U.S. Army soldier Jackie W. Blakeney smiles after being promoted to the rank of sergeant first class in a ceremony held March 18 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Blakeney, whose hometown is Stringer, Miss., serves in the supply and services section of the Mississippi Army National Guard’s 184th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Blakeney's responsibilities include tracking the distribution of food and water to military units. The 184th ESC directs all military logistics support for American and coalition forces in Afghanistan.