Vanguard High School Alumni
Ocala, Florida (FL)
Recent Members
| Destiny White | 2024 |
| Jalin Fields | 2020 |
| Karen Bronson Karen Bronson | 1974 |
| Michelle Campbell | 1990 |
| Shamar Honor | 2020 |
| Sharonda Williams | 1998 |
| Stephanie Smith | 1995 |
| Tony Rice | 1979 |
Military Alumni
Honoring Our Heroes
This area is dedicated to our alumni that have served or are serving in our armed forces!
Lost Class Rings
Have you lost your Vanguard High School class ring? Have you found someone's class ring? Visit our Knights lost class ring page to search for your class ring or post information about a found ring.
Honored Military Alumni
Christopher Ross
Class of 2009
Army, 6 Years
Medical discharge served on Fort Hood Tx MOS 92A
Class of 2009
Army, 6 Years
Medical discharge served on Fort Hood Tx MOS 92A
Douglas Walker
Class of 1980
Army, 10 Years
Special Forces Detachment Commander, OPERATION JUST CAUSE
Class of 1980
Army, 10 Years
Special Forces Detachment Commander, OPERATION JUST CAUSE
Edward "Chuck" Eaton
Class of 1976
Army, 20+ Years
Retired as acting 1st Sgt. 4206 U.S. Army Hospital, Chattanooga,TN. Also was a Battalion Maintenance Supervisor for multiple heavy equipment units in the southeast states. Long time member of Troop E 153rd Cavalry in Ocala.
Class of 1976
Army, 20+ Years
Retired as acting 1st Sgt. 4206 U.S. Army Hospital, Chattanooga,TN. Also was a Battalion Maintenance Supervisor for multiple heavy equipment units in the southeast states. Long time member of Troop E 153rd Cavalry in Ocala.
Gunnery Sergeant Joe Pawlowski
Class of 1975
Marine Corps, 10 Years
United States Marine Corps Reserve 10/03-06/09
Fox Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, Oklahoma City, OK 10/03-11/06, 1/07-11/08: Gunnery Sergeant – Battery Training Chief, coordinated planning and accomplishment of unit training objectives. Security Chief and Anti-terrorism Officer, Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment, developed and coordinated battery security and anti-terrorism force protection. Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, PeaceTime/WarTime Support Team - supported family readiness, community relations, and site management for unit mobilization and deployment. Certified Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Instructor.
Anti-Tank Training Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Broken Arrow, OK 11/05-11/06: Headquarters Platoon Commander – Organized platoon into functioning Marine rifle platoon, supervised training, mentored young Marines.
United States Marine Corps 06/75-06/79
Headquarters, 2nd Marine Division: Division CMS Inspector - Inspected all battalion & regimental CMS accounts; Division CMS Chief
Headquarters, 6th Marine Regiment: Noncommissioned Officer In Charge, Communications Security Materials (CMS) and Classified Materials Control Center – managed classified defense intelligence and communications materials; Headquarters platoon sergeant, coordinated and lead Headquarters platoon activities.
3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment: Infantryman - mortars; Manpower Management Clerk - maintained unit diary records
Class of 1975
Marine Corps, 10 Years
United States Marine Corps Reserve 10/03-06/09
Fox Battery, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, Oklahoma City, OK 10/03-11/06, 1/07-11/08: Gunnery Sergeant – Battery Training Chief, coordinated planning and accomplishment of unit training objectives. Security Chief and Anti-terrorism Officer, Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment, developed and coordinated battery security and anti-terrorism force protection. Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, PeaceTime/WarTime Support Team - supported family readiness, community relations, and site management for unit mobilization and deployment. Certified Marine Corps Combat Marksmanship Instructor.
Anti-Tank Training Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Broken Arrow, OK 11/05-11/06: Headquarters Platoon Commander – Organized platoon into functioning Marine rifle platoon, supervised training, mentored young Marines.
United States Marine Corps 06/75-06/79
Headquarters, 2nd Marine Division: Division CMS Inspector - Inspected all battalion & regimental CMS accounts; Division CMS Chief
Headquarters, 6th Marine Regiment: Noncommissioned Officer In Charge, Communications Security Materials (CMS) and Classified Materials Control Center – managed classified defense intelligence and communications materials; Headquarters platoon sergeant, coordinated and lead Headquarters platoon activities.
