I’m a retired Marine Corps Officer with 24 years of honorable and dedicated service to the Republic. A decorated combat veteran who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University’s School of Communication with a B.A. in Journalism, and a minor in History. In addition, I have advanced graduate certifications from The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, as well as the Marine Corps University in Quantico, VA (Yep, it’s a real thing, and a fully-accredited university). I’m a pilot who has flown Attack and Assault helicopters in the Marine Corps, as well as mercenary intelligence missions over Iraq and Syria. I even commanded aerial drone missions in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

But what does that tell you about who I am? Not much really. Even though tackling difficult challenges is a worthy endeavor, accomplishments don’t define the man, they merely shape him. So, let’s see what I can do to flesh things out…

I’m a type-A hippy at heart. A free-spirit who believes that true greatness in humanity springs from chaos, rather than order. I have been politely referred to as “passionate” by many who know me well. It is a kind way of saying that I wear my emotions on my sleeve, for good or bad. When I’m happy, I smile wide and laugh loudly. When I’m angry, my temper is fierce and often gets the best of me, and when I’m sad I am not afraid to cry, especially when tragedy tugs at my heartstrings. I grew up in a military family, the oldest of four children. I attended high school in Virginia Beach, VA, where my main priorities were wrestling, girls, and grades (in that order). My grades were spectacularly average, but my SATs were spectacular. I’m an ENTP on the Myers-Briggs index, which means I am, at my core, an explorer and a rebel. I chafe at any restrictions placed on me, and cannot help asking “why” when I’m presented with rules (it’s a compulsion really). Group-think, bureaucracy, and conformity are my soul’s kryptonite. I have to open every door, look around every corner, and find out what’s on the other side of every hill. And if the sign says “KEEP OUT”, then I’m definitely going there. I am energized by challenge, but the catch is, it has to be a challenge of my choosing, and I have to take on the challenge my way. And that way usually involves jumping straight into the heart of the challenge with little to no preparation, and trusting in my ingenuity and physical prowess to figure it out as I go. In fact, that’s where the fun lies. However, no sooner than have I accomplished a task or achieved a goal, I’m asking “What’s next?”

“But, Richard…” you might ask, “you were in the Marine Corps. How does someone who doesn’t like rules, conformity, bureaucracy, and who always asks ‘why’ when told to do something, survive in one of the most rigid, conformist organizations on Earth? And why did you join in the first place?” Boy! I have pondered those questions my entire adult life. The answer to the first question is: With dogged determination, righteous indignation, and tactical defiance. The answer to the second question…? Well that’s a long story. but the short version is: During my studies at Penn State I was not into the journalism thing, and I thought I’d try for law school. My Father suggested I look into the military as they would help me pay for a law degree in exchange for a few years of service. Having been raised by a Marine Corps Infantry Officer, and being the aggressive, type-A guy, I am, I went straight to the Marine recruiting office. I was informed fairly quickly that my grades would not make the cut for their JAG program, but then he put in a VHS tape (I’m aging myself here) about Marine Corps aviation. Jets zooming through the sky in formation; helicopters landing on hilltop precipices from which platoons of Marines disgorged out of the back to fight! I had always been fascinated with military aviation, and I signed right up.

All told, my life has been a fantastic adventure. I spent 24 years in the Corps. I flew CH-53 assault helicopters, Cobra attack helicopters, and I did a tour as an instructor pilot, teaching aspiring young Naval Aviation candidates to fly. I served all over the US and the world. I’ve flown missions in Korea and deployed to Afghanistan. I’ve taken off from the decks of aircraft carriers into the pitch-black night, in turbulent seas, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’ve tumbled toward the Earth out-of-control when a student mishandled our airplane and I struggled to regain control. I’ve flown spy missions over Syria where we were being actively jammed by enemy air defenses, and I’ve been in visual contact with MIG fighters, in contested airspace over the Euphrates River Valley. I’ve walked away from my aircraft many times thinking “Wow, that was a close one”. Along the way, I’ve met incredible people, inspirational leaders, and ruthlessly-efficient killers. I’ve also met some of the finest men and women the country has to offer. I have mentors that I can turn to with any problem, and know that I’m getting wise and compassionate counsel. And here’s the best part…those folks are also some of my best friends. The bond that forms between those who have served together is difficult to express adequately. I’m humbled, and grateful to have made it this far despite being out of my league.

In the spring of 2005, while returning from a ski trip in Tahoe, I met a beautiful and feisty young woman while waiting in line for our flight in the Reno airport. During the flight I mustered the courage to get up and talk to her, and asked if I might walk her to her connecting gate when we landed. She said she wasn’t sure, and I felt silly for asking. But when I stepped off the plane and into the terminal, there she was. We walked together, and I asked for her number so that if I was ever in Nashville, I could give her a call. She handed me her business card explaining, “I’m not sure I can trust you.” I was taken with her instantly. Fast forward. We were married in 2007, and she has given me the two most beautiful children any couple could hope for. Our little clan lives on a 500-acre horse farm in central New Jersey. It’s two miles down a dirt road to get to our refurbished 19^th century farm house, and we are surrounded by nature; deer, turkey, fox and coyotes roam the hundreds of wooded acres of the property. My wife is active in our little country church, and even though we can barely see the lights of our nearest neighbor’s house, the relationships we enjoy with them is closer then we had in our previous, model, suburban neighborhood. Even with all of life’s ups and downs, we are aware that we live an idyllic life.

The Ready Room is an idea that started with me lamenting to one of my best friends, the decline of civil discourse, and the ideological barricades with which so many have surrounded themselves. If only we could come out from behind our political fortresses and talk openly with one another and truly seek to open our minds to change, we could regain a shared civic trust.

And so, I challenged myself personally to make that step to reach out to others, and begin the discourse. And to do so in a way that would include as many people as I possibly could reach. Thus, The Ready Room was launched. Our mission statement says it all, and I hope you will join us in this endeavor. Thanks for visiting, I’m grateful for your company and look forward to sharing with you, the adventures yet ahead.

Viris et Scientia,

Richard Frederick