President
Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are pleased to announce that the
following individuals will be their special guests, seated with the First Lady,
at the President’s first State of the Union address:
Corey Adams: Corey Adams
is a skilled welder at Staub Manufacturing Solutions in Dayton, Ohio, where he
has worked for more than eight years. During 2017, Corey and his wife were able
to become first-time homeowners, and they will invest their extra money from
tax reform into their two daughters’ education savings.
Elizabeth
Alvarado, Robert Mickens, Evelyn Rodriguez, and Freddy Cuevas: Elizabeth
Alvarado and Robert Mickens are the parents of Nisa Mickens. Evelyn Rodriguez
and Freddy Cuevas are the parents of Kayla Cuevas. Nisa and Kayla had been
close friends since elementary school, but in September 2016, the two girls
were chased down and brutally murdered. Their deaths were among a string of 17
Long Island slayings that have been attributed to Mara Salvatrucha, also known
as MS-13.
Corporal
(Ret.) Matthew Bradford: Matthew Bradford joined the United States Marine
Corps straight out of high school and deployed to Iraq in 2006. In 2007, he
stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). Shrapnel shot into both of his
eyes, blinding him, and the explosion also took both of his legs. After
multiple surgeries and therapy, Matthew reenlisted in the Marine Corps—the
first blind, double amputee to do so.
Jon Bridgers: Jon Bridgers
founded the Cajun Navy 2016, as a non-profit rescue and recovery organization
to respond to flooding in south Louisiana. In 2017, the Cajun Navy set out to
provide aid to those in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey. He and the Cajun
Navy 2016 have helped thousands of people across the South, and to this day,
they are helping collect resources and donations for those who lost their homes
in the storms.
David Dahlberg: David
Dahlberg works as a fire prevention technician in southern California,
stationed at the Pine Canyon Fire Station in the Santa Lucia Ranger District.
In July 2017, he saved 62 children and staff members from a raging wildfire
that had encircled their camp.
Officer Ryan
Holets: Ryan Holets serves as a police officer in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. In his six years on the force, he has been shot at twice and
experienced several near-death encounters. Officer Holets and his wife adopted
a baby from parents who suffered from opioid addiction, breaking down walls
between drug addicts and police officers to help save lives.
Ashlee Leppert: Ashlee
Leppert has dedicated her life to her country, serving as an aviation
electronics technician in the United States Coast Guard. Last year, she rescued
dozens of Americans imperiled during the devastating hurricane season. Nothing
has left more of a mark on Ashlee than her efforts to lift a woman to safety in
a helicopter basket. The woman was clutching a few bags of what Ashlee thought
were clothes. As she drew the woman near, however, Ashlee saw four sets of
children’s eyes looking at her as their guardian angel.
Agent
Celestino “CJ” Martinez: CJ Martinez is a Supervisory Special Agent for the
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security
Investigations unit. He has spent much of his 15-year tenure working to
dismantle transnational criminal organizations, including MS-13. His
investigations have led to more than 100 arrests of MS-13 gang members who have
been prosecuted for crimes, including homicide, assault, and narcotics and
weapons trafficking. CJ is a proud veteran, having honorably served our Nation
in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard for more than 22 years.
Staff Sergeant
Justin Peck: Staff Sergeant Justin Peck has served in the United States
Army for eight years. In November 2017, he was part of a team, along with Chief
Petty Officer Kenton Stacy, that was conducting a multi-day mission with
partner forces in Raqqa, Syria, to clear IEDs from territory previously
controlled by ISIS. After the team had located and disarmed seven IEDs, Chief
Petty Officer Stacy was clearing the second floor of a hospital building when
he was struck by an IED blast and severely wounded. Without hesitation, Staff
Sergeant Peck, who was holding a position outside the building, rushed to
Stacy’s location on the uncleared, IED-ridden second floor. Staff Sergeant
Peck’s actions—including applying a tourniquet, placing an endotracheal tube,
and performing artificial respirations and CPR—were directly responsible for
saving Chief Petty Officer Stacy’s life.
Preston Sharp: Preston
Sharp was visiting his veteran grandfather’s grave in 2015, when he noticed
that other local veterans’ graves were not being honored with American flags or
flowers. Today, Preston has organized the placement of more than 40,000
American flags and red carnations on soldiers’ graves, as part of his goal to
honor veterans in all 50 States and to challenge others to join the Flag and
Flower Challenge (#FandFChallenge).
Steve Staub
and Sandy Keplinger: Siblings Steve Staub and Sandy Kepingler started Staub
Manufacturing Solutions, a contract manufacturing company specializing in metal
fabrication, twenty years ago. Today, they serve as president and vice
president, respectively. Thanks to the “Trump bump” in their business, Staub
Manufacturing Solutions has seen an uptick in sales, employment, and optimism.
They have grown their team from 23 to 37 employees over the last year and
recently expanded by acquiring a new building. Following enactment of the tax
cuts and reform legislation last year, they were able to give all their
employees larger than expected Christmas bonuses.
