“I served in the United States Marine Corps from January 1986 through October 1988,” Malave said. “I was born and raised in Gary and, while I appreciated my childhood, I needed to see the world. I didn’t get a scholarship to go to college so I thought, ‘Why not join the army?’”

After training stateside, Malave was shipped internationally, where he completed his tour of duty in Scotland, which was his first location choice.

“For a boy from a small town, getting the chance to see Scotland was a big deal,” said Malave. “It was a complete culture shock. To get to where we were stationed at the USS Huntley, we had to take a train, a ferry, and a boat.”

After leaving the military, Malave moved to East Chicago, which is not far from his hometown. Since leaving, Malave has always held at least two jobs. Over the years, he has been able to leverage his defense and investigation experience in the marines in a security capacity working with local police authorities.

“I’ve got a little over 28 years with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department,” Malave said.

Previously, Malave worked simultaneously in security and cars.

“When I got out of the Marine Corps, I did a little bit of security work that was easy to get into,” he said. “From there, I went into a different field that’s referred to as restoration. I was working for a company that was servicing cars on the railroad; doing a lot of welding, fabrication, cleanup and stuff like that.”

It was while he was working in restoration that he received a call about working with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department to work in their jail. From there, he transitioned to his current role as a sergeant.

I started off in the jail and I’ve been in the court system since 2011,” Malave said.

In his role as sergeant, he is commissioned by the sheriff. Malave has the professional and lawful capacity to arrest people, file charges and the like.

Malave remains very passionate about serving his country and would never have given up the experience to do so.

“One of the things that I like most is that I had the opportunity to join the Marine Corps and become a Marine,” he said. “I would do anything for my country. I am just proud to be a U.S. Marine and to have served the United States.”

As a veteran and current citizen, Malave’s loyalty to his country remains evident. He contributed to making the United States safer for us through his service, and he continues on in his current work today.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Michael Malave appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

The opportunity the Army gave to grow and the fact that service ran in his family were other reasons that he chose to join.

“My father was in the international guard,” Fugate said. “I’m originally from Knox and I was looking for more opportunities. Knox is a small town and it offers only so many areas of work.”

After finishing high school, Fugate shipped off to Fort Hood where he served in the Third Armored Cavalry Regiment as Calvary Trooper specializing in tanks. When he turned 21, he was sent to Iraq.

“I was in Iraq from October 2007 until January 2009,” he said. “I saw a lot. Three in my platoon died and 27 in my infantry during that time.”

While in Iraq, he worked with all areas of weaponry and defense. When he started his deployment in Iraq, he was not even 21. He celebrated his 21st birthday there.

“I was right below the rank of ranger,” Fugate said. “We were the people that would destroy things and then get out of there. We worked with all areas, including Apache helicopters and tanks.”

Fugate was also tasked with scanning individual profiles. The Army would scan the eyes of suspected and prospective terrorists matching them with known terrorists they were searching for.

“While I was in Iraq, my overall job was to help the civilians and extract terrorists,” Fugate said. “We caught more than 25 terrorists.”

Returning stateside after about a year and a half in Iraq, Fugate went to Fort Knox to teach. He taught and trained soldiers on tanks and arms.

From 2011-2012, he served in the 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (2-9 infantry) in South Korea, where he was stationed right on the border that separated it from its communist neighbor North Korea.

“My infantry and I were essentially guarding the border between North Korea and South Korea,” he said.

In 2012, Fugate got out of the Army and joined the Indiana National Guard. One of the most significant disasters he worked in was the 2014 Polar Vortex.

“We were pulling people off of I-35,” he said. “It was quite a catastrophic freeze and storm.”

Fugate has had multiple surgeries and a total hip replacement, all related to the toll his service took on his body. The moments that he experienced while serving will shape and form him, including a moment when he witnessed a tank that he was supposed to be on get destroyed and kill multiple men.

“Men I knew were on that tank,” he said. “I’ll never forget it. I feel lucky to be alive, and I never take it for granted.”

Fugate is a fighter for our country. He is also a fighter for his local community.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Ben Fugate appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“From there, my first duty assignment was as a combat support platoon leader for 7th Combat Support Military Police (MP) Company, 7^th Infantry Division at Fort Ord, California,” said Green. “My family and I packed up, left Indiana, and headed west after I completed my degree at Purdue University.”

