ARMED FORCES

ARMED FORCES

VETERANS

Broadcaster speaks

Army Reserve Lt. Col. John T. Caparanis, a well-known local radio and television sports announcer and a member of the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, was the featured speaker at the group’s recent monthly luncheon meeting at the Consolidated Activities Center of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna.

Caparanis, whose broadcasting career spans more than 50 years, was presented a flag sent from Reserve Lt. Florence Hosler, president of MSVC-MOAA.

Caparanis received his Army commission in 1968 and served as a signal officer in Vietnam. He joined the Army Reserve in 1971 and served in the 660th Transportation Co. in Cadiz; the 2077th U.S. Army Reserve School in Cleveland; the 1036nd USAR School in Farrell, Pa.; and the 475th Quartermaster Group in Farrell until retiring in 1995.

Some of his most memorable broadcasting moments include interviews with major sports personalities such as Bob Feller, Joe Garagiola, Jim Tressel, Joe DiMaggio, Gaylord Perry, LeBron James, Jim Brown, Bill Mazeroski, Frank Robinson, and Ken Stabler.

BASIC TRAINING GRADS

Air Force: Airman Marcus P. Linamen, a 2018 graduate of Sharpsville High School, Sharpsville, Pa., is the son of Rebecca Goodman of West Middlesex, Pa., grandson of Cindy and Robert Kahl of Sharpsville and Linda and John Goodman of West Middlesex, and nephew of Paula Goodman of West Middlesex; Airman 1st Class Zachary A. Ramm, a 2018 graduate of Hickory High School, Hermitage, Pa., and the son of Troy A. and Jen L. Ramm of Hermitage, and husband of Emily K. Ramm of Jamestown, Pa.; Airman 1st Class Dylan J. Dodd, the son of Candy and Dale Dodd of Mercer, Pa., and a 2013 graduate of Lakeview High School, Stoneboro, Pa., and a 2017 graduate of California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pa.; and Airman Ryan A. Timpe, a 2018 graduate of West Branch High School, Beloit, and the son of Christopher L. Timpe of Alliance and Susan M. Timpe of Sebring, a brother of Jon Timpe of Clay, Fla., and cousin of Tyler Bass of Boardman.

DEPLOYED

Guardsmen to Kuwait

COLUMBUS

About 110 soldiers from the Ohio National Guard’s Co. B, 638th Aviation Support Battalion, headquartered in North Canton, recently deployed to Kuwait. The unit is equipped and trained to conduct field maintenance, battle damage assessment and repair, and dispatch downed aircraft recovery teams for CH-47 Chinooks, HH-60 Black Hawks, and AH-64 Apache helicopters.

Company B will be joined for this mission by its detachments from Massachusetts and Indiana and the Army Reserve’s 244th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Dix, N. J.

This will be the unit’s first deployment as a company in its 71-year history.

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