Fort Carson soldier dies in Syria in 'non-combat incident'

[turbinetree]

Source: Military Times

By Davis Winkie Feb 4, 09:12 AM

https://www.militarytimes.com/resizer/Z0idOV-dMh6R1gsU7Ro4c1GZiq4=/1024x0/filters:format(png):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/mco/X4CLM7TGX5DLJKUYGYBCSIWVUY.png

A junior soldier deployed to northeastern Syria died Tuesday following a “non-combat related incident,” the Defense Department announced Friday morning.

Spc. Alex J. Ram was assigned to 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, which is part of the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Ram, a 20-year-old cavalry scout from Rancho Cucamonga, California, joined the Army in January 2020. According to a Fort Carson release, his individual decorations included two Army Commendation Medals — one with a C device signifying combat conditions — and an Army Achievement Medal.

Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/02/04/fort-carson-soldier-dies-in-syria-in-non-combat-incident/

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[inganmistral]

1. How many military and contractors are stationed there?

Its been on the back burner for a while.

[turbinetree]

2. approximately 900 they are with the Kurdish forces

[marie999]

3. I never heard the term junior soldier.

There isn't any rank spec. There are ranks specialist 4 - Specialist -9. They are not NCOs but their pay grades run the same as Corporal - Sergeant Major.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. I think a Specialist is a paygrade E-4.

I thought the Spec-5 thru Spec-9 ranks no longer exist. They were slowly ended, starting with E8, E9. Later, E5-E7 were abolished. Now SPC is the same as the old SP4.

Regards,
The Bozo formerly known as SP5 Bozo.

[marie999]

5. Didn't know that, so after specialist they then become NCOs?

Sp5 Russian linguist

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Yes, that's the path.

I'm not sure if the promotion from SPC to SGT requires NCO training, or if that's just for SSG and up. When I was in, I don't remember SGT (E5) going to NCO school, they just sewed on the stripes and bought a round of beer. Just like me, when I sewed on the yellow umbrella and bought a round of beer.

I didn't study up on further training opportunities. This draftee just wanted to serve my time and move on.

[jmowreader]

8. It requires NCO training

To make sergeant you must attend the Basic Leader Course. It used to be called Warrior Leader Course. Before that it was the Primary Leadership Development Course, which it was when I went. Before that, it was two courses: Primary Leadership Course for non-combat arms soldiers and Primary Noncommissioned Officers Course for combat arms soldiers like infantry, artillery and engineers. There's one school for every Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).

To make staff sergeant you must attend the Advanced Leader Course, which used to be the Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course (BNCOC) and before that for the non-combat folks was Basic Technical Course. This is MOS-specific - an infantry soldier will receive different training than a multichannel communications specialist.

To make sergeant first class you attend the Senior Leader Course, which used to be the Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course (ANCOC). Once again, this is MOS-specific.

To make master sergeant you will attend Master Leader Course, which used to be First Sergeant School. This one is like BLC - uniform for every MOS.

The top school is Sergeant Major Course, which was always called that.

[denbot]

7. .