SILVER DOLLARS AND WOODEN NICKELS: Thank you and welcome home to guard unit soldiers

The Nevada Appeal’s Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels feature recognizes achievements from the capital region and, when warranted, points out other acts that missed the mark.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the 15 soldiers from the Nevada Army National Guard’s Detachment 45, Operational Support Airlift, who were honored in a ceremony at the Atlantis Friday after returning home. The unit served for one year in the combat zone in Afghanistan. We’re most thankful the unit reported no casualties. To these soldiers and all those who put their lives on the line for us all we can say is thank you and welcome home.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the 2015 Nevada Legislature for allocating $2.5 million in financial assistance to students for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. As a result, 63 Western Nevada College low income students are receiving the maximum financial award of $5,500 for the coming school year. Many of these students have noted trying to maintain two to three jobs while maintaining a full course load has obviously been difficult, so the grants obviously help lessen the load.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the six Carson City Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputies — Alan Sharp, Daniel Reece, Randy Watkins, Jeremy Garcia, Cole Sonnemann and Michael Jerauld — who graduated the academy and were honored in a ceremony last Friday night at the University of Nevada, Reno.