Grisanti names Kelly Carrigg 'Veteran of the Month'

State senator recognizes Hamburg resident for her service, volunteer work at Memorial VFW Post in Grand Island

New York State Sen. Mark Grisanti recently named Kelly Carrigg as the seventh recipient of his "Veteran of the Month" recognition program.

A resident of the Town of Hamburg who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, Carrigg is the seventh recipient of the monthly honor presented by Grisanti. She was awarded following an application and nomination process coordinated by staff members in Grisanti's veterans liaison office.

"I am pleased to recognize Lt. Col. Carrigg with this honor," said Grisanti, a member of the New York State Senate's veterans, homeland security and military affairs committees. "Her career of distinguished service is very impressive, and her current community involvement is admirable. Now working as a school teacher, she is an ideal role model for our young people."

A Buffalo native, Carrigg graduated from Canisius College in 1989 with a bachelor's in history and French. She received her commission as a second lieutenant from Canisius' ROTC program. She was a colony member of the AOTT Nu Delta Chapter, established in 1997, at Canisius.

Originally trained as an ordnance officer, Carrigg has served in numerous operational posts as a logistician. She began her career in Kitzingen, Germany, with the 3^rd Infantry Division, serving as a maintenance platoon leader, shop officer and maintenance officer from 1989-93. Afterward, she joined the 82^nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where she served as an assistant S3 for the division support command, a heavy maintenance company commander in the 782^nd main support battalion and the deputy for the division materiel management center.

In 1997, Carrigg began her studies for a masters in French at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Upon graduation in 1999, she was assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point. She taught French and also served as the executive officer for the department of foreign languages.

Carrigg returned to Ft. Bragg in 2002 and held the positions of secretary to the general staff for the 1st corps support command and executive officer for the troop support battalion.

In 2004, she moved to the XVIII Airborne Corps G4, supply and services section, and deployed with the corps staff to Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004-06. Carrigg assumed duties as the TRADOC liaison officer to the French Army in June 2006. She was stationed at the French Doctrine Center for Forces Deployment at Ecole Militaire in Paris. She concluded her tour of duty in July 2009 and retired that August from the Army after 20 years of service.

LTC (Ret.) Carrigg is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. She is a jumpmaster and a master parachutist with 69 static line jumps. She has earned foreign jump wings from the British, Germans and French. She also maintained a 3/3 proficiency level in French on the defense language proficiency test.

Carrigg's awards and decorations include: the Army Achievement Medal, The Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.

While in Paris, Carrigg served as commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Benjamin Franklin Post No. 605, from 2007-09. She spearheaded the first-ever VFW European convention in France in 2008, which brought members together from Spain, France, Germany and Italy.

In July 2009, Carrigg moved home to Hamburg. She is currently a French teacher at St. Francis High School in Athol Springs. Carrigg recently served as the junior vice commander and trustee for the Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial VFW Post 9249 in Grand Island, as well as a trustee for the Erie County VFW.

In June 2010, she led a trip for veterans to Normandy, France, to commemorate the late DeGlopper, a native of Grand Island who was then the only recipient of the Medal of Honor from the 82^nd Airborne Division (which served during the D-Day campaign in June 1944).

In July 2012, Carrigg led a group of locals to Normandy to attend the dedication of a memorial to the late Father Ignatius Maternowski, a Franciscan chaplain/paratrooper from the 508^th PIR 82^nd Airborne Division who gave his life on D-Day. Maternowski was a member of the first graduating class of St. Francis in 1931.

Last month, she led another tour of Western New York residents to Normandy to commemorate the 70^th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The daughter of the late Paul and Colleen Carrigg, Kelly is an avid traveler and a competitive ballroom dancer with Fred Astaire Studios.

For more information about Grisanti's "Veteran of the Month" recognition program, including how to nominate someone for the honor, visit www.senatormarkgrisanti.com and click on the "Veterans" tab.