James V. Sanders III, Son of Jennifer and Sgt. 1st. Class James V. Sanders Jr. (member of the 278^th Regimental Combat Team currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom) has been accepted to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy in Washington D.C.

James has been a member of the A.F.J.R.O.T.C. program under the direction of Master Sergeant James Loveland for three (3) years. He also has been a member of the award winning Coffee County Red Raider Marching Band for three (3) years.

Only students that display academic accomplishments with interest in the national security of the United States of America are considered for this honor.

Each student that is accepted must receive a security clearance.

The National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy provides an intense and stimulating exploration of the field of government service for high school juniors and seniors. This six-day program introduces students to challenging careers in national security, intelligence, the diplomatic corps and more.

Students participate in thought-provoking question and answer sessions with highly respected, internationally recognized civilian policy makers and senior military officers, who provide rich insights into current issues and discuss the strategies that helped them succeed. The government's leading academic institutions also open their doors to the students, where they are educated in diplomacy, international affairs and military strategy.

During the course of the forum, students take part in a national security strategy simulation that draws on their program experiences and teamwork. They employ a crisis decision-making process similar to that employed by the nation's top policy makers, giving them an opportunity to use critical thinking, leadership and public speaking skills to tackle the complexity of national decision-making.

After graduation from Coffee County Central High School in Manchester, TN in May of 2006 James plans on attending Middle Tennessee State University to major in the Aerospace Professional Piloting program and minoring in Military Science. After graduating from MTSU he plans on joining the Army with hopes of becoming a member of the Army Special Forces to fly the AH-6J Little Bird Defender 500 helicopter.