Soldier Returns Home, Surprises Daughter at School [video]

Lt. Col. Andy Chevalier surprised his daughter at school after returning home from Kuwait.

Melanie Chevalier sat through school on Thursday counting down the minutes until the bell rang. Her father, Lt. Col. Andy Chevalier, had just returned from a 10-month tour in Kuwait with the Rhode Island National Guard that afternoon and was awaiting her at home. Or so she thought. At around 1:30 p.m., Melanie received quite the surprise when her father entered her third grade classroom – the first time the two had seen each other since before last Christmas. "It's had its ups and downs," said Chevalier. "Skype has helped a lot, but there's nothing like seeing her in person and holding her and smelling her." Melanie's classmates have been well aware of her situation and her father's deployment. Last year her second grade class wrote …

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Lauren Costa

9:55 am on Friday, October 12, 2012

This is great! Goosebumps!   more ›

From The Editor's Desk

VIDEO: "Hawk's" Eye View of Quonset

Check out a different view of the Quonset Air Show and North Kingstown from aboard a Blackhawk helicopter.

Living only a few miles from Quonset Point for most of my life, I've grown accustomed to seeing Blackhawk helicopters in the skies above my house. I've probably seen hundreds in my life – and craned my neck to watch each one t fly over my head. (For some reason, it never gets old for me.) For years I wondered, what would it be like to look down from one of those rather than look up? Well, Friday afternoon I finally got my chance to do that after the fine folks at the Rhode Island National Guard allowed my colleague (Coventry Patch Editor Lauren Costa) and me take a ride on one. My conclusion: Rhode Island looks remarkable from the sky. Here's our bird's eye (or perhaps Blackhawk's eye) view of the air show and surrounding areas (including …

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Five Things To Know Today

(UPDATED) 5 Things: Coffee, Honoring Soldiers & Shady Lea

Five things to know for Jan. 6.

1. Talk books over coffee and muffins at this morning's Coffee and Books program at the North Kingstown Free Library. Discuss what you're reading now and get ideas for what to try out next. Starts at 10 a.m. 2. Four members of the Rhode Island National Guard are being honored for their service and heroism in Afghanistan. Lt. Col. Thomas Hannon is receiving a Bronze Star for meritorious service, and Senior Airman Eric Fontes is getting a Purple Heart for injuries from a rocket attack. Master Sgt. Steven Croce will get the Meritorious Service Medal, and Senior Airman Yanick Koenig will receive the Air Force Achievement Medal. The ceremony is scheduled to take place Saturday at the Quonset Air National Guard Base. 3. Head over to Voila …

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RI National Guard Opens $5-Million Cyber-Warfare Facility in Quonset

The RI National Guard's newest facility looks to strengthen cyber-defense.

The fight against cyberwarfare just got a $5-million boost in the Ocean State. The Rhode Island National Guard recently opening its newest facility, a $5-million building, to help strengthen the nation's cyber defense. "This facility marks the Rhode Island Air National Guard as a key player in the burgeoning world of cyber-warfare," said Major General Kevin McBride, adjutant general of Rhode Island and commanding general of the Rhode Island Air National Guard. The Special Operations Training Facility, located at the Quonset Air National Guard Base, is a 14,000 square-foot building, providing ample work space for the 102nd Network Warfare Squadron (a unit of the Air National Guard specializing in cyber defense). The 102nd NWS squadron was …

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