President George W. Bush will meet Cadet Paul Tanghe when he arrives in Hagerstown, New York, Saturday, June 1. Tanghe is a second year West Point cadet from Edina, Minnesota, who has a long record of service to others. Later, the President will make remarks at the graduation exercises of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service, and will recognize Tanghe as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Tanghe learned about serving others from his family, which has always emphasized the importance of helping those in need. His family commitment to service stems in part from caring for one of Paul's older brothers, who has Down's Syndrome. Tanghe, a graduate of St. Thomas Academy, spent his summers volunteering with "We Can Ride," a therapeutic riding program for people with disabilities, and as an orderly at a local hospital. He has volunteered with his school and his church, traveled to Belize and Guatemala to volunteer, and cared for a Down's Syndrome baby as part of a six-week internship.

At West Point, Tanghe is now the Cadet-in-Charge of the Highland Falls Mentorship Program, a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, that pairs cadet mentors with 6th and 7th grade students. Tanghe also served as an instructor teaching the benefits of community service at a West Point conference for middle school and high school students.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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