Eye On Our Community - The Fayetteville Press Newspaper · Eye On Our Community ... a platoon...

Eye On Our Community

Page 8 The Fayetteville Press Newspaper October 2009 Edition

Carrie J. Sutton Registered Representative

AXA AdvisorsBuilding Futures

Buildingfutures.“The return on

some investmentsare impossible to

measure”

2905 Breezewood Ave., Ste. 202Fayetteville, NC 28303

Tel: (910) 483-7695Fax: (910) 483-2210

PELHAM HOME HEALTH

949 Country Club Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28301(910) 630-6757(910) 630-6757(910) 630-6757(910) 630-6757(910) 630-6757

Mildred C. Wilson RN, C BSNDirector

(910) 630-6757

(910) 865-3368315 W. Broad Street, St. Pauls, NC

(910) 897-4300506 E. Cumberland St,Dunn, NC

(919) 718-03882501 Fayetteville St, Sanford, NC

252-291-49841224 Scythia Dr. Wilson, NC

pelhhncs@aol.comFax: (910) 630-3557

"Enhancing One's Health At Home"

Lake Rim Laundromat & Dry Cleaning Service"Let Us Clean Your Nightmare Away"

7716 Raeford Road * Fayetteville, NC 28314

See Mr. Daniels or Jimmy(910) 868-2100 -Bus(910) 978-2475 -Cell

WashFluff & Fold

Business & Office(Pick-up/Delivery)

AlterationsDry Cleaning

*Linen Supply ServiceRestaurants

Beauty Salons, etc.www.lakerimlaundry.com

The Rogers Law FirmAttorney at Law

122 Bow Street * Fayetteville, NC 28301awrogers111@yahoo.com

Traffic Tickets * DWICriminal Felonies / MisdemeanorsPersonal Injury / Auto /Serious Injury *Medical MalpracticeWrongful Death * Wills & Estates Attorney Antonio F. Gerald

Attorney Allen W. Rogers

TTTTTele:ele:ele:ele:ele: (910) 433-0833 * F (910) 433-0833 * F (910) 433-0833 * F (910) 433-0833 * F (910) 433-0833 * Fax:ax:ax:ax:ax: (910) 433-0908 (910) 433-0908 (910) 433-0908 (910) 433-0908 (910) 433-0908

Broker/Owner

Jackie CarterCell: (910) 797-5273

Call Jackie Today At: (910) 867-3755

*NEW IDENTITY THEFT SHIELD

JACKIE CARTER REAL ESTATELooking for a home,

let Jackie put her 21 yearsof experience to work for you.

Providing quality legal care for NorthAmerica’s family since 1972

Web-site at: www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/jackiecarter

Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. SUBSIDIARIES

If you are interested in a full or parttime marketing opportunity, orwould like to know more about ourlegal service plans, call your Indepen-dent Associate today.

WOUNDED WARRIORS RETURN TO IRAQBy Spc. Michael J. MacLeod, 1st BCT, 82nd Airborne Division PAO

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq — The first time retired Sgt. Ethan Payton walked thedog after his amputation, the dog ran off with his prosthetic hand.

Second Lt. Richard Ingram, a platoon leader with 1st Brigade Special TroopsBattalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and AssistBrigade), lost his prosthetic hand to a shopping cart in Target.

Brave humor shared between amputees and other wounded warriors helps thehealing and thanks to the Troops First Foundation, some are returning to Iraq wherethey were injured to find a sense of closure.

For Payton, who in 2004 was attached to the 1st Cavalry Division in Baghdadwhen he lost his left arm to a rocket-propelled grenade blast, that moment camewhen he met with Brig. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, commander of the Transatlantic Divi-sion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Baghdad.

Cox was Payton’s battalion commander when he first came to the 101st Air-borne Division after air assault school, and was in Iraq during the period of Payton’sinjury.

After convalescing at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Payton could not getIraq out of his mind. He spent two summers in Morocco studying Arabic.

This past spring, he graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Artsin Middle Eastern Studies. When the call came to be part of the second OperationProper Exit, Payton did not hesitate.

The group spent a week in Iraq to see firsthand what progress their sacrificesand those of their comrades have brought to the Iraqi people and to the troops stillhere.

Command Sgt. Maj. LaMarquis Knowles, command sergeant major of 1st BCT,82nd Abn. Div., briefed the eight wounded warriors on the progress made in AlAnbar, which included a decrease in attacks from around 1,350 in March 2007 to 50in September of this year. The most tangible sign of progress is the reduction ofU.S. forces here, where an Army brigade of 3,600 paratroopers is replacing tworegimental combat team headquarters that were the ground combat element in Anbar,said Knowles.

“You can be assured your sacrifices were worth something,” he said.Several of the veterans remarked that it seemed odd to be in Iraq without the

background noise of mortars, improvised explosive devices or small-arms fire.At a town hall meeting, each program participant related his journey from in-

jury back to health before several dozen paratroopers.“This program is an important part,” said Sgt. John Hyland, who is on active

duty while recovering at the Center for the Intrepid, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. “Ihaven’t slept this well in weeks.”

Hyland removed his prosthetic leg so the audience could see how it was adaptedto fit with Army combat boots.

“You can play with my leg if you want,” joked retired Staff Sgt. Luke Wilson.

The photo is by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod/ 1stBCT, 82nd Abn. Div. Public Affairs Office. Second Lt.Richard Ingram, an 82nd Abn. Div. platoon leader, showsSgt. Ethan Payton (retired), how he learned to changethe magazine on his M-4 rifle using his prosthetic lefthand.)

“I’ve got five more at home.”At the town hall meeting, Payton met Ingram,

who, in spite of an arm amputation, is still servingon active duty with the 82nd Abn. Div. at CampRamadi. Payton asked the lieutenant how he is ableto accomplish all the tasks of being a Soldier withonly one hand. Ingram demonstrated how he reloadshis M-4 rifle and said that most combat-related tasksjust take practice.

Payton said he admired Ingram for comingback to active duty. He understands the need toproperly exit the battlefield.

Unlike the other veterans, Payton is planninga civilian career in the Arab-speaking world, eitherin North Africa or the Middle East, he said.

“The Army teaches you to complete the mis-sion,” said Payton. “This is my way of completingthe mission.”