Today is Armed Forces Day, an annual commemoration for Americans to express thanks to members of the U.S. military for their patriotic service. President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. In 1949, the federal government recognized the first Armed Forces Day and this has been an annual event since.
At Dawson & Associates, this is an important day. Our team includes almost two dozen people who spent careers in the Armed Forces. Others such as Rep. Martin Lancaster served for a few years and then went on to successful civilian careers.
Today, as part of the national recognition, we would like to pay tribute to those family members of the Dawson team who are serving ably in the Armed Forces, whose information can be found below.
We salute you!
Robert K. Dawson Founder
David A. Flowers, son of Senior Advisor Lt. Gen. (Ret) Robert Flowers.
Senior Advisor Lt. Gen. (Ret) Robert Flowers has a son in the US Army, Major David A. Flowers. David is currently the Operations officer for a Military Information Support Operations battalion in Special Operations Command, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC.
LCDR Brad Long, son of Senior Advisor Bruce Long.
Senior Advisor Don Waldon’s son-in-law, Chris Bushhorn.
To the left is Senior Advisor Don Waldon’s son-in-law Chris Bushhorn. He is a Lt. Commander currently in the active Navy Reserve. His last active duty was deployment to Iraq with the Navy’s Seal Team 5. He earned the Bronze Star while serving there.
Pictured on the right is LCDR Brad Long, son of Senior Advisor Bruce Long. Brad has served on the Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman Aircraft Carriers as a Nuclear Officer. He is currently assigned to the Pentagon in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), Ship’s Self Defense System and Navigation Programs, Surface Warfare Division.
Captain Darren Riley with his daughter, Makayla, before deploying to Afghanistan last year.
Senior VP Maj. Gen. (Ret) Don Riley’s son serves in the US Army as an Infantry Officer. Captain Darren Riley will be reassigned in June from 1st cavalry Division at Fort Hood, TX to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he will complete advanced schooling and be promoted to Major. Darren was commissioned in 2004 and has been deployed four times – twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He just completed his last tour in Afghanistan as a Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop Commander.
Gen. Scott and his family at daughter Karoline’s wedding.
Senior Advisor Maj. Gen. (Ret) Bruce Scott has a few family members in the armed forces, including six children and two son-in-laws.
In the picture to the right, starting from the left is his daughter Kate, with her husband Jay behind her. Kate and Jay are both 1999 graduates of West Point, UVA Law School graduates, Army Majors, JAGs, and served a year in Iraq, Kate with the 1st Cavalry Division and Jay with the 4th Infantry Division. They are going to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS this summer.
Next to Jay is Bruce’s son Alexander, who attended the College of the Holy Cross on a full Army ROTC Scholarship. Alec requested delayed entry into Active Duty as he deferred to go into Seminary to become a Catholic Priest and an Army Chaplain. He is currently in his 5th year of Seminary at the Pontifical American College in the Vatican.
In the middle of the back row is Bruce’s son Andrew, who graduated from West Point in 2002 and served in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment when the first troops were deployed to Iraq. He then attended William and Mary Law School, went on another tour in the Mideast, and is currently an Army Major en route to becoming the Chief of Justice in the 10th Mountain Division.
To the right of Andrew is Bruce’s son Adam, who graduated West Point in 2012, and is currently serving with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado where he is a Blackhawk pilot. He is also First Lieutenant.
To the right of Andrew is daughter Kerney and her husband Samual. Both graduated from West Point in 2007. Kerney is currently a Captain and Blackhawk Company Commander in the 1st Cav Division at Fort Hood, Texas. She has one year of combat in the 82nd Airborne Division where she was an Assault Blackhawk pilot in Afghanistan. Samual was also in the 82nd Airborne Division as a company commander, and served in Afghanistan for two years. Sam is a Captain, Infantry, Airborne, and Ranger. Both have been selected to teach at West Point, Sam will be completing his MBA at MIT and Kerney will be attending the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts.
Lastly, bride and daughter Karoline attended Saint Joseph’s University where she was commissioned an officer in the US Air Force as a result of her full Air Force Scholarship. She served seven years in the Air Force, to include a full tour of combat with the Air Force in Iraq. She met her husband Russell when they were both deployed to Baghdad. She resigned from the Air Force as a Captain.