Class Notes to recover. So, needless to say, it was awesome. Ian had Joe Simmers and Jason Barnes for groomsmen and made the mistake of inviting Gerald Popko, Eric Brigham, Even Rogers and me. I told everybody about Joe last issue, so no need to bore everyone again (laugh out loud, but seriously). Barnes is flying E-2 Hawkeyes off aircraft carriers for the Navy. We did a test landing on the bar top at the rehearsal dinner, and let’s just say he is not carrier qualified! (laugh out loud) Poppy is stationed down at Fort Stewart, Georgia. He is a military intelligence officer now and enjoys the night life of Savannah with his girlfriend, Aimee. Good thing he brought Aimee to the wedding, because that first night, we all got lost and Barney ran into a pole! Oh, yeah, Poppy, did I tell you who I ran into up here at the four aisle commissary I have here in Fort Greely? Eric is still the strong arm of the law in Virginia! He was probably the most reserved of us all at the wedding, although, he did have some funny stories. I’ll let him tell y’all. Even is still stationed in Colorado Springs with the Air Force. He is finally a first lieutenant now, so no more jokes behind his back! Of course, out of every one, he was the one who almost got us arrested outside of the bar by “hood sliding like Bo Duke” over some kid’s car, and in turn, that kid flagged down the police. Did I mention every one of the stories happened in the first six hours of us all being together? I can’t even go into the other 40 hours! Joe said it the best: Two or three of us together is a good time, but any more than that, and s%*@ goes wrong ... quick! Anyway, enough of those fools! I got a chance to catch up with Levi Swindel. He is doing great things out in Los Angeles County, California. He recently graduated from the LAPD Criminal Justice Academy and is now a patrolman at LAX. Pretty awesome, dude. Be careful out there! Paul Bailey wrote in from our nation’s capital, where he is serving the public in an undisclosed government agency... Seriously, he couldn’t tell me! He did tell me that about a year after VMI, he graduated No. 1 in his class from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and received the Director’s Award. He also finished his master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University in December 2014 and took the LSAT for law school in June. Crushing it, Paul. Seriously impressive, my friend. Oh, yeah – even if that all wasn’t enough, he told me he got married to a beautiful young lady, Elena, at the National Cathedral. Jason Morgan, Fletcher Thompson, Matthew Allen and Rich Griffith ’11 were his groomsmen. Jason Morgan just finished law school this past spring and should have taken the BAR Exam in July. By the time we read this, he should be
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Class of 2010: Carter Kunz skydiving out of a hot air balloon in the Nevada desert. Class of 2010: Eric, Popko, Even and Cody at Ian and Megan Black’s wedding in Omaha, Nebraska, in April 2015. a practicing lawyer – crazy to think! (laugh out loud). Garland Gray is in the same boat. Holding my fingers crossed as I write this for both of them! John Safrit, Carl Josey, Eddie Ahmed and Clint Custer all wrote in for a brief moment to let me know they are well. Carl is still playing ball in Europe, and by all accounts, is living the dream! Eddie wrote in from Fort Bragg, and we chatted a couple of minutes about the Army. I did just see on Facebook the other night that he and his wife had a little baby! Congrats, dude! Clint literally just asked when the reunion was and said he can’t wait to get away from Rocket Artillery. (laugh out loud) James Ray wrote in from Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he is working at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard as a health physicist for the Navy. Impressive, dude!
Class of 2010: Shawn “Kitti” Wongkachonkitti, Alex Houser and Ross Hussman at a VMI alumni function at Fort Bragg in spring 2015.
Sam Dobbins is in Richmond still and says he doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. He has been working in medical sales since 2010, and from what I gather, is exceptionally good at it! Ed Burton chimed in from the Virginia Beach area and said he has been coaching a youth shotgun team. Reid Satori is living in Houston, Texas. He is working for a private equity firm out of San Francisco, California, now. They buy single family homes, renovate and lease them with an end game of selling when the market rises in a few years. Sounds like you have a good handle on it, man! Kyle Nikmard gave me the great honor of inviting me to his wedding this fall, but wouldn’t you believe it, it is the same day as the reunion! Total bummer, but Kyle, we will crush some brews soon, my man! Lowell Patterson checked in from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He told me he is doing well and making the best of everything – can’t ask for anything better! Stephen Cauley helped me out this past April. I couldn’t make it to the Class Agent Leadership Conference at the Mother “I,” so Stephen took the bullet for me! (laugh out loud) I haven’t heard anything from him regarding it, so I’m hoping it went well! Bobby Davis penned in from Washington, D.C. He is still serving in the Navy and says now that he is closer to VMI, he is looking forward to the reunion! Can’t wait to see you there, my man. Will Shannon has been crushing it in the Marine Corps since graduation and is now attending medical school at The George Washington University. He also got married this summer! Absolutely incredible, my man! Good luck with the studies. Dan Strausbaugh got out of the Navy recently, and last we spoke, was tinkering with the idea of road tripping for a month and then heading home to Maryland for a bit! I want to see pictures from the road trip, dude.
VMI Alumni Review