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Ostrander shares story of tragedy, resiliency
Confined to a wheelchair since the age of 4, Ostrander learned to conquer self-doubt, negative thoughts
Leslie Ostrander knows about resilience. At age 4, Ostrander was paralyzed from the waist down in a fatal car accident on a county road between Columbus and Auburn, Ala., that killed her grandmother and injured her mother.
Her right hand was crushed and her vocal cords were damaged, diminishing her voice to a whisper. Doctors told her parents she would never walk again and would be completely dependent on someone for the rest of her life.
Today, the 32-year-old married mother of two has built her public speaking career on overcoming adversity. Confined to a wheelchair and armed with a wireless microphone, Ostrander invites her audiences to look beyond the barriers they place on their life - whether it's a doctor's bleak prognosis or their own self-doubt - and turn fear into action.
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Double amputee happy to fill NCO leader role
 Sgt. 1st Class Ray Castillo is again flourishing as a senior noncommissioned officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., but that almost didn't seem possible two years ago.
That's when his 10th combat deployment with the 75th Ranger Regiment resulted in a life-changing event on the dusty battlefield of northern Iraq. Today, he's a double amputee - above the knees - but set to graduate next week from Fort Benning's seven-week Maneuver Senior Leaders Course.
"Just because I lost my limbs doesn't mean I can't give my experience and my knowledge to other guys, (but) I understood eventually I was going to be behind a desk," said Castillo, 30, of San Antonio, now an operations sergeant with 2nd Battalion. "There's nothing I could've done about that. I still wanted to be in the military, I still wanted to contribute."
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Four Soldiers honored with building dedication
Four fallen Soldiers were honored Saturday in a 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, building dedication ceremony on Sand Hill.
Three training barracks and a battalion headquarters were named in honor of Capt. Gerry Harr, Lt. Col. George Marshall, Capt. Richard Knight Jr., and Sgt. 1st Class Jason Bishop.
Lt. Col. Christopher Willis, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, said the buildings were built for the battalion as part of the Basic Realignment and Closure move from Fort Knox, Ky., to Fort Benning. The buildings were completed and occupied in 2009.
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Final Armor BOLC class at Fort Knox under way
Fort Knox has been a hotbed of adjustments in order to complete the changes mandated by the Base Realignment and Closure review of 2005 - new construction, new units, new transfers, new troops, new colors, and new resources.
Along with the changes and improvements, the "firsts" and newest, also come some "lasts."
The last Armor Basic Officer Leader Course to be taught at Fort Knox is under way. The 80 lieutenant-students in the class understand their status, but are more concerned with soaking up all the information and expertise their instructors can provide.
According to Capt. Brent Trimmer, officer in charge of the tank gunnery exercise, nothing special is planned for the "last" students.
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France wins air rifle competition by one-tenth of a point France's Pierre Edmond Piasecki fired first. Niccolo Campriani of Italy took a deep breath, let off his stance and gave a smile to the crowd Monday as he prepared to fire his last shot of the Men's Air Rifle final in the 2011 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup, which the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit is hosting this week. Trailing by three-tenths of a point going into the last competition shot, Piasecki hit a score of 10.5, while Campriani scored a 10.2, forcing a shoot-off. Piasecki took the first shot and scored a 10.1, giving him a final round tally of 103.8 of a possible 110 points, and a tournament tally of 700.8 of 710 possible points. more
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Flag raising brings Afghan control to new FOB 
FOB DEH SABZ, Afghanistan - As the flag went up the pole, a new chapter in Afghan history took off as the Afghan Army accepted full control of Forward Operating Base Deh Sabz. Strategically positioned in the mountainous countryside near Kabul, Forward Operating Base, or FOB, Deh Sabz is a symbol of Afghan independence and its ability to protect citizens from insurgents. The May 12, 2011, flag-raising ceremony was a joyous occasion for all in attendance. It was a day that came to fruition after construction began last August. "This may be the best FOB in Afghanistan," he said, speaking in a large red-trimmed yellow tent that had 10 red carpets placed over rocks to serve as a floor. At the end of the day, Cosentino said, this FOB is rocks and metal. But the real defense is "the brave soldiers of Afghanistan. This FOB is a gift from God to the people of Afghanistan." more ______________________________ Benning Soldiers conduct Army's new PT test 
The Army's new physical fitness test was administered to a group of Fort Benning, Ga., Soldiers this week as part of the service's pilot program. The Army Physical Fitness School's goal is to test 15,000 to 20,000 Soldiers by September in order to establish standards for the new test, officials said. The Army Physical Readiness Test has been administered so far to groups of Soldiers at Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; and Fort Sill, Okla. more ______________________________ Female Soldier dominates hand-to-hand combat
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, - Domination knows no gender. The sheer force of a shin kick or the devastating power behind double hammer fists whaling down upon a fallen opponent is enough to make any smart coach know when to throw in the towel.
Pfc. Jennifer Jones, a Soldier with 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is one of those competitors who doesn't let gender stop her from remaining a force to be reckoned with.
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Wounded warriors honored at GI Film Festival 
WASHINGTON - A number of young wounded warriors showed up at the Navy Memorial May 12, 2011, to view the world premier of "Ironclad," directed by Jonathan English and starring Paul Giamotti.
"I had dinner with him," said Spc. Jeffrey Shonk, a wounded warrior currently at Walter Reed's Warrior Transition Unit. more _________________________________________ 
Army Reserve expands cooperation plans LILONGWE, Malawi, - The after-action reports still are works in progress after a successful MEDREACH 11 medical humanitarian assistance exercise that wrapped up here May 13, but the Army Reserve already is exploring ways to expand its participation in theater security cooperation engagements in Africa and elsewhere. Nearly half of the participants in U.S. Army Africa's first MEDREACH exercise, which began May 3, were Army reservists, most of them assigned to the Boston-based 399th Combat Support Hospital. more ______________________________ 
Gates farewell: visit with recruits, trainers PARRIS ISLAND, S.C., - With his retirement nearly at hand, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is taking time to visit entry-level training facilities for military services all over the country. Over the past 10 months, Gates has visited recruits and trainers -- thanking them for their commitment and service -- at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio; Naval Training Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Ill.; Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, Calif.; and the U.S. Army Training Center at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. more Click here to read more news | 
