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Fort Rucker soldiers return from Iraq

Posted earlier this week in the Dothan Eagle:

Jayden Lacy was just 9 months old when her dad deployed to Iraq. Today, she will celebrate her second birthday, this one with her father by her side. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Lacy was one of nearly 180 soldiers with the 46th Engineer Battalion B Company who returned to Fort Rucker on Thursday night to a hero’s welcome.

“It’s a great feeling, but I really can’t explain it,” Lacy said. “I’ve been over in Iraq for 15 months, and now that I’m back, it’s like starting all over again.”

The soldiers had been deployed in Iraq for 15 months, a time frame that was agonizing for family members.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Millicent Vickers, who was at Thursday’s ceremony to pick up her husband, Frederick Vickers. “It’s been lonely, but very strengthening. I’m very proud of myself, because it strengthened me as a person to be so long without him.”

Doug Roach returned to see his wife, Nicole, waiting with open arms. It didn’t take him long to embrace her, and with their 8-month-old baby, Cale, they are looking forward to the future.

“I just felt like it would never be over, and now that it is, I don’t know how to explain it,” said Nicole.

Doug didn’t have the same problem finding the right words.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said.

Lacy’s wife, Melissa, said her own military experience helped her deal with her husband’s deployment.

“It’s been tough, but I’m also in the military, so it keeps me busy,” she said. “I’ve just tried to stay busy to keep my mind off of it.”

It wasn’t just wives and husbands waiting on the soldiers to return, though.

Willie Blue has been worrying about his son, Pfc. Ryan Blue, for the duration of his deployment. He couldn’t hide his joy or his pride at Thursday night’s ceremony.

“I’ve been on the edge, because from day to day, you watch the news and you don’t know if there’s been a fatality. I’m just very glad he could make it back home alive,” he said. “The biggest thing I’m proud of, though, is he’s defending our country.”

That pride is shared by many of the families of the other returning soldiers.

“My mom just can’t wait to see him, my brother’s excited to see him, and my dad is very proud of him, that he’s been able to support me, because not many of our peers have made it,” Vickers said.

William Lacy hadn’t been able to process the emotion of his return until he boarded his plane. Then, the reality of the trip set in.

“Between missions and still working, it really doesn’t dawn on you until you’re on the plane halfway here,” Lacy said. “Then it sets in.”

According to a U.S. Army press release, the battalion’s primary mission was to conduct reconstruction projects, provide security and conduct joint construction projects with Iraqi forces.

Fort Rucker soldier risks life to help pregnant wreck victim

Courtesy of Mike, today’s Dothan Eagle features one of our finest:

The seconds before the Saturday night crash come back to Brittany Bragwell like a strobe. It is dark. The light is green. A pickup truck appears in her path. She swerves. The next thing Bragwell remembers is her white Nissan Maxima skidding on its top in the median of Montgomery Highway and John D. Odom Road. She hears the sound of breaking glass.

Suspended upside down, Bragwell moves her arms and legs to make sure they aren’t broken and struggles to free herself from her seat belt, but she can’t. By now, people have stopped at the site of the accident. Bragwell can hear them.

“Fire!” she hears someone say, and can look out her broken window and see feet backing away from the vehicle.

Just a few feet away, the Chevrolet 4×4 pickup also involved in the accident is in flames. All five occupants have gotten out of the vehicle safely. Bragwell’s car is smoking and sparking. Now she is screaming.

Fort Rucker soldier Michael Jordan is three cars behind Bragwell and sees the accident happen. He pulls off the side of the road and runs to the vehicle.

“I’m pregnant,” she tells him.

Unable to open the door, Jordan slides through the broken window and positions himself underneath Bragwell and works the seat belt loose. His rescue training tells him to keep accident victims immobile, but the car is smoking and could burst into flames at any second.

He checks quickly for spinal injury or broken bones as best he can. Satisfied nothing appears broken, he begins to use his body as a sliding board, scooting her out of the vehicle. There is broken glass on the median and pavement and some of it winds up in Jordan’s legs and back.

Finally, Jordan has Bragwell across the highway and out of danger. Rescue personnel are delayed because the initial report sent responders to the intersection of West Main Street and John D. Odom Road. Two from the pickup are taken to Flowers Hospital and are treated and released. Bragwell is taken to Southeast Alabama Medical Center and kept overnight for evaluation. Mother and baby appear fine. Ella Brooke Bragwell is due Sept. 21.

Four days later, Bragwell, 19, is amazed no one was seriously hurt, and thankful Jordan risked injury to himself to free her from the car.

