President: Tom Lindahl

COL, USAF (RET) - Tom graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1967 and spent 25 years in the USAF flying A-10s and F-16s with over 900 hours of combat flying time. When not flying, he had operational staff tours in Europe (USAFE) and Central Command (USCENTAF). He also had R&D tours in Telecommunications and Weapons Development. While in the Air Force, he earned a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from AFIT and an MBA from Northeastern University. After leaving the Air Force, Tom spent 10 years in industry with Hewlett-Packard and IBM as an systems engineer, program manager, and business area manager. He left the corporate world to start Lindahl & Associates in 2002 where he acted as an intermediary in small and mid-size business transactions. He has been a member of TROA and MOAA since his active duty days. He joined the Admiral Arleigh Burke Chapter of MOAA in 2017 and has served as acting Secretary, Vice President, and Membership Chair.

1st Vice President: Position Vacant

2nd Vice President: Don Bross

Following four years at Dartmouth College as an NROTC Midshipman, Don was commissioned as an Ensign, USN, and assigned to the U.S.S. Canisteo from 1964 to 1966 serving in the Engineering Department, as Division Officer and Liquid Cargo Officer, OOD and OOD for Special Sea Detail, and Command Duty Officer, entirely within waters of the Atlantic Oceans, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Artic Ocean. In summer 1966 he trained at Coronado CA, qualified as a Patrol Craft Fast Officer-in-Charge and was assigned to Coastal Squadron 103, Vietnam. In 1967 he was assigned as Officer Instructor for River Patrol Boats at the Naval Inshore Operations Training Center, Mare Island, California, completing his formal service and resigning in 1969. Also in 1969, Don was awarded a National Institutes of Mental Health Traineeship in Medical Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison. After 3 years residency in Madison, WI., he attended University of Colorado (CU) Law School receiving a JD in 1975 then completing his formal education with a PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1979. In 1976, while clerking for the CU Counsel, Don was hired to the Faculty as an Instructor in Pediatrics, serving in the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. He retired from the School of Medicine faculty in 2017 with the status of Professor Emeritus with limited volunteer teaching and research duties.

Secretary / Communications Coordinator: Jay Balzer

CAPT, USPHS (RET) - Jay was a commissioned dental officer (Capt-06) with the U.S. Public Health Service from 1975-1995. The USPHS is one of the 7 Uniformed Services along with the 5 military services and NOAA. He served in several capacities, including Hopi and Chippewa Indian reservations (Keams Canyon, AZ and Spooner, WI), inner city health clinic in Hartford, CT, the Arkansas state health department in Little Rock, the Federal Prison in Englewood, CO and finally as a regional program manager in the Federal Building in downtown Denver. After USPHS retirement, Jay was Executive Director of a non-profit dental clinic in Santa Cruz, CA and then was director of a dental residency program at NYU Langone Hospital in the Big Apple. Jay lives in Boulder with his wife Mary.

Treasurer, Past President and Social Chair: Gary Reid

LCDR, USN (RET) - Gary started his military career at the U.S. Naval Academy in July 1963. Upon graduation in 1967, he became qualified as a Missile Officer, first serving aboard the USS Chicago (CG-12) as Weapons Officer, and then the USS Parsons (DDG-33) as Missile Officer during deployments to Vietnam. Upon a designation change to Civil Engineering Corps, Gary earned a masters degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado, exposing his wife Judy and he to life in Colorado. This was followed by tours at the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory in Port Hueneme, Ca as an environmental project officer, as a Public Works Officer at the US Communications Station Kamiseya, Japan; and as Engineering Officer at Public Works Center Oakland. As a Test Group Director at DOD's Tri-Service Command at Kirtland AFB, Gary directed three above ground, nuclear simulation tests at White Sands Missile Range. His final Navy assignment was as a contracting officer for base services at the Naval Shipyard Philadelphia. Gary and family came back to Colorado in 1987, finishing up his working career at Rocky Flats in 2004.

