Army PV2/E2

Joshua Hodak graduated April 27 from basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., and will be stationed with the Mechanized Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.Hodak, who attended Butler High School and Butler County Community College, is the son of Judy and Denny Hodak of Butler.——Army Pvt.

Jessica Thomas has graduated from basic training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.She is the daughter of Daniel and Kathleen Thomas of Prospect. Thomas is a 2003 graduate of Slippery Rock High School.——Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class

Marc Pfeifer has returned to the United States after being deployed to an overseas foward-operating location in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.The petty officer, a customs inspector assigned to the Navy Reserve Station in Orlando, Fla., makes his home in Denver, Colo.He is a 1989 alumnus of Butler High School and a 1994 graduate of Indiana (Pa.) University.His parents, Buck and Sherry Pfeifer, lived in Butler.——The husband of a Butler native,

Capt. Michael Jett, recently stepped down as the Gold Ancient Mariner and marked his retirement from the U.S. Coast Guard after 40 years of service.The Change of the Watch ceremony April 27 occurred aboard the cutter Valiant.The cutter was moored at the Coast Guard Integrated Support Command in Miami.Jett's wife, Sharon, is the daughter of Claire and Marcella Douthett of Prospect.The Jetts plan to split their time between homes in Florida and Prospect.According to the Web site Military.com, the ceremony involves the changing of the garb in which ceremonial shoulder boards are passed from the current Gold Ancient Mariner to the successor.Jett was the 12th Gold Ancient Mariner.According to Military.com:"The Gold Ancient Mariner Award was established in 1978 to honor those officers who personify the dedication and professionalism associated with long service at sea and who have held the distinction of Cutterman longer than any other officer. The Gold Ancient Mariner, along with the enlisted Ancient Mariner, is charged with keeping a close watch to ensure that sea-service traditions are continued and that the time-honored reputation of the Coast Guard is maintained."