U.S. Army Archives

LINTHICUM, MD, November 2, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Corporal Jamie Willis, USA, Retired, as the NFM Salute for November 2020.

Jamie Willis joined the U.S. Army in 1989 as a Cavalry Scout. During his military career, Willis was a member of 4^th Squadron, 7^th Cavalry in Korea, and 2^nd Squadron, 2^nd Cavalry Regiment. In 1991, he served in Saudi Arabia with A Troop in the 1st Squadron, 7^th Cavalry Regiment as part of Operation Desert Shield, and later in Operation Desert Storm. Willis remembers, “It was a rough time, not really knowing when we first deployed how long we would be there [or] what the situation would actually be like. After seeing what happened on the news before we deployed–the threat of chemical warfare–and just freshly being in the Army, it was a real terrifying time.” During this tour, Willis was severely injured in an accident with a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. His back sustained the most damage, and Willis was told he may never walk again. Miraculously, he began to take his first steps a few weeks after. The pain from the injury, however, did eventually force him into an early medical retirement in 1998.

Due to his specialized role in the military and his limited physical range, it was difficult to reintegrate into civilian life. During the first several years, Willis took jobs that were less physically demanding, including: gas station clerk, school bus driver, mechanic, and a garbage man. In 2006, he reentered the military world and worked on the MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle project. He started MRAP University as an instructor in Texas, and later traveled the U.S. and overseas training service members until 2014.

Eventually, the mental and physical injuries Willis received during combat caught up to him, manifesting themselves in an extremely painful way. Willis suffered with chronic back pain from his accident and was considered 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The combination of being unable to work and PTSD left Willis often contemplating suicide. His life completely changed when he decided to find an alternative to the unstable, “ugly” metal canes issued by the VA. After researching a better, more attractive cane, Willis reached out to Free Canes for Veterans, a volunteer project based in Florida. When he was told the waitlist to receive a hand-carved cane was full, he was contacted by the head of the organization, Oscar Morris, who taught Willis how to make his own.

Willis soon made his very first cane, but he did not want to stop with himself. The experience of handcrafting a mobility tool made him realize other Veterans deserved to have a cane that gave them a sense of dignity. With his newfound sense of purpose, Willis started his own branch, Canes for Veterans Central Texas, in 2016. Since then, Willis and his team of volunteers have made over 400 canes distributed to Veterans and civilians in the U.S. and around the world. The canes are made from scraps of wood, either donated or found by Willis. In January, news of his cane-making went nationwide as he had asked for local Christmas trees to be donated to him instead of discarded. Before he knew it, Willis had thousands of trees donated from across the country.

Willis says the symbolism of using Christmas trees to make canes was told to him by Morris. He explained, “The Christmas tree and the Veteran are very similar. If you think about the Christmas tree and the service member, they’re treated the same. They’re taken when they’re young, they’re decorated up, they’re used, and at the end of the season, they’re both thrown away. I’m taking that Christmas tree and I’m stripping it back down and starting over. Then I turn it into a cane. It’s solid again–it’s strong–and I give it to the Veteran as a symbol; to show them you’re still solid, you’re still strong, you’re still worth something. When you explain that to them, they stand a little taller. They puff their chest out a little bit and it just makes them feel good about themselves.”

Willis resides in Copperas Cove, TX, where he is keeping himself busy with the organization. He hopes to make and give away 1,000 canes in 2020.

NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will donate to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.

NFM Lending is proud to donate $5,000 to Canes for Veterans Central Texas on behalf of Willis. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 41 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. NFM Lending and its family of companies includes Main Street Home Loans, BluPrint Home Loans, and Freedmont Mortgage Group. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.

LINTHICUM, MD, June 1, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Staff Sergeant Jeremy Katzenberger as the NFM Salute for June 2020.

