On Dec. 12, during a ceremony at Camp Parks, Dublin, Cal. Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Stern was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the United States Army Reserves.

Col. Stern will be serving as a branch chief with the 5th Brigade 75th Division in Vancouver, Washington, conducting battalion and brigade combat staff training.

Colonel Stern is a ROTC graduate of the University of Kansas. He served active duty for many years spending time in Germany, Hawaii, Kansas, Texas, Arizona and Washington State before going in to the reserves. His last command as Lt. Colonel was at Moffett Field in Sunnyvale, Cal. as Reserve Commander. With his new rank of Full Bird Colonel he will be serving at Vancouver, Washington for approximately three years.

He has one daughter who is attending college at UOP in Stockton.

Col. Stern is married to the former Dorothy Ann Hall who is the daughter of Frank and Doreen Shaddy of Manteca. Also in attendance was Col. Stern’s brother Ross Stern of Manteca.

Army 2nd Lt. Jeevna Kaur has entered into the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Md., as a first-year medical student of a four-year program.  The student will be trained and prepared to serve as a physician in the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Public Health Service.  Outstanding scientists and health care practitioners are prepared for careers in service to the nation.

The tuition-free university, established by Congress under the Defense Department, is recognized as a worldwide reputable center of excellence for military medical education and research.  In addition to the four years of free tuition, students receive free books, and equipment and instruments.  The curriculum includes a concentration of preventive medicine, primary care, and emergency medicine, which are directly related to health protection, military medicine, tropical diseases, disaster medicine, military readiness, and adaptation to extreme environments.

Kaur is the daughter of Lakhwinder Singh and Inderjeet Kaur of Lathrop.

The lieutenant graduated in 2006 from Franklin High School in Elk Grove  and received a bachelor’s degree in 2009 from the University of the Pacific, Stockton.

Anthony C. Ortega has graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Leader Development and Assessment Course, also known as “Operation Warrior Forge,” at Fort Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.

He is the son of Brett A. and Rikki J. McIntosh of Ripon.

Ortega graduated in 2006 from Ripon High School, and received an associate degree in 2008 from Wentworth Military Academy and Junior College, Lexington, Mo.