Major (RET) Michael J. Blackburn was assigned to this HSROTC Program August 1997. He transferred to Hug after years at Incline High School as the SAI for that program. He serves as the LET III and IV instructor. His last duty assignment prior to retirement from active duty was as the Senior Army Representative at the Combined Services Support Program School Pacific at the Alameda Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. He served in numerous command and staff positions throughout his 20 years of commissioned service. Various and sundry awards and decorations include the Ranger and Airborne badges, the Expert Infantryman's badge, and five Meritorious Service medals 

 

1SG Vaars was born and raised in Grass Valley, California. He entered the Army in June 1988 and attended Infantry One Unit Station Training (OSUT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Ft. Benning, Ga. Upon completion of this he attended airborne training. 

After graduating from Air Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia in October 1988, 1SG Vaars was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 1st Armored Division in Erlangen, Germany from November 1988 – May 1992, in January 1991 he was deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Desert Storm. During his second tour in Germany from June 1995 –June 1998 he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36 Infantry Regiment and deployed to Bosnia to help enforce of the Dayton Peace Accord as part of the Implementation Force (IFOR) from Dec 1995 – Dec 1996 then again from March 1997 – Oct 1997 as part of the Security Force (SFOR). From Dec 2005 – Dec 2006 1GS Vaars again deployed to Iraq for his second combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. His 3rd and most recent combat deployment was to the Kunar Province in Eastern Afghanistan from June 2009 – June 2010 as a Company 1SG in charge of the Health, Morale and Welfare of Approximately 100 Soldiers conducting daily combat operation in the austere environment that is Afghanistan. 

Master Sergeant Edgar Beach