ARMED FORCES

ARMED FORCES

RETIREMENTS

Col. Begezda honored

POLAND

Retirement ceremonies for Col. Donald Begezda of Poland were recently conducted at the Army Reserve Center in Twinsburg.

Begezda was awarded the Legion of Merit for his 35 years of service.

He began his career in the Army Dental Corps at Fort Jackson, S.C., where he was a clinical dental officer in the base Dental Activity, and a Professional Filler Officer for the 257th Dental Co.

After his active service, Begezda entered the Army Reserves, serving with the 256th General Hospital in Parma, where he was a dental officer and eventually became chief of professional services with the 256th Combat Support Hospital. He also was assigned to the 360th and 912th Dental Companies as a comprehensive dental officer and chief of dental services.

Begezda was deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was dental officer in charge at Forward Operating Base Danger in 2004-2005, and deputy commander for clinical services at Joint Base Balad in 2009.

During his third and most-recent deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Begezda was commander of the 912th Dental Company Detachments in the Kandahar and Bagram hospital based dental clinics.

Among his awards are the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Expert Field Medical Badge. His military education includes graduation from the Army Command and General Staff College and the Air Force, Air War College (nonresident).

Begezda is a graduate of Chaney High School, Ohio State University, and Ohio State University College of Dentistry. He practices dentistry in Youngstown.

Master Sgt. Averhart

YOUNGSTOWN

Air Force Master Sgt. Brian Averhart, born and raised in Youngstown, recently retired after 20 years of military service.

A 1995 graduate of The Rayen School, Averhart joined the Air Force in 1996 as a medical technician and then became an aeromedical evacuation technician.

His most-recent duty assignment was as a contingency contracting officer for the 87th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Other duty assignments during his career were at Kadena Air Base, Japan; Yokota Air, Japan; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; and Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

Averhart served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Kyrgyzstan. He has flown 35 combat medical missions earning more than 100 combat flight hours and 1,553 total peacetime flight hours.

Averhart received a bachelor of arts degree in Homeland Security/Emergency Management from Ashford University in Iowa.

Military training includes Air & Space Operations Center, Command & Control Initial Qual Training, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Senior Non Commissioned Officer Academy, nonresidence course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and Flight Nurse/Aeromedical Evacuation Technician Course, both at Brooks AFB, Texas.

Major awards and decorations include: Lillian Keil Team Award (Aeromedical Evacuation Control Team), Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, William Pitsenbarger Scholarship Award.

Averhart, a son of Karen M. Averhart and the late John W. Averhart, is married to Le-Toyja Averhart of Youngstown, the daughter of Carmen James and the granddaughter of Christine James of Youngstown and the late Rev. Thomas F. James.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman Nathaniel A. Kramer is a 2015 graduate of Jackson-Milton High School, North Jackson, son of Jane M. and Richard J. Kramer of Diamond, and brother of Joshua A. Kramer of San Diego, Calif.; Reserve Airman 1st Class Jackson C. Miller, a 2015 graduate of Cambridge Springs Junior Senior High School, Cambridge Springs, Pa., son of John W. Miller of Sharon, Pa., and Tracy L. Miller of Cambridge Springs.

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 K. Alcorn at alcorn@vindy.com