STI Honors Our Veterans - 2022

Submitted by Robbie Cox on 17th of October, 2022 12:00 pm

Leading up to Veterans Day, STI will be honoring the STI employees that have served in the Armed Forces. Be on the look-out for these spotlights.

STI would like to Honor a Veteran and STI Founder, Jim Raby.

Jim entered in the US Navy in 1954. After completion of bootcamp, Jim was assigned to a Naval Construction Battalion known as, “The Seabees”.

Jim served on, “The Queen Bee”, the U.S.S. Eldorado. He and his shipmates crewed the flagship of the Pacific Amphibious forces under the command of Vice Admiral Settle.

A change in command brought the ship a new assignment as the Flagship under Vice Admiral Pride. Jim served on the Eldorado as the ship sailed for Keeling, Formosa, San Diego and in 1956 to the arctic waters of Alaska. Raby and crew completed artic supply operations and a cruise to the Far East. There they participated in exercises with a Joint Navy-Marine and Nationalist Chinese Navy-Marine amphibious operation off southern Taiwan during the end of the Korean War.

During his time aboard the Eldorado, Jim Raby served as a Communications Technician before being Honorably Discharged from the US Navy.

Jim went on to found STI in San Dimas, CA in 1982 and relocated the company to Madison, AL in 1993. Jim served as the Technical Director for STI several years before his retirement.

STI Thanks Jim Raby for his service to the United States of America!

As we continue our march toward Veteran’s day, STI would like to honor A.J. Orames in our series, “Honoring our Veterans.

A.J. went to basic training at Lackland A.F.B in Bexar County, Texas during Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1992. After training at Lowery A.F.B in Aurora, CO, Orames was stationed at Hurlbert Field, Fort Walton Beach, FL.

AJ worked on Photo-sensors for devices such as night vision goggles, inferred systems, radar systems, and the flight recorders for aircraft. AJ supported the MH-53J Pavelow helicopter, the MC-130 Combat Talon Aircraft, and the AC-130 gunship aircraft.

AJ was Honorably discharged in 1996 with the rank of E3.

STI thanks A.J. Orames for his service to the United States of America.

 

STI would like to honor the service of Frank Honyotski, Senior Master Instructor at STI since 2000.

Frank’s served as an ET1 (Electronics Technician) and achieved the E6 grade in the US Navy. He served on the Perry Class Guided-Missile Frigate the USS Kauffman FFG-59. The Kauffman and crew made a historic visit to Sevastopol, USSR where he acted as an Ambassador of Good Will where he shared drinks with KGB agents. Frank’s service aboard the Kauffman continued as the vessel went into the 1st Persian Gulf War in 1991.

After departing the Kauffman, he took on the role of 2M instructor at FTC Mayport, Florida from 1993 – 1997. Having completed 10 years of service he was Honorably Discharged from the Navy.

STI Thanks Frank Honyotski for his Service to the United States of America!

As we continue our march toward Veteran’s day, STI would like to honor Jeff Light in our series, “Honoring our Veterans.

Jeff entered the Navy in 1981. After Basic Training, Jeff attended Basic Electronics and Electricity School in Orlando Florida.

Jeff’s next assignment was at Great Lakes, Illinois where he attended Advanced Electronics ‘A’ School  followed by another advanced electronics school operated by the US Army in Fort Gordon Georgia.

Light was assigned to the Naval Communications Unit in Key West Florida where he spent 18 months working on communications equipment located at the Naval Air Station Key West.

Jeff and his crewmates on the Training Aircraft Carrier U.S.S Lexington (AVT-16) were home ported in Pensacola Florida.  Shortly after reporting to the U.S.S. Lexington, the ship was sent to Philadelphia PA for a 10 month overhaul to upgrade the carrier with more modern equipment.  Following refit the ship returned to Pensacola and went to sea every month for 2-3 weeks at a time in order to train new pilots for carrier landings and takeoffs.

