In the summer of 1993, Sgt. Keni Thomas was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia with the 3rd Ranger Battalion as part of an elite special operations package called Task Force Ranger.
As those who have read the book or seen the movie “Black Hawk Down” know, their mission was to find and capture a criminal warlord named Mohammed Farrah Aideed.
On Oct. 3, Thomas and his fellow Rangers distinguished themselves in an 18-hour firefight in which 19 Americans were killed and 78 wounded — the worst urban combat seen by U.S. troops since WW II.
Sgt. Thomas was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge from the U.S. Army for his actions that day. Today, he carries a guitar instead of a rifle. An award-winning country musician, Thomas has shared his stories from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to overseas concerts for active military, always passionate about the battle that “still shapes my thoughts on a daily basis.”
Drawing from his experiences on the battlefield, Thomas sums it up like this: “Leadership has never been about the rank or the position you hold. It’s about the example you set. There are people to your left and to your right who are counting on you and it’s up to you to deliver. But you will only be as good as you prepared yourself to be.”
His keynote address at the NTSA 403(b) Summit is just one more inspiring reason to register today for the Summit — the only networking, education and information-sharing meeting specifically designed for professionals who specialize in serving the 403(b) and 457 plan markets.
Check out the agenda and reserve your place today!
Register here.
As those who have read the book or seen the movie “Black Hawk Down” know, their mission was to find and capture a criminal warlord named Mohammed Farrah Aideed.
On Oct. 3, Thomas and his fellow Rangers distinguished themselves in an 18-hour firefight in which 19 Americans were killed and 78 wounded — the worst urban combat seen by U.S. troops since WW II.
Sgt. Thomas was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge from the U.S. Army for his actions that day. Today, he carries a guitar instead of a rifle. An award-winning country musician, Thomas has shared his stories from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to overseas concerts for active military, always passionate about the battle that “still shapes my thoughts on a daily basis.”
Drawing from his experiences on the battlefield, Thomas sums it up like this: “Leadership has never been about the rank or the position you hold. It’s about the example you set. There are people to your left and to your right who are counting on you and it’s up to you to deliver. But you will only be as good as you prepared yourself to be.”
His keynote address at the NTSA 403(b) Summit is just one more inspiring reason to register today for the Summit — the only networking, education and information-sharing meeting specifically designed for professionals who specialize in serving the 403(b) and 457 plan markets.
Check out the agenda and reserve your place today!
Register here.
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