USO News

Fort Campbell Welcomes Back 101st Airborne Division, Lauds Its Sacrifices

Friday, May 06, 2011

Spc. Jameson Lindskog was in the middle of his first combat mission on Mar. 29 when a huge firefight erupted in eastern Afghanistan. As a medic, Spc. Lindskog's job was to care for the wounded, and despite being relatively new to the battlefield, he lunged toward a fellow soldier in need.

"He was engrossed in what he was doing," Lindskog's mother, Donna Walker, told the USO. "He was helping someone else, and he was focused on that soldier."

It didn't take long before the young medic was a wounded warrior himself. In volatile Konar province, Lindskog was struck by an enemy bullet but kept caring for his injured comrade until his own very last breath.

"He was so weak," the soldier's mom said, breaking down in tears. "He told the other guy who was there 'I'm sorry I can't help you anymore, but I can't continue.'"

Spc. Jameson Lindskog, 23, Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga, 28, and Staff Sgt. Frank Adamski III, 26, along with three more paratroopers killed in a separate battle, died that day on the eastern front. Many fallen and wounded soldiers were just weeks away from coming home.

There is yet one more poignant fact that ties these six men together: all were from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based at Kentucky's Fort Campbell. A visit by the President of the United States set for Friday, May 6 is putting the 101st in the national spotlight.

Inside the military community, the Division is already famous, thanks to noble sacrifices by 'Screaming Eagles,' as 101st paratroopers are fondly nicknamed, like Lindskog and his fellow volunteer warriors.

As the commander-in-chief meets with brave soldiers who recently returned from Afghanistan, including 'Night Stalkers' of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) who are said to have flown helicopters during the historic raid targeting Osama bin Laden, Walker is undoubtedly thinking about her son, who returned Mar. 31 inside a flag-draped casket.

"He was just an incredibly sweet child," Donna said of Jameson. "He had a strong sense of right and wrong and what is fair, but of course, the world is never fair."

What the men and women of Fort Campbell have experienced, especially since the 9/11 attacks, almost defies comprehension. With hundreds killed and thousands wounded during Operating Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the last six weeks have been particularly tragic in Afghanistan for the 101st, with at least 13 killed and many more injured.

The massive Army post has also been confronted with the invisible wounds of returning troops. Depression, suicide, domestic violence and even murder have gripped the installation, prompting commanders to recognize a serious problem, respond and adapt.

"When these [soldiers] come home, everyone deals with it differently," said Jodi Foster, whose husband, Sgt. Mark Foster, returned from Afghanistan on March 12. "Some soldiers and families don't deal with it so well and sometimes those soldiers can be put on the backburner because they're afraid to ask for help."

While the USO has long been an integral part of the Fort Campbell landscape, the ribbon will soon be cut on a brand new center for troops stationed there. Stacia Sparrows, director of the Fort Campbell USO, has dedicated herself to the USO mission of lifting the spirits of our troops and their families, especially since she has a personal stake in the outcome.

"I am a military wife myself and the mental health of my soldier is one of the priorities always on my mind," Sparrows e-mailed from Fort Campbell. "Once our center is open, we will have the ability to provide goodness on a daily basis in our set location. It's fine to go out into the community, but I am especially excited that our soldiers will have a place to come to and 'hang out' when we are open."

Sparrows pointed to Military OneSource as a critical resource for troops and family members going through hard times, whether emotional, financial or otherwise. Foster agreed and highly recommended the service, which is provided by the Department of Defense.

"Absolutely, we use it," Foster said, stressing that the service is confidential. "I know because I've been an Army wife for a while, and I know how to find resources.

"But for example, there was a new Army wife who was depressed and had no money. I told her to use Military OneSource, but she didn't know. You have to take these newer spouses under your wing."

For all the tragedy this military community has experienced, the historic raid that killed bin Laden is bringing a sense of pride, mixed with worries of retaliatory strikes on Screaming Eagles still in harm's way. As the commander-in-chief expresses our nation's gratitude for Fort Campbell's sacrifices, Donna Walker believes that somewhere, Spc. Jameson Lindskog, who sacrificed everything just over a month ago, is proud too.

"If he would have been here, he would have felt vindicated," she said. "There are times he couldn't see much out of that small remote bubble in Afghanistan.

"I think he would have been happy, because this something the whole world can see." -- Tom Sileo, USO Director of Story Development 

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(Photo courtesy: U.S. Army)