WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth swore in Ronald “Ron” Shindel, Jeffrey Hamel and G. Thomas “Tom” Greco as Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army during an investiture ceremony at the Pentagon on May 7, 2024.
“Our CASAs play a critical role in maintaining the Army’s relationships with communities across the nation. From assisting with recruiting efforts to helping our veterans reintegrate into civilian life, CASAs keep our all-volunteer force connected to the country they defend,” said Wormuth. “Tom, Jeff, and Ron are tremendous leaders in their communities, and I am confident that as CASAs, they will be outstanding advocates for the Army.”
Ronald “Ron” Shindel, from Merrick, New York, is a retired New York police officer who served as commanding officer of Operation Ground Zero after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. He is currently a police chief with the Port Authority of New York and the New Jersey Police Department, and is the executive officer for all New York area airports and seaports Shindel was a senior vice president at the American Stock Exchange and a managing director or chief security officer at two large real estate firms. Shindel currently serves as the chairman of military affairs at the Union League Club, as a member of the advisory board of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at his alma mater, Hofstra University, and as a board director at the Catholic Health System of Long Island. Shindel earned a BA at Hofstra University, attended the U.S. Army War College National Security Seminar, and holds executive leadership certificates from Texas A&M, Georgetown University and the Wharton School - Aresty Institute for Executive Education at University of Pennsylvania.
“There is no greater honor than to be chosen to serve this nation, its Soldiers and their military families and I look forward to doing so with special enthusiasm and vigor,” said Shindel. “New York is military-friendly, with strong connections to West Point, Fort Hamilton, the Fighting Sixty-Ninth, the Harlem Hellfighters, and it’s the home of the largest Veterans Day Parade and a heralded Fleet Week. My connection to the military started at birth—my dad was a Marine and I was born at a Navy hospital. When it came my turn to serve, I enlisted in the Air National Guard and I served in a full-time position in uniform. For the past six years, I’ve been an honorary member of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and it has been a special honor to be adopted by that elite unit.”
Jeffrey Hamel, from Los Altos, California, is currently managing director of home and health partnerships at Google, where he is responsible for delivering hardware and services revenue for Google Nest and Google Fitbit brands across retail and enterprise partners. Hamel also serves as co-leader of Google’s Veterans Employee Resource Group, VetNet, an internal community of military veterans, service members and civilian allies dedicated to unifying, connecting and serving the military community. His commitment extends to supporting programs like Skillbridge/Hiring our Heroes across Google. Hamel earned his B.S., a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine license, and his commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve while attending Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In addition, Mr. Hamel holds an MBA from Santa Clara University.
“It’s an incredible honor to have been selected by Secretary Wormuth to strengthen the partnership between the Army and the Silicon Valley community,” said Hamel. “The greater Santa Clara Valley, with its rich history in collaboration with the Department of Defense, stands as a unique asset in advancing the Army’s 21st century priorities, including recruiting, technology readiness and modernization. I look forward to being able to help advance the Army’s connections and commitment to California and to Silicon Valley.”
G. Thomas “Tom” Greco, from Star, Idaho, served more than 24 years as an infantry officer. He led an air assault task force deep behind enemy lines during Operation Desert Storm and was decorated for valor and heroism. After retirement as a colonel, he served as dean of students at Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario, Oregon; area chair for the School of Business, University of Phoenix; and chief operations officer for Central Christian College, McPherson, Kansas. His previous leadership roles and responsibilities include chairman of the U.S. Board for Youth Unlimited Gospel Outreach; board chairman of the River Conference of the Free Methodist Church; trustee of Seattle Pacific University; regent of George Fox Evangelical Seminary; and founding member of the Cascade Food Pantry. Mr. Greco served on teams that built over 40 homes for needy families in the U.S. and Mexico. He led and coordinated volunteer disaster relief operations for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
"After a 24-year career in the United States Army and service in college and university leadership and Christian ministry positions, it's an honor to serve Secretary Wormuth as a civilian aide for the Great State of Idaho," said Greco. "I look forward to telling the Army story in my state for the growth and well-being of our warfighters, military families, and heroic veterans' transition into civilian life. I plan to assist our local recruiters in attracting and recruiting the next generation of Army Soldiers and leaders."
CASAs promote good relations between the Army and the public, advise the secretary about regional issues, support the total Army workforce and assist with recruiting and helping Soldiers as they transition out of the military.
Each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories have one or more CASAs to provide a vital link between the Army and the communities they serve. CASAs are usually business or civic leaders who possess a keen interest in the welfare of the Army and their communities.
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