Sergeant First Class Rick McGill stands by his 1982 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that he drove from his hometown of Tallahassee, Fla. to Fort Irwin, Calif. He also drove that Monte Carlo from California to Fort McNair in Washington D.C. CONTRIBUTED

Veteran of the Week

MADISON – Rick McGill entered the U.S. Army in 1978 and retired from military service in 1999 as Sergeant First Class E-7.

“I completed Basic Training at Fort Leonard, Mo., and I was then assigned to Fort Benning, Ga. for Advanced Individual Training to become a U.S. Army Infantryman,” McGill said.

His follow-on assignments continued in 4th Battalion 31st INF, 2nd Armored Division (Forward) in Garstedt, Germany. “From there, I was assigned to the 2nd Battalion 31st INF, The National Training Center (NTC), 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment – The Old Guard and Fort Leslie J. McNair in Washington D.C.,” McGill said.

He completed Drill Sergeant School with duties as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning, Ga. “From there, I was assigned to the 6th Battalion, 502nd INF, Berlin Bde, in Berlin, Germany, and to Headquarters V Corps, Frankfurt/Heidelberg GE,” McGill said.

At Fort Belvoir, Va., McGill attended the Army Inspector General Course and School with a follow-on assignment as a Training Inspector General (IG) at the U.S. Army Infantry School and Center at Fort Benning. “After completion of this assignment, I retired on Oct. 1, 1999,” he said.

He and wife Jeanette have two daughters, Monica of Madison and Renee of Columbus, Ga. The McGills’ grandchildren are Brianna, 15, Cameron, 13, and Jai’Den, 12.

“We came to Madison in April 2003 due to my wife’s transfer here from Fort Benning,” Rick McGill said.

He received an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Troy University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Columbia College, Redstone Arsenal.

McGill serves as administrator and fundraiser for the William A. ‘Bill’ McGill Education Trust at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. He is a trustee and supporter of Bill McGill Public Library in Quincy, Fla.

He is a member of Indian Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Huntsville. McGill is a lifetime member of Disabled Veterans of America, American Legion and The Association of the United States Army (AUSA). He is a founding sponsor of Army Historical Foundation with the National Museum of the United States Army.

“I am very passionate about assisting America’s veterans and their family members,” McGill said.