U.S. Army Sgt. Elizabeth Fortkamp, a senior medic with the Fort Knox, Ky.-based Company C, 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, and a native of Coldwater, Ohio, examines the ear canal of a soldier at her unit's medical clinic, Forward Operating Base Salerno, July 19. Photo by Staff Sgt. John Zumer

As a young non-commissioned officer, U.S. Army Sgt. Elizabeth Fortkamp enjoys an enviable position. One of her biggest supporters happens to be her battalion commander, yet as far as Fortkamp is concerned, the feelings of professional respect in her unit have always been a two-way street.

Fortkamp, a senior medic with the Fort Knox, Ky.-based Company C, 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, is a five-year Army veteran presently serving in eastern Afghanistan on her second deployment.

Raised in a large family in Coldwater, Ohio, she is the fifth of seven children. Fortkamp cites that circumstance as one of the most influential reasons for joining the Army

“Coming from a large family, I wanted to get out and be my own person,” she said.

Three years spent as a certified nursing assistant at an Ohio nursing home before joining the Army convinced her she wanted to remain in the medical profession.

“I’ve always loved medicine and helping people,” said Fortkamp, adding that “seeing what’s wrong and being able to fix it” from a medical perspective always intrigued her.

As the senior enlisted member for the 201st BSB medical clinic at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Fortkamp supervises a team that fluctuates between three to six soldiers depending on patient numbers and mission assignments. That supervision consists of sick call duties, organizing training opportunities for the companies of the 201st BSB, and looking for ways to increase the skill sets of the soldiers working under her.

Having also been assigned to the 3rd BCT, 1st Inf. Div., on their last Afghanistan deployment in 2008–2009, she doesn’t hesitate to offer up advice to young soldiers preparing for their first deployment.

“Plan for the worst but hope for the best. If you can alleviate stressors affecting your soldiers, do it,” said Fortkamp.

That commitment to others hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Absolutely one of the best medics I’ve ever worked with,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dave Brown, 201st BSB commander and a native of Dover, Del.

“She has a positive attitude, never backs away from a challenge, and is always teaching and making things better,” Brown added.

The ability to share her military and medical knowledge, as well as her enthusiasm and encouragement, have loomed large in the professional development of junior soldiers in her unit.

“She definitely lets us get our hands dirty,” said U.S. Army Pfc. Brandon Cupp, a combat medic with Company C., and a native of Des Moines, Iowa, serving on his first deployment.

He said Fortkamp encourages her Soldiers to rotate through many of the medical sections at FOB Salerno to supplement their skills.

This can include helping out at the Combat Support Hospital, staging combat lifesaver classes for the benefit of soldiers, conducting medical Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services before going out on missions, and accompanying the flight medics of TF Tiger Shark when they go out on missions.

“My medical knowledge has expanded greatly” under Fortkamp, he said.

Much work remains on this deployment, but Fortkamp does allow herself the luxury of thinking of her mid-tour leave in September and the end of her deployment later this year. Spending time with family and friends, getting married, and being reunited with her dog Zoe are just a few things she looks forward to. Her free time is spent exercising and with her new hobby, crochet.

Her Army enlistment will expire in April 2012, and while the military is losing a committed professional, she’s looking to help sick and injured civilians by pursuing a nursing degree, possibly in emergency medicine. She cites the teamwork, unit leadership and quality soldiers that she works with for making it possible to take care of the people her clinic is entrusted with.

“You couldn’t ask for a better command,” said Fortkamp. “If you need something they’ll get it for you,” she said.

But as grateful Fortkamp is for the environment and leadership team she works under, with mutual feelings expressed from above, the more revealing story may be in how she’s perceived by her peers and subordinates.

Army non-commissioned officers are entrusted with mentoring, counseling, teaching, leading and inspiring their Soldiers to reach their potential, while also looking out for their Soldiers’ daily welfare.

If such factors when fulfilled signify success, then at least one soldier considers Fortkamp’s example to be an open and shut case.

