PARSIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Revving up for a heart-pounding, gear-shifting weekend of racing excitement at California Speedway, tax preparation industry leader Jackson Hewitt Tax Service(R) celebrates the grand prize winner of its "Heroes of the Year" campaign - Staff Sgt. Quinton D. Martin. As the national honoree, Martin will make racing history by having his image on the hood of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Car - the #25 National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet driven by Casey Mears. This is the first time that a non-celebrity will appear on a NASCAR Cup vehicle, and Jackson Hewitt CEO Michael Lister will officially introduce Martin as part of the pre-race festivities on Sunday, February 25 - the day of the big race.

"Through the 'Heroes of the Year' program, we were privileged to celebrate so many valiant citizen-soldiers around the country," said Michael Lister, president and chief executive officer, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. "All of the 10 monthly honorees truly demonstrate what it means to be a citizen- soldier. Selecting one overall "Hero" was difficult, but we believe Sergeant Martin is an excellent example of what it means to be a citizen-soldier, and also represents the outstanding qualities and achievements of all of the monthly honorees."

Martin and his wife, Pat, who nominated him, will enjoy a memorable VIP experience at the Auto Club 500, joined by Jackson Hewitt and National Guard representatives. To recognize them for their merits, the nine other monthly honorees in the "Heroes" program have also been invited as VIP guests to join the Martins and watch the #25 car speed around the track on Sunday, February 25. The race begins at 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on FOX.

The year-long "Heroes of the Year" initiative, which launched at last year's Auto Club 500, invited people around the country to nominate a National Guard soldier, family or employer making a difference at home or abroad. As the role of the National Guard has changed over the past few years, the demands have increased, and being a citizen-soldier now often requires these men and women to leave their civilian jobs, homes and families for active duty and multiple deployments away from home for longer periods of time.

Martin began serving with the Mississippi Army National Guard 24 years ago, working within his state and abroad in places such as Germany, South Korea, Panama, Honduras, and Costa Rica. His unit was called up for overseas deployment in late August 2005, on the day that Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast area. Although his unit was released from duty abroad to deal with the impact of the storm at home, Martin volunteered to continue with his assigned mission and left for Kuwait as a member of the 1108th Aviation Classification Repair Activity Deport (AVCRAD) shortly after contributing to the relief efforts.

He is based out of Camp Shelby with the 3rd Brigade 87th division on Operation Warrior Training. He lives in Seminary with his wife, Pat and his son, Shawn, and daughter, Kimberly.

Martin notes that, "the National Guard has done a lot for me. I appreciate everyone who voted for me. I know there are many troops who deserve it. We're all in this."

The campaign also celebrated the efforts of families and employers who support members of the National Guard. Many were honored throughout the campaign, with one family - Ms. Signa Kyle Lord (Fleetwood, PA) and one employer - Beach Manufacturing (Garden Grove, CA) being selected as the overall winners in their respective categories. To acknowledge their dedication, they will be joining the soldiers for a rewarding VIP experience at this weekend's race as well as have their names placed on the car for the cup race.

In addition to Martin, nine other National Guard citizen-soldiers were honored:

• Staff Sgt. Robert Smette began his military career in 2000 when he enlisted with the North Dakota Army National Guard as a Private. In early 2003, he volunteered to deploy with the 957th Multi-Role Bridge Company in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He serves as an air assault trainer at Fort Benning, Ga.



• Staff Sgt. Benjie R. Wells, a Mississippi National Guard member for 18 years has assisted with several state and federal missions. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003-2004, where he earned a Bronze Star and the Combat Medical Badge.



• Staff Sgt. Brent D. Cobb, a South Carolina National Guardsman working in Retention and Recruiting. He has led many programs to help the community, including a back-to-school drive to provide supplies to in- need children; a support program for local families of troops stationed in Iraq, and a five-state Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps event that hosts ROTC members from 40 corps.



• Maj. Terry McPherson, a member of the Alabama National Guard, who was recently activated for Operation Iraqi Freedom from his base at Camp Shelby, Miss. He has aided disaster areas in Alabama, providing water and repairing roads and assisted in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. He also worked building schools in poverty-stricken areas in the Dominican Republic.



• Sgt. Corey Briest, is a member of the South Dakota Army National Guard, whose unit was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom in October 2005. Two months later, he sustained a traumatic brain injury when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb. He is currently rehabilitating in Pomona, Calif.



• Ohio Command Sgt. Maj. David G. Collins joined the National Guard in 1971. He was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, where he supervised over 4,500 troops in various camps throughout the region. He received a Bronze Star Medal for his support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and supervised 2,500 National Guard Troops supporting Hurricane Katrina relief efforts while based in Mississippi. He has recently retired.



• Staff Sgt. Robert Dollaway is a senior personnel service sergeant with the New Jersey Army National Guard on active duty full time. He supports Guard families through special events and was a key figure in the unit's community Open House day. He consults on a military toy line and has made it possible for several soldiers in his unit to have their likenesses used.
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• In his nearly 20 years of working with the Wisconsin National Guard, Sgt. 1st Class Todd Tilkens has held a variety of positions within the community and abroad. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, escorting convoys in Kuwait. He worked the local airport with security teams and patrols neighborhood streets on Halloween, making streets safer for children.
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• Iowa Sgt. 1st Class Jody Hayes' mission in Iraq was to remove improvised explosive devices and provide convoy escort missions in the hotly- contested Al Anbar Province. Hayes located more IEDs than anyone else in the company during his tour, and though his platoon was often attacked by insurgents, he risked his own life several times to provide medical assistance.

"This was an outstanding year-long campaign that allowed so many people to nominate and celebrate the bravery and dedication of our Citizen-Soldiers, as well as the support of family and employers," said Col. Mike Jones, Army National Guard. "Quinton Martin is an example of the best and brightest serving our communities and serving our country. Nothing is more important to a citizen-soldier than the support of their nation."

To view all of the soldiers, families and employers who have been chosen as monthly honorees for their dedication to and support of the National Guard's mission, visit http://www.supporttheguard.com.

About Jackson Hewitt

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX), with over 6,000 franchised and company-owned offices throughout the United States during the 2006 tax season, is an industry leader providing full service individual federal and state income tax preparation. Most offices are independently owned and operated. The Company is based in Parsippany, New Jersey. More information may be obtained at http://www.jacksonhewitt.com. To locate the Jackson Hewitt Tax Service(R) office nearest to you, call 1-800-234-1040.

About California Speedway

The West Coast Premiere of NASCAR at California Speedway begins this Friday for three days of non-stop excitement on the two-mile track! Tickets are still available for the San Bernardino County 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (Friday, February 23), the Stater Bros. 300 NASCAR Busch Series race (Saturday, February 24) and the Auto Club 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race (Sunday, February 25). Please call 1-800-944-7223 or visit http://www.racetickets.com or http://www.californiaspeedway.com for tickets and additional information.

    Contact:
    Melissa Connerton                 Alysa McKenna
    CooperKatz & Company              CooperKatz & Company
    212-455-8001                      212-455-8023
    mconnerton@cooperkatz.com         amckenna@cooperkatz.com

SOURCE Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc.

CONTACT:
Melissa Connerton
1-212-455-8001
mconnerton@cooperkatz.com
or Alysa McKenna
1-212-455-8023
amckenna@cooperkatz.com
both of CooperKatz & Company