The Social Security Administration (SSA) today announced the appointment of Stephen Evangelista as the Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Operations. In this role, he will oversee SSA’s nationwide network of offices that provide frontline and support services to millions of customers each year. This includes oversight of more than 1,200 field offices serving communities across the country, as well as 23 teleservice centers assisting the public on the phone.

Stephen Evangelista has over 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles at SSA. He has held various leadership positions within the agency, most recently serving as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Policy in the Office of Law and Policy. His record of achievement includes developing and implementing an enterprise strategy to unify SSA’s more than 3,000 data matching agreements, resulting in improved program administration.

“Stephen’s proven track record of leadership and his dedication to public service make him an excellent choice for this critical role,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “His deep knowledge of the agency’s programs will be an asset as we continue to improve customer service while safeguarding Americans’ hard-earned benefits.”

Stephen Evangelista succeeds Doris Diaz, who had been serving as the agency’s Acting Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Operations since January 2025. Under her leadership, SSA implemented several customer-focused improvements, including expediting over $14.8 billion in retroactive payments to more than 2.2 million individuals under the Social Security Fairness Act.

“I am grateful to Doris for her outstanding leadership of the Office of Operations,” added Dudek. “She delivered transformational improvements in the agency’s operations, and millions of Americans’ lives are better because of her service.”

For more information, please visit the SSA’s Communications Corner at www.ssa.gov/news.

While drilling reservists enjoyed fun and food at Tinker AFB, veteran friendly businesses explained their services to customers in Piedmont on May 3rd.

Reservists and family of the 507th Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command, unit equipped KC-135 unit, enjoyed their annual Family Day in Hanger 1030. They ate hamburgers, played on air-inflated slides and bounce houses, looked at classic cars and of course, showed off their refueling tankers. Other static display aircraft on hand: a C-5 and C-17 cargo airplane and a T-1, T-6 and T-38 trainer.
What is Family Day? Event planner 1Lt Kennedy Humprey, 465th Aircraft Refueling Squadron, shared that it is “To show our families what we do as military members.” 1Lt Nick Pratt, also with the 465th, added, “Show appreciation to the families because it’s all for them.” Humprey said he expected 1,000 people to attend.
Reservists like what they do. “I like working on the planes that refuel our fighter and other combat mission aircraft, plus I enjoy exploring the world,” said MSgt Trevor Hardesty, a member of the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. MSgt Lindsey Newton, the Engineering Squadron’s First Sergeant, said she likes serving in the 507th “because the people (reservists) are like family.”

Twenty-nine organizations manned tables offering services and products, such as 72d Air Base Wing’s Military Family Readiness Center and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, DoD’s Integrated Prevention & Resilience Office, VFW Post 8706 (Moore), and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. “I come because I want to help families with resources,” said Crystal Garcia with the Employee Assistance Program at Tinker AFB.
Gerardo Guzman, a 30-year retired Army Sergeant First Class, came because his son is a member of the wing. “My wife and I were proud for my son…” joining the Air Force Reserves.
According to the 507 ARW website (https://www.507arw.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/), “The wing operates and maintains eight KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft providing world-wide aerial refueling to U.S. and NATO aircraft in times of peace, war and national emergency” and “…consists of three subordinate groups and 11 squadrons while employing more than 1,200 men and women.”
Meanwhile, in Piedmont, the 4th Annual VetsFest 2025 was in full swing (with guitars, drums and keyboards) at the Piedmont Veterans Event Center. The Piedmont Area Veterans Association (PAVA)

