View Full Version : Sgt. Stephen M. New
Rest in Peace Brother. DOL
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, July 30, 2013) - Sgt. Stephen Michael New, 29, of Bartlett, Tenn., died July 28, of wounds received when his unit was attacked by small-arms fire in Kabul Province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Jackson, Miss. He was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
New joined the Army in August of 2003 as a health care specialist. While on active duty he served with Headquarters, 75th Ranger Regiment, Ft. Benning, Ga, until leaving active service in 2005.
In July of 2009, New joined the Mississippi National Guard and was assigned to 2nd Bn., 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Jackson, Miss.
In 2011, New attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection and was selected to become a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. New completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in Nov. 2012. . New was mobilized and deployed in with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in April 2013.
His military education includes One Station Training, U.S. Army Airborne School, the Warrior Leader Course, the Advanced Leader Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course.
New's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer professional Development with numeral 2, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, the Parachutist Badge , the Combat Infantry Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
He is survived by his parents and his sister.
RIP Sgt. New.
May God bring comfort and peace to family, teammates and friends.
RIP Warrior, Vaya con Dios..
The Reaper
07-30-2013, 20:19
RIP, hermano.
Thank you for your service, and your sacrifice.
TR
TrapperFrank
07-30-2013, 20:41
RIP and God bless the family.
Ghost_Team
07-30-2013, 21:40
Rest in peace.
Surgicalcric
07-30-2013, 23:58
Rest in peace Brother.
Prayers are with your family and teammates.
Crip
ironstoNe
07-31-2013, 00:23
He was a great friend and one hell of a guy... he always knew how to crack up a class even in the middle of a drowning session of anesthesia drugs and surgery techniques... damn I'll miss him. Your life was just too short brother... you were better than us all.. RIP
PedOncoDoc
07-31-2013, 04:45
Rest in peace, Warrior. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You will not be forgotten.
Ret10Echo
07-31-2013, 04:48
Sad news... Rest well Brother.
RIP, Steve. You will be missed by your C/2/20 family! The 3rd Group CMDR is visiting his family in Memphis today.
cback0220
07-31-2013, 07:24
He was one of my students at the JSOMTC. Good dude. RIP.
Tatonka316
07-31-2013, 08:40
Rest in peace, SGT. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. You will ALWAYS be missed and NEVER forgotten. Give my son a hug for me and tell him I will see him soon ...
molon labe
full cooler
07-31-2013, 08:52
Rest in peace SGT New. Prayers out to family and friends.
UWOA (RIP)
07-31-2013, 12:02
Rest In Peace, Sergeant. Prayers out to your family and friends. Rest well knowing that you exemplify all that is truly important in service to our nation. De Oppresso Liber.
.
RIP SGT thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
Rest in Peace Warrior. Thank you for your service and ultimate sacrifice. May your family and friends be comforted in this tragic time.
RIP. prayers out for your family and friends.
Rest in Peace Sergeant New. Gone too soon :(
ZonieDiver
08-01-2013, 10:59
Rest In Peace, Brother.
mark46th
08-01-2013, 20:48
Rest in Peace, Warrior...
Goggles Pizano
08-02-2013, 07:47
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti amen.
In pace requiescat SGT New, dominus vobiscum.
B36reconman
08-03-2013, 06:38
RIP Warrior..
DIYPatriot
08-06-2013, 08:32
This one hits really hard. I used to attend church with Stephen and his family. He was the type of guy that never said the words, "I quit" or "I can't". He just had this energetic and eager way about him and he will be missed by so many. I am simply heartbroken over this.
If anyone is in the West TN area and would like to stand in his flag line, here are some details for you:
VISITATION: Saturday, August 10th, 2013, 11 AM to 2 PM, PGR will provide a US Flag line during visitation.
STAGING: 10 AM (Briefing at 10:30 AM) at:
Faith Baptist Church
3755 North Germantown Rd.
Bartlett, TN 38133
FUNERAL SERVICE: Starts at 2 PM
One of our QP's on the board is going over to escort Stephen's body home.
Red Flag 1
08-06-2013, 10:09
Rest In God's Peace, Warrior.
kojak1001
08-06-2013, 11:10
Rest in peace Sergeant New.
God Bless,Rest in Peace Warrior.....
He was just a simple soldier and his ranks are growing thin
But his presence should remind us; we may need his like again,
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.......
Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that might say:
OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY. (author unknown)
Keeping Big Teddy's message going. RIP warriors.
__________________
God Bless Sgt. New and his Family. Rest in Peace Brother.
Just to add some to DYIPatriot's info:
All,
Below is the scheduled visitation/funeral/interment for SSG New per Ft
Campbell CAC.
It appears that West-Boro Baptist Church has announced that they will be
protesting at SSG New's funeral service. Please make your personnel aware
of local laws pertaining to protesters (usually they have to stay 50 feet
from the street curb and 75 feet from the Church or Funeral Home).
