ARMED FORCES

ARMED FORCES

HONORS

Employer awards

ARLINGTON, VA.

Three Ohio employers are semifinalists for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The award is the federal government’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.

The semifinalists, selected from 104 Ohio nominations and among 130 semifinalists from across the nation, are PNC Bank of Cleveland, Setex Inc. of St. Marys and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department of Cleveland.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center.

returned

Back from Haiti

JEFFERSON

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher A. Vidovic, son of Crystal L. and Adrian J. Smith of Jefferson, and a 2006 graduate of Jefferson High School, was among 1,000 sailors and Marines attached to USS Bataan that recently returned to Norfolk, Va., after 10 weeks supporting Operation Unified Response in Haiti. The ship arrived at Haiti Jan. 18.

While in Haiti, the ship transported nearly 1,000 pallets of relief supplies, medically evacuated 97 patients to Bataan and provided transport for another 524 Haitian patients to and from Navy hospital ships and hospitals throughout Port-au-Prince.

Bataan’s medical team also provided services ashore for some 2,000 patients and coordinated with the U.S. Public Health Service in immunizing nearly 10,000 people.

Operating primarily off the coast of Grand Goave, Haiti, crew members removed 150 tons of rubble, built 65 shelters for 130 families, and distributed more than 500,000 meals.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman Dyzel M. Walton (Sebring McKinley High School, ’08), son of Barbra Kaurich of Sebring; Airman Lydia S. Godinich (Geeenville, Pa., High School, ’09), daughter of Mike and Debra Godinich of Greenville; Reserve Airman James L. Phillis Jr. (Poland Seminary High School, ’06), son of Heidi Phillis of Austintown, and James Phillis of Salem; Airman Francis E. Conto II (Wellsville High School, ’03), son of Laurie Watkins of Wellsville, and Keith Conto of East Liverpool; Reserve Airman 1st Class John P. Rubenstahl (Cardinal Mooney High School, ’06), son of William Rubenstahl of Boardman.

Army: Pvt. Zachary J. Hill (United High School, Hanoverton, ’09), son of Gloria Shafer of Hanoverton.

Navy: Seaman Apprentice Tyler J. Lapadat (Greenville, Pa., Senior High School), son of Amber L. Holzapfel and David L. Lapadat, both of Greenville.

Items 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