941 at the age of fourteen. For the last two years he was a paratrooper and prior to that an Air Cadet. S??'"urra?1e this Report DeCumber , !o government the r Killed in Germany ’^WnemVi0U5,y j . Pvt- Phillip De Cumber, Jr., a ■ & N kej paratrooper, was killed in action April 28 in Germany, according to word received by his parents, Mi and , Mrs. P. DeCumber, of th Newark-Pompton Tpke. 'He was a graduate of Wavn Township Junior High School. Hi father is a prominent businessmar ww M l.:r |Paterson Area Vets With 82nd I ■ Airborne Unit Coming in Today _. __ ... ... ... 1 Today is D-Day again for 30 cupation in the German capital. Paterson area soldiers of the 82nd On its colors, the 82nd Division i All American Airborne Division has the World War I streamers of which has fought through Sicily, Lorraine, St. Mihiel and Meuse- Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Nor­ Argonne. From World War II it mandy, Ardennes, Rhineland and wears battle participation stars Central Germany. for seven campaigns. They have But, instead of the blast of Ger­ been decorated by the Belgians, man Howitzers and the stacatto of French and The Netherlands. enemy aircraft machine guns, the Queen Wilhelmina gave the divi­ GIs will be greeted by the cheerful sion the high “Militare Willems faces of grateful Americans, the Orde,” for gallantry at Nijmegen, sonorous strains of an Army swing Holland, a decoration never award­ band and the never to be forgotten ed outside the Dutch Army and shores of the homeland they left only awarded once before. to defend April 20, 1943. Some of the men will be dis­ Their parachutes folded, the men charged while others will report to are due to land sometime today military installations after enjoy­ when the Queen Mary arrives at ing leaves and furloughs. the New York Port of Embarka­ Men of the 82nd from this area tion. The 82nd Division, under are:. ___ the command of Maj. Gen. James Private First Class Cornelius P. M. Gavin, formed the Army of Oc- Fells, Midland Park; Private Phlip DeCumber, Mountain View;, — ‘ 82nd Airborne Division Is Arriving Today On “Queen” Wth their last parachute folded, the 82nd, “At American” Air­ borne Division is coming home today on that stately lady of the sea, the Queep Mary. When the good “Queen noses into the slip and the boys troop down her gangplank, it will be their first step on the home­ land since Apr. 20, 1943 when they watched the coastline fade as their transport headed for the open sea and Africa. Caljed the “All American Division” because men from every State in the union, lots of them ‘ Dutch Army and only awarded from Jersey made up its ranks once before. and 82nd boys from every State Honors can only come to a di­ are sleeping today beneath little vision through the individuals 'white crosses in fields of Gela, who make its ranks and the 82nd Sicily; Salerno, Voiturno and carries this imposing list of per­ Anzio, Italy; Normandy, France; sonal decorations; two Congres­ Nijmegen, Holland; in the Ar­ sional Medals <of Honor, 79 Dis­ dennes of Belgium and at Mar- tinguished Service Crosses; 32 garten, Holland; where they fell. Legions of Merit; 894 Silver Stars The men of the 82nd have come and 2,478 Bronze Stars. The ! h I j home, victorious in two gruelling French have singled out for honor .fights for survival, the desperate 53 men; the British, 42; the Rus­ I battles fought on the Continent of sians 14, the Dutch, 73 and the Europe and their recent struggle Belgians 71. to remain as a regular United Counting The Cost States division when it was The cost of victory and honor learned that the .All American” for the 82nd ran high and the di­ was listed for de-activation. Their vision suffered 19,586 casualties survival was won by the many re­ during its 371 days of combat in quests, both from the men within the sharpest action of World War the division and people outside of II. In burial grounds throughout the organization, who knew its all Western Europe, men of the record, .fighting prowess, and ex­ 82nd lie resting from the fight, treme pride of unit. proof that “all Americans are w il­ Selected by Gen. Dwight D. Ei-i ling to fight and die gladly, for the senhower, as the unit that would ideals in which they beiieve, for most creditably acquit itself in their allies and for those whom Berlin for the Army and the they call friend. United States, the 82nd, under the Today the 82nd comes home. command of Maj. Gen. James M. Men who drew the respect-of Gen. Gavin, formed the Army of Oc­ George C. Marshall, chief of cupation in the German capital staff of the United States Army and the . pavements