Courtesy of The Anniston Star:

Army Reserve Col. Roy A. Hall recently graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, Pa. He is the son of Thomas D. Hall of Weaver. He graduated in 1980 from Anniston High School and received an associate degree in 1982 from Marion Military Institute. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1984 from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.

Congratulations, Col. Hall!

Air Force Staff Sgt. Shane Law was recently decorated with the Air Force Commendation Medal. He is the son of Larry and Connie Downey of Piedmont. He graduated in 1993 from Piedmont High School and received an associate degree in 2006 from the Community College of the Air Force in Montgomery.

Congratulations, Sgt. Law!

Air Force Airman 1st Class Nicholas W. Byars recently arrived for duty at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, N.M. He is the son of Christopher W. and Sherry D. Byars of Jacksonville. He graduated in 2007 from Jacksonville High School.

Congratulations, Airman 1st Class Byars!

Army Pvt. Jesse D. Harper recently graduated from the Land Combat Electrician Advanced Individual Training course at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. He is the son of Timothy L. and Karen D. Harper of Anniston.

Congratulations, Pvt. Harper!

Army Pfc. Corbett L. Futral was one of more than 300 Army soldiers who participated in the “Spirit of America 2008″ performance for the residents of Rochester, N.Y., and Worcester, Mass., on Sept. 12 and 13, respectively. Futral, an infantryman with two years of military service, is assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. He is the son of Harry Futral of Oxford and Shannon Moreira of Gulf Shores. The private is a 2004 graduate of Gulf Shores High School.

Congratulations, PFC Futral!

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Featured this weekend in the Tuscaloosa News:

Col. Charles H. Gailes Jr. will take command of the 31st Chemical Brigade from Northport during a ceremony Sunday at Fort McClellan Army National Guard Training Center.

Gailes, a Tuscaloosa native living in Huntsville, will receive the unit colors from Brig. Gen. Wendell B. McLain of Auburn. The Alabama National Guard brigade includes chemical and military police units across the state.

Read the entire article here.

Congratulations, Colonel Gailes!

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The Montgomery Advertiser had several announcements this weekend:

Army National Guard Pvt. James L. Lambert III has graduated from Basic Com­bat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. Lambert is the son of B.J. Lambert of Montgomery.

The private is a 1996 grad­uate of Robert E. Lee High School.

Congratulations, James!

Air Force Airman 1st Class Daniel C. Betz has graduated from the Air Traf­fic Control Operations Ap­prentice Course at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Miss. Betz will be assigned to the 325th Operations Sup­port Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla.

He is the son of Steve T. Betz of Hope Hull.

Congratulations, Daniel!

Air Force Airman Jere­my C. Dauzat has gradu­ated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. Dauzat earned distinction as an honor graduate. He is the son of Craig and Annette Dauzat of Montgom­ery.

The airman is a 2007 grad­uate of Robert E. Lee High School.

Congratulations, Jeremy!

Air Force Airman David H. Patrick has gradu­ated from basic mili­tary training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. Patrick is the son of Kim Patrick of Prattville.

In 2007, the airman gradu­ated from Prattville High School.

Congratulations, David!

Air Force Airman Mark B. Stadlberger Jr. has graduated from basic mili­tary training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Anto­nio. Stadlberger earned dis­tinction as an honor gradu­ate. He is the son of Patricia Stadlberger of Prattville.

In 2007, the airman gradu­ated from Prattville High School.

Congratulations, Mark!

Staff Sgt. Rodney Hall of Montgomery, a member of the 4-108th Chemical Battal­ion at Huntsville, graduated from the Army Basic In­structor Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Congratulations, Rodney!

Army Pvt. Lawson W. McGlamery has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. McGlamery is a 2004 graduate of the Elmore County Adult Learning Center in Wetumpka.

Congratulations, Lawson!

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Courtesy of Channel 19 in Huntsville:

Alabama troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will now get a booklet to help them deal with post-war stress and readjusting to family life. Gov. Bob Riley unveiled the 63-age Reintegration Action Plan on Thursday. The booklet will be given to all returning troops from Alabama. It includes information to help service members make a successful transition.

A Pentagon task force last year reported that nearly half of all Army National Guard soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan reported psychological problems when they came home. Riley said the new booklet will help troops better understand the readjustment process, and it recommends places to get help.

Link: www.alabamareturningveterans.org

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The Huntsville Times reports that a Scottsboro businessman established an account at Regions bank to help the family of Nick Bradley, a Scottsboro soldier seriously wounded in Afghanistan.

