Gene Pfeiffer (Contributed)

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By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – As with many active-duty military veterans, Gene Pfeiffer was introduced to the armed forces through a family member or two.

“One of my grandfathers was in the National Guard,” Pfeiffer said. “I kind of became acquainted with the military through that.”

So, after graduating from Lockhart (Texas) High School in 1972, Pfeiffer attended Sam Houston State University and graduated from the college with a bachelor’s degree in business.

While at Sam Houston State, Pfeiffer was involved with ROTC and was therefore commissioned as a second lieutenant with the United States Army. Pfeiffer entered the Medical Corps.

“I thought it would be a good first step from business into the medical area,” Pfeiffer said.

He had his first assignment overseas in Germany with a medical battalion in the 8^th Infantry Division.

After a few years in Germany, Pfeiffer went to flight school in Fort Rucker in southeast Alabama. Pfeiffer then went to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Pfeiffer then went to Fort Irwin, Calif., before returning to Fort Rucker for a few years.

Pfeiffer then served another assignment in Germany before serving in San Antonio for six years – a notably long time for an Army assignment.

While there, Pfeiffer helped develop equipment for the medical department of the Army, which was officially known as combat development. He worked on evacuation equipment and helped modify Black Hawk helicopters, among other duties.

In 1997 Pfeiffer was assigned to Redstone Arsenal as part of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission program. Pfeiffer’s assignment at Redstone Arsenal was updating helicopters for the U.S. Surgeon General, which he did for five years.

“I actually had an assignment lined up to go back home to San Antonio, but we had children who were going to be teenagers in a few years,” Pfeiffer said. “The quality of life was just better in Madison.”

So Pfeiffer retired from active duty in 2002 and worked for Raytheon Company until he retired from the workforce in 2011.

Pfeiffer is acting president of the Rotary Club of Madison and has been involved with the group for years.