THE GREATNEWS.LIFE NETWORK

Veteran Spotlight: Jack Tipold

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Jack Tipold is a veteran who served for four years in the Air Force.  “I served from 1982 to 1986,” he said. “I was a member of the Security Police (SP) in the Air Force. We worked the flight decks and protected the nuclear warheads.” As an SP, Tipold was responsible for several different tasks, which included guarding nuclear weapons. His first tour sent him to Italy. He later …

Veteran Spotlight: Stephany Leonard

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Sergeant Stephany Leonard served for six years in the U.S. Army National Guard, voluntarily serving under Title 10 orders for four of her six years.  “In that role, I helped train soldiers and volunteered to support units preparing for mobilization,” she said. “I spent two years at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, rotating through different roles before ultimately serving as the …

Veteran Spotlight: Mark Pryor

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Northwest Indiana native Mark Pryor served in the United States Army between 1994 and 1997. He left Valparaiso just after high school for nearly four years of military service. Pryor served both stateside and overseas.  “I was in the Army for three and a half years,” said Pryor. “I served as part of 11 Bravo, the 101st Airborne Division in the third Brigade and third Battalion, and …

Veteran Spotlight: Katie Payne

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Growing up in Kouts, Katie Payne knew from a very young age that she wanted to join the military. After high school, she attended St. Joseph’s College, considering a future teaching math or science. After one year, however, she knew where she really belonged. “In my heart, I knew I wanted to be in the military,” Payne said. “When I was about 9 years old, Vietnam had just …

Veteran Spotlight: Major Steven Green

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Major Steven Green has a 20-year military career. A Purdue University alum, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980 immediately after graduating and earning his bachelor’s degree. “From there, my first duty assignment was as a combat support platoon leader for 7th Combat Support Military Police (MP) Company, 7th Infantry Division at Fort Ord, California,” said Green. “My …

Veteran Spotlight: Ben Fugate

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At 18 years old, Ben Fugate joined the United States Army for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it was the opportunity to serve his country that led to him joining in the first place. The opportunity the Army gave to grow and the fact that service ran in his family were other reasons that he chose to join. “My father was in the international guard,” Fugate said. “I’m originally …

Veteran Spotlight: Michael Malave

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Veteran Michael Malave served in the United States Marine Corps for several years. A native of Northwest Indiana, he went into the Marine Corps as a teenager shortly after graduating from high school. “I served in the United States Marine Corps from January 1986 through October 1988,” Malave said. “I was born and raised in Gary and, while I appreciated my childhood, I needed to see the …

Veteran Spotlight: Christine “Chris” Martel

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Christine “Chris” Martel served as a Legion Plus 94 Commander in the Navy for a total of four years, from 1986 through 1990. She entered the Navy after starting college in southern Indiana and ended up finishing school locally after serving. Her service in the Navy Martel was mainly in the Pacific region, namely in Hawaii. All the while serving nationally, she worked toward our country’s …