A Wayland Son Deploys to Afghanistan

This article was submitted by Andrea Wagner.

On May 1 Lt. Steven Kinney deployed to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division, where his unit will be stationed for the next nine months. A 2006 graduate of Wayland High School, Kinney attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating with honors in 2010. He selected Army Aviation as his branch and was stationed at Ft. Rucker, Ala., where he completed flight school. After flight school, Kinney joined the 10th Mountain Division stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y. Kinney pilots Apache Longbow helicopters, the Army’s primary attack aircraft. He is a platoon leader, responsible for 12 men.

Kinney’s family traveled to Fort Drum to attend the May 1 deployment ceremony. It was a beautiful spring and emotional day as the service personnel, many with small children, said goodbye to their families and faced the uncertainty of a military zone. Just weeks prior to this deployment, two service personnel, both lieutenants and pilots like Kinney in the 10th Mountain Division, were killed by mortar shelling, which was weighing on the minds of many at the ceremony.

Kinney stated prior to leaving, "This is the time I've been waiting for since joining the Army. I've spent years training for this event. I want mission success and to bring everyone home alive.”

Kinney attended Wayland’s public schools from second grade on. He was active in Boy Scouts, obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout; he worked at CVS, participated in many extracurricular activities and made deep connections with many in the local community, including the veteran’s group in Wayland.

He is excited to serve his country and community and use his training and education to ensure freedom and security is maintained. He will be missed by his family and his community. 

If anyone would like to write Kinney, please contact his mother at awagner0201@gmail.com for his address. His address cannot be published as it is a security risk. We wish him safe travels and a speedy, safe return home.