SSG Jeremy A. Katzenberger

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Andrew Katzenberger, 26, was killed by enemy forces during a heavy firefight while conducting combat operations in Paktika Province, Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Katzenberger was a squad leader assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. He was on his eighth deployment in support of the War on Terror with four previous deployments to Iraq and three to Afghanistan.

He was born Nov. 2, 1984 in Kansas City, Mo. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 2004 from his hometown of Weatherby Lake, Mo. Staff Sgt. Katzenberger completed One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Ga., as an infantryman. After graduating from the Basic Airborne Course there, he was assigned to the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program also at Fort Benning.

Staff Sgt. Katzenberger graduated from the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and was then assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in April 2005, where he served as a rifleman, automatic rifleman, team leader and Ranger squad leader.

His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, U.S. Army Ranger Course, Warrior Leader Course, and Jumpmaster.

His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge. He has also been awarded the Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal with one loop, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with three Campaign Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 2 and the Army Service Ribbon.

Staff Sgt. Katzenberger is survived by his wife Colleen A. (Montgomery) and his son Everett James, both of Richmond Hill, Ga., and his parents Robert and Peggy Katzenberger of Weatherby Lake, Mo.

As a Ranger, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Andrew Katzenberger selflessly lived his life for others and distinguished himself as a member of the Army’s premier direct action raid force, continuously deployed in support of the War on Terror, and fought valiantly as he served his fellow Rangers and our great Nation.

– RANGERS LEAD THE WAY! –

Ranger and Family Health & Wellness Programs

Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) are sponsored by command and consist of family members and other volunteers associated with a particular unit. FRGs are a non-government entity and serve to enhance the well-being and morale within the command. FRGs and command receive grants to pay for all-important family morale-boosting activities during the soldier’s deployment and upon their return. The grants awarded depend on the size and location of the command. These families have endured over 17 consecutive deployments since 9/11. LTWF feels that when the Ranger is deployed, so is his family. On-base activity for the family, in addition to the preparation of “morale boxes” – simple gifts from home, is so essential to caring for our Rangers serving in harm’s way.

Ranger Chaplain Special Programs

Ranger Chaplain Special Programs –These programs identify and allow us to provide grants to support single and married Rangers and/or their families with the sole purpose of preserving this extremely pressured force. Through these programs, Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund provides enrichment funds to be used for family activities such as Support Groups for Spouses of the Deployed, Marriage Enrichment Training, child care and events for our single Rangers.

A Ranger’s ‘Conspicuous Gallantry’

