Hester, 28, collapsed around 7:30 a.m. Monday after completing a run during in hisroutine training. Combat medics provided on-the-scene assistance before Hester was transported . Transported to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. Doctors , doctors pronounced Hester dead almost an hour later.

The Iinvestigation into the cause of Hester’s death is still underway.

Originally from Hollywood, Florida, Hester enlisted into the Army on March 17, 2015. A combat medic, Hester was assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Carson, in September 2015.

“By his very nature as a combat medic, Spc. Matthew Hester was a selfless soldier who always looked after the well-being of those around him,” said Lt. Col. Jason M. Sabat, commander of 3rd Brigade’s 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, ABCT, 4th Infantry Division, in a statement  Inf. Div. “Just as Matthew cared for others, we cared deeply about him. His loss greatly hurts us, and Matthew will be sorely missed within the Fighting Eagles Battalion and the Iron Brigade. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends at this time.”

Sponsored by U.S. Southern Command, the first session of the three-phase Tradewinds is a maritime security and disaster relief exercise coordinated with 13 Caribbean partner nations, lasting from June 4 to June 14.

“[Tradewinds] is a natural fit for chaplains,” said Col. Charles Towery, SOUTHCOM deputy command chaplain. “[With] people in crisis, disasters taking place, people look for a spiritual care component.”

Towery traveled to Grenada with two National Guard chaplains, their chaplain assistants and a chaplain from the Joint Chief of Staff office. Working in a classrooms, the chaplains acted out response planning scenarios with chaplains from six other nations.

“We’d create scenarios with a large map on the floor, like a tsunami hitting Grenada,” Towery said. “Once the exercise starts, we’d staff emergency operation centers and attend briefings.”

The chaplains role-played how they would go about organizing security and medical transportation details for people in regions affected by disasters. For this, they would need to collaborate with other military branches.

“It’s all about how we interrelate with other groups, like maritime and transportation,” he said. “We wanted to learn a lot about the other inner workings, planning for a disaster.”

An Air Force chaplain, Towery’s lack of experience working with maritime units brought him and the other chaplains seaside. They oversaw exercises simulating ship boarding and chases with drug runners while on boats in the middle of the action.

The chaplains’ goal is to “have a real impact when crisis happens,” he said.

Towery and the other chaplains value relationships developed during Tradewinds 2016 with other military commanders and their Caribbean counterparts.

“When something really does happen, and there’s need, there’s already those relationships developed,” Towery said.

A partner nation boat prepares to board the U.S Army landing ship Aldie during a mock boarding June 10 in St. George’s, Grenada, as part of Tradewinds 2016. For the first time, U.S. military chaplains participated, overseeing exercises simulating ship boarding and chases with drug runners.

Photo Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Leake/U.S. Coast Guard

While describing Caribbean chaplains as more hands-on in disaster relief efforts, Towery noted the managerial role the Chaplain Corps takes on with the abundance of agencies willing to help.

“In Grenada, the national emergency disaster team, similar to FEMA, used the exercise to practice its emergency disaster plan,” he said. “[The Chaplain Corps] is the liaison with nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, who show up when disaster happens.”

The Red Cross, U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Army’s Global Response Force are pertinent in contributing to relief work worldwide. Caribbean Community and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency are Caribbean-based organizations willing to give support as well.

About 20 states’ National Guard forces also have agreements with several South American and Caribbean countries to help at a moment’s notice.

“When recovery starts, there are lots and lots of helpers,” Towery said.

Towery hopes that by including chaplain officials in Tradewinds, military leadership can “learn to [better] understand the significance of religion” when making decisions. He is eager to continue the chaplains’ presence at the exercise.

Chaplains from the U.S. and Caribbean nations pose for a photo at St. George’s University in Grenada in June when they were participating for the first time in Tradewinds, a multinational maritime security and disaster response exercise.

Photo Credit: Sgt. Jason Drager/U.S. Army

A SOUTHCOM initiative, Religion Matters, incorporates faith to care for service members and their families, to network with allies in other countries and to enact disaster relief or military exercises.

“As the US is planning missions … [it would] really benefit you to consider religious environment … set you up in a much better position,” Towery said. “[The Tradewinds] exercise helps it to take another step [and see] how other countries have thought of how.”