Katzenberger enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 2004. He completed training at Fort Benning, GA as an infantryman, and later was assigned to their Ranger Assessment and Selection Program. Upon graduation of the program, Katzenberger was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He served as a rifleman, automatic rifleman, team leader and Ranger squad leader. He was deployed eight times in support of the War on Terror; four times to Iraq and four to Afghanistan. On June 14, 2011, Katzenberger was conducting combat operations with his unit in Sharana, Paktika Province, Afghanistan, when he was attacked and killed by enemy forces. He was 26 years old.

Katzenberger’s awards and decorations include: Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, Air Medal, Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal with one loop, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with three Campaign Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 2.

Katzenberger met his wife, Colleen, during sophomore year of high school while lifeguarding in their hometown of Weatherby Lake, MO. Their son, Everett, was only four months old when Katzenberger was deployed for the final time.

Discussing why Katzenberger chose to join the Army, Colleen explained, “We actually didn’t start dating until our first year of college. Jeremy decided after that [year] the school route wasn’t for him yet. So, he made the very selfless decision to enlist in the military with a Ranger contract. We stayed together in that. I often like to talk about how I got to watch this 16-year-old boy that life-guarded become this amazing warrior and selfless man that served our country.”

She also touched on the impact of becoming a Gold Star wife and how life has been for her now nine-year-old son.

“I always tell people that I think grief is big and it’s powerful and you don’t ever get rid of it. Watching and raising a son by myself that always so desperately wants to know who his dad was, it means a lot to have people like [NFM] that are always willing to tell my story and Jeremy’s story and honor that, because it means a lot to that nine-year-old boy who looks just like his dad. He’s doing really well. I think there is a certain amount of beauty in watching a young child really grasp the idea that his dad died fighting for our country and I can’t help but think Jeremy is really, really proud of Everett.”

NFM Lending is proud to donate $2,500 to The Gary Sinise Foundation on behalf of Katzenberger and his family. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

About NFM Lending

LINTHICUM, MD, April 1, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor (Ret.) Major Jeremy Haynes as the NFM Salute for April 2020.

Haynes, a native of Albany, Georgia, vowed to serve his country after watching the horrific events of September 11^th, 2001 in his high school JROTC classroom. In 2004, he earned a scholarship to Georgia Military College and was later commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He deployed to Afghanistan, having to leave his then-pregnant wife, Chelsea, and their two children.

During a mission in Kabul on August 5^th, 2014, Haynes was shot four times by an Afghan Military Soldier. At the time, Haynes was serving as aide to Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, who did not survive the attack. Haynes was evacuated to Germany, then Walter Reed Military Medical Center, where he woke up to his wife beside him.

One of the shots was to his back, injuring his spine. He suffered a severed vena cava and 80% of the nerves to his lower extremities, leaving both of his legs paralyzed. Needing multiple surgeries, Haynes faced an excruciating and long recovery. At one point, he wrote, “I WILL WALK AGAIN” on a piece of paper and stared at it every day. After months of physical therapy and with Chelsea encouraging and inspiring him, he finally stood and took his first steps in November 2014. Now, Haynes can stand and walk for short periods of time with the help of adaptive equipment.

Discussing how he kept pushing himself and continues to do so every day, Haynes said:

“I tell myself, “Hey, you have to live on for [Col. Greene], you have to live on for those who can’t be here today, who wish they were. Those who died in a foreign land. They died serving a great country. They need to be honored, and me having pity parties or saying what I can’t do anymore, I told myself, “Jeremy, throw all that in the trash.” Those guys died so you could be here, living and having the freedoms we often take for granted. God has granted you an opportunity to walk on this earth again.”

During his extensive military career, Haynes has been honored with a multitude of awards, including: the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Freedom Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Parachute Rigger Badge, German Jump Wings, and the Norwegian 30K Road Mark Badge.

Haynes was a recent recipient of a specially adapted smart home, courtesy of the R.I.S.E. program of the Gary Sinise Foundation. This home will allow Jeremy to live more independently and improve his quality of life.

“The one thing that stood out for me is those few inches in a door,” said Haynes. “For the average person it may mean little, but to me, having those few inches allows me the ability to navigate my wheelchair into my kids’ rooms; to be able to pray with them, kiss them goodnight, read them a bedtime story, and tuck them in. That itself, in my opinion, is the greatest feature of this home.”

