Jeff Carnes
Proficient in multiple Arabic dialects, staff sergeant Carnes, now 32, served in the Army as a linguist from 1997 to 2004, including a 2000–2001 tour in Kosovo. He spent an additional two years in the Army Reserve and earned several medals, including the Bronze Star. He decided not to reenlist because of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Carnes is from Jefferson, Wis.