I served in the US Army Reserve from 1989-1997 and finished as an E4/Specialist. Basic and military job training was at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma where I learned to be a Communications Maintainer radio repair technician. Afterwards, I was assigned to the 826th Ordnance Company based out of Madison, WI. In late fall of 1990 we deployed to Ft. McCoy, WI for a couple of months in preparation for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. While there, it was determined that the 826th had positions to fill as Ammunition Specialists. I, along with some others, volunteered and went for training at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
Once this was complete, we returned to Ft. McCoy and were deployed to Saudi Arabia. For this conflict we were awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze campaign stars and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (awarded by both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait). We returned home in July 1991. The best part of being in the military was having the opportunity to have served my country. This also included once in a lifetime experiences, learning a ton, and without a doubt, getting to serve alongside many of the best people I’ve ever met.
I have always really liked hands-on component level electronics. I chose the job that I had in the military as a radio repair tech because of it. I attended Herzing College (WSE) and earned a degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. While I was in school, I got a part-time job with AccuWeb, Inc. (now BST International) as a PCB Assembler. After graduation, I was hired on full-time and worked my way up to managing the Electrical Department. Before my health issues got the best of me, I was traveling around the country going to many of our customer’s facilities for the commissioning and start-ups of new AccuWeb and BST machines. It was a very busy and fulfilling thirty-year career.
Stacy and I met early on in high school and kind of knew each other off and on through mutual friends but we really hadn’t seen each other in years. When I got home from the war and went in to get my old job back, I found that Stacy had been hired as my replacement! Our friendship was immediate; we started dating and have been together ever since. We’ve been married for twenty-seven years, and we do everything together. Travel, go exploring, dining, shopping (she loves crafts), sight-seeing and simply enjoy each other’s company.
We are also very proud of our 19-year-old daughter, Ash. She is kind, really smart, and a lot of fun. Ash graduated from high school in 2024 and is very busy now working part-time while going to college. When she gets a break from that, she’s usually out with her long-term boyfriend, Gavin, and their whole group of friends.
I was diagnosed with CKD in 2022 but have not yet had to begin dialysis. Up to this point, the nephrologists have been trying to keep the diseases’ progression as slow as possible. My energy level is decreasing fairly dramatically as of late, however I am doing my best not to let that interfere with daily life. Ultimately, the goal according to my doctors is to receive a kidney transplant while possibly avoiding dialysis altogether.
I truly enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and our dog, Joy. Traveling and sightseeing, especially around the Midwest. My hobbies mostly include all things electronics. Particularly creating, and the hands-on assembly of projects in my shop at home.
I would really like to be healthy enough to enjoy and spend a longer life with Stacy. I would love to see Ash graduate and get married. Maybe even live long enough to get to have some grandkids.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Michael‘s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611