Bradley, 25, a staff sergeant in the Air Force’s 96th Wing (security forces), was injured by a roadside bomb last Sunday. He was flown Tuesday to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where his father-in-law, Scottsboro Police Chief Ralph Dawe, said he’s in stable condition.

Donations to the Nick Bradley Fund may be made at Regions Bank, located at 510 E. Laurel St. in Scottsboro. For more information, call the bank at 256-259-1516.

Tuscaloosa News reports:

Michael J. Parham, son of Doretha Parham and Michael J. Johnson, both of Tuscaloosa, completed Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Parham is a 2008 graduate of Central High School.

Congratulations, Michael!

The Birmingham News reports an Alabama Guard initiative that is helping troops who return from war duty via the state’s Army Guard’s Yellow Ribbon reintegration program.

The Yellow Ribbon help included information about job opportunities and insurance and veterans benefits, plus activities and baby sitters for soldiers’ children. It also sought to give the soldiers and their loved ones a chance to discuss with chaplains and counselors what they face as they seek to resume the way of life they knew before deployment.

For more information, call 2nd Lt. Matthew Spivey at 334-558-4132.

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The Madison County Record writes that the Redstone Arsenal is honoring military retirees with Military Retiree Appreciation Day going on September 5th and 6th. Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer and Madison Mayor Arthur “Sandy” Kirkindall will proclaim September 6th as Military Retiree Appreciation Day in their respective cities.

Me personally, I would greatly love to see that happen elsewhere in Alabama!

Event information:

September 5th: the event will be at the Redstone Officers and Civilians Club (ROCC) from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Throughout the day special MWR activities will be held at various locations across Redstone Arsenal with bus tours leaving from the ROCC.

September 6th: the event begins with a pay-as-you-go breakfast buffet at 7 a.m. in the ROCC. The event finishes out with dinner at The Soldatenstube ending at 10 p.m.

For more information, call: (256) 876-2022

The Anniston Star had a flurry of happenings printed this morning:

Warrant Officer candidate Bill Braxton of Jacksonville, above, participated in a 10K road march on July 13. Braxton had to successfully complete the road march within two hours while carrying a weapon and a 35- to 40-pound rucksack. The road march is a requirement for the Warrant Officer Candidate School at the National Guard Training Center at Fort McClellan. Braxton currently works in the ROTC department at Jacksonville State University.

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Warrant Officer candidate Matthew Otwell of Anniston, above, participated in a 10K road march on July 13. Otwell had to successfully complete the road march within two hours while carrying a weapon and a 35- to 40-pound rucksack. The road march is a requirement for the Warrant Officer Candidate School at the National Guard Training Center at Fort McClellan. Otwell is following in his father’s footsteps. Retired Chief Warrant Officer Randy Otwell, Matthew’s father, retired from the Alabama Army National Guard with more than 40 years of service.

* * *

Tabatha L. Burris recently joined the U.S. Army under the Delayed Entry Program. She also went for Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood in Waynesville, Mo. She is the daughter of Teresa Burris of Villa Rica, Ga., and John Burris of Anniston.

* * *

Army Reserve Pvt. Sonya Y. Smith has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. She is the daughter of Earline Penn of Anniston and is a 2003 graduate of Anniston High School.

* * *

Army Reserve Pvt. Haleem R. Santiago recently graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. He is the son of Hector R. and Belinda G. Santiago of Anniston and is a graduate of Saks High School.

* * *

Navy Seaman Landon M. Ford, son of Judy L. Davis of Jacksonville, recently completed U.S. Navy Basic Training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.

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Navy Ensign Nicholas F. Vilardi, whose wife, Cynthia, is the daughter of Sharon D. Downing of Salem and Jonathan C. Mattox of Ashland, recently completed the Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit course at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command at Goose Creek, S.C.

Congratulations, soldiers!!

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Courtesy of the North Jefferson News:

Newton Duke was honored June 7 at Gardendale First Baptist Church during a ceremony in which he received his Purple Heart medal more than 50 years after he earned it in Korea.

Above, Ronnie Guin of Mt. Olive, a member of the Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club, drives Newton Duke to the ceremony.

In the back seat is Duke’s grandson, Sgt. Chase Duke. During the ceremony, Duke pinned an End of Tour award onto his grandson for meritorious service while serving in Afghanistan.

Right, Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell, the commanding general of Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, pins the Purple Heart onto Duke.

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