Angler Jared Russell hails from Redford Township, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He is the second oldest of seven children and son to Chris and Cynthia Russell. Two weeks after his 17th birthday, he enlisted as a 76Y Unit Supply Specialist in the United States Army Reserve. As a high school junior, he attended basic combat training at Fort Jackson, SC in the summer of 1990.
Career in the Army
Upon graduation from high school, Angler Jared Russell transferred to the regular army as a 13F Fire Support Specialist. Jared completed Advanced Individual Training (13F) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1991 with a follow-on assignment to HHB 4/3 FA, 2AD (Fwd) in Garlstedt, Germany.
After his tour in Germany was deactivated, he transferred to HHB 1/41 FA, Fort Stewart, Georgia. Jared served as a dismount forward observer in support of the tour2/7 Infantry. In 1993, Jared was one of five Soldiers in the battery to deploy with Taskforce 1/64 Armor (AR) in direct support of D Co. 3/15 Infantry in Mogadishu, Somalia. Upon return, Jared reclassified to MOS 68H, Aircraft Pneudraulic Repairer with training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX.
Continued Career
He was then assigned to H Co. 159th Avn and 8th Bn 101st Avn, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 1998 he was assigned to 2/2 Aviation, 2d Infantry Division at Camp Stanley, Korea. After Korea Jared PCS’d to Fort Carson, Colorado, and was assigned to K Co. 158th Avn, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment at Camp Comanche, Bosnia in support of SFOR-7.
Next, Jared served as a recruiter and station commander in Kentucky and Michigan. In 2006 he PCS’d to Fort Hood and deployed to Taji, Baghdad Int’l Airport (BIAP), and FOB Delta, Iraq during rotation ’07-09. Upon return from Iraq, he transferred to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, and served as an aviation maintenance and downed aircraft recovery team (DART) trainer.
Jared went back to Fort Hood and prepared for a battalion move (w/ personnel and aircraft) to Fort Lewis, WA. Now under the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), the 1/229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB) became the first AH-64E Apache attack helicopter battalion in the Army and the first Apache unit in the Pacific Northwest.
Retiring from Service
They soon deployed this new asset to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of retrograde operations. After returning to Ft Lewis, Jared assumed responsibility of A Co. 1/229th ARB and served as First Sergeant his last 18 months in service. SFC Russell retired from active duty on 1 October 2016 and now lives in Pooler, GA with his wife Robin and daughter Taylor.
Retired Life
As a child, he enjoyed the local lakes as well as Michigan’s Great Lakes. Camping, fishing, and hunting were a family tradition but he left that behind after joining the service. He has since renewed his childhood passion for fishing (freshwater) and is enjoying learning new fishing skills in the world of salt fishing. He and Robin are now real estate agents with eXp Realty and serve the greater Savannah, Fort Stewart/HAAF areas. His passion is still to serve and interact with his second family… the military.
SEGKBF would like to thank Jared for his continuous service to the United States of America and for joining SEGKBF as a bass angler.
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