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Army Pfc. Ruben M. Carderas has returned to the U.S. after being deployed to an overseas forward-operating location in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Operation Iraqi Freedom is the official name given to military operations involving members of the U.S. armed forces and coalition forces participating in efforts to free and secure Iraq.
The private is an infantry mortar man normally assigned to Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas.
He is the son of Alfonso Cardenas of Bulk Court, Bealton, Va., and Janie Prieto of Malkhom Place, Ashburn. Carderas is a 2004 graduate of Stone Bridge High School, Ashburn.
Christopher Newport University announces the Dean’s List for the fall 2006 semester. The list includes the following local students: from Ashburn: Katherine Brickley, Jeffrey Caras, Kelly Esch, Shannon McAdow; from Leesburg: Jenette Auchter, Jessica Edney, Kayleigh Hearn, Rachel Rigual, Jessica Timbers and from Sterling: Valerie Fliss, Jennifer Gathmann, Virginia Phillips, Robert Schnakenberg, Stephanie Swift, Heather Vereb.
The following Virginia Tech students were among those honored at the university's fall commencement ceremony held Dec. 15 in Lane Stadium. Fernando Curtis, Potomac Falls; Johanna Gusman, Potomac Falls; Jeremy Cobb, Sterling; Scott Dowdle, Sterling; Michael Fessler, Sterling; David Hogarty, Sterling; William Lovely, Sterling; Carl Lyon, Sterling; Anna Riabtsev, Sterling; William Toland, Sterling; Elizabeth Bubb, Ashburn; John Clark, Ashburn, Philip Gallo, Ashburn; Jeffrey Hukari, Ashburn; Jonathan McCoid, Ashburn; John Morris, Ashburn; Stephen Schumacher, Ashburn; Daniel Shipman, Ashburn; Kevin Mautte, Ashland; Zhalgas Adilov, Leesburg; Daniel Brown, Leesburg; Darren Cunningham, Leesburg; Maritza Horn, Leesburg; Walter Johnson, Leesburg; Vanja Maric, Leesburg; Ben Titus, Leesburg.