Monday, March 24, 2025
Latest:
The Waynedale News
Featured Local News

POSTCARD FROM THE FRONT

The Waynedale News Staff 3 min read

Photo above is David Wall’s grandson, Spc. Ryan Cartwright. At the time of this photo Cartwright was serving our country at Camp Phoenix, Kabul. This “Postcard from the Front” is reprinted from The News-Sentinel, which has sent a reporter and a photojournalist to Afghanistan to provide daily coverage of our local troops there through October. Photojournalist Aaron Suozzi and reporter Dan Cortez are in Afghanistan through October reporting on the 160 members of Fort Wayne’s 221st Ordnance Company. The Army Reserve ammunition supply-unit was deployed for up to a year in February and went to Afghanistan in April.
Photo above is David Wall’s grandson, Spc. Ryan Cartwright. At the time of this photo Cartwright was serving our country at Camp Phoenix, Kabul. This “Postcard from the Front” is reprinted from The News-Sentinel, which has sent a reporter and a photojournalist to Afghanistan to provide daily coverage of our local troops there through October. Photojournalist Aaron Suozzi and reporter Dan Cortez are in Afghanistan through October reporting on the 160 members of Fort Wayne’s 221st Ordnance Company. The Army Reserve ammunition supply-unit was deployed for up to a year in February and went to Afghanistan in April.
Sent to The Waynedale news from John Wall, Sr. John’s father, David Wall has been a resident of Waynedale for 38 years. This is his grandson who is proudly serving our country.

Spc. Ryan Cartwright

Age: 20

Current location: Camp Phoenix, Kabul

Born: Fort Wayne

Thank you to our community news sponsors!

Resides: Fort Wayne

Education: Attended North Side High School for one year

Family: Married with a 10-month-old daughter. Wife is seven months pregnant.

Job back home: Receiving department at Meijer on Illinois Road

Job in Afghanistan: Truck driver

Getting home: I get to go home for R & R to see my baby born. If it’s a boy, it’s going to be Ryan Cartwright Jr. I’d like a boy but another girl would do well, too. I miss going to La Hacienda with my wife and daughter. We have fun there. We’d go whenever we had the money.

Impressions of Afghanistan: It ain’t too bad. I haven’t got shot at yet. I feel safe with my people. They’re all good soldiers. There are a lot of young people in my shoes, so I don’t mind it. We put each other’s lives in each other’s hands. I thought it’d be 10 times worse than it is. The main thing that is hard is being away from family.

Interacting with the Afghans: The only ones I came for is the kids. It (makes me mad) to see them running around the streets. It makes me think of my kids.

The military life: It’s good money, especially when you have a wife and two kids. We pretty much got everything we need. What I’d like is calling cards. Those things get expensive.

What Americans might not know: I watch TV when I eat and all I hear about is Iraq, like we aren’t here in Afghanistan. We don’t get any respect. There are still people getting killed here.

One request: I want Amanda Perez to come here and perform. I think it would lift morale.

The Waynedale News Staff
Latest posts by The Waynedale News Staff (see all)

The Waynedale News Staff

Our in-house staff works with community members and our local writers to find, write and edit the latest and most interesting news-worthy stories. We are your free community newspaper, boasting positive, family friendly and unique news. > Read More Information About Us > More Articles Written By Our Staff