Russell Adam Burnham
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| Russell Adam Burnham | |
|---|---|
| Born 1979 | |
 Staff Sgt Russell Adam Burnham, U.S. Army Medical Corps NCO of the Year (2007) |
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| Place of birth | Tucson, Arizona |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 2001 - present |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant |
| Awards | Eagle Scout (1996) U.S. Army Soldier of the Year (2003) U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Soldier of the Year (2003) American Legion Military Spirit of Service (2004) MEDCOM Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (2007) |
Russell Adam Burnham (b 1979), U.S. Army soldier, is the great-grandson of Frederick Russell Burnham (1861-1947), D.S.O. The younger Burnham was the U.S. Army Soldier of the Year in 2003,[1] U.S. Army Medical Corps NCO of the Year for 2007,[2] and an Eagle Scout.[3] He was awarded the American Legion’s 2004 Military Spirit of Service award for his work with the Boy Scouts while stationed Fort Belvoir.[4] The elder Burnham taught scouting to Robert Baden-Powell.[5]
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[edit] U.S Army Soldier of the Year
The U.S. Army's annual Soldier of the Year/NCO of the Year competition tests soldiers' and sergeants' mental and physical abilities and recognizes the top finishers selected from commands all over the United States and the world. Soldiers compete in the following areas: an Army Physical Fitness Test, consisting of push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run; mental and physical challenges of day and night land navigation courses; accuracy with M-16 rifles; essays graded on topics ranging from force protection strategies to what it means to be a leader. After these events, competitors face selection boards which evaluate appearance, military knowledge and bearing.
At the time of the competition, Burnham served as an Evacuation Specialist with HHC, 1/5 Infantry Battalion, Fort Lewis. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Burnham earned an associates degree from Rio Salado College and is a Boy Scouts of America volunteer. In 2004, Burnham went on to win the Soldier of the Year for I Corps & Fort Lewis, and (FY 2003) for 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division.[1] In 2003-04, Burnham represented the Army at various sporting events, and he accompanied comedian Al Franken on a USO tour of Iraq and Afghanistan in December 2003.
From 2004 to 2005, Burnham was stationed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and in 2006 he was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Fort Sam Houston. Based on the board results from summer 2007, Burnham has been selected to attend the Interservice Physician Assistant Program at Fort Sam Houston beginning in January 2009 upon completion of prerequisite courses at San Antonio College.
[edit] Medical Command Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
In 2007, Staff Sergeant Burnham became NCO of the Year for the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Representing MEDCOM, he competed against all 13 major commands in the U.S. Army Best Warrior Competition.[2][6]
[edit] Family Military and Scouting History
- Frederick Russell Burnham (Great-grandfather) - A highly decordated British Army scout, fought in the First Matabele War, Second Matabele War, and the Second Boer War; taught scouting to Robert Baden-Powell, becoming one of the inspirations for the founding of the international Scouting Movement; named an Honorary Scout by the Boy Scouts of America. Mount Burnham is named after this man.
- Roderick Deane Burnham (Grandfather - paternal) - U.S. Army infantry in World War I, fought in France.
- Timothy "Red" Taylor (Grandfather - maternal) - U.S. Army engineer in World War II, landed in Normandy in a glider during D-Day and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
- Frederick Russell Burnham II (Father) - U.S. Army communications, fought in Vietnam; served as a troop leader in the Boy Scouts of America.
Burnham is a descendent of Thomas Burnham (1617-1688) of Hartford, Connecticut, the first American ancestor of a large number of Burnhams.[7] The descendents of Thomas Burnham have been noted in every American war, including the French and Indian war.[8]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b Preston, Kenneth O. (2003). Sgt Major, US Army (html). U.S. Army. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
- ^ a b United States Army Best Warrior Competition. U.S. Army. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
- ^ Frederick Russell Burnham (html). White Eagle District. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
- ^ Strasser, Mike. Best Warrior Continues Tradition of Military Excellence. U.S. Army. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
- ^ Great Canadian Heritage Discoveries. Biographical sketch. The Canadian Anglo-Boer War Museum (200). Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ MEDCOM bio burnham. U.S. Army. Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
- ^ Bradford, Mary E; Richard H Bradford (1993). An American family on the African frontier: the Burnham family letters, 1893–1896. Niwot, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. ISBN 1879373661.
- ^ (1915) Press Reference Library: Notables of the West. New York: International News Service. OCLC 5532411.
