You can call me Bouhammer [boo-ham-er]. A guy that worked for me one time in Buffalo, NY started calling me that after I moved there from Eagle River, Alaska because I had so many hunting and fishing stories and pictures. I have killed more than my fair share of caribou, so hence the name bouhammer.

I joined the Army directly out of High School in 1987. After Basic Training, AIT, and jump-school I was assigned to HHC, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, from 1987-1989. From there I PCSed to South Korea and was assigned to B co, 1st Battalion, 506 Infantry Regiment (Air Assault), 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Greaves Korea, from 1989-1990.

I left Korea and went back to Ft. Hood. I was supposed to be assigned to the OPFOR detachment for III Corps but was redirected back to 1st Cavalry Division because I knew how to operate the new SINCGARS radio system and 1st Cav. was about to start field testing them for the whole Army. So I was then assigned to HHC, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, from 1990-1992. While I was stationed there I was deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Storm from Sept. 1990- April 1991.

I married my wonderful wife in 1991, and soon after received new PCS orders. I was then sent to Ft. Richardson Alaska where I was assigned to both HHC and B co., 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry (Airborne), 6th ID, Alaska, from 1992-1996.

In 1996 I decided to hang up the BDUs 7 days a week for just one weekend a month/two weeks a year and was asked to join and accepted membership into 207th Group, LRSD (Airborne), AKARNG, 1996-1999. In 1999 my civilian company offered me a job I could not refuse and I accepted a corporate position in Buffalo, NY. I then transferred to HHC and later B co., 1st Battalion, 108th Infantry, NYARNG, from 1999-2005.

In 2005 our brigade went through a transformation into one of the new Brigade Combat Teams and my unit transformed into C Troop (Light Recon), 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment (RSTA). In February 2006 I was mobilized to deploy to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Phoenix in Operation Enduring Freedom. I was deployed with a 15 man Embedded Training Team (ETT) as the team 1SG. I redeployed in 2007 and was assigned to A CO 2/108th Infantry as the Commander and 1SG of the rear detachement of that company while 2/3 of the company was deployed to Afghanistan.

In 2008 I came back to the 2/101 Cavalry wearing a dual hat of both the Bravo Troop 1SG and the Squadron CSM of the rear detachment because the Squadron is also deployed to Afghanistan.

Some of the military positions held in career have been: Every position in a Mortar platoon from Ammo Bearer to Platoon Leader (Served on 60mm, 81mm, 4.2, and worked with 120mm), HQ PSG, S-3 Schools NCO, S-3 Air NCO (ABN BN), LRSD Team Leader, LRSD PSG, SCOUT Platoon PSG, Detachment 1SG, Infantry Company 1SG (Since July 2002), and of course a Afghanistan Embedded Training Team 1SG.

Some of the Specialty Areas/Civilian Experience that I have are: SINCGARS Instructor, AIR NCO, Senior Information Technology Consultant, Certified Civilian Instructor, and IT Project Manager.

I have attended numerous military schools, to include: Graduate-Airborne School, Graduate-PLDC, Honor Graduate- BNCOC, Graduate- ANCOC, Graduate- Instructors Trainers Course, Distinguished Honor Graduate- Infantry Mortar Leaders Course, Distinguished Honor Graduate -Jumpmaster School, Graduate- Military Mountaineering School (awarded E ASI), and Graduate-Air Force Arctic Survival School.

I have an AA degree in Business Administration from Central Texas College, a BS (With Honors) in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix, and am working on my Masters Degree from the University of Phoenix in Management Information Systems.

I have worked for a variety of IT companies since leaving the active Army, to include a very busy year as an independent contractor with some large Fortune 500 companies. On the civilian side I currently work for Aptec LLC as a Senior Solution Architect, specializing in identity management and systems security.

Some of the milestones reached during my military career have been scoring 8th place out of 300 people at the 1998 Leapfest competition sponsored by the RI National Guard, Three tours at NTC (one as OPFOR), Three tours at JRTC, One tour at CMTC (as OPFOR), Two deployments to NYC helping secure it during high-threat timeframes, One deployment to NYC assisting the Secret Service with security during the Republican National Convention in 2004, multiple deployments all over the world to include jumping into most of those places. I have also earned my Expert Infantryman Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge (2nd Award), and the Master Parachutist Wings. By far the greatest accomplishment of my entire career was being named the Distinguished Honor Grad for Jumpmaster School. The greatest position I have ever held was as the 1SG of the greatest bunch of men and soldiers I have ever known, those of B co. 1/108th Infantry.

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2007 George Van Cleave Military Leadership Award Winner

US ARMY Jumpmaster / Master Parachutist

Veteran of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom

Graduate of the NWTC Military Mountaineering School (E ASI)

Placed in Top 10 at 1998 Leapfest

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