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Veterans Day ceremony set, memorial to be made to McLead
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The annual Veterans Day Ceremony will be held Monday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park.
Rockport Mayor Todd Pearson will serve as master of ceremonies. The presentation of colors will be conducted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Aransas County Sheriff's Office, the Rockport Police Department (RPD), and the local veterans organizations.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by County Judge C.H. “Burt” Mills. Peace Lutheran Church pastor Tom Wagstaff will provide the invocation and benediction.
The Rockport-Fulton High School band will host a special presentation, the dedication of a tree in memory of Sgt. Garrett McLead, and his family will be presented with a plaque.
RPD Chief Tim Jayroe and Sheriff Mark Gilliam will place the wreaths for the dedication.
This year's guest speaker is U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Raymond Rios.
He was raised in West Covina, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1982 with a bachelor of science with a concentration in national security affairs. He later earned a master of science in operations research from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1993.
Rios' first sea assignment was as gunnery assistant, machineries and boilers officer, and first lieutenant on the USS Dewey from November 1982 to April 1986. He went directly to Department Head School and was detailed to the USS Robert G. Bradley from December, 1986 to October, 1988, and served as combat systems department head for two deployments, including tanker escort operations in the Arabian Gulf.
He then served on the USS Wainwright as combat systems officer from April, 1989 to December, 1990.
As a lieutenant commander, Rios commanded the USS Champion, the USS Patriot, forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, and the USS Scout supporting the MCM Rotational Crew Concept from June, 1994 to April, 1996. He commanded assault craft unit two, responsible for all displacement amphibious landing craft in the Atlantic Fleet from September, 1999 to June 2001. During his command, ACU-2 earned the Naval Beach Group Two Command Excellence Award for 2000 and TYCOM Golden Anchor Award for retention excellence.
Rios was then ordered to Japan to serve as chief staff officer for commander, amphibious squadron 11 from August, 2001 to June, 2003 and was the first staff to exercise the expeditionary strike group concept at sea during Exercise Tandem Thrust ‘03. After nearly two years overseas, he returned to the U.S. and served as executive officer on the USS Saipan.
Rios was then assigned as the assistant chief of staff for operations (N3) and Plans (N5) for commander, amphibious group two. In 2005, he chaired the Navy's Amphibious Operations Advisory Group (OAG) and twice led the Operations Panel of the NATO Amphibious Operations Working Group. In addition, he served as the operations officer for Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (Afloat) for civil support operations during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Shore duties included serving as a resource analyst on the staff of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate in the Pentagon. He conducted independent cost analyses of major defense acquisition programs, to include the National Missile Defense system. During his assignment at the Pentagon, he completed his Naval War College study through the nonresident seminar program.
Rios' personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).
The VFW invites the community to 411 E. Market St. for refreshments after the ceremony.
Rockport Mayor Todd Pearson will serve as master of ceremonies. The presentation of colors will be conducted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Aransas County Sheriff's Office, the Rockport Police Department (RPD), and the local veterans organizations.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by County Judge C.H. “Burt” Mills. Peace Lutheran Church pastor Tom Wagstaff will provide the invocation and benediction.
The Rockport-Fulton High School band will host a special presentation, the dedication of a tree in memory of Sgt. Garrett McLead, and his family will be presented with a plaque.
RPD Chief Tim Jayroe and Sheriff Mark Gilliam will place the wreaths for the dedication.
This year's guest speaker is U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Raymond Rios.
He was raised in West Covina, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1982 with a bachelor of science with a concentration in national security affairs. He later earned a master of science in operations research from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1993.
Rios' first sea assignment was as gunnery assistant, machineries and boilers officer, and first lieutenant on the USS Dewey from November 1982 to April 1986. He went directly to Department Head School and was detailed to the USS Robert G. Bradley from December, 1986 to October, 1988, and served as combat systems department head for two deployments, including tanker escort operations in the Arabian Gulf.
He then served on the USS Wainwright as combat systems officer from April, 1989 to December, 1990.
As a lieutenant commander, Rios commanded the USS Champion, the USS Patriot, forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, and the USS Scout supporting the MCM Rotational Crew Concept from June, 1994 to April, 1996. He commanded assault craft unit two, responsible for all displacement amphibious landing craft in the Atlantic Fleet from September, 1999 to June 2001. During his command, ACU-2 earned the Naval Beach Group Two Command Excellence Award for 2000 and TYCOM Golden Anchor Award for retention excellence.
Rios was then ordered to Japan to serve as chief staff officer for commander, amphibious squadron 11 from August, 2001 to June, 2003 and was the first staff to exercise the expeditionary strike group concept at sea during Exercise Tandem Thrust ‘03. After nearly two years overseas, he returned to the U.S. and served as executive officer on the USS Saipan.
Rios was then assigned as the assistant chief of staff for operations (N3) and Plans (N5) for commander, amphibious group two. In 2005, he chaired the Navy's Amphibious Operations Advisory Group (OAG) and twice led the Operations Panel of the NATO Amphibious Operations Working Group. In addition, he served as the operations officer for Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (Afloat) for civil support operations during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Shore duties included serving as a resource analyst on the staff of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate in the Pentagon. He conducted independent cost analyses of major defense acquisition programs, to include the National Missile Defense system. During his assignment at the Pentagon, he completed his Naval War College study through the nonresident seminar program.
Rios' personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).
The VFW invites the community to 411 E. Market St. for refreshments after the ceremony.
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ZAGDA wrote on Feb 14, 2009 3:53 PM:
Instead of presenting this to the scientific world in a peer reviewed journal, these guys publish it in this book in an attempt to sway public opinion. I could go on as many of the statements in this article are misleading, or blatantly ludicrous. Suffice it to say, it looks to me like this book is much more about influencing public opinion than any scientific review of whether human activity is causing climate change.
It is sad some people will believe this as fact. "