of Unter Den who wrote prophetically, in their Linden w ill miss the heavy tramp guestbook, when he visited them of their boots, now that the boys on Oct. 3, 1943: “An excellent start I have come home. ' j to what I know will be a great Division And Individual Honors finish. Men who drew the fear of Most honored division in the the enemy, among them, a ter­ United States, the 82nd Airborne rified German staff officer who has on its colors the World War I wrote in his diary, his fear of streamers of Lorraine, St. Mihiel “those devils in baggy pants.” and Meuse-Argonne. From World. Coming in today with the 82nd War II, it wears battle participa­ are 340 parachute a n d glider tion stars for Sicily, Naples-Fog­ troops from New Jersey. Some of gia, Rome-Arno, Normandy, Ar­ these will leave their “baggy dennes, Rhineland and Central pants” behind and go home to Germany. They have been deco­ civilian life while others will re­ rated by the Belgians, French, The port after enjoying leaves and fur­ Netherlands. Queen Wilhelmina. loughs. gave: the division the high “Mili- Men ol the 82nd from this area tare Willems Orde,” for gallantry!' are: at Nijmegen, Holland * 3 decora- Private First Class Cornelius P. tion never awarded outside th ei£el*s- Midland Park; Private Phlip I DeCumber Mountain View:/.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • During the Month of September, the 504Th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82Nd Airborne Division, Commemorates the WWII Events That
    During the month of September, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, commemorates the WWII events that occurred during OPERATION MARKET GARDEN in 1944. On September 15tn, word came down for a proposed jump ahead of Gen. Dempsey’s British Second Army. The mission called for the Airborne Army to descend from the skies and occupy bridges over the extensive waterways of Southern and Central Holland. The 504th, jumping as part of the 82nd Airborne Division, was to descend 57 miles behind enemy lines in the vincity of Grave, Holand and take the longest span bridge in Europe over the Maas River, along with two other bridges over the Maas-Waal Canal. At 1231, pathfinder men of the 504th landed on the DZ and thus became the first Allied troops to land in Holland; 34 minutes later the regiment “hit the silk” and the greatest airborne invasion in history was officially on The 2nd BN, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), was given the mission to take the bridge over the Maas River. E Company of the 2nd BN, 504th was to jump south of the Maas River while the remainder of the 2nd BN would descend north of the river. The Hero of this article is 1LT John Thompson, who was 27 years old and the Platoon Leader of 3rd Platoon E Company, 2nd BN, 504th PIR . His mission was to take the southern end of the grave bridge over the Maas River. At fifteen hundred feet long, with nine spans, the bridge was the largest and most modern in all of Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • The United States Airborne Divisions, and Their Role on June 6, 1944
    The Histories Volume 6 | Issue 1 Article 3 The nitU ed States Airborne Divisions, and Their Role on June 6, 1944 Dennis Carey Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/the_histories Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Carey, Dennis () "The nitU ed States Airborne Divisions, and Their Role on June 6, 1944," The Histories: Vol. 6 : Iss. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/the_histories/vol6/iss1/3 This Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Scholarship at La Salle University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The iH stories by an authorized editor of La Salle University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Histories, Volume 6, Number 1 2 I The United States Airborne Divisions, and Their Role on June 6,1944 By Dennis Carey ‘07 The United States Airborne Divisions that were dropped behind Utah Beach in the early morning hours of June 6,1944 played a critical role in the eventual success of Operation Overlord. On the evening of June 5th, General Eisenhower visited the men of the 101st Airborne division as they geared up in preparation for their jump. In making his rounds among the troops giving his words of encouragement, a paratrooper remarked “Hell, we ain’t worried General. It’s the Krauts that ought to be worrying now.”1 This is just one example of the confidence and fortitude that the men of both the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions possessed on the eve of Operation Overlord.