NFM Lending is proud to donate $2,500 to The Gary Sinise Foundation on behalf of Haynes and his family. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 41 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. NFM Lending and its family of companies includes Main Street Home Loans, Bluprint Home Loans, and Freedmont Mortgage Group. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.

LINTHICUM, MD, March 2, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Sergeant Roger Dennis as the NFM Salute for March 2020.

Dennis served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1972 as a member of the 11^th Armored Cavalry Regiment. He was stationed in Vietnam in the region surrounding Saigon (Ho Chi Min City), as well as Lộc Ninh and An Lộc.

Dennis could have avoided the draft, but chose to serve his country instead. “Many of my friends had already [been] drafted and I had four brothers who were in before me,” he explained. “I felt like I couldn’t live a normal life knowing that I didn’t go.”

Dennis earned the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Badge Rifle, Marksman Badge (pistol .45 caliber), and Expert Badge (mortar 81 mm). He is currently eligible for a Bronze Star Medal.

Dennis was nominated by his son, Roger, who remembers his childhood and when he really understood what his father went through.

“I am eternally grateful to him and to anybody else that served like him. I often think about the differences in my life as compared to his, you know, when he was 19 and 20. I was certainly aware that my father was in the army and served, but I feel like maybe indirectly my dad did somewhat shield me from the nitty-gritty details. He didn’t share that with me until I was older – at least I remember it that way. I remember I felt mature enough to be able to handle the details of a firefight story.”

NFM Lending is proud to donate $2,500 to The Gary Sinise Foundation on behalf of Dennis. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 41 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.

LINTHICUM, MD, February 3, 2020— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Sergeant Eric Houck as the NFM Salute for February 2020.

Houck joined the U.S. Army in May of 2013. He was stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky until he was deployed to Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan as a forward observer in the 101st Airborne Division. On June 10, 2017, Houck and two other soldiers were attacked and killed by an Afghan soldier. Houck had just two months left before returning home. He was only 25 years old.

Houck graduated from Perry Hall High School where he met his wife, Samantha, when he was 15. They had two children: “EJ” and Violet.

Discussing why Eric chose to join the army, his father, Mike, stated, “He could probably have achieved anything he wanted to, but he felt this was his way to take care of his family.”

Houck posthumously earned the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Action Badge and Army Commendation Medal with a second oak leaf cluster for his end-of-tour awards.

Houck’s mother, Lisa, touched on the impact of losing her son and becoming a Gold Star parent.

“Sometimes I honestly still feel like we are alone, but when people like you and your organization decide to honor Eric, that makes me feel like we’re not alone. I don’t want to say that it’s upsetting, but people can just go through their normal day. It’s hard to go through our normal day because it’s a loss, it’s a heartache that will never heal. You try to find things that make you happy and it’s really hard to because you’re just missing such a love that was a part of you. It will never heal…but Eric’s alive in us, because we have him in our heart.”

NFM Lending is proud to donate $2,500 to The Gary Sinise Foundation on behalf of Eric and the Houck family. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 39 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.

LINTHICUM, MD, December 1, 2019— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Specialist Jerry Williams as the NFM Salute for December 2019.

Jerry served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1969 in both Ft. Hood, Texas and Chu Lai, Vietnam. He was a member of H-Troop 17^th Cavalry as a gunner on an armored personnel carrier (APC).

Jerry’s son, Jeremy, who served in the Marine Corps Reserves, 1st Battalion, 24^th Marines, was initially nominated for the NFM Salute but instead chose to recognize his father. Jeremy describes him as an overall incredible man and loving father.

“He loved me and my sister unconditionally. I’ve never felt that kind of love from anybody. My dad was always there to help. I respect what he did. He went over there and served selflessly. He was a very good man; I wish I could be half the man that he was.”

NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will make a $1,000 donation to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.

