In Aug. 14-20 issue
By Greg Wells
Times Journal Managing Editor



ABOVE: Contessia Meza (left) and Stephanie Mills were at the Russell County Airport this week after flying in from training.

JAMESTOWN - Her husband is stationed in Iraq, her mother in Afghanistan, while her sister is serving in the Mediterranean and dad is in Germany: but Stephanie Mills spent her summer up in the air.

Mills, a past graduate of the Navy JROTC program at Russell County High School is at a military academy in Vermont on a Marine Corps scholarship and since she is hoping to enter the flight program, and most of those closest to her weren’t around this summer she decided to get her private pilot’s license.

“I did it in 45 days I don’t recommend it,” Mills said. “Most people do it over about 4 months.”

But it is over with now and all she has to do is head back to her junior year in Vermont and get ready to enter either the Marines or the Navy.

“I wanted to fly and I went for it,” she added saying that the test for midshipmen to qualify for flight training is coming up. Hopefully this training will giver her the edge up on that test.

Along with her on the flight last week was Contessia Meza, who was headed off Sunday for Marine boot camp.

The summer was something of a change for her as well. Meza said she’s been working on her push ups, her sit ups and running but she’s also been thinking and has changed her military speciality.

“I’m going to be a cook,” she said. “I’m hoping I’ll have more time to go to college and when I get out I’ll be a pastry chef and I’ll open my own business.”

They are two past commanders of the Navy ROTC program in the high school and both are pursuing the military life, with different goals in mind.