3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment: Infantryman - mortars; Manpower Management Clerk - maintained unit diary records
Jack E Duncan
Class of 1974
Army, 5 Years
Ist of the 14th Infantry battalion Schofield Barrack Hawaii
Class of 1974
Army, 5 Years
Ist of the 14th Infantry battalion Schofield Barrack Hawaii
Ken Hogbin
Class of 1979
Navy, 4 Years
4 years Navy, 34 years DOD (RETIRED). Continue to support the Navy’s mission as a DOD Contractor.
Class of 1979
Navy, 4 Years
4 years Navy, 34 years DOD (RETIRED). Continue to support the Navy’s mission as a DOD Contractor.
Kym Maltman
Class of 1978
Army, 4 Years
1981 - 1985. Finance Clerk.
Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN; Fort Carson, CO; 18th Finance Forward Support Team, Darmstadt, West Germany.
Class of 1978
Army, 4 Years
1981 - 1985. Finance Clerk.
Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN; Fort Carson, CO; 18th Finance Forward Support Team, Darmstadt, West Germany.
Michael Tackett
Class of 1989
Navy, 8 Years
Served on 2 different commands during 8 years of service. 1 being in Japan and the 2nd being in Bremerton, Washington.
Class of 1989
Navy, 8 Years
Served on 2 different commands during 8 years of service. 1 being in Japan and the 2nd being in Bremerton, Washington.
Robert Creps
Class of 1990
Marine Corps, 20+ Years
Served as a Motor Transport Maintenance Chief, currently serving as a Battalion Logistics Chief.
Class of 1990
Marine Corps, 20+ Years
Served as a Motor Transport Maintenance Chief, currently serving as a Battalion Logistics Chief.
Stacy Stewart
Class of 1973
Navy, 20+ Years
Stacey has several in our Naval Military over the past 25 + years, he has recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. See attached article...
NHC Welcomes Back Stacy Stewart
________________________________________
Navy Reservist served in Iraq as part of troop surge
By Dennis Feltgen, NOAA NHC Public Affairs Officer
After nearly 20 months of active duty, Commander Stacy Stewart has returned to his civilian job as a Senior Hurricane Specialist at NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami.
His biggest adjustment is returning to South Florida traffic. "I was used to driving down the middle of the road in a 15,000 pound Hummer with a .50 caliber machine gun and avoiding any kind of debris," he said.
A 35-year Navy reservist, Stewart was recalled to active duty in January 2007 to aid in the troop surge in Iraq. He was part of the Coalition Army Advisory Training Team, providing advice and mentorship to three Iraqi Army divisions at An Neumaniyah Military Base. That's 20,000 Iraqi soldiers. He also assisted in the training of three Iraqi brigades.
Stewart says his greatest challenge in Iraq was just staying alive during any of the 160 end to end convoy movements in which he participated. "Once you left the base, you were no longer safe, even for just a few miles." During a mission on March 27, 2008, with Stewart serving as the forward machine gunner behind ballistic glass on top of a Hummer vehicle, an IED (improvised explosive device) detonated alongside the vehicle. No one was killed, but Stewart's left leg and knee were injured in the blast. Fortunately, he only required four months of physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Stewart is very adamant about his tour in Iraq. "I was honored to be able to go to Iraq as part of the surge. I saw it from the inside and I am proud of what my four teams accomplished. Iraq is a much better place now."
What he missed most while away was his family and co-workers. Being on an Iraqi base, there was no Post Exchange, post office, or chaplain. A food convoy had to be picked up and escorted 80 kilometers to his base every two weeks. The weather was rather dull, too. "There is not much weather in Iraq, just a lot of sand, dust and 125 degree heat. Sometimes, the sea breeze arrived and knocked it down to 115 in southern Iraq."
Back at the National Hurricane Center, Stewart is rapidly catching up on some of the revised operational procedures used to distribute the routine hurricane products, as well as working with some of the new computer models. He is already back at work with his NHC colleagues and issuing tropical cyclone advisories.
Stacy is back home working for National Weather Center in Miami. The class of 1973 is very proud of you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us our freedom! You are our HERO!
Class of 1973
Navy, 20+ Years
Stacey has several in our Naval Military over the past 25 + years, he has recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. See attached article...
NHC Welcomes Back Stacy Stewart
________________________________________
Navy Reservist served in Iraq as part of troop surge
By Dennis Feltgen, NOAA NHC Public Affairs Officer
After nearly 20 months of active duty, Commander Stacy Stewart has returned to his civilian job as a Senior Hurricane Specialist at NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami.
