Appalachian alumni

celebrate Thanksgiving Day
and freedom in Iraq

TIKRIT, Iraq- Among the more than 100,000 soldiers currently serving in Iraq, four Appalachian State University alumni gathered Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving at a dining facility on Contingency Operations Base Speicher In Tikrit, Iraq.

Soldiers are currently serving in the U.S. Army on tours of duty in Northern Iraq ranging in length from 12 to 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were treated to all the traditional fixings of a holiday feast, including turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie.

ASU alumni Maj. Russ Meyer, Class of 1995, Maj. Channing Moose, Class of 1993, Cpt. Michael Stokes, Class of 2003, and Lt. Col. David Doherty, Class of 1991 shared Thanksgiving dinner together at COB Speicher.

Cpt. Stephen Barker, Class of 2003, serves alongside of the other four, but was unable to join them as he was conducting operations in a northern sector of Iraq.

All four alumni were extremely involved in the ASU Mountaineer Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program in Boone. Their early academic successes translated easily within to their military careers.

Meyer, once the cadet commando commander during his time at ASU, is currently serving as the operations battle major for the 25th Infantry Division. Moose, who was once an ASU cadet battalion commander and former ASU ROTC instructor, is now serving as division assistant fire support coordinator. Stokes is currently serving as the 326th Engineer Battalion signal officer. Doherty, also a former ASU ROTC battalion commander, is now the 25th ID public affairs officer.

The alumni discussed their former college days in ASU ROTC, talked about those still serving in the military, and honored fallen comrades by remembering their service to America.