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Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Gary Morris talks to students at the American International School in Monrovia, Liberia, where he has been voluntarily teaching a physical education class since February 2010. U.S. Africa Command photo by Nicole Dalrymple[/caption] MONROVIA, Liberia, – Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Gary Morris' time in Liberia, which originally began as a voluntary six-month assignment, will end in August, 20 months after it started.

The U.S. military has been providing mentors and advisors to Liberia's security sector reform initiative since 2006 through a U.S. State Department-led initiative. Morris, a reservist, was serving as a platoon leader in an antiterrorism unit in Billings, Mont., when he accepted an assignment as a military advisor in Liberia.Morris arrived in Liberia on January 2009, where for six months he served as a mentor to the 2nd Battalion of the newly formed 23rd Infantry Brigade of the Liberian armed forces. He returned home to Dallas, only to receive a call shortly afterward asking if he would return to Liberia.Morris agreed to return to Liberia, and served another two months as a mentor. He then moved to U.S. Africa Command's office of security cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. He works there as the Liberia defense-sector reform liaison and assists all U.S. military personnel in Liberia with logistical support. Morris said he has learned a lot about Liberia and its people because he has taken the time to talk to people and get to know them. He said the Liberian people will tell him about the devastating civil war that ravaged their country for 14 years. The Liberian children he has met seem mature beyond their years, Morris observed. "Kids here don't get a chance to be kids," he explained. "That's what strikes me. Four and 5 year olds are out working and earning money for their families." To Morris, who has a 6-year-old son, "It is a fascinating place and a very humbling place." On top of his regular duties, Morris has regularly visited a small Monrovia school for more than a year, and he recently started teaching a weekly physical education class at the American International School in Monrovia. In March 2009, Morris met a group of children who watched as he offered assistance to the driver of a Liberian military truck that had broken down near Camp Edward Binyah Kesselly Barracks, where the battalion is based. He was approached by their teacher at the Margretia School, who invited Morris to visit. During his visit to the school, Morris learned that unless the students brought their own food, they didn't get lunch. Perhaps it was his own experience as a child in Jamaica, walking to school in his bare feet and picking fruit from the trees for breakfast, but Morris knew what the children needed. He began making regular trips to the school, bringing bags of rice and cooking oil and providing all the items needed to provide lunch for the children. In an effort to create a connection between the Liberian armed forces and the school, and hoping others would continue to support the school after he leaves, Morris brought Liberian soldiers to the school and invited fellow U.S. servicemembers to accompany him on his visits. In January 2010, Morris was invited to teach a class on exercise and nutrition at American International School in Monrovia. This morphed into a standing appointment every Friday, where he teaches a 90-minute physical education class to 24 students in grades 4 through 9. A certified trainer, Morris owns and operates his own personal training and corporate fitness business back home in Texas. Many of the students at American International School are children of parents serving in Liberia as diplomats or nongovernmental organization employees. Some are children of Liberians who are returning to the country after leaving because of the civil war. The diverse student body represents France, Ghana, Holland, Korea, Lebanon, Liberia, Nigeria, Niger, Sierra Leone, Spain, Syria, the United Kingdom and the United States. Teachers report noticing a change in the students since Morris started teaching physical education. The school's director, Gary Eubank, and his wife, Rory, who is the upper school team leader, praised Morris on his interaction with the students. "They are more attentive in class and have been asking about the nutritional value of snacks and food," Rory Eubank said. "The kids love his classes." Her husband noted that Morris has set benchmarks, incorporating the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports into his program. He encourages the children to set goals, he said, and conducts periodic assessments so they can see how they are improving. Morris also has engaged the students in leadership activities, having them lead exercises and giving them an example to emulate. In particular, Rory Eubank commented on changes she has seen in a 7th-grade student from Niger. "He is a superb student and a bit of jokester," she said. "We've seen him becoming a leader, becoming more serious but still retaining his fun side." Morris views his time in Liberia as volunteerism. While he misses his son, he said, he tells him what he is doing and why it is important. "The U.S. military is having a very positive impact here in Liberia," he said, adding the biggest compliment he has received as a Marine came when he was leaving the United Nations Liberian mission’s headquarters here and a gentleman told him, "When I see U.S. Marines, it brings me peace." Morris said the future of Liberia is bright. "I remember the president telling the [armed forces] that they are the future of Liberia," he said, reflecting on a Feb. 11 Armed Forces Day ceremony. "I can feel the pride [the Liberian servicemembers] feel, and at the Armed Forces Day, I could feel the pride that Liberians have in their armed forces." May 7, 2010: By Nicole Dalrymple-U.S. Africa Command
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Army Pfc. Jessica Kimball and Army Pvt. Logan Yost pose for a photo May 3, 2010, at Forward Operating Base Lightning in Afghanistan’s Paktia province. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Laura Goodgame[/caption] PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Sibling rivalry isn’t a problem for a brother and sister from Collegeville, Pa., who are serving a deployment here together.

