Page 15 - FCA Diamond Point Dec 24-smg review

AT THE FOREFRONT

Defense Finance and Accounting Service (Cont’d)

difference with medical care our special needs son, Bryant, received at Walter Reed.

Thanks to Deb Stallings, Regina DelaRosa, John and Janet Kappel, you are special friends so
thanks for being here. You are friends for life.

Ed Abounader, we have known each other since 2008 and have become friends and brothers. The
relationship DFAS management has with Council 171 is phenomenal compared to other agencies
because of you.

COL Erv and Pat Pearson have been defector godparents and big brother and sister to me, Susan,
and the boys. Erv, you’ve been supporting me from the time I was a young Lieutenant and you were
an instructor at SUAROTC. Your mentorship in Korea, at the Pentagon and as your Deputy Brigade
Commander at Fort Hood made me a better leader.

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CSM Bob Edwards, thanks for always hanging in there with me as the 13 FG CSM during our
uniformed days and our time here at DFAS. Your time as the DFAS Cleveland SES site deputy and
site director set a really high bar.

Thanks to all of the other senior NCOs who coached and mentored me: CSM Charles Henderson,
SGMs Blackmon, Sablan, and Penn, your support made a positive difference for DFAS, our Army,
and me.

My wife Susan, came into my life knowing my work life family balance
challenges and the commitment to the Army and to my family especially
with care for Bryant’s special needs. Susan, I love you with all my heart
and know you love me the same. Two days after our wedding I had a
parachute jump that turned out to be my last and immediately tested the
wedding vows phrase “in sickness and in health”. Almost 30 years later
with multiple PCS moves, three deployments, additional surgeries,
movement from two homes built for retirement we are now turning to a
new chapter together. While the external package is 4 ft 10 ¾ inches,
Susan has huge heart, wonderful smile, a big brain and brags that she
broke me as I used to be too serious and now I have a sense of humor
and smile regularly. You do make me smile all the time and leave no
doubt of our love. When our youngest twin, and special needs son, Bryant saw me coming through
the door he went past me and said “Where is Susan?” Bryant had an innate ability to assess
people. At that moment, I knew the family had embraced Susan as their stepmother. Susan, our
children and grandchildren know they are loved unconditionally. I love you with all my heart and
thank you for loving me.

Deborah, my first wife and the mother of our children, we started this journey together and over the
years we learned the value of strength, love, and family unity. Because of you we have these young
men and gifted grandchildren. Thank you for gifting us ElReco, Aaron Jr., Brian, and Bryant and
thus our grandchildren Angelina, Alexis, Aliyah, Aiden, and Aniyah. We are a stronger family today
because of your strength and love. Most recently, your month-long time taking care of Dad when he
was down was phenomenal.

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