“Anything we soldiers need, she’s there for us,” said Cupp.

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Story by Staff Sgt. John Zumer

U.S. Army Sergeants Stephanie, a medic with the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke and a resident of Fort Knox, Ky., and Dustin Drewry, a combat engineer with the personal security detail in STB, 3rd BCT, 1st Inf. Div. and a native of Sacramento, Calif., pose at Forward Operating Base Goode in Paktya province, Afghanistan, May 4. Photo by Spc. Tobey White

Deployments often mean being away from family for long periods of time. For most soldiers the time spent away from loved ones can be difficult, but for two married soldiers from the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke, this deployment bears a striking resemblance to life at home in Fort Knox, Ky.

Upon arriving at Forward Operating Base Goode, U.S. Army sergeants Stephanie, a medic with the STB and a resident of Fort Knox, Ky., and Dustin Drewry, a combat engineer with the personal security detail in STB and a native of Sacramento, Calif., were surprised and uneasy when told they’d be living on the other side of the FOB and sharing a room.

Married for almost two years, they were unsure whether sharing a room would affect their marriage and the way they interacted with others, said Dustin.

“We weren’t sure whether we wanted to live together,” Dustin said. “It kind of cuts me out of team cohesion, because when I go home for the day I tend to stay there.”

Dustin and Stephanie met while she was a medic for the STB in Fort Hood, Texas. This wasn’t the first time the two had been deployed together. They both deployed with the STB in 2008-2009 but spent the year on different FOBs, only seeing each other twice the entire deployment, Stephanie said.

Like many things in life, being deployed together has its ups and downs, she said.

For the current deployment to Afghanistan, they rely on extended family to take care of affairs back home, she said. Their house was recently broken into, requiring them to file an insurance claim from Afghanistan, which wasn’t easy.

“I miss the peace of mind of having someone at our house watching it,” Dustin said.

While deployed, many soldiers debate how much information to share with folks back home. For Dustin and Stephanie, there is no protecting the other from knowing how dangerous things are, Stephanie said.

“It’s kind of scary because I know what he does as PSD,” she said. “I’ve been in a line unit before so I know the kinds of things that happen.”

Knowing what could happen can at times be worrisome, and Dustin likes to call her a “worrywart,” Stephanie joked.

Living together isn’t all hardship, Dustin admits. Having someone to vent to and talk with after a hard day’s work makes things easier.

“It’s nice to be able to talk to somebody and not have to be Sgt. Drewry,” she said. “I can just be Stephanie.”

Despite working on the same FOB and living in the same room, the two spend only a handful of hours together each day, because they work different hours, Dustin said. He often travels with the command sergeant major or battalion commander for a week or two at a time. When he comes home it feels like he’s back in Fort Knox, returning from a field exercise, he said.

On the occasions where they spend time together, they keep things low-key and spend the time talking or watching TV.

While being a joint military couple has its challenges, it also has its rewards too, Stephanie said.

“I don’t have to explain everything,” she said, laughing. “He just understands because he’s been there and done that.”

“Getting to see each other on a daily basis has its benefits,” Stephanie said. “We get to share the challenges and accomplishments of the day, which is a blessing a lot of couples don’t have while deployed.”

Story by Spc. Tobey White
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Army Capt. Kim Walter works on her daily reports at Contingency Operating Site Warrior in Kirkuk, Iraq, March 7, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Alyxandra McChesney

Capt. Kim Walter knew she wasn’t going to get rich when she became the first woman in her family to join the Army.

“I didn’t join for the money, and I didn’t join for school,” said the operations officer serving here with the 1st Infantry Division’s 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force. “I joined to serve for my country.”

The journey began for Walter, who calls Crowley, La., home, when she enlisted as a private in 1990. A year later, at age 18, she deployed for the Persian Gulf War as a combat medic and the only woman in her company.

“It was my first time away from home,” she said. “I had no idea what to expect. I was exposed to things I had never seen before.

