Veterans updates

VETERANS

Herbicide exposure

The Department of Veterans Affairs will consider compensating veterans for specific “presumptive” disabilities associated with herbicide exposure if they served on a patrol on the USS Ingersoll (DD 652) which traveled up the Saigon River on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, 1965, to fire on enemy bases.

Some of the disabilities include diabetes mellitus 2, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and specific types of cancers.Veterans who served on the Ingersoll during that time period should contact the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission at (330) 740-2451 for details.

PROMOTIONS

Harding graduate

Army Master Sgt. Sheldon B. Thompkins was promoted to his present rank while assigned as a logistics supervisor for the 479th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla. The 479th trains mobilizing soldiers for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan at the Joint Training Center at Fort Sill.

Thompkins, who has served 18 years in the military, is the son of Gloria E. Thompkins of Warren. He is a 1989 graduate of Warren G. Harding High School, Warren.

HONORS

Receives pilot’s wings

Air Force 2nd Lt. Steven Stroney received his pilot’s wings during recent ceremonies at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas. He has been assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., where he flies the C-130 aircraft.

Stroney, a son of Len and Marilou Stroney of Boardman, is married to the former Lisa Merrell of Canfield. He graduated in 2005 from Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology and is a 2001 graduate of Ursuline High School.

BASIC GRADS

Army: Reserve Pvt. Adam H. Lee (Union Area High School, New Castle, Pa., ’07), son of Barb Lee of New Castle; Pvt. Jesse Kimmel (Sharon Senior High School, Sharon, Pa., ’07), former ward of Stephen McCuskey and Kimberly Negrea of Sharon.

Marine Corps: Pvt, Amber Lowery (Struthers High School, ’07), daughter of Diana Burkes of Boardman; Pvt. Fletcher Morgan (Kennedy Catholic High School, Sharon, Pa., ’07), son of Geoffry and Earnestine Morgan of Youngstown.

YSU ROTC

4 second lieutenants

The Youngstown State University Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps recently commissioned four second lieutenants. They are:

2nd Lt. Michael Gabriel, who graduated from YSU with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in military science. He was a member of the Student Veterans Association, the Catholic Student Association and the Ranger Challenge team and completed the Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Lewis, Wash. Gabriel was also enlisted in the Ohio National Guard while enrolled at YSU. He will attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course II and Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Ky., before reporting to Milan, Tenn., as an armor officer in the Tennessee National Guard.

2nd Lt. Eron Hilty, who graduated from YSU with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a minor in military science. He received the Army ROTC three-year scholarship and the Carl Nunziato scholarship. While at YSU, he competed on the YSU Ranger Challenge Team, was its commander during his senior year, and helped coach the next two teams. He graduated from LDAC with Recondo Honors, and served as the Western Reserve Battalion Executive Officer during the 2005–06 school years. He branched into the Corps of Engineers and will attend Basic Officers Leader Course II at Fort Benning, Ga., and the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. His first duty station will be Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

2nd Lt. Ryan Kelley, who graduated from YSU with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and minors in mathematics and military science. He was consistently a member of the Dean’s List, and received the Army ROTC three-year academic scholarship, the Roller-Wagner Scholarship and the Carl Nunziato Scholarship. He served as the Western Reserve Battalion Training Officer during the 2006–07 school years. He attended Robin Sage the summer of 2005 and he was a member of the Ranger Challenge Team during his junior year. He completed the LDAC at Fort Lewis in 2007 and is a 2006 distinguished graduate of the Advanced Course in Engineering Cyber Security Boot Camp in Rome, N.Y. Kelley is assigned to the Signal Corps with a branch detail as an infantry officer. He will attend Basic Officer Leadership Course II and Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Ga., before reporting for active duty at Fort Drum, N.Y.

2nd Lt. Jason Kelly, who graduated from YSU with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and a minor in military science. He was consistently a member of the dean’s list and received the Army ROTC two-year academic scholarship and the Carl Nunziato scholarship. He served as the Western Reserve Battalion S1 during the 2006–07 school year, and was responsible for the planning and execution of the dining in and joint military ball with YSU, Kent State University and Mount Union College, as well as the maintenance and redesign of the battalion’s Web site.

He completed the LDAC at Fort Lewis in July 2007. Kelly took a leave of absence from his position as a news producer at 21 WFMJ to pursue service in the Army. He will attend Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Sill, Okla., and the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Ky. Kelly will report to his first duty station as an active duty Signal Corps branched detailed armor officer Oct. 15, 2008, with the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo.

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.