Wyoming Mid-Winter Council in Casper

 I'll start by thanking Commander Joe Tallon and the entire Wyoming Team for ensuring I got the full winter experience!  They ordered cold weather and it was MINUS TWENTY degrees while I visited.  Very nice of you all for taking care of me!!

Seriously though, all of the people I met over the weekend were so gracious and friendly.  When I think of how I'd like to see people treated by the VFW, I will always remember these folks.  Friday night we had a Council meeting at Post 9439.  This place certainly is a poster child for what a Post should be:  Bright, clean, patriotic...whatever you can think of, this Post has it.  And that's just the surface, they do so much for their community and it shows.

Saturday was all work, starting at 0700 with a casual breakfast with the Past Department Commanders.  There is so much knowledge and history to be gained when you sit down with former leaders.  It's important to know your past if you want to thrive in the present and beyond.  One of the key things I picked up was these past commanders weren't trying to run the Department today.  They understand they are mentors and their role is to provide guidance for the future leaders.  Very refreshing to see!  We had a nice crowd for the business sessions and the dinner banquet was packed [COVID restrictions being followed of course].  

A highlight of this visit was meeting Jayson Zimmerman.  He picked me up at the airport and ensured I was where I needed to be at all times.  Jason is his Post Quartermaster, and it was his Post where we met on Friday evening.  He's also the State Chaplain and next year he will be the State Junior Vice Commander.  He's going to be a great leader.  Jason was a medic in the Army and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  Currently he's in nursing school and is doing well.  One other thing?  Jason is a double amputee as a result of his combat experience.  To look at him, you'd never know and he certainly doesn't hold back.  He was everywhere all the time and tireless in his efforts to get things taken care of the entire weekend.  What a powerful story and an inspirational man.  I'm certainly a better person for getting to know him and to be able to call him friend.

We all have setbacks in life, some great and some small.  Take a lesson from Jayson and don't let the past dictate your future!

Jayson Zimmerman...what an inspiration!

My counterpart, State Senior Vice Commander Jim Rish.  Jim spent some time at Scott AFB, IL during his service years so we had a nice time going down memory lane.  Jim has a head for business and veterans.  He's really going to take Wyoming to new heights!