12/8/08

The summer after graduating high school I went to basic training in Fort Benning, GA (home of the infantry) where I spent a nice, hot summer learning such life long skills as doing pushups and killing people. I then attended Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN where I received a BA in history in May 1989. I also graduated Drill Sergeant school in Fort Knox, KY in October 1988. After college I went active duty army and spent a year in Monterey, CA (one of the most beautiful and expensive places I've ever lived) learning Chinese-Mandarin and getting my security clearance while at the Defense Language Institute. I spent 3 months in more language training in Goodfellow AFB, TX and another 3 months in training in Ft. Devens, MA before spending 2 1/2 years at Fort Lewis, WA, another beautiful area of the country. During my time at Fort Lewis I was sent to Hawaii for 3 months and Alaska for 2 weeks. My trip to HI convinced me to eventually get out of the army because I could not stand to spend 3 years there like a lot of my friends had. Yes it is Hawaii, however you spend all of your time underground listening to the other side of the world. I spent the last 5 years of my army service at the National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, MD defending our country from the "Chi-coms". The best part of my time there was getting 2 trips to China. I spent time at Capital Normal University, Beijing, China learning the meaning of the word "air pollution" and unsuccessfully looking for a Chinese laundry. After getting out of the army in 1999, I used my Top Secret SCI/SBI security clearance to get a contracting job working first for the CIA, then the FBI, briefly for the DIA, and lastly for the NRO before I had a stroke in 2006.

I met my wife/best friend/soul mate Dori in 1999 and we knew from the very start that we would be together forever. She was an Executive Chef/Chef Director with the US Department of the Defense until she gave that up to raise our children. We now live in the mountains of southern PA in an antique brick house far out in the country away from any city. We have 3 children and a Jack Russell who are all the absolute best things to happen to me besides my wife. Dori and I are working together on several children's books. I am already a published author and photographer (unfortunately my writings are all classified) and hope to share that success with my wife. I've been in 49 states, 6 foreign countries and territories, and my goal is to revisit them all with my family eventually.

Other than that, my life has slowed way down since my stroke and I just take each day as it comes enjoying my children and the time I get to spend with them.