Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

4/5 Military digest

Baca

Army Reserve Master Sgt. John A. Baca is deployed to Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the official name given to anti-terrorism military operations involving U.S. troops and allied coalition partners, according to a news release from the Army & Air Force Hometown News.

Baca graduated in 1976 from Portales High School, and received a bachelor’s degree in 1985 from Eastern New Mexico University. In his civilian occupation, he is a public health educator at the New Mexico Department of Health for the tobacco use prevention and control program in Albuquerque.

He is the brother of Patricia Orcutt of Albuquerque.

Baca has served in the military for 28 years.

In Qatar, he is the first sergeant for the U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters.

Active duty and reserve component members from all branches of the U.S. armed forces have been deployed to support the war against global terrorism outside U.S. borders. U.S. troops serve in South and Southwest Asia, the Arabian peninsula, islands in the Pacific and Europe.

Ferran

Navy Seaman Apprentice Megan D. Ferran, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, made a port visit to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, while on a scheduled deployment as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 7, according to a news release from the Department of the Navy FleetHometown News Center.

Ferran is the sister of Rebecca Cottone of Clovis and granddaughter of Flora Norris of Espanola.

A 2002 graduate of Moriarty High School, she joined the Navy in June 2004.

Carriers like USS Ronald Reagan are deployed throughout the world to maintain U.S. presence and provide rapid response in time of crisis.

Montgomery

Navy Chief Petty Officer Charlene Montgomery retired after 21 years of outstanding service in the U.S. Navy while serving in charge of the customer service desk at Combat Direction Systems Activity Dam Neck, Virginia Beach, Va., according to a news release from the Department of the Navy FleetHometown News Center.

A 1984 graduate of Tucumcari High School, Montgomery joined the Navy in November 1984. During her career, she received several personal awards, campaign ribbons and medals, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

She is the daughter of Susan Martin and Harold M. Montgomery of Tucumcari.