There will be a familiar face in the audience tonight when
President Bush delivers his State of the Union address.

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Jamie Himes Dana, the Hazel Hurst
native who was critically injured in Iraq, and her husband, Mike,
were invited by Bush to attend the event.

Dana, and her bomb-sniffing dog, Rex, were injured last June
when a roadside bomb shattered the Humvee they were in.

Dana suffered from such injuries as a broken pelvis and
collapsed lungs. For a while, she thought Rex had died; the two
were finally reunited through an act of Congress that allows Rex to
return to civilian life.

U.S. Rep. John Peterson’s office announced Dana’s invitation
Monday. Dana, who was on her way to Washington, could not be
reached for comment.

“She’s flying out of Denver tonight and will be staying at
Bolling AFB during her visit,” Chris Tucker, Peterson’s
communications director, said Monday afternoon.

Tucker was not certain if Rex would be in tow.

A spokesperson in the White House press office was not
immediately available to comment on the criteria for being chosen
to be the president’s guest.

Today will be a busy one for Dana as she meets lawmakers on both
sides of the aisle.

She will be greeted by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., who championed
Dana’s cause, along with Peterson and Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., both
of whom Dana will meet, too.

All three backed legislation that paved the way for Dana to
adopt Rex.

It’s then on to the White House for a reception at 7 p.m.

“Then, she will make her way over to the chamber for the
president’s State of the Union speech,” Tucker said.

It was also not clear if Bush would refer to Dana in his speech
and if Rex would be allowed in the chamber if he made the trip.

Dana offered to return Rex to the Air Force, but a Peterson Air
Force Base official and a Pentagon official but both refused her
offer.

Dana, who is currently stationed in Peterson Air Force Base in
Colorado, now has a desk job and still is recovering from her
injuries.

She received national attention for her plight to keep Rex.

Dana has been in the Air Force since 1997; she and Rex have
trained together for the past three years. She and Rex helped at
checkpoints and searched buildings.

Now, she is looking toward the future and would like to go to
veterinary school.