Two LV sons return to Army post in Ga.

Dick Benoit

Thursday, June 20, 2002 | 8:51 a.m.

Two soldiers with Las Vegas ties recently returned to Fort Benning, Ga., from a six-month deployment to Kosovo, a Serbian province in the Balkans.

Army Cpl. Neal Leveille, the son of Nancy Leveille and Gary Leveille, of Las Vegas, and a Durango High School 1999 graduate, and Army Pfc. Danny Hoover, the son of Phyllis and stepson of Robert Reyes of Las Vegas, participated in Operation Joint Guardian. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry

Each of the returning soldiers was awarded the Kosovo Campaign Medal and the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Medal. The medals are awarded to individuals who have participated or served in support of one or more of the eight military operations and task forces in Kosovo and bordering and surrounding Balkan countries. They also must have served under NATO command of operational control in direct support of NATO operations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia or Adriatic Sea since 1992.

During Operation Joint Guardian, the soldiers' mission was to conduct patrols along the Macedonian and Serbian borders to prevent illegal crossings and smuggling activities into Kosovo. They also patrol towns and villages to observe and prevent ethnic violence between Kosovar Serbs and Albanians, and conduct checkpoint and cordon searches to seize illegal weapons caches.

Leveille is a team leader assigned to the Charlie Co. Hoover is an infantryman assigned to the Alpha Co.

West Point graduates

Three 1998 graduates of local high schools were among the 956 graduates in the United States Military Academy's bicentennial class of 2002. Damian Taafemcmenamy of Silverado High School, Wayne Sanders of Cimarron-Memorial High School, and Allen Peplinski of Advanced Technologies Academy took part in recent commencement ceremonies in Westpoint, N.Y.

The three Nevadans earned bachelor of science degrees from the 200- year-old institution and were commissioned second lieutenants in the United States Army.

In brief

Johnathan Downing, Palo Verde High School class of 2001, has graduated from Army basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C. The new soldier is the son of James and Carol Downing of Las Vegas.

David McLaughlin, Basic High School class of 2000, has also graduated from Army basic training at Fort Jackson. He is the son of Walt Tuers of Henderson and brother of Terry Malkus of Las Vegas.

Luis Jau the, son of Sandra and Jose Jau of Las Vegas, has also graduated from Army basic infantry training at Fort Benning.

Amanda Davis, the granddaughter of Elsie Doris Davis of Las Vegas, has graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Davis earned an associate's degree from Las Vegas College in 2000.

Joseph James, the son of Annie Denorcy of Las Vegas, has also graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland.

Suzanne Angeles, the daughter of Noel Angeles of Las Vegas, has also graduated from basic training at Lackland.