“He was my guardian angel,” Bragwell said.

Jordan said he never hesitated after he saw the accident.

“I just couldn’t see someone lose their life in an accident, even if it meant me risking my life,” said Jordan, a Detroit native who has been at Fort Rucker for about 18 months. “She was very conscious and alert and I couldn’t live with just passing it by. I believe it’s just basic instinct to do something like that.”

Bragwell and Jordan have maintained contact since the accident and Bragwell said the others in the pickup truck have relayed thoughts and prayers for her as well.

Thank you and God bless you, Michael!

In the news today

Published on The Birmingham News‘ Breaking News blog, a story about a troop of would-be officers for the Army National Guard participating in an accelerated Officer Candidate School who capped one of their training exercises by ending a seven-mile, full pack and gear march in 2 and half hours — concluding with a lap around the Talladega Superspeedway.

View the blog post and pictures here.

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Courtesy of WTVY News 4, news of another library benefiting from Governor Riley’s connecting families program. The Houston-Love Memorial Library in Dothan has two computers dedicated to providing folks live access to see and talk with members of the military stationed stateside or overseas.

To read the whole article, go here. For more information on the web cam program, call the Houston Love Memorial Library at (334) 793-9767.

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Last but not least, this isn’t Alabama-related but I can’t resist sharing: a great story from Right Pundits about Detective Ken Leonard of the High Point, North Carolina Police Department. He served his country in Iraq training local Iraqis to become policemen. He lost his feet by IED. After a long road of therapy and prosthetics, he has made it back onto the police force and has recently joined the blogging world. His blog is called “No Feet Required!” and he is up for John Walsh’s AMW All Star First Responders Award.

If you have time, drop by No Feet Required! — I’m sure Ken would love to hear from everyone!

Alabama loses a hero

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chief Warrant Officer Clark’s loved ones:

A Newton soldier killed in Iraq last week will be laid to rest Monday at Sunset Memorial Park in Dothan.

CW3 Donald Clark, 37, was killed in action when his OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter went down on Nov. 15 in the eastern part of Mosul, Iraq.

Final arrangements were still being worked out Friday, but family members say preliminary plans have Clark’s body being flown to the cemetery via a Huey helicopter, with a horsedrawn caisson carrying the casket to the graveside. Organizers were also hoping to arrange for a Kiowa flyover.

Clark was born in Boardman, Ohio, but has lived in Newton for several years with his wife, Jamie.

The funeral is set for 3 p.m. The family requests that donations be made to the Donald V. Clark Memorial Fund at Army Aviation Federal Credit Union in lieu of flowers.

Also killed in the accident was Army Chief Warrant Officer Christian P. Humphreys, 28, of Fallon, Nev.

A full obituary can be found inside today’s Dothan Eagle.

Fort Rucker soldiers return from Iraq

A friend of mine emailed me this morning about something published yesterday in the Dothan Eagle. A very touching story detailing the recent return of the 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group at Fort Rucker, including one couple who met through Soldiers’ Angels!

Read the entire story here.

Dothan Guard Unit coming home this weekend

Courtesy of the Patriot Guard Riders, the 1203rd guard unit from Dothan will be coming home this Sunday, June 8th. Details are currently not available, but if you want to participate, please contact your local PGR captain.

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UPDATE: 06/04/2008 — This has also been covered on the WVTY News 4 site:

A National Guard unit from Dothan could return home this weekend after nearly nine months in Iraq.

170 members of the 1203rd Engineer Battalion’s headquarters company was scheduled to return this week to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

After a few days at Fort McCoy, the unit should head home to Dothan and could arrive this Sunday.

The 1203rd’s mission overseas included road-side bomb patrols, helping communities erect security barriers and working with Iraqi soldiers to repair bomb-damaged roads.

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UPDATE: 06/06/2008 — The Birmingham News also chimes in:

The Alabama Army National Guard’s Headquarters Company, 1203rd Engineer Battalion, is scheduled to return to its armory in Dothan on Sunday afternoon.

The unit, which has about 170 soldiers, was in Iraq for about nine months, based at Logistics Support Area Anaconda near the city of Balad. It has spent several days at Fort McCoy, Wis., where it trained before deploying.

While at Anaconda, the 1203rd headquarters company had about 900 additional soldiers and airmen under its command. Its mission in Iraq included roadside bomb patrols, helping nearby communities erect security barriers, and working with Iraqi soldiers to repair bomb-damaged roads.

Welcome home, heroes!!!