Retired Lt. Col. Marc Jacobson. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – After active duty, Marc Jacobson continued in the U.S. Army Reserve with Birmingham’s 87th Division. After 25 years, he retired in 2002 as Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1973, he and four fellow Florence students entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point “to gain a first-class education and serve my country,” Jacobson said. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Jacobson entered the Army Signal Corps Officer Basic Course at Fort Gordon, Ga. and then served as Squadron Communications Officer with 2/10th Air Cavalry Squadron at Fort Ord, Calif.

In 1979, he completed Flight School, specializing in CH-47 Chinooks. Jacobson then served with 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. as Battalion Communications Officer, Flight Platoon Leader and Company Flight Operations Officer.

He assisted with forming the Army’s Special Operations when parts of units were assembled into the 160th Battalion. In 1983, he attended Signal Officer Advanced Course and transitioned to the Aviation Branch.

In 1984, Jacobson left active service. He worked with IIT Research Institute in Annapolis, Md. and earned a master’s degree at The Johns Hopkins University. He served in Army Reserves as Chinook Detachment Commander.

Jacobson then decided to “come home” to North Alabama and “chose Madison because it offered a great place to raise a family,” good schools and attractive housing. After working at TRW, he accepted a position at SAIC in 1992. “I’ve been there (about) 23 years and am currently vice president of programs,” he said.

He and wife Denise have been married 18 years. “I have three children who have benefited from Madison schools: Paige, 16, a proud Patriot junior; Adam, 32, a computer engineer with Intel in Boston; and Amy, 30, Air Force Captain, serving as flight nurse at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu.”

Marc served on Madison City Council from 1992 to 2004 in “high-growth years that saw formation of Madison City Schools” and construction of a new library, Kids Kingdom, recreation center and quality-of-life improvements.

He is a Madison Rotarian.