Latest news with #ArmyGoodConductMedal
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sergeant dies from wounds sustained in training accident in Hungary
A 24-year-old Army sergeant died as a result of a training accident near Camp Croft, Hungary, on June 5. Sgt. Aaron Cox, of Mabank, Texas, was an infantryman with the 'Strike' 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The sergeant died from wounds sustained during a vehicle accident during preparations for the upcoming Exercise Saber Guardian 25. The accident is under investigation. 'The loss of Sgt. Cox is a tragedy for all of us on the Strike team,' said, Col. Duke Reim, commander, 2MBCT, 101st Airborne Division. 'He was a strong soldier and leader, who quickly rose through the ranks while serving. We are in direct contact with his family, for care and support that they need during this difficult time. We would like to thank our Hungarian Allies for their prompt response and support to our soldiers.' Cox enlisted in 2021 and graduated basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, before being assigned to the 101st at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in 2022. The sergeant was a graduate of the Army Basic Leader Course and Combat Lifesaver Course. He previously deployed to Poland. The Hungary deployment was his second deployment. His awards include the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Expert Infantryman Badge and Air Assault Badge.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan's flags are at half staff today. Here's why they've been lowered
U.S. flags are half staff today in Michigan to honor a U.S. Army staff sergeant from Battle Creek who was killed during a training accident in Lithuania, along with three other soldiers. '(Staff Sgt. Troy) Knutson-Collins represented the best of Michigan as he served our nation in uniform,' Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. 'A fierce friend and proud son, he leaves behind a legacy we should all strive to live up to. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers.' Knutson-Collins, Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois, and Edvin Franco, 25 of Glendale, California, all were posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, also died in the training. Here's what to know. The soldiers' M88A2 Hercules was reported missing March 25 while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle in support of regularly scheduled training at Pabradė, Lithuania. Three soldiers and the vehicle were found in a peat bog by U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces on March 31. The Army said the fourth soldier was recovered later. Knutson-Collins joined the Army in 2018, the release said. Knutson-Collins was an artillery mechanic with more than seven years in the Army. He arrived at Fort Stewart, Georgia, in February 2018 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment. Knutson-Collins graduated from the Army Basic Leader Course, the Advanced Leaders Course, the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations course, and the Combat Lifesaver course, according to the Army. He deployed to Korea in 2020. Knutson-Collins' awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Master Technician Badge. A full obituary is available online. Michigan residents, businesses, schools, local governments, and other organizations also are encouraged to display the flag at half-staff, the governor said in a news release. Flags should be returned to full staff on Saturday, May 3, 2025. To lower flags to half-staff, flags should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The process is reversed before the flag is lowered for the day. Flagpoles on the ground or buildings are called staffs. Flags lowered on shore are called half-staff, according to Half-mast refers to flags lowered on a ship, while flagpoles are called staffs. Certain holidays and events when flags are flown at half-staff in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs website are: Memorial Day, when the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. Patriot Day. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. National Firefighters Memorial Day. Detroit Free Press, Battle Creek Enquirer contributed. Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Flags at half-staff honor Battle Creek soldier Troy S. Knutson-Collins
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Fort Cavazos Soldier Gets Life in Prison After Horrific String of Attacks on Female Troops in Barracks
An Army noncommissioned officer was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison for a violent campaign of sexual assaults and physical attacks on women stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, concluding one of the most high-profile courts-martial in recent years. Sgt. Greville Clarke, 31, was convicted on 29 counts including rape, intent to commit kidnapping, attempted premeditated murder, sexual assault, indecent visual records, robbery, physical assault and obstruction of justice. The offenses, which took place between 2021 and 2022, involved five female soldiers attacked in their barracks. Additionally, Clarke was sentenced to 112.5 years on top of the life sentence, a reduction in rank to E-1, a dishonorable discharge from the Army, and a total forfeiture of pay and allowances. Read Next: 48 Hours with Marines and Soldiers on the US Southern Border "I am incredibly proud of the five survivors of Sgt. Clarke's violence for standing strong against him during trial. It has been my honor to walk with them on the journey to receive justice," Maj. Allyson Montgomery, lead prosecutor from the Army's Office of Special Trial Counsel, said in a statement released by the service. "May they now begin their lifelong paths of healing and vindication knowing their voices have ensured the accused is held accountable for his crimes." In the most recent incident on Oct. 2, 2022, according to court records, Clarke broke into a woman's barracks room, bound her hands, and blindfolded her before sexually assaulting her at gunpoint. He took photos of her naked, struck her with his gun, and stole $14,000 after taking her credit card. He attempted to force her into a footlocker to take her to another location, but she fled. In another attack, Clarke broke into a barracks room and assaulted two female soldiers while holding them at knifepoint, according to court records. He raped one of the women. In a separate incident, he hid in a woman's shower and attacked her when she got to her barracks, but she was able to flee. Clarke was apprehended in October 2022 and held in pretrial confinement. Barracks typically have virtually no security, including no cameras and, in some cases, no appropriate locks. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report found widespread deficiencies in basic safety infrastructure within barracks, including broken door locks and windows. In some instances, service members reported being unable to lock their doors and were concerned about security. Clarke was most recently assigned to the 74th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade. He joined the Army in 2017 as a bridge crewmember. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. Related: Sexual Assaults at Service Academies Are Finally Down, But Female Cadets Still Wary of Reporting
