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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2006 -- A trio of organizations with a long history of military support recognized 12 volunteer groups today for their programs that contribute to servicemembers’ quality of life. Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife Lynne, congratulate Clare Lanigan, 15, Kids Serve Too youth co-chair, for winning a $7,500 grant during the 2006 Newman's Own Award ceremony at the Pentagon Aug. 11. Kids Serve Too, in partnership with Warner Brothers, spearheaded "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children," sending letters of thanks signed by a wide range of children's...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service, Aug. 10, 2006) – Thirty-one Soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) were decorated with honors to include three Silver Star Medals for valorous actions in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in a ceremony here, Aug. 8. The three Silver Star Medal recipients were Master Sgt. Keith Logsdon, Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Holmes and Staff Sgt. Matthew Keefe. The Silver Star Medal, the Army’s third highest award for combat valor is awarded to Soldiers for distinguished gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States during military operations. Maj. Gen. Thomas R....

AL ASAD, Iraq (July 12, 2006) -- From navigating the jungles of Vietnam to surviving the deserts of Iraq, one warrior has been a part of almost every major campaign that the Marine Corps has had in the past four decades. Marines with Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, honored Chief Warrant Officer 4 Wayne H. Silva for his 40th anniversary in the Marine Corps while in Al Asad July 8. "June 28, 1966, was the day that I stepped onto the yellow footprints," stated Silva, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defense officer, Task Force Military Police....

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2006 – Wounded veterans cruised the Potomac River in style yesterday aboard the presidential yacht USS Sequoia, while area businesses and Defense Department officials honored their sacrifice. Wounded troops and their families board the USS Sequoia, greeted by the yacht's crew and Army Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Giuliano, a tenor with the U.S. Army Band, in Washington, June 8. Photo by Paul X. Rutz  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "I want them to feel the weight of their sacrifice in a way that brings honor and joy to them as a small form of compensation...

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2006 – Hundreds of servicemembers recently back from overseas deployments were honored with a picnic in the Pentagon's parking lot today. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shares a moment with Medal of Honor recipients at the America Supports You Memorial Day Picnic in the Pentagon's parking lot May 28. Recently deployed troops and their families gathered with troop-support organizations for the event, part of a weekend of activities honoring the nation's servicemembers. Photo by Paul X. Rutz  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "Welcome back to all our...

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., May 26, 2006 – A new version of a postage stamp commemorating the Purple Heart and all those who have earned it was issued in a ceremony here today. Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Postal Service unveil the new version of the Purple Heart Definitive stamp at Arlington National Cemetery, May 26. Photo by Sgt. Sara Wood, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. During the ceremony, two veterans of the war in Iraq were awarded Purple Hearts by R. James Nicholson, secretary of Veterans Affairs. "(The Purple Heart) celebrates...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 5, 2006 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve honored eight Florida employers here yesterday for exceptional support of their military employees. Eight Florida employers sign 5-Star Statements of Support for the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The signing was part of an awards breakfast held to honor the employers with ESGR's Above and Beyond award. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. ESGR, established in 1972, is a Defense Department organization created to provide education, consultation and, if necessary, mediation...

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2006 – When insurgents attacked Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman's reconnaissance squad near the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq Dec. 3, 2003, Rieman acted on his instincts as a leader. A plastic mold of the action figure that will depict Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman on the day he earned his Silver Star in Iraq. Rieman is among the first participants in the "America's Army: Real Heroes" program, which aims to honor soldiers who have shown heroism in the war on terror by making them into characters in "America's Army," the Army's video game, and action figures. Courtesy...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (May 2, 2006) -- The family of the fallen Marine, Cpl. Pablo V. Mayorga, of 2nd Tank Battalion, entered the funeral home with tears filling their eyes as they said their final goodbyes to their father, husband, son, brother and friend. Paola Mayorga, Pablo’s widow, was presented with the Purple Heart for the wounds that took her husband’s life. The posthumous award along with a memorial honoring the life of Mayorga brought family and friends together to share memories of the past and lay to rest a beloved friend. “His life was a celebration...

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va., April 26, 2006 – Volunteerism is at the heart of America, a Defense Department official said while honoring volunteers here yesterday. Shannon Mancini (left) and Gina Narvaez speak to a L.I.N.K.S. class at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., April 25. The women received a Presidential Volunteer Service Award for their hours of volunteer service to the Lifestyle Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills program and other organizations. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, presented the President's Volunteer Service...

