Operation Purple Pride Headlines
- Operation Purple Pride welcomes personal diaries or journals, photos, quick news updates about you and other classmates serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.
- Nursing soldiers and cheerleading Rachel Engler ('05) took on the challenges of the U.S. Navy, nursing and the Washington Redskins
- Supporting U.S. troops from the air Jeffrey Cretz ('03) serves second deployment in Middle East
- Second tour in Iraq feels right U.S. Army officer and ROTC program graduate Jeffrey Farmer ('88) takes major changes in stride
- Helping make Baghdad a safer place JMU ROTC graduate Capt. Dan Hodermarsky ('03) keeps HQ vehicles in top shape
- No clowning around for this Navy 'bozo' Aviator David Hunter "Bozo" Bankart ('99) takes pride in giving back
- Hobby turns into career Brennan Sweeney ('97) enjoys the art of aviation
- Baghdad, family crisis and intercultural cooperation Eric Johnson ('95) reports on the first days of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Task Force Tarawa Marines
- Different perspectives Will Schiek ('87) leads more than 500 U.S. soldiers providing logistics, security and communications for their Iraqi counterparts
- A service-oriented life Joe Clem ('89) provides medical support in Baghdad
- Rebuilding Iraq Civil Affairs officer Maj. Patrick Creed ('93) works with Iraqis to rebuild a nation
- Serving with JAG Corps in Iraq Lt. Col. Michael McWright ('85) with the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps
- Bringing democracy to the Afghani people and airwaves Maj. Patrick Kerr ('90) with Task Force Lightning
- Securing Baghdad's west side Capt. Shawn Harper ('97) reports on duty in Iraq
- Learning to fly Black Hawks Former JMU recruiter Lt. Kenny Ward ('03) now in 82nd Aviation Brigade
- A brief hello to fellow Dukes Lt. Col. Don Mosman ('85) reports from Iraq
- JMU's award-winning ROTC program Program repeatedly ranked in the top five percent in the nation.
- Maj. Mitchell Bell ('88) rescues injured Marines Marine reservist serves in Al Taqaddum, Iraq
- 1st Lt. James Sheasley ('02) cheers on the Dukes Purple, gold and green for this Marine
- Supporting the global war on terrorism Charles May ('83) is serving in Naval Criminal Investigative Service
- Coming home Iraqi war veteran returns to JMU ROTC
- Warhorn History: Lt. Col. Laurie Moe Buckhout's ('84) Operation Iraqi Freedom diary
- MREs for 200,000? Army food service director Lt. Col. Don Vtipil ('84) serves three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan
- A Blackhawk pilot's view of Operation Iraqi Freedom A journal entry by Major Donald R. Nitti ('88)
Second tour in Iraq feels right
Army officer takes major changes in stride
Jeffrey Farmer (’88) receives a Bronze Star for his work supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
U. S. Army officer and ROTC program graduate Jeffrey Farmer (’88) says his career is “constantly changing. One minute I’m a high-school athletics director, the next I’m in Iraq as a program manager.”
Awarded Bronze Star
The physical education major earned a Bronze Star for his 2005 work supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The medal was for exceptionally meritorious service planning and executing facilities for the Ministry of Defense Armed Forces. “I’ve always enjoyed building as a hobby,” says Farmer, whose first construction experience was working at a camp in Madison County as a student. At first, the work was frustrating, but some encouragement from good friend and NASA engineer Louie Gonzales motivated him to complete the job, return to campus and put his new work ethic to use in ROTC.
Growing up in Alexandria, Farmer was familiar with the military lifestyle. He played baseball and football at Fork Union Military Academy. “I came to JMU to play football but enjoyed the military discipline I received at FUMA . ... I took an orienteering class with Capt. Kench, who told me about the ROTC scholarship program. I applied, and the rest is history. ROTC paid for school and I had a job waiting after graduation.”
ROTC alums Pamela Guthrie Farmer (’90) and Jeffrey Farmer (’88) and their daughters, Aubrey, Cameron and Whitney.
Married ROTC alumna Pamela Guthrie ('90)
Farmer met his future wife, Pamela Guthrie Farmer (’90), a fellow ROTC member, when she lost her student ID. “When I met her at the police station to return her ID, I dropped it while handing it to her. We both reached down to pick it up, and we bumped heads … I think that’s when Cupid hit us. We got married a year later.”
Public education career
After graduation, Farmer served as a highway construction inspector for the Virginia Department of Transportation. He then completed an engineer officer basic course and went into education. “I’ve been in public education for almost 20 years as a coach, teacher, athletics director, assistant principal and principal. I feel like I have done it all. I’ve coached in state championships and administered schools with the best SOL [Standards of Learning] scores in the state,” he says.
Farmer also teaches ROTC as an assistant military science professor at JMU, Virginia Military Institute and the University of Virginia, where he earned his master’s in education. He was mobilized and deployed in 2005 from Hot Springs, Va., where he was working as an athletics director, teacher and coach at Bath County High School.
Called to a higher mission
“Working with kids was a lot of fun and rewarding but sometimes you get called to a higher mission. You watch the war news at home, and then you come to Iraq and see it for yourself.” Back in Iraq for a second tour, Farmer says, “I feel I’m in the right place doing the right thing.”
Working 10- to 14-hour days, seven days a week, Farmer is program manager for the Multi-National Security Transition Command’s Southern Police Station. He checks on new and renovated Iraqi police station construction and helps develop new projects. He also visits a school in Baghdad at least once a month to deliver much-needed school supplies. “I enjoy what I’m doing, and hopefully next year I can be back home with Pamela and our three daughters [Whitney, Cameron and Aubrey] and return to public education.”