Army Pvt. Adam Welton, 2003 graduate of Standley Lake High School, is deploying to an overseas forward-operating location in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Operation Iraqi Freedom is the official name given to military operations involving members of the U.S. Armed Forces and coalition forces participating in efforts to free and secure Iraq. Mission objectives focus on force protection, peacekeeping, stabilization, security and counter-insurgency operations as the Iraqi transitional governing bodies assume full sovereign powers to govern the People of Iraq.

Pvt. Welton graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill, OK last fall. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet raining, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches an field training exercises.

He stayed at Fort Sill to complete training as a Field Artillery Fire Support Specialist before being posted to Fort Hood, TX in January.

Welton's parents, Stan and Jody Welton, are from Westminster.