The strike stems from a plea for paid sick leave and an hourly wage increase, protest organizer Keon Shim told Army Times.

The laborers are battling two contractors in charge of the joint operation: the Ohio-based Davey Tree Expert Co. and the Delaware-based Greenleaf Services, Inc.

Laborers’ International Union of North America officials organized the strike and are representing the 30 grounds workers in negotiations with Davey and Greenleaf.

Davey, now a sub-contractor, had held its prime contract with Arlington for almost 40 years, before Greenleaf signed on as prime contractor to the memorial cemetery in 2014.

Landscape workers for Arlington National Cemetery, employed by Greenleaf Services Inc. and Davey Tree Expert Company, are on strike for higher wages and benefits they say aren’t being given to them. A group of the workers, who are members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, picket near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Wednesday, July 20, 2016.

Photo Credit: Alan Lessig

The laborers on strike are in charge of providing all landscaping needs to the cemetery, including planting grass, hedge trimming, gardening, lawn mowing and trash pickup.

Greenleaf, founded and owned by service-disabled Navy veteran Joseph Winemiller, and Davey  pay the Arlington groundskeepers an average of $13 an hour without any paid sick leave, Shim said.

A statement from Greenleaf however, states their workers are paid between $17.37 and $18.93 an hour. The company is choosing to count healtcare and retirement benefits in their pa calculations, said Brian Petruska, LiUNA’s general counsel.

While Davey offers 401K options and single healthcare for $200, which doubles for family coverage, Greenleaf provides none of these benefits, Shim said.

LiUNA is asking for a 4 percent increase in pay $13 to $13.52 an hour, additional break times outside of lunch, and that the new contract adhere to President Obama’s executive order mandating a minimum of seven days paid sick leave for federal contractors. The executive order is expected to go into effect on Sept. 30, 2016. Negotiations began in August 2015 after the groundskeepers unionized in May 2015.

Shim, LiUNA Mid-Atlantic Region’s assistant organizing director, is in charge of leading protests outside of Arlington’s entrance. He told Army Times of the 45 total workers represented by LiUNA’s Local 572 chapter, eight to 10 who were “scared of retaliation” are breaking the picket line.

“We are hopeful that we get this done so these guys can go back to work,” said Shim. “They feel pride in their work, a lot of them know the significance of the Arlington Cemetery.”

Replacement workers trim hedges next to entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, doing work normally done by Landscape workers for Arlington National Cemetery, employed by Greenleaf Services Inc. and Davey Tree Expert Company, who are on strike for higher wages.

Photo Credit: Alan Lessig/Staff

Shim alleged that Greenleaf supervisors had set up cameras on cemetery grounds and watched through binoculars to “intimidate the workers.” The cameras have been taken down and removed, he said.

According to WJLA, Greenleaf Services, Inc., issued this statement:

“We are disappointed that our employees serving the landscaping needs of Arlington National Cemetery have decided to strike…Maintaining the pristine condition of these sacred grounds remains our top priority…In the interim, we have arranged for all required grounds keeping positions to be staffed with well qualified individuals.”

Through further negotiations, Greenleaf “[hopes to reach] a collectively bargained resolution.”

Army Times reached out to Greenleaf representatives for a further comment, but they did not immediately respond.

Identifying the strikers as contractors and not government employees, a spokesman for Arlington National Cemetery said the Army is not taking sides.

“Arlington National Cemetery is hopeful for a constructive and expedient resolution that is fair for all parties involved,”

Arlington made assurances that “there is no impact to the service they provide.”

The subordinate command in charge of hiring contract services at Arlington, Mission Installation Contracting Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, declined to comment on the proceedings.

Shim said he was aware of one employee who hasn’t received a pay raise, outside of cost of living adjustments, in the past 15 years. Without healthcare benefits, Shim said another employee flew back to El Salvador just to afford a major surgery.

Petruska and other union representatives re-entered negotiations on Wednesday, July 20. Greenleaf, who is in charge of negotiations, counteroffered with the addition of one day of paid sick leave without any pay raise.

“They took the stand that the employees get paid enough money,” Shim told Army Times in a text message.