    [Show full text]
  • World War II Book.Indd
    BOB HART WWllThe odyssey of a “Battling Buzzard” “Anything worth dying for ... is certainly worth living for.” –Joseph Heller, Catch-22 t was August 15, 1944, D-Day for Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France. Fifteen-hundred feet above a drop zone Ishrouded in fog, the wind buffeted Bob Hart’s helmet the instant before he plunged into the unknown at 4:35 a.m. “As soon as you got to the doorway all you saw was white. Most of us figured we were jumping over the Mediterranean. And for a split second all you could think was ‘I got 120 pounds of gear on me. What’s going to happen when I land?’ ” But now he was falling. “A thousand and one,” Hart said to himself as another paratrooper sprang from the doorway of the lumbering C-47. “A thousand and two. “A thousand and…” Hart’s body harness jerked taut reassuringly as the primary parachute billowed. Had he got past “three” he would have yanked the ripcord for the reserve chute bundled on his chest. The business about paratroopers yelling “Geronimo!” was mostly bravado that got old in a hurry after jump school. Paratroopers prepare for a practice jump from a C-47. Bob Hart collection 2 Bob Hart Descending in the eerie whiteness, the 20-year-old machine gunner from Tacoma fleetingly remembered how he and a buddy had signed up for the paratroopers 16 months earlier at Fort Lewis, reasoning they wouldn’t have to do much walking. Fat chance. After Hart landed hard in a farmer’s field in the foothills above the Côte d’Azur, he ended up tramping 50 miles through hostile countryside on an aching foot that turned out to be broken.
    [Show full text]
  • Omaha Beach- Normandy, France Historic Trail
    OMAHA BEACH- NORMANDY, FRANCE HISTORIC TRAIL OMAHA BEACH-NORMANDY, FRANCE HISTORIC TRANSATLANTICTRAIL COUNCIL How to Use This Guide This Field Guide contains information on the Omaha Beach- Normandy Historical Trail designed by members of the Transatlantic Council. The guide is intended to be a starting point in your endeavor to learn about the history of the sites on the trail. Remember, this may be the only time your Scouts visit the Omaha Beach area in their life so make it a great time! While TAC tries to update these Field Guides when possible, it may be several years before the next revision. If you have comments or suggestions, please send them to [email protected] or post them on the TAC Nation Facebook Group Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/27951084309/. This guide can be printed as a 5½ x 4¼ inch pamphlet or read on a tablet or smart phone. Front Cover: Troops of the 1st Infantry Division land on Omaha Beach Front Cover Inset: Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial OMAHA BEACH-NORMANDY, FRANCE 2 HISTORIC TRAIL Table of Contents Getting Prepared……………………… 4 What is the Historic Trail…………5 Historic Trail Route……………. 6-18 Trail Map & Pictures..…….…..19-25 Background Material………..26-28 Quick Quiz…………………………..…… 29 B.S.A. Requirements…………..……30 Notes……………………………………..... 31 OMAHA BEACH-NORMANDY, FRANCE HISTORIC TRAIL 3 Getting Prepared Just like with any hike (or any activity in Scouting), the Historic Trail program starts with Being Prepared. 1. Review this Field Guide in detail. 2. Check local conditions and weather. 3. Study and Practice with the map and compass.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Overlord James Clinton Emmert Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2002 Operation overlord James Clinton Emmert Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Emmert, James Clinton, "Operation overlord" (2002). LSU Master's Theses. 619. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/619 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OPERATION OVERLORD A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in The Interdepartmental Program in Liberal Arts by James Clinton Emmert B.A., Louisiana State University, 1996 May 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the support of numerous persons. First, I would never have been able to finish if I had not had the help and support of my wife, Esther, who not only encouraged me and proofed my work, but also took care of our newborn twins alone while I wrote. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Stanley Hilton, who spent time helping me refine my thoughts about the invasion and whose editing skills helped give life to this paper. Finally, I would like to thank the faculty of Louisiana State University for their guidance and the knowledge that they shared with me.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Market Garden WWII
    Operation Market Garden WWII Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) was an Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time. The operation plan's strategic context required the seizure of bridges across the Maas (Meuse River) and two arms of the Rhine (the Waal and the Lower Rhine) as well as several smaller canals and tributaries. Crossing the Lower Rhine would allow the Allies to outflank the Siegfried Line and encircle the Ruhr, Germany's industrial heartland. It made large-scale use of airborne forces, whose tactical objectives were to secure a series of bridges over the main rivers of the German- occupied Netherlands and allow a rapid advance by armored units into Northern Germany. Initially, the operation was marginally successful and several bridges between Eindhoven and Nijmegen were captured. However, Gen. Horrocks XXX Corps ground force's advance was delayed by the demolition of a bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal, as well as an extremely overstretched supply line, at Son, delaying the capture of the main road bridge over the Meuse until 20 September. At Arnhem, the British 1st Airborne Division encountered far stronger resistance than anticipated. In the ensuing battle, only a small force managed to hold one end of the Arnhem road bridge and after the ground forces failed to relieve them, they were overrun on 21 September. The rest of the division, trapped in a small pocket west of the bridge, had to be evacuated on 25 September. The Allies had failed to cross the Rhine in sufficient force and the river remained a barrier to their advance until the offensives at Remagen, Oppenheim, Rees and Wesel in March 1945.
