Brigadier General Amy Hannah

MONS, Belgium – The U.S. Army Public Affairs Branch welcomed a new general officer to its ranks, an officer who has had significant influence on her branch and the Army during her 27-year career.

Col. Amy Hannah, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe public affairs officer and Findlay, Ohio native, was promoted to the rank of brigadier general during a ceremony at a chateau in Quevy, Belgium, September 5, 2018.

The officer presiding over the ceremony was Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Hannah’s long-time mentor.

“Possibly more than any other rank, the trust, faith, and confidence the nation puts in its Brigadier General is truly special,” said Gen. Scaparrotti. “What is interesting about Amy’s promotion is that Public Affairs fulfills the Army’s obligation of keeping the American people informed and setting the conditions that lead to trust and confidence in America’s Army in peacetime and war.

The ceremony was carried out in accordance with Army tradition, with Hannah receiving some of the items incumbent with her new rank including her one-star flag and her general officer’s cap.

“I know this promotion comes with great responsibility and I thank the Army for giving me this opportunity,” said Brig. Gen. Hannah. “I am here today as a testament to those who taught me, who shaped me, who tested me and who made me stronger.”

Brig. Gen. Hannah graduated from Ohio State University and commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1991. As a career public affairs officer, she has served in some of the most distinguished positions in the U.S. Army including as the Deputy Chief of Public Affairs for the Army, the public affairs officer for United States Forces Korea and public affairs officer for the storied 82nd Airborne Division.

She has also deployed multiple times in support of U.S. missions across the globe including Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, and in support of relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In spite of a career filled with difficult jobs and a high operational tempo, Brig. Gen. Hannah still earned two Master’s degrees from American University and The Eisenhower School of National Security and Resource Strategy.

“Looking at her career, you will notice three themes stand out,” Gen. Scaparrotti said. She always took the hard jobs and performed well at each echelon across a wide breadth of mission sets; her performance and potential challenged the status quo and broke barriers; and she has a great reputation whose talents were often sought after by the Army’s senior leadership”

Hannah’s next assignment will be as the director of the U.S. Army Marketing and Research Group, a unique challenge that mentors throughout her military agree she is well prepared for including Lt. Gen. (Ret) Stephen Lanza, who was the Chief of Public of Affairs at the Pentagon when she was the Deputy of the Media Relations Division.

“Amy is a leader! (She is) so much more than a PAO, (she is) an absolute professional strategic communicator who understands the operational impact of information and the need for building an effective communication strategy,” Lt. Gen. Lanza said in a letter to Gen. Scaparrotti. “She is the role model for the branch and has done more than anyone I know to operationalize public affairs.”

(NATO photo by Tech. Sgt. Cody H. Ramirez, USAF)

Emma M. Niese

U.S. Air Force National Guard Airman 1st Class Emma M. Niese graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Niese is the daughter of Jennifer Langhals and Roger Niese and step-daughter of Brain Langhals, all of Leipsic, Ohio. She is a 2018 graduate of Leipsic High School Leipsic, Ohio.

Natalee J. Stone

U.S. Air Force National Guard Airman Natalee J. Stone graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Stone is the daughter of Joseph L. Stone and Erika J. Rector of Forest, Ohio.
She is a 2017 graduate of Riverdale High School, Mount Blanchard, Ohio.

Jackson W. Conrad

Jackson W. Conrad has received an Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps scholarship to attend Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, physical fitness, specific performance or accomplishments, and leadership abilities, as well as personal interviews.

The scholarship entitlements include tuition and fees, an annual allowance of $600 for textbooks and a monthly stipend for up to 10 months of each school year that the cadet completes at the host college or university.

Upon graduation from the host college and completion of the ROTC program, the cadet receives a bachelor’s degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. He or she also incurs a military service obligation of four years (10 years for pilots) of active-duty enlistment.

Conrad is the son of Michael and Rochelle Conrad of Harrod, Ohio, and grandson of Kris Conley of Fostoria, Ohio, and Randy Conrad of Lima, Ohio.

He is a 2018 graduate of Ada High School, Ada, Ohio.

Jonathon A. Baker

U.S. Air Force Airman Jonathon A. Baker graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Baker is the son of Laura Greer of Findlay, Ohio.
He is a 2017 graduate of Van Buren High School, Van Buren, Ohio.

Ameer K. Thomas

U.S. Air Force Airman Ameer K. Thomas graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Thomas is the son of Lori Martin of Tiffin, Ohio, and Rodney Thomas of Wauseon, Ohio, and grandson of Jayne McCoullugh of Toledo, Ohio.
He is a 2017 graduate of Columbian High School, Tiffin, Ohio.

Christian Sherman

NORFOLK, Va. – A Findlay, Ohio, native and 2006 Findlay High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. Petty Officer 1st Class Christian Sherman is a boatswain’s mate aboard the carrier operating out of the Navy’s largest base.

As a boatswain’s mate, Sherman is responsible for the underway replenishment, anchoring, boat launch and recovery tasks.  “My favorite part of this command is my department,” said Sherman. “I love my people, and the chain of command. My fellow first classes are all very tight.”

Named in honor of former President George H. W. Bush, the carrier is longer than three football fields, measuring nearly 1,100 feet.  The ship, a true floating city, weighs more than 100,000 tons and has a flight deck that is 252 feet wide.  Two nuclear reactors can push the ship through the water at more than 35 mph. Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship. The planes land aboard the carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft.

As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, Sherman learns about life at sea serving in the Navy and the importance of taking personal responsibility while leading others while still using lessons learned from their hometown.

“My parents taught me be the best no matter what you get assigned to,” said Sherman. “Nothing is ever owed to you. You will earn it.”

Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard the carrier. Approximately 3,200 men and women make up the ship’s crew, which keeps all parts of the aircraft carrier running smoothly — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the nuclear reactors. Another 2,500 men and women form the air wing responsible for flying and maintaining more than 70 aircraft aboard the ship.

George H.W. Bush, like each of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, is designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea.

All of this makes the George H.W. Bush a self-contained mobile airport and strike platform, and often the first response to a global crisis because of a carrier’s ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans.

“I am most proud of the inserv inspection and materials inspection that the ship has been working on for years,” said Sherman.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Sherman and other George H.W. Bush sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.  “The Navy has taught me discipline, responsibility, and how to be successful,” added Sherman.

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steve Watterworth, Navy Office of Community Outreach. Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Omar Diaz

Grace E. Pruden

ARABIAN GULF (March 17, 2018) Ensign Grace E. Pruden, from Findlay, Ohio, leads a yoga class aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88).

Preble is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.

Ensign Grace Pruden practices yoga aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88).

(U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Morgan K. Nall/Released)

Weston A. Foust

U.S. Air Force Airman Weston A. Foust graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Foust is the son of Allen and Christina Foust of Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
He is a 2017 graduate of Upper Sandusky High School, Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

Isaac A. Carpenter

U.S. Air Force Airman Isaac A. Carpenter graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Carpenter is the son of Deb and Dave Carpenter of Findlay, Ohio. He is a 2017 graduate of Liberty-Benton High School, Findlay, Ohio.