VFW, Legion post announce new commanders

Following Dennis Greenwalt’s retirement of post commander from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post No. 11446, the local post elected new leadership to fill the space where Greenwalt served for over 20 years. The VFW and American Legion Post No. 51 elected post commanders and assistants during a meeting last month to serve the two local posts over the next year.

Robert Reynolds has been elected to serve as post commander for the VFW, while Mark Shepherd will take the helm for the American Legion post. Mark Cameron is serving as an assistant to Reynolds and Tyler Fryberger is an assistant for Shepherd. Also elected to serve as quartermaster for the VFW is David Niles.

VFW members can also be American Legion members and majority of the elected VFW officers are members of both local posts. The overlap between the two posts has led the groups to combine meetings and they meet on a monthly basis.

Members of the American Legion are any military veterans who did not serve in a combat, while VFW members are veterans who actively served in an area deemed as a warzone.

Reynolds served in the Marines and first deployed to Iraq in August 2004, where he served for a brief time before being injured in an insurgent attack. Reynolds returned home with a Purple Heart and moved to the Ritzville community soon after.

With seven years of service in the 82nd Infantry at Fort Bragg, Shepherd is a self-described “military brat” and has spent his lifetime being involved with the military. Shepherd has been a member of the American Legion branch since 2006 and has focused his involvement on developing the local honor guard.

The newly elected leadership all credit Greenwalt for recruiting them to become involved with the two local posts. Greenwalt announced his retirement earlier this year in the hopes of having the younger generation of veterans step up to lead the post.

It was a responsibility Reynolds and Shepherd welcomed with open arms, and both were nominated by fellow veterans to serve as post commanders.

“I’m looking forward to the experience,” Reynolds said of his new leadership role. “I enjoy being a leader, I’m a natural leader.”

Shepherd is hoping to use his role to continue coordinating color guard and honor guard events, as well as recruiting new members to the local post.

“When I became a member of the Legion, I wanted to be involved in the color guard and the honor guard. It’s important to remember our vets and pay them the respect they deserve,” Shepherd explained.

Cameron served in the Air Force for nine years, being deployed six times during his tenure, and Fryberger served in the Navy for eight years. Niles served 10 years on active duty for the Army and 10 years for the National Guard.

Each of the elected officers served in a different branch of the military, but each of the men shares the same goal. As veterans, they work constantly to remember those who have gone before them and strive to protect and serve the community they currently reside in.

Shepherd and Fryberger currently work as officers for the Washington State Patrol, and Cameron serves as sergeant for the Ritzville Police Department. Reynolds is employed as a correctional officer at the Adams County Jail, and Niles works as a corrections officer at Coyote Ridge.

While the leaders maintain employment with law enforcement agencies, the group of men is dedicated to give back to the community. The group’s volunteer service ranges from serving as firefighters, coaches, Boy Scout leaders and stat keepers for local athletics.

For Reynolds, the leadership role serves as an opportunity to learn about the local post and to work with Greenwalt to learn all of the responsibilities involved with the leadership position. Shepherd is anticipating to work well with Reynolds and with the two sharing the responsibility of the local posts, Shepherd hopes to increase recruitment and community involvement.

“Acquiring new members is something they push at the national office; for more membership. I’m trying to get more members in,” Shepherd explained. “There’s no requirements: most everything in the Legion and VFW is all volunteer stuff.”

Reynolds, Shepherd, Cameron, Fryberger and Niles are all actively involved with the honor and color guard. The group regularly participates in the color guard in local services, parades and events. The group also recently purchased new uniforms and is becoming more involved with using rifles during the ceremonies.

The VFW and American Legion posts meet on the second Thursday of the month in the American Legion Hall.