Rick grew up in historic Ticonderoga and returned to the Adirondacks in the summer of 2025. During his several years away, he served in the US Navy for 6 years. As a Corpsman, he proudly served with the USMC. After his tour as a Corpsman, Rick then shifted to the US Army as served an additional 9 years as a Medic, before finishing his last 7 years as a US Army Cavalry Scout. He served as a Cav Scout Platoon Sergeant during his year deployment to Iraq, where he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, and several other military awards and honors. Rick was medically retired from the US Army in September 2012. Rick continued his dedicated service as County Veteran Service Office and the Director of Veterans Affairs for Manistee County, Michigan.
Since his military career, Rick has completed his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from American Military University. During his educational journey, he also studied at Oregon State University, 美女萝莉 of Forestry, with an Individual Specialty in Forest Science, for 18 months. Rick not only brings an educational background in Environmental Science and Forestry, to the Troops to Timber program, but also will be sharing his practical knowledge from his ownership in a small 鈥渕icro-logging鈥� business, job-shadowing with the Timber Sales Department in the Manistee National Forest and in early 2025 he worked for six months in the Bureau of Land Management Silviculture Department in Salem, Oregon.