Negotiations are expected to resume sometime in August.

The labor union threatened to go on strike before Memorial Day weekend this year. Negotiations reopened and the union reconsidered, as disrespecting the holiday would “cloud their message”, said Petruska.

Shim claims veterans are supportive of the strike and dissatisfied with how “workers at a national treasure” are being treated.

On Wednesday, retired Air Force Gen. Wilma Vaught happened to be visiting Arlington and talked to Army Times about the dispute.

“I would hate to see the grounds here at the cemetery deteriorate at all, because this is so meaningful to people coming here for the last rites for a loved one,” said Vaught, president emeritus of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation.

Recently learning of the strike, Vaught is considerate of both parties involved.

“[Also] I would want [the workers] to be treated fairly and properly, because I want people to live a decent life and be able to take care of their families.”

Police reports indicate Wright, a pharmacy sergeant, was found in his off-post residence by co-workers and Fairbanks law enforcement officers on Saturday afternoon.

Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Wright enlisted in January 2008. He completed his training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in 2008, before being assigned to Fort Gordon, Georgia, and then Fort Irwin, California.

Wright was assigned to the U.S. Army Alaska’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Wainwright in April.

Wright’s next of kin has been notified. His death is still under investigation by the Fairbanks Police Department.

Soldiers or family members who are experiencing a crisis or simply need to talk to someone can contact the Military Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 or www.militarycrisisline.com.

Kettles led a team of six UH-1D helicopters during rescue operations in the Song Tra Cau riverbed May 15, 1967, where members of 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, had been ambushed by North Vietnamese guerrillas. A flight commander with 176th Assault Helicopter Company, 14th Combat Aviation Battalion, he brought reinforcements to the battlefield while also evacuating casualties.

“That mission, that day … some 160 troops were inserted into that [landing zone],” Kettles said during a media roundtable event Sunday. “Of greatest importance, some 74 helicopter crew members were involved in the whole mission that day.”

Despite a seemingly desperate situation, the soldiers kept faith in their air support.

“I cannot ever recall anyone doubting, when needed, there would be a helicopter,” said former Staff Sgt. Dewey Smith, one of the soldiers on the ground, during Sunday’s roundtable. “Knew no matter what the situation was … they would be there.”

Leading another flight of six helicopters, five of which were from the 161st Aviation Company, Kettles returned to the conflict to rescue the remaining 44 soldiers.

While the other five helicopter crews managed to board 36 of the 44 stranded men, enemy fire obstructed the last eight from reaching the landing zone in time.

Without any support, Kettles set down in the midst of heavy enemy fire to rescue the last eight men.

“The gunships had gone back home from lack of fuel and ammunition, artillery shut down for same reason … and the Air Force had gone back home,” Kettles said. “I don’t think it took any thought, there were eight troops down there that didn’t want to be there.”

Kettles’ Huey was struck with a mortar round and barraged with machine gun fire, damaging the main rotor blade, the tail, and shattering the front windshields.

A gun platoon commander with the 176th Aviation at the time, retired Army Col. Matt McGuire recalled the heavy concentration of enemy fire that day left only one of his gunships fully operational.

“It was unbelievable he was able to bring it in considering the amount of fire he was receiving,” Smith said.

With 13 people now occupying the helicopter, the load was well overweight by about “600 to 700 pounds,” Kettles estimated. The Huey was still taking enemy fire, its main rotor blade and tail damaged and its front windshields shattered.

Kettles and his co-pilot Ray Seacrest began bouncing the helicopter off the ground to gain the speed necessary to lift off. It took several tries before building up the power needed to leave the landing zone.

“Terrain wasn’t that desirable,” Kettles said. “[The helicopter began] looking like a jackrabbit.”

The pilot “skillfully guided his heavily damaged ship to safety,” according to his Distinguished Service Cross citation.

The upgrade to a Medal of Honor came after a five-year campaign by former Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., and his wife, Debbie, who took over her husband’s seat in 2015.

At least one of Kettles’ fellow soldiers never understood the wait.

“He should have been upgraded 40 years ago,” said former Spc. Roland Scheck, who served as Kettles’ door gunner during the rescue. “On May 16, [1967], Kettles should have had that Medal of Honor.”

