From the Middle for the Middle

I graduated Francis Howell High school in 2005, my GPA was middling, and I didn’t have much of a desire to go to college at the time. The attacks of 9/11 had a huge impact on me and my friends, many of whom like myself joined the military after graduating.

I took a year off after high school and waited to join the Corps with two of my friends from High School who were a year behind me.

In 2006 America was still at war in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. So as a young and idealistic 18 year old I was ready and committed to serving my country during a time of war.

I shipped off to boot camp in June of 2006, received my Eagle Globe and Anchor three months later in Camp Pendleton. After that MCT, MOS school, and my first duty station Okinawa Japan.

As a 1371 Combat Engineer I was sent to Combat Assault Battalion stationed in Camp Schwab, Okinawa Japan. From there in early 2007 my platoon was ordered to link up with 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines out of Hawaii and deploy to Fallujah Iraq.

My platoon did training in the spring of 2007, and we landed in Kuwait in August of 2007. From there we were flown to Al Taqaddum, and convoyed from there to Base Camp Fallujah.

From there me and several other Marines from my platoon were assigned to general maintenance for the Fallujah AO. Which consisted of sweeping, route clearance, and construction that was not specific to any other unit in the AO.

After deploying to Iraq I returned to Okinawa for the rest of my 2 year assignment, and then Camp Pendleton for the rest of my career and I transitioned from active duty there.

After transitioning from the military with an Honorable discharge in 2010 I began technical training in HVAC at Vatterott College utilizing my GI education benefits.

I graduated 2012 from Vatterott for HVAC, and Electrical. I worked at the time in Apartment Maintenance at Sun Valley Lake apartments. Learning my trade, and general maintenance techniques. HVAC, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc. I moved from apartment maintenance on to other odd jobs until I joined SMW Local 36 in 2016 and started my apprenticeship at Wiegmann Associates. In 2021 I finished my apprenticeship and started my own owner/operator HVAC shop, Veterans HVAC with my wife.