Military news

Military news

Michael J. Bryan, son of Sandra A. Bryan of Clearwater, has graduated from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga., and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. He enlisted in the Army in February 2007, then completed basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and advanced individual training at Fort Gordon, Ga. Bryan served a 10-month deployment to Iraq to support the mission of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shortly after his return from Iraq, he entered officer candidate school to be a commissioned officer. He is scheduled to complete the basic officer course at Fort Gordon in August. He graduated in 1991 from East Lake High School and received a bachelor's degree in 1999 from the University of South Florida.

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Army National Guard Pvt. Marc R. Barnett graduated from the Multiple Launch Rocket System Operations/Fire Direction Specialist Advanced Individual Training (AIT) course at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.

The course is designed to train the students on how to record and transmit firing data, operate fire direction systems and multiple launch rocket system communication equipment.

They also learn to gather operations and intelligence data, and plot that data using charts, maps and records. They learn to drive specialized vehicles, maintain and use generators, and install and maintain a wide range of communications equipment.

He is the son of Larry R. Barnett of Normandy, Tenn., and Susan M. Barnett of Clearwater.