John Laursen

John Laursen

John Laursen - USA Warriors
Born (1988-01-28) January 28, 1988
Staten Island, NY, USA
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
PSHL team
Former teams		 USA Warriors
Fort Drum Mountaineers
Playing career 2010–present

John (Johnny) Laursen (born January 28, 1988) is an American Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, and ice hockey goaltender for the USA Warriors.

Personal

Laursen hands out boxes of medical supplies to a local Iraqi man....[1]

Born in Staten Island, NY, Laursen is the son of a Port Authority (NY/NJ) Police Officer.[2][3][4][5] Laursen grew up in Brick, NJ and as a child, idolized the New York Rangers' goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck.[6][7] He played youth hockey with the Brick Hockey Club.[6][7] He graduated from Brick Township High School in Brick, NJ, in 2006, then went on to graduate from the CSB School of Broadcasting in Orlando, FL, in February 2008[7]

Military

In October 2008, Laursen enlisted in the United States Army. He graduated Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, KY, and attended Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Upon graduating AIT he was awarded the military occupational specialty of Motor Transport Operator (88M) and was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. With the 10th Mountain Division he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn between 2009 and 2010.[3][4][5][6] In 2010, Laursen took part in a joint humanitarian aid mission with the 1st Bn., 25th Bde., 17th Iraqi Army Div. in several villages just north of Baghdad providing food, water and medical supplies.[1][4] On Veteran's Day Weekend, 2012, Laursen traveled to Staten Island, NY to assist in to clearing debris from Hurricane Sandy, using personal leave to volunteer along with several other members of the 10th Mountain Division.[8] In 2013, Laursen deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Laursen had been deployed to Afghanistan for four months before his emergency evacuation from theater.[9] After his evacuation from combat, back in the United States at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, doctors searched for a diagnosis to his mysterious condition. Laursen would learn he had eosinophilic esophagitis, known as EoE, a chronic inflammatory disease of the esophagus.[9] He was retired from the United States Army in March 2014.[2][4][6][7]

Awards and decorations

Combat Action Badge
Driver and Mechanic Badge | Driver-W
10th Mountain Division Combat Service Identification Badge

Army Commendation Medal

Army Achievement Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star
Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 2
NATO Medal for service with ISAF
Meritorious Unit Commendation with one oak leaf cluster

[10]

Youth Hockey

Laursen has played hockey since age 2.[9] Laursen played youth hockey with the Brick Hockey Club and high school hockey with Brick High School in Brick, NJ [3][4][6][7][11]

Fort Drum Mountaineers

While stationed at Fort Drum, Laursen served as Captain of the Fort Drum Mountaineers.[3] While playing with the Mountaineers, Laursen took part in several exhibitions with both professional and military teams to include the Albany Devils Staff and the 1000 Island Privateers of the Federal Hockey League.[12]

Laursen taking shots from the Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews prior to the 2016 NHL Stadium Series at TCF Bank Stadium.

In 2012, The Fort Drum Mountaineers traveled to Canada to play the Royal Military College of Canada’s (RMC) hockey team in Kingston, ON. Maj. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the then Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division (LI) commander, also played for the team during the game.[13] RMC defeated the Mountaineers by a score of 8-7.[14]

USA Warriors

Laursen began playing with the USA Warriors in 2013, and continues to serve as the goalie for the standing team wearing #1.[4][5][7] The team serves invaluable roles—support group, social network, and as a connection to their lives in the military—for its players.[9] Since 2013, Laursen has taken part in many events and games with the Warriors to include tournaments, exhibitions against teams such as the University of Maryland Terps, the Naval Academy Midshipmen and league games in the Public Service Hockey League. Laursen has also taken the ice as the USA Warriors goalie during annual events with the USA Warriors and the Chicago Blackhawks during both the 2015 NHL Winter Classic and NHL Stadium Series in 2014 and 2016.[6] While on the USA Warriors, Laursen has made several appearances at the Verizon Center during Washington Capitals games and has been featured on CSN Mid-Atlantic several times [7]

Laursen has been involved with linking the USA Warriors with children with special needs. Over the past three years, Laursen has brought the USA Warriors to Brick, NJ to take part in a fundraiser for the Brick Stars Special Hockey team[15] in their Challenger Winter Classic's which take place outdoors at Avon Pond in Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ. In October 2015, Laursen organized the Columbus Day Classic,[16] a charity hockey game between the USA Warriors and Aberdeen Proving Ground JTF-Blast which raised more than $9,000 for the St. Elizabeth School, non-public Special needs school in Baltimore.[17] Laursen is also adding to his list of charitable endeavors by shaving his head to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.[5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Assisting locals, increasing trust: Humanitarian aid drops help build confidence in ISF, ease US drawdown". DVIDS. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
  2. 1 2 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/fallston-joppa/ph-ag-veteran-house-mortgage-free-0704-20140702-story.html/
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Hockey is a charitable endeavor for soldiers | Jim Mancari". Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "CPL John M. Laursen, U.S. Army (Ret.) & USA Warriors Ice Hockey". Empower Our Vets. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Army Veteran Hockey Player Shaves to Help Kids With Cancer | St. Baldrick's Blog | Childhood Cancer Stories & Research". St. Baldrick's Foundation. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Warrior of St. Baldrick". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Two-Man Advantage 12/18/15". Monumental Network. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  8. ↑ "Cleaning up Sandy | Reuters.com". Reuters. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Affairs, Dan Lafontaine, RDECOM Public. "Wounded warrior finds solace, brotherhood on the ice | Article | The United States Army". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  10. ↑ Laursen, John. "LinkedIn Profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Shore Sports Zone. "Brick Stars Challenger Winter Classic". Avon Pond. Shore Sports Zone. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  12. ↑ http://soldiers.dodlive.mil/2012/02/soldiers-play-hockey-with-heart/
  13. ↑ "MOUNTAINEERS TAKE ON CANADIAN COUNTERPARTS - US Fed News Service, Including US State News | HighBeam Research". www.highbeam.com. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  14. ↑ http://www.army.mil/article/78145/Mountaineers_take_on_Canadian_counterparts/
  15. ↑ Rotolo, Chris. "Brick Stars hockey set to play USA Warriors Sunday in Avon". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "The USA Warriors ice hockey team". RunnerCycle. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
  17. ↑ Lam, Ken. "Warriors on the Ice". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
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