TESTIMONIALS
To the Special Forces Association Chapter 28:
I am deeply honored to be a recipient of the 2014 Chapter Scholarship. Thank you so much for your generosity. This gift allows me to focus on academic and military studies, in preparation for my career as a United States Army Officer.
As a cadet in the Creighton Battalion I am enjoying my ROTC classes and early morning PT! I am looking forward to my first Field Training Exercise scheduled for next week. Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you again for your trust and confidence.
Dear Colonel Slaughter and Chapter XXVII,
Let me first take this opportunity to say thank you to both you and chapter XXVIII of the Special Forces Association. This scholarship will help towards my further education and it will help alleviate my parents’ financial strain that comes with having two children in college.
I will be attending the University of North Carolina in Greensboro (UNCG) North Carolina. My interests are varied and include: sociology, sports science / physical education, and psychology. I am sure that my mission will become clear once I get to college and start exploring these subject matters. Your scholarship will help support my future endeavors in these areas.
Again, let me say thank you for all your support you have shown me and all the sons and daughters of the Special Forces. Your continued support will only serve to enhance our great country by presenting properly educated young men and women into the work force.
ROTC PISTOL
TEAM TestimonialS
CPT rubel
cpt alford
Cadet Kyle D. Payne is a Distinguished Military Graduate from St. Maries, Idaho who will commission as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army on 15 May 2009. After completing the Officer Basic Course, he and his wife, Jessica, will move to FT Lewis, WA, for his first duty assignment.
Cadet Payne excelled in everything he did while attending the University of Idaho and Army ROTC. He will receive a BS in Secondary Education, Cum Laude, during the Spring 09 commencement with a cumulative GPA of 3.96. His Army ROTC achievements include, member of the Chrisman Battalion Ranger Challenge Team in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 with the team taking first place in 2005 and 2006; consistently scored 300 on the APFT; awarded the Superior Cadet Award and then later the George C. Marshall award in 2009; received the Parachutist Badge in July 2006; received a rating of Excellence, achieved RECONDO and was a member of the Honor Platoon during Warrior Forge 2008. Cadet Payne ranked in the top 1% on the 2008 National Order of Merit List and was the Cadet Battalion commander in Fall 09.
Cadet Payne is married to the former Jessica L. Ware
I am a rising “Tar Heel” senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I currently work at an on-campus isotope geochemistry laboratory, and I am in the process of completing my studies for a B.S. in Geological Sciences. Once my undergraduate career is finished I intend to enroll in a graduate degree program at a top academic research institution. In my free time I enjoy reading, running, and music.
I was raised on Fort Bragg, NC, where my father served in the US Army for more than two decades. My later teenage years were passed just off the base in northern Fayetteville.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge that my successes at the collegiate level are grounded entirely in the unconditional support and motivation given by my family and my girlfriend.
Sorry I have been out of touch for so long. I'd like to blame the job but that same excuse is what everyone in our line of work uses. I apologize for having not posted photos yet to your website. Krista, the boys and I are so grateful and blessed having been allowed to attend the Winter Retreat. It really just catapulted our year, especially after such a hard deployment. Life has been amazing since we last saw you.
Again, thank you so much for such an amazing experience. I hope our paths cross again in the future.
On behalf of my wife and me, I would like to thank you for the recent opportunity to attend the Las Vegas couples trip from 07-11 November 2014. This trip was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together away from home and away from the stressors of day to day life, as we move through the recovery process.
The trip had many interesting and fun activities that allowed us to experience things that we would have otherwise been unable to do. The activities on the trip included: a helicopter tour over Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil shows, concerts and many unique dining experiences. These activities were all provided free of charge and they greatly enhanced our experience on the trip.
Thank you all for your hard work, dedication, assistance and everything that you do to improve the quality of life for both active duty and former Special Forces soldiers. Your work has greatly improved our recovery process, and I am sure it has done the same for many others. The road to recovery is long, but with the assistance of individuals and benevolent organizations, like the Special Forces Association, it is much easier to have a more positive outlook.
I want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you for what you and your organization did for me and my brothers and sisters in the special operations community. I was blow away with the outpour of support and appreciation that your organization and the surrounding communities showed for us still serving. I know that organizing this wasn't easy and I want to thank you for all the hard work and long hours you put into this and the organizations that donated their time and resources. This will make a positive everlasting impression on me of the people I met and interacted with. I haven't met very many people who would open up their houses like my host family did and treated me like one of their own.