Sgt. Leroy Petry awarded the Medal of Honor

The Lead the Way Fund joins all patriotic Americans everywhere as we celebrate the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Army Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry.
President Barack Obama will bestow the medal on Sgt. Petry at a White House ceremony on July 12, 2011. He is only the second living serviceman from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq to receive the Medal of Honor.
Sgt. Petry was nominated by fellow soldiers for his heroic actions in saving their lives and preventing serious injury while wounded and under enemy fire during a combat operation in Afghanistan on May 26, 2008.
The Lead the Way organization first came into contact with Sgt. Petry after he returned from Afghanistan with serious injuries sustained on that day. Sgt. Petry lost his right hand and sustained shrapnel wounds when he threw a live enemy grenade back at the enemy during combat, saving the lives of Army Rangers. At the time the Sgt. Petry had already taken bullet wounds in both legs. He also applied a tourniquet to his own grievously wounded arm and continued to communicate with command while under fire.
The Lead the Way Fund’s mission is to provide aid beyond that which the U.S. Government can give to wounded Army Rangers returning from combat. The fund also supports Rangers’ families in a variety of ways.
Many Lead the Way supporters first met Sgt. Petry in September of 2009 at a fundraising event for Rangers hosted in Manhasset, NY. Sgt. Petry, in full uniform and by then walking and fitted with a high-tech mechanical hand, made a lasting impression on all attendees. Sgt. Petry met and spoke with many supporters at the event and even demonstrated his new hand’s capabilities. On that occasion in 2009 it was already widely known that Sgt. Petry’s fellow fighting men had nominated him for a Medal of Honor.
Since then Sgt. Petry returned to Afghanistan for his ninth and last tour – this time in an administrative role. He had previously deployed twice to Iraq and six times to Afghanistan in service to the War on Terror.
Today Sgt. Petry serves his fellow 75th Ranger Regiment soldiers as they return from combat. He works as a Special Operations Command Care Coalition liaison officer tracking and monitoring injured Rangers in the Northwest Region at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, WA. Sgt. Petry lives there with his wife, Ashley, and their four children.
As Sgt. Petry helps provide oversight to returning wounded warriors and their families he has reconnected with friends at the Lead the Way Fund. “All of us at Lead the Way extend our heartfelt congratulations to Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry on his Medal of Honor,” says James P. Regan, the fund’s Chairman and CEO. “We are humbled and honored to work with him in support of the men of the 75th Ranger Regiment and their families who give so much to our nation. What better person to continue serving his country this way than Leroy Petry? Sgt. Petry well understands the position of the wounded soldier and his family due to his own experience. ‘Selfless’ is the best single word to describe him.”
Regan is the father of a fallen 75th Regiment Ranger, Sgt. James J. Regan, who died in fighting in Iraq in 2007. The Lead the Way Fund was created in Sgt. Regan’s honor.
Sgt. Petry has already been awarded numerous awards for heroism in combat, but the Medal of Honor is a rarity, especially given his survival to receive it. The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who “distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.”
The service member’s meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades. And it must have involved risk of life. There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit. Sgt. Daniel Higgins, a team leader in the combat operation on May 26, 2008, was with Sgt. Petry that day – in a rare daytime raid on a high-value target – and sustained wounds alongside Sgt. Petry. Sgt. Higgins later reported, “If not for Staff Sergeant Petry’s actions, we would have been seriously wounded or killed.”
Sgt. Petry has gone on the record stating his appreciation for his fellow soldiers who recommended him for the Medal of Honor. In his humility, he wishes to share this unique honor with all those who fight and risk it all for their country.
For more information on Sgt. Petry and the Medal of Honor, visit the Army Special Operations Command website: http://www.soc.mil/75th%20Ranger%20Regiment/Petry.html. The site also offers many photos and a storyboard that illustrates the combat operation on the day of Sgt. Petry’s heroism.

The Army Ten-Miler

The Lead the Way Fund is pleased to announce that we have secured slots at the Army Ten-Miler race on October 9, 2011 in Washington, D.C.   All remaining slots will be filled on a first come-first served basis.  We hope that you will be able to race for us or at least come out and support our runners.  All funds raised by our runners will go directly to the Lead the Way Fund to support our ongoing programs and initiatives.

Each year tens of thousands of runners and spectators come to Washington, DC to join in this race classic. Produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, the Army Ten-Miler proceeds support Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation, a comprehensive network of support and leisure services designed to enhance the lives of soldiers and their families. The race starts and finishes at the Pentagon, passing by DC landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Capitol Building.  For more details about the race as well as the activities that will take place in conjunction with the event, please visit the Army Ten-Miler website at www.armytenmiler.com.

Already have a slot in the Army Ten-Miler?  Head on over to our Army Ten-Miler First Giving page and sign-up to raise funds.  (Never raised funds before? Check out our First Giving instruction page at the bottom of this page)

To secure one of Lead The Way Fund slots in the Army Ten-Miler, first contact our Army Ten-Miler race leader using the contact information below.  Once you are approved for a Lead The Way Fund slot, head on over to our Army Ten-Miler First Giving page and start raising funds for Lead The Way Fund!

Lead The Way Fund race leader:

Email: [email protected]

WHEN: Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 8:00 AM, Rain or Shine.

WHAT:  Army Ten-Miler

WHERE:  Washington, D.C.