Former Spc. Roland Scheck holds a picture of the “chicken plate” vest that saved his life during a May 1967 helicopter rescue mission in Vietnam. Scheck served as a gunner for now-retired Lt. Col. Charles Kettles, who received the Medal of Honor on Monday for his actions during the rescue.

Photo Credit: Luke Carberry Mogan/Staff

Scheck lost his left leg after being hit by machine gun fire targeting Kettles’ helicopter. He nearly lost much more: Kettles told him minutes before to put on his armored vest, nicknamed “chicken plate,” which would save Scheck’s life after a bullet hit pierced his chest. 

President Obama awarded Kettles the Medal of Honor in a Monday morning White House ceremony, calling the honor “richly deserved.” Citing recent news events, Obama called on Americans, both in and out of uniform, to take Kettles’ heroism to heart.

“At a time when, let’s face it, we’ve had a couple of tough weeks, for us to remember the goodness and decency of the American people, and the way we can all look out for each other, even when times are tough, even when the odds are against us, what a wonderful inspiration. What a great gift for us to be able to celebrate something like this.”

Kettles is scheduled to be inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes on Tuesday.

After going through Virginia State University’s ROTC program, Barber was commissioned as a second lieutenant to the 1015th Quartermaster Company in 2011. She is a logistics officer in the 988th Quartermaster Detachment at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Army Times got the opportunity to sit down with Barber, who competed as Miss District of Columbia, when she returned to the city following her June 5 victory and a media tour. The answers have been edited for clarity.

Q. You’re entire family has served in the military. What inspired you the most to join as well?

A. What inspired me the most was absolutely my dad and my mom. During our time growing up, what they both instilled in us was the military, being as much of a contributor to this country as possible.

Q. What was the youngest age you determined that you wanted to join?

A. Probably like 5. My dad used to be a drill sergeant. I remember seeing him, coming in with his round hat, and I used to think it was the coolest thing. He was a big mentor to me, still is to this day. And I knew I wanted to be just like him. … That was a big inspiration.

Q. Take me through the day, a regular day for you, on-base training.

A. I’m a Reserve officer, so I serve two days a month in the United States Army Reserve. During the days that I’m actually serving, I wake up at 5 a.m., usually have PT for about an hour, hour and a half.

Then I go straight to my office, working on paperwork, making sure soldiers have their pay needs taken care of. A lot of my time is dedicated to planning our annual training.

My unit is a petroleum lab unit. We’re in the lab a lot … making sure soldiers retain muscle memory … in case we were to be called overseas or if we had our annual training over the year.

Q. While training did you find any kind of challenges specifically?

A. I am a very small person naturally. I’m very slim. I found it very difficult to carry the rucksacks, and be able to deal with those physical challenges, so I really had to push myself and challenge myself to be able to handle the training

It definitely made me a stronger person. I’d say, the military has made a serious contribution to my mental and physical strength.

Barber points toward home before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Milwaukee Brewers in Washington, D.C., on July 5.

Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Q. Did you find any challenges because of your gender?

A. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily because of my gender. You obviously have those issues where women are less prominent in the unit. … It’s kind of dependent on the makeup of the unit.

But I will say it’s a little bit difficult, because you’re a women and you’re expected to live up to a certain standard and sometimes we have to challenge ourselves a little bit more as women.

I want to challenge women to be able to chase those goals. And I think we have. We just had the [first women in history] go through Ranger school … and that’s something that really represents a lot in terms of what we’re capable of doing.

Q. What is your take on being both a soldier and a pageant contestant?

A. I look back at all the women that have won Miss USA and how unique and great our backgrounds are. So to know that I’m the first active serving military officer to be Miss USA is an honor. And it’s very flattering and humbling to know that I represent that.

Q. What were your fellow soldiers’ responses to your pageant participation while training?

A. They definitely love it. The day after I was crowned, the 988th was heading to annual training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They kept getting asked, ‘Isn’t your company commander Miss USA?’ They’re very supportive of everything I do.

Barber said her fellow soldiers have been extremely supportive of her pageant win.

Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Q. Both a pageant winner and a female officer, what does your habit of “breaking the mold” say about the future of women in the military?

