About WVST

Chris Wilson moved to Montana in 2019 after leaving the Federal Service to explore opportunities in the Technology sector. He joined the Army at a very early age and  served for just over 8 years and then another 17 years as a civilian within Department of Defense. The Flathead Valley was love at first sight! The community, nature, and sense of adventure were just too hard to say no to. After meeting members of the WVST and volunteering at a winter retreat, he knew that he had found a home in the Vally. Chris still support the Fed Gov (working Remote) through his leadership roles at a Data Analytics Software Company based on the east Coast. This enables him to not only Volunteer with WVST and other Non-Profits to support Veteran Families but to also stay actively involved in support those that still wear the uniform today.

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-wilson

Lieutenant General Frank Kearney retired on 1 January 2012 from the United States Army after more than 35 years of service. His final active duty assignment was Deputy Director for Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counter-Terrorism Center in Washington DC. General Kearney now serves as the President of his own consulting company, Inside-Solutions-LLC focusing on leader development in organizations. Most recently he served as the Interim CEO and President of Draper Laboratories in Cambridge MA from March to mid October 2020.

He works routinely with Thayer Leadership at the Thayer Hotel at West Point, NY and with military and corporate groups to assist in improving organizational performance through leader development.

General Kearney is a routine speaker on Terrorism, Interagency, Defense and Security issues. He was a congressionally appointed member of National Defense Panel to assess scenarios, recommendations and conclusions for the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). General Kearney also serves as a Distinguished Faculty Member of the Joint Special Operations University.

General Kearney is a 1976 graduate (BS) of the United States Military Academy and a 1985 graduate (MEd) of the University of South Carolina. He is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College as well as the United States Army War College. He has served in operational and command assignments at every level with combat tours in Grenada, Panama, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, including combat parachute assaults into Grenada and Panama. General Kearney’s most recent assignments at the strategic and operational level focused on Special Operations and Counter-Terrorism. He planned and participated in the opening campaigns of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and commanded all Theater Special Operations forces in the middle-east including OIF and OEF from March 2005 to June 2007. General Kearney also served as the Deputy Combatant Commander for United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) from 2007-2010 and insured that the 62,000 operators of this command were properly trained and equipped for their global special operation’s missions. General Kearney oversaw the SOCOM requirements process, the execution of a 10 billion dollar budget and led the SOCOM Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) team for the 2010 QDR.

General Kearney also sat on the DOD Ballistic Missile Defense Review Committee and the Deputy Secretary of Defense’s Advisory Working Group managing the Defense Department’s annual budget approval and execution. Finally, at the National Counter-Terrorism Center, General Kearney worked with 16-29 different cabinet level agencies in the US government to plan and coordinate the whole of government efforts to achieve the goals of the Obama Administration’s Counter-Terrorism strategy. His team coordinated key implementation plans against terrorist groups and assessed the efforts to achieve stated goals as well as provided input to the Office of Management and Budget on funding priorities for the national counter-terrorism budget.

He is married to his wife or 49 years, Betty Sue and has two sons: COL Dan Kearney (wife Lauren), and Sean Kearney( wife Mary Katherine) and 3 grandchildren.

After being raised in Libby, MT served 30 years as a naval officer in various operational leadership roles including command of two ships and ashore of a major officer training center.  Following the Navy worked for Lockheed Martin as a Senior Program Manager in cyber security and shipboard combat systems programs. Fully retired in 2016 to Montana where he enjoys multiple outdoor activities.  WVST offers chance to renew relationships and camaraderie enjoyed by veterans when they served.

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