Danville native escorts president on tour at Fort Bragg

By Bernard Baker
Danville Register & Bee
Published: May 28, 2008

A Danville Army intelligence specialist had the opportunity Thursday to give President Bush a tour of the barracks at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Specialist Rebekah Hoskins, 22, serves in the 82nd Airborne Division and returned home in April after a 15-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. 

She is the daughter of David Hoskins, a varsity football assistant coach at George Washington High School, and Sandy and Rodney Thompson of Roanoke.

Hoskins spent most of the day with Bush, her father said, noting his daughter is not allowed to speak to the media about military matters.

Military officials told her she was free to ask him questions, but she chose not to, David Hoskins said.

This wasn’t the first time Rebekah Hoskins has been called on to escort a national leader.

She was with Vice President Dick Cheney when he was in Afghanistan.

Hoskins told her father that Bush was more fun to hang out with than the vice president.

She said Cheney, who was the target of an assassination attempt during his trip to Afghanistan in February 2007, was all business when she was with him.

The focus of Bush’s visit was to check out dorms at Fort Bragg because of reports that soldiers were coming back to dilapidated facilities.

Hoskins said his daughter’s building was in the process of being rebuilt when she was deployed.

Her grandmother, Eleanor Bogart, formerly of Danville, said there are other family members and friends serving in the war.

“We pray for them every day,” she said.

Bogart said she is proud of her granddaughter and knows she handled herself well in front of Bush.

Her son emailed her the photograph of Hoskins with Bush.

“We’re very proud of that,” she said.

Hoskins is a 2004 graduate of George Washington High School.

She follows a family tradition that is deeply rooted in national service. Several family members have served in the military – including David Hoskins’ father who retired after 30 years of service, including combat in World War II and the Korean War.

Contact Bernard Baker at or (434) 791-7986.