His name is Ronald (Ron) Redding. Originally from Paris, AR, he is happily married to his wife Monica, a school psychology specialist. Ron jests that he might just be her test subject! Together, they have a blended family of 5 grown children and are proud grandparents to 8 wonderful grandchildren, lovingly known as Papa Ron and Gigi.

Ron retired from the US Air Force as Chief Master Sergeant after serving for 33 years. His service included deployments in Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as support for multiple Operation Southern and Northern Watch missions from bases in Italy and Saudi Arabia.

In addition to his military career, Ron also retired from the State of Arkansas, culminating as Deputy Fire Chief after 20 years of service. He served at Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center and at the 188th Wing.

Currently, Ron works as a government contractor, training Air Force Emergency Management/CBRN specialists in both upgrade and specialized CBRN response training.

Throughout his careers, Ron has been blessed to work alongside many outstanding Airmen and Firefighters. He remains dedicated to serving others, particularly veterans and first responders.

As a member of Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, Ron has participated in various activities, including delivering Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts to veterans and first responders in need, attending the Warrior PATHH program, assisting in disaster response missions, and engaging in numerous outdoor adventures such as river expeditions, Spartan Races, skydiving, scuba diving, and even an Aircraft Pull, among other SDIA events and Heroes Galas.

The opportunity to climb Mt Kilimanjaro with his fellow SheepDog teammates is something Ron considers a lifetime achievement. He sees it as a chance to motivate others while creating a lasting legacy for himself and his team.

James was born March 4, 1989 in Norfolk, VA.  When James was 6 years old, his family would move to San Diego, CA where James would live until he moved on his own to Western North Carolina in 2008 to attend Bible College and earn his Bachelors Degree in Biblical Studies.  James and his wife Jane got married prior to his graduation and settled in the community of Fletcher, NC where they still live today.

 

Service to God and Country has been part of the legacy of James’ family for generations and this desire to serve became part of James’ DNA as well.  In 2014, James was hired by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office where he is still employed today.  During his time at the Sheriff’s Office, James has served in the Courthouse, Uniformed Patrol, and spent the past 7 years as a member of the Henderson County Drug Task Force and Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team until his recent assignment to General Investigations. 

 

James and his wife Jane have been married since 2011 and have 4 daughters.  Audrey, Eliza, Jacqueline, and Millie.  James and his family are active in their church Boiling Springs Baptist Church of Fletcher, NC and have served with Sheep Dog Impact Assistance since 2016. 

 

James enjoys all things outdoors and is honored to be given the opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with other Sheep Dogs.   James is excited to help his fellow climbers reach the top and not only looks forward to the challenge as an opportunity for personal growth but also as an opportunity to raise awareness for the challenges/issues faced by the First Responder Community. 

 

His name is Will “Liam” Fuller, a 39-year-old medically retired Marine who served with 2nd Battalion 7th Marines. Since 2017, he has been involved with SDIA as their resident bladesmith, responsible for crafting their presentation axes, knives, swords, and more. Will’s initial encounter with SDIA as a participant was at the Circuit of The Americas Porsche driving experience. Subsequently, he participated in other Outdoor Adventures, eventually leading him to the Warriors Pathh program at Heroes Ranch. Inspired and motivated by everyone within the organization to do more and give back, Will was surprised and deeply honored when Lance called to invite him for the climb this year. This climb represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, made even more special by the chance to do it with close friends he made through SDIA.

Gunnery Sergeant Phillip G. Zacher was born in St. Louis Missouri. Growing up, he spent as much of his childhood as possible outdoors. Whether camping, fishing, hunting or hiking, he loves outdoor adventures. Happily married to his wife Tiffany for seven years. Proud father of four children and grandfather of two grandchildren. Phil served in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1993 to 2013. Where he served in multiple roles for both the Company level and Battalion level operations in training as well as combat operations. He is very proud to have had the opportunity to serve his country and privileged to have the chance to serve with some of the finest warriors this country has ever known. He holds his service very dear to his heart.
Phil has been around Sheepdog, both actively and inactively since its conception. He is very excited for this opportunity to represent Sheepdog as well as all the amazing veterans that this organization helps. Realizing the challenge that this adventure is, he believes the reward is well worth the Challenge. Phil is currently self-employed and since his time in the Marine Corps has worked extensively in several industrial fields and specialized in electrical for industrial machinery.

Brad Leach is a 50-year-old Navy Hospital Corpsman Senior Chief, who still currently serves in the Naval Reserve out of San Antonio, TX with 4th Medical Battalion and lives North of Austin in Leander, TX. He has multiple deployments to the Middle East and Southeast Asia with the Marines, Seabees, and Naval Forces Korea. Driven by the desire to bring suicide awareness to junior Marines and Sailors and to learn more about SDIA, he was profoundly thankful and deeply honored when Lance called to invite him for the climb this year. This climb represents another example of an incredible obstacle that can be conquered if you have the right support in place. He is honored to be associated with the group.