“My brother was my best friend growing up; he was all I had,â€Â said Army Pfc. Jessica Kimball, 20, a mechanic assigned to Company B, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion out of Fort Bragg, N.C. “I didn’t have the picture-perfect childhood.â€ÂKimball was 11 when her grandmother died, and she was placed into her brother’s family for foster care. She said her brother, Army Pvt. Logan Yost, 21, an infantryman assigned to the same unit, always took her under his wing.Kimball said she planned to go to college, but couldn’t afford it. After hearing about GI Bill education benefits, she decided to see a recruiter. “The recruiter mentioned the opportunity to go Airborne, [and] being of competitive nature, it intrigued me,â€Â she said. “I talked it over with my brother. He did not want me to go alone, so we both joined the Army together.â€Â After basic training and Airborne School, the siblings were assigned to the same airborne unit. Soon, they deployed to Afghanistan, where they have been on several missions together and look out for each other. “Sometimes we would be outside the wire for several days in a row,â€Â Yost said. “At night, we would all take turns staying awake to pull security. When it was Jessica’s turn, I would go sit with her to keep her company so she wouldn’t be alone.â€Â His sister returned the favor when it was his turn for security detail, he added. “I feel for anyone who has siblings in the military,â€Â Yost said. “We are lucky to have gotten stationed together, because most of the time siblings get split up and sent halfway around the world from each other.â€Â The siblings already were close when they joined the military, they said, but their time in Afghanistan has made their bond stronger. “The deployment has brought us closer together,â€Â Kimball said. “It is like a hardcore friendship, and it is comforting to know someone has your back in a foreign country away from anything we’ve ever known.â€Â May 4, 2010: By Air Force Airman 1st Class Laura Goodgame, Regional Command East
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Army Lt. Col. Scott Glass serves with the 3rd Army, as his father did during World War II. Courtesy photo[/caption] CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, As an infantryman in World War II, Royce Glass was part of one of the most challenging achievements in American military history as a member of Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army. His division was one of the first to pivot and move north to engage the German forces surrounding Bastogne, Belgium.

