Military newsmakers

Military-school honors

Riverside Military Academy has awarded academic honors to Riley Rios of Grovetown for the fall quarter.

Riley, an 11th-grade cadet at the academy, received a silver academic star for having an average of 90 or above and no grade below a 95. Riley is the son of Carol Conner.

Riverside Military Academy is a college preparatory school for young men in grades 7-12. The academy's Corps of Cadets represents 400 students from more than 30 states and 10 countries. For more information, visit Riverside's Web site at www.cadet.com.

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Back from Iraq

Marine Corps Cpl. Aaron M. Schupska, son of Karen M. and John R. Steele of Evans, is currently on deployment while assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, home based in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Members of Schupska unit recently completed operations in Iraq.

The MEU conducted more than 300 patrols in southern Iraq, including 50 by the MEU's boat company. Schupska's unit also trained local police in the setup of security checkpoints, confiscated weapons and destroyed more then 2,000 rounds of ordnance, much of which was found near villages and playgrounds. Schupska's unit is an expeditionary intervention force with the ability to rapidly organize for combat operations in virtually any environment.

MEUs are composed of more than 2,000 personnel and are divided into an infantry battalion, aircraft squadron, support group and command element. With this combination, Schupska's unit supplies and sustains itself for either quick mission accomplishment or clearing the way for follow-on forces. Schupska joined the Marine Corps in June 2000.