While at Purdue, Green’s wife offered her full support for him as he pursued an education. High school sweethearts, the two were married with children as Green entered his first year at Purdue.

“My wife and I have two children,” Green said. “My wife has sacrificed a lot for me. She worked to help get me through college and was also a full-time mother to our children at the same time.”

When Green launched into his military career, this support remained unwavering.

“My wife always worked but was rarely promoted because we were always moving with the military,” said Green. “She basically gave up her career so I could have mine. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”

Green is also grateful for the sacrifices his children made. They moved around the world, in and out of school, leaving behind friends and routines when Green was called to his next military duty station.

Life with the military led the family to live overseas in countries like Korea and Germany. Stateside, the family has lived on various military bases in Alabama, California, South Carolina and Illinois.

Toward the end of his Army career, Green worked as part of the ROTC program at several colleges throughout Illinois and Northwest Indiana, including Chicago State University, Governors State University, Purdue University Northwest, and Indiana University Northwest as a Proffer of Military Science training future Army Officers. Green said “This assignment led me to my second career 

After retiring from the Army, his public service and service to the military continued as he worked for 20 years at Chicago Public Schools, Department of JROTC. His positions included JROTC instructor teaching leadership and citizenship at Harlan and Lakeview High Schools, Operations Officer for the Department of JROTC and finally as the Deputy Director of the Department of JROTC the position he held when he retired from the Chicago Public Schools.

After wearing the Uniform of the US Army for 40 years, today he is enjoying his retirement, his children, and his two grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Green and his wife are very proud of their children. Both of Green’s children became nurses, but they did follow in the footsteps of their father in terms of public-facing service.

“Neither joined the military,” Green said. “However, as nurses, they are both serving the local community. I just served in a different way.”

The military has very much formed Green’s life.

“The military showed me leadership, self-discipline, and the ability to plan,” said Green. “It basically made me who I am today.”

Ultimately, however, it’s his family that has formed his life because without their support, he would not have been able to do what he did in college or in the military. Their support was a cornerstone to his education and careers.

“Without the support of my family along the way allowing me to do what I did in the military and have this career, I would not be who I am today,” said Green.

After years of traveling between states and moving amongst countries, the Green family all reside in Northwest Indiana. While Green’s military career has come to an end, the appreciation for his family and their commitment to making it all happen never will.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Major Steven Green appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“In my heart, I knew I wanted to be in the military,” Payne said. “When I was about 9 years old, Vietnam had just ended. At 9, they won’t take you. I went to college eventually, but I knew I didn’t want to be there at the time. I left and joined the army.”

Payne was first stationed at Fort Hood. As a 31V, Payne’s duties included mechanical work as a tactical communications systems operator, which fit right into Payne’s longtime aptitude for electronics and mechanical work.

“I discovered that I had a knack for it when I was a kid,” Payne said. “My parents had a council stereo system back in the day when they still had eight-track players. It wasn’t working, so my dad put it in the basement, and I just started fiddling around with it. I have no idea what I did, but I got it working. I love working with my hands. I grew up being taught how to work on cars, trucks, tractors, farm equipment, as well as electrical, mechanical, and construction. My calling was towards fixing things.”

Working with her hands became a useful asset during Payne’s time serving overseas during the Gulf War. After training in Germany, Payne served in Iraq and Kuwait as frontline support for the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division under the 18th Airborne and Central Command.

“Our whole purpose was to move munitions and supplies to the forward units,” Payne said. “We had a very small number of women in the unit. I think we kind of developed a very close bond, no matter what position we had while we were there. That helps you not feel completely isolated. Having been raised to learn to fix things on my own, I know I would take my truck into the motor pool, and I would work on my own vehicle, which was fun.”

Payne believes that one of the more difficult experiences she encountered was the force of the sand, especially during storms. While soldiers wanted to relax in what little free time they had, the few opportunities for this were often ruined by the weather.

“The movies we had were VHS, and that would work until the sand would eat the tapes up,” Payne said. “I went through three cameras over there, just because the sand permeated everything. We would hit brownouts that were shutting our vehicles down so that the intake valves would not suck air from the fan into the engines. You would close up the windows, put goggles on, put a mask over your face just so you weren’t inhaling as much as what was being blown at you, because you literally could not see past the end of your vehicle.”