Today, his son, Army Lt. Col. Scott Glass, the 3rd Army’s logistics operations plans branch chief, is serving in support of Lt. Gen. William Webster's drawdown in Iraq and buildup in Afghanistan.The colonel’s father was one of four brothers from Greensboro, Ga., who fought in World War II. He was a "replacement" in Patton's Own, which meant he would go into a unit after a soldier was wounded or killed. The elder Glass fought in many battles, including the Battle of the Bulge. He earned the Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts in the European Theater and won the admiration of a son who knew he wanted to serve at a young age. "He lost his best friend, who was killed next to him," Glass said. "That is an inspiration from which we can all draw strength." Taking a job as butcher in small-town Georgia after the war, he said, his father became a devoted husband to his wife, Hilda, a loving father of three sons, a patient Little League coach and a man who never lost his temper - except that time his sons accidentally burned down his beehives. People in trouble and needing help could always call on him, day or night, he added. Glass is married and has two sons with military aspirations of their own. They are involved in the ROTC and Junior ROTC programs at their respective schools. "My wife, Paige, and I are so proud of our boys, Michael and Matthew," Glass said. "My daddy attended the commissioning ceremony for me and cried like a baby. I too, can see myself getting very emotional if one of my sons ever fulfills their goal of becoming a commissioned officer." Meanwhile, Glass said, he is drawing on his father’s inspiration in his own service. "My father was and still is the greatest man I ever knew," he said. "If I live to be as respected as he was, I think I will have done well." May 3, 2010: By Army Cpl. Brandon Babbitt- 3rd Army
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Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Antonio Travis, right foreground, has been recognized by editors of Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his efforts after the Haiti earthquake. Travis is shown here with Air Force combat controllers (from left) Senior Airman William Barrett, Staff Sgt. Kyle Graman, Staff Sgt. Jose Diaz, Staff Sgt. Joshua Craig, Staff Sgt. Chad Rosendale and Senior Airman Johnnie Yellock. U.S. Air Force photo[/caption] NEW YORK– Time magazine editors have named Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Antonio D. Travis to the 2010 Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the 100 most-influential people in the world, for his efforts after the Haiti earthquake.

Travis was one of the first U.S. military members on the ground at the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, only 30 hours after the Jan. 12 earthquake and less than 12 hours after the nation's president requested U.S. assistance. The chief led a team of special tactics airmen from the 23rd, 21st and 123rd special tactics squadrons. With his team of combat veterans, Travis led the largest single-runway operation in history, using hand-held radios to control thousands of aircraft. Their air traffic control tower was a card table set up next to the airport's runway. "Twenty-eight minutes after touchdown, we controlled the first air landing followed immediately by a departure, and we did not slow down for the next 12 days," said Travis, who hails from Nelson County, Ky. After establishing control of the airfield there, his team orchestrated an orderly flow for incoming aircraft and dealt with the constraints of the inadequate airfield, which potentially could have limited relief operations. Facing 42 aircraft jammed into a parking ramp designed to accommodate 10 large planes and untangling the gridlock was the first of many seemingly insurmountable challenges necessary to facilitate the flood of inbound relief flights. In the dawn of the U.S. response to the Haitian crisis, Travis coordinated with Miami-based Federal Aviation Administration officials via text messaging on his BlackBerry. His ingenuity paid massive dividends as priority aircraft transited the small airport, delivering lifesaving water, food and medical supplies in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development-led international humanitarian effort. From chaos, Travis established order as his combat controllers reduced a four-hour hold time in the air on Day 1 to less than two hours on Day 2 and less than 15 minutes by Day 3. For 12 days, 24-hours-a-day, the airfield team ran the international airport in Port-au-Prince. Together with more than 200 other airmen from Hurlburt Field, Fla., they tirelessly ensured the safe and effective control of more than 4,000 takeoffs and landings, an average of one aircraft operation every five minutes, and enabled the delivery of 4 million pounds of humanitarian relief to the people of Haiti. Without computers or electricity, Travis and his team controlled as many as 250 aircraft daily, exceeding the normal capacity of the airfield by 1,400 percent without a single incident. By Jan. 25, his team was able to hand operations over to Air Force air traffic controllers with a portable control tower. While directing the airfield operations, Travis also supervised a group of pararescuemen, known as PJs, and medical technicians who augmented a search-and-rescue team from Virginia. These teams were credited with 13 technical rescues and 17 additional saves. Additionally, the