Brown

Navy Cmdr.

James Brown, originally of Harmony, recently was selected for promotion to the rank of captain.Brown, who was commissioned as an ensign in February 1986, has had numerous afloat and shore assignments in Hawaii, San Diego, San Francisco and Wisconsin during his 21-year career.His first command, the USS Leftwich, a destroyer, was stationed in Pearl Harbor, where he was a damage control assistant. The Leftwich was one of several ships responsible for the destruction of a command and control platform in the Persian Gulf after the attack of a reflagged Kuwaiti oil tanker.He served as an executive officer on the USS Camden, an oiler and ammunition ship, in Bremerton, Wash., which was one of the initial ships to respond to and assist the USS Cole and her crew after she was attacked by terrorists in Aden, Yemen.During his assignment to the staff of the Commander, Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka Japan, he was additionally assigned to the staff of the Commander of Operation Unified Assistance, Thailand, in support of tsunami relief efforts.He currently is stationed at the Pentagon as an analyst on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, Assessments Division.Brown currently resides with his family in Clifton, Va.———

Air Force Airman <B>Omer Shankle</B> has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.He is the son of Omer and Billie Shankle of Fenelton.Shankle is a 2006 graduate of Butler High School.———

Air Force Airman 1st Class <B>Craig Rice</B> has graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he earned distinction as an honor graduate of the course.The airman, a 2000 graduate of Seneca Valley High School, received a bachelor's degree from Point Park University in 2004.