Military Life InRanks

Air Force Airmen Matt T. DeGraffenreid, Kevin J. Doyal, Andrew R. Morris, Brandon W. Bingaman, Daniel J. McGovern and Michael J. Fusaro II, Air Force Airman 1st Class Tyler V. Miller and Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Daniel R. Meenen graduated...... Full story

Marine Pfc. Jamie N. Clark graduated from basic training on Dec. 16 in San Diego.He leaves for infantry school on Jan. 3 at Camp Pendleton in California. He is a graduate of Clinton High School. He is the son of Shawn and Vickey Clark, of Clinton,...... Full story

Navy Seaman Apprentice Paige M. Nielsen recently completed Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. She is a 2010 graduate of Smith-Cotton High School.... Full story

Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Matthew E. Kersey, Air Force Airman Aaron J. Cramer and Airman Samantha J. Cundiff graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.Kersey is the son of Donald Kersey, of...... Full story

Navy Fire Controllman 3rd Class Petty Officer E-4 Autumn Irby was named a distinguished honor graduate from Aegis Training and Readiness Center in Dahlgren, Va., in November. She graduated at the top of her class and trained as an Aegis computer...... Full story

Army Pvt. 1st Class Jesse Shults completed basic combat training in August at Fort Sill, Okla. He completed advanced individual training at Fort Gordon, Ga. He will be stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., in December.He is a 2011 graduate of Smith-Cotton...... Full story

Pvt. Michael E. Sivard, of Sedalia, recently graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, S.C.Sivard joined the Missouri National Guard on April 22 to become an AH-64 Apache helicopter repairer with Company D, 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance...... Full story

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Brian Curd was recently promoted to the rank of captain. He received his Air Force active duty commission in May 2008 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.He is now in the Air Force space career field at Los...... Full story

Army National Guard Pvt. Nathaniel R. Howard graduated from One Station Unit Training at Fort Leonard Wood, which included basic military training and advanced individual training.He is the son of Connie S. Howard, of Bunceton, and is a 2007...... Full story

Army Pfc. Joshua P. Fennell graduated from One Station Unit Training at Fort Leonard Wood, which included basic military training and advanced individual training.He is the son of Perry G. Fennell, of Sedalia, and is a 2009 graduate of Smith-Cotton...... Full story

Marine Pvt. James H. Stewart graduated from basic training on Sept. 23. He graduated from combat training on Nov. 1 at Camp Pendleton in California. He is now stationed at Fort Leonard Wood.He is a 2010 graduate of Smithton High School and the son...... Full story

Barbara Harrington retired from Personnel Support Detachment, Naval Station in Norfolk, Va., on Nov. 11. She is the daughter of Isabelle Buchanan, of Sedalia.She began working at PSD Norfolk on Sept. 29, 1988. During that time she worked in customer...... Full story

Randy Alewel, who lives in Warrensburg, was recently promoted from the rank of colonel to brigadier general in the Missouri Army National Guard.Alewel, who has been with the Missouri Guard for 30 years, is the commander of the 35th Engineer Brigade...... Full story

Marine Corps Pvt. Brandon Keith McWilliams graduated from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego on July 22.McWilliams grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is the son of Brent and Carol McWilliams, and the father of Cadence Grace McWilliams, all...... Full story

Army National Guard Privates Sean L. Niepman and Joshua U. Niepman have graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga.They are the sons of Eric and Shannon Niepman, of Versailles.... Full story