Sgt. Kendra Newhart, a budget analyst with U.S. Army

Sgt. Kendra Newhart, a budget analyst with U.S. Army Central and a Lafayette, Indiana native, received a special call on Thanksgiving Day 2016 at her office in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Newhart answered her phone at about 7:45 p.m. and heard a familiar voice emitting from the speaker; the voice of President Barack Obama. The President called Newhart to recognize and congratulate her on her accomplishments during her deployment and thank her for her service.Newhart, a single mother of two, has served in the Army for eight years and volunteered for a year-long deployment with USARCENT. During the deployment Newhart has processed more than 400 purchase requests totaling $330 million and singlehandedly manages a $2 million government purchase card program among other feats. During the call the two discussed family, Thanksgiving holiday activities and Newharts future career aspirations.