( https://pavavets.org ), hosted the event. The Caroline Grace and J. Rod Wald bands played country music while Atlantis Aquarius entertained with psychedelic 60s style rock and roll for 300 people that attended. Grace joined the Atlantis Aquarius’ six band members to provide more vocals.
Twenty-five veteran-owned and veteran-connected businesses (colleges with veteran student services, etc.) came from throughout Oklahoma. Patriot Automotive of Piedmont is owned and operated by Jeremy Hays and John Leahr. Hays was a five-year U.S. Navy medical corpsman and Leahr is a 15-year drilling reservist with the 160th Oklahoma National Guard (U.S. Army). Hays said they wanted a booth to “let people know we are here to serve our community. You bring it in and we’ll fix it,” meaning vehicles of all makes, models and ages.
Ella Jefferson-Speed, founder and CEO of Soul Survivor Supportive Living Foundation, came to bring awareness to the organization. She is a 10-year U.S. Army veteran. She uses her experience to help “women with societal barriers like disability, homelessness, justice involved (jailed) and sobriety services.” The Soul Survivor handout says it’s a “501©3 that is dedicated to providing a safe, secure, and loving drug-free temporary home-solution for Veteran Women…” She estimated serving 25 women in 4 years.
Josh Cain was the lead event planner and is a PAVA board member. He said, “PAVA has done a lot of traditional things, for instance, (having) veterans affairs representatives, but beyond that, we are dynamically active in unique ways.” Holding VetsFest is one unique way. It allows them “to support veteran owned businesses and to celebrate veterans.” He said the event was a success because the overwhelming number of vendors were happy with the number of customers who engaged with them. Referring to event sponsors Ascent Midstream Partners, F&M Bank, Edward Jones and Express Employment International, Cain said, “I can’t say enough good things about how these guys care.” story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr., Lt. Col, USAF Retired

What an honor and a privilege to be part of the inaugural Chaplain’s Corner segment. My name is SFC (Ret.) George Shafer, and I am the Chaplain for The American Legion LeBron Post 58 in Guthrie, OK.
I recently graduated seminary with a capstone thesis about online ministry and American Veterans. During the research phase of development, I felt as though the Lord directed me to Matthew chapter 8 verses 5-18 which states: “When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed at that very moment.”

Matthew 8:5-13 (ESV)

This passage is fascinating for several reasons. First, the geographical context of Capernaum at this time being “an important fishing village and commercial center…As a major city on the trade route, it had a Roman battalion, and one of the centurions approached Jesus.” Osborne and Arnold also believe that the centurion would have been either Syrian or Roman, and notes that the relationship between Romans/Syrian and the Jews was highly contentious.
Furthermore, this passage is the only one in Matthew’s gospel that “Jesus marvels at anything.” Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion! But this passage gets even better; especially when we view this interaction within the scope of evangelism and missions. Osborne notes that “the miracle happened as much for the centurion as for his slave, and that in this, salvation has come not just to Israel but for the nations, so that the universal mission is found here in embryo.”
Did you catch that? Whereas we understand that the first Gentile conversion occurs in Acts under the command of God to Peter after his vision, here we find the Son of God himself carefully cultivating and preparing the way for Gentile inclusion… through a soldier.
If you are reading this and are struggling with your faith; perhaps the transition from soldier to civilian has been too much. Maybe you’re like me and your time in the military left you with scars, both visible and invisible. But I want you to know that He sees you. He hears you. He knows you and He completely understands you. The Gentile ministry that Jesus began with the Centurion over two thousand years ago in an embryonic state was not still-born but rather is alive and well in the pursuit of YOU.
I pray this message has encouraged you in your faith. If you have not yet considered the path of a faith-driven life, I would encourage you to stop by your local veteran service organization (The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, etc.) and speak to the local chaplain. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you in all you do today!
by Rev. George F. Shafer, SFC (Ret.), M.Div., B.S., Chaplain (TAL Post 58)

Her experience as a participant in the Ms. Veteran America competition helped spur Carrie Moore into advocacy work for Veterans.

“I ran for Ms. Veteran America, I think it was three years ago, and that kind of threw me into advocacy work,” Moore, a U.S. Navy Veteran said. “The purpose behind Ms. Veteran America is to raise awareness and funds for women veterans that are homeless. We provide suitable housing for them and their children.”

She added, “So, most of the time when women veterans are homeless, they don’t really realize that they can seek assistance if they have children, because they’re afraid their children are going to be taken away from them. We try to help ensure that they’re placed together, and kept together, and get them the help that they need.”

Moore grew up in Eufaula before enlisting in the Navy, where she served for five years.

“I grew up on Lake Eufaula, and being the rebellious teenager that I was, I did not want to do the same thing that my dad (U.S. Army) did. So, the other services were options for me. The Navy just got to me first,” she said.

