Notes and announcements about South Puget Sound residents serving in the U.S. military. Send your news to me at mike.gilbert@thenewstribune.com

Maj. Donald Crider

Plucked last fall from teaching AP Physics at Stadium High School, Maj. Donald Crider of Tacoma these days is flying medevac missions in Iraq with the 126th Aviation Regiment. He is based in Amarah, in Maysan province, flying UH-60 Black Hawks in support of the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.

“We are here for the soldiers (and) to make sure we can respond to any kind of medical help they would need,” Crider said in an Army press release. He added that his transition from the classroom to the cockpit only intensified his motivation to help the soldiers here.

“It’s moving to know you are the difference between someone living and dying.” (Aug. 6, 2008)

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex D. Landress recently completed naval nuclear power training at Ballston Spa, N.Y., to qualify to become a Naval nuclear operator. Landress, son of Lydia Quinby of Bonney Lake, joined the Navy after graduating from Sumner High School in 2006. (July 21, 2008)

Marine Corps Pvt. Travis J. Richard, a 2005 graduate of Sumner High School, recently completed the small-arms repair course at the U.S. Army Proving Ground at Aberdeen, Md. Richard joined the Marine Corps in September 2007. (June 30, 2008)

White

Air Force Lt. Caroline White, daughter of Drs. Lawrence and Donna White of Lakewood, won her age division in her first Ironman triathlon competition Sunday in Coeur d'Alene. She's a 2007 Air Force Academy graduate and a 2003 graduate of Bellarmine Prep. Next she's onto the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in October. White is working on her master's degree at the University of Maryland and then will go to pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.

An Ironman race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. (June 24, 2008)

I Corps and Fort Lewis NCO of the Year is Sgt. Daniel P. Dean from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, and Soldier of the Year is Spc. Justin R. Brown of the 308th Brigade Support Battalion. Click here for Northwest Guardian coverage of the competition.

Two Tacoma-area soldiers -- Spc. Jeremy J. Bucholtz of Lakewood and Spc. Wayne J. Faga of Tacoma -- are back at Fort Hood, Texas, after a 15-month deployment in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division. Bucholtz is with the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment and Faga is with the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, according to an Army press release.

Bucholtz, a 1994 Lakes High School graduate, is the son of Laurel Smith and grandson of Lawrence Bell of Lakewood. Faga graduated from Lincoln High in 1996 and is the son of Foai and Faafoi Faga of Tacoma's East Side. (May 21, 2008)

=> Read more!

Cross-posting this one from where two of my worlds collide: an all-star team from McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis will run out against the semi-pro Tacoma Tide at 7 p.m. June 17, Curtis High School stadium.

Tide front office says they're hoping to get their club out there front and center in front of the many Army and Air Force soccer fans who may not know they're around.

"We know they've got a lot of guys who know the game from living in Europe, or otherwise have a real affinity for it," Tide communications director Jon Billings said.

Master Sgt. James Royston at McChord said a number of military players participate in the various adult leagues around the region, and a handful from the base have represented the Air Force in the all-service playoffs in years past.

That said, keeping up with the Tide's mostly college-age aspiring pros will be a challenge. The Tide stands second in the Premier Development League's eight-team Northwest division, and play home games tonight and Saturday at Curtis.

Royston says he'll do some scouting.

"We won't be as young as the Tacoma Tide but we've got some experienced guys," Royston said. "We're hoping to give them a run."

But it's Dec. 31, time for taking stock of the year that was, and few matters are as vital as ... Goal of the Year.

Lionel Messi's Maradona-like dash for Barcelona was one for the ages, but as a citizen and patriot I have only one choice: Benny Feilhaber's winner for us against Mexico in the Gold Cup final.

We'll resume regular programming shortly.

Happy New Year.

Iraq plays next-door rivals Saudi Arabia early Sunday in the final of the Asian Cup, the continent's premier international soccer competition.

The Iraqis are as crazy about football as people anywhere else on the planet. And it's hard to imagine any country more in need of a lift.

Iraq has a rich footballing tradition and the team brought joy to the country with an unexpected run of success at the Athens Olympics in 2004, before falling to Italy 1-0 in the Bronze Medal match.

But this is something much bigger. Iraq has never reached the Asian Cup final; the Saudis have lifted the trophy three times. A win Sunday would rank as the country's greatest footballing achievement, which to now is its qualification for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

If they can keep the psychopaths from bombing the street parties like they did after Wednesday's semifinal win over South Korea, a win Sunday, and the title "Champions of Asia," would give everybody something to feel good about.

And if nothing else, that ought to make life at least a little easier for all the Fort Lewis folks pulling the hard duty there these days.

The Christian Science Monitor's Dan Murphy had the pleasure of watching Saturday's Iran v Iraq match from the stands in Amman, Jordan. It finished a scoreless draw, but there was plenty of encouraging stuff from the stands, if not on the field, he reports.

Meantime, here at home, check out the All Nations Cup, a 41-team soccer and cultural festival that runs July 13-29 at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila and at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. It's like a mini World Cup for all the ethnic and immigrant communities that thrive in the Puget Sound region.

The USA has a team as well – and finds itself drawn in the group stage with Vietnam, Somalia and ... Iraq.

Reconciliation, indeed.

Plucky Iraq managed to reach the Asian Games soccer final, despite the kidnapping and murder this past week of a leading club chairman.

This could have been great news for the local GIs working the streets of Baghdad – Iraqis are football crazy, and winning might have induced everybody to chill out for a little while, at least.

Alas, Iraq fell in Friday's final, 1-0 to hosts Qatar.

Still, it was enough to prompt a congratulatory press release from leading U.S. officials in Iraq, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. George Casey:

"On behalf of the United States Embassy in Baghdad and Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I), we congratulate the Iraqi people on their national soccer team’s outstanding performance in the Asian Games. Their Silver Medal demonstrates the capabilities of the Iraqi people when they unite across sectarian lines for a common purpose. We know these talented athletes are an inspiration to all Iraqis. We share their joy and excitement in celebrating this achievement."

Another 'if only:' Iraq got to the final by beating powerhouse South Korea. In the other semifinal, Qatar beat ... Iran.

Iraq v Iran. What a final that would have been.