No new brigade for Stewart

Regional officials were scrambling for information Tuesday about the Department of Defense's apparent decision to not add a fifth brigade to Fort Stewart's 3rd Infantry Division.

Soldier guns down five fellow soldiers in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) - A U.S. soldier opened fire at a counseling center on a U.S. base Monday, killing five fellow soldiers before being taken into custody, the U.S. command and Pentagon officials said.

Ferrell sent off with shower of good will

For many on Fort Stewart, Col. Terry Ferrell is best known for his smile and his relentless love for soldiers.

Soldier says he saw Sgt. chase, shoot comrade

FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) - An Army sergeant, his face lit by the muzzle flash of his rifle, chased a superior officer at their base in Iraq until he fell, then stood over the man and fired two shots into him, a soldier in their unit testified Tuesday.

Rangers to conduct training beginning Thursday

Fort Stewart soldier faces hearing in Iraqi slayings

FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) - An Army sergeant charged with murder shouted "My career's over, just kill me," as soldiers pinned him to the ground after he shot and killed two fellow U.S. soldiers in Iraq, members of their unit told a military judge Monday.

Fort Stewart to hold cemetery and historic site visit

Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield invite community members to join the semi-annual Fort Stewart Cemetery Council cemetery and historical site visit 9 a.m., April 28.

VA hiring vets to find comrades who need help

MIAMI (AP) - Derek Graner can scan a crowd of veterans and pick out those needing help.

3-7 Cav soldiers train on lift operations

For the Bryan County News FORT STEWART - Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, received the unique opportunity of practicing 'lift operations' with the UH-60 Black Hawk during shotgun breach training at a shoot-house, Jan. 19 on Fort Stewart. All Soldiers from the squadron that could possibly be assigned a shotgun during combat operations took part in the training. For many of the Soldiers ...

Military Notes

Seaman Jason Lane Ernst has graduated from basic Coast Guard training at Cape May, New Jersey. Seaman Ernst is currently attending Operations Specialist training at the Coast Guard training center in Petaluma, Calif. Ernst graduated in 2005 from Bryan County High School. He is the son of Teresa Cook-Ernst of Pembroke and the late Larry E. Ernst.

Military Notes

Air Force Airman Devin B. Sikes has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, core values, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations.

DoD releases 2009 BAH rates

The Department of Defense released today the 2009 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates. Military members will receive an average housing allowance increase of 6.9 percent when the new rates take effect, Jan. 1, 2009. For members with dependents, average increases in the BAH are approximately $95 per month. A typical junior enlisted member with dependents, for example, will find his/her BAH about $68 per month higher ...

Families of fallen troops remember loved ones

The sun glistened and the winter breeze blew as several hundred family and friends of the 3rd Infantry Division's fallen soldiers filed into the bleachers Saturday at Fort Stewart's Cottrell Field. Among those gathered to pay respects to the fallen was the family of 23-year-old Steve McCoy, a sergeant from Moultrie who lost his life last June while serving in Iraq. Members ...

Wounded soldiers promised continued support

WASHINGTON -- The Army's Wounded Warrior Program will support those it was created to serve for as long as it is needed and for the rest of their lives, the sergeant major of the program told listeners of a blog talk radio show Dec. 4. Army Sgt. Maj. Brent Jurgersen reflected on the importance of the Defense Department's designation of November as Warrior Care Month, which he said allowed the program to inform soldiers and ...

Obama taps Shinseki to head VA

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama has selected retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as his nominee to be secretary of veterans affairs. "As we seek a new national security strategy that uses all elements of American power, we must also remember those who run the greatest risks and make the greatest sacrifices to implement that strategy – the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America," the ...

Garrison commander: Furloughs will hurt economy

Col. Kevin Gregory, U.S. Army Garrison commander for Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, reported to the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce during its Progress Through People Luncheon on Thursday at Connection Church.

Four fallen soldiers honored on walk

Four more eastern redbud trees have been planted at Fort Stewart's Warriors Walk, bringing the total number of living monuments to 457. The newly planted trees memorialize the service of four 3rd Infantry Division soldiers, who were honored in a formal ceremony Thursday morning.

State forms task force to help veterans

Gov. Nathan Deal has signed a bill creating a state task force to investigate how the state can coordinate services to better assist servicemembers discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

Army says software wasn't needed

A request for specific intelligence software that was later rescinded by the requestor, Maj. Gen. Robert "Abe" Abrams, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and Regional Command-South in Afghanistan, received an official explanation Thursday from an Army spokesman at the Pentagon.

Soldier helps keep spirits up

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - In an effort to maintain a well balanced team, the 3rd Sustainment Brigade's master resiliency trainer, Capt. Dana Cook, provided a wellness workshop for deployed soldiers at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, on May 3.

TRICARE changing, costs likely to go up

Approved and proposed changes to the military's Tricare health-care program dramatically could affect military retirees living near Fort Stewart, according to Jeff Loomis, access assistant care manager at Winn Army Community Hospital.