Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 7-4-17

Our Military Men & Women
Four Complete Basic Military Training
The Wait Is Over: Armwood Athlete To Join Taggart At Oregon
Four individuals with ties to the Tampa Bay Area re- cently completed all require- ments to graduate from basic military training in the U. S. Air Force. All of the graduates participated in their respective graduation ceremonies held at the Joint Base San Antonio- Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas.
Airman Keaton A. Holmes, Reserve Airman 1st Class Darius L. Wilson, Airman Joel Wilson, and Airman Richard E. John- son completed an intensive, eight-week program that in- cluded training in military dis- cipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Reserve Airman 1st Class Darius L. Wilson earned distinction as an honor graduate.
The Airmen also earned four credits toward an Associ- ate in Applied Science Degree through the Community Col- lege of the Air Force.
Airman Holmes is the son of Elizabeth A. John- son and Chad A. Holmes, and the stepson of Brian Johnson, all of Jacksonville, Illinois. Airman Holmes is also the brother of Bryson C. Miller, of Tampa, and Mal- lory L. Miller, of Springfield, Illinois.
Airman Holmes gradu- ated from Jacksonville High School, in Jacksonville, Illi- nois, in 2016,.
Reserve Airman 1st Class Darius L. Wilson is the son of Glorie J. and step- son of Gerard Singleton, of Tampa. His brothers are Julius L. Wilcox, of Bran- don, and Erick E. Knight, of Tampa. Mildred Fowler, of Miami, is his aunt. He gradu- ated from Hillsborough High School in 2014 and continued his education at Hillsborough Community College. He earned an Associate Degree in 2017.
Airman Joel Wilson is the son of Lora and Lester
AIRMAN JOEL WILSON
Wilson, of Plant City, and grandson of Norma Hall, of Tampa. He graduated from Strawberry Crest High School in 2015.
Airman Johnson is the son of Leann M. Johnson, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and Dustin S. Johnson, of Lindstrom, Minnesota, and brother of Rose Minor, of Tampa.
He is a 2016 graduate of Chicago Lakes High School, Lindstrom, Minnesota.
Local
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
All of the hoopla that goes along with high school recruit- ing was too much for the mother of a Armwood High athlete. Letters and calls came from colleges and individuals from around the country.
Mrs. Theresa Thomp- son had to step back a while and let the Lord lead her and son, Warren. So, when everyone from Armwood’s 2016-2017 football team was preparing to announce which college they would attend, she told her son, “We’re going to take it slowly and let God lead us.” His announcement was put on hold.
Warren and his dad, Warren, Sr., who also played football and baseball in Carrollton, MS, had talked about Florida State, having visited the campus, but there was no commitment. How- ever, his mom thought the North Carolina Tar Heels would be a better fit. Still, no commitment.
After a visit to the Univer- sity of Oregon in mid- June, Warren has decided that’s where he will be. He’s joining Head Coach Willie Taggart, former USF coach.
“The first trip we planned was cancelled because things became so hectic,” she said. There were questions about why he’d go to Oregon. “I know that God is not about confusion. But 2 months later we were able to sneak out of town.”
Warren, Jr., a wide re- ceiver, had known Coach Taggart for more than 2 years. After becoming the head coach at Oregon, Tag- gart remembered him.
Mrs. Thompson looks at how God connects the dots. Before leaving town, the fam- ily started seeing ducks walk-
Warren Thompson, Jr. and his mother, Theresa Thompson during their trip to Oregon.
ing across their yard, baby ducks following momma duck, something they had not seen before. (The ‘Duck’ is the moniker for Oregon.) “Then, once they got to Oregon, there were ducks in the pond behind the hotel. I even videoed them looking at the tatooes.”
To further connect the dots, Warren asked his mother about having some trees tattooed on his arm. Re- luctantly, she allowed it. One evening during the Oregon trip, she saw a group of coaches looking at her son’s arm. She found out they were looking at the trees on his arm and comparing them to trees nearby in Oregon – not Palm or Oak Trees, the Douglas Fir.
As a student athlete, War- ren plans to major in Busi- ness Management, Marketing and Development. His goal is to design shoes, something he has been preparing for since age 9. And he’s looking to market a brand, J5Live, Ore- gon can do it.
Hillsborough County Residents Serve Aboard Navy Warship
ENSIGN WITCHY DESORMO
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Three Hillsborough County natives are currently assigned to the guided missile de- stroyer, USS Halsey. Both men work out of Pearl Har- bor, in Hawaii.
Ensign Witchy Des- ormo graduated from Tampa Bay Technical High School in 2011. He is in charge of fuel aboard the ship. He is also re- sponsible for the main engine rooms, making sure every- thing runs properly so the ship can get underway.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Gregory Drummond works as a Logistics Specialist. He graduated from Riverview
PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS GREGORY DRUMMOND
High School in 2011. A Navy Logistics Specialist is respon- sible for the ship's budget and making sure the ship has all the parts needed to complete the mission.
Lt. Josh Neeper is a re- sident of Seffner who gradu- ated from Armwood High School in 2005. He also grad- uated from The Citadel in 2013. He works as a Fire Con- trol Officer. A Navy Fire Con- trol Officer is responsible for the ship’s fire control system and the tactical interfaces used to defend the ship and strike group.
With the ability to conduct anti-air warfare, anti-subma-
LT. JOSH NEEPER
rine warfare and anti-surface warfare, destroyers are capa- ble of sustained maritime op- erations supporting forward naval presence, maritime se- curity, sea control, deterrence of aggressive actions on U.S. partners around the globe, as well as humanitarian assis- tance. Fast, maneuverable, and technically advanced, de- stroyers provide credible com- bat power, at and from the sea.
Approximately 300 men and women serve aboard the ship. Their jobs are highly specialized and keep each part of the destroyer running smoothly.
Meeting
Greenridge And Delaney Creek Meeting
Greenridge and Delaney Creek monthly association meeting will be held Thursday, July 6, 2017, at 7 p. m. The meeting is held the first Tuesday of each month at the Emanuel P. Johnson Community Center, 5858 South 78th Street Tampa, Florida 33619.
All concerned residents are invited to attend. Our Mission, "We, the residents of Greenridge and Delaney Creek, envision a community where people have a strong sense of security and everyone take pride in where they live."
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