Army Spec. Michael Hanley has returned to his base in Oahu, Hawaii, from his second tour in Iraq. He is a member of the 25th ID and will be transferring to Fort Drum early next year.
The son of Pat and Eddie Perales of Keeseville and Michael and Kim Hanley of West Chazy, he is married to Melissa Fitzwater, who serves in the Army Reserves. He is a 2004 graduate of AuSable Valley Central School.
Lt. Col. Carolyn S. Jacobson, daughter of Lincoln and Ann Sunderland of Peru, retired from the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 30.
Jacobson was commissioned in 1989 through the ROTC program at Clarkson University and entered the Air Force as a research and development engineer at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. She then cross-trained into civil engineering and completed her master's degree at the Air Force Institute of Technology. From 1996 to 2000, she served as construction services chief in Los Angeles, Calif., and as environmental flight commander in Lajes Field, Portugal, and Spangdahlem, Air Base, Germany.
In 2001, Jacobsen cross-trained a second time to become a bioenvironmental engineer. From 2001 to the present, she served as pollution program manager at the C-17 Special Programs Office at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, and as commander of bioenvironmental engineer flights at Brooks AFB, Texas, and Scott AFB, Ill.
Jacobsen and her husband, Lt. Col. John Jacobsen, have two daughters, Helen, 9, and Greta, 6. Upon retirement, she and her daughters have joined her husband at Offutt AFB, Omaha, Neb. She is now employed by the federal government as a natural and cultural resources manager at Offutt AFB.
Capt. Geoffrey Glebus, son of Gary and Shelley Glebus of Schroon Lake, was among 101 students to graduate from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, W.Va.
As valedictorian of his class, Capt. Glebus was the recipient of the President Olen E. Jones Achievement Award for academic excellence and commitment to service. In addition to membership in the Psi Sigma Alpha Honor Society and the Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society, he served as the WVSOM national liaison for SOSA, Student Osteopathic Surgical Association. He received his traditional doctoral hood from mentor, Col. William Doukas, former chief of orthopaedic surgery at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Upon graduation, Capt. Glebus was selected to enter a five-year residency program in orthopedic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he and his wife, Rachel, currently reside with their three daughters, Tara, Elizabeth and Alexa.
Army Reserve Spec. Matthew R. Dishaw has been mobilized and activated for a deployment overseas to a forward operating base in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the name given to anti-terrorism military operations involving U.S. troops and allied coalition forces.
Dishaw, a team sergeant, is normally assigned to the 414th Civil Affairs Battalion, Southfield, Mich. The son of Joanne M. Dishaw of Moira, he graduated from Brushton-Moira Central School in 2000.
Airman Nikkole L. Laforest graduated from basic military training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. She is the daughter of Vicky Laforest of Saranac and granddaughter of Judith Poust of Morrisonville. She graduated from Saranac Central School in 2007.
Army Reserve Sgt. Thomas A. Reale has returned to the United States after being deployed overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. A motor transport operator, Reale is normally assigned to the 353rd Transportation Co., Buffalo, Minn. He has six years of military service.
He is the son of Peter A. and Lynn A. Reale of Ticonderoga, and he graduated from Ticonderoga High School in 2000. He received a bachelor's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy in 2004.
Marine Corps Pvt. Eric S. Upton, son of Julie and Leroy Upton of Mooers, recently completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally.
Upton and fellow recruits began their training at 5 a.m. by running three miles and performing calisthenics. In addition to the physical-conditioning program, Upton spent numerous hours in classroom and field assignments, which included learning first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat and assorted weapons training. They performed close order drill and operated as a small infantry unit during field training.
Upton and other recruits also received instruction on the Marine Corps, core values, honor, courage and commitment, and what the core values mean in guiding personal and professional conduct.
Upton and fellow recruits ended the training phase with The Crucible, a 54-hour team evolution culminating in an emotional ceremony in which recruits are presented the Marine Corps Emblem and addressed as "Marines" for the first time in their careers.
