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Skriven 2006-12-24 23:31:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061224) for Sun, 2006 Dec 24
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President Bush Makes Christmas Eve Telephone Calls to Members of the Armed
Forces
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 24, 2006

President Bush Makes Christmas Eve Telephone Calls to Members of the Armed
Forces
Camp David


˙˙˙˙˙ Holidays at the White House 2006

The President made telephone calls to members of the Armed Forces who are
stationed overseas, or who have recently returned from overseas locations,
to wish them a Merry Christmas, and to thank them for their service to our
Nation.

INFORMATION ON CALL RECIPIENTS

Sergeant Jonathan J. Corell, USA
Sergeant Jonathan Corell has been serving in Afghanistan for 18 months.
During his tour, Sergeant Corell has shown exceptional combat leadership as
the manager of two non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and six junior
soldiers. He employs advanced skills in assault weaponry while scouting and
patrolling, and has served in the Army for 3 years and 10 months. His wife,
Danielle, lives in Syracuse, New York.

Private First Class Rebekah Vandiver, USA
Private First Class Rebekah Vandiver, based out of Schofield, Hawaii, is
deployed to Speicher, Iraq. As a combat medic, she is responsible for the
vital prescreening of all patients that enter the Battalion Aid Station,
maintains medical supplies for the Aid Station, and is studying to learn
more about advanced medical care and procedures. Her husband, Stephen, and
three children live in Hawaii.

Sergeant Ricardo E. Contreras, USMC
Sergeant Ricardo E. Contreras is based at Camp Pendleton, California, and
is deployed to Fallujah, Iraq. As a career counselor in the Marines, he is
responsible for the retention and career development of the enlisted
Marines in the 1st Marine Headquarters Group. On December 1, he was awarded
the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his outstanding performance
in counseling Marines on career options and playing a pivotal role in the
Group's retention efforts. His wife, Deborah, lives in San Clemente,
California.

Lance Corporal Michael P. Matherne, USMC
Lance Corporal Michael P. Matherne is a member of the Marine Fighter Attack
Squadron-211 and the Marine Air Group-16 out of Yuma, Arizona. He is
serving in Al Asad, Iraq, as an aircraft communications/navigation weapons
systems technician, where he repairs all communication, navigation, and
weapons systems on the squadron's 16 AV-8B Harrier jets. Lance Corporal
Matherne is recognized for his exceptional motivation and enthusiasm.

Petty Officer Second Class Dwayne W. Meyer, USN
Petty Officer Second Class Dwayne W. Meyer is a member of the Provincial
Reconstruction Team at Naval Station North Island, San Diego, California.
As a communications specialist in Kala Gosh, Afghanistan, he is responsible
for repairing all communication devices to include state-of-the-art
satellite radios. His wife, Rebecca, lives in Chula Vista, California.

Petty Officer Third Class Rahm Panjwani, USN
Petty Officer Third Class Rahm Panjwani serves aboard the USS BOXER. In
2005, he was honored as the USS BOXER Junior Sailor of the Year. He led 60
personnel in the safe receipt, transfer, and delivery of more than two
million gallons of aviation fuel during 2,100 aircraft refueling evolutions
and nine underway replenishments. As a Flight Deck Assistant Leading Petty
Officer, he was responsible for supervising a 19-person aircraft refueling
crew in a demanding, high risk flight deck environment. Hi wife, Heather,
lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Master Sergeant John W. Gahan, USAF
Master Sergeant John W. Gahan serves in the 40th Airlift Squadron at Dyess
AFB, Texas, and has been with the Air Force for 17 years and 3 months. He
is deployed to Al Muthana Air Base, Iraq with the 23rd Air Force Squadron.
As a C-130 Load Master and Combat Aviation Advisor, he provides upgrade
training to new Iraqi C-130 fleet aviators. In his one-year temporary duty
assignment to Iraq, Master Sergeant Gahan is training inexperienced Iraqi
Air Force personnel and soon will transfer from his instructor billet to
important duties on the Iraqi Transition Team. His wife, Karen, lives in
Abilene, Texas.

Technical Sergeant Mark S. Pleis Jr., USAF
Technical Sergeant Mark S. Pleis Jr. serves in the Defense Information
Systems Agency (DISA) Europe, Stuttgart, Germany, where he lives with his
wife, Erica, and two children. He supervises 30 joint military and civilian
network controllers in the real-time management and operational direction
of the $2.4 billion European Global Information Grid. His superlative
performance in managing over 60 tactical satellite missions ensured that
deployed service members had uninterrupted access to critical voice, data,
and video services. He ranked first of 18 DISA non-commissioned officers
from all services, and was selected as DISA Europe NCO of the quarter in
the first quarter of 2006.

Petty Officer Third Class David A. Rosales, USCG
Petty Officer Third Class David A. Rosales is based in his homeport in
Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, and serves on the USCGC MONOMOY. He plays
an important role in all shipboard evolutions, including small boat launch
and recovery, mooring details, general quarters and engineer of the watch
(EOW). He is an underway EOW, Inport Officer of the Day, crane operator,
small boat crewman and Assistant Damage Control Petty Officer, and ensures
that all damage control equipment is inventoried and maintained. He has
volunteered to serve an additional six months in the North Arabian Gulf.

Seaman Rayford B. Mitchell, USCG
Seaman Rayford B. Mitchell serves aboard the USCGC Diligence, which is
based out of Wilmington, North Carolina, and is deployed to the western
Caribbean Sea. He works with the deck department, where he completes hull
and exterior maintenance. He is also responsible for the cleanliness and
general material condition of the ship. Since the beginning of his service
just over 1 year ago, SN Mitchell has consistently demonstrated an
excellent work ethic, character, and stamina. He is a native of Columbia,
South Carolina.

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