A1C Brent Hooks, currently stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, has advanced in rank to senior airman.

Formerly of Cabot, he is a 2000 alumnus of Knoch High School and is the son of Michelle Casey of Cabot and Thomas Hooks of Freeport.

He is married to Elicia Bayne Hooks and has two sons.

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Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jessica Ritterbusch, daughter of Manuela and David C. Curran of East Brady, recently eparted on a routine scheduled deployment in support of the global war on terrorism, while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, homeported in Bremerton, Wash.

Ritterbusch is a 1998 graduate of Karns City High School and joined the Navy in November 2001.

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Navy Seaman Jason Jameson, son of Deborah Jameson of Butler and Dean Jameson of Plum, recently completed Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Jameson is a 2001 graduate of North Hills High School.

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Martin Schmidt has been promoted to the rank of sergeant first class in the Army.

Schmidt is a horn instrumentalist operations supervisor assigned to the U.S. Army Band-Japan at Camp Zama, Honshu. He has served in the military for 16 years.

Schmidt, son of Martin and Jeannette Schmidt of Butler, is a 1988 graduate of Butler High School.

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Air Force Senior Airman James Taylor is one of hundreds of Air Force members who participated in the 55th Presidential Inauguration of George W. Bush on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. He is assigned to the Air Force District of Washington and the 11th Wing at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.

Taylor, a systems administrator, is assigned to the 11th Communications Squadron. The senior airman has served in the military for three years.

He is the son of Dorothy Taylor of Slippery Rock and James Taylor of Corry.

The airman graduated from Laurel High School, New Castle, in 2000.

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Army National Guard Pvt. Justin Burkert has graduated from the light-wheeled vehicle mechanic advanced individual training course at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

He is the son of Jeffrey and Lynn Burkert of Chicora.

Burkert is a 2004 graduate of Butler High School.

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Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Michelle Wamboldt, daughter of Robin and Harold Wamboldt of Philipsburg and granddaughter of Pearl Wamboldt of Slippery Rock, has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. She is a 2004 graduate of Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School.