Sailor Presented Awards at American Legion Party

E-5 Sailor Brian Seidel of Plainfield was feted Saturday by family, friends and members of the Romeoville American Legion Post 52, who gathered at in Romeoville to celebrate his return to civilian life.

Seidel, a Romeoville native, joined the U.S. Navy in 2002 and will complete his service on Nov. 1.

After settling back home with Jessica, his wife of four years, Seidel plans to attend college and join the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Seidel attended boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes in northern Illinois and trained at the Cryptologic Technician Administrative School in Pensacola, Fla. He was stationed in Sugar Grove, W.V., until 2004.

While serving at Sugar Grove, Seidel took part in an individual augmented assignment at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to the Naval Postgraduate School Web site, individual augmentees support another Navy, Marine Corps or Army command. Assignments vary in length from a few months to a year or more.

After completing his assignment at Guantanamo, Seidel was stationed in Seoul, South Korea, for two years, and then moved on to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 2at Whidbey Island, Wash., from 2006 to 2009. He will complete his military career assigned to Naval Submarine Base at Groton, Conn.

In honor of the sailor’s years of service to his country, American Legion Post 52 Junior Vice Commander Christopher Benigno presented Seidel with a medal for grateful appreciation of service as well as the American Legion Medal For Service, a challenge coin for grateful service, a “support our veterans” bracelet and an American Legion cap. The post will also pay Seidel’s Legion membership for the first year.