The sand problem became another way Payne’s work was valuable. As a mechanic, she was able to use her skills to solve problems they encountered from the weather.

Since Payne’s Expiration Term of Service (ETS) in 1994, she has continued to stay connected with her fellow veterans in a number of ways.

“The first group I got involved in was the American Legion,” Payne said. “At the American Legion Post 94 in Valparaiso, I was commander, first vice, second vice, adjutant, and chaplain. I have an honorary life membership at the post. I’m a life member with the VFW. I’m a life member with an organization called the Forty and Eight, which is an honor society of the American Legion.”

Payne is also a life member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), where she is a chapter service officer. In this role, she helps veterans receive their benefits.

“I’m very passionate about that because it was the DAV that finally helped me get my benefits and get me connected with the right people to get the right paperwork,” Payne said. “I had no idea how to fill out the paperwork.”

My thought after they helped me was that I need to pay this forward, so I have been doing that, and I enjoy doing it. The camaraderie is incredible, and it’s very satisfying when you see veterans start to get their benefits and then get increases in their disability ratings. Our country made a promise. I feel like I’m helping the country keep its promise.”

Payne also pursued schooling for industrial maintenance, and her first job in this industry after the service was at the Orville Redenbacher Factory. She pursued a maintenance job there despite being told that her chances of getting hired were low.

“I had a bunch of guys saying, ‘They’ve never hired a woman in maintenance. They’re never going to hire a woman in maintenance.’ I made them all eat their words,” Payne said. “Instead of taking my breaks, I was going to the shop, learning how to rebuild the parts, and reading all the tech manuals. If there was an extra tech manual, I would take it home and read it so that I became familiar. Six months after hiring in, I was qualified to operate all of the equipment. Six months after that, I was hired into maintenance.”

Payne retired at age 50, but she has not slowed down. She discovered she has a talent for art, and as with all of her other gifts, she is not letting it go to waste.

“I lost my son on February 12, 2019,” Payne said. “He was a Kouts firefighter and a Kouts reserve police officer. Kouts has a festival called Pork Fest, and every year, I have a booth outside the Kouts police department where I sell my art. The police department arranged to get a memorial scholarship in my son’s name at Kouts High School, so all of my paintings, whether I sell them at Pork Fest or if I sell them on my own, everything I make goes to that scholarship.”

Payne’s son, Nicholas William Deal, was lovingly nicknamed “Fuzzy” by his fellow officers. The name of the scholarship is the Nicholas W. “Fuzzy” Deal Memorial Scholarship.

As Payne enjoys her retirement helping fellow vets and students who are starting out in life, she has advice for anyone who is thinking about joining the military.

“Being a veteran, serving is not for everybody,” Payne said. “When you sign on that dotted line, you better be willing to fulfill the commitment. If you’re going to join, join for the right reason.”

Payne is confident she has fulfilled her own reasons for joining by continuing to serve and connect with the veteran community, viewing it as a gift and a reward at the same time.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Katie Payne appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“I was in the Army for three and a half years,” said Pryor. “I served as part of 11 Bravo, the 101st Airborne Division in the third Brigade and third Battalion, and the 187 Infantry Regiment. I did basic training at Fort Benning, airborne school at Fort Benning, and then Air Assault school at Fort Campbell. 

His international military experience included a deployment to Africa.

“I completed one deployment to the MFO in Sinai, Egypt,” said Pryor.

Today, he’s back in Valparaiso raising a family with his wife. His wife is also from the area.

“What I love most about the area is the sense of community and small-town feeling, but it’s close to Chicago, Michigan, etc.,” said Pryor. “I grew up here, my wife grew up here, and we are raising our children here. There’s a sense of history and pride in our city and in nearby Union Township.”

The couple has two boys, and Pryor loves watching them grow up in Valparaiso.

“We have two boys, Markus, age 9, and Sam, age 6,” said Pryor. “I’m grateful to now be raising my children in the same place that shaped me.”

Pryor currently works at Solventum as a Senior Technical Program Manager and has been with the company for over five years. Pryor earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and has also worked at iWT Health, Notifi Health, HIT Applications Solutions, Siemens, and Alverno Information Systems. 

