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Cadet Haley Elizabeth Mercer, daughter of John Mercer and stepdaughter of Elaine Mercer of Burke, completed Cadet Basic Training at the U.S. Military Academy.
Mercer entered the military academy on July 1, 2002. Cadets learn basic military skills, including leadership, through a demanding military program which begins on their first day at West Point. Most military training takes place during the summer, with new cadets undergoing Cadet Basic Training - or Beast Barracks - their first year. Military training is combined with military science instruction to provide a solid military foundation for officership.
Mercer graduated from Lewiston Porter High School in New York in 2001. She plans to graduate from West Point in 2006 and be commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
The mission of the U.S. Military Academy is to educate, train, inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of duty, honor, country; professional growth throughout a career as an officer in the U.S. Army; and a lifetime of selfless service to the nation.
SeukHwan Son of Fairfax has been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, having successfully completed the Army ROTC program and graduating from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. The new officer will attend an officer basic course relating to his military occupational specialty. He is a 1993 graduate of Fairfax High School.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Osama M. Abdallah of Fairfax was recently promoted to his current rank while serving with Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Abdallah was promoted based on sustained superior job performance and proficiency in his designated specialty.
Cadet Andrew Paul Gillick, son of Paul and Elizabeth Gillick of Springfield, completed Cadet Basic Training at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Gillick entered the military academy on July 1, 2002. Cadets learn basic military skills, including leadership, through a demanding military program which begins on their first day at West Point. Military training is combined with military science instruction to provide a solid military foundation for officership. Gillick graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 2002. He plans to graduate from West Point in 2006 and be commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Midshipman James H. Hix of Springfield and Midshipman Nicholas A. Cappel of Fairfax were recently appointed as midshipman officers at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. Midshipman Hix is serving as regimental alumni liaison, and Midshipman Cappel is serving as platoon commander. A graduate of Bishop Ireton High School, Hix was nominated to the Academy by former Sen. Charles S. Robb. A graduate of Paul IV High School, Cappel was nominated by Congressman Frank R. Wolf.
Army Pvt. Nathan A. Rendelman, a 2001 graduate of Woodson High School in Fairfax, and Army Pfc. Allen M. Sanders of Springfield have graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During the nine weeks of training, the soldiers studied the Army mission and received instruction and practice in drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, physical fitness, basic first aid, and Army history, tradition and core values, and special training in human relations.
Air Force Airman Evelin D. Solis Chicas, a 1999 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, and Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Sarah E. Sherburne of Burke have graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. During the six weeks of training, the airmen studied the Air Force mission, organization, and customs; performed drill and ceremony marches; and received physical training and special training in human relations. In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Christopher Matthew Boyls-White, 16, a junior at the Marine Military Academy, has been promoted to the rank of cadet staff sergeant and will be serving as platoon sergeant. Boyls-White is the son of Glen E. Boyls and Marsha White of Fairfax Station. The Marine Corps JROTC promotion is in recognition of his combined performance in academics, military leadership and athletics. The Marine Military Academy was founded in 1965 as the only independent, college preparatory school in the world based on the customs and traditions of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Andrew Williams has contracted under the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program as a non-scholarship cadet. A non-scholarship option is available to soldiers who have completed two years of college and can complete their college degree requirements in two years. The students can receive a $200 monthly stipend, a book allowance, a flat-rate payment for uniforms, and use their earned military educational benefits during the academic year as a contracted cadet during their last two years at an ROTC hosted college or university.
Upon graduation from college and completion of the ROTC program, the contracted cadet will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, National Guard, or Reserve and will be required to fulfill a military service commitment.
Williams is a student at the Virginia Military Institute, where he will major in economics. He is the son of Harrison and Priscilla Williams of Fairfax Station and a 1999 graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. John W. Fitzwilliam, son of Sondra K. and Peter K. Fitzwilliam of Fairfax, recently completed a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf while assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, based in Norfolk, Va. Fitzwilliam was one of more than 10,000 Atlantic Fleet sailors and Marines aboard the ships of the USS John F. Kennedy Carrier Battle Group and USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group participating in joint-service, multinational operations in the U.S.-led war against terrorism.
