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Fri Nov 20 20:13:53 PST 2009

NEWS

UPDATE: Local Soldiers Injured During Shooting

UPDATED: Friday, November 20, 2009 --- 6:54 p.m. Just in time for the holidays Grant Moxon is back home. Early Friday afternoon he stepped off the plane at the Dane County Regional Airport to an emotional reunion with his mom and dad. Moxon's parents couldn't wait to give him a hug when they saw him and said they haven't been able to speak much since the shootings Moxon was shot in the leg during the November 5th tragedy at Fort Hood. He's walking with a cane now because of the injury he suffered during the shooting and says he'll spend some time at home recuperating while his fellow soldiers head to Afghanistan. "It's definitely a bittersweet moment," Specialist Moxon said. "I was was getting ready to go over with them, really excited, they're my family basically. So it kinda sucks that I'm stuck here now, but it's needed. I have to get better, the leg has to heal. I really wouldn't be much use right now." "We're so thankful that he's OK," Moxon's mother, Kathy, said. "Some people were not as lucky as we were." Moxon says he'll be working out of the 467th unit's Madison office doing what he can from home to support the troops overseas. _____________________________________________ UPDATED: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 --- 5:31 p.m. REPORTER: Chris Woodard Tonight, for the first time, we hear from a representative of the Madison unit hit so hard by this tragedy. Three of their fellow soldiers are dead, six others injured. The parking lot is still at Madison's Army Reserve Center. Their flag like others across the country is at half staff. The pain inside these walls is hard for others to understand. 467th Public Affairs Officer Corey Schultz says, "This is such a tragedy. I can't begin to express the sorrow and the grief that we all feel that something like this could occur." The 467th Medical Detachment is a Madison based Army Reserve unit that arrived at Fort Hood one day before the shooting. Of the 46 members of the unit who were there 3 are dead, 6 others injured. 5 members of the unit stayed back to keep things running at the Madison headquarters. They were here when word of the shooting began to spread. Schultz says, "They're holding up pretty well, obviously the focus right now is on the families and the affected soldiers." Both Wisconsin soldiers killed were members of the 467th. Of those in the unit injured, 3 are from Wisconsin. They are among those in attendance and being honored at today's memorial service. Schultz says, "People are there in spirit with our brothers and sisters in Fort Hood and certainly many of us wish we could be there but there is work to be done here with the families and soldiers that are here." Even what was to be happy announcement for military veterans by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin in Middleton today is overshadowed by the tragedy. She skipped the event to travel to Fort Hood. A spokesman with her office, Curt Finkelmeyer says, "As we gather together to celebrate this announcement the benefit our nation's veterans we're humbly reminded of the sacrifices they make." At this point the 467th is still scheduled to complete their deployment to Afghanistan. _________________________________________________________ UPDATED Monday, November 9, 2009 --- 3:00 p.m. WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) -- A spokesman for the U.S. Army Reserves says three of the four soldiers from a Wisconsin-based combat stress unit who were wounded in the Fort Hood, Texas, shooting have returned to duty. Spokesman Scott Ferguson said Monday the only soldier still hospitalized was a woman in serious but stable condition. Ferguson says the wounded were among 43 soldiers from the Madison-based 467th Medical Command Detachment who had arrived at Fort Hood for training last Wednesday, a day before the shooting that killed 13 and wounded 29. Ferguson says three of dead were assigned to the Madison unit, including two who live in Wisconsin -- 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger of Kiel and 51-year-old Capt. Russell Seager of Racine. Ferguson says the unit will be deploying to Afghanistan as planned but each soldier will be evaluated as to their readiness for duty. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. ________________________________________ UPDATED Sunday, November 8, 2009 --- 8:08 p.m. MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The three Wisconsin soldiers injured in last week's shooting rampage at Fort Hood continue to recover, although their future deployment plans remain unclear. Dawn Freiburger represents the family of Army Private First Class Amber Bahr. The 19-year-old from Random Lake was shot in the back Thursday. Freiburger says Bahr's battalion will be deploying to Afghanistan in January as planned, but she won't say whether Bahr will be joining it. 28-year-old Specialist John Pagel of Denzer was shot through the left biceps. His wife, Kandie Pagel, said Sunday she didn't know whether his unit would still head to Afghanistan next month as planned. 23-year-old Army Reserve Specialist Grant Moxon of Lodi was shot in the leg. Two Wisconsin soldiers were killed. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. ________________________________________ UPDATED Sunday, November 8, 2009 --- 9:00 a.m. Sauk County family says son wounded at Fort Hood DENZER, Wis. (AP) — A Sauk County family says their son was one of the soldiers injured in the Fort Hood shooting, and they're grateful he is recovering. Relatives say 28-year-old Sgt. John Pagel of the small community of Denzer was shot in the arm. His father, Merton Pagel, tells WISC-TV a bullet went through his son's arm and chest. He says he feels sad for what happened and hopes his son comes home soon. Pagel was at the Texas Army base Thursday when a gunman sprayed bullets, killing at least 13 and injuring more than two dozen. The Associated Press has confirmed two Wisconsin soldiers were killed and at least three others injured. Pagel was preparing to deploy with the 467th Medical Detachment. His wife, Kandie Pagel, says John called her Friday night to tell her what happened. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. _______________________________________________________ UPDATE Posted Friday, November 6, 2009 -- 4:34pm By Zac Schultz Lodi: A 23 year-old Lodi man is recovering after being shot at Fort Hood Thursday. Grant Moxon joined the Army Reserves last year after finishing college. He is a Mental Health Specialist based out of Madison and a member of the 467th out of Madison. Dave Moxon says his son had just arrived at Fort Hood Wednesday. "I got a text message from Grant at 3:25 (Thursday) afternoon. It just said this is Grant. I was shot in the leg. I'm going to be ok." At first Dave thought his son was kidding, but soon the Army called to confirm what they called a superficial leg injury. "(Grant) mentioned the bullet was embedded in his leg and I guess soft tissue above the knee." Dave says Grant was being processed when the shooter opened fire. "He was sitting there in the front row of this room and heard some commotion, looked up and he's looking the shooter right in the face, he said, within 15 feet. The guy pulled up the gun and started shooting. He couldn't believe he didn't get shot worse than he did. "He went down under the desk and played dead. He just felt very, very fortunate not to have incurred a worse wound than he did and to be alive." Dave says Grant was about to be deployed to Afghanistan, but he's not sure what will happen now. "It's amazing though on the short period of time that he was there, and already shot, and he hasn't even gotten to Afghanistan, wow." Dave says he knew Grant could get wounded overseas, "but not filling out paperwork, you just don't imagine that." _______________________________________________________ Posted Friday, November 6, 2009---10:55 a.m. LODI, Wis. (AP) -- A second Wisconsin soldier is recovering after the Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead and 30 injured. Dave Moxon is the father of 23-year-old Army Reserve Spc. Grant Moxon, of Lodi. He says his son was shot in the leg. Grant Moxon arrived at the Texas Army base on Wednesday and was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. He was sitting in a processing room Thursday when he heard a commotion and found himself eye-to-eye with the shooter. After being shot above the knee he pretended to be dead until the shooter moved away. Grant Moxon is a mental health specialist -- the same field as the suspected shooter, Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The other injured Wisconsin soldier was 19-year-old Amber Bahr of Random Lake. Her family says she was shot in the back. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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