After leaving HS I attended Lakewood JC for a year, then enlisted in the Navy.  Spent 4 years active duty, 2 years in the reserves as an antisubmarine warfare aircrew on P3 Orion aircraft.  Made 2 WESTPAC deployments, flying missions throughout Southeast Asia.  After active duty ended, I went to work at Univac as a computer tech, where I met and married my wife of 43 years, Sherry.  We have 2 great children, son Jason and daughter Kari, and 1 granddaughter, Lily.  After 8 years at Univac, I decided to change careers and attended Dunwoody Institute autobody repair and refinishing course and then began my career in the auto repair industry.  I worked for several different body shops, working my way up to shop manager.  Then opened up my own shop, specializing in restorations and show cars.  An opportunity came along for me to go to work for State Farm Ins as an auto damage appraiser where I spent the next 26 years. Retired from State Farm in 2005, but continued to work seasonally to help out during storm season until 2016.  Along the way Desert Storm happened, and I decided that I wanted to go back into the reserves.  So after an 18 year break in service, I re-enlisted into the USAF reserves, 934th Airlift Wing out of MSP international where I was a C-130 Crew Chief.  I retired from the USAF in 2007.  During that time we were activated for 2 years in support of the Iraq war.  We deployed twice to the middle east.  All together I ended up with over 21 years of military service.  I still work for the Minn DNR, during the spring and summer wildfire season, at the Brainerd Air Tanker base.