Recapturing 2005: A year of change for Fort Drum

During 2005, Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) once again proved they are in a league of their own. As members of the most deployed division in the world, these men and women have not only risen to each battle in the fight for freedom, but have changed lives and restored hope to citizens living in these endangered countries.

Each month, the global war on terrorism presented new challenges and raised the bar even higher for service members as they answered the call to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But they were not alone: Fort Drum took care of its own. Transportation teams worked nonstop to ensure thousands of Soldiers and their equipment were ready to meet each mission’s requirements, and family readiness groups were out in full force to provide family members with the resources and support they need during deployments.

At the installation level, Fort Drum families anxiously awaited the start of construction of nearly 900 new homes and the renovation of 2,200 existing homes, while Soldiers’ living standards improved and new barracks were constructed with private bedrooms, kitchens and mud rooms.

The year 2005 was yet another memorable time for these Soldiers, their families and the civilians who support them.

January
Prayers of thousands of family members were answered as they welcomed home more than 700 Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry and its supporting units. This was the first time a New York National Guard infantry organization had been ordered to federal active duty for wartime service since World War II.

Meanwhile, nearly 150 Soldiers of 57th Transportation Company, 548th Corps Support Battalion, deployed for Iraq to provide gun truck escorts for 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

The 590th Field Service Company returned home after a yearlong deployment in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. These Soldiers were tasked to provide security for more than 175 logistical convoys, a unique mission for field service companies.

The 10th Mountain Division (LI) grew in numbers as 4th Brigade Combat Team was officially activated at Fort Polk, La. With more than 3,000 personnel, this activation was a result of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker’s modular focus to change today’s active component maneuver brigades into 43 brigade combat team units of action by 2007.

February
Fort Drum was named as one of 12 installations identified for the initial stage of the Army’s $250 million Barracks Improvement Program. The program aims to improve living standards by replacing damaged heating or air conditioning systems, replacing broken windows and doors, fixing water leaks and painting.

Sgt. Rhoda D. Riley became the Army’s first female school-trained Squad Designated Marksman instructor. Riley is a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic with G Company 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment. The Army Marksmanship unit trains Soldiers to win competitions and enhance combat readiness through train-the-trainer clinics, research and development.

March
After serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for 13 months, 94th Regional Readiness Command, 283rd Transportation Company of Fairfield and West Hartford, Conn., returned to Fort Drum. This unit, composed of 151 Soldiers from more than 23 states, was tasked to provide a direct fuel supply to units operating in Kirkuk, Baghdad, Mosul, Tallil and Fallujah in Iraq, as well as in Kuwait.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston visited Fort Drum to explain the Army’s transformation into consolidated brigade combat teams, units of action and their effect on Soldiers. He said this transformation will make the Army more adaptable to changing battlefields and also will bring stability and predictability into the lives of Soldiers and family members.

April
Transportation experts at Fort Drum won the Deployment Excellence Award at the U.S. Army Forces Command Level and the Department of the Army Level for their ability to transport thousands of Soldiers and pieces of equipment abroad. The DEA competition was based on troop and equipment movements from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30, 2004.

Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 78th Division (Training Support), First U.S. Army, departed Fort Drum and headed to Iraq to accomplish one of the nation’s top missions: helping Iraqis to help themselves. Their mission was to use their skills to advise and coordinate coalition support for Iraqi public order units in combat.

Fort Drum Boys and Girls Club named Trent Britt Youth of the Year. Britt, son of Sgt. 1st Class Christopher and Gwendolyn Britt, has been a member of the club for the past four years. The 17-year-old is involved in his community as a Sunday school teacher, teen council member, junior usher and a member of the Young Men’s Christian Council. He also plays the violin and bass drum and participates as a violinist in the New York State solo festival.

May
Actus Lend Lease LLC (Actus) and the Department of the Army announced the financial closing and transfer of on-post family housing to Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes. Within 52 months, Actus plans to build 845 new homes and renovate 2,270 existing homes for Soldiers and their families on post. Amenities will include recreational trails, indoor and outdoor playgrounds and community centers.

Fort Drum earned Department of Defense recognition at the Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. The post was recognized in the category of natural resources for its work in implementing an ecosystem approach to land management and establishing a wetland mitigation bank. A panel of judges from government, private sector and nongovernmental organizations selected the winners based on five categories: cultural resources management, environmental quality, environmental restoration, natural resources, conservation and pollution prevention.

June
A Language and Cultural Arts Center opened at Fort Drum as the first division-level language center of its kind. It offers classrooms with Internet access to allow students to view broadcasts, including news in foreign languages, as well as a language lab with computers and books covering more than 17 different languages. Four instructors will provide training in Korean, Arabic, Persian, Farsi/Dari and Persian Pashtu.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team Soldiers returned home after a yearlong deployment to Iraq. The team deployed in January 2004 to help the Iraqi government become self sufficient.

The 10th Aviation Brigade welcomed 277th Aviation Support Battalion to its fold. This new battalion provides combat service support and has more than 900 Soldiers, making it the most diverse battalion on Fort Drum.

July
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker awarded the new Combat Action Badges to five Fort Drum Soldiers during a Pentagon ceremony. Soldiers who engaged in the war on terrorism since Sept. 18, 2001, are eligible to receive this award.