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. (NNS) -- The Mississippi state legislature has honored Mississippi Gulf Coast-based Navy commands for their service to their communities in the Hurricane Katrina evacuation and relief effort. State Sen. Scottie Cuevas of Pass Christian, Miss., presented the concurrent resolution April 25 to Rear Adm. Timothy McGee, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. McGee’s command is based at Stennis Space Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The resolution was enacted in the recently adjourned legislative session. “It was very difficult work that nobody [hopes to have] to do,” McGee said of the recovery work that...

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2006 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has lauded first lady Laura Bush's chief of staff for outstanding support of military reservists. ESGR, an agency of the Department of Defense, announced yesterday that Anita McBride, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady, was honored with an ESGR Patriot Award in recognition of her extraordinary support of a staff employee who serves in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Maria Miller, deputy director of projects in the Office of the First Lady, is a Naval Reservist who nominated...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The State of Hawaii held a first of its kind ceremony at the Hawaii State Capitol House chambers April 18, for the families of service members with Hawaii ties who were killed in the global war on terrorism. Members of 48 families of Hawaii's fallen heroes received the state's new Medal of Honor on behalf of service members who gave their lives in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan "Today we have come together to honor those who have sacrificed for our nation, our freedom, our way of life," said Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle. "These were...

FORT MYER, Va. (Army News Service, March 29, 2006) – Twenty four Walter Reed Army Medical Center patients who were injured in the Global War on Terrorism were honored by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) March 24. The Old Guard gave the patients a tour of Arlington National Cemetery, where they also conducted a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Spc. Noah Bailey said he was happy to see so many servicemen and women showing their support at the Tomb. “It felt good to get all that attention from other military members,” said Bailey,...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (March 17, 2006) -- A Pacolet Mills, S.C., native was honored in a ceremony March 14 for his actions against enemy forces during combat operations in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar. First Lt. Jeffery T. Lee was awarded the Silver Star Medal here for his actions as 3rd Platoon commander, Company A, 2nd Tank Battalion from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11, 2004 in Fallujah. Then a 2nd Lt. Attached to Company C, Lee accepted great tactical risk and continued to engage and destroy the enemy for more than 12 hours despite being low...

In the officers' club of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where aviators swap stories of danger and daring, few can top the tales of Maj. Joseph Galletti. He and his crew braved a blinding sandstorm in Iraq and repeatedly dodged enemy fire to carry out a rescue that made history. The awards they received for it put them in the company of some of the biggest names in aviation. In December, the 32-year-old helicopter pilot was among those awarded one of the service's highest honors, the Mackay Trophy for "most meritorious flight of the year." Galletti also won a Distinguished Flying...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Janruary 27, 2006) -- Family, comrades at arms and members of the local police departments gathered at the Marine Memorial Chapel here and remembered Sgt. Adam Cann during a memorial service Jan. 27. Cann, a 24-year-old military working dog handler from Destin, Fla., was killed in action by a suicide bomber Jan. 5 in Ramadi, Iraq while conducting crowd control with one of his best friends, his military working dog Bruno. The primary mission of K-9 handlers is to detect Improvised Explosive Devices, provide psychological deterrent during crowd control, patrol entry control points, detect...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 25, 2006) -- There they were, moving into an area known to be a hot spot for insurgent activity when it happened Oct. 2, 2005. Gunfire, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades began flying around them as they took cover and started their assault on the enemy’s position in Karmah, Iraq. Lance Cpl. Michael A. McGraw, a 20-year-old automatic rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, stood up early on in the attack to begin the movement on the enemy when he was struck in the lower leg by heavy machine gun fire. McGraw was...

SAN ANTONIO (Army News Service, Jan. 6, 2006) -- Legends, heroes and all-stars traded their capes for cowboy hats and baseball caps for an evening during last night's Bill Yoast and Herman Boone Barbeque Dinner. The dinner, laid out on the field of the Alamodome, honored players, Soldier heroes, and scholar athletes, and ending with the announcement of the Coach of the Year honors. It was also the first opportunity that the Soldier heroes being recognized during All-American Bowl week got to sit and talk with some of the Army All-Americans. The celebration was one of many leading up to...

Bayou La Batre school is honored Friday, December 16, 2005 By RENA HAVNER Alba Elementary School in hurricane-battered Bayou La Batre has been selected as one of the top schools in the country. Alba was one of two schools in Alabama and 52 nationally to earn "distinguished" recognition by the National Association of State Title I Directors. The schools receive Title I funding because most of their children are poor. The extra federal funding helps the schools hire teachers, buy computers and equipment, and launch programs such as after-school tutoring. At Alba, 92 percent of the children come from families...