Sgt. First Class (Retired) Jared Pettit is featured speaker at Memorial Day services set for 10 a.m. Monday at the Indianola Cemetery, sponsored by American Legion Post 344, Indianola.
Pettit retired from the Nebraska Army National Guard in December of 2019 with an Honorable Discharge for 20 years of service from 1999-2019. During his career he had multiple activations including in state for flood, tornado, and airport security as well as overseas deployments. On one of his stateside deployments, Jared was stationed at Fort McCoy, Wisc., for 11 months. It was on this deployment that he met his wife, Bobbi Ann who was also a soldier in the 1074th Transportation Company.
In 2006, Jared was deployed overseas to Al Taquaddam, Iraq, near Fallujah where he served as a Convoy Security Gunner, Convoy Commander and had the additional detail of being a certified combat medic. Jared completed several advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership training courses. In addition to making the rank of Sergeant First Class, Jared also held the positions of Team Leader, Squad Leader, and Platoon Sergeant.
During his 20 years of service with the Nebraska Army National Guard, Jared spent 8 of those years serving on the Honor Guard and Funeral Detail team providing military honors for more than 300 veterans in Central Nebraska.
During his time in the service, Jared was awarded several medals to include: Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Jared has an