Senior Vice June 2021-August 2021

Commander August 2021-Present

Riders President since 2019

State President since June 2024-present

 

Description: As Commander I am responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Post and work with the other Officers as needed and stay in contact with the Quartermaster to ensure the required reports are submitted in a proper manner.

 

As State President of the VFW Riders Group, I communicate with all District Commanders on the East side of the state working to get more riders groups in the state of Missouri 

 

Military Service:

 

United States Marine Corps

Sargent (E5) 14 years of service

Deployed to Persian Gulf 1987-1988 after the USS Stark was blown up during Iraq-Iran war

 

Deployed to Desert Shield/Dessert Strom September 1990- March 1991 Kuwait Liberation

Two Mediterranean Cruises January 1980 to July 1980 and July 1981 to November 1981

 

Two trips to Okinawa July 1983 to January 1984 and January 1990 to July 1990

 

Connection to VFW:

During deployment to DS/DS the VFW in Springfield, Ill. paid for my membership to the VFW after discharge from active duty and moving around. Between raising a family and full-time job it was difficult to find time to continue the VFW or other originations.  As I settled down in Mid-Missouri, I found I had more time to participate and found my way to the Marine Corps Leage and the VFW in 2015

 

I enjoy talking to the veterans and trying to encourage them to join the VFW, American Legion, and The Marine Corps League. I also make sure they have, or are getting, their VA benefits as well and referring them to the VFW VSOs at the VA in Columbia, Mo. 

 

I Ensure we are out in the public eye, and we are doing all the right things to encourage other veterans to join our origination and continue the good work that we have accomplished     

 

Leadership roles:

As an NCO in the Marine Corps, you are starting your leadership roles as a squad leader then platoon Sgt. As a Corporal I attended NCO school and as a Sargent I enrolled in MCI Courses for the Staff Sargent NCO Leadership training. 

Every job after Military Service I was always put in charge of a group of individuals and represented the company I worked for on the job site to ensure any given task was complete.

 

Goals and Vision:

Continue the path we are on and continue the growth we have started to see with the younger members taking the reins of the origination and leading us forward.

 

Continue community service and veterans' assistance.

 

"Vets Helping Vets" comes to mind as a vision.

 

Personnel Interest & Community Involvement

 

I am one of six family members that are United States Marines and one of four deployed to DS/DS, Iraq 2 and Afghanistan.  My entire family has served from 1958 -2013.

 

Interest:

 

I enjoy getting out and golfing and riding my motorcycles. They are both a conversation starter with several Veterans. That leads to asking them to join the VFW and explaining how VA benefits work.