Patriot Warrior

I am an American! I am also a forty-nine-year-old University of Tennessee alumnus with a degree in political science.

For many years, I was one of those guys who couldn’t figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up, and so I have done a lot of things over the years.

I proudly served four years in the U.S. Army Infantry and spent most of that time overseas. After completing training, I was stationed for two years with the 2/22 Infantry in Weisbaden, Germany. After that, I did a one year tour with the 1/17 Infantry at Camp Casey in South Korea. During that tour, I completed a 90-day rotation at Warrior Base patrolling the DMZ. I left South Korea to complete my enlistment at Ft. Campbell, KY where I served with the 1/501st Infantry, a unit of the 101st Air Assault division. While with the 501st, I deployed to Ft. Sherman, Panama for about three months and while in Panama, I graduated from the Jungle Warfare school. I received an Honorable Discharge, a Good Conduct Medal, and an Army Commendation Medal.

I have been interested in martial arts since high school, and dabbled earlier in Uechi-Ryu and Tae Kwon Do. I began the study of Isshin-ryu Karate in 1983 and currently hold a 4th degree black belt under the late Sensei Sherman Harrill. I ran a commercial karate school for several years, but now simply work to develop my own skills and teach a few close friends.

In 1999, I began Executive Security International’s Advanced Executive Protection Program. To become a Certified Protection Specialist, I successfully completed over 600 hours of training in areas that included Principles of Protection, Profiles of Terrorism and Violence, Human Intelligence Collection, Stalking and Dangerous Human Behavior, Bomb Search and Identification, Protective Detail Operations, Defensive Shooting Tactics, Unarmed Defensive Tactics, Operational Intelligence, and Electronic Security.

Over the years, I have driven a glass delivery truck for a wholesale glass company, roofed houses, completed a lineman’s apprenticeship program and worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority as both a journeyman lineman and a dual-rate line-foreman. I have worked as both an armed and unarmed security guard, and as a personal security consultant.

I have finally settled down and am enjoying my developing new career in management for a regional IT company.  I am a member of the Apple Consultants Network and the Apple Certification Alliance.

My preferred activities include reading, riding motorcycles, living karate-do, and shooting with both rifles and handguns. I am a lifetime member of the NRA, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, and a committed Patriot Warrior.