Visitation (public)
10 Aug 2013
1100-1400
*Faith Baptist Church
3755 North Germantown Road
Bartlett, TN 38133
901-386-4785
Funeral
10 Aug 2013
1400-1500
*Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens
3700 North Germantown Road
Bartlett, TN 38133
901-386-7485
Burial
10 Aug 2013
On/about 1500 following funeral services (same location)
*Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens
3700 North Germantown Road
Bartlett, TN 38133
901-386-7485
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in SSG Stephen New's name to either the Green Beret Foundation (greenberetfoundation.org) or the Ukranian Gypsy Project 9UGP) at Eads Baptist Church or to Brandon and Michelle Burch through online giving ay us.worldteam.org. The Project name is Brandon & Michelle Burch.
FlagDayNCO
08-08-2013, 17:24
Rest Easy Brother. Thoughts and prayers for your family and Team.
Rest in peace, Sgt. New. My prayers out to you and your family. And thank you for your selfless service to our country.
WMCTV5 in Memphis posted several videos of SSG Stephen New's memorial service today.
What an amazing tribute given by Stephen's best friend [D]. I transcribed it below. I wish all high school and college graduations featured speeches such as the one he delivered. Powerful words delivered about living life hard and not leaving anything on the table. I haven't served, and the tribute still made me laugh and cry. Powerful words for anyone, really....
If you have the time, the video of the entire memorial is 1 hour: LINK (http://www.wmctv.com/story/23100308/memorial-will-be-held-for-staff-sgt-stephen-new-at-2-pm). The Memphis news site has 4 videos: 2 are short 1-2 minute excerpts, 1 is the pastor's portion, and the 1 hour version is all tributes/music.
---------------------------------------
Good afternoon. My name is [D].
Stephen was a lot of things to many different people. To me, he was my brother, and my best friend.
I was fortunate enough to spend the last 13 years with him. In sharing a house together, working as business partners, playing on the same sports teams, getting into fights together, joining the military and training, you get to know a person unlike what most people get to experience in life. I saw Stephen for who he truly was, flaws and all, and I can honestly say he was the greatest person I've ever known.
Times like this call for the retelling of a who a person was. But before I do that, let me first tell you what he was not.
He wasn't afraid of anyone. He'd never back down from a fight. He wasn't selfish or prideful. He didn't care what others thought about him, only those that he loved. He didn't care much about money, only seeing it as a means to an end, or a way to help others.
He didn't care much for material things either. Anything he owned was as good as yours if you needed it. As [M] mentioned, he definitely was not a fan of poison ivy. Anyone who's ever spent 5 minutes with him knows he was deathly allergic to it.
What he was is a much more interesting story.
He was extremely intelligent. I can remember times when I would find out that I knew something he didn't, and I would just gloat in the moment to his face, briefly thinking to myself, "So this is what it feels like to be the smartest guy in the room for once." So you can imagine how many of our conversations went, something similar to Lenny and George from Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men.'
He read more books than I could imagine. Books on things that hardly anyone cares anything about. Books like 'Trigonometry Demystified,' 'Exploring Electricity' and a book all about wolverines.
He was practically a world-renowned expert on anything 'Lord of the Rings'-related. Authors like Tolkien, CS Lewis and Cormac McCarthy were just some of his favorites.
Stephen was rough around the edges, to say the least. He was a mess. He didn't sweat the small stuff. He would laugh about trivial things such as cleaning out his car, his room, cutting the grass, or not washing his whites and his colors together.
But all of these are some of the funniest things about him. He was a jack-of-all-trades. Some days he would start by building a fence in the morning, we'd go move a piano in the afternoon for a customer, and then he'd finish by working on his half pipe that he built in our garage. He loved to skateboard, and he would spend hours hurting himself trying some new trick he wanted to land.
He would say things that would make me so proud to know such a crazy person. Things like, "I cannot wait to have a moat full of alligators." Or more recently, "When I get home I'm going to buy some land for my underground bunker."
He's the only person I've ever known to have 5 dollars in his costanza wallet, at any given time, made up entirely of loose change. Along with receipts from 2005.
He was good with words, which is probably why he grasped poetry so well. One of his favorite 'po-eems', as he called them, reads "I should be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence, two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that's made all the difference."
He also loved Emerson's quote: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail." And that's how he lived his life. Much of the time doing things the hard way.
Stephen was simply out of control, in all of the best ways. He never took himself too seriously, and always reminded me when I was. I loved that about him.
He wasn't one of these people who loved every aspect of life, either. Mainly because he knew we were made with a better place in mind.
One of the inscriptions I found this past week that seemed to mean a lot to him was in Latin, and it said, "Remember that you will die, because worldly things are fleeting." Stephen definitely carried himself that way.
A family member of mine spoke of death as a candle flickering out as dawn is breaking. While I am not much for metaphors, Stephen I'm sure would appreciate such a poignant picture of our time here on earth. Life is temporary; take advantage.
Stephen died a hero, while working on two of his fellow soldiers who'd been wounded from small arms fire. He went out serving others, and doing what he loved. Very few of us are ever given such honorable circumstances.
You're going to be terribly missed. Stephen you were, are, and always will be a great part of my life. No one will ever be able to fill your shoes, and I will always be grateful for the influence you had on me.
You are loved, brother. So in stealing your typical parting phrase, "Fare thee well, Friend."
