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 Dan (on stretcher), brother Don and half brother Larry (Lea), and UH-60L Blackhawk View newspaper articles (file size: 1 MB) |
Daniel J. Stamaris, Jr. I will not be able to attend the reunion, but I just want to let everyone know I (we) are doing well down here in Alabama and wish all the best to all the class of `78. May God bless and keep you all. BIO Born: September 13, 1959 Puyallup, WAFamily: Wife: Heather (Just celebrated our tenth anniversary in November 07.) Children: Amber 13, Aaron 8, and Abigail 6. I LOVE MY WIFE & CHILDREN!!! Graduated: Lynnwood High School, Lynnwood, WA 1978 General Aviation Technologies Diploma, Alabama Aviation & Technical College, Ozark, AL. Twice on 'Dean's list' and once on college 'Presidents list' during three semesters of attendance (1991-1992). FAA Airframe License Enlisted in the U.S. Army as an enlisted soldier in August of 1979 and served from November 1979 through January 1994 (14+ years). Completed basic training at Ft. McClellan, AL (Feb 1980). Completed Advanced Individual Training as a helicopter mechanic (UH-1H “Huey”) at Ft. Rucker, AL (April 1980).
*(Captured: 27 February 1991 after being shot down in a UH-60L Blackhawk, (of which I was the crewchief), while en-route to rescue a downed F-16 pilot. Where: We were shot down near Basra in southern Iraq. What Camp (Where held): Spent the majority of time in an unknown location, which I refer to as the 'Prison Infirmary' somewhere in or near Baghdad, Iraq. Duration /Liberation: Held for eight days (27 Feb. thru March 6, 1991.) Fifth Allied POW Squadron.
In addition to the duty stations listed above I also traveled to the following locations for training or on weekends/leave while in the service.
Have also been to most of the continental U.S. either on vacation or while serving in the military. Decorations: Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Air Medal Army Commendation Medal 1st oak leaf cluster Army Achievement Medal 1st oak leaf cluster Purple Heart Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 bronze stars Army Good Conduct Medal 4th award National Defense Service Medal Prisoner of War Medal Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Kuwait) Korean Defense Service Medal Senior Aircraft Crewman Badge M16 Rifle Expert Badge 9mm Pistol Expert Badge Valorous Unit Award This list constitutes most but not all citations, awards, and commendations received. Military: Positions held in aviation units included UH-1H & UH-60 helicopter mechanic, crewchief, section sergeant, interim platoon sergeant, technical inspector, and auditor. Also graduated from the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course and several other military training courses. SFC/E-7 U.S. Army (Retired*) *Retired: Received a 'Disability' retirement (for injuries sustained when shot down in Iraq 27 Feb 1991) in January 1994 from the U. S. Army. Civilian career: Currently a Civil Service, Department of the Army Quality Assurance Specialist/Analyst and program manager for several depot level repair authorizations at Ft. Rucker AL. I also brief SERE* students on a weekly or as needed basis sharing my experiences as a POW in relation to their training. *SERE (an acronym for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) which is a U.S. military program that provides military personnel, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors with training in the Code of Conduct, survival skills, evading capture, recovery and dealing with captivity. Interests: Bible study (prophecy, esp. in relation to current and historical events) Family Health & Fitness/Body Building (Southern Cup & Mr. Dothan middleweight and overall champion in 1996) Race fan (NASCAR) #9 Rocks Football (Alabama…Roll Tide), (Seattle Seahawks) Winter & summer Olympics Carpentry (home repair, updating and remodeling) History buff Automotive maintenance Talk radio/news junkie Camping/RVing Motorcycles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||