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Ok, I took some time to look over every available profile and thought I should probably say a little more.
So, with nothing spectacular to tell, I enlisted in the Navy before graduation and left for boot camp in Chicago Il. After four years of service, I left active duty for college and graduated 3 years later with a BBA in Management with a focus on international business from the University of Guam (yes, the tiny island territory has a university). With a degree in hand I again found myself in the Navy, this time to fly the freindly skies as a Navy Pilot. Somewhere in the middle of flight school, I met a beutiful young lady from Brazil named Liana attending Texas A&M in Corpus Christi, TX.
Enamored with my new found South American jewel, I found myself leaving my aviation dreams for something more valuable - a family to come. Three years later, and an Masters degree in business from the University of South Carolina, I again left active Navy service remaining in the Reserves.
I spent three years working for Staples (office supply superstore) as a regional manager for the Southeast US Contract and Commercial operations. I traveled a lot but found enough time to build our family of three, Lucas, Alex and Clarissa.
In 2005 I was faced with a recall to active service and volunteered to return to full active service. I spent a year and a month in People's Democratic Republic of Lao coordinating and overseeng the ongoing search for the remains of America's service members from our Nation's previous conflicts. The term POW/MIA is now very personal to me and represents something much more than a forgotten name on a military roster. Our political/archeological efforts led to the recovery and identification of 13 individuals lost during the Vietnam conflict.
Still on active duty service, I plan to retire in about 6 more years. Along the way, I've traveled the world, been fortunate enough to NOT become a war hero, and found an uncanny nack for learning language - I speak Spanish, Portugese, Lao and Thai. I have a very good chance of heading to Irag or Afghanistan and will use that opportunity to put another language in the useless library.
I am still enamored with Liana and chance a speeding ticket everyday after work to get home to see her sooner. I'm also enamored with my children. Although they challenge my every being of patience, love and humility, they are a constant reminder of the shortcomings of being an adult in this comtemporary world and an ever vigilant model of youth, creativity and a carefree life we should all be living.
For those of you not attending the reunion, may you be blessed with peace, prosperity, good health and most of all - HAPPINESS!
For those of you that will be at the reunion, I intend to be there as well and wish you the same.
