I Joined the Army in 1989
and attended basic training at Ft. Sill Oklahoma. My basic
training company was Charlie Battery 3rd Platoon Air Defense
Artillery Brigade. (Dogs Of War) Our Platoon earned Honor
Platoon with highest scores in physical fitness, drill as
well as the firing range.
Went to (AIT) Advanced Individual Training (School) at Ft.
Bliss, Texas as an ANTSQ-73 Systems Operator Repairer.
I had attended school for almost seven months.
After school, my first duty station was Kaiserslautern,
Germany.
I was apart of HHB 94th Brigade Air defense Artillery Fire
Direction at Rhine Ordinance Barracks in which today the
unit and the barracks no longer exist.
We were a unit that fell under the 32nd AADCOM. Spent two
years there during this time traveled all over Europe and
The Middle East.
I am a Veteran of Operations Desert Shield, Storm and Determined
Resolve.
My next duty station was Ft. Lewis Washington at North Fort.
I was apart of HHB 35th Brigade Air defense Artillery and
that became my final duty station in the Army when I got
out in 1993.
I was an E-4 Specialist when I got out, an Army Veteran
of Operation Desert Storm.
About four months after I got out of the Army, I met my
wife and we have been together ever since.
We have two youngsters who keep me busy, but they're my
world.
I got tired of sitting on
my ass and eventually entered the Air Force Reserves.
I had initially wanted to join the U.S. Army Reserve, so,
I go to the recruiting station and find out that I had to
go back through (BCT) Basic Combat Training again with loss
of one rank because I was out of active duty for so long.
Eh, so what can you do right?
SO! GET THIS! I made the decision
to go into the Air Force Reserves, longing to serve my country
again.
I ended up going to tech
school at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas as an Aircraft
Armament Technician on the F-16.
I did my weekend drills at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale
Arizona with the 944th Fighter squadron. I spent three and
a half years there before getting out.
The 944th started to get
rid of all of their jets so many of the reservists including
myself opted to get out.
I got out as an E-5 SSgt.
After being out of the service for a couple of years, I
started to see things and hear things on televsion news
networks by a lot of today's Hollywood actors. There was
a lot of negativity towards the military, the troops, the
war and even the families. I wanted to help somehow! I felt
compelled that I needed to say something to give the troops
a firm voice of support, but ya know, I just got out, didn't
know what the heck to do.
I then began making videos and posting them on the internet
for fun until one day I posted a video in support of the
troops!
I started to receive e-mails from the troops, spouses and
even older veterans. People were very supportive of the
video and I knew I had to make more of these videos. The
Sgt. Freedom Campaign was born.