Serving out of state and overseas helped Pryor appreciate Valparaiso in a different way. He does not take for granted what is offered to him.

“My family was in Valparaiso and Union Township while I was serving,” said Pryor. “Living away from the area during my time in the service made me appreciate what we have here in Valpo and Union Township.”

Pryor’s hobbies include athletics, reading, and time with family.

“My hobbies are spending time with my family, reading, watching my kids’ sporting events, and cheering on the Bears and Blackhawks,” he said.

Pryor’s service meant sacrificing for others and his country. However, serving also gave a lot to him.

“I gained life experiences that I likely wouldn’t have obtained any other way,” he said. “It forced me to grow up at 18 by instilling discipline, resilience, and perspective. I was able to use the GI Bill to attend college when I returned home to pursue higher education, further shaping my future, and also utilize the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program.”

Pryor was a dedicated member of the military. Now he’s back in Valparaiso, dedicated to his community, family, and work. His time away in the army undoubtedly shaped his ability to lead locally in these ways. He has a legacy of leadership that crosses many facets of his life.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Mark Pryor appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“In that role, I helped train soldiers and volunteered to support units preparing for mobilization,” she said. “I spent two years at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, rotating through different roles before ultimately serving as the facility’s budget analyst. I oversaw the full operating budget, and I frequently volunteered during joint-service exercises, supporting training alongside other branches.”

Raised in Valparaiso, Leonard lives there now. She serves as mortgage loan officer at Revolution Mortgage. Leonard completed her contract with the National Guard in 2012 and transitioned into a career in banking and finance.

“I completed eight months of deployment training and was slated to deploy overseas before learning I was expecting my daughter,” she said.

Leonard enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard for several reasons. At the core of these reasons was incorporating more stability in her life.

“What inspired me to serve wasn’t a textbook patriotic moment. It was survival and a decision to change my life,” she said. “I moved out the week before I turned 18 and quickly realized I needed stability, leadership, and a path forward. I wasn’t willing to go backwards or move back home, so I enlisted. I needed consistent income, structure, and opportunity.”

On a related note, she witnessed how enlisting in the armed forces had helped her sister. 

“My older sister had enlisted, and it changed her life. I wanted the same kind of growth,” Leonard said.

Earning a college degree was a consistent goal of Leonard’s at the time of her enlistment, and her service could help her to achieve it.

“The chance to earn college benefits was a major factor in enlisting, too,” she said. “The military gave me direction at a time when I needed it most.”

Her service grew her confidence and helped to further empower her.

“My biggest takeaway from serving is that it shaped me into the strong and capable woman I am today,” she said. “It gave me a level of drive, confidence, and resilience I didn’t know I had and taught me I was capable of far more than I ever imagined.”

Leonard’s service also opened her eyes to the trauma that veterans and service members often battle.

“It gave me an honest look at the unseen costs of service,” she said. “The military can take a toll on mental health, and I think we don’t talk enough about how that follows our veteran’s home.”

Leonard came to further understand this while helping her husband as he struggled with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after his own service in the U.S. Army National Guard.

“I met my husband while serving, and he struggled immensely with service-connected PTSD and ultimately ended up succumbing to the disease,” she said. “Seeing that firsthand opened my eyes to how deeply our veterans carry their service into civilian life, and how much support they need when the uniform comes off.”

Today, Leonard shares her husband’s story through work with local organizations that support veterans and military families to help others struggling with PTSD and those working to support them.

“I’ve seen firsthand how service-connected PTSD affects not only the veteran but the people who love them, and I believe the best way to create change is through honest conversation and education,” Leonard said. “I speak about warning signs, how to be a supportive partner, and what it looks like to navigate trauma and grief as a widow. Our veterans deserve support long after the uniform comes off, and I’m committed to helping make that happen.”

To collaborate with Leonard on support for veterans, you can reach out to her at sleonard@revolutionmortgage.com or on LinkedIn.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Stephany Leonard appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“I served from 1982 to 1986,” he said. “I was a member of the Security Police (SP) in the Air Force. We worked the flight decks and protected the nuclear warheads.”

