Advanced training

FORT KENT – Army National Guard Specialist Ronald G. Oakes, a member of the 48th Brigade Combat Team, recently completed training at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., located in the Mojave Desert. The rugged terrain of the National Training Center prepares troops for deployment to Iraq.

Oakes has served in the military for 18 years and now is a general construction equipment operator for the Army National Guard. Oakes is the son of Elray J. and Jeannine L. Oakes of Fort Kent.