David Lee Folsom II
Command Sergeant Major, United States Army
December 18, 1962 – July 19, 2017
Age – 54
Westland, MI
Operation Enduring Freedom
177th Military Police Brigade, Taylor, MI
Became “One of 22 A Day” on July 19, 2017
David served as Brigade Command Sergeant Major with the Michigan Army National Guard for over 20 years; having been deployed to Guantanamo Bay & Afghanistan. He was currently serving at Higher Headquarters 177th Military Police Brigade, Taylor, MI.
He was very highly decorated for his time in the service to our country. Among his many awards are the Afghanistan Campaign Medal W/ Campaign Star, Bronze star Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
His wife said he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He went missing for about 9 hours earlier in the month and couldn’t remember where he had gone or when he returned home. In June his PTSD started snowballing. He wasn’t sleeping very well and he started having some panic attacks.
CSM Folsom was remembered by Larry Gaynor as follows:
First and foremost, Folsom was a soldier through and through. He accepted every challenge thrown his way. His superiors loved him and kept promoting him. However it was his second deployment to Afghanistan that most likely did him in and when he developed PTSD.
Sometime along the way, perhaps in 1997, David got the urge to enlist in the National Guard. I asked him why. “Because LG (the name he called me moving forward) I’ve always wanted to serve our country.” I agreed since he would be away one week, two weeks and even longer at certain times of the year. We were so busy we could ill-afford to lose him during that time but it was what he wanted.
Folsom loved being part of the Guard. In fact, he got promoted many times. Then 9/11 happened. It has been so long ago I am sure many people forgot what year it happened. Much like the somberness at TNG today, then too was a very somber time. As we know 9/11 changed everything and started the war on terrorism.
Folsom’s first deployment was to Guantanamo Bay. He was gone for 6 months (sorry but I could be off a bit on the timing). We all wished him farewell and held his job open for him upon his return. First and foremost, Folsom was a soldier through and through. He accepted every challenge thrown his way. His superiors loved him and kept promoting him. However it was his second deployment to Afghanistan that most likely did him in and when he developed PTSD. We only learned of this recently and to tell you the truth, “civilians” are out of touch with what goes on with the military and the government keeps it that way.
I know from watching Homeland (Carrie and Saul trying to save the world) what happened to Peter Quinn. War is brutal. Soldiers are soldiers for a reason: They want to be soldiers. They understand the risks and rewards. It’s no different than being a coal miner or working in other high risk jobs. It comes with the territory.
Folsom was different the past couple years. The Guard promoted him yet again and I think his last promotion was too much for him. I even talked to him about it and how it was time to decide which career path he was going to continue since both was not an option. Heck I have known Folsom for nearly 30 years but then again, do you really know anyone? We barely know ourselves. One side of our brain tells us to quit smoking, exercise, eat healthy, sleep 8 hours, yet the other part of our brain decides to do something else.
In the end, we lost a good guy. Chalk it up to 9/11, PTSD, the military, and you understand that America is the greatest nation on earth because of people like Dave Folsom. Folsom’s story is certainly not the first and will certainly not be the last to be told, but it sure would be nice if the greatest nation on earth took care of those that help make it that way.
We will miss you Folsom, you were our first Rebel and always believed in TNG. We will miss you at the annual MSU football game, we will miss you leading the Guard to do the national anthem at our annual meeting. And we will miss your spirit that made everything around you a bit prouder to be an American.
Larry Gaynor