CityView Magazine

16 | May/June 2016 the Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. As a civilian, Mike served for 39 years. In his almost four decades of work, he helped lead Fort Bragg's response to en- vironmental threats, ensured troops were properly prepared for deployments and implemented BRAC, base realignment and closure process. In 2014, Mike retired in a ceremony at the Main Post Flagpole, a location typically reserved for Fort Bragg's highest ranking officers. "Mike won't tell you this," Shannon said, "but he won e Order of the Longleaf Pine for his conservation and training efforts." e Order of the Long Leaf Pine is among the most prestig- ious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina. It is awarded to those who show exemplary service to the state of North Carolina and their communities beyond the call of duty. Beyond e Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Mike was awarded an Army Certificate of Appreciation and the Meritorious Civil- ian Service Award. e Meritorious Civilian Service Award is the second highest award and medal presented to civilian em- ployees within the federal government agencies of the United States. Mike continues to contribute to Fort Bragg's community. He works for the Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Mili- tary Relations and Leadership Programs while also running his own private consulting business. Recently, Mike was elected to the Board of Directors for Sandhills Area Land Trust, which is working to preserve land aligned with Special Forces. Shannon, who grew up as a military brat, had a father in the Air Force. Her favorite place to live was Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. She lived there from when she was four until she was seven years old and remembers not having a televi- sion. Her parents started an American school there since there were other federal agencies in the area, too, NASA being one of them. She learned French and Malagasy, the national language of Madagascar, but was teased by other children when she re- turned back to the states. "I could kick myself about not keeping up with the French," she said. e passion to serve Fort Bragg's community is shared by both Mike and Shannon. Mike said, "Fort Bragg is really a national treasure. It's thou- sands of acres that's owned by the American public that the Army is a steward of. e Army has taken great care of it." Shannon works as the Public Affairs Officer for Womack Army Medical Center. For now, Mike and Shannon have no plans to leave the area. ey both insist, "Fort Bragg is home now." "If you're lucky enough to end up at Fort Bragg," he said, "the caliber of people, the mission, the significance and the his- tory, once you're a part of that, you don't want to lose it." ese two will continue to travel around the globe. Next year, to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, they plan to vacation in Tahiti. While they won't be flying out of their neighborhood airfield, aer their vacation they will be return- ing home, back to their own runway, touching down back at a home they love. CV

• Cover