I appreciate everything you guys have done and continue to do. I hope that you will continue to receive the support you need to continue this. This is a once in a lifetime experience for me and it was so nice to have everything I wanted or needed on this trip and it was all to you and your organization. I hope to make a trip back over there and continue the relationships I created while I was there. I have never felt so honored to serve my country and protect the people in it until after I met you and the surrounding communities. Thank you again.
The Las Vegas trip was great. My fiance and I want to thank everyone involved; from MGM, to American Airlines, and especially the Montana Chapter of the Special Forces Association. Every detail was taken care of, we didn't have a worry about a thing. All of the event and shows were amazing. The hotel was great as well. I'm sure all future Wounded Warriors who have the opportunity to go on this trip will have as good of a time as we did!
Dear Rodger Slaughter,
I want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you for what you and your organization did for me and my brothers and sisters in the special operations community. I was blown away with the out poor of support and appreciation that your organization and the surrounding communities showed for us still serving. I know that organizing this wasn’t easy and I want to thank you for all the hard work and long hours you put into this and the organizations that donated their time and resources. This will make a positive everlasting impression on me of the people I met and interacted with. I haven’t met very many people who would open up their houses like my host family did and treated me like one of their own. I appreciate everything you guys have done and continue to do. I hope that you will continue to receive the support you need to continue this. This is a once in a lifetime experience for me and it was so nice to have everything I wanted or needed on this trip and it was all to you and your organization. I hope to make a trip back over there and continue the relationships I created while I was there. I have never felt so honored to serve my county and protect the people in it until after I met you and the surrounding communities. Thank you again.
Mr. Slaughter,
Kristen and I, would once again like to thank you and your team for everything you did for us this past week. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us. We had so much fun exploring the Bigfork area, whitewater rafting, fishing and horseback riding. The Soldiers also got to participate and compete in the Team Penning competition at the lodge, where we attempted to round up cattle. Needless to say, we have a few things to work on! In addition to all the weeks' activities, we really got to know a few of the wonderful families that were staying at the lodge as well as the Averill family. We also couldn’t have asked for a better host family to stay with. Mr. and Mrs. Hartman were extremely generous to Kristen and I, and made our stay in Montana comfortable and relaxing. We plan on visiting them with our children in the spring/summer. I am extremely impressed with your association, and the way you and your team help veterans obtain jobs, obtain healthcare, provide vacations for active duty and overall help and care for our warriors. As discussed in Montana, I will spread the word about the Special Forces Association Chapter Montana. Thank you for your service to our nation, and your continued support to our Special Operations Soldiers.
Dear Ike,
My sincerest thanks goes out to you, the members of the SFA28 Montana Chapter, and the Special Forces Charitable Trust for hosting my family and I at the Winter Warrior Retreat at Whitefish Montana. On this trip my family and I were able to spend time together in a relaxed atmosphere and create memories that will remain with us for a lifetime. My mother was afforded the opportunity to take ski lessons that she intends to use in order to ski with my daughter. Including my mother on the Winter Warrior event allowed for my wife and I to enjoy time together on the slopes knowing that our daughter (3 months old) was still with family. This gave my wife peace of mind and allowed her to really enjoy herself.
The location in Whitefish Montana was beautiful and rugged and was a great change from the city where we work. The facilities, food and atmosphere at the Lodge at Whitefish were first class. It was really special to realize that the SFA had taken such great care to organize an event of this caliber for our family. This was a vacation that I would not have been able to take on my own and far exceeded my expectations from start to finish. The level of care provided for the service members and their family was a direct reflection of the respect held by the men and women of the SFA28 for their guests and was apparent throughout all interactions. I intend on sharing this experience with other members of the 3rd Special Forces Group and starting an active role with the SFA in order to benefit other fellow service members and their families.
First off, I cant express how thankful I am for the opportunity to take my family on a trip like this, I would not have been able to afford it.
I observed an organization that truely cares about about the Military (SOF) community it came from...not only as an organization but every member I met and spoke to, truely TOP NOTCH.
The trip to Whitefish with the SFA (28th chapter) was undoubtedly the most fantastic trip I have ever been on. My wife Michelle loved it so much and could not believe how blessed we were to be offered this opportunity. We met people we will never forget, and we're truly grateful for the time to get away from the hustle and bustle that is the SOF profession. I truly could not think of any improvements. The entire experience was a sustain, I only wish, and Michelle only wishes that we may once again return to whitefish, even if it is on our dime, and spend some time with the wonderful Keith Philip, and the rest of the guys!