Air Force Tech. Sgt. Allan H. Gillespie was recognized as the Top Performing Noncommissioned Officer supporting Operation New Horizons-Panama in July 2010.

New Horizons is an annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored humanitarian assistance exercise designed to build critical infrastructure by constructing roads, buildings and schools, and to provide free medical care for the citizens of Panama and the peoples of Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands.

Gillespie is a cyber operations supervisor assigned to the 32nd Combat Communications Squadrons at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, Okla. The technical sergeant has served in the military for 15 years.

He is the son of Hugh and Barbara Gillespie of Queens Court, Hinesville.

The sergeant graduated in 1993 from Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville and received an associate in applied science degree in 2000 from Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

Khalil H. Ajlani has graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Leader's Training Course at Fort Knox, Ky.

The four-week course is a leadership internship for cadets that can lead to the ultimate goal of becoming an Army officer. College students experience and examine the Army without incurring an obligation to serve in the Army or ROTC, and are eligible to receive two-year college scholarship offers and attend the Advanced ROTC course at their college.

Cadets are observed and evaluated during classroom and field training exercises to determine their officer potential in leadership abilities and skills. The cadets are trained to have a sound understanding of traditional leadership values during the challenging, motivating "hands-on" training. The training develops well-disciplined, highly motivated, physically conditioned students, and helps improve the cadets' self-confidence, initiative, leadership potential, decision making, and collective team cohesion. The cadets receive training in fundamental military skills, Army values, ethics, Warrior ethos, basic rifle marksmanship, small arms tactics, weapons training, drill and ceremony, communications, combat water survival training, rappelling, land navigation and squad-level operations field training.

The cadet is a student at Marion Military Institute, Ala.

Ajlani is the son of Husam I. Ajlani of Parks Road, Flowery Branch, and Jackie Cowart of Walnut Place Drive, Kinston, N.C.

He is a 2010 graduate of Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville.

James T. Nivens has graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as "Operation Warrior Forge," at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.

The 32 days of training provide the best possible professional training and evaluation for all cadets in the aspects of military life, administration and logistical support. Although continued military training and leadership development is included in the curriculum, the primary focus of the course is to develop and evaluate each cadet's officer potential as a leader by exercising the cadet's intelligence, common sense, ingenuity and physical stamina. The cadet command assesses each cadet's performance and progress in officer traits, qualities and professionalism while attending the course.

Cadets in their junior and senior year of college must complete the leadership development course. Upon successful completion of the course, the ROTC program, and graduation from college, cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, National Guard or Reserve.

He is the son of Jimmy T. and Kittye W. Nivens of Blue Ridge Drive, Gainesville.

Air Force Airman Cerron A. Bailey graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, 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 earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

He is the son of Berderius Bailey of Providence Place, Douglasville, and grandson of Delores Sermon of Eagle Eye Road, Gainesville.