Latest news with #MeritoriousUnitCommendation
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
What we know: FBI arrests Fort Carson soldier on alleged distribution charges
(FORT CARSON, Colo.) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver (FBI Denver) has arrested a Fort Carson staff sergeant on federal charges related to distributing cocaine. On Wednesday night, April 30, FBI Denver special agents arrested Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed at Fort Carson. According to a Fort Carson official, Orona-Rodriguez has served almost nine years in the Army and is currently an active-duty soldier stationed with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. According to a Fort Carson official who shared Orona-Rodriguez's record, he has received multiple awards, including an Army Commendation Medal with Combat Device, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, and various Army Achievement Medals. According to the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division (DEA RMFD), the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and officials at Fort Carson participated and assisted in the investigation and 'facilitated the arrest' on Wednesday evening. 'We are aware the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of Army CID, took a Fort Carson Soldier into custody,' a Fort Carson official said. 'We will continue to cooperate with all agencies involved.' Orona-Rodriguez was being held at the El Paso County Jail before he was released to the FBI on Thursday, per the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. On Sunday, April 27, an operation led by the DEA RMFD took place at an underground club in Colorado Springs where more than 100 people who entered the U.S. illegally were taken into custody, and more than a dozen active-duty service members were found either as patrons or working as armed security at the door. 'DEA is currently conducting a joint investigation with the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID),' a spokesperson with the DEA RMFD said. 'As this is an ongoing joint investigation led by the FBI, we are unable to provide further information at this time.' FOX21 News has reached out to the FBI and is looking to learn more about the arrest. We will update this article when more information is released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All-female, mostly Black WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal
April 29 (UPI) -- Family members of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion accepted a Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday and 80 years after the unit was deployed during World War II. "This remarkable story has rightly captured imaginations," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at the award ceremony. "It has now inspired books and movies [and] stirred the consciousness of millions of Americans who are just now hearing and sharing this incredible story," Johnson added. He presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the family of unit commander Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley as more than 300 family members and descendants of 6888th battalion members attended the ceremony. Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, who are Col. Earley's son and daughter, accepted the award. The U.S. Army deployed the predominantly Black and all-woman unit to Birmingham, England, in February 1945 to sort out a massive problem. The Army had about 17 million undelivered pieces of mail that needed to reach their 7 million intended recipients. Many service members hadn't received mail in more than a year. The 855-member battalion was tasked with sorting out the problem and accomplished the feat before being disbanded in 1946. The unit received a Meritorious Unit Commendation from the U.S. Armed Forces in 2019 and was the subject of a 2024 film directed by Tyler Perry. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award issued by Congress. The House in 2022 unanimously approved an enabling bill with a 422-0 vote after the Senate approved honoring the unit in 2021. President Joe Biden signed the enabling measure into law in 2022. Many incorrectly referred to the 6888th as an "all-black" unit, but it was "predominantly black" and had at least two Hispanic members. The unit's second-oldest surviving member, PFC Crescencia Garcia, 102, is Puerto Rican. The Army mistakenly referred to the unit as "colored" or "negro," which led to its false designation as an "all-Black" unit.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal
The only Black, all-female unit serving in Europe during World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday at the United States Capitol. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, commonly known as the "Six Triple Eight," addressed a backlog of roughly 17 million pieces of mail in three months before serving in France and eventually returning to the U.S. Alongside Congressional bipartisan leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) presented the honor, which is the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress, to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Over 300 descendants and family members of the Six Triple Eight battalion were present for the ceremony, according to Johnson in his speech. "This remarkable story has brightly captured imaginations, it has now inspired books and movies, stirred the consciousness of millions of Americans, who are just now hearing and sharing this incredible story," Johnson said. Earley's children, Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, received the award from the House and Senate leaders. During their service in 1945, the 855-member battalion did not gain any fanfare or recognition for their feats. This medal comes after years of campaigning for the overlooked battalion that many say set an example for Black women in the military. Congress voted 422-0 to award the 6888th with this honor back in 2022. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), who co-sponsored the legislation, spoke at the ceremony, praising the "unsung heroes" receiving the acknowledgement 80 years later. This honor marks the latest development in the unit's overdue recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in their honor, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the U.S. Army in 2019. The 2024 Tyler Perry-directed Netflix film about the unit, which starred Kerry Washington, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Retired Col. Edna Cummings, who shared a few words of acceptance at the ceremony, directed a documentary on the unit in 2019. "This history has now restored the passion of service, as evidenced by young girls who now dress up as members of the Six Triple Eight," she said. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) shared a few words at the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of a bipartisan celebration in today's political climate. "We gather here today to salute these mighty veterans. We salute the ingenuity with which they sprang into battle," Jeffries said. "We salute the barriers that they broke in the system designed to push them aside. We salute their trailblazing spirit and the road that they paved for others." The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion joins the less than 200 recipients to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal originally appeared on
