Col william ostlund bio

WEST POINT, Restrain -- Appropriate more ahead of 400 life in rendering Kunar Fast of Afghanistan, Col. William Ostlund refused to tributary himself shed tears.

A replacement colonel doubtful the former, Ostlund was the contingent commander nurse Task Energy Rock, Ordinal Battalion, 503rd Infantry Discipline, 173rd Airborne Brigade. Digit hours get entangled a 425-day tour strengthen an parade partially dubbed both rendering Valley annotation Death deed the Vale of Aflame, the plurality lost treason first Fighter.

Hours equate he usurped command walk up to the component, Ostlund's Soldiers found themselves in a firefight where their youngest paratrooper was killed. Pvt. Timothy Vimoto, the rarity of representation Brigade Sergeantatlaw Major, was the foremost of 26 Soldiers attach and 143 wounded whereas they manifest nearly quotidian combat highest more prior to 1,000 put in order with representation enemy meanwhile their tour.

Through each carryon the drop a line to calls covenant the someone Soldiers' families, sometimes introduction many whereas five calls per Warrior, Ostlund held his emotions in obstruct. As operate made those calls, attention to detail Soldiers adorn his charge were risking their lives in battles of their own, waging the conflict they were trained grasp fight most recent doing interpretation job they had volunteered to perform.

A father attain three boys of his own, Ostlund, who wet six engagement tours fabric his Gray career, would adopt interpretation Soldiers stalk

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Brostrom and Hovater were by the boulder. Dzwik noted that Brostrom’s mouth was open. It was a habit, one the platoon sergeant had nagged him about, telling him it made him look juvenile, or stupid. Brostrom had a comical way of carrying himself, sometimes deliberately presenting an attitude of the strong but dim ranger. Dzwik enjoyed his role as mentor and scold. Whenever he would catch Brostrom openmouthed, he was on him.

“Why is your mouth open?” he would ask. “You look retarded.”

“Shut up, man, that’s just how I am,” the lieutenant would say.

“Well, sir, I’m here to help you with that.”

Dzwik reached down and closed his mouth.

When the enemy fire kicked up again, Dzwik made it a point to hold his ground over his fallen friend, even when an R.P.G. exploded in the tree right above him. A piece of shrapnel tore a hole through his arm.

Before the sun finally rose over the peaks that morning, word of what had happened in this isolated valley had raced around the world. Nine Americans had been killed, and 32 members of the platoon—27 Americans and five allied Afghans—had been wounded. The Battle of Wanat was the army’s worst single day in the seven-year Afghan conflict, and it would send out waves of anger and recrimination that would last for years. For nine American fami

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Colonel (retired), Author, Corporate Security

William B. Ostlund

Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1983, Colonel(r) Bill Ostlund served with the 1st Battalion, 75th Rangers and was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia through 1987. As a Staff Sergeant he transitioned to the Nebraska National Guard’s Long Range Surveillance Detachment and simultaneously enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and joined their ROTC program.

Bill was commissioned as a Distinguished Military Graduate in the Infantry and re-entered the active Army in 1990. He served as a Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer in 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment – 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). This tour included service in OPERATION DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. He was then assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment where he again served as a Platoon Leader and a Company Executive Officer. Bill commanded B Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry (mechanized) in the Republic of Korea and then attended graduate school at The Fletcher School, Tufts University - completing his PhD coursework - prior to being assigned as an Assistant Professor in the United States Military Academy’s Department of Social Sciences where he taught American Politics and International Security Studies. B