I Got The News Today (IGTNT), the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IGTNT title is a reminder that nearly every day the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
Tonight we honor two soldiers who lost their lives supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died on Monday, November 24, 2014 in Kabul, Afghanistan, when attacked with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.
Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner
Spc. Joseph W. Riley
Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner
Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner
Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner, 48, of Nanticoke, Maryland was assigned to Headquarters, United States Army Garrison, Fort Drum, New York. He was a military police officer serving as a senior enlisted advisor for the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. This tour was going to be his last before retirement.
A week before he died, the CSTC-A hosted a seminar for Afghan National Police command sergeants major on maintaining assigned equipment and conducting supply procedures. Turner told attendees “The goal of this seminar is to teach the senior enlisted noncommissioned officers supply discipline, the ordering process, maintenance procedures and how to operate the different management systems. It’s an NCOs responsibility to know where your equipment is and how to track it. This is your chance to get all the information you need to be successful.” As the conference came to a close, a Ministry of Interior deputy expressed his gratitude toward CSTC-A: “We really appreciate the sacrifices you have made and thank you for bringing us together to teach us how to take care of our own. Without this information we cannot and will not succeed.”
Fort Drum provided the following biographical information about Sgt. Maj. Turner:
Turner joined the Army in January of 1993. His previous duty stations include Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Wiesbaden, Germany; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Camp Humphreys, Korea; Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Bliss, Texas. Turner deployed to Bosnia from December 1995 to April 1996 and to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to March 2004. He arrived at Fort Drum in July 2013 and deployed to Afghanistan in July 2014 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Turner's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Superior Unit Award, seven Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, four Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbons, the Army Service Ribbon, four Overseas Service Ribbons, the NATO Medal, 13 Certificates of Achievement, the Air Assault Badge, the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, and the Drivers Badge-Wheeled Vehicle.
Turner completed the Sergeants Major Course, the 1ST Sergeant Course, the Anti-Terrorism Instructor Qualification Course, the Conventional Physical Security/Criminal Prevention Course, the Senior Leadership Course, the Combat Lifesavers Course, the Basic Instructor Training Course, the Protective Services Training Course, the Drill Sergeant School, the Master Fitness Trainer Course, the Advanced Leadership Course, the Air Assault Course, the Warrior Leadership Course, and the Foreign Area Officer Training Course.
Turner was a 1984 graduate of James M. Bennett High School, in Salisbury, Maryland. A former school administrator remembers young Turner as stepping when help was needed: “I could ask him for help of any kind and he would be more than willing to help me or anyone else. He did not hesitate to help anyone. All you had to do was ask.” He went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in managemen from Towson University, in Baltimore. He later earned a master's degree in criminal justice from Central Missouri State University.
He met his wife, Katherine, while they were in high school, and together they have five children and three grandchildren. An aunt said that after having their first child, Turner “stepped into parenthood like he was born to be a dad. He raised his family the way he was raised, with values and with integrity.” In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, he is also survived by his mother, sister, aunt, and many other family members.
A son, Devin, was serving in the Army in Afghanistan at the same time as his father. On Wednesday, Devin accompanied his father’s remains to Dover Air Force Base.
Rest in peace, Wardell.
Sources: DOD, Fort Drum, ISAF, Army Times, DelmarvaNow, & DelmarvaNow
.
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
.
Spc. Joseph W. Riley
Spc. Joseph W. Riley
Spc. Joseph W. Riley, 27, of Grove City, Ohio was assigned to 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was an infantryman with the scout platoon of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Abn. Div.
Fort Bragg issued the following press announcement:
Spc. Riley was a superb Paratrooper who I will remember as having an infectious positive attitude,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Konz, Riley’s battalion commander. “He was able to lift the spirits of those around him, even in the worst conditions. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to know and serve with him.
Riley enlisted in the Army in June of 2012. He completed one-station unit training and Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He arrived to Fort Bragg in October 2012 and was later assigned to 1-508 PIR in March 2013.
Riley’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and Basic Parachutist Badge.
Riley was a 2005 graduate from Grove City High School, in Grove City, Ohio. After high school, he went on to play football at Capital University, in Bexly, Ohio. His high school football coach recalled a special young man: “I was a coach for 37 years, and Joey ranks No. 1 on my list. You try to make peace with something like this but... I just don’t know how. Some people are best described as old souls. That was him. Being nice and happy was just his nature.”
He joined the army after graduating from college. He showed a concern for the people of Afghanistan, telling his former coach in one of their last conversations that he was worried about what would happen after American troops left the country. “I think that speaks so much to what kind of a man he had become. He needed to accomplish something big, to make a difference,” his coach said. “And he had found it.”
He is survived by his parents, Rodney and Michelle, and two older siblings. His parents released the following statement upon learning about the death of their child:
We are so heartbroken by this news. We are proud of our son and the sacrifice he made. He loved the Army and felt strongly that freedom is worth the fight. He loved Grove City, and we have already felt comforted by the love and support of this community, our many friends, and our beloved church family. Please know that we will see him again because he trusted Christ to usher him into eternity in Heaven.
Safely rest, Joey.
Sources: DOD, Fort Bragg, Dispatch, Homepost
.
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
.
I Got the News Today is a diary series intended to honor, respect and remind. Its title is a reminder that almost every day a military family gets the terrible news about a loved one. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
The DoD news releases are here, and all of the U.S. fatalities can be seen here. These men and women all had people who they loved and who loved them.
Click the IGTNT tags to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by i dunno, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggie Jean, Jax Dem, The Fat Lady Sings, Ekaterina, Sandy on Signal, and me, Joy of Fishes.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members chronicled here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.