June 2006-November 2009 Active Duty US Army 
Rank: First Lieutenant (O-2) Promotable to Captain
Branch: Infantry

    My time in the Army can be broken down into two parts, my training period and my time spent doing the job I was trained for.  The training portion lasted for 1 1/2 years and during that time I was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.  This training time began with basic combat training, transitioned to officer leadership courses, and then into branch specific officer courses.  Outlined below are the specific courses that make up my training.  

Basic Combat Training (9 1/2 weeks)
Officer Candidate School (14 weeks)
Basic Officer Leadership Course (8 weeks)
Infantry Officer Leadership Course (12 weeks)
Airborne School (3 weeks)
Mechanized Infantry Leaders Course (Bradley Fighting Vehicle Course) (9 weeks)
Combatives Level 1 (Brazilian Ju-Jitzu and hand to hand combat)  (2 weeks)

    Upon the completion of my training, I was transferred to a unit where I would serve for the next 2+ years.  I was assigned to the 2-12th Cavalry Regiment in the 4th Brigade Combat Team in the First Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.  On my first day I was appointed as the Platoon leader of a mechanized infantry Platoon consisting of 40 infantry soldiers and 4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.  I held this position for another 2 years until my time commitment to the Army was finished and I was honorably discharged from active duty.  

Position: Infantry Platoon Leader
    Duties of a platoon leader are extensive and include the following:  
  • In charge of 1 platoon of 40 enlisted soldiers ranking from Private to Sergeant First Class.  
  • Responsible for all aspects of the platoon
  • Plan and supervise all training events to prepare the platoon for combat
  • Maintain, inventory, and keep accountability of all platoon equipment worth more than $15 million , such as 4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 20 secure radios, 100 weapons, 50 night vision devices, 8 Humvee's, 4 MRAP vehicles, etc...
  • Plan, brief, and lead all missions
  • Maintain all certifications of each soldier in the platoon such as individual training and qualification on issued weapon systems
  • Supervise and inspect all personal issues with each soldier in the platoon, to include individual counseling and disciplinary measures
  • Must be able to report any details or status of any soldier or equipment piece to the commander at any given time
  • Makes all mission related decisions on the ground in absence of higher orders

Additional Duty: Company Level Safety Officer
    A Safety Officer is responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive safety plan for a 150 man company.  This includes building and maintaining an MSDS system for all hazardous materials utilized by the company, as well as maintaining compliance with Army-wide safety standards and online safety courses for each soldier.  Maintains records of all safety training and respective vehicle drivers certifications.  Maintained zero safety violations and zero injuries due to safety issues for 2 years while holding this position.


June 2008- July 2009 Deployment to Southern Iraq
  • Planned and led over 290 combat missions in theater with no fatalities or injuries to my soldiers 
  • Led daily and nightly combat patrols in our sector
  • Responsible for partnering with and training an Iraqi Army battalion with 1100 soldiers
  • Developed and implemented a weekly training program for the Iraqi Soldiers and Officers 
  • Analyzed and reported on maintenance and logistical systems of the Iraqi Army and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for leading the way in solving their logistical problems
  • Maintained accountability of over $15 million in equipment
  • Maintained all training and current certifications for my platoon
  • Brought all my men home safely
July 2009 Re-deployment of equipment from Iraq to US through Kuwait
    Hand picked to be the officer in charge of the Sea Port of Debarkation in Kuwait during the shipping of our entire brigade's equipment home from Iraq
Supervised and tracked over 5000 vehicles and containers and coordinated their transportation to the port and clearance through customs
Successfully completed this operation ahead of schedule with only 50 men and with no safety issues  


November 2009: Honorable discharge from active duty

November 2009-2012:  Served in the Mississippi National Guard

Picture below: I recruited friends and family from home to send over boxes of candy, clothes, shoes, and toys for the Iraqi kids.  We had stopped on a patrol to hand out some goodies to these kids.  I am the short one in the picture.