Graduation

Air Force 2nd Lt. Matthew Long, a member of the Sweet Home High School Class of 2011, graduates from Combat Weapons School in ceremonies held at the Naval Aviation Museum, after two years of training at the Naval Air Station, in Pensacola, Fla., on April 14. A relative of a staff member at The New Era, who lives in New York, happened to be walking by when she heard the words “Sweet Home” announced. She turned and saw Long’s name on the monitor and photographed the occasion. Long is an aviator on a Boeing E-3 Sentry, commonly known as AW in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ACS, an airborne early warning and control aircraft, based out of Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, Okla. He is engaged to 2012 SHHS grad Jasmin Yoder, a nurse. Both of Long’s brothers, older brother Jason, an Air Force pilot, and fellow triplet Patrick, a Marine lance corporal, are in the miltary and their triplet sister Katelyn is married to a Navy ensign, said their mother, Katrina Long of Crawfordsville.