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal
The only Black, all-female unit serving in Europe during World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday at the United States Capitol. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, commonly known as the "Six Triple Eight," addressed a backlog of roughly 17 million pieces of mail in three months before serving in France and eventually returning to the U.S. Alongside Congressional bipartisan leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) presented the honor, which is the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress, to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Over 300 descendants and family members of the Six Triple Eight battalion were present for the ceremony, according to Johnson in his speech. "This remarkable story has brightly captured imaginations, it has now inspired books and movies, stirred the consciousness of millions of Americans, who are just now hearing and sharing this incredible story," Johnson said. Earley's children, Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, received the award from the House and Senate leaders. During their service in 1945, the 855-member battalion did not gain any fanfare or recognition for their feats. This medal comes after years of campaigning for the overlooked battalion that many say set an example for Black women in the military. Congress voted 422-0 to award the 6888th with this honor back in 2022. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), who co-sponsored the legislation, spoke at the ceremony, praising the "unsung heroes" receiving the acknowledgement 80 years later. This honor marks the latest development in the unit's overdue recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in their honor, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the U.S. Army in 2019. The 2024 Tyler Perry-directed Netflix film about the unit, which starred Kerry Washington, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Retired Col. Edna Cummings, who shared a few words of acceptance at the ceremony, directed a documentary on the unit in 2019. "This history has now restored the passion of service, as evidenced by young girls who now dress up as members of the Six Triple Eight," she said. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) shared a few words at the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of a bipartisan celebration in today's political climate. "We gather here today to salute these mighty veterans. We salute the ingenuity with which they sprang into battle," Jeffries said. "We salute the barriers that they broke in the system designed to push them aside. We salute their trailblazing spirit and the road that they paved for others." The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion joins the less than 200 recipients to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal
The only Black, all-female unit serving in Europe during World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday at the United States Capitol. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, commonly known as the "Six Triple Eight," addressed a backlog of roughly 17 million pieces of mail in three months before serving in France and eventually returning to the U.S. Alongside Congressional bipartisan leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) presented the honor, which is the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress, to the family of the unit commander, Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Over 300 descendants and family members of the Six Triple Eight battalion were present for the ceremony, according to Johnson in his speech. "This remarkable story has brightly captured imaginations, it has now inspired books and movies, stirred the consciousness of millions of Americans, who are just now hearing and sharing this incredible story," Johnson said. Earley's children, Stanley Earley III and Judith Earley, received the award from the House and Senate leaders. During their service in 1945, the 855-member battalion did not gain any fanfare or recognition for their feats. This medal comes after years of campaigning for the overlooked battalion that many say set an example for Black women in the military. Congress voted 422-0 to award the 6888th with this honor back in 2022. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.), who co-sponsored the legislation, spoke at the ceremony, praising the "unsung heroes" receiving the acknowledgement 80 years later. This honor marks the latest development in the unit's overdue recognition. A monument was erected in 2018 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in their honor, and the 6888th was given the Meritorious Unit Commendation by the U.S. Army in 2019. The 2024 Tyler Perry-directed Netflix film about the unit, which starred Kerry Washington, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Retired Col. Edna Cummings, who shared a few words of acceptance at the ceremony, directed a documentary on the unit in 2019. "This history has now restored the passion of service, as evidenced by young girls who now dress up as members of the Six Triple Eight," she said. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) shared a few words at the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of a bipartisan celebration in today's political climate. "We gather here today to salute these mighty veterans. We salute the ingenuity with which they sprang into battle," Jeffries said. "We salute the barriers that they broke in the system designed to push them aside. We salute their trailblazing spirit and the road that they paved for others." The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion joins the less than 200 recipients to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Only Black female WWII unit receives Congressional Gold Medal originally appeared on
