Courtesy Photo | (From the left) Some of the leaders who attended the EOD Memorial Ceremony were Lt....... read more read more
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ELGIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - An Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician from the 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) was honored at the EOD Memorial Ceremony here May 2.
Sgt. Justin R. Helton, a 20th CBRNE Command EOD technician killed in action in Afghanistan June 9, 2014, was added to the memorial here that honors fallen American EOD heroes.
A native of Beaver, Ohio, Helton was part of the Fort Bragg, North Carolina-based 18th EOD Company, 192nd EOD Battalion, 52nd EOD Group, 20th CBRNE Command, while deployed to Afghanistan. Helton was posthumously promoted to sergeant.
During the ceremony, eight new names were added to the memorial, including five Army, two Navy and one Marine EOD technician killed in the line of duty. Except for Helton, all of the EOD technicians added on May 2 were killed in action during World War II.
The other Army Soldiers added were Capt. Frederick Dillon, 1st Lt. Steve Todorovich, Sgt. Ira Wiggins and Pfc. Laurence Paystrup. The Navy Sailors were Lt. j.g. John Fezler and Lt. j.g. Alvin Vetter. Cpl. Clellie Whited was the EOD Marine added to the memorial.
Among the senior leaders at the EOD Memorial Ceremony were Adm. Michelle Howard, vice chief of Naval Operations; Gen. Mike Milley, commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, and Brig. Gen. JB Burton, commanding general of 20th CBRNE Command.
The guest speaker was Marine Corps deputy commandant for Installations and Logistics, Lt. Gen. William Faulkner.
The Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland-based 20th CBRNE Command is home to the U.S. Army's two EOD groups stationed in the continental U.S., the Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based 52nd EOD Group and Fort Carson, Colorado-based 71st EOD Group.
The one-of-a-kind formation also commands the U.S. Army's only chemical brigade and a number of other critical CBRNE capabilities that support military operations around the globe and law enforcement agencies across the nation.
Burton spoke at Helton's funeral in Beaver, Ohio, last year.
The 20th CBRNE commanding general said Helton set an example his Soldiers sought to emulate.
"Many of the junior Soldiers in his unit looked up to him because he was a Soldier who knew exactly what to do on a mission," said Burton. "He was the first to pack his gear and to carry the extra equipment that was needed. He was the first to volunteer for the tough assignments and he never shied away from a fight."
"Sergeant Helton was a smart young man who was loyal to his family, his unit and his country," said Burton, a native of Tullahoma, Tennessee. "He is the reason that the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth."
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2015 17:24 |
| Story ID: | 162196 |
| Location: | ELGIN AIR FORCE BASE, FL, US |
| Hometown: | BEAVER, OH, US |
| Hometown: | TULLAHOMA, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 181 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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