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FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan (Army News Service, March 1, 2006) – It had been 61 years since retired Lt. Col. James “Maggie” Megellas had set foot on a battlefield with fellow 82d Airborne Division “Devils in Baggy Pants.” That all changed Feb. 23 when he arrived in Afghanistan to visit paratroopers from the regiment that he called home during World War II, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Megellas has been awarded the title of distinguished member of the regiment and has frequently visited with paratroopers from the 504th throughout the past six decades. Although it is not uncommon for...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 November 28, 2003Release Number: 03-11-48 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TF “ALL AMERICAN” OPERATIONS CAPTURE ENEMY PERSONNEL, IEDs AR RAMADI, Iraq - Task Force “All American” continued to conduct operations in order to bring peace to Iraq and to assist the reconstruction efforts. These missions continue to move Iraq toward becoming a free and independent nation. During the past 24 hours, the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units conducted three offensive operations, including two raids and one cordon and search. Soldiers also...

WASHINGTON — Army Spc. Hilario Bermanis was maimed in service to the United States, and a grateful nation made him one of us. Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi took part in a ceremony Wednesday making Bermanis, of the 82nd Airborne Division, a U.S. citizen. Bermanis also is a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia. “This young soldier serves as a true example of sacrifice to a nation that today he can call his own,” Principi was quoted as saying in a VA news release. “He gave of himself so that others could have a better tomorrow. The Department of...