Cody Sackett of Altus AFB won top honors in this year’s Altus Armed Services YMCA essay contest on the topic, “My Military Hero” for his essay saluting his father and military hero, TSgt Chris Sackett. TSgt Sackett recently returned home from deployment to Iraq, and was home in time to be present at the announcement of his son’s winning this prestigious award at AAFB. The ASYMCA seeks to encourage students to pursue their love of reading in an annual contest among children and teens of active duty or retired military families.

The Altus Armed Services YMCA praises and recognizes the achievements of local military youth who enter this nationwide contest, and awarded Cody a certificate naming him as a “Reader of Today,” recognizing him as “Today’s Reader – Tomorrow’s Leader!” The Altus Armed Services YMCA prizes included of a full set of Christian based books by Donita K. Paul, whose popular web site encourages young readers to love reading and also to write.