As an SP, Tipold was responsible for several different tasks, which included guarding nuclear weapons. His first tour sent him to Italy. He later finished in California with mini missions in between. This included going to Lebanon, Turkey, and Germany.

When Tipold entered the Air Force, he was just a teenager. Seeing that a little time before college might do his son some good, Tipold’s father picked him up one day from school and took him to lunch to discuss serving first before attending college. Instead of going straight to college from high school, he first entered the Air Force.

“Without a doubt, it was the best thing that my dad ever did for me,” Tipold said. “It got me on the straight and narrow.”

Tipold’s time in the Air Force helped him to shift his mindset and develop a more confident approach. 

“It helps you to develop structure,” Tipold explained. “That experience gives you goals, both short-term and long-term. It also helps keep you physically fit.”

After serving four years in the Air Force, Tipold enrolled at Indiana University (IU). Due to his service, IU paid for his college education.

To this day, Tipold remains close to many of those who he served with.

“They’re like brothers to me,” he said.

One of Tipold’s sons followed in his footsteps, opting for the Air Force out of high school instead of heading straight into college. In his son’s case, COVID-19 also impacted the decision to serve. With so many aspects of society closed down or significantly hindered due to COVID, including college classroom learning and the general college experience, his son determined that serving in the Air Force and delaying college was the best option. 

Tipold was recently accepted into the Harvard University Leadership of Professional Excellence Program. The program spans four years. 

Tipold encourages high schoolers to consider serving before college. While college might be a practical approach for many students, he emphasizes that it’s not the only path to take.

“Overall, it was a great experience for me,” he said. “I think it’s good for most kids coming out of high school if they aren’t going to college to look into serving. It helps teach people about discipline and self-esteem.”

Tipold’s next big step in his journey is running for Porter County District 3 Chair.

“I have a desire to protect and advance the rights of the working class families in my surrounding communities and to continue to champion the rights of all diversities in the public sector,” Tipold said. “I hope to work between both parties to resolve the issues that divide us and develop trustworthy relationships within our Porter County communities.”

Tipold has been married for over 26 years to his wife, Mitzi. They have two sons, Spencer and Griffin, and they cherish every opportunity they get to spend together as a family.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Jack Tipold appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“If you get called to come and serve your country, you better do it,” Spanopoulos said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

In Vietnam, Spanopoulos served as an Officer of the Deck (OD). He monitored and watched for potential explosives like trinitrotoluene (TNT) that were meant to take out U.S. ships. 

“I was OD on the bridge,” he said. “There were six of us and we were responsible for getting to launch and recover the aircraft. We made sure we weren’t over any Chinese junks that were full of TNT out there at that time, because they had already damaged some of our ships.”

At one point during his tour in Vietnam, Spanopoulos nearly died when a plane that he was supposed to be on crashed moments after taking off. As he was boarding the aircraft, he was notified that a doctor needed to unexpectedly take his seat to travel to patients in Barcelona. Minutes after he left the tarmac, Spanopoulos watched from the ground as the plane took off and immediately crashed in the water.

“I’m lucky to be alive,” he said.

As one might imagine, witnessing death and destruction while in Vietnam was all too frequent – even accidents and incidents not directly connected to enemy fire or battle like that of the airplane Spanopoulos was supposed to board.

Spanopoulos witnessed a similar incident when a plane was returning back to base safe from battle and crashed while landing on the base.

“I was on the bridge one day and an aircraft was coming in after a bombing mission and a fighting mission. It missed the cables and it went right into the water,” said Spanopoulos.

All those aboard the plane, which totaled two pilots, sadly passed away in the accident. 

When Spanopoulos returned home to America, he married his college sweetheart. His homecoming remains very memorable to him.

“There were hundreds, if not thousands, of families waiting for us to dock, which was unbelievable,” Spanopoulos said. “They were just worried about us and happy that we were home. It was just great to be back home again safe.”

An estimated 24 men in Spanopoulos’ contingent never returned home. These men are still remembered in the group’s annual reunion.

After his first wife passed away from cancer in 1968, Spanopoulos remarried. Today, he has two children and four grandchildren. One of his sons lives just down the street from him with his family. 

Spanopoulos has a heart for giving back. He attributes this to his near death experience. 

“I really feel that I was blessed by the Lord that I didn’t die when I should have,” he said. “I’m here for a reason and I always try to help.”

