Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day helped set a new world skydiving record last week in Roswell, New Mexico, as part of the Alpha 5 team that jumped from the world’s largest hot air balloon at 38,067 feet.
VIRIN: 201221-A-AD014-001
While this year presented many challenges due to an ongoing pandemic, Soldiers continued to be resilient when faced with uncertainty. Soldiers helped on the frontlines in the COVID-19 response and also kept the peace during times of civil unrest.
An Army Ranger also received the military’s highest honor, while another Medal of Honor recipient left a legacy of selfless service behind following his battle with cancer.
Below are some of the most notable Soldier stories of the year:
Soldiers on COVID-19 frontlines
Thousands of Soldiers, like Maj. Erin Velazquez, were called on to support the nation’s ongoing fight against COVID-19. She led one of the Army Reserve’s Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces that rapidly deployed starting in March to help exhausted health care workers at civilian hospitals.