Staff Sgt. Jeremy Young, a 1996 graduate of White County High School in Cleveland, has been awarded a purple heart for his duties served during two tours in Iraq. The medal was awarded June 13. Young will soon be deploying to Afghanistan. He enlisted in the U.S. Army seven years after graduating from high school. He is the son of Dana and Patty Young of Cleveland. His wife, Mandi, and son Gunner, 2, live in Colorado.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Casey S. Smith, a 2004 graduate of Flowery Branch High School in Flowery Branch, recently began a seven-month deployment to Camp Shields in Okinawa, Japan. Smith's unit will provide construction support to improve military facilities in Okinawa. It will also be sending 11 details throughout the Pacific rim countries to do humanitarian construction in Palau, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, while providing naval facility improvements on U.S. bases in Guam, South Korea and other parts of Japan.

The following men have graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.:

• Army Pvt. Phillip L. Batho, son of Alan Batho of Gainesville and a 2006 graduate of Chestatee High School.
• Army Pfc. Robert P. Baker, son of Robert E. and Ruth Baker of Gainesville and a 2006 graduate of Chestatee High School.