A mix of military, family, friends and patriotic motorcycle riders gathered at Plant City's First Baptist Church on Saturday to honor and mourn the loss of Army Spc. Eric Lembke, who was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb Oct. 23. ...more

November 8, 2009

The Veterans of Foreign Wars sponsored an annual drill meet for about 400 Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets from 24 schools Dec. 13 at Brandon High School. Bloomingdale High School cadets were the overall winners. ...more

January 21, 2009

When 1st Lt. Michael Meyer of the Army Reserve helps seat 25,000 VIPs for Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, he may flash back to the day the president-elect personally thanked him for his hard work. ...more

January 19, 2009

A 50-year-old soldier collapsed Sunday morning during physical fitness training with his unit in St. Petersburg and later died, according to a U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command news release. The soldier's name isn't being released, pending next of kin notification. ...more

January 12, 2009

Family and friends joined the 810th Military Police Company on Saturday for a ceremony to mark its imminent deployment to Iraq. The 170-soldier Combat Support unit will spend up to 10 months in Baghdad, where they will train members of the Iraqi Police Service in law enforcement operations. The 810th will travel to Fort Dix, N.J., on Jan. 24, where they will prepare for their mission for six to eight weeks. Saturday's ceremony took place at the Army Reserve's Medical Command headquarters in Pinellas Park. ...more

January 4, 2009