Selected NFM Salutes may choose from one of the following three non-profits: Platoon 22, Any Soldier, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. Jeremy chose the Gary Sinise Foundation to receive this month’s donation in his father’s honor. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

About NFM Lending

LINTHICUM, MD, October 1, 2019— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Colonel Christine Ege as the NFM Salute for October 2019.

COL Ege is serving in the US Army as a veterinarian and is currently in her 21st year of continuous active duty service. She passionately supports the Department of Defense through biomedical research.

2018-2019 has been a tough period for COL Ege and her family. She was living overseas in Thailand with her entire family but separated to move back to the States. As her husband and one teenage child moved to Maryland in the first stage of the move to set up the purchase of a home and car, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Remaining in Thailand with a young adult and one teenager still in school, she made the decision to complete her diagnostic testing in Thailand and then leave the country the day after her daughter finished 8th grade.

Upon arrival to the US, and the reuniting of her family, she began treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. For the remainder of 2018, she was in treatment, which appears to be successful.

2019 has been COL Ege’s comeback year. October 2019 is an important month as she will be running in the Army Ten Miler, a goal she had in 2018 prior to her cancer diagnosis. She has spent the year going through medication changes, dealing with side effects of the cancer treatment, side effects of multiple medications, starting a new position, and the difficulty of regaining her physical strength and mobility. October 2019 is also the month she is being promoted to Colonel.

COL Ege was nominated by her loan originator, Jason Fox, who worked with the Eges while she was in Thailand and her husband was in Maryland.

“Just through my interaction with COL Ege, it is apparent she is a very strong woman. She always has a positive attitude, a smile on her face, and she fights hard.”

Throughout this time, COL Ege has been resilient. Any one of the challenges she has faced could be enough to knock someone down, but she has kept her head up, sought out assistance through her friends, coworkers, and medical personnel to help her through the difficult times.

As a research veterinarian and now as a breast cancer survivor, COL Ege continuously calls attention to the need for ethical biomedical research in animal disease models. She is proud to serve in the military with a mission to improve Soldier brain health and to find treatments and cures of infectious diseases affecting the Warfighter.

NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will make a $1,000 donation to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.

Selected NFM Salutes may choose from one of the following three non-profits: Platoon 22, Any Soldier, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. COL Ege has chosen Platoon 22 to receive this month’s donation to support all who are facing difficulties. Suicide is not the solution.

NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

About NFM Lending

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 37 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Instagram.

LINTHICUM, MD, May 1, 2019— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Staff Sergeant Giovanni Pierorazio as the NFM Salute for May 2019.

SSG Pierorazio was born in a small mountain village in central Italy. He and his family emigrated to the U.S. when he was ten years old. He graduated high school in June of 1967. SSG Pierorazio immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army and began his military service the following September, with basic training in Fort Benning, GA. He spent November and December in Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) at Fort Gordon, GA. In early February of 1968, he was assigned as a replacement to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Air Cavalry Division.

“On the 24th of March, my Company was sent out on an air assault against elements of the North Vietnamese Army, which just been forced out of the city of Hue by US Marines. These forces were trying to escape, and our units were intent on stopping them. Within a few hours, we came under fire from NVA forces and an increasingly intense battle ensued. During that battle I was wounded when rifle fire struck me in the left forearm.”

As a result of his wound, SSG Pierorazio was evacuated back to the US. He convalesced at Walter Reed Military Hospital until October. At that time, he was assigned to the 197th Light Infantry Brigade garrisoned at Fort Benning. In May of 1969, SSG Pierorazio was ordered to the Republic of South Korea, where he stayed for the remainder of his Army tour of duty; serving in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas. SSG Pierorazio returned to the US at the end of June of 1970 and was discharged from active duty in Fort Lewis, WA on July 2^nd, 1970, having attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6.

SSG Pierorazio was the recipient of several service awards, including a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

“I, along with the rest of my family, would like to let Giovanni know how proud we are of him for the sacrifice he gave in serving his country.”

NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will make a $1,000 donation to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.

