Armed forces

Armed forces

VETERANS

Burial program

HOUSTON, TEXAS

The Dignity Memorial Æ Homeless Veterans Burial Program served 217 veterans in 2010. The goal of the program is to ensure that veterans who are homeless, indigent and have no family receive the honors in death that their service in life merited, said Maj. Gen. Bill Branson, Army, retired, one of the program’s founders.

With more than 150,000 homeless veterans in the United States, many whose remains are unclaimed at their death, risk burial in paupers’ graves. Founded in 2000, the program operates in 32 cities and has conducted 844 services for homeless veterans across the U.S.

The Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program is a cooperative effort among Dignity Memorial funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, national cemeteries, Veterans Affairs, medical examiner’s offices, hospice providers and other local veterans organizations and advocates. For more information, visit www.dignitymemorial.com.

Outreach services

The Army’s Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) program provides support at specific active duty bases around the country and in Ohio through the Army National Guard in Columbus for military families who have lost a loved one in the military. Ohio also has an SOS support coordinator at the North Canton Armory in Green, Ohio. For more information, call Scott Creed, SOS program coordinator, Ohio Army National Guard, at 614-336-7375.

PROMOTIONS

Now a staff sergeant

VIENNA

Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. Steven M. Kotheimer was promoted to his present rank while stationed at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. He is a fuels technician with the 901th Airlift Wing’s Logistics Readiness Squadron at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. Kotheimer’s first deployment was in 2008 to Balad Air Base, Iraq. The son of Eric and Wendy Kotheimer of Boardman, he is a driver for Wholesale Builders in Austintown.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman 1st Class Justin K. McGeehan (Beaver Local High School, Lisbon, ’06), son of Tammy and Tim McGeehan of East Liverpool; Airman Randy L. Schneider (Beaver Local High School, Lisbon, ’09), son of Kimberly and Randall Schneider of Calcutta; Airman Jake T. Johnson (Canfield High School, ’10), son of Karen and Richard Johnson of Canfield; Airman Devon C. Tucker (Campbell Memorial High School, ’06, and ITT Technical Institute, ’09), grandson of Doretha Jones of Youngstown.

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