Alprentice Smith, of Hinesville, Ga., has been promoted to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army.
A promotion ceremony is planned Feb. 12 in Fort Gordon, Ga.
Smith and his wife, Tausha, have two daughters and one son. She is the daughter of Mae Reatha and the late Ulysses Coleman of Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Smith promoted to colonel
CRESTVIEW — A support group for people with post-traumatic stress disorder has formed and will start meeting every other Monday.
The first meeting is 6 p.m. Monday at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 3252 E. James Lee Blvd.
The Facebook page The Scars Remain also offers PTSD support.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Post-traumatic stress disorder support sets first meeting
CRESTVIEW — The Swamp Ranger Association, which supports the 6th Ranger Training Battalion on Eglin Air Force Base, is taking applications for new members.
This association provides fun activities for the battalion's families and supports their wives' Family Readiness Group, among other things.
The only requirement to become a member is to want to support the batallion and participate in association activities when you can.
E-mail Tom Moody if you would like to become a member
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's how to support Eglin's Army Rangers
Air Force Airman 1st Class Harrison C. Grinnell and Air Force Airman Joshua A. Preston graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airmen's eight weeks' training covered military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Grinnell is the son of Kim M. Rutledge of Hot Springs, Ark., and Scott V. Grinnell of Crestview, and the stepson of Walter T. Rutledge of Hot Springs, Ark.
He graduated in 2009 from Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, Ark.
Preston is the son of Charles and Candace Preston of Shalimar. He is also the grandson of Bill Dyess of Crestview, Albert Macisco of Hartford, Conn., Bobbie Taylor of Wadley, Ala., and Timothy Taylor of Roanoke, Ala., and the nephew of Darlene and Scott Todd of Fort Walton Beach.
He graduated in 2014 from Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Grinnell, Preston complete basic Air Force training
Air Force Airman Kathryn E. Barrow graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
She completed eight weeks' training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Barrow is the wife of Dustin J. Barrow. She is also the daughter of Christina A. Reaves of Milton, and Kevin R. Quigg of Valdosta, Ga., and sister of Kyle G. Quigg of Wichita, Kan.
The airman graduated in 2013 from Baker School.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Barrow graduates from basic military training
Army Pvt. Derrick L. Ferguson has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Benning, Ga.
For nine weeks, the trainee received instruction in drill and ceremony, weapons, rifle marksmanship and bayonet training, chemical warfare, field training and tactical exercises, armed and unarmed combat, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, traditions and core values.
Ferguson is the son of Cliff L. Ferguson and Darcie L. Ferguson, both of Crestview. He is a 2012 Crestview High School graduate.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Ferguson graduates from basic combat training
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — Eglin AFB has entered into negotiations to lease 240 acres of base property to Gulf Power for a solar generation project as part of the base’s proposed Enhanced Use Lease.
In the agreement, Gulf Power would use 240 acres for construction of a photovoltaic solar generation facility on base property near Highway 85 adjacent to the Northwest Florida Regional Airport. Gulf Power has executed an energy purchase agreement with HelioSage Energy, who was selected to serve as the project developer. Gulf Power will purchase the power generated by the facility, contingent upon final approval of the project by the Florida Public Service Commission.
"In addition to Eglin receiving fair market value for lease of the land to use for on-base projects, this project offers the installation the potential for a higher level of energy security in the event of emergencies. This also helps meet the Department of Defense goal of 25 percent renewables by 2025 and the Air Force's energy goal of 1 gigawatt of on-site capacity by 2016," said Brig. Gen. David Harris, 96th Test Wing commander.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Eglin, Gulf Power partner for solar generation project
CRESTVIEW — Army Staff Sgt. Dan Kinney wants to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder — because he knows the struggle firsthand.
Kinney, who lives in Baker with his wife, Stacey, and their three children, recently started the Facebook page "The Scars Remain," which follows his blog with the same name.