Selected NFM Salutes may choose from one of the following three non-profits: Platoon 22, AnySoldier, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. SSG Pierorazio chose the Gary Sinise Foundation to receive this month’s donation. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

LINTHICUM, MD, December 3, 2018— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Specialist Cliff Hageman as the NFM Salute for December 2018.

SPC Cliff Hageman joined the army just a few months after his high school graduation in 1988, serving until 1992. His military occupation specialty (MOS) was an 88M, or a Motor Transport Operator. SPC Hageman was assigned to a Service Battery Infantry Unit in Schweinfurt, Germany, where he drove a HEMMT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck) and hauled tank round ammunition. When he had just less than a year left of his 3-year enlistment, he was transferred to Stuttgart, Germany with a unit that was going to Operation Desert Shield, which quickly turned into Desert Storm. SPC Hageman drove a 5,000-gallon fuel tanker and continued supporting his tank units as one of the 10 trucks responsible for moving and filling 50,000-gallon fuel bladders.

After his military service, SPC Hageman moved to Maryland with his wife and two children. He coached his children’s basketball and baseball teams and loved his role as ‘Coach Cliff’. SPC Hageman also had a passion for golf and was preparing to play at Pebble Beach when he was in a motorcycle accident that ultimately resulted in the loss of his leg. On September 9^th, 2014, a motorist who was texting and driving hit SPC Hageman while he was getting ready to leave a gas station. He spent two months in the hospital and had 23 surgeries before he was able to go home. However, SPC Hageman’s battle had only just begun. 60 days later he underwent another five surgeries due to an infection, followed by a re-amputation a year later that was caused by a bone spur.

SPC Hageman chose to not be a victim and instead was determined to live his life to the fullest. He first received his prosthetic leg in April 2015 and hit his first tee-shot in May. He has even competed in the Annual Amputee Golf Championship. In addition to continuing his almost 20-year career in the real estate industry, SPC Hageman started STAND, a non-profit dedicated to educating about the dangers of texting and driving to make the roads a safer place.

SPC Hageman was nominated by his friend and business referral partner, Addy Jolly.

“With respect and gratitude, I nominate Cliff for the NFM Salute, for his service in the military and now as he continues to serve by spreading awareness on the dangers of texting and driving through his non-profit organization. Thank you, Cliff!”

NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a brief biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will make a $1,000 donation to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.

Selected NFM Salutes may choose from one of the following three non-profits: Platoon 22, AnySoldier, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. SPC Hageman chose Platoon 22 to receive this month’s donation. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

To watch an interview with SPC Hageman to learn more about his story and STAND, please visit www.nfmsalute.com.

NFM Lending is a mortgage lending company currently licensed in 29 states in the U.S. The company was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1998 and this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. They attribute their success in the mortgage industry to their steadfast commitment to customers and the community. NFM Lending has firmly planted itself in the home loan marketplace as “America’s Common Sense Residential Mortgage Lender.™” For more information about NFM Lending, visit www.nfmlending.com, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

LINTHICUM, MD, November 1, 2018— NFM Lending is pleased to honor Master Sergeant Paul Franks, USA, Retired, as the NFM Salute for November 2018.

MSG Franks joined the US Army out of Birmingham, Alabama in March 1984. After completing basic and individual training to become a Tactical Telecommunications Center Operator, he was assigned to the 24th Signal Battalion, Ft. Stewart, GA, providing vital communications support to the Commander of the 24th Infantry Division (M) headquarters. In February 1986 he was assigned to his first overseas post in Mannheim, Germany with the 97th Signal BN, Central Army Group NATO. He was responsible in providing communications support for the CENTAG commander at his Primary War Headquarters to his field commanders. In 1990, MSG Franks was assigned to the 501st MI Bn at Ft. Lewis, WA in support of the I Corps Commander during Desert Storm. The following year he moved to the I Corps Headquarters, G-6, where he was assigned as a Communications Security (COMSEC) NCO for the Corps. In 1992 MSG Franks was assigned to the Joint COMSEC Logistics Office in Pusan, South Korea, where he was responsible for providing COMSEC material throughout the ASIA Pacific region. After this tour he went back to Ft. Lewis to be assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group (A).