“When we moved from Kuwait to Iraq in tanks,” she continued, “the moment we engaged the enemy we had to jump out of the vehicle, dig fox holes and get into our fighting positions, until the enemy fire was suppressed.”

As night fell, the troops lined up vehicles in columns and dug fox holes deep enough to provide cover from enemy fire, she explained.

Walter said her leaders and peers didn’t treat her differently because she was a woman. “I was never asked to do less than the male soldiers fighting next to me,” she said. “I was expected to do the same as everyone else, and that’s what I did.”

In 2004, Walter deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a platoon leader and flight medic with the 101st Airborne Division’s 50th Medical Company, based out of Fort Campbell, Ky.

“I still remember every patient I worked on, every detail of their injuries and every face,” she said. “Those are some of the things I will never forget.”

While deployed as a flight medic, her job was to respond to medical evacuations by helicopter.

“I joined as a combat medic to help people,” she said. “Until then, I didn’t realize the capacity in what I could do to save people’s lives.”

Walter was recognized for her achievements in a National Geographic book titled, “Count On Us: American Women in the Military” by Amy Nathan, published in 2004.

“I was fortunate enough to have leaders that didn’t single me out as a female,” she said. “They gave me the same opportunities as every other soldier under them. They pushed me to strive and work hard to be the best soldier I could be.”

During her 17 years of enlisted service, Walter took advantage of the opportunities the Army provided. She attended Baker College in Michigan and earned a bachelor’s degree in health services and administration.

In 2007, Walter decided to pursue a commission.

“I have seen the Army change … in so many different ways since I joined,” she said. “I have seen it go from ‘Be all that you can be’ to ‘Army of One,’ and now ‘Army Strong,’” she said.

“I do miss being [a noncommissioned officer] and working directly with my soldiers. An officer’s job does more of the preparation and planning of missions, and the NCO works directly with the soldiers to execute, and get the missions done.”

Walter uses her experience and knowledge to help her staff and soldiers grow in their military careers and to overcome obstacles.

“Because of her experience as an NCO, we can turn to her for any questions, advice or concerns we may have,” said Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Grape, battle operations NCO in U.S. Division North. “She teaches me new things about the Army every day, and I use her as a learning tool to help me grow as an NCO.”

Walter said she is approaching 21 years of active military service and plans to continue her service until 2017.

“I am honored and proud to say that I serve and fight with the most diverse organization in the world, the U.S. military,” she said.

By Army Pfc. Alyxandra McChesney
U.S. Division North
Department of Defense

Spc. Meghann Simpkins decorates a tree for a company party this Christmas Eve on Camp Taji, Iraq. Simpkins is assigned to the headquarters company of the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Photo by Spc. Roland Hale

Over 2,000 troops deployed to Iraq with a Fort Riley, Kan., aviation brigade spent the Christmas holiday away from home this year.

Serving on 14 bases across Iraq, soldiers with the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, did their best in the weeks leading up to the holiday to turn the desert into a winter wonderland.

And they got pretty close on Christmas Day.

Wreaths, garland and tinsel replaced the usually austere scenery on Camp Taji, the unit’s headquarters. It was the first Christmas spent in Iraq for some soldiers, but for most it marked another holiday spent away from home.

Staff Sgt. Justin Puls, a native of Plantation, Fla., is one of the latter. Assigned to the Headquarters Support Company of the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, he is serving his second tour here.

He hopes this will be his last Christmas here, he said.

“This Christmas I’m thankful for the fact that Iraq has changed a lot,” said Puls. “Christmas is about giving, and we’re giving them their country back.”

“Operation New Dawn took effect in September and I look at that like an early Christmas present because it sets the tone for us leaving,” he said.

On a more personal note, Puls said that one of the things most important to him this Christmas is taking care of the younger troops.

“This is their first time away, their first Army experience, and it’s hard,” said Puls. “I know what it’s like, and anything I can do to make it better makes me happy.”

