MILITARY SPOTLIGHT

Smith receives veterans award

U.S. Army Sgt. Justin Smith, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, was the recipient of the annual Palmer Veterans Appreciation Award in Grundy County, Tenn. The award was presented by Palmer town historian David Patton.

The graduate of Grundy County High School is the son of Tim Smith and the late Carol Pickett Smith.

Smith enlisted in 2004. After basic training at Fort Sill, Okla., and Advanced Individual Training at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, he served 40 months in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division.

Smith has received more than two dozen Army commendation medals and six combat stripes.

Training school graduates

Army National Guard Pvt. Timothy G. Headrick has graduated from the Multiple Launch Rocket System Crewmember Advanced Individual Training course at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.

Students are trained to perform maintenance in various launchers and re-supply vehicles and reload ammunition on vehicles. They learn to drive, operate, perform maintenance and ammunition re-loading of the M-270 self-propelled loader launcher, mount radio sets in vehicles, and operate and perform operator maintenance on communications equipment.

Headrick is the son of Pamela J. Haney and a graduate of Lookout Valley High School.

Basic training graduates

* Fort Benning: Army Spec. Raymond F. Behling, son of Kathy Behling, 2006 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

* Fort Jackson: Army National Guard Pvt. Michael A. Sumner, son of Stephan Sumner of Dalton, Ga., and Brenda Burger of Tunnel Hill, Ga.; Army National Guard Pfc. Mickeya K. Dave, daughter of Sabrina Scruggs, graduate of Central High School.

* Fort Sill: Army Pvt. Alex R. Napier, son of Bryan Napier, 2007 graduate of Ooltewah High School.

* Lackland Air Force Base: Air Force Reserve Airman Corey K. Hampton, graduate of Cleveland Christian School; Air Force Airman Stefan R. Reid, graduate of Grundy County High School; Air Force Airman Killian L. Isbill, son of Yvonne Isbill of Athens, Tenn., and Jack Isbill of Suches, Ga., graduate of McMinn County High School.

Also, Air Force Airman Kayla M. Williams, daughter of Dawn Bailey, graduate of Soddy-Daisy High School; and Air Force Airman Vladimir M. Purdey, son of Robert Purdey, graduate of Collegedale Academy.

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