The following local residents have been promoted to their present rank with the New York Army National Guard:
Pvt. 1st Class Amber Nephew, Dannemora, Co. E (Forward Support Company, Infantry) 427th Brigade Support Battalion; Pvt. Taury Seward, Chazy, 1156th Engineering Co. Vertical; Pvt. 1st Class Jordan Varden, Tupper Lake, Detach. 2, Co. B, 2108th Infantry; and Pvt. Kurtis Conto, Constable, Detach. 2, Co. B, 2108th Infantry.
Army Pvt. Amanda S. Darrah has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. She is the daughter of Rick and Cindy Darrah of Plattsburgh and a 2004 graduate of Beekmantown Central School.
Air National Guard Airman Steven M. Corrigan graduated from basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Susan Corrigan of Plattsburgh and a 2007 graduate of Beekmantown Central School.
Col. Harry Pecotte, son of Regina Pecotte of Plattsburgh and the late Harry F. Pecotte, graduated from the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa. The War College is designed to prepare senior officers for increased responsibilities of strategic leadership in a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational environment.
Col. Pecotte additionally was awarded the degree of Master of Strategic Studies. He is presently assigned as deputy director of training for the Army's Human Terrain System at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He is married to the former Jaime Judkins of Cumberland Head. They have six children.
Coast Guard Seaman Andris Blumbergs, son of Edite Blumberga and Mark Bimonte, both of Lake Placid, graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, N.J.
Blumbergs is a 2009 graduate of National Sports Academy of Lake Placid.
Capt. Jason Stewart of Peru works as an explosive ordnance disposal advisor to the Iraqi Federal Police in Baghdad, Iraq.
He trains Iraqis how to use robots like the Packbot and TALON to handle unexploded ordnance and detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Recently his graduates in partnership with U.S. EOD dismantled an IED placed under a car before it exploded and potentially killed several people.
Army Reserve Pvt. Justin D. Scotch has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.
He is the son of Karen Scotch of State Street, Rouses Point and a 2009 graduate of Northeastern Clinton Central High School, Champlain.
Raymond S. Plante has graduated from the Army ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as "Operation Warrior Forge," at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.
Cadets in their junior and senior year of college must complete the leadership development course. Upon successful completion of the course, the ROTC program, and graduation from college, cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, National Guard or Reserve.
He is the son of Raymond A. and Judithmarie G. Plante of Lewis and a 2006 graduate of Elizabethtown-Lewis Central High School.
Airman Stephanie M. Esposito graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
She is the daughter of Paul Dirolf of Saranac Lake, and Diane French of Keeseville and a 2009 graduate of AuSable Valley Central School, Clintonville.
Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Michael A. Favreau graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
Favreau is the grandson of Joseph Favreau of West Chazy and a 2009 graduate of Beekmantown Central School.
More than 600 members of the New York Air National Guard received recognition for their service in a combat zone during the 174th Fighter Wing Hometown Heroes Salute ceremony at the Air National Guard Base in Syracuse. Area residents recognized were SSgt. Nicholas Delahant, Lake Placid, 174th Maintenance Squadron; and MSgt. Kenneth Whalen, Plattsburgh, EADS Security Forces Squadron.
Area residents who have been promoted to their present rank in the Army National Guard, Co. B, 2-108th Infantry include: Spec. Nathan Harrell of Peru, Spec. Nathan Burgess of Malone, Spec. Kristopher Fetter of Ellenburg Center, Pvt. First Class Alex Fuller of Plattsburgh, Pvt. Zachary Dixon of Chazy, Spec. Alexander Newgarden of Morrisonville and Spec. Michael Graham of Plattsburgh.
Theresa Christian
Michael Hanley
Carolyn S. Jacobson
Geoffrey Glebus
Pvt. 2nd Class Theresa Christian has graduated from basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C.
The daughter of Michael and Lisa Christian of Plattsburgh, she is currently at Fort Gordon, Ga., training as a 25U signals support specialist. She graduated from Beekmantown Central School in 2008.