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Army sergeant found guilty in spree of barracks break-ins, rapes and attempted murder
An Army sergeant who terrorized women living in the barracks at Fort Cavazos, Texas for over a year and a half was found guilty this week of dozens of violent crimes, including rape, attempted premediated murder, and kidnapping. Sgt. Greville Clarke was convicted Tuesday by an enlisted panel at his Fort Cavazos court martial of 29 charges for crimes against five women in 2021 and 2022. Clarke was convicted of one count of attempted premeditated murder and multiple counts of other violent crimes including rape and aggravated sexual contact, battery and aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary and robbery, indecent visual recording, and obstruction of justice, according to Michelle McCaskill, a spokesperson for the Army's Office of Special Trial Counsel which handled the case. Clarke was cleared of one charge of attempted premeditated murder. Clarke will be sentenced after witnesses have the chance to testify before the court, which could come as early as today. Clarke's defense team and Army prosecutors will also argue sentencing recommendations before the trial judge issues his sentence. Clarke faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, McCaskill said. Court documents previously reported by Task & Purpose detailed incidents of Clarke entering the Texas base barracks, attacking and holding women against their will, and threatening them with a personal gun or knife while he bound their limbs. In July 2022, Clarke pointed a loaded firearm at one woman and strangled her with a lamp cord until he thought she was dead. He had put his foot on her neck and shoved her into a footlocker to move her across base. The charge sheet stated that Clarke might have killed the woman, but she escaped. Court documents also included an incident three months later in October 2022 where Clarke threatened another woman with a firearm while he bound her hands with rope, blindfolded her and raped her. He was also charged with filming a soldier without their knowledge. The charge sheet said Clarke stole items from the barracks, like phones, keys, and wallets. Clarke also took personal items like pillows, blankets, and a comforter that he later disposed of to evade being caught because he 'had reason to believe there were or would be' criminal charges against him, according to court documents. Clarke joined the Army in September 2017 as a bridge crewmember assigned to the 36th Engineer Brigade at Fort Cavazos. His service awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal. Top enlisted leader of Air Force Special Operations Command fired amid an investigation The Marine in one of the most famous recruiting commercials is now in Congress 75th Ranger Regiment wins 2025 Best Ranger Competition Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer reenlists in Marine Corps Marine in top enlisted spot leaving the Pentagon
New European
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New European
The last man to die in World War Two
Lehmann is weeping, and as I watched the film, so did I. The footage shows him moving around the upstairs room and the balcony where he and Private Bowman were manning a machine gun, half-hidden behind the balustrade. In the video an elderly American veteran, Lehmann Riggs, was returning to Germany for the first time since the end of the second world war. He relived the moment when his comrade Raymond J Bowman was shot dead, just two feet away from him. Here, in this house. 'I saw him fall, right here,' says the old man. 'I knew he was gone, right away. There was nothing I could do. I stepped up to the gun and took over.' It was April 18, 1945. But they were not alone in the bedroom of the old house overlooking the Zeppelin Bridge in Leipzig. The war photographer Robert Capa was also there. His camera captured the last snapshot of Private Bowman alive, reloading the machine gun, and then the moment of his death. Capa sold the pictures to Life magazine, where they were published under the banner deadline: 'The last man to die'. No one knows for sure if he really was the last allied serving soldier to die. The war in Germany officially ended on May 8. But we can be sure he was the last one to die on camera. Bowman had celebrated his 21st birthday only two weeks earlier. He had taken part in the Normandy landings on D-day, been wounded in action and achieved the rank of Private First Class, as well as the Army Good Conduct Medal and a Purple Heart. Bowman's remains were flown to his home town of Rochester in New York State, where they were interred in the Holy Sepulchre Veterans' cemetery. The street where he died has been re-named Bowmanstrasse. And the house where he and Lehmann Riggs had their machine-gun position is now a memorial. It's all thanks to a citizens' fundraising initiative (Bürgerinitiative) supported by – of all people – the famous local comedian Meigl Hoffmann. Funds were raised to restore the 'Capa House' at No 61, Jahnallee, without modernising it too much, so that it still has the authentic look and feel of the 1940s. Enough money was raised for an exhibition entitled War is Over, and some of the funds were used to bring Lehmann Riggs back to Leipzig from the US for the official opening ceremony. Now the Capa House has developed into a full-scale museum. It does not only honour Raymond J Bowman but also Robert Capa, the American-Hungarian Jewish journalist who teamed up with German photographer Gerda Taro, also Jewish, to change the face of war photography. They were colleagues and lovers. Together they travelled to Spain during the civil war, always on the side of the anti-fascists. They documented the massacre at Málaga, the hunger and desperation of displaced persons, the brutality of Franco's shock troops. These photos are now on display in the Capa House in Leipzig. But Taro did not live to see the second world war. She was crushed by a tank while photographing clashes at El Escorial in Spain in 1937. In Leipzig, they remember her name on Tarostrasse, near the university halls of residence, and in the Gerda Taro Gymnasium (high school). Capa was also killed in action, but much later. He trod on a landmine while photographing French troop movements in Vietnam in 1954. This year they are marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war across Germany and here, in the former Russian occupation zone, the slogan most frequently used is not, as we usually say in Britain, 'Lest we forget'. It's much more urgent, rooted in the present political polarisation, antisemitism and tensions: Nie wieder fascismus. Nie wieder. 'Never again for fascism. Never again.' Jane Whyatt has worked as a journalist, newsreader and independent producer for TV networks
