Recognition for Civilians in Afghanistan

 

However, the first recipient was Nic Crouch, a private security contractor who was killed whilst working in Iraq.

His parents received the medal posthumously on his behalf last month.

The medal means the world to Nic’s parents. Awarded to their son after his death, it is official recognition for his work supporting the mission in Afghanistan. But they have had to fight for that recognition.

The Civilian Service Medal is now awarded to many outside the military who have supported the Afghan campaign. At a lavish ceremony, 110 civilians received their medal, presented by the Foreign Secretary.

 

Police investigate death of Steven Lewis Weinbrenner Afghanistan Contractor

FBI now involved in Steven Weinbrenner Death  May 8, 2012

Police test substance found by Ind mans body  May 7, 2012

Hobart police say Weinbrenner’s son said his father was a chemist and working as a private contractor in Afghanistan.

“He was home on leave for two weeks and was feeling a little depressed, not wanting to go back,” Evans said

Hobart Community   May 3, 2012

Police are investigating the death of a 59-year-old Hobart man whose body was found lying near a container of potassium cyanide.

“We’re not ruling anything out as to the cause of death,” police Detective David Evans said.

The deceased is identified as Steven Lewis Weinbrenner, Evans said.

Police were called to the Weinbrenner home, in the 300 block of Fox Trail Court, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a call from the deceased man’s son.

Both the Hobart Fire Department and Hazmat personnel were called to the scene because of the potassium cyanide found in the house, Evans said.

Hazmat personnel removed the body to a secure site.

Weinbrenner had been employed as a chemist, but was most recently working as a private contractor for the government in Afghanistan, Evans said.

Evans said Weinbrenner had been home, but was scheduled to go back to Afghanistan later this week.

The death investigation by police will be concluded once reports are received from both the Lake County Coroner and Hazmat, Evans said.

Evans said it’s his understanding that at least a couple of the firefighters who were called to the scene had to be taken to St. Mary Medical Center because they fell ill.

Hobart Fire Chief Brian Taylor could not be reached for comment about their condition

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Steven L. Weinbrenner , International Safety Director, Black & Veatch

A Civilian Military Contractor Returns Home

Wes Bearden has spent the last 18 months working in the Middle East for a Military Defense Contractor. After long hours providing help for American troops, he must make the adjustment to being back home.

Billy Ross Blankenship, Army Reserve Captain, Civilian Contractor dies in Afghanistan

NewsOK April 25, 2012

Capt. Billy Ross Blankenship, 43, formerly of Norman, was working in Kabul as a contractor for Intelligence Software Solutions Inc. when he died April 18. His cause of death is still under investigation.

Blankenship joined the Air Force Reserve as a senior at Bethany High School. He enlisted in active duty with the Army in 1989, during which he served in Desert Storm. After four years of active duty, Blankenship served in the Oklahoma National Guard and became a commissioned officer in 2001. He was mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003 and served until 2010.

A database analyst for the U.S. Post Office, Blankenship retained his role in the Army Reserve. He left the Postal Service last fall to undertake contract work in Afghanistan, where he continued to perform his Reserve duties.

Blankenship is survived by his wife, Melissa, and four children, as well as his parents and two siblings.

Services are 10 a.m. Saturday at Havenbrook Funeral Home in Norman.

Jason Matthew Hamilton, Civilian Contractor Boeing, dies in Afghanistan

Hamilton had previously served as a helicopter crew chief for the Marines for five years. Hamilton worked for Boeing on the V-22 Osprey and H-46 Sea Knight out of New River.

Havelock contractor dies in Afghanistan  April 18, 2012

A Havelock resident working for a private contractor in Afghanistan died on Saturday.

Jason Matthew Hamilton, 40, was working as a Boeing field representative supporting the Army 1st Cavalry as a helicopter expert in Afghanistan. He died of natural causes, according to a Boeing source.

Hamilton was working on CH-47 Chinook helicopters at the time.

After serving as a helicopter crew chief for the Marines for five years, Hamilton worked for Boeing on the V-22 Osprey and H-46 Sea Knight out of New River.

