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Military Briefs

Marine Pfc. William M. Brady , the son of Navy Lt.

and Mrs. William M. Brady Sr. of Peachtree City, recently

completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot,

Parris Island, S.C., and was promoted to his present rank.

Brady, a 1998 graduate of McIntosh High School,

successfully completed 12 weeks of training designed to

challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally.

Douglas S. Gilbert of Peachtree City will be

attending the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., as part of

the class of 2003. Gilbert, a senior at McIntosh High School,

will report for induction as a midshipman in July. He received

his nomination from U.S. Rep. Mac Collins, R-3rd District, and

plans to major in aerospace engineering.

Gilbert, the son of Rick and Susy Gilbert of Peachtree City,

is an Eagle Scout and has been active in sports, his church

and other extracurricular activities. Last summer he attended

the academy's Summer Science Seminar, designed to

give prospective midshipmen a view of life at the institution.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Frank L.

Shirey , son of Mildred Landry of Fayetteville,

recently helped coordinate the testing of the Tomahawk weapon

control system on the USS Kinkaid as part of a scenario involving

the Y2K rollover. As a gunner's mate, the 22-year Navy

veteran supervises the sailors who operate and repair the ship's

weapons systems.

During the test, 15 systems on the San Diego-based ship

were tricked into believing the time was midnight, Jan. 1, 2000,

while crew members manned their stations to watch for

system glitches. The exercise was a complete success with all

systems functioning normally.

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