The central message? "We all suffer. We all care … No judging, just helping," the Facebook page states.
TARGETING INSURGENTS
After Kinney enlisted in the Army — a lifelong dream — in 2006 in Lansing, Mich., he was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base and served seven months in Iraq before heading to Afghanistan.
That second tour would haunt him forever.
In 2010 in Afghanistan, Kinney monitored a group of people digging in the road — "there's no doubt that they were placing an IED" — Kinney said.
His group planned to drop artillery on the insurgents, possibly a subgroup of Al Quaida, he said, and later verify all the bombs were gone.
But the artillery hit a nearby house, and killed three children, along with their uncle and their father.
"One of our best guesses," Kinney said, is that "some of the mortars landed closer to the edge of town than we would have liked… one of those mortars came in through their roof."
RELIVING A WAR
One girl, perhaps 4 years old, Kinney said, did not instantly die.
"She was the only one that was still alive," he said. "She's just making eye contact with me and she's whimpering — and then, all of a sudden, it just stops. We had trucks running, there's people around, there's people talking, but everything was completely silent when she stopped whimpering."
After returning from war, a cry from Kinney's daughter, then 11 months, reminded him of the girl who died too soon.
"Every time I'd hear it, I'd be back there again," Kinney said. "The smells were there. It was a cold night, so I would get chilly."
Military service members who witness life-threatening events might have recurring flashbacks of the trauma and experience sleepless nights and jumpiness, among other symptoms, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD.
But there lies the stigma: Being so vulnerable can be challenging for someone who should be a hero, Kinney said.
"A lot of people in the military tend to think that, you know, we're big, bad, Army guys; we don't need help from anything," he said. "And when you do go and seek help for something, a lot of times you can be looked at as weak.
"In reality, that's just absolutely not the case."
'WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE'
For Kinney, coping with combat-related trauma meant attending group therapy sessions in a military hospital.
But something interesting happened.
"What I noticed was for me, personally — and for a couple of the other guys who admitted it — is we were getting more out of just talking to each other (while hanging out) than we were from any of the therapy sessions or the medication," Kinney said.
Bonding with combat veterans outside of any formal setting inspired Kinney to form the Facebook page.
"We've all been there, we've all seen horrible things, and now that we're home and struggling with the consequences, I want to provide a safe place where we can come and get things off our chest," he said.
"It's important for people to understand that PTSD isn't something that ever goes away. You just learn how to manage it and learn how to live with it instead of fight against it."
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'NO JUDGING, JUST HELPING': Baker man starts PTSD forum for veterans
CHICAGO — Navy Seaman Jessica Roxanne Predieri, daughter of Samuel and Nettie Predieri of Crestview, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, and North Chicago, Ill.
Jessica completed eight weeks of classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, as well as shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was placed on physical fitness.
The boot camp's capstone event is Battle Stations 21, an exercise that gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet.
Battle Stations 21 instills basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment.
Predieri's first naval duty station will be overseas after she completes a nine-week Master at Arms "A" School in San Antonio.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview woman completes Navy basic training
FORT WALTON BEACH — State Rep. Matt Gaetz has filed legislation to allow military IDs to qualify as valid identification for a Florida drivers’ license.
Additionally, Gaetz's legislation would protect Special Forces operators and their families from disclosing personal information.
The legislation would add active and retired military identification cards to the list of acceptable forms of identification for renewing a driver’s license.
A constituent submitted the idea as part of Gaetz's Okaloosa Accountability initiative.
“Considering the extensive background check and verification that goes into one receiving a U.S. military ID, it only seems right to allow our service members to be able to use this identification for the renewal of their driver’s license. I am in full support of this legislation,” said Okaloosa Tax Collector Ben Anderson.
Several groups of Floridians currently have personal information redacted from public disclosure. Such groups include law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, public defenders and corrections officers. Gaetz's legislation adds Special Forces operators to that list.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Under legislation, military ID would qualify residents for driver's license