A. I think it says that we really need to break out of this box. Not only pageant women, but female soldiers, we feel so confined to live and be a certain way. Don’t allow this glass ceiling to set over you. You can be anything you want to be, make sure you chase those dreams and never limit yourself.

Q. As Miss USA, you said you’d use your spotlight to give attention to issues that matter. What are some of these issues?

A. One that matters so heavily to me is PTSD care for our veterans. I want to make sure that these soldiers have what they need when they return from deployment. Twenty-two veterans commit suicide each and every day. That is a gigantic number I hope one day becomes zero.

It’s something that is heavily discussed and heavily known in the military, but it’s not internationally or nationally known in the media.

Soldiers have made the sacrifices that they need to make to serve this country. So I think it’s important we make the sacrifices we need to make to ensure that they are taken care of.

Q. Did you work with any particular organizations?

A. I’ve worked with the USO. They do something called Operation That’s My Dress. It’s targeted toward female soldiers and daughters of veterans or active soldiers. It allows them the opportunity to say that we care about you and we just want you to feel like women.

CAUSE focuses on recreational activities for soldiers and soldiers’ families. Soldiers who have recently come back from deployment bring their families to our different events and it allows them to acclimate themselves back with their families and understand how to socialize again.

I’ve also done Operation Homefront. When soldiers are coming back from deployment, you are there waiting for them with signs. This is usually hosted at different airports around the country.

Q. What are some ways people can serve their country, outside of joining the military?

A. There are a lot of ways, I would recommend community service. I don’t think you have to join the military to actively contribute to this country.

There are so many other things you can do: You can be a police officer, a firefighter, start your own nonprofit. If each and every person found a social issue and either joined a nonprofit or started [one], this country could be even better than it already is.

Q. Can you talk more about your experience as a leader in the military?

A. When I first joined the Army, I went through a Basic Officer Leadership Course in Fort Lee, Virginia. It was my first time being full-time Army. You are with officers from all parts of the country and we’re all on the same level as second lieutenants.

I realized that you have to listen first to the people that have walked in these shoes or to the people who have prior experience on the enlisted side. As a leader there’s no way you can lead without being able to be a follower.

Q. How has your officer training prepared you for these pageants? How has that set you apart from other contestants?

A. One of the things I learned from the military that contributed to my success at Miss USA was, absolutely, the mental preparation.

The training I received, being able to speak in front of colonels, you have to have a certain confidence about you, education level, where you can really be able to verbalize how you feel and make it make sense.

When answering that question onstage, I used the moments I’ve had in the past as an officer or a commander and having that pressure … and told myself: I’m briefing a general right now, let’s see how I answer this question.

Q. What’s one message you have for soldiers serving right now?

A. First and foremost, thank you for your service. The sacrifices that you’re making are so important to this nation and the foundation that we stand on. Continue doing what you’re doing.

Understand that we do care. Never feel as though you have to lock in your emotions. Understand there are a lot of people battling the same things … if you’ve just returned from overseas.

Understand that we appreciate all of the sacrifices that you make. If there is anything that you need it is to not be afraid to ask for help. Because there is nothing wrong with asking for help and there is nothing to be ashamed about.

“We did everything we could to give her a fighting chance,” Gassaway said. “I didn’t expect anything.”

On Oct. 19, 2014, driver Brittney Stokes was reportedly speeding on North Carolina Highway 27. Stokes’ Volvo station wagon collided with a tree adjacent to the road’s curve.

“That road has had multiple fatalities. The tree was [recently] removed,” Gassaway told Army Times.

Spc. Benjamin Rogers, driving home with his family, was the first person to come across the accident. Flames were visible from the vehicle’s front end as smoke billowed.

Rogers could tell Stokes was stuck inside the burning vehicle and was unaware if there were any other passengers.

Making proper use of his training, Rogers, a Black Hawk helicopter repairer with D Company, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, quickly and calmly assessed the situation and chose to act.

Master Sgt. Jeffrey Gassaway said he would gladly trade his medal to bring back Brittney Stokes, the young woman killed in a car accident on Oct. 19, 2014.

Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Christopher Freeman/Army

“I knew we needed to subdue the fire,” Rogers said. “I [started] yelling out for buckets or containers.”

Rogers’ 11-year-old son Isaac immediately emptied out their plastic laundry bin.

“Dad, how can I help?” Isaac asked. Isaac began filling the tub with water from a nearby pond in an attempt to put out the fire.

Minutes after Rogers came across the vehicle, Gassaway,  a military police officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, pulled up to the scene with his family.

Gassaway saw Rogers trying to open the driver-side door to tend to the victim. Gassaway ran to the car to assist Rogers while his wife Sara joined Isaac in putting out the flames.

“My wife is an ER nurse and I have 22 years of [military experience],” Gassaway said.

Though Rogers had been able to break open the passenger side window, the doors weren’t budging. Inside the car, Stokes was pinned between the dashboard and the front seats. Fumes and smoke began to fill the car’s interior.

Retrieving his firearm, Gassaway shot through the glass of the driver side window, ventilating the car. Gassaway found Stokes to be unconscious but still breathing.

Gassaway and Rogers worked together to pull hot metal off of Stokes, but they were still unable to pull her from the wreckage. Sara Gassaway provided medical attention to Stokes the best she could given the situation.

“[We tried our] best to shield her face, shielding her with the expanded airbag,” Rogers said.

From left to right: Master Sgt. Jeffrey Gassaway, Sara Gassaway, Spc. Benjamin Rogers, and Isaac Rogers were all honored for their actions to try and save the life of Brittney Stokes.

Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Christopher Freeman/Army

An estimated crowd of six gathered to aid in putting out the car fire. Neighbors and passersby joined in Isaac and Sara’s efforts, forming a chain to efficiently pass buckets of pond water back and forth the car to the pond.

“A neighbor [even] tried stretching a hose out to the pond,” Rogers said.

At one point the fuel tank began leaking, igniting the surface of the pond water when met with flames. Responders were quick to put it out, throwing dirt on the small blaze.

“[We worked on the car] for 25 minutes before a [stranger] in a tractor-trailer drove up with a fire extinguisher,” Gassaway said.

“We got faces full of fire extinguisher ‘smoke’,” Rogers recalled.

Emergency services arrived after the truck driver was able to finally subdue the fire. The Jaws of Life were needed to free Stokes from the car. After being put into an ambulance, Stokes was rushed to a hospital for emergency care.

Gassaway, Rogers, and their family members who participated in the rescue checked in with the paramedics. There were mild burns, cuts, singed hair, and smoke inhalation. Fortunately there were no long-term injuries.

Despite the valiant attempt to save Stokes’ life, she passed away later that night from her injuries. She was 28.

“My focus was to give her family the chance to see her again,” said Rogers. “I cannot in good conscience leave someone to their doom.”

On Friday, Gassaway and Rogers received the Soldier’s Medal in a ceremony on Fort Bragg hosted by Canadian Brig. Gen. Simon Hetherington, Deputy Commanding General, Operations, XVIII Airborne Corps. The Soldier’s Medal is the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of valor in a non-combat event.

Isaac Rogers, the son of Spc. Benjamin Rogers, helped to fight back the flames after his family happened upon an accident scene in October 2014.

Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Christopher Freeman/Army

Sara Gassaway was given the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service while Isaac Rogers, now 13, was awarded with the Fort Bragg Directorate of Emergency Services Youth Courage Award.

“I am incredibly humble and honored,” said Rogers. “I would hope [this experience] may give me an opportunity to share with others: our training, duty, ability to be a soldier doesn’t stop when we take off our uniforms.”

“SPC Rogers is a leader among his peers.  The entire company looks to him to help mentor our newest Soldiers because of his expertise, professionalism, and genuine care for others,” commented Capt. Jason Trump, commander of Delta Company, 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade.

“SPC Rogers’ actions that day epitomize the values that both he and the Army hold in the highest regard,” Trump continued.

Having no relationship before the rescue attempt, the experience drew Gassaway and Rogers closer together. After spending nights playing the night over in their heads, reviewing what more they could have done, both soldiers came to the conclusion they did the best they could to save Stokes, said Gassaway.