    [Show full text]
  • Nadzab (1943): the First Successful Airborne Operation
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2004 Nadzab (1943): the first successful airborne operation James Philip Lowe Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Lowe, James Philip, "Nadzab (1943): the first successful airborne operation" (2004). LSU Master's Theses. 3068. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/3068 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NADZAB (1943): THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AIRBORNE OPERATION A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in The Interdepartmental Program In Liberal Arts by James P. Lowe B.S. United States Military Academy, 1990 December 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my family for their support while I have pursued my master's degree. I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to my wife, Amy, for bearing not only the demands of being an army spouse, but also the additional burden of being the wife of a graduate student. She sacrificed her time to take care of our son Gavin while I was at either work, deployed or pursuing my education. I would also like to thank the members on my committee, Doctors Hilton, Roider and Clark for their time, patience and guidance.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation-Overlord.Pdf
    A Guide To Historical Holdings In the Eisenhower Library Operation OVERLORD Compiled by Valoise Armstrong Page 4 INTRODUCTION This guide contains a listing of collections in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library relating to the planning and execution of Operation Overlord, including documents relating to the D-Day Invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. That monumental event has been commemorated frequently since the end of the war and material related to those anniversary observances is also represented in these collections and listed in this guide. The overview of the manuscript collections describes the relationship between the creators and Operation Overlord and lists the types of relevant documents found within those collections. This is followed by a detailed folder list of the manuscript collections, list of relevant oral history transcripts, a list of related audiovisual materials, and a selected bibliography of printed materials. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER LIBRARY Abilene, Kansas 67410 September 2006 Table of Contents Section Page Overview of Collections…………………………………………….5 Detailed Folder Lists……………………………………………….12 Oral History Transcripts……………………………………………41 Audiovisual: Still Photographs…………………………………….42 Audiovisual: Audio Recordings……………………………………43 Audiovisual: Motion Picture Film………………………………….44 Select Bibliography of Print Materials…………………………….49 Page 5 OO Page 6 Overview of Collections BARKER, RAY W.: Papers, 1943-1945 In 1942 General George Marshall ordered General Ray Barker to London to work with the British planners on the cross-channel invasion. His papers include minutes of meetings, reports and other related documents. BULKELEY, JOHN D.: Papers, 1928-1984 John Bulkeley, a career naval officer, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933 and was serving in the Pacific at the start of World War II.
    [Show full text]
  • FSC.EMI/197/19 4 June 2019 ENGLISH Only the OSCE
    FSC.EMI/197/19 4 June 2019 ENGLISH only The OSCE Secretariat bears no responsibility for the content of this document and circulates it without altering its content. The distribution by OSCE Conference Services of this document is without prejudice to OSCE decisions, as set out in documents agreed by OSCE participating States. QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE CODE OF CONDUCT ON POLITICO- MILITARY ASPECTS OF SECURITY – RESPONSES FROM THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY Section I: Inter-State elements 1. Account of measures to prevent and combat terrorism 1.1 The Norwegian Government condemns all terrorist acts, whatever the motivation, opposes any concession to terrorist demands, and is committed to ensuring that terrorists do not benefit from their acts. Norway works with other states and through international organisations to promote closer international co-ordination of efforts to combat terrorism. Norway is a State Party to the following international counter-terrorism conventions: (1) Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft (Tokyo, 14 Sep 1963) (2) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (The Hague, 16 Dec 1970) (3) Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation (Montreal, 23 Sep 1971) (4) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, Including Diplomatic Agents (New York, 14 Dec 1973) (5) European Convention on Suppression of Terrorism (Strasbourg, 27 Jan 1977) (6) International Convention against the Taking of
    [Show full text]
  • British Paratrooper 1940–45