WMCTV5 in Memphis posted several videos of SSG Stephen New's memorial service today.
What an amazing tribute given by Stephen's best friend [D]. I transcribed it below. I wish all high school and college graduations featured speeches such as the one he delivered. Powerful words delivered about living life hard and not leaving anything on the table. I haven't served, and the tribute still made me laugh and cry. Powerful words for anyone, really....
If you have the time, the video of the entire memorial is 1 hour: LINK (http://www.wmctv.com/story/23100308/memorial-will-be-held-for-staff-sgt-stephen-new-at-2-pm). The Memphis news site has 4 videos: 2 are short 1-2 minute excerpts, 1 is the pastor's portion, and the 1 hour version is all tributes/music.
---------------------------------------
Good afternoon. My name is [D].
Stephen was a lot of things to many different people. To me, he was my brother, and my best friend.
I was fortunate enough to spend the last 13 years with him. In sharing a house together, working as business partners, playing on the same sports teams, getting into fights together, joining the military and training, you get to know a person unlike what most people get to experience in life. I saw Stephen for who he truly was, flaws and all, and I can honestly say he was the greatest person I've ever known.
Times like this call for the retelling of a who a person was. But before I do that, let me first tell you what he was not.
He wasn't afraid of anyone. He'd never back down from a fight. He wasn't selfish or prideful. He didn't care what others thought about him, only those that he loved. He didn't care much about money, only seeing it as a means to an end, or a way to help others.
He didn't care much for material things either. Anything he owned was as good as yours if you needed it. As [M] mentioned, he definitely was not a fan of poison ivy. Anyone who's ever spent 5 minutes with him knows he was deathly allergic to it.
What he was is a much more interesting story.
He was extremely intelligent. I can remember times when I would find out that I knew something he didn't, and I would just gloat in the moment to his face, briefly thinking to myself, "So this is what it feels like to be the smartest guy in the room for once." So you can imagine how many of our conversations went, something similar to Lenny and George from Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men.'
He read more books than I could imagine. Books on things that hardly anyone cares anything about. Books like 'Trigonometry Demystified,' 'Exploring Electricity' and a book all about wolverines.
He was practically a world-renowned expert on anything 'Lord of the Rings'-related. Authors like Tolkien, CS Lewis and Cormac McCarthy were just some of his favorites.
Stephen was rough around the edges, to say the least. He was a mess. He didn't sweat the small stuff. He would laugh about trivial things such as cleaning out his car, his room, cutting the grass, or not washing his whites and his colors together.
But all of these are some of the funniest things about him. He was a jack-of-all-trades. Some days he would start by building a fence in the morning, we'd go move a piano in the afternoon for a customer, and then he'd finish by working on his half pipe that he built in our garage. He loved to skateboard, and he would spend hours hurting himself trying some new trick he wanted to land.
He would say things that would make me so proud to know such a crazy person. Things like, "I cannot wait to have a moat full of alligators." Or more recently, "When I get home I'm going to buy some land for my underground bunker."
He's the only person I've ever known to have 5 dollars in his costanza wallet, at any given time, made up entirely of loose change. Along with receipts from 2005.
He was good with words, which is probably why he grasped poetry so well. One of his favorite 'po-eems', as he called them, reads "I should be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence, two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that's made all the difference."
He also loved Emerson's quote: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail." And that's how he lived his life. Much of the time doing things the hard way.
Stephen was simply out of control, in all of the best ways. He never took himself too seriously, and always reminded me when I was. I loved that about him.
He wasn't one of these people who loved every aspect of life, either. Mainly because he knew we were made with a better place in mind.
One of the inscriptions I found this past week that seemed to mean a lot to him was in Latin, and it said, "Remember that you will die, because worldly things are fleeting." Stephen definitely carried himself that way.
A family member of mine spoke of death as a candle flickering out as dawn is breaking. While I am not much for metaphors, Stephen I'm sure would appreciate such a poignant picture of our time here on earth. Life is temporary; take advantage.
Stephen died a hero, while working on two of his fellow soldiers who'd been wounded from small arms fire. He went out serving others, and doing what he loved. Very few of us are ever given such honorable circumstances.
You're going to be terribly missed. Stephen you were, are, and always will be a great part of my life. No one will ever be able to fill your shoes, and I will always be grateful for the influence you had on me.
You are loved, brother. So in stealing your typical parting phrase, "Fare thee well, Friend."
Thank you for sharing this link. My thoughts and prayers are for his family, friends and team mates. RIP warrior. I am hopeful that our savior offered a salute as you entered his presence. There is no greater love ....
Rest in Peace SGT New, my prayers are with your family and Brothers.
Thanks for that post orion5.
DIYPatriot
07-28-2014, 07:58
I can't believe its been a year, bro...You're certainly missed. I message your mom from time to time and bumped into her about a month or so ago. A while back, you called me out and challenged me to do something more with my life- to be a more solid man and a leader in my family and live with a purpose and have no regrets. You lit a fire underneath me and I will forever be in your debt for that. Sometimes we need a little water thrown in our face. Well, you shoved me straight into the deep end! You're never far from our thoughts.