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People in the News for Nov. 4, 2011

by Olivia
Fri, Nov 4th 2011 01:30 pm

New York State Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy has awarded more than 4,000 members of the New York National Guard the New York State Humane Service Medal to recognize their service during New York's response to Tropical Storm Irene.

The award recognizes service in response to members of New York's organized militia who distinguished themselves by sustained meritorious service in a humane operation as a result of a natural disaster, such as floods, snow storms, hurricanes, tornados, and acts of mercy during state active duty service at the direction of the governor.

Ten Islanders were among those who received the award, the New York National Guard announced Monday. Receiving the award were:

•New York Army National Guard Pfc. Joshua Anderson, a member of the 105th Military Police Company.

•New York Air National Guard Senior Airman Caitlin Hall, a member of the 107th Civil Engineer Squadron, 107th Airlift Wing.

•New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Danny Mancini, a member of the 107th Comptroller Flight, 107th Airlift Wing.

•New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Gary Tim, a member of the 107th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 107th Airlift Wing.

•New York Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Mitchell Haner, a member of the 107th Maintenance Squadron, 107th Airlift Wing.

•New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Jonathan Matthews, a member of the 107th Maintenance Squadron, 107th Airlift Wing.

•New York Army National Guard Spc. Vanessa Banks, a member of the Company D (Forward Support Company, Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), 427th Brigade Support Battalion.

•New York Army National Guard Spc. Andrew Hurley, a member of the Company D (Forward Support Company, Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition), 427th Brigade Support Battalion.

•New York Army National Guard Capt. James Pridgen, a member of the Company F, 1-169th General Support Aviation Battalion.

•New York Army National Guard Spc. Terry Moore, a member of the Troop C, 2-101 Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition).

The New York National Guard responded when Gov. Andrew Cuomo activated the New York Army and Air National Guard and other components of the New York military forces when Hurricane Irene threatened the state on Aug. 28.

Cuomo mobilized more than 2,500 members of the National Guard in advance of Hurricane Irene's arrival in New York on Aug. 27. Since then, more than 1,500 additional troops mobilized in response to the landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Irene, which caused flooding, destruction and disarray in many upstate New York counties.

National Guard members were parts of recovery missions in Essex, Scoharie, Delaware and Greene counties, with an emphasis on supporting devastated New York communities such as in Prattsville, Margaretville and Keene.

• • •

Grand Islander Peter Kuszczak was among those honored by the American Red Cross on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at a donor recognition reception, at the Red Cross' Buffalo Chapter House, 786 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo. Donors from around Western New York were present to be honored en masse for reaching one of these milestones: Century Club (100 donations), Sixer Club (Six donations during year), Donors of the Decade (six donations per year for 10 years).

In August, Kuszczak passed the 31 gallon mark in blood donated. He coordinates blood donations at the Grand Island Knights of Columbus Hall on Whitehaven Road.

• • •

Eighty-eight students from the Navy Supply Corps School in Newport, R.I., graduated at the end of August, including one from Grand Island.

Ensign Ian De Soto, who was the honor graduate of the basic qualification course, said graduating at the top of the class was no easy task. Grand Island native Ensign Brendan Conway finished second in the class. The friendly competition kept all motivated.

The Supply Corps is one of the oldest staff corps in the U.S. Navy. Supply Corps officers are concerned with supply, logistics, combat support, readiness, contracting and fiscal issues. The official motto of the Supply Corps is "Ready for Sea," reflecting the Supply Corps' longstanding role in sustaining war-fighting. Commissioned officers in the Supply Corps are schooled and experienced in a variety of disciplines such as supply management and expeditionary logistics, inventory control, disbursement, financial management, contracting, information systems, operations analysis, material and operational logistics, fuels management, food service and physical distribution.

Conway will report to Naval Reactors, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Naval Reactors is the U.S. government office that has comprehensive responsibility for the continued safe and reliable operation of the Navy's nuclear propulsion program and thus for U.S. Naval reactors. It has authority and reporting responsibilities within both the Department of the Navy and the United States Department of Energy.

Conway, who completed his undergraduate work at Ithaca College in finance, successfully completed Officer Candidate School in February, 2011, being commissioned as a U.S. Naval officer.

• • •

Christian Nole of Grand Island, marketing coordinator at Katz Americas, has been selected to speak on a panel at this year's Communications Career Day.

Communications Career Day is presented by the Public Relations Society of America and the Advertising Club of Buffalo. The event will be hosted at the New Era Cap offices on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo on Friday, Nov.4.

Nole, along with other young professionals representing area businesses, including National Fuel, Travers Collins, and UNYTS, will take part in the panel discussion entitled "How I Started My Communications Career." The panel discussion will focus on providing helpful insight to local college students in regards to the skills and steps involved in securing employment after graduation. The panel discussion will take place at 9:30 a.m.

Katz Americas, a member of the Koehler Paper Group, is the largest manufacturer of pulp board beverage coasters in North America. The company maintains operating facilities in Sanborn.

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