Local man serving in northern Iraq

Ohio Army National Guard and Van Wert resident Specialist Seth Blackmore is currently serving his country in northern Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn.

Blackmore has been deployed for nine months, with a total deployment time of 12 months, and is due home in early September.

Blackmore is a member of Marysville-based Charlie Battery, 1-174th Air Defense Artillery. The company is doing a CRAM mission. CRAM stands for Counter Rocket Artillery and Missiles – basically, the unit shoots incoming artillery out of the sky and stands by the ADA motto “if it flies, it dies”.

Spec. Blackmore has a 3-year-old daughter who he misses dearly. Blackmore is the son of Matthew and Tabatha Blackmore and brother of Brittany, Chelsea and Brock Blackmore.