For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 23, 2006

President Makes Thanksgiving Day Calls to Members of the Armed Forces

      Thanksgiving 2006

The President made telephone calls this morning to members of the Armed Forces who are stationed at remote overseas locations, or who have recently returned from overseas, to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving and thank them for their service to our Nation.

INFORMATION ON CALL RECIPIENTS

Sergeant First Class Christopher Jones, USA
Sergeant First Class Christopher Jones, USA, deployed to Taji, Iraq, is a member of the 7-10 Cavalry Squadron, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. As a Cavalry Scout Platoon Sergeant, he conducts daily mounted and dismounted combat patrols, oversees a 32-man Scout Platoon and maintains four M3 Bradley fighting vehicles and six M1114 up-armored UHMMWVs.

Specialist Joseph Casey, USA
Specialist Joseph Casey, USA, deployed to Kamdesh village, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, is a member of the 71st Cavalry Squadron, 10th Mountain Division. As a gunner and scout, he maintains one million dollars worth of equipment, including advanced optics grenade launchers and up-armor HUMVEES.

Sergeant Steven Cariotis, USMCR
Sergeant Steven Cariotis, USMC, is a member of the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, San Antonio, Texas. Deployed to Iraq, he serves as a radio operator, reconnaissance marine, and the assistant team leader of Charlie Company.

Corporal Steven Lanham Jr., USMC
Corporal Steven Lanham Jr., USMC, is a member of the 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division, in Okinawa, Japan. As a team leader for the 3d Platoon, Alpha Company, he is responsible for scouting and patrolling, and is skilled in assault weaponry, breaching demolitions, close quarter battle, and raid techniques. He is also qualified as a combatant diver.

Petty Officer First Class Christina Wood, USN
Petty Officer First Class Christina Wood, USN, based in Atsugi, Japan, serves at the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Branch Health Clinic. She recently returned from a multinational joint environment where she served as Convoy Commander and coordinated over 80 ground convoys and 20 air MedEvac missions.

Petty Officer Second Class Eugenia C. Ortiz-Cooper, USN
Petty Officer Second Class Eugenia C. Ortiz-Cooper, USN, is deployed with the Army at Camp as Sayliyah, Qatar. She serves as an operator for Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS), which provides near real-time warning of Theater Ballistic Missile launches and other tactical events. She is based permanently at Naval Network Space Operations Command, Detachment Echo, Stuttgart, Germany.

Master Sergeant Stonnie Martin, USAF
Master Sergeant Stonnie Martin, USAF, serves in the 354th Contracting Squadron Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and is deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq. Before his tour in Iraq, Master Sergeant Martin served as Flight Chief of the 354th Contracting Squadron Plans and Programs Flight where he was responsible for over $10 million annually in government purchases.

Senior Airman Andrew Bickham, USAF
Senior Airman Andrew Bickham, USAF, serves in the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, but is deployed to Iraq. As an MH-53 Pave Low Helicopter Aerial Gunner, he operates the .50 caliber machine gun, and supports special operations with night, low-level, adverse weather infiltration, resupply, exfiltration, and close air support using night vision goggles in denied airspace worldwide.

Petty Officer Second Class Derby Flory, USCG
Petty Officer Second Class Derby Flory, USCG, serves aboard the USCG CUTTER MORGENTHAU, which rests currently in its home port of Alameda, CA. As a qualified Combat Information Center Watch Supervisor, he plays a key role in the Counter Drug and Search and Rescue missions that MORGENTHAU conducts.

Seaman Fredrick DeJuan Lamar, USCG
Seaman Fredrick DeJuan Lamar, USCG is based on the USCG CUTTER MUNRO, which resides currently in its home port of Alameda, CA. As a member of the Weapons division his duties include: helmsman, lowering the ship's small boats, and .50 caliber gunner. He was nominated as Sailor of the Quarter for August-October 2006.

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