AABC and CCoC Past President: Dick Smith

CAPT, USNR (Ret.) Active Status: 1961-1964 - Surface Warfare Officer, CIC Officer, assigned on board USS Joseph P. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis followed by staff assignment with Commander, Destroyer Squadron12. Reserve Status 1964-1988. Various staff and command assignments with surface warfare units and with Navy Military Sealift Command. Civilian - 32 years with IBM in Program and Line Management. Dick is a past president of AABC.

Chaplain: Ron Wunsch

LTC, USA (RET) - Ron has been an ordained Christian minister since 1973. He earned his bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, his Master of Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Chicago Theological seminary. He was a pastor of parish churches before and after his military service. He served more than 22 years in various levels of responsibility on active duty in the Army as a Chaplain. His assignments include: Fort Riley, KS; Hanau, Germany; Fort Monmouth, NJ; Fort Bragg, NC with the 82d Airborne Division during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Heidelberg, Germany; the Washington, DC area, including 19 months as the Senior Army Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery; Seoul, Korea; Fort Eustis, VA; and Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He and his wife, Lynn, have two adult children and live in Longmont.

Social Chair: Position Vacant

USO Liaison and Legislative Co-Chair: Lee Lawson

CAPT, USN (Ret.) Lee's active Navy service was as a Civil Engineering Corps officer. He held several staff and command assignments. Following retirement he served many years as Director of Public Works for the City of Longmont, CO. He is also a very active CU alumni and is a past President of the Alumni Association. Lee is also a past President of AABC.

Legislative Co Chair: CDR John W. Kennedy, USN (Ret)

CDR Kennedy received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, earned an MA in Counseling, and a MS in Labor and Industrial Relations. CDR. Kennedy entered Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola and was commissioned in 1974. Following designation as a Naval Flight Officer, he joined his first squadron, VP-04, in May of 1975. Throughout his 20-year Naval career, Kennedy served in a variety of antisubmarine warfare billets in two patrol squadron tours, as COMPATWING TWO Current Operations Officer, and in the USS Constellation (CV-64) as a Tactical Action Officer and ASW Module Officer. Assigned to detached duty with the Royal Air Force, Headquarters 18 Gp, he was involved in detailed planning of United Kingdom involvement in NATO and national exercises and for the coordination of other nations’ maritime patrol aviation assets committed to such exercises within the United Kingdom area of responsibility. Operationally, the command coordinated search and rescue assets, and conducted surface and sub-surface traffic surveillance in the Area of Responsibility. He attended the Norwegian Defense College in Oslo, Norway, as an exchange officer after graduating with Honors from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. While there, he replaced the assistant naval attaché on an interim basis upon his illness and utilized personal skills with the Norwegian language and knowledge of the Norwegian military and culture; served as liaison between senior US and Norwegian military and civilian personal participating in the US and Norwegian Study Group. Specializing in Northern European Affairs, his next assignment was as a research analyst with the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the Naval War College (NWC) As the assistant to the NWC Director of the Advanced Research Program, he assisted students in performing research projects as it related to the Masters Degree program and daily administrative requirements to include coordination of conferences and editing books and papers. His final active duty assignment, prior to retirement, was as Executive Assistant and Academic Coordinator for the Naval Command College with responsibility for correlating the requirements for all senior foreign officers attending the NWC program; interfacing with college faculty; daily administrative requirements; and solving problems arising from cultural and personal differences. Following retirement from the Navy, CDR Kennedy taught at the high school level in New Jersey and Rhode Island, becoming a high school principal prior to retiring from public education to becoming the Director of Museum Education and Community Outreach at the NWC Museum, a part of the Naval History and Heritage Command. He retired in 2016 and, with his wife, Tove, moved to Superior, Colorado. CDR Kennedy has authored numerous articles concerning the history of the US Navy in Newport, RI, as well as edited numerous speeches, books, and presentations for publication.