Happy 4th of July month and Fellowship Power Lunch!

Feeling very patriotic and always passionate for our Veteran and First Responder communities, we are thrilled beyond measure to introduce to you, our July guest speaker, Darrell Utt.

Master Sergeant Darrell Utt joined the U.S. Army just days before Iraq invaded Kuwait in the summer of 1990. Over the next decade, he would become a Green Beret, an Army Ranger, and a sniper. He also served in the Balkans during the late 1990s.

After 9/11, Utt was deeply disappointed that his unit was not sent to Afghanistan. Instead, it become one of the most highly regarded detachments of special forces in the Iraq War.

Flying into northern Iraq under heavy fire in the early days of the war and working with the Kurdish Peshmerga to keep Iraqi troops away from the main invasion force. His harrowing 2006 action against enemy fighters in in the Baghdad suburb of Adimiyah that would earn him a Bronze Star with Valor for his courage and leadership under fire. His creative plans to lure and capture critical enemy personnel.
In 2017, Utt retired after almost 27 years in service.

Transitioning out of the Army, resettling in Texas, it is here that he was offered the role as the chief of business operations for the Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. www.mohmuseum.org.

Reflecting on what has amounted to a lifetime of service, Utt feels blessed to have come this far, especially when there were some touch and go moments. From surviving the harrowing infil of Operation Ugly Baby to a rough battle on April 17, 2006 – where just an inch would have made the difference between being here today and dying, Utt values every day.

Utt quotes: “I never really forgot where I came from and I think it always stayed with me. I just feel so fortunate to be able to have served my country. I’m a proud American and patriot.”