A native of Statesville, he will be buried in Mooresville on Saturday

Jason Matthew Hamilton
HAVELOCK — Mr. Hamilton, 40, of Havelock, NC passed away on Saturday, April 14, 2012 in Afghanistan while serving as the Boeing Field Service Representative supporting the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry as an expert in CH-47 Chinook systems.
He was born on April 1, 1972 in Statesville, to Violet Wright Knox of Mooresville and the late Johnnie Eugene Hamilton.
Jason was an Eagle Scout, a 1990 graduate of Mooresville High School and a US veteran serving in the Marine Corps with 5 years of service as a helicopter crew chief. He was a member of Mooresville ARP Church.
He was preceded in death by grandparents, Job and Ruth Hamilton; grandmother, Carolyn Glass; and grandfather, Joe V. Knox. He is survived by his parents Violet and Van Knox; his children Jacob Hamilton, Paige Hamilton, and their mother, Lorie Hamilton; brother, Jeff Knox and fiancee, Jenn Shea; grandmother, Elizabeth Knox; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at Mooresville ARP Church with Rev. Andy Ward and Rev. Gerald R. Hallman officiating. Burial will follow the service at Glenwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Cavin-Cook Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Welcome Home Veterans, 128 S. Main Street, Mooresville, NC 28115 and/or Mooresville ARP Church, 659 Carpenter Ave, Mooresville, NC 28115.
Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, is serving the family of Mr. Hamilton. Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.

Hal Edward O’Connor Jr. (Dune) DoD Civilian Contractor in Afghanistan dies

Midwest City — News Star

Hal Edward O’Connor Jr. (Dune), 30, loving partner, son, brother, and father, passed away April 8, 2012, in Midwest City.
Dune was born April 17, 1981, to Hal O’Connor and Brenda Bias in Shawnee. Dune was employed by Navmar as a DoD Contractor working in Afghanistan.
Dune is survived by his girlfriend, Kandas, and daughter, Kailyn; parents, Brenda Bias and Hal O’Connor; sisters, Malena Trulson and husband, Bryan, and Wendi O’Connor; brothers, Jake O’Connor and wife, Chelsea, and Dylan O’Connor, and nephew and nieces, Jacob O’Connor, and Shelby and Sydney Trulson.
Services will be at 2 p.m., Friday, April 13, at Hibbs Funeral Home in Choctaw.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to NeuterSooner spay/neuter program, P.O. Box 3061, Bartlesville, OK 74006.

Note:  Hal died in the States in a vehicle accident

Jim St Pierre, Former Pasco County Deputy, dies in Afghanistan

My Fox Tampa Bay  March 26, 2012

Two years ago Jim St. Pierre told his girlfriend Nancy Kleinfelder he wanted to go to work in Afghanistan.

As you can imagine, she was concerned.

“I was just worried to death that he would be in harms way,” Kleinfelder said of where St. Pierre would be spending a majority of his time.

But she also understood.

St. Pierre, a retired Pasco County sheriff’s deputy and father of three, had dedicated his life to service and training K-9s.

In Afghanistan he would be doing both.

“He wanted to help people and those were the best times,” said Kleinfelder.

Friday Kleinfelder’s fears were confirmed, St. Pierre died in Afghanistan of a heart attack at the age of 51.

“I’ll miss him,” she said. “His family will miss him terribly.”

St. Pierre worked as a contractor in Afghanistan for American K-9 Detection Services as a narcotics detection dog handler.

The company says he and his partner Jowi had found drugs on numerous occasions during their two years in the country.

St. Pierre also worked with K-9′s with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, but his love for dogs started long before his work as an officer.

“When we were children, going to Sunshine Elementary School he had a shepherd here,” said David McConnell.

McConnell had known St. Pierre since childhood. They grew up together.

“He was more like a brother to me, basically all my life,” McConnell said Sunday.

He adds that St. Pierre’s parents are distraught over their son’s death.

Friend and family say he’ll be sorely missed.

“A terrific guy, great sense of humor but also a great sense of duty and honor,” said McConnell. “He was serious about his work but he didn’t take himself too seriously so that made him fun to be around.”

They also hope his death reminds folks of the many contractors who have died in the war-torn country.

“I just don’t want people to forget that there are thousands of men and women just like him who are serving and we need to remember them and honor them as well,” said Kleinfelder

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First new civilian medal presented posthumously to Norfolk suicide bomb victim Nic Crouch

Norwhich Evening News  March 3, 2012

The first of a new set of civilian medals has been presented posthumously to a Norfolk man who died in a suicude bomb blast

But the small piece of metal carries a huge message of hope and comfort for the family of Nic Crouch.

The Civilian Service Medal recalls his service as a private security worker in the Middle East – and sees the fulfilment of a wish he penned in a poignant letter to his parents in north Norfolk in case he was killed.

After Mr Crouch died, aged just 29, in a suicide car bomb blast in Iraq in July 2010, his family received a letter saying: “If I should be killed in Afghanistan/Iraq and the media is interested, I should like them to know how I and all the other former soldiers contributed to the Great Game.

“I seek no personal glory, but many good Paras and ex-Servicemen have died supporting these operations with little or no recognition of their bravery.”