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of U.S. Division-South and the 1st Infantry Division, serves food on Camp Taji, Iraq, Christmas Day. In keeping with an Army tradition, Brooks and other senior leaders stepped behind the serving line to feed their troops during the holidays. Behind Brooks stands Col. Frank Muth, commander of the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Photo by Spc. Roland Hale

Pfc. Anthony Norah, a 21-year-old native of Dallas, Texas, is one of those soldiers. He hasn’t had a Christmas at home since he joined the Army two years ago.

“It’s almost like another day at work,” he said. “But there’s a lot of people that interact with us and keep up that holiday cheer, the holiday spirit.”

Norah is assigned to the brigade’s headquarters company, and spent his Christmas Day working as a radio operator in its tactical operations center.

“Nothing beats home, but it’s nice to make-do the best we can,” he said,

Norah and his friends got a chance to relax a little at a company party on Christmas Eve. Soldiers also enjoyed a traditional holiday meal of turkey, stuffing and other treats at their dining facility Christmas Day. On Camp Taji, the dining facility served over 5,000 people.

First-timers and veterans alike, some of the brigade’s personnel worked straight through the festivities.

Sgt. Jonathan Akhondi, a member of the 1st Infantry Division Band, sings a Christmas carol on Camp Taji, Iraq, this Christmas. Akhondi and other band members toured Iraq this Christmas to perform for soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div. On Camp Taji, the band performed for soldiers of the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div. Photo by Spc. Roland HaleSmall RSS Icon

As the only aviation brigade in Iraq, the unit is pulling the weight of what used to be shared by four aviation brigades. Christmas Day for many of the brigade’s flight crews meant another day of flying. The brigade has flown over 100,000 hours, 200,000 passengers and 7 million pounds of cargo since this March.

Every hour, person and pound brings them closer to home though, as they are scheduled to return to Fort Riley this spring. It is likely the last Christmas the unit will spend in Iraq.

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Story by Spc. Roland Hale

Staff Sgt. Joshua Horst, 29, of Port Richey, Fla., lowers his head in prayer during a holiday party put on by his unit on Camp Taji, Iraq, Dec. 19. Horst, an Apache attack helicopter mechanic, is spending his third Christmas in Iraq. Photo by Spc. Roland Hale

An aviation brigade from Fort Riley, Kan., hosted a holiday party in Iraq, Dec. 19, giving deployed service members a chance to celebrate the season despite being away from home.

The party, held on Camp Taji by the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, included live music, food and sporting events. Service members from several Army and Air Force units on the camp attended the party.

“Being away from home, especially during the holiday season, we thought it was important to spend some positive, fun time with those of us we have here,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Thomson, the brigade’s senior enlisted soldier, to the troops gathered for the party.

Breaking only for a prayer and a performance of “Silent Night” by one of the unit’s officers, attendees competed in events ranging from volleyball to a horse shoe toss.

Some of the troops are serving their first deployments, but for many attendees the party marked yet another holiday spent in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Horst, 29, of Port Richey, Fla., is on his third deployment here. It doesn’t get any easier, he said.

“You have to deal with missing the special moments,” said Horst.

Horst, who works in the brigade as an Apache helicopter mechanic, said he will especially miss his newborn nephew. But he will spend this Christmas with his soldiers, he said.

“The relationships we develop are a big thing,” said Horst. “We come together to support each other and have fun.”

This year is the first Christmas away from home for 23-year-old Spc. Michael Randazzo. The helicopter repairer usually spends the holidays with his loved ones in New Jersey. While he does not envy his relatives who are braving New Jersey traffic, Randazzo said he misses everything else.

“Christmas is everything to us, almost like a reunion every year,” he said. “Everything is home made. You really can’t beat it. It’s nice to celebrate like this, but it’ll never be the same.”

Randazzo, Horst, and the rest of the unit’s troops will get a chance to make up for their time away from home soon, when their unit returns to Fort Riley this spring. The unit is serving a 12-month tour in support of Operation New Dawn.

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Story by Spc. Roland Hale