August
The 1st Brigade Combat Team left Fort Drum to begin a one-year deployment to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade deployed last to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the fall of 2003 and returned in fall of 2004.

Staff Sgt. Eric Hayes and Cpl. Chad H. Steuck were named U.S. Army Forces Command’s NCO and Soldier of the Year, respectively. These two 10th Mountain Division Soldiers went through three days of testing in physical fitness, Army regulations and field manuals, day and night land navigation and oral communication skills. Steuck went on to win the Army’s Soldier of the Year Award in October.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team Soldiers began missions in Iraq. After several months of training, these Soldiers took over the deployment from their counterparts from the 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, of the Louisiana National Guard.

September
Nearly 60,000 active and reserve troops deployed to New Orleans in response to Hurricane Katrina, which affected tens of thousands of people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It was largest national calamity since terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept 11, 2001. Among the Soldiers who responded were members of 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Polk.

Fort Drum unveiled a new memorial to honor those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a field in Pennsylvania. New York citizens donated a remnant of the Twin Towers in gratitude to Fort Drum Soldiers for taking on the fight against terrorism. A plaque with the names of 24 Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team who died during Operation Iraqi Freedom from July 2004 to July 2005 also was mounted on a pedestal on Fort Drum’s Heroes Walk.

Soldiers with 548th Corps Support Battalion deployed to Iraq to provide logistical support. Active and reserve components from across the United States combined with Headquarters Detachment and 590th Field Service Company to form a battalion-sized element.

New barracks opened for Fort Drum Soldiers featuring private bedrooms, a kitchen and a mud room for cleaning off equipment. These new living quarters are part of the Army’s goal to convert all barracks built in the U.S. between the mid-1970s to mid-1980s to improved 1+1 standards by 2008 and to convert overseas barracks by 2012.

October
Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion is the 10th Aviation Brigade’s primary maneuver element and the division’s key anti-armor force. It provides anti-personnel and aerial security for ground and anti-armor air operations.

Soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team witnessed a historic vote as they helped the Iraqi Army provide security during the nation’s constitutional referendum. Overall, about 15.5 million of Iraq’s 26 million people were registered to vote.

The Army renamed its traditional Primary Leadership Development Course to the Warrior Leader Course to reflect changes made to the curriculum over the past year. Officials said the course has been redesigned to better prepare Soldiers for asymmetrical warfare and now includes lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan.

November
Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division returned home after a yearlong deployment to Iraq. The unit, commonly referred to as the Rainbow Division, was responsible for training Iraqi Security Forces while conducting numerous combat operations. Their actions led to the death or capture of hundreds of insurgents and terrorists. The deployment marked the first time a National Guard division had deployed together for combat since the Korean War.

Gregory M. Ferguson, director of emergency services, won the Stalwart Award for the Northeast Region. This coveted award is given to Soldiers and civilians who stand out as leaders and exemplify the spirit of the Installation Management Agency. Soldiers and civilians on Army installations are nominated for the Stalwart Award each July by the post chain of command. Ferguson has worked at Fort Drum since 1985.

December
Vice President Richard B. Cheney traveled to Fort Drum to welcome back 42nd Infantry Division Soldiers from their yearlong deployment to Iraq and to thank 10th Mountain Division Soldiers for taking the lead in the global war on terrorism. Nearly 3,000 Soldiers and family members gathered at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield to hear the vice president’s speech as he recognized all of the contributions made by service members and their families.

A group of 17 Soldiers and one family member took the oath of allegiance to become American citizens at an official naturalization ceremony here. Overall, participants represented 12 countries including the Philippines, Hong Kong, Cuba, Peru, Ghana, Haiti, Colombia, Vietnam, Russia, Canada, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This was the first naturalization ceremony at Fort Drum since 2003.

More than 100 Soldiers from 57th Transportation Company redeployed from a yearlong tour in Iraq. While in Iraq, the unit conducted more than 900 missions and provided security to sustainment convoys throughout the country. They delivered more than 96 million gallons of fuel, 56 million gallons of water and drove 1.5 million miles.

Soldiers from 91st Military Police Battalion deployed to Afghanistan to support the global war on terrorism. Nearly 50 Soldiers from Fort Drum will join with various MP units from around the Army and will provide command and control for military police units.

In Remembrance:
The 10th Mountain Division’s achievements in the war on terrorism did not come without a price. These Soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom during 2005:
Spec. Jeff LeBrun, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment;
Spec. Dwayne James McFarlane, Jr., 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment;
Sgt. Lindsey T. James, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment;
First Lt. Adam Malson, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment;
Pfc. Darren Alan Deblanc, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment;
Pfc. Charles Steven Cooper, Jr., 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment;
Sgt. Kurt D. Schamberg, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment;
Sgt. James D. Stewart, 57th Transportation Company, 548th Corps Support Battalion;
Spec. Toccara R. Green, 57th Transportation Company, 548th Corps Support Battalion;
Master Sgt. Tulsa T. Tuliau, 2nd Brigade, 78th Division (Training Support);
Sgt. 1st Class Casey E. Howe, 2nd Brigade, 78th Division (TS);
Lt. Col. Leon G. James II, 2nd Brigade, 78th Division (TS); and
Sgt. 1st Class James S. Moudy, 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment.

(Information for this article was compiled from articles in previous issues of the Fort Drum Blizzard.)