Nevadan helps keep troops supplied

Dick Benoit

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

Army Sgt. Anthony Falcone, brother of Frank Falcone of Las Vegas, played a key role in the success of operation Iraqi Freedom as American troops raced across the country early in the war.

The 1989 Pahrump Valley High School graduate is a member of the 143rd Transportation Command at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, which has the critical job of taking vehicles and equipment that arrive from the United States and making sure they get where they're supposed to go.

"I'm a senior heavy equipment transportation operator and trainer," Falcone said. "I'll use my 14 years of experience to train new soldiers on how to maintain and operate the Army's biggest vehicles."

Falcone and his peers have thus far delivered at least 130,000 pieces of equipment -- including tanks, trailers, helicopters and food containers -- from Kuwait to Iraq. They transport the critical cargo through a country the size of California rife with pockets of Iraqi resistance while enduring extreme temperatures and blowing sand.

Falcone's biggest challenge while deployed is personal though, says the soldier. "During my 10 years of marriage my wife and I have never spent more than a week or two away from each other -- that's the biggest challenge I have to face."

The Nevada soldier is looking forward to the challenge of redeployment for the transporters. He said they've "come too far and accomplished too much not to complete their ultimate mission of returning home to families and friends."

Falcone and the others in his unit pride themselves on letting the fighting forces take the credit for the lightning quick march on Baghdad, but they all know and believe in the 143rd's motto: "Nothing happens until something moves, and the 143rd moves in a hurry."

Coast Guard honors

Coast Guard Seaman Kenneth Slagle, son of Timothy Slagle of Las Vegas, recently graduated with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, N.J.

The 2002 Vo-Tech High School graduate, excelled in a vigorous training curriculum consisting of classroom academics, practical instruction on military customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, fire fighting, water safety and survival, and marksmanship.

Slagle and other recruits also received instruction on the Coast Guard's three core values -- honor, respect and devotion to duty -- and how to apply them in their military performance and personal conduct.

He will now join the 36,000 men and women that make up the Coast Guard, ready for worldwide assignment.

In brief