RETIRED

RETIRED

Career in Air Force

Air Force Reserve Chief Master Sgt. Mark H. Miller retired after 24 years of military service. Upon retiring, he received the Air Force Commendation Medal and letters of appreciation from the President of the United States and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force.

Most recently, Miller’s assignment was as a museum specialist at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton.

Miller joined the Air Force in 1982.

He is the son of Donna L. Moore of Hermitage, Pa. Miller graduated in 1982 from Sharpsville Area High School, Sharpsville, Pa., and received an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force.

HONORS

Received awards

Air Force 2nd Lt. Christopher Pavia, a 2000 graduate of Poland Seminary High School, has received the Distinguished Graduate Award and also earned the Commander’s Trophy for being the top graduate for his T1 Transport pilot training class at Vance Air Force Base, Okla.

Pavia will next be stationed at the Altus Air Force Base, Okla., for four months, where he’ll receive training on the C-17 Transport Plane before moving to his permanent base in Charleston, S.C., in 2008.

Pavia, the son of Gene and Jayne Pavia of Hubbard and Eric and Patricia Johnston of Poland, graduated summa cum laude from Kent State University in 2004, where he received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautics. He was assigned to Flight Options as a dispatcher when he was selected to attend Officer Training School in 2006 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. That same year, he received the Most Improved Officer Award when he graduated as a 2nd lieutenant.

VETERANS

Brown’s legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has conducted hearings on legislation proposed by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to reimburse rural hospitals who serve veterans. The Veterans Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2007 was written based on a joint field hearing held in May by Brown and Congressman Zack Space (D-Dover).

Rural hospitals stabilize veterans who come into the emergency room and then transfer them to a Veterans Affairs hospital for treatment. Because this process sometimes take days, rural hospitals provide care for the patient until a bed opens up at a VA facility. Under current law, the VA is required to pay for the stabilization, but not for the care that takes place while the community hospital is waiting to transfer the patient. The Brown-Space legislation would require the VA to reimburse for all care before a veteran is transferred.

Books at Amazon

Two new books on American maritime history from colonial times to present, and the role of the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Ohio, are on sale at Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Borders and other bookstores. The books, “In Peace and War” (a history of the USMMA at Kings Point) and “The Way of The Ship,” are collaborative efforts of a team of writers and historians and the American Maritime History Project.

DEPLOYED

Scheduled to return

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Army National Guard’s Company D, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, based in Green, Ohio, (formerly North Canton) is scheduled to return this month from a year’s deployment to Kosovo. A welcome home ceremony is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Monday at The Chapel in Green, 1800 Raber Road, Green.

Some 90 members of the unit mobilized June 7, 2006, arrived in Kosovo on Nov. 18, 2006.

Battalion arrives in D.C.

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Army National Guard’s McConnelsville-based 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, has returned from a year’s deployment to Washington, D.C., supporting Operation Noble Eagle in the National Capital Region. Nearly 180 members of the unit mobilized in August of 2006 and arrived in Washington, D.C., Oct. 31, 2006.

Back in the U.S.

Army National Guard Sgt. Jarett H. Buchanan has returned to the United States after being deployed to an overseas forward-operating location in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Buchanan, a military policeman, is a member of the 1st Battalion, 213th Air Defense Artillery, based in Spring City, Pa. He is the son of Theodore T. and Pamela S. Buchanan of Grove City, Pa., and a 2002 graduate of Grove City High School.

Served in Kuwait

Specialist Charles Stiver has returned to his home in Anchorage, Alaska, after a one-year deployment to Kuwait with the Alaska National Guard, 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry. Stiver, the son of Alan and Linda Stiver of Boardman, is a 1999 graduate of Boardman High School.  He is married to the former Jamie Pilon of Indiana.

Home after time in Iraq

Marine Corps L/Cpl. Bernard (Jimmy) Mahon III has returned to the United States after a seven-month tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq. He is home on leave before returning to Camp LeJeune, N.C., for further training.

Mahon, who graduated in 2004 from East Palestine High School and attended Kent State University before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 2006, is the son of Jim Sr. and Karla Mahon of East Palestine.

BASIC GRADS

Air Force: Airman Matthew L. Smith (Austintown Fitch High School, ’07), son of Daniel and Jo Ann Smith of Austintown; Airman John P. Carroll (Liberty High School, ’07), son of Norbert and Patty Carroll of Liberty; Airman 1st Class Jay C. Emmert (McDonald High School, ’07), son of Cindy Bogner of McDonald; Airman Michael C. Butler (Austintown Fitch High School, ’07), son of Kelly McDonald of Austintown; Airman Christopher S. Smith, basic training honor graduate (New Wilmington Area High School, New Wilmington, Pa., ’07), son of Donald Smith and Jodi Breitenstein, both of Volant, Pa.; Reserve Airman Steven M. Paridon, son of Kenneth and Patricia Paridon of McDonald; Reserve Airman Zachary T. Sain (Champion High School, Champion, ’07), son of Jaquetta Sain of Champion; Airman Joshua M. McCue (John F. Kennedy High School, Warren, ’07), son of Brian and Christine McCue of Warren.

