When a parent is career-military, the whole family serves. That was certainly true for Jeff Snell, ENLIGN's Principal Broker. He was born in Germany, where his father was on assignment at Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters of the United States Air Force in Europe. Continuing the tradition of serving in the Armed Forces, Jeff enlisted in the Army Reserves and the National Guard, beginning in college.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my father's service to the Air Force, the United States, and his fellow Americans.”

A Lifetime of Service

Jeff's father, Colonel Linwood H. Snell, Jr. was active duty Air Force for 33 years. He retired as a "Full-Bird Colonel," which is just one level below general. His first assignment was in Ohio. His second was in Germany at Ramstein. After serving in Germany, their family transferred to Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and then to Virginia, when Col. Snell was stationed at the Pentagon. His next assignment was Commander of Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

"I went to college while my father was stationed at Shaw as Director of Operations Europe, during the first Gulf War. He deployed to Germany and I stayed at Clemson. My father left the Base Commander role at Shaw to go back to Alabama, where he was the Commandant of the Manpower Personnel School," Jeff stated.

"When you're a kid, your life is just what it is. So, we moved when he was told to move. A not-so-happy memory was having to move between junior and senior years of high school from Virginia, when he was at the Pentagon, to Shaw Air Force Base. But I think the overall experience was positive. You certainly learn to make friends fast."

Continuing a Legacy of Service

While he was in college, Jeff enlisted in the Army Reserves. He served from 1992-1996 as a 12B Combat Engineer. He was trained in the installation and removal of demolitions - everything from C4 to improvised explosive devices (IEDs), land mines and Claymore Mines. He operated light and heavy equipment, and served the Commanding Officer (CO) and Executive Commander (XO) directly during regular drill and field training exercises (FTX).

Jeff extended his military service from 1996-1999 in the 13B Field Artillery battalion of the National Guard. He operated heavy equipment and served the CO and XO directly during regular drill and field training exercises.

Looking back, Jeff credits both, his own military service and his father's, in shaping who he has become - in his personal life and his business. These experiences taught him the value of flexibility in relationships, personal discipline, planning and detailed execution.

"This Veterans Day, I want to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families who are serving now. Under-paid and under-appreciated, they are voluntarily giving up their freedom to protect ours. Without them, we wouldn't be a free country." - Jeff Snell, Principal Broker, ENLIGN Advisors