Next General Membership Meeting on july 11, 2022
Officers
John "Radar" Meyer
John "Radar" Meyer
John "Radar" Meyer
Commander
Adjutant
George Peck
John "Radar" Meyer
John "Radar" Meyer
Sr Vice Commander
Paul Burgert
Dennis Gardner
Dennis Gardner
Jr Vice Commander
Dennis Gardner
Dennis Gardner
Dennis Gardner
Service Officer
Steve Preston
Steve Preston
Steve Preston
Finance Officer
Tim Chilson
Steve Preston
Steve Preston
Sgt at Arm
Tye Logan
Steve Preston
Tye Logan
Chaplain
Officers BIOS
John Meyer-Commander / Adjutant
John "Radar" Meyer is a native of Texas who graduated from high school in Mesa, AZ, enlisting in the U.S. Army through the delayed entry program just three days after graduating from high school. He attended Basic Training at Fort Polk, LA. Attended Advanced Individual Training (AIT) as 76V10-Materiel Storage And Handling Specialist at Fort Lee, VA. Assigned 1989-1991, 167th Quartermaster Battalion in Phoenix Arizona. 1991-1992 assigned HHB 1/180th Field Artillery in Mesa, Az as 13E10 Fire Direction Controller. 1993 attended aviation school (93C10 Air Traffic Control) at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. 1993-2010 assigned to 416th Air Traffic Control Platoon later re-designated F Company, 285th Aviation Bn. Deployed to Bosnia in 1999 as Tower Chief. Deployed to Iraq in 2003, as Non-Commission Officer in Charge Al Asad Tower Operations. He retired as an E-7 in 2010 after nearly 22 years of service to his nation.
He has been a member of Post 97 since 2010, held numerous positions to included Sr Vice Commander, Jr Vice Commander & Adjutant. Chairperson for various Americanism programs to include Boys Scouts, JROTC, and Joe Foss Veterans in the Classroom.
George Peck-Sr Vice Commander
George W. Peck, III was born in Hammond Indiana, and grew up in Munster, IN. He graduated from Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, IN, and enlisted into the U.S. Marine Corps in 1982. He served with LFTCLant stationed at Little Creek, Virginia, and served with the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade aboard the USS Mt. Whitney, Norfolk Va. While serving with the 4th MAB he was deployed to Norway and participated in the 1985 and 86 cold weather NATO operations. He was awarded his good conduct medal from General C.E. Mundy, Jr. (Commandant of the Marine Corps) and was an expert marksman in rifle and pistol. After military service and being honorable discharged he attend Florida State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in public health. George has spent nearly 30 years working in the Pharmaceutical industry and moved to Arizona in 2005 where he met his wife and they have one daughter. George and his family presently live in Queen Creek, Arizona, and have recently joined Post 97 after years of being a member of the National American Legion.
Paul Burgert- Jr Vice Commander
Tim Chilson- Sgt at Arm
Judge Advocate & Past Commander
Robert Krumwiede was born and raised in Illinois, graduating from Fenton High School in 1968. He joined the Navy in April of 1969, going to boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Base. Bob completed the usual training courses for Naval Aviators and reported to Naval Squadron VP-11, homeported in Brunswick, Maine. In 1972 his unit was deployed to Naval Air Station Cubi Point in the Philippines for duty in Vietnam. He was discharged in 1973, got married in 1974, had his first daughter, and reenlisted in the Navy in 1976 spending that tour in Hawaii with VP-6. After getting out of the Navy the second time Bob went to work for the U.S. Postal Service. He was a Letter Carrier, on-the-job instructor, and a vehicle mechanic for them and retired in 2005 with 32 years of government service. Bob joined the American Legion in Virginia and has been busy ever since. He is a Past Commander for Post 97 and is currently the Department Baseball Chairman and the District 4 (Pinal County, AZ) Commander.
Finance Officer
Steve joined the Navy in 1990 as an 18-year-old and was enlisted as a Radioman. His first duty station was at COMPATWING ONE Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan where he served for 2 years. He was then sent to the USS Pyro(AE-24) homeported in Concord, California. He was fortunate enough to be part of the decommissioning crew of the USS Pyro. After decommissioning the USS Pyro, Steve went back to Okinawa, Japan for another 4 years at NAVCOMDET (Naval Communications Detachment) Okinawa, Japan. During this time, the Radioman rating was converted into IT(Information Systems Technician). When his tour was done in Okinawa, he arrived on board the USS Peleliu(LHA-5) for a 4 your tour. During this time he made several deployments including being on the first ship carrying Marines that arrived in the Persian Gulf after 9/11. He also obtained his Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist(ESWS) and Enlisted Air Warfare Specialist designations(EAWS). When his tour was completed, he was assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE(ACB-1) in Coronado, California. During this tour, he was deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Steve finished his illustrious 20-year Naval career on the USNS Mercy(T-AH19) Hospital ship homeported in San Diego, CA. He made 2 humanitarian deployment missions to Southeast Asia in support of Pacific Partnership missions. He retired in March 2010 as an E-6, IT1(SW/AW), with full benefits.
Service Officer
Dennis Gardner was born at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri, Dennis grew up in Southern California. His first job was at Knott’s Berry Farm, as a train bandit. He entered naval service in August 1977, volunteered for the Submarine Service during Boot Camp in San Diego. He arrived at the home of the U.S. Submarine fleet, Groton, Connecticut for Underwater Fire Control class “A” school, he chose to train on an aging combat system only on submarines in Hawaii and left for the islands that June. After completing his training, he was assigned to the USS Patrick Henry (Gold) crew. He made five 90 day patrols before again heading back to Groton this time as an instructor. He taught Submarine tactics and weapons employment at the officer submarine school for 18 months before being sent back to the Pacific and two more Submarines, he was then assigned to Submarine Squadron 7 staff as Senior Combat Systems Assistant to the Commodore. Dennis spent three years reasonable for the conventional and nuclear weapons inspection and training of ten submarines. When it came time to once more return to sea he again moved to San Diego and the USS Louisville, which he took to Desert Storm and another Western Pacific deployment. He spent the last four years of his 20-year career in San Diego, assigned to San Diego at the Fleet Technical Support Center, Pacific supervising 33 technicians and responsible for the combat readiness of all submarines in the Pacific fleet. Recently Dennis works at Intel in Chandler in the Defect Metrology department, where he inspected products for defects smaller than the head of a pin. Dennis has been representing the Joe Foss Institute for over three years, where he visits schools to educate the students on civic responsibility and patriotism.
Chaplin
Tye was born and raised in Mokena IL. joined the Navy in Sep. 17th 1985 as a non-designated E1/ SR. His first duty station was USS FOX CG-33 stationed out of San Diego CA. He was then sent to the USS San Jose AFS-7 homeported in SRF Guam. The next duty was NAS Whidbey
Island WA. Tye then received orders to USS Camden AOE-2 home port Remerton WA. After serving on Camden his next orders were to Naval Submarine Base Bangor WA. Waterfront Brig.
USS Rainer AOE-7 homeported out of Bremerton WA was the next duty station. And then back to California, assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE(ACB-1) in Coronado, California. A one-year assignment to Guantanamo Bay Cuba. He retired in October 2005 as an E-6, BM1(SW). Tye and his family have lived in Queen Creek since Jun 2004.