Today, I salute Command Sergeant Major Retired, Gulf War Veteran AC Coley. AC went from the high school football fields in Florida to the highest levels in Special Operations Command but his focus these days is giving back.  AC displays a chest heavy with medals: the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit. During the Gulf War, the terrible conditions of raining oil, toxic smoke, and scud missiles, AC wasn’t sure whether he and his brother, with whom he deployed, would make it home. Huddled in a foxhole, brigade sounded, and then he heard Whitney Houston’s iconic National Anthem, and instantly, he had a connection to home. Later in his military career, AC became the senior enlisted advisor for the J-6 in Special Operations — an achievement so significant that they created a leadership award in his name: The A.C. Coley Leadership Award, which is now awarded to Special Operators who show outstanding leadership. Also, Coley is featured in a new documentary series by the Black Ops Foundation, currently streaming nationwide, highlighting the stories of Special Operators who changed history, and is also a board member. Congratulations on all your success, AC, and THANK YOU for your service.