Now after an 18-month battle by his parents, who have moved from Trimingham to Sheringham since Nic’s death, Mr Crouch has been awarded the first of the newly-created Civilian Service (Afghanistan) Medals.

His father Clive Crouch said: “I am pleased we have managed to get a tick in the box for one of Nic’s requests. The medal is not just for him, but for all his colleagues, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

With more and more civilian workers doing support duties for shrinking armed forces it was all the more important to get recognition for their service, which was a far cry from the mercenary “dogs of war” that some people associated with overseas security duties.

What Nic did was “duty in a tough environment” and the MP was pleased the posthumous medal was presented at the Foreign Office this week by Alistair Burt, the foreign secretary for Middle Eastern affairs.

“Bereavement is incredibly difficult particularly when a young man is involved, and when you feel there has not been proper recognition of what your child has done. It hurts profoundly,” said Mr Lamb, who hoped the award would help the family move on.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the Queen approved the introduction of the new medal last June, which would be awarded to UK civilians who, like Mr Crouch, had “served in direct support of Her Majesty’s Government’s objectives in Afghanistan since 2001.

“It recognises their dedicated work in this challenging, often dangerous environment. Their important work is integral to the achievement of a stable and secure Afghanistan,” he added, confirming Mr Crouch was the first recipient

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Former Navy First Class Petty Officer, Civilian Contractor Paul Terrell, Quietly Murdered in Afghanistan

Editors Note:  A murder would be covered under the DBA, a suicide would not ….

Vicki Terrell  Comment left on November 7, 2010

I know for a fact the the CID in Afghanistan do not investigate all of the cases!

My husband, Paul A. Terrell, was murdered on base at Camp Phoenix on June 17, 2010 and they are trying to say that it was a suicide. It was NOT suicide! He had only been back on base for a few hours after a 2 week vacation home.

He was retired from the US Navy and on his third tour as a civilian contractor.

His passport is still missing along with his cell phone he had just called me from.

They have given me at least 5 places where his passport is and every place they say claims to not have it.

He was hung in his shop in the early hours of June 17.

When they sent me the list of evidence from the scene, the top of the list was a cigarette butt. When I told them that my husband did NOT smoke, they said they would do DNA on the cigarette.

Now they claim that the DNA matched and when they sent his things home they DID NOT send his shaving kit (obviously where I could have gotten DNA).

They waited to send everything home until he was cremated so I could not get his DNA.

Thinking I could trust the military to due a proper investigation

I WILL eventually find out what happened and clear my husband’s name, but until then there will not be any closure for myself or our 2 granddaughters that we are raising. I have contacted 2 of his friends there only to be hung up on or ignored.

It makes me wonder if they are afraid or been ordered not to talk to me.

If anyone out there knows of someone that will investigate this, please let me know.

My husband was not depressed or unhappy. He was there to serve his country and make the money to send our girls to college. We were very happily married without problems. A few hours before he had even gone jogging and told these friends about us looking for a new home in Florida on his vacation!

I ask you…Is this a man that would have committed suicide? Absolutely not…He WAS murdered!!!

Chance Smith, Civilian Contractor Afghanistan, killed while home on RR

Charleston SC WCSC February 23, 2012

Smith, an outfielder for The Citadel baseball team from 2004-07, was killed early Saturday morning in a car accident that also left his wife, La-aia, in critical condition. Their infant daughter, Laina Madison, was not with them at the time of the accident.

Smith was returning home to McDonough, Ga., from Atlanta after celebrating his upcoming 27th birthday with his wife when the crash occurred. The 2003 graduate of Evans High School worked as an U.S. Army contractor and was scheduled to return to Afghanistan this week.

Many Citadel fans will remember his two home runs and four RBIs in an 11-10 victory over rival College of Charleston in 2006.

“He was a very inspirational player with tremendous enthusiasm for the game and for the Citadel,” said Citadel head coach Fred Jordan. “He was a hard-nosed and athletic centerfielder. The important thing was, he graduated from The Citadel and was defending his country in the military. He’s a very special person to me and to all of us.”

 

The Columbia County News Times February 22, 2012

Gordie Smith (right) watches his son Chance sign a letter of intent to attend The Citadel on a baseball scholarship

Chance Smith was killed in a single-car accident Sunday morning.

The 2003 graduate was on his way home to McDonough, Ga., after celebrating his upcoming 27th birthday in Atlanta with his wife La-aia when the crash occurred.

Smith worked as an U.S. Army contractor and was scheduled to return to Afghanistan this week.

While his wife suffered a cracked sternum and deflated lung, the couple’s 3-month-old daughter Laina Madison was not with them.

From high school onward, Smith affected those he knew in a positive way

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