FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- With a combined 190 years of service to the nation, eight Soldiers retired Oct. 26 at the Fort Rucker Quarterly Retirement Ceremony at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum.
A short write-up on each retiree follows.
LT. COL MITCH ROSNICK
Rosnick, commandant of the U.S. Army Jet Training Detachment at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, entered military service in 1995 as an M1A1 armor Soldier. He was selected to attend the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School after winning Eighth United States Army Soldier of the Year honors in 1997 and graduated West Point in 2003 as an Aviation officer. He served multiple combat tours in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He said the highlight of his career was working with the great men and women of this country while conducting combat operations during the surge in Mosul, Iraq. He and his wife, Amy, have two children. They plan to reside in southern California.
CW4 KENNETH THOMAS
Thomas, 5-159th General Support Aviation Battalion safety officer, Fort Eustis, Virginia, entered military service in 1987 as a CH-47 Chinook mechanic. In 1992, he was selected for Army Warrant Officer Flight Training. He served multiple combat tours in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. He said the highlight of his career was being able to retire while never losing a Soldier or equipment to a preventable accident. He and his wife, Marianne, have three children. They plan to reside in Enterprise.
CW4 DAVID HALL
Hall, D Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment AH-64 Apache instructor pilot, entered military service in 1997 as a combat engineer. In 2000, he was selected for Army Warrant Officer Flight Training. He served multiple combat tours in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He said the highlight of his career was being a company standardization instructor pilot in Afghanistan. He and his wife, Lyndsay, have two children. They plan to reside in Dallas.
CW3 JOSHUA BIRETZ
Biretz, F Co., 1-212th Avn. Regt. standardization pilot and instrument examiner section leader, entered military service in 1998 as an infantry Soldier. In 2007, he was selected for Army Warrant Officer Flight Training. He served multiple combat tours in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He said the highlight of his career was being a part of Task Force Denali in 2010 delivering much-needed relief to the victims of the flooded Indus River in Pakistan. He and his wife, Nicole, have two children. They plan to reside in Ozark.
CW3 CHRISTOPHER DEOLIVEIRA
DeOliveira, C Co., 1-212th Avn. Regt., instructor pilot, entered military service in 1998 as an ammunition specialist. He was selected for Army Warrant Officer Flight Training in 2008. He served multiple combat tours in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said the highlight of his career was being an instructor pilot at Fort Rucker. He plans to reside in Knoxville, Tennessee.
COMMAND SGT. MAJ. GLORIA GREEN
Green, command sergeant major for the 1-357th Brigade Support Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, entered military service in 1988 as an equipment records and parts specialist. She later became an automated logistical specialist. She served multiple combat tours in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. She said the highlight of her career was giving birth to her beautiful daughter. She and her husband, Ivan, plan to reside in Newport News, Virginia.
MASTER SGT. JOSEPH CHRISTENSEN
Christensen, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker chief equal opportunity adviser, entered military service in 1993 as a UH-60 Black Hawk repairer. He served multiple combat tours in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He said the highlight of his career was training and serving with fellow Soldiers through operations overseas, as well as hurricane recovery efforts for hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He and his wife, Valorie, have five children. They plan to reside in Enterprise.
STAFF SGT. MIRANDA JACKSON
Jackson, 1-14th Avn. Regt. operations sergeant, entered military service in 1998 as a flight operations specialist. She served multiple combat tours in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. She said the highlight of her career was being able to retire with 20 years of military service just as her father, Nathaniel Brooks, did. She plans to reside in Atlanta.
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