Racing Requirements:

Please note that in order to qualify for a Lead the Way Fund slot, each Participant is asked to raise $500 on behalf of the Lead the Way Fund.  To sign up for one of the remaining Lead the Way Fund slots, please email your interest to [email protected] by August 1, 2011.

First Giving Instructions

Go to Army Ten-Miler First Giving page

1) Click the green “Join Now” button on the top of the page

2) Follow the instructions from Firstgiving

5) Share your new Firstgiving  page with family and friends.

 

Mightyman Triathlon Series

The Lead the Way Fund is pleased to announce that we have been able to secure slots at the  MightyMan Triathlon series.  This will be the Lead the Way Fund’s first year at MightyMan.

We hope that you will either be able to race for us or just come out and cheer for our racers.  The Lead the Way Fund will have a tent at the event, which will further raise awareness for the work we do.

The Lead the Way Fund, through the generosity of Event Power Long Island, the MightyMan race organizers, has secured slots for the 2011 MightyMan Series.

The slot allocation and date of the races are as follows:
1.    Sprint Distance (10/1/2011) – event slots  (Swim: 750 Meters, Bike: 17 K, Run: 5K)
2.    Olympic Distance (10/2/2011) – event slots (Swim: 0.93 Mile, Bike: 23.8 Miles, Run: 6.2 Miles)
3.    Half-Iron (10/2/2011) – event slots (Swim: 1.2 Mile, Bike: 56 Miles, Run: 13.1 Miles)
When: Saturday October 1, 2011 (Sprint) or Sunday, October 2, 2011 (Olympic & Half Distance)
Where: Montauk, NY

*The price for each race is as follows:  $95 (Sprint), $175 (Olympic) and $220 (Half).  (Prices reflect individual racer prices).

Racing Requirements
To be considered for a Lead the Way Fund slot please email your indication of interest to
[email protected] by 4PM EDT ON SUNDAY, May 22, 2011.  Please indicate if you have ever participated in a triathlon or a similar event and the name of the event(s).  (Selection will not be based on your past times, however, we would like some indication that you have the ability to train and compete in a triathlon).  Prospective registrants will be notified shortly thereafter of their status.

* Please specify which race or races you would like to compete in.
** Please note that in order to qualify for a Lead the Way Fund slot each contestant is asked to raise $500. We will discuss multi-race participants on an individual basis.
*** Each entrant will receive gear including a LTWF visor and a LTWF light-weight running top.

More information at the office Mightyman Triathlon race site.

Once approved please visit the Firstgiving.com event page and start the registration process.

TOBAY Triathlon 2011

The Lead the Way Fund is pleased to announce that we have been able to secure slots at the TOBAY Triathlon. This will be the Lead the Way Fund’s second year at TOBAY. We hope that you will either be able to race for us or just come out and cheer for our racers. The Lead the Way Fund will have a tent at the event, which will further raise awareness for the work we do.

The Lead the Way Fund, through the generosity of the TOBAY Triathlon race organizers, has secured slots for the 2011 TOBAY Triathlon at a discounted price of $50.

When: Sunday, August 28, 2011
What: The TOBAY Triathlon (1/2 mile swim, 15 k bike and a 5k run)
Where: Oyster Bay, NY

Racing Requirements
To be considered for a Lead the Way Fund slot please email your indication of interest to
[email protected] by 4PM EDT ON SUNDAY, May 22, 2011.  Please indicate if you have ever participated in a triathlon or a similar event and the name of the event(s).  (Selection will not be based on your past times, however, we would like some indication that you have the ability to train and compete in a triathlon).  Prospective registrants will be notified shortly thereafter of their status.

* Please specify which race or races you would like to compete in.
** Please note that in order to qualify for a Lead the Way Fund slot each contestant is asked to raise $500. We will discuss multi-race participants on an individual basis.
*** Each entrant will receive gear including a LTWF visor and a LTWF light-weight running top.

More information at the official TOBAY Triathlon race site.