As a result, Spanopoulos volunteers regularly, including helping Alzheimer patients at St. Agnes Parish in Valparaiso. Whether he was fighting overseas in Vietnam or volunteering in his community today, Spanopoulos is a man of tremendous grit, courage, and character.

The post Veteran Spotlight: James ‘Jim’ Spanopoulos appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“I was in the Air Force from 1968 after I graduated ROTC in college until 1974 for six years,” Kneeland said. “My first assignment after pilot training was in the C7A aircraft in Vietnam

Upon arriving in Vietnam, Kneeland went through additional training that was specific to Vietnam’s landscape and dynamic. 

“There was a certain amount of local training that we went through. It was a two-pilot airplane, and you’re always with another pilot as a crew member,” Kneeland said.

After a year in Vietnam, Kneeland returned to the U.S. and completed the remaining four years of military required by his Air Force commitment flying the B52 bomber.

After returning to his home country, he met his now wife Gail while serving in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. After finishing his time in the military, Kneeland continued a career in aviation. He flew for Inland Steel for 20 years and then for NiSource for 15 years.

“My flying career after the Air Force was not in airline flying, but in charter and corporate aviation,” Kneeland said.

Kneeland retired about 10 years ago and no longer flies. He spends his time with his family and volunteering. Kneeland and Gail have two sons, one of whom still lives in the area. 

“One of our boys lives here in Valparaiso,” Kneeland said. “Our other son is in California. Both of them are married, and one of them has two lovely daughters.”

While Kneeland says he has not seen many of the men he served with in Vietnam since leaving the country decades ago, the members of his unit became close friends. It was a very specific bond.

“Unless you happen to be where you know somebody else was and you knew about it and looked them up, it’s not likely I’d run into them,” he said. “However, I did become pretty close with those guys during the year that I was there.”

What kept Kneeland going while in Vietnam was remembering that doing the best he could in the life or death situations could save his life. Kneeland showed a lot of bravery while serving, including during his first assignment in Vietnam.

“I wasn’t worried, concerned, or scared, particularly before we were going over there,” Kneeland said. 

From his bravery in service to his dedication to his family and involvement in the community, Kneeland makes the most out of life and the best out of circumstances.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Roger Kneeland appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“I ended up talking to a recruiter from the La Porte National Guard,” Koch said.

Not long after talking to the recruiter, Koch joined the military and trained with the National Guard. This all occurred not long before September 11, which ultimately sparked the War on Terror in which Koch would end up serving. 

“That was six months before 9/11,” Koch said. 

The training included AIT training, which Koch eventually regularly used in his main role as a member of the tactical team while fighting abroad in Iraq. 

While in Iraq, Koch visited multiple bases, one being Saddam Hussein’s former palace.

“The base we were on was one of Saddam’s old military bases,” Koch said.

In his role, Koch often escorted high-level officials throughout the war zone, including a battalion commander and a top official from the United States Air Force. While escorting officials, it was standard practice for one military member to serve as the driver and the other to serve as what’s known as the gunner, the individual who oversees the vehicle’s weaponry should the vehicle’s occupants come under attack by enemy forces. 

Today, Koch works full-time as a commercial lender at a local Kentland Bank. Koch is also fulfilling his other dream of earning a bachelor’s degree.

“I still have about 11 months left of schooling for my bachelor’s degree,” Koch said.

He’s completing his bachelor’s degree at Western Governors University (WGU). He earned his associate’s degree online in 2010 at Harrison College. 

Koch also actively gives back and has been doing so increasingly. He volunteers on his son’s trap shooting team as an assistant coach. He is also the President of the team’s board of directors.

“I’ve been getting more and more into volunteer work,” he said.  

As a member of the local Valparaiso Kiwanis Club, Koch also sits on many of the club’s committees. He is on both Kiwanis’ Wheelchair Ramp Committee, Veterans Committee, and the Veterans Appreciation Dinner Committee. Furthermore, he also serves as a mentor to veterans through the veterans treatment court. 

Koch and his wife have three children. They range in age from 13 to 17.

Koch’s service to our nation is nothing short of commendable and so is his service to the local Valparaiso community.

The post Veteran Spotlight: Josh Koch appeared first on GreatNews.Life.