    BRITISH PARATROOPER 1940–45 REBECCA SKINNER ILLUSTRATED BY GRAHAM TURNER © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com WARRIOR 174 BRITISH PARATROOPER 1940–45 REBECCA SKINNER ILLUSTRATED BY GRAHAM TURNER Series editor Marcus Cowper © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 CHRONOLOGY 6 RECRUITMENT 7 TRAINING 10 APPEARANCE AND EQUIPMENT 20 CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 28 BELIEF AND BELONGING 34 EXPERIENCE OF BATTLE 37 AFTER THE BATTLE 55 COLLECTING, MUSEUMS AND RE-ENACTING 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY 63 INDEX 64 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com BRITISH PARATROOPER 1940–45 INTRODUCTION On 22 June 1940 Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote an instruction to his Chief of Staff: ‘We ought to have a corps of at least five thousand parachute troops.… I hear something is being done already to form such a corps but only, I believe on a very small scale. Advantage must be taken of Two Paras board an Armstrong the summer to train these forces, who can none the less play their part Whitworth Whitley bomber in meanwhile as shock troops in home defence.’ clean fatigues, i.e. without kit, in 1940. The Whitley was the This simple instruction would lead to the formation of a new British first aircraft used by British Airborne Force with The Parachute Regiment as its core. Its men would fight paratroopers, carrying men for some of the most iconic battles of World War II, earning the respect of their both the Tragino Aqueduct and enemy for their skill and commitment. Bruneval raids, before being Churchill had observed the growth of German airborne capability and superseded by the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and sought to copy the idea for the British Army.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender-Mixed Army Dorm Rooms, 50% Women And
    Gender-Mixed Army Dorm Rooms, 50% Women and All-Female Special Forces Training : How Does Norway’s Radical Attempt to Integrate Women in the Military Work ? By Nina Rones Gender-mixed dormitory rooms have been introduced to ease the integration of female soldiers into the Norwegian Armed Forces. This has gained tremendous inter- national attention,1 while research has assigned several positive effects to such unisex rooms. In essence, researchers have argued that sharp distinctions and less understanding between men and women will ensue “if female soldiers live in their own barracks or serve in their own platoons” (Hellum, 2016, p.30) ; on the contrary, unisex rooms provide them with intense exposure to the opposite gender, thus promoting a gender-positive secondary socialization that will deemphasize gender differences as well as reduce sexual harassment and unwanted masculine behaviour.2 Intense exposure will allegedly change gender stereotypical prejudices and combat discriminatory attitudes towards female leaders.3 Also, findings such as less gossiping among girls and increased team cohesion, respect, tolerance and non-sexual camaraderie across genders are ascribed to the close contact that occurs between men and women in these rooms.4 Although these researchers seem to agree that gender-mixed rooms enhance gender equality in male-dominated military organizations, there is disagreement about the various methods used, the interpretation of shared findings, and the conclusions that can be drawn from them.5 In particular, Ellingsen and colleagues (2016) urge caution in elevating the apparent success of mixed rooms to a “grand theory” where the coming together of women and men will almost magically result in gender equality and de-sexualized relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • Italian Noncommissioned Officers Join American Paratroopers for Four-Week Basic NCO Course Training
    RELEASE #2008-11-19-03 Nov. 19, 2008 Italian noncommissioned officers join American paratroopers for four-week Basic NCO Course training By Spc. Gregory Argentieri 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office VICENZA, Italy -- “Sky Soldiers” from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and several of their Italian army counterparts completed the second phase of the U.S. Army Basic Non-commissioned Officer Course at Caserma Ederle here Oct. 14 – Nov. 6. Instructors from Fort Benning, Ga., conducted the four weeks of instruction that included classroom, computer simulation, and field training. The course, designed for staff sergeants and Soldiers preparing to be promoted to staff sergeant, was taught as a “give-and- take” between instructors and Soldiers who shared SGT HENRY SELZER battlefield experiences Master Sgt. Paolo Donati from the Italian army’s 1st Regiment, Carabinieri Paratroopers, fires his M4 rifle in Cao Malnisio, Italy Oct. 23 during his and exchanged tactics and participation in the U.S. Army’s Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course at techniques. Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. “I teach them and they teach me. It’s a give-and-take process,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Casarez, a small group leader from Fort Benning’s NCO Academy. “These guys have been through some stuff, and I’ve been learning a lot from them.” Casarez incorporates what he learns from Soldiers returning from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom into his teaching. Afghanistan and Iraq are two totally different fights, and it’s good to hear both sides of the story, he said. “Learning from one another is important because even in theater, there are different regions, and what one region is doing could spread over to another,” said Casarez.
    [Show full text]