His biggest adjustment is returning to South Florida traffic. "I was used to driving down the middle of the road in a 15,000 pound Hummer with a .50 caliber machine gun and avoiding any kind of debris," he said.
A 35-year Navy reservist, Stewart was recalled to active duty in January 2007 to aid in the troop surge in Iraq. He was part of the Coalition Army Advisory Training Team, providing advice and mentorship to three Iraqi Army divisions at An Neumaniyah Military Base. That's 20,000 Iraqi soldiers. He also assisted in the training of three Iraqi brigades.
Stewart says his greatest challenge in Iraq was just staying alive during any of the 160 end to end convoy movements in which he participated. "Once you left the base, you were no longer safe, even for just a few miles." During a mission on March 27, 2008, with Stewart serving as the forward machine gunner behind ballistic glass on top of a Hummer vehicle, an IED (improvised explosive device) detonated alongside the vehicle. No one was killed, but Stewart's left leg and knee were injured in the blast. Fortunately, he only required four months of physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Stewart is very adamant about his tour in Iraq. "I was honored to be able to go to Iraq as part of the surge. I saw it from the inside and I am proud of what my four teams accomplished. Iraq is a much better place now."
What he missed most while away was his family and co-workers. Being on an Iraqi base, there was no Post Exchange, post office, or chaplain. A food convoy had to be picked up and escorted 80 kilometers to his base every two weeks. The weather was rather dull, too. "There is not much weather in Iraq, just a lot of sand, dust and 125 degree heat. Sometimes, the sea breeze arrived and knocked it down to 115 in southern Iraq."
Back at the National Hurricane Center, Stewart is rapidly catching up on some of the revised operational procedures used to distribute the routine hurricane products, as well as working with some of the new computer models. He is already back at work with his NHC colleagues and issuing tropical cyclone advisories.
Stacy is back home working for National Weather Center in Miami. The class of 1973 is very proud of you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us our freedom! You are our HERO!
Steven Pirkl
Class of 1989
Air Force, 17 Years
90'-94' USAF "PJ" (Pararescue)
96-08' USA (ARMY) 11B-Airborne Ranger (Pathfider)
Air Assault, CIB, Disabled/retired veteran/unemployable status
Class of 1989
Air Force, 17 Years
90'-94' USAF "PJ" (Pararescue)
96-08' USA (ARMY) 11B-Airborne Ranger (Pathfider)
Air Assault, CIB, Disabled/retired veteran/unemployable status
Tammy Boyette (Hiles)
Class of 1989
Coast Guard, 2 Years
Search & Rescue Unit in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Worked as the only female engineer on a 44ft, 30ft and RHI.
Coast Guard Station Cape Hatteras, NC
Class of 1989
Coast Guard, 2 Years
Search & Rescue Unit in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Worked as the only female engineer on a 44ft, 30ft and RHI.
Coast Guard Station Cape Hatteras, NC
Teresa L Walker
Class of 1979
Air Force, 10 Years
Services Specialist
MacDill AFB(Tampa, FL)1989-1993
EielsonAFB( North Pole/Fairbanks, Alaska) 1993-1997
FE Warren AFB(Cheyenne,WY) 1997-1999
Class of 1979
Air Force, 10 Years
Services Specialist
MacDill AFB(Tampa, FL)1989-1993
EielsonAFB( North Pole/Fairbanks, Alaska) 1993-1997
FE Warren AFB(Cheyenne,WY) 1997-1999
Tracy L. Gillyard
Class of 1989
Army, 20+ Years
Currently serving on 3rd deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Class of 1989
Army, 20+ Years
Currently serving on 3rd deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Vance Vanderbeek
Class of 1976
Navy, 20+ Years
Joined July 26 1976, served honorably for 28.5 years earned rank of Master Chief Petty Officer AFCM retired 2005 from the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY AIMD Maintenance Master Chief.
Class of 1976
Navy, 20+ Years
Joined July 26 1976, served honorably for 28.5 years earned rank of Master Chief Petty Officer AFCM retired 2005 from the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY AIMD Maintenance Master Chief.
Alumni Stories
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School News
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Our Vanguard High School military alumni are some of the most outstanding people we know and this page recognizes them and everything they have done! Not everyone gets to come home for the holidays and we want our Vanguard High School Military to know that they are loved and appreciated. All of us in Ocala are proud of our military alumni and want to thank them for risking their lives to protect our country!