change of command ceremony for the 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division (5/1 AD), Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF). Speights had been in charge of this evolving unit of approximately 100 soldiers since Feb. 1, 2006. Lt. Col. Elmer Speights, Jr. and his wife, the former Norricia Livingston from Temple, Texas, take a photo break during a change of command ceremony at Fort Bliss, Texas. Speig ts relinquished command of the battalion he had built from the ground up in February 2006. - Contributed photo Taking a photo break in front of the AIRHeart helicopter ar (front row) Kyle Morgan, Mack Williams, Hunter Hutton, ai Jahn Sanchez; and (back row) Flight Nurse EMT-P Jol Alumbaugh, Will Sanchez, Keary Nichols, Sean Everi Tanner Andress, Austin Livingston, Ash Lanier, Flig Paramedic Doug Moody and Austin Westbrook. Contributed photo Cub Scouts on the summertime mov SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDAN Cub Scout Pack 170 recently toured AIRHeart facilities ai the AIRHeart air ambulance aircraft located at the Marianna a port. A presentation was given by Doug Moody, flight pai medic, detailing air ambulance duties, landing precautions ai aircraft specifications. Scouts learned that within seconds being dispatched, a flight crew flies into action to air lift se. ously ill or critically injured patients from crisis situations to medical care facility. After the presentation, Moody and John Alumbaugh, flig nurse, gave the boys a hands-on tour of the AIRHeart helicopter Each boy asked questions and was allowed to enter and sit in t pilot's seat of the aircraft. After the hands-on-tour, each boy w presented with prestigious AIRHeart wings, and Sean Ever was awarded an AIRHeart tee-shirt for correctly answering flight crew question. For more information about Scouting, contact Mary Ai Hutton at 209-2818, cokehut@digitalexp.com. The unit's mission is to test and evaluate prototype equip- ment being produced as part of the Future Combat Systems (FCS), the largest moderniza- tion program the Army has undertaken in four decades. As the unit's first commander, Speights was charged with building the battalion,,/which entailed receiving the soldiers and equipment and setting up operations. During his tenure, Speights and his soldiers trav- elled to the various locations in Michigan, California and New Mexico where the FCS equipment and computer soft- ware are being developed by civilian contractors. "Our battalion worked closely with people in indus- try. That's a big deal for this whole program in that we have soldier input directly to indus- try to help with the design of the vehicles," he explained. "It has been a roller coaster ride, but it has been on the cut- ting edge," he said. Speights' unit also assisted in developing software for a computer network which will tie in the soldiers and equip- ment systems. In a few months about 40 percent of the unit will travel to Fort Knox, Ky., where they are scheduled to help validate the makeup of Free CERT training to promote hurricane season readiness SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDAN The Hurricane Season is here, and to assist the commu- nity in preparation and readi- ness, the Jackson Citizen Corps CERT Council, in cooperation with the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency, will be offering free Basic CERT training July 12 and July 19, at the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center. This Department of Homeland Security training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services re: and the people they serve. The nd goal is to train members of hn neighborhoods, community organizations and workplaces itt, in basic skills; assisting fami- ht lies and neighborhoods with' preparation, response and recovery from disasters in a neighbor-helping-neighbor spirit. / Once training is completed, CERT members may opt to be integrated into the Emergency S Manager's Response capabili- ty for their area. The CERT Basic Training Course is scheduled for the nd following dates and times: ir- * Saturday, July 12 - 8:30 a- a.m. - 4:30 p.m. nd * Saturday, July 19.- 8:30 of a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ri- The training will be at the a Jackson County Emergency Operations Building and is *ht free of charge. .r. Pre-registration is required, he and the deadline to register is ;as 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 9. itt For more information, call a Sharon or Katie Jo Robinson at 526-9678, or e-mail nn Office_Management@emer- gencymanager.org. Jackson County Floridan * Sunday, July 6, 2008 " 3B Lt. Col. Elmer Speights, Jr. (third from left) turns over the colors of the battalion he command- ed for 15 months to the brigade commander in a ceremony held at Fort Bliss, Texas, on July 1. Speights was the first commander of the unit which tests and evaluates equipment and com- puter software as part of the Future Combat Systems program. - Contributed photo the units who will receive the high-tech FCS equipment. "I feel a little sad about changing command now, because I will miss the pinnacle event in the fall," Speights admitted. Speights has served about 25 years in the Army and has had three assignments over- seas, including tours in Germany and Korea and a combat tour in Iraq in 2003. He commanded companies at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Polk, La., earlier in his career. His decorations include a Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Badge, among others. In a few weeks, he will assume command of 1st Battalion, 37th Regiment of Subscribe to the Jackson County Floridan Call 526-3614 . or visit www.jcfloridan.com the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division as his next assign- ment, which is also located at Fort Bliss. After receiving his diploma from Marianna High School in 1979, Speights attended Chipola Junior College and the University of West Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Communication. Following college graduation, he enlisted in the Army for five years before earning a commission in the Armor branch through Officer Candidate School in 1988. He holds a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Auburn. Speights considers Marianna his hometown, and his parents still reside here. He is married to the former Norricia Livingston from Temple, Texas. They have one daughter, Schealiesa, who lives in Maryland. The FCS program is a joint networked system that includes the individual soldier, 14 individual systems and the network. It employs commu- nications equipment and tech- nologies to link soldiers with both manned and unmanned ground and air platforms and sensors. Soldiers linked to these platforms and sensors have access to data that can provide a more accurate pic- ture of what's going.on around them. Gardening Friends of the Big Bend to meet July 15 SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDAN Gardening Friends of the Big Bend will meet at the North Florida Research and Education Center near Quincy at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 15.. After the business meeting Dr. Gary Knox will discuss the beginning of one of his newest research projects on disease resistance and maintenance needs of 12 varieties of roses. The group's purpose is to , promote gardening and gar- dening research by supporting and assisting the faculty and staff of NFREC, an arm of the University of Florida's Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences. For more information, contact Jill Williams at (850) 663-2280 or Gary Knox at (850) 875-7162. 30 Years of Local Business in Houston County & Surrounding Areas Providing the credibility that you expect. * Air Duct Cleaning - CC&SS, INC Lic #07130 * Are there dust trails or discoloration around or near your registers? * Do you find yourself t constantly needing to dust? * Does anyone in your home suffer from allergies, asthma, headaches, sinus or nasal allergies? CALL 79350I or for outlying areas 1-800- STEEMER.(783-3637) Ozark Enterprise .Daleville www.JCFLORIDAN.com LOCAL Marianna native relinquishes Army command SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDAN Marianna native Army Lt. Col. Elmer Speights, Jr., relin- quished command of the 1st Combined Arms Battalion (1 CAB) in Fort Bliss, Texas recently, in the first formal VISA schedule online at stanleysteerner.com M TRUBM CLEANINGEIPERTS