ARMED FORCES

ARMED FORCES

VETERANS

Scholarships available

YOUNGSTOWN

July 1 is the deadline to apply for the Ohio War Orphans Scholarship Program, which provides tuition assistance to the children of deceased veterans or veterans receiving 60 percent to 100 percent Department of Veterans Affairs service-connected disability compensation or receiving nonservice disability pension who served in the Armed Forces during a period of declared war.

Combat duties are not required.

To be eligible, a student must be enrolled for full-time undergraduate study at an eligible Ohio college or university and must be an Ohio resident under age 25.

For information, call the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission at 330-740-2450, ext. 8390.

Assistance available

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

A startup, PCSgrades.com, launched in summer 2015 to assist military and veteran families in solving problems associated with relocations, has begun offering the opportunity for families to review military-base housing neighborhoods.

According to PCSgrades, the feature recently was released in a beta version, and more than 80 military-base housing neighborhoods around the United States have been reviewed by military members.

The goal of reviews for businesses on PCSgrades is to provide military families with reliable information in order to encourage positive behavior from companies doing business with them and to highlight the best businesses and options for the military and veteran community when they relocate.

PCSgrades is free to military members and their families. For information, visit PCSgrades.com.

RETIREMENT

Master Sgt. Cole

HOWLAND

Army Master Sgt. Ryan P. Cole, a 1995 graduate of Howland High School, is retiring after 20 years of military service, effective Aug. 1. His retirement ceremony recently took place at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., where he is stationed.

Cole is the son of Craig Sr. and Patricia (Dunlap) Cole. His father is a 1968 graduate of Howland High School, and his mother is a 1969 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Youngstown. Cole’s brother, Craig Jr. of Youngstown, is a 1991 graduate of Howland High School.

During his career, Cole, who enlisted in 1996 as a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear specialist, has had numerous assignments in the United States and abroad, including two deployments to Southwest Asia supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom as a decontamination platoon sergeant in 2003 and supporting Operation New Dawn in 2010 as a Sustainment Operations Center noncommissioned officer-in-charge.

His most-recent assignment was as Senior Equal Opportunity Advisor for the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, where he currently serves as the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention Program manager for the 20th CBRNE Command.

Cole’s military education includes the Warrior’s Leaders Course, CBRN Advance Leaders Course, CBRN Senior Leaders Course, Equal Opportunity Advisors Course, SHARP Course, Instructor Training Course, and Modern Army Combative Program Level 1.

He received numerous awards and decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Accommodation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

He also is a recipient of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Leadership Award and the Chemical Corps Honorable Order of the Dragon Award.

Cole’s post-military plan is to continue serving with the military as a Department of the Army civilian employee in the Aberdeen Proving Ground area.

He and his wife, the former Rebekah Bratcher of Kokomo, Ind., have three children: Andrew, 15; Josiah, 9, and Emaleigh, 6. They live in Abingdon, Md.

PROMOTION

At the Pentagon

SAN DIEGO

Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey A. Melody, a native of Youngstown and a 1996 graduate of the Naval Academy, is stationed in Washington, D.C., to work in the Joint Staff, Policy and Plans Directorate at the Pentagon.

Melody formerly was commander for 15 months of the NA Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75 “Wolf Pack.” Under his leadership, HSM-75 successfully flew 2,215 sorties amassing 5,095 mishap-free flight hours.

“I started my flying career at the Wolf Pack, and I could not have imagined a better tour. The hard work and dedication of each and every sailor made HSM-75 the outstanding squadron it is today,” he said.

HSM-75 is based on Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. The squadron flies the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter for its primary missions, which include surface and anti-submarine warfare.

The MH-60R’s operational capabilities allow the squadron to conduct all-weather sea operations in open-ocean and littoral environments as an integral part of Carrier Air Wing 11, in support of the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman Andrew D. Shutler II (West Branch High School, Beloit, ’15), son of Andrew D. Shutler of Alliance and Debra L. Delp of Salem; Airman 1st Class Brian L. French Jr. (David Anderson High School, Lisbon, ’11), son of Cathy L. and Brian L. French Sr., and the grandson of Phyllis and Paul French Sr., all of Lisbon.

Army: Army National Guard Pvt. John D. Miscuk III (East Liverpool High School, ’14), son of John and Peggy Miscuk of East Liverpool; Pvt. Joshua M. Slocum (David Anderson High School, Lisbon, ’12), son of Charles and Rebecca Slocum and brother of Jordan Slocum, all of Lisbon.

ACADEMY NEWS

New graduate

WEST POINT, N.Y.

Second Lt. Joshua Austin Murphy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murphy of Masury, graduated from the Military Academy on May 21.

Upon graduation, Murphy, a 2012 graduate of Brookfield High School, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army’s ordnance branch and will report to Fort Carson, Colo., for his first assignment.

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