Photo By Michael Strasser | Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) volunteers were recognized for their...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (April 27, 2026) -- Dozens of Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) volunteers were recognized for their selfless service and commitment to community outreach during the Volunteer of the Quarter / Volunteer of the Year ceremony April 24 in The Peak ballroom.
“The biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country,” said Dani Reed, Fort Drum Army Volunteer Corps coordinator. “Volunteerism is the principle of donating time and energy for the benefit of other people in the community as a social responsibility rather than for any financial reward.”
The 23 community members recognized for Volunteer of the Quarter (2nd Quarter) were:
Melanie Aamidor, 10th General Support Aviation Battalion; Spc. Ana Agila-Vaca, 41st Engineer Battalion; Spc. Feysal Ahmed, 277th Aviation Support Battalion; Pvt. Joshua Ayala, 41st Engineer Battalion; Ella Barclay, 10th Light Support Brigade; Katie Dilena, 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment; Anna Fisher, Religious Support Office; Kayla Geblein, North Country Spouses Club; Natalee Holliday, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment; Nichole Jones, Religious Support Office; and Staff Sgt. Colby Minter, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment.
Also: Isaac Mounce, Robert C. McEwen Library; 1st Lt. Cameron Riddle, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment; Sgt. 1st Class Manuel Rodriguez, 10th General Support Battalion; Pfc. Joel Saunders, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion; Erin Sattler, 277th Aviation Support Battalion; Allie Skeens, North Country Spouses Club; Emily Smerka, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment; Sgt. Robert Smith, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division Artillery; Krystal Stoinoff, 1st Attack Battalion; Sabrina Vazquez, 10th Light Support Battalion; Chief Warrant 2 Christopher Weeks, Thousand Island Warrant Officer Association; and Emiliani Weeks, Thousand Island Warrant Officer Association.
Volunteers recorded 31,496 hours in the Volunteer Management Information System (VMIS) in 2025. This equates to a monetary sum of $1.9 million, with the value of each volunteer hour estimated at $34.79.
“You are truly appreciated for sharing your time to help better our communities,” Reed said. “It takes a very unique individual to step up and offer their personal time to make the mission easier for all without any expectations.”
The following community members were named 2025 Volunteer of the Year in their respective categories:
Soldier and Family Readiness Group – Stephanie Lockwood
As the 23rd Military Police Company’s Soldier and Family Readiness Group lead volunteer, Lockwood established the company’s SFRG program, managed the team and communicated with families through two deployments since November 2024.
During the Southern Border deployment, Lockwood kept families informed by distributing SFRG newsletters and coordinated a dozen events, including a deployment town hall and holiday parties. She also supported families welcoming new babies with gift baskets and company onesies. Her efforts directly increased the morale and wellbeing of Soldiers and family members in the unit.
Large Community Group – Rita Barker
Barker has served as an Army Community Service volunteer for more than 17 years, where she has championed the art of sewing at the Family Resource Center. Beloved by everyone she teaches, her passion for sharing knowledge is well-known in the Fort Drum community. Barker has impacted the lives of others by teaching them a life skill, as well as being a friend and mentor. Many students attend her class not only to learn, but just to socialize with the instructor.
The sewing class has become an integral part of the Relocation Readiness Program, and Barker’s contributions to it have been invaluable to both ACS and the Soldier and Family Readiness Division.
Small Community Group – Patti Agard
As North Country Spouses Club treasurer, Agard manages the organization’s finances with precision and integrity – tracking every dollar and ensuring an organized and transparent budget. She ensures that club members’ hard work is used efficiently and in a service-focused manner.
Agard helped the NCSC move to its new location, filled shifts with Operation Deploy Your Dress, and leads the Outdoor Pursuits sub-club to foster adventure and camaraderie. She also serves on the Fundraising Committee and as publicity chairperson for the Fort Drum Thrift Shop, where she volunteers at the food pantry.
Child and Youth Group – Bryan Figueroa
Figueroa serves as one of the top youth volunteer coaches for the 2025-2026 CYS Sports season, where he demonstrated leadership and commitment to the sports program and the children he coaches. In a short amount of time, Figueroa set the standard for what a volunteer can accomplish. He accumulated 231volunteer hours, coaching and mentoring youths in a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball and T-ball. Leveraging his professional-level sports experience, Figueroa effectively makes the fundamentals accessible and fun for kids of all ages.
Youth Group – Paige Swanson
Swanson volunteers as an assistant coach with CYS Sports and Fitness, where she accrued 120 hours with the cheerleading and wrestling program. She helps lead stretches, demonstrates technique, and corrects form during youth competitions. Additionally, Swanson tracks tournament participants and notifies families when their young athletes are about to compete. Although Swanson is close in age to the children she supports, she has earned the same respect as the older coaches, and her leadership skills, knowledge and energy are an inspiration to others.
Local Community Group – Spc. Oscar Moore
Moore contributed to a wide range of volunteer activities and recorded 230 hours of community service in 2025. While deployed to the southern border, Moore supported multiple sports clubs, tournaments and special events by designing logos and flyers, managing schedules for weekly athletic events and tournaments and serving as scorekeeper and referee.
He provided chapel support and volunteered with a local food bank in El Paso, Texas. At Fort Drum, Moore supported the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers Program’s Haunted Trail event at Remington Park, as well as North Country Pet Adoption Services and Veterans Food Pantry activities.
Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commanding general, presented the overall Volunteer of the Year award to Stephanie Lockwood.
“I didn’t do this alone,” Lockwood said. “I had lots of help and a good group of volunteers. I’m just trying to be helpful, really, and be supportive to others.”
During his remarks, Naumann thanked all the volunteers for providing vital community support that strengthens the installation and its neighbors.
“This is a great privilege for me to be here to represent our division and our installation in thanking our volunteers,” he said. “While we were deployed on the southern border last year, this is one of the things that I really missed.”
Naumann said that the volunteer hours logged and the work accomplished are impressive on its own, but the real impact is felt in the community and the people whose lives have been affected.
“It’s really about showing up when it matters,” he said. “It’s about lifting up other people when they’re going through difficult times, and quietly making other people’s lives better, even when you are not trying to seek recognition or be in the spotlight. I think that’s pretty special.”
Volunteers set an example for others, and Naumann encouraged others to embrace their passion for giving back.
“This ceremony should also serve as a call to action,” he said. “We can all contribute in our own ways in making our community a better place to live.”
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2026 08:54 |
| Story ID: | 563643 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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