Area veterans

VETERANS

Local chapter to meet

POLAND — Korean War Veterans Mahoning Valley Chapter 137 will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at American Legion Post 15, 35 Courtland St. The agenda includes discussion of Memorial Day activities.

DEPLOYED

4th tour in Middle East

Air Force Tech Sgt. Guenther Bogensperger, a 1995 Poland Seminary High School graduate, recently deployed to Afghanistan on his fourth military tour in the Middle East.

After completing basic training in Texas in 1997, Bogensperger was stationed two years at Spangdahlem Air Force Base in Germany and two years at Anderson AFB in Guam. He first deployed to Iraq in August 2004 as part of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

Bogensperger is based at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., with the Red Horse (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers) airborne division. He deployed as a member of Red Horse to Afghanistan in 2005 and returned again to Iraq in 2007. He was back in the United States for only 10 months before his most recent deployment.

He graduated from Vosler Non-Commissioner Officer Academy in Colorado in December 2008. Before that, he completed Airman Leadership School in Mississippi; Blackwater Training in Moyock, N.C.; Airborne School in Georgia; and Air Assault School in Kentucky.

An Airborne utilities specialist with more than 30 jumps, Bogensperger earned his Marine Corps Jump Wings in 2006. He has been awarded Air Force, Army and Navy Achievement and Accommodation Medals during his career.

Bogensperger, the son of Mary Lee Bogensperger of Poland, and Peter Bogensperger of Renton, W.Va., is married to the former Elizabeth Warren, who retired from the Air Force after serving eight years. The couple lives in Montana.

Wrapping up duties

Marine Corps 1st Lt. Aaron T. Whiteman, son of Margaret J. Test and Thomas D. Whiteman, both of Hermitage, Pa., is winding down a deployment in the Navy’s 5th and 6th Fleet area of operations in support of Maritime Security Operations and the Global War on Terrorism. He is a member of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, Norfolk, Va., and embarked the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of the Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, N.C. Whiteman joined the Marine Corps in January 1998.

Providing medical care

Army Staff Sgt. Jason E. Boyles, a 1996 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, has deployed to Iraq for one year to provide medical care at the Ibn Sina in Baghdad. He is assigned to the 10th Combat Support Hospital, based at Fort Carson, Colo., which has assumed medical care responsibilities in Baghdad, Mosul, Al Kut, Al Amarah and Tallil.

Boyles, a motor sergeant with 13 years of military service, is a member of the 360th Medical Co. based in Twinsburg. He is the son of Kenneth J. and Carol J. Boyles of Austintown. His wife, Danielle, is the daughter of Kenneth J. Bader of Middlefield.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman William J. Parobek (Boardman High School, ’08), son of William and Sandra Parobek of Boardman; Airman Zachary S. Peppel (Salem High School, ’06), son of Tammy and Jack Peppel of Salem; Airman James A. Inghram (Boardman High School, ’06, and Kent State University, ’08), son of James Inghram of Austintown, and Trinka Inghram of Boardman; Airman Dustin C. Wolfe (East Liverpool High School, ’05), son of Bill and Beth Wolfe of East Liverpool; Airman Rodney L. Kale Jr., honor graduate (Beaver Local High School, Lisbon, ’06), son of Kim Kale of Lisbon, and grandson of Betty Kale of Industry, Pa.

Army: Reserve Pvt. Jessica N. Kresge (Jamestown Junior-Senior High School, Jamestown, Pa., ’07), daughter of Elizabeth Graves of Jamestown; National Guard Pvt. David L. Hurl, son of Jacqueline Hurl of Greenville, Pa.; National Guard Pvt. Nathen A. Alexander, son of Robert Alexander of Greenville, Pa.

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