Fitzwilliam is a 1982 graduate of Norfolk Academy of Norfolk and joined the Navy in May 1987. He is a 1987 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. degree and a 1996 graduate of Troy State University in Alabama with an M.S. degree. Visit the Navy News Stand Web site at http://www.news.navy.mil.
Army Pvt. Richard C. Schram has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga. During the eight weeks of training, the soldier received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, Army history, core values and traditions. Additional training included development of basic combat skills and battlefield operations and tactics, and experiencing use of various weapons and weapons defenses available to the infantry crewman. He is the son of Reyna and John Schram of Waterline Drive in Burke. Schram is a 1997 graduate of Lake Braddock High School in Burke.
James W. Borell of Burke, Brian J. Elanchard of Springfield, and Colin M. Eame of Fairfax Station have entered basic cadet training at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., in preparation to enter the first academic year at the academy. The five- to six-week orientation program trains men and women to meet the rigorous mental and physical challenges of a cadet.
The cadet trainees will complete two phases of training. Phase 1 involves personal in-processing, orientation, and training in the fundamentals of being a cadet. Individuals are prepared to adjust from civilian to military life, and learn proper wear of the uniform, drill and ceremony, marching, and living quarters standards.
During Phase 2, cadets train outdoors living in tents while learning to function in field conditions. Teamwork, cohesion and learning to deal with physically and mentally demanding situations are practiced. Cadets participate in the obstacle, confidence, assault, and leadership reaction courses, including an Operation Warrior rescue mission.
Army Pvt. Colin A. Bell has graduated from the automated logistical specialist advanced individual training (AIT) course at Fort Lee in Petersburg, Va. The solider was trained to establish and maintain stock records and other documents such as inventory, material control, accounting and support reports, automated and manual accounting records, review and verify bills of lading, contracts, and purchase orders, repair and construct shipping crates for equipment and supplies, and perform prescribed loads and shop stock lists in manual and automated supply applications. He is the son of Helene M. Bell of Bristow, Va., and Robert S. Bell of Springfield.
Eric D. McCrory has been promoted to the rank of staff sergeant in the U.S. Army. McCrory is a visual information equipment operator-maintainer assigned to the 30th Signal Battalion at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. He is the son of Michele E. Lynch of Burke.
Kathryn D. Zuk and Calvin K.S. Bodiford, both of Springfield; Herbert J. Aldridge, a 1998 graduate of Edison High School in Springfield; and Corey J. Stavinohahave of Fairfax graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) National Advanced Leadership Camp at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash. The camp provides the best possible professional training and evaluation for all cadets in the aspects of camp life, administration, and logistical support. Although continued military training and leadership development are included in the curriculum, the primary focus at camp is to evaluate each cadet’s officer potential. The cadet command assesses each cadet’s performance and progress in officer traits, qualities and professionalism while at camp.
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Robert E. Lingler, whose wife, Alyssa, is the daughter of Pat Schanely of Springfield, was recently designated a naval aviator while serving with Training Squadron Seven, Naval Air Station, Meridian, Miss. Lingler was presented with the Wings of Gold, marking the culmination of months of flight training. Lingler followed a training curriculum that included basic studies in engineering and navigation, training flights and simulators, aircraft familiarizations, basic and advanced instrument training, extended navigation flights, and landings and takeoffs aboard an aircraft carrier.
Army Spec. David M. Heath has graduated from basic combat military training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.
During training, the soldier received instruction in drill and ceremonies, weapons, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history and traditions.
Heath is the son of Kenneth R. and Barb A. Heath of Fairfax. He is a 1998 graduate of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Mitchell E. Wangsgard has completed basic cadet training and earned the rank of cadet fourth class at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
The cadet is one of 1,100 men and women who completed the rigorous six-week orientation program. The training prepares cadets to enter their first academic year at the academy. The cadets completed the training in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of military and physical preparation that focused on the transition from civilian to military life. Phase 2 involved three weeks of field training on the academy grounds to participate in activities to extend cadets’ physical limitations and build self- and group confidence.
The U.S. Air Force Academy curriculum offers education in the basics, engineering and social sciences, the humanities, and 30 other academic majors. At graduation, the cadet receives a bachelor of science degree and a commission of second lieutenant in the Air Force.
Wangsgard is the son of Melissa and John Wangsgard of Springfield and a 2002 graduate of West Springfield High School.