special tactics airmen he led surveyed nearly 100 sites for use as potential humanitarian relief supply delivery sites. His teams’ technical expertise and unflagging commitment ultimately led to successful air deliveries by C-17 Globemaster IIIs of humanitarian aid that included more than 150,000 bottles of water and 75,000 packaged meals that subsequently were delivered to earthquake victims by helicopter. Travis is the chief enlisted manager of the Air Force Special Operations Training Center at Hurlburt Field. He served seven-and-a-half years in the Marine Corps before transferring into the Air Force as a combat controller in 1993. As a senior combat controller, he has supported combat, combat support, humanitarian, and search-and-rescue operations throughout the United States, the Pacific and European theaters, and at many austere locations across the globe. Travis is married to the former Andrea Lawrence of Bardstown, Ky. Their children are Brittany, 21; Amanda, 19; and Emily, 15. Like Army Rangers and Navy SEALS, Air Force special tactics airmen are an elite force of special operators. They are combat controllers, who conduct tactical airfield operations and close air support; PJs, who conduct combat search and rescue; special operations weathermen, who provide tactical weather forecasting and environmental reconnaissance; and tactical air controllers, who integrate close air support into special operations missions. Time's full list and related tributes of all those honored appear in the magazine’s May 10 issue, available on newsstands and online. April 30, 2010: By Air Force Maj. David Small, Air Force National Media Outreach Office'
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Air Force Tech. Sgt. Oswald Steley, left, talks with Air Force Staff Sgt. Gavin Ramos at a base in Southwest Asia, April 8, 2010. Steley is deployed from the 60th Force Support Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Scott Sturkol[/caption] SOUTHWEST ASIA- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Oswald Steley does everything he can to provide servicemembers deployed here with morale, welfare, recreation and education support.

Steley is the manager of the 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron's learning resources center here, where servicemembers can check out movies, educational material, music and language CDs and fictional, biography and reference books. He works six-days-a-week, 12-hours-a-day."The [learning resource center] is a morale-booster for all our deployed troops," said Steley, who is deployed from the 60th Force Support Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. "It helps improve the quality of life for people who are far from home by providing movies for entertainment, educational material for college work, training resources for learning a new language and a whole lot more."Steley not only maintains a hefty volume of material for the center, but also provides on-the-spot customer service."I have a lot of customers who come in and tell me it makes them feel a little more at home by having the LRC available to them," Steley said. "I'll usually help them find what they need, tell them a little about what we have available, and make sure their visit was a successful one." As a services craftsman, Steley supports more than 1,900 deployed servicemembers for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. Support programs cover a variety of areas, and Steley has to be ready to support any one of them in addition to managing the center. Services airmen manage and direct programs, operations and retail sales. They also supervise and work in appropriated-fund food service and lodging activities, recreation, fitness and sports programs, linen-exchange operations, mortuary affairs programs, honor guard teams and services readiness programs. They also identify facility requirements and conduct surveys to determine renovation, construction and modernization needs, the job description states. In deployed locations, they establish and supervise bare-base facilities that provide food, fitness, lodging, sports management, recreation, laundry, mortuary services and field exchange operations. In all the services functions, Steley has to maintain mandatory job knowledge in areas such as accounting procedures, management principles, merchandising, marketing, automated information systems, food service facility operations, subsistence management, requisition and issue procedures, menu planning and lodging operations. "I've done a lot of different jobs in my more than 15 years in this career field," Steley said. "In services, we work in many different places, and I know all of them. I think the most rewarding for me though was working for eight years as a fitness trainer." Steley said he wanted to see the world when he left his hometown of Metter, Ga., to join the military. "Being deployed applies to my original goals to see the world," Steley said. "I've been able to see different cultures and experience the diversity. I've been able to see a lot and have enjoyed every bit of it. I'm glad I joined." The technical sergeant added that he always has been proud to serve and will proudly continue to do so. "I serve now so my son doesn't have to," Steley said, expressing the importance of defending America's freedoms, to include freedom of choice. "It will be a choice for him like it was for me." April 29, 2010: By Air Force Master Sgt. Scott Sturkol- 380th Air Expeditionary Wing