Army: Reserve Pvt. DeWyon T. Williamson II (Warren G. Harding High School, Warren, ’07), son of DeWyon Williamson of Warren; Pfc. Samantha R. Thompson (James A. Garfield High School, Garrettsville, ’07), daughter of Rick and Valerie Thompson of Garrettsville, and granddaughter of Kenneth and Rebecca Phillips of Struthers; National Guard Pfc. Nathaniel M. Kingsbury (State College Area High School, State College, Pa., ’07), son of Alexandra Kress of State College, Pa., and Philip Kingsbury of Lordstown; Pvt. Willie C. Harris (Warren G. Harding High School, Warren, ’07), son of Dutchess Murray of Warren; Reserve Pvt. Kyle W. Paridon (attending Niles McKinley High School), son of Holly Paridon of Niles; National Guard Pvt. Sabrina M. Baylor (LaBrae High School, Leavittsburg, ’04), daughter of Philip Kitchen of Smyrna, Ga., and sister of Christin Blackburn of Leavittsburg; Pvt. James Lichtenstiger, son of Steve Lichtenstiger of Newton Falls, and grandson of Jerome Lichtenstiger of Akron; National Guard Pvt. Michael B. Lester (Columbiana High School, ’03), son of Tara Six of Columbiana; National Guard Pvt. Chase R. Crago (attending Austintown Fitch High School), son of Crispin Crago of Austintown, and Annabelle Milkovich of Youngstown; Reserve Pvt. Justin A. Edwards (Chaney High School, ’07), son of Casey and Irene Edwards of Youngstown; Reserve Pvt. Latasia S. Morris (attending Hubbard High School), daughter of Sterling and Catike Morris of Hubbard; Pvt. Brenton T. Witherow, son of Tom Witherow of Lisbon; Reserve Pvt. Kenneth Stinedurf (Keystone High School, Greenville, Pa., ’06), son of Kenneth W. Stinedurf of Hermitage, Pa., and Theresa A. Gault of Linesville, Pa.; National Guard Pvt. James M. Sullivan (Chaney High School, ’04), son of Jim and Gerri Sullivan of Youngstown; National Guard Pvt. Matthew E. Baird (Cardinal Mooney High School, ’06), son of Donna Baird of New Middletown; National Guard Pvt. Lee N. Keck (Jackson Milton High School, North Jackson, ’03), son of Sam Velez of San Diego, Calif., and brother of Adam Keck of North Jackson; Reserve Pvt. Bradley A. Peterson (attending Greenville High School, Greenville, Pa.), son of Robin Watt of Greenville; Reserve Pfc. Andrew Culver (attending Lakeview High School, Cortland), son of Stacey Culver of Niles, and grandson of Carl Bliven of Cortland; Reserve Pvt. Drew M. Moore (attending East Palestine High School), son of Brian and Traci Moore of East Palestine.

Coast Guard: Seaman Apprentice Nicole M. Garling (Austintown Fitch High School, ’04), daughter of Michele E. and Kenneth E. Garling of Austintown.

Marine Corps: Pvt. Patrick J. McCutcheon, son of William H. McCutcheon of Poland; Pfc. Matthew J. Shapiola (Boardman High School, ’07), son of Denise Shapiola of Canfield; Pfc. Kevan M. Holland (Howland High School, ’07), son of Diane Holland of Howland, and Orbin Holland of Sharon, Pa.; Pfc. Nicholas T. Newland (Boardman High School, ’07), son of Pamela E. Newland of Youngstown and Mike T. Newland of New Vienna, Ohio; Pfc. Michael B. Drotar (Warren Local School, Warren, ’07), son of Shelley D. and Paul Drotar of Niles; Pfc. Chad W. Stouffer (Columbiana High School, ’07), son of Norma L. and Howard F. Stouffer of Columbiana; Pvt. Neal Brant, son of Paula B. and Derek A. Brant of Salem; Pvt. Nicholas N. Welch (Jamestown Area High School, Jamestown, Pa., ’04); Pvt. Wesley E. Bryan, son of Delores and Ward E. Bryan of Salem.

Navy: Seaman Recruit Michael J. Schnider (Wilmington Area High School, New Wilmington, Pa., ’07; Seaman Apprentice Daniel G. Smith (Reynolds High School, Transfer, Pa., ’07), son of Sharon E. and David N. Smith of Greenville.

REUNIONS

DD 748 Harry E Hubbard: April 17-20, 2008, Baltimore, Md. Contact Mike Caruccio at (717) 235-5768.

XItems of note for the Military Roundup can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or e-mailed to alcorn@vindy.com.