Meet Tom Pesta, Our April Veteran of the Month [WATCH]

Meet Tom Pesta, Our April Veteran of the Month [WATCH] who had this to say about him;

My husband just completed his 24th year in the military. He is a dedicated first sergeant, husband, and Father to his 5 boys. He deserves to be recognized for his commitment to this amazing nation, his troops, and his family.

Pesta joined the Marines right out of high school. "It's very rewarding. I get to influence the lives of 120-some solders," he said. He went through boot camp in San Diego, California nearly 25 years ago. Pesta spent four years in the Marine Corp. He left for a short time and missed military life.  He says, "I ended up joining the guards. It will be 21 years in June that I've been in the guards."

During his military career, Pesta got the opportunity to work as security detail for the 1996 Olympics which were held in Georgia. "We'd call in if there was anything suspicious," said Pesta.

He was deployed to Iraq after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, where he spent 22 months. When asked if he was prepared to go to Iraq, Pesta said, "How we trained certainly evolved. You had to constantly change your tactics and procedures." He went on to say that it was hard to adjust to the heat.

Pesta is currently a first sergeant for the two of the 135 infantry in southern Minnesota.

The ‘Veteran of the Month’ is brought to you by the Clearwater Travel Plaza – on 98-1 Minnesota’s New Country.