Jeff received an Honorable Discharge in 1987 and returned to north Alabama and began work in the private sector. Light joined STI as a Manufacturing engineer in November of 2013.

STI Thanks Jeff Light for his Service to the United States of America!

As we continue our march toward Veteran’s day, STI would like to honor Jonnie Johnson in our series, “Honoring our Veterans.

Jonnie was active in the Army in 1970 through 1972. During his service he served in Vietnam with the Playboy Platoon of the 334^th Attach Helicopter Company where he was a Cobra Crew Chief. The Company stepped down and was transferred to Germany in March 1972. Jonnie was released from active service with the rank of Sp5 (E5) early so he could attend college.

Jonnie served in the Army Ready Reserves from late 1972 through 1976. He was Honorably Discharged with the rank of Sp5 (E5).

Jonnie took a position with STI in 2004 and is a Part-Time Systems Design Engineer.

STI thanks Jonnie Johnson for his service to the United States of America!

STI continues our series, “Honoring our Veterans”.

Highlighted today in STI’s Honoring our Veteran’s series is Kaven Howard.

Kaven served 8 years in the US Army. His postings included a tour in Saudi Arabi, Ft. Bragg, NC, Ft. Campbell, KY, and Ft. Bliss, TX. Howard was posted with the 1-325 and the 1-187 Airborne Infantry Regiments as a Parachutist and Infantryman. Kaven went on to join the 507 Maintenance Battalion where he served as a Patriot Missile Repair Technician.

Kaven achieved the final rank of Sergeant/E-5 before being Honorably Discharged in December 2000.

Kaven joined STI in 2019.

STI thanks Kaven Howard for his service to the USA!

STI continues our series, “Honoring our Veterans”.

Randy Baumgarden served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 where he completed two cruises of the Western Pacific. During his 4 years at sea he visited ports such as Pearl Harbor, HI, Subic Bay, Philippines, Pusan, South Korea, and as far as Perth Australia. Randy was a LI3 (Lithographer, 3rd Class) during his tours.

Randy and his shipmates sailed in support of operations in the Gulf of Oman during the 1979-1981 Iran Hostage Crisis.

After being Honorably Discharged, Randy served an additional 2 years as a Reservist.
During his time aboard the USS Kitty Hawk, the film, “The Final Countdown” was produced. The Kitty Hawk is the vessel used in the movie and Randy was one of the crew seen manning the rails as the USS Kitty Hawk returns to Hawaii.

STI thanks Randy Baumgarden for his service to the USA!

STI would like to Honor Katrena for her service in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard.
Katrena went into the Army Reserve right out of high school. Her basic training was at Fort Jackson, SC. She then completed MOS training for Combat Medic at Fort Sam Houston, Tx. She went on to serve eight additional years in the Army Reserve and thirteen years in the Alabama Army National Guard. While with the Alabama Army National Guard, Katrena was deployed for protection details around the state for several of the state’s hurricane disasters.She retired in 2005 with twenty-one years of service as an E5 (SGT).

STI thanks Katrena for her service to the USA!

STI continues our series, “Honoring our Veterans”.

Scott completed US Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Port Royal, SC. He graduated on November 12, 1993 two days after the USMC Birthday.

Scott went on to complete Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense (NBC). He continued as an instructor at Camp Pendleton’s MBC school where he taught basic NBC and decontamination to Marine Units. The remainder of his service at Camp Pendleton was in the 1st Maintenance Battalion’s NBC NCO. Scott was responsible for the chemical gear, masks, and training for about 1200 Marines.

Scott reminisces that he had one of the greatest jobs in the world. During his 4 years he went through the gas chamber uncounted times to train other Marines. “Where else can you go to make grown men cry on a daily basis?” quips Sanders.
After 4 years of service and the achievement of the rank of Corporal, Scott was Honorably Discharged from the US Marine Corps.

STI thanks Scott Sanders for his service to the USA!