Moore said directly after the service, she went into contracting after working at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland.

“But then, when I had my son, which was in 2004, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. So we moved to Texas, and I was a stay-at-home mom for the next 15 years,” she said.

Moore and her husband later moved to Moore to be closer to family.

Moore’s Veteran advocacy efforts also included working as a VSO for the Dale Graham Foundation for about 12 years, writing claims for them, specializing in military sex trauma before working with the American Legion in Moore.

“To be able to give back to veterans just means a lot to me, because we’ve got a lot of making up to do,” she said. “I feel like you make a bigger difference (with Veterans) that way.”

Moore and her husband are also giving back to Veterans through their non-profit, Got Your Six, Service Dogs for Veterans which trains veterans to train their own service dogs.

“I had been doing some volunteer work with rescues around the area. I had been fostering dogs and transporting them from one rescue to another,” she said. “We were contacted by an organization that had a dog they had been given to be euthanized. We took the dog on because my husband trains canines for sport. We weren’t worried about taking in this dog, because we knew we could fix whatever issue he had going on. He (Ruger) has been just the best dog ever. If you’re around him for five minutes, you’re in love with him.”

Moore said they had Ruger for about three weeks before they noticed something about him.

“We had him for about three weeks when he started alerting me to a heart condition that I have,” she said. “I have Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, which causes my heart rate to go up to 300 beats a minute.”

Moore said that spurred a desire in learning what it took to get a service dog trained.

“We were unable to find anybody that would train him because we didn’t know his past. They considered it a liability working with a dog that came from the shelter,” she said. “We just went ahead and started training him ourselves.”

Moore believes that service dogs are the most underutilized resource that we have.

“Not many people know about it, and they think that you must spend thousands of dollars or be on a two-year waitlist to get a service dog,” she said. “And that’s not the case. You can train one yourself, and it can be a dog from the shelter. There Are no limitations on breeds, ages. They need to be able to perform a task that you need for your disability to make your life better.”

Moore said Ruger has been a traveling companion to advocate and educate on service dogs.

“I’ve been traveling around with him for two, three years advocating for female veterans, and just trying to get the word out about how this resource can help other veterans,” she said.

Moore said they currently only help Veterans.

“At this point in time, we only help veterans. We train one dog, one veteran,” she said. “We prefer that they bring in a dog that they have at their house, but a lot of times those dogs will not work. They must be environmentally-sound more than anything. So, if that dog doesn’t work, then they can switch to another dog in the house.”

Moore said their training sessions are held each Monday at a church in downtown Moore.

“We train every Monday evening, and we train for about an hour,” she said. “And our point behind it is, we give you homework every week. We show you how to train the dog for something specific, and then we have you go home for that week and practice on that thing. And then we continually add to that.”

Moore said consistency is a key component of training.

“You must do it consistently. The consistent training, doing it daily,” she said. “And a lot of people don’t want to put in the work for it, they think it’s just going to happen.”

Moore said their training services are free to Veterans.

“We have found that many Veterans have a need for service dogs but cannot pay thousands of dollars for one or have years to wait to get one trained from an organization,” she said. “And we believe that teaching a Veteran to train their own will allow them to pay it forward and help someone else which helps the veteran feel worthy and want to stick around. It’s completely free of charge to the veterans. Even if they need a dog, that’s all free of charge.”
For more information contact Moore at (405) 365-5356 or email her at Carrie.Moore.ok@gmail.com. story by Van Mitchell

