ARMED FORCES


ARMED FORCES

VETERANS

Hosler sworn in

Lt. Col. Roderick A. Hosler, Army (retired) was recently sworn in as president of the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America by Judge Robert P. Milich of Youngstown Municipal Court, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.

Hosler’s military career spanned 25 years, most notably with Headquarters, 1st Army FORCES Command, 6th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division.

A graduate of the University of Montana, where he received his commission through the ROTC program, Hosler, of Boardman, was a Junior ROTC instructor at The Rayen School for two years and assistant professor of military science at Youngstown State University for five years. He has served as commander of American Legion Post 15 and president of the Mahoning County United Veterans Council.

Other officers sworn in by Judge Milich are Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald Oglesby, secretary/treasurer; Lt. Col. Gary Williams, 1st vice president, and Capt. Brian Chadwick, 2nd vice president. Board members sworn in are Maj. Peter Mihai, immediate past president; Capt. Dennis Gartland; Lt. Col. Michael Wisniewski; Col. John Koshan; and Janet Oglesby.

Scholarships for vets

COLUMBUS

Ohio State University is offering scholarships for veterans, active military service members and their spouses through a partnership with the Pat Tillman Foundation, established in honor of the former National Football League player.

Tillman is the Arizona Cardinals player who left the team to join the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. The foundation has awarded more than $4.6 million in scholarships since 2008.

Ohio State is one of four universities named this year as a partner in the foundation’s Tillman Military Scholars program. The others are the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Indiana University and Georgetown University.

This year’s scholarship application cycle runs until March 6. Ohio State’s Undergraduate Fellowship Office will help recruit and advise applicants.

PROMOTIONS

New colonel

Air Force Col. Robert R. Tofil, a 1989 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, was recently promoted to his present rank while serving as commander of the 482nd Operation Support Squadron at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base, Fla.

Tofil, son of Ron and Joyce Tofil of Austintown, is a 1993 graduate of the Air Force Academy. He is also an F-16 jet fighter instructor pilot and has a master’s degree in aeronautical science.

He and his wife, Debbie, who is a major in the Air Force Reserve, have three children: Cole, Lance and Clair.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman Andrew K. Duncan (Oak Glen High School, New Cumberland, W.Va., ’13), son of William Duncan of Newell, W.Va., and Tammy McCoy of East Liverpool; Airman Kyle C. Kondas (Boardman High School, ’13), son of Lynn Kondas of Boardman and Ken Kondas of Youngstown; Airman Katie E. Kinder (Brookfield High School, ’12), daughter of Susan McIntosh of Hubbard and Craig Kinder of Grove City, Pa.; and Reserve Airman Kaymaun J. Alexander (Canfield High School, ’13), son of Rhonda Parker of Canfield.

ACADEMY NEWS

Ship assignment

Navy Midshipman Sean M. Murphy, son of Dennis E. Murphy Jr. of Smithfield, Va., recently selected his first ship assignment during a Ship Selection ceremony at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.

Murphy, a 2010 graduate of Poland Seminary High School, is a member of the Naval Academy Class of 2014, which will graduate May 23, after which he will then report for duty aboard the USS Laboon.

Items of note for the Armed Forces Digest can be sent to The Vindicator, Regional Desk, P.O. Box 780, Youngstown 44501-0780, or emailed to William Alcorn at alcorn@vindy.com.

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