Military

Thunderbirds wow crowd at Nellis AFB: Saturday, November 14, 2009; More than 120,000 people expected to attend two-day air show; By Kyle Hansen; The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatics squadron got a chance to perform in front of a home crowd Saturday at Nellis Air Force Base during the Aviation Nation air show and open house.

Veterans honored during ceremony in Boulder City: Wednesday, November 11, 2009; Veterans, family members and politicians gather at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery to thank those who have served; By Tiffany Gibson; Janie Odgers sat next to the grave of her father-in-law, an Air Force veteran, at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery on Wednesday as tears ran down her face. Odgers, whose husband also served in the Air Force and recently died, was among those who gathered this Veterans Day in Boulder City to honor those who have served their country in the military.

Soldier with Las Vegas ties dies in Afghanistan crash: Friday, October 30, 2009; By Mary Manning; The 66th military member with ties to Nevada has died in overseas wars since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Pentagon said.

A pilot’s commanding role in preparing U.S. forces: Sunday, October 25, 2009; PERSON OF NOTE:; By Richard A. Serrano; Lt. Col. John C. “Red” Walker did not reach for the small volume of verse on his desk. He knows the sonnet by heart. The tall redheaded Illinois farm boy’s voice boomed through his office door, down the corridor and out across the flight line at Nellis Air Force Base.

Through veterans’ eyes: Thursday, October 22, 2009; Oral history project aims to compile stories of war told by servicemen, their families; By Richard A. Serrano; The tears came 30 minutes after the camera was rolling. John Ferrin blinked and bit his lip. A tall young man with piercing blue eyes, a second lieutenant in the Nevada National Guard, he kept his hands on his lap. He did not wipe away the tears.

Nellis site of Nevada's biggest military baby shower: Sunday, October 11, 2009; By Kyle Hansen; It was a typical baby shower in most respects — there was cake, decorations, cheesy games and lots of presents. But it was a larger than a typical shower. Actually, it was about 50 times larger.

A civilian who’s at home challenging Nellis pilots: Thursday, September 24, 2009; PERSON OF NOTE: “I throw as much as I possibly can at them,” the vice director says; By Richard A. Serrano; She wears no stars or bars, no uniform, no pilot’s wings. She does not salute and she does not return salutes. But draped over Yvonne Gresnick’s office chair at Nellis Air Force Base is one sharp piece of evidence of whom she serves — a desert camouflage, bullet-proof vest, the kind worn in war.

World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday on 9/9/09: Thursday, September 10, 2009; By Tiffany Gibson; World War II army veteran Warren Hogue celebrated his 100th birthday Wednesday at the Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City.

110 back in Vegas after four months in Iraq: Monday, September 7, 2009; Airmen return to Nellis in time for Labor Day weekend; By Jeff Pope; Family and friends welcomed home 110 airmen to Nellis Air Force Base Sunday night just in time for the holiday. Some families said the traditional Labor Day barbecue means even more this year because they will spend it with loved ones who had been serving a four-month stint in Iraq. While deployed, they provided more than 2,000 hours of alert support, completed more than 400 missions and saved five lives through medevac missions. All who deployed returned safely, though a few are returning with equipment later this week, said Lt. Col. Thomas Dorl, commander of the 66th squadron.

Ensign gives keynote as program teaches teens life's lessons: Monday, August 31, 2009; By Jeff Pope; Some of Oriana Ellis’ classmates at Durango High couldn’t look her in the eye when they returned to school. While many teens spent the summer playing video games, eating junk food and hanging out with friends, the 17-year-old Ellis was training with U.S. Marines and her fellow Devil Pups at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in southern California.

For veterans, a new world at college: Friday, August 14, 2009; Thanks to the GI Bill, veterans at UNLV will have fewer worries and, the hope is, more support; By Stephanie Tavares; For the better part of his college life — at a two-year college and now at UNLV — the only times anyone acknowledged Marine Corps veteran Michael Dakduk’s military service was in classroom debates about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or when teenage classmates wanted to hear war stories. Dakduk, a senior, says he didn’t always feel comfortable, let alone welcomed, on campus.

Las Vegas soldiers return home from Afghanistan: Wednesday, July 22, 2009; military: Families greet soldiers at McCarran after year-long deployments; By Jinae West; About a dozen soldiers from the Nevada Army National Guard's Embedded Training Team returned home Wednesday afternoon from Afghanistan. Families met their loved ones at McCarran International Airport's south baggage claim after one-year deployments. The soldiers returned on civilian flights arriving at 3:08 p.m., 3:32 p.m. and 4:20 p.m. When Master Sgt. Donald Sander came down the escalator, he greeted his wife, Natalie, and mother, Denise, with hugs and kisses. He and his wife embraced tightly, almost oblivious to the video cameras and bright flashes around them.

Nellis team behaves like the enemy: Wednesday, July 22, 2009; The military: ‘Aggressor’ squadron stages cyber attacks to keep networks safe; By Brendan Buhler; Meet Lt. Col. Robin Williams, a former B-52 bombardier. “I go by Montana,” he says (and who can blame him?). He’s the director of operations for the 57th Information Aggressor Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base, which is bringing the Air Force’s war games into the age of, well, “WarGames.”

Nellis air traffic controller barely feels the heat in his kitchen: Monday, July 20, 2009; People of Note:; By Brendan Buhler; Staff Sgt. Steven Williams is a local air traffic controller at Nellis Air Force Base, which means he is in charge of the busiest bit of airspace at one of the service’s three busiest bases, airspace that is crowded with an unusual variety of planes and pilots.

North Las Vegas kicks off holiday festivities with tribute to troops: Friday, July 3, 2009; By Torey Van Oot; Thousands of revelers filled Seastrand Park in North Las Vegas on Thursday to kick off the Fourth of July weekend at the 10th annual North Las Vegas Independence Day Jubilee. This year’s jubilee was themed “A Tribute to Our Troops.” Organizers said they chose the theme as a reminder of the sacrifices that have made Independence Day possible. “Really, the reason we can celebrate on this day is because of our armed forces, so we wanted to say thank you to them for allowing the freedoms that we have;” said Aneessa Snowden, recreation coordinator for the city of North Las ...