When your life is in danger, some memories don’t go away, even if they occurred 81 years ago. Like firing twin .50 caliber machine guns at Nazi airplanes from the ball turret underneath a B-17 Flying Fortress.
“I hit a Messerschmidt (fighter) one day. He was gone away from me and of course, when they get by, they turn their belly up – they’re armor-plated on the bottom. I could see some tracers going off from him. I never got him down. He (fighter) was a longways away. He had come through our (bomber) group once and got away but he didn’t come back,” explained Richard D. Lawrence, a 102-year-old WWII veteran.
Lawrence was at Oklahoma’s State Capitol in the Hall of Heros to receive the Oklahoma Cross of Valor from Governor Kevin Stitt. Part of Stitt’s address included the following. “His story is one of grit and courage and unbelievable bravery. He answered the call to serve during a time of war, was taken captive by the enemy and he came home with his honor intact. That strength comes from a love of country, a sense of duty, and unbreakable spirit. In Oklahoma, we believe in honoring our heros and we have a real-life hero with us today.”
Lawrence wasn’t alone – lots of family, friends, State Representatives and Senators, uniformed military and veterans gave him a standing ovation when he was called up to get the Cross of Valor enclosed in a glass case.
Others have formally thanked Lawrence too, including a French Counsel who gave him the French Legion of Honor and the Oklahoma Military Heritage Foundation, who inducted him into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Honor.
Before the ceremony, Alfonso Garza, the Veterans Mental Health Program Administrator with Oklahoma’s Department of Veteran Affairs (ODVA), asked R.D. if he had any advice. His answer? First, take it one day at a time. Second, trust in the Lord with all your heart.
When R.D. got home from the war, he went right to work harvesting crops. No two-week vacation swapping war stories at the bar to relax after the ordeal. In a conversation with Galen Culver of the KFOR television station, he recalled, “I got home on my mother’s birthday, June 15th, 1945, and we started cutting wheat that afternoon.’” He married his high school sweetheart, Joanne, right away too – 11 days later.
They had three children: Richard, Julie and Leanna, who were at the ceremony. Leanna, whose married name is Turney, said, “I had wonderful parents…parents that went to everything we went to (activities).”
The ODVA shared a biography that explains Lawrence’s postwar time of peace. “A proud steward of the land, he continues to live and manage the farm, recently keeping busy clearing fields from the seat of his Polaris”…He served “on the boards of the Farmers’ Cooperative of Wakita, the Wakita School Board, and as a longtime Director of Citizens Bank of Wakita. His dedication to agriculture was honored with the title of Oklahoma Farmer of the Year at the Oklahoma State Fair. A man of faith, he served over 60 years as an Elder at both Fairview Christian Church and Wakita Christian Church. In retirement, RD took up golfing and played daily into his early 90s-always with the same group of friends, and more often than not, he came home the winner.”
James Neal of the Enid News & Eagle sat down with R.D. in 2011 and wrote the following. “Today, he remembers those who didn’t make it home as the true heroes from history’s largest war. Their ranks included Lawrence’s brother, Burke, an aircrewman who was killed while on a training flight shortly after the war’s end…Lawrence said, ‘They were all heroes, I thought, those boys who didn’t make it home.’” story/photos by Richard Stephens, Jr., Lt. Col, USAF Retired

Portion of Citation of Appreciation from the Oklahoma State Legislature to Technical Sergeant Richard D. Lawrence.
———————————————–
Whereas, on June 7, 1944, while on a mission to destroy marshalling yards in Budapest, Hungary, R.D. Lawrence’s plane took a direct hit, and he was forced to parachute out. He was captured a week later and held as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft IV Prison Camp in Gross Tychow, Pomerania (now Tychowo, Poland) and later forced on a 500-mile death march. On May 2, 1945, he was liberated by the British soldiers and returned to Enid just in time for harvest.

The free-admission Tinker AFB Air Show returns June 28-29, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who will amaze Oklahomans with their skill and precision flying daily. This marks their first return to Tinker in six years.

The two days are almost exclusively headlined by U.S. Air Force precision in the sky as elite graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Basic Freefall Parachuting course demonstrate their team skills. The Air Force Parachute Team Wings of Blue will dazzle the crowd with their signature “Bomb Burst” maneuver at terminal velocity.

The aerial demonstrations will run from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. As the last show each day, the Thunderbirds aerobatic flight demonstration team of F-16s, will treat spectators to their precision flying skills and professionalism for an hour. Watch powerful fighter jets elegantly maneuver in the sky with only a few feet separating each wingtip. It’s a multisensory experience that will leave viewers impressed and inspired. This puts the SHOW in air show.

The Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter jet, the single-seat, supersonic F-16 Fighting Falcon, displays its robust maneuvering capability and showcases the pilot’s elite skills. The demonstration mixes six aircraft performing formation flying and solo routines. The four-ship Diamond formation showcases the precision and training of the pilots and the gracefulness of the F-16. The two solos display the maximum synergy of jet power and the maximum capabilities of elite pilots.

“We want to send an open invitation to the public so they can witness what we do here at Team Tinker,” said Col. Abby Ruscetta, Tinker installation commander. “We want to demonstrate the readiness and strength of American air and space power and the wonder of aviation.”

This open invitation in throwing the gates at Tinker open to the public comes with a caution. Come early to see the air and space power wonder of aviation because when the crowd exceeds a limit, the gates will be closed each day.

Visitors can learn more about Tinker’s missions, the military and how present careers in aviation and aerospace make up Oklahoma’s second-largest industry.

Because admission, parking and shuttles are free, organizers encourage everyone to arrive early. Visitors will want to arrive early enough to park at Building 9001, formerly the old General Motors Plant, off SE 74th Street, because those buses drop them off at the gate area requiring the least walking. The event has been popular, and the gates will close when capacity is reached. Gates open at 8 a.m. daily. All acts are expected to perform each day, but the order of performers may change.

The show will feature dozens of military and civilian aerial performers and various ground display aircraft, such as Tinker’s E-3 Sentry AWACS, the U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury, USAF Thunderbirds, Tora, Tora, Tora – up to Seven Japanese Zero type aircraft, MiG-17F (Russian MiG jets), B-1B Lancer, B-52H Stratofortress, KC-46A Pegasus, KC – 135 Stratotanker, WASP (AT-6, BT-13) and a Red Tail P-51C located next to the Rise above Exhibit.

This year, several aerial acts debut for the first time, including an MV-22 Osprey, Franklin’s Flying Circus air comedy act, and Brittanee Lincoln in the Extra 330 Aerobatic Air Act. The crowd will see and hear historic radial engines powering The Trojan Phlyers Flight Demonstration Team as the world’s only formation aerobatic pair of North AmericanT-28 Trojan Trainers.

Other acts include a Pearl Harbor reenactment by Tora! Tora! Tora! and Randy Ball, a professional demonstration pilot flying a Soviet-era MiG-17, who is returning for the first time since 2014.

The 2025 Tinker Air Show theme is “Warriors of Air and Space,” highlighting the warrior ethos, hard work and contributions of Tinker Air Force Base’s military and civilian members. Visitors will have access to plenty of food and merchandise vendors serving their needs. Complimentary water is provided, so bring an empty bottle to fill at the water stations.
Visitors can explore static displays of modern and historic military aircraft, military recruiting exhibits such as the Air Force’s Tactical Experience, and USAF Honor Guard Drill Team performances.

“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) City” is an aircraft hangar filled with hands-on activities for kids of all ages. This area offers simulators, robotics, drone technology, snap circuits and more. Many of the booths allow visitors to explore potential career opportunities.

“We want to encourage younger generations to get involved in the field of aerospace and encourage them to learn more about the many jobs available,” said Cliff Harden, STEM outreach program manager at Tinker AFB. “There’s everything from becoming a pilot to cyber security, 3D Graphics and imaging to engineering and aircraft maintenance.”

Community partners will provide free activities in STEM City.

Most attractions are free except for a VIP area, Preferred Seating, and the Kidz Zone. The VIP Experience tickets are available for $149 and offer shade tents, preferential seating, cold beverages, and a boxed lunch.

Preferred Seating offers shade seating on the northern end of the flight line, starting at $39. Wristbands for the Tinker Air Show’s Kidz Zone cost $20 and are good all day. The Kidz Zone and play area are located on the north end of the Airshow tarmac, and they include an activity tent with games, inflatables and a rock wall.

As Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer, Tinker AFB personnel are part of the enduring 72-year advantage as the world’s most capable and respected air power source. This open house will demonstrate why the last time an American combatant was killed on the ground by an adversary air force was April 15, 1953.

To learn more, visit www.tinkerairshow.org or tinker.af.mil/tinkerairshow and follow Tinker AFB on social media. story/photo by Darl Devault, contributing editor