Gassaway also developed a relationship with Brittney Stokes’ family, reaching out to them after her passing. After being notified of his commendation, the Stokes family was some of the first people he told about it.

“They will be attending the ceremony,” said Gassaway. “I will be accepting the award for Brittney Stokes, in memory of her and the life that she lived.”

Staff Sgt. Maurice O. Tucker, 31, a platoon sergeant with 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, was riding with two other soldiers at approximately 7:50 p.m.

Travelling southbound on Minnesota Drive, Tucker was noted as having stopped abruptly at the Spenard Road traffic light, Anchorage Police Department said in a statement.

“When the light turned green, the motorcyclist took off at a high rate of speed.  He lost control, began doing ‘speed wobbles,'” the police department reported. Tucker was thrown from the bike and struck a light post.

Though his fellow soldiers rushed to his side to apply emergency first aid, Tucker was declared dead at the scene by emergency medical responders.

Originally from Junction City, Kansas, Tucker joined the U.S. Army in November 2009, and was first assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Upon completing the assignment in early 2015, Tucker was then assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Tucker’s unit is planning a memorial ceremony, though details have not been finalized.

The Anchorage Police Department continues to investigate the crash.

Members of 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment,  82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, arrived in South Korea earlier this month to complete the Kiowa’s final deployment.

Upon the unit’s return to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in nine months, the unit’s OH-58Ds helicopters are slated to be replaced with the more modern AH-64D Apaches.

The National Guard’s Apaches will be redistributed to the Army in exchange for UH-60 Black Hawks. This transition is a product of the Army’s Aviation Restructuring Initiative, a controversial five-year plan to retire “legacy systems” like the 50-year-old Kiowa, and to make use of newer technologies while maximizing the number of active aircrafts.

The soldiers of Task Force Saber are actually the last squadron in the Army to make the conversion to Apaches.

Manufactured by Bell Helicopters, the Kiowa’s first flight was in 1966 during the Vietnam War. It has been in service ever since then, most recently in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. It first appeared in Fort Bragg’s inventory in 1990.

“The Kiowa Warrior is a really great aircraft, one that every Air Cavalry trooper holds near and dear to their heart,” said Capt. Adan Cazarez, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade public affairs officer. “Although it is sad to see the aircraft be retired, it is also exciting to see the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade modernize to meet the realities of an evolving mission.”

The transition is not exclusive to the aircraft.

“Kiowa officers have the opportunity to transition to another airframe or pursue a career in another branch or functional area, as will their enlisted counterparts,” Cazarez said.

Kiowa engineers and mechanics with MOSs 15J and 15S will have to reclassify to their corresponding Apache specialties, 15Y and 15R.

According to the Army Careers website, 15Y requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training (BCT) and 24 weeks of Advanced Individual Training; 15R is 10 weeks BCT and 17 weeks AIT. The Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery test scores required for these positions are almost identical to their Kiowa specialty counterparts.

While stationed in South Korea, the 82nd Airborne Division will work with ground forces to continue its surveillance and reconnaissance duties, Cazarez said.

Though the Kiowa easily fills the traditional role of a reconnaissance and scouting helicopter needed for these deployments, the Apache holds greater potential. And the Apache is not coming alone either.

“There is a need for experienced aviators with a cavalry mindset with the expansion of the AH-64 Apache and unmanned aerial vehicle fleet,” Cazarez said.

With modifications, the single-engine Kiowa Warrior can carry four Hellfire missiles, 14 Stinger missiles, or dual 0.50-caliber machine guns. The Apache has a similar arsenal, wielding all three possible weapons systems at once: 16 laser-guided Hellfires, 76 Stingers, and a front-mounted 30mm chain gun.

Combat capabilities aside, the Apache holds a tactical advantage over the Kiowa in speed and durability. The sides of the helicopter and its rotor are reinforced to withstand enemy fire, made from a mix of aluminum, titanium, and carbon fibers like Kevlar.

The two-engine Apache can reach maximum speeds of nearly 170 mph, beating the Kiowa’s 140 mph combat speed.

The addition of unmanned aerial vehicles multiplies these advantages.

“The combination of the Apaches’ lethal weapons and their ability to be teamed with unmanned aerial vehicles enables helicopter crews to find and go after dynamic or fast-moving targets from farther distances,” Cazarez said.