From 1992 through 1998, MSG Franks was deployed to numerous Southeast Asia countries, including eight deployments to the Kingdom of Thailand and Indonesia, where he provided communications support and taught indigenous forces American war-fighting techniques. During this time, he deployed to two Joint Task Force 6 drug interdiction missions in both Texas and Florida. He also completed numerous military schools and training, such as Basic Airborne school, Special Forces Static Line Jump Master course, Special Forces Communications school, SERE High-Risk Level C survival school, and the Air Force Load Master course. After this high demanding assignment, MSG Franks was assigned to the Allied Naval Forces Europe Headquarters in Naples, Italy to be the Circuit Control NCOIC responsible for setting up and coordinating ship to shore communications for the Admiral in charge, allowing him to communicate to his Commanders of the Sixth Mediterranean Fleet. He was instrumental in setting up the communications between the Headquarters and the Fleet in support of numerous exercises and real-world conflicts, such as the war efforts during the Bosnia conflict.

After this tour of duty, in 2000 MSG Franks was reassigned back to the US to the 5th Special Forces Group(A) S-6 at Ft Campbell, KY. 9/11 took place during his time at 5th Group, at which point he helped coordinate all aspects of secure communications between the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Dagger Headquarters and 5th Group ODA Teams on the ground in Afghanistan and surrounding areas. Once redeploying from Afghanistan in 2002, he went right into getting the Group Headquarters and ODA Teams ready on secure communications for Operation Iraqi Freedom, which kicked off in the Fall of 2002.

MSG Franks received orders to the 101st Airborne Division (A) Headquarters G-6 in November 2003, in which he was in charge of the Division Automation Management Office. He deployed to the Division’s Headquarters in Mosul, Iraq shortly afterwards and through the end of March 2004 he oversaw the Division’s Automation circuits for the war fighting campaign. Once redeploying back to the states, MSG Franks helped coordinate the Division’s complete automation communications transformation, so the Division had the cutting-edge communication capabilities needed for future war-fighting into the 21st century.

MSG Franks retired in July 2005 after over 22 years of dedicated service to his country. He achieved numerous awards and badges, including the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with numeral 3, Army Commendation Medal with numeral 5, Army Achievement Medal with numeral 6, Master Parachutist Badge, and the Expert Marksmanship Badge for rifle and pistol. He currently resides in Clarksville, TN.

“He’s been on some incredible adventures. The hard work, dedication, and sacrifices that he made also afforded my family the opportunity to travel and live all over the world.”

NFM Salute is an initiative in which one military member or Veteran is chosen each month to be honored as the “Salute of the Month.” Salutes are chosen from nominations on the NFM Salute website, www.nfmsalute.com. The “Salute of the Month” will be featured on the website with a brief biography and information about his or her service, and NFM Lending will make a $1,000 donation to a military or Veteran non-profit in the Salute’s name.

Selected NFM Salutes may choose from one of the following three non-profits: Platoon 22, AnySoldier, and the Gary Sinise Foundation. MSG Franks chose Any Soldier to receive this month’s donation. NFM looks forward to the opportunity to continue to honor military and Veterans through the NFM Salute initiative.

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All FHA Case Transfer Requests must be sent in writing via email to: FHAINFO@nfmlending.com. The request must include the FHA Case number, the new lender’s Origination ID or Sponsor ID, the full subject property address, and a letter signed and dated by the borrower expressing desire for the transfer.
Request for payoff should be submitted to the current servicer of the loan:
If your loan is being serviced by the NFM Lake Zurich Servicing Center, please call 1-866-352-6802 to request a payoff. You can also request a payoff via the online borrower portal, if you are a registered user on the portal.
If your loan is being serviced by the NFM Lending Linthicum Maryland Office, you may submit the request to Servicing@nfmlending.com or call 1-866-765-1827.
Property Location
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- New Borrower
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