Former resident 1st Lt. Andrew P. Andrews was back in the Valley last week visiting his parents, Gardnerville residents Pat and Ana Andrews.
Andrew is back from a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan with the New York National Guard Reserves.
While overseas he was promoted, and received the Army commendation medal with valor, meritorious service medal and combat infantryman's badge, among others. He was a rifle platoon leader and his unit's mission took him to the mountains located between Afghanistan and Pakistan several times, according to Ana.
"We are very proud of our son and thankful that he returned from his tour safe and sound," she said.
Andrew is a 2002 graduate of Douglas High School.
Andrew isn't the only former Carson Valley resident trading the Sierra for the mountains of Central Asia.
Gardnerville native Maj. Chris W. Abbott appears in a story prepared by the U.S. Army about working with C-23 Sherpas cargo aircraft flying in the mountains of Iraq. Chris is the operations officer for the 330th Transportation Battalion.
Chris is the son of Mary and longtime Minden attorney George Abbott, who died this time last year.
Born and raised in Gardnerville, Chris was involved in Carson Valley activities throughout his youth. He was a member of St. Gall Catholic Church and was an Eagle Scout with Carson Valley Boy Scout Troop 495. He graduated from Douglas High in 1990.
Upon graduation from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a bachelor's degree in natural resource management, he was commissioned through the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program as an infantry second lieutenant in 1994. He became a transportation officer in 1996. he recently completed a master's degree in logistics management at Florida Institute of Technology.
Gardnerville residents John-Henry and Rachael Lambin were finalists for the 14th Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. John-Henry, 16, created a program designed to help educate youth about gun safety. Rachael, 18, teaches art classes designed to inform students about the AIDS epidemic, malaria, asthma and other things.
Paula Rocha brought by a photo of her son, Nick C. Andrews, who graduated from U.S. Coast Guard basic training at Cape May, N.J. on Dec. 23.
Nick's stationed in Rhode Island.
Longtime Sierra resident Kimberly Maxwell brought by a photo Jobs Peak that she says makes it look like a volcano.
She took the photo on Sunday from Gardnerville.
Kimberly lived for 16 years at Lake Tahoe before she moved to the Valley 9-10 years ago.