The pairing of the Apache, essentially an assault helicopter, with the RQ-7 Shadow UAV creates the opportunity for the Apache to play a supporting part. Seeing through the eye of the Shadow’s real-time video feed, an Apache crewman operating the UAV can survey enemy movements and relay information back to ground forces. The Shadow is capable of moving at speeds of up 135 mph.

Though the Kiowa will be missed, the Army holds the Apaches and their UAV partners in high regard.

“The additional capability of teaming Apaches and unmanned aerial vehicles essentially changes the face of the battlefield,” Cazarez said.

President Obama signed a series of U.S. Post Office naming bills on Monday, just one day before McGinnis’ birthday. On Tuesday, the soldier would have turned 29 — the same day the Army turned 241.

On Dec. 4, 2006, the young soldier gave his life while serving in Iraq with 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. While out on patrol, a grenade was thrown into McGinnis’ Humvee. The 19-year-old, manning the turret at the time, was the only person in the vehicle who knew exactly where the grenade had landed.

With seconds to react, McGinnis threw himself on top of the grenade, using his body to shield his fellow soldiers from the blast. McGinnis was killed instantly, though his sacrifice was not in vain: all four of the other soldiers riding in the vehicle lived.

McGinnis’ name will now be displayed on the U.S. Post Office in his hometown of Knox, Pa.

“It does make us feel that people do appreciate the sacrifices that Ross — and thousands of others like him — made on their behalf,” said Tom McGinnis, Ross’ father, in an emailed statement to Army Times. “And since [the post office is] local and central to the borough of Knox, it will help others appreciate Ross in spite of what they might have thought of him when he was a high-spirited kid at Keystone High School.”

Hometown post offices will also be renamed for these five other U.S. soldiers:

1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma II

Photo Credit: DoD

1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma II, hometown of Wenonah, N.J. A member of 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Corma lost his life in Afghanistan on April 29, 2010, while trying to contain an IED. Corma, 24, attempted to isolate the explosion while warning other soldiers of the threat. The 2008 West Point graduate saved the lives of 18 other soldiers. Corma received the Purple Heart posthumously.

Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker

Photo Credit: DoD

Sgt. 1st Class Terry L. Pasker, hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A member of the Iowa National Guard’s 334th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Pasker was shot and killed by an Afghan National Directorate security officer on July 9, 2011. Pasker, 39, originally enlisted into the Army in 1990 before joining the National Guard in 1995. Pasker, who deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005, received the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Pasker lives on through his town with his newly named post office and the homes he’s built there as a carpenter.

2nd Lt. Ellen Ainsworth, hometown of Glenwood City, Wis. Ainsworth, a member of the Nurse Corps, served in Anzio, Italy during World War II as a member of the 56th Evacuation Hospital unit. She was tending to her patients when enemy shelling ripped through the hospital. Ainsworth and several other nurses guided 42 patients to safety. Ainsworth, 26, was hit with shrapnel and succumbed to her wounds on February 10, 1944. Her accolades are the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Red Cross Bronze medals. Though she was buried in Italy, Ainsworth’s portrait can be found in the Pentagon.

W. Ronald Coale, hometown of Stockton, Calif., was a veteran who served in the Korean War from 1952 until an honorable discharged in 1954. Coale passed away on April 17, 2014, at the age of 81. He is better known for his service to the Stockton community. Coale was a board member of various organizations and agencies, including the Stockton Metropolitan Transit District Board of Directors, the Stockton Salvation Army, and the Stockton Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Center.

Staff Sgt. Harold George Bennett

Photo Credit: ()

Staff Sgt. Harold George Bennett, hometown of Perryville, Ark., was the first American Prisoner of War to be executed during the Vietnam War. He and another member of his unit were captured by Viet Cong soldiers following a firefight. Bennett, 24, tried escaping from the POW camp three times. On his third attempt, he was killed for injuring one of the prison guards apprehending him. He was awarded the Silver Star. Though his remains never returned home, Bennett’s name and memory will live on through the post office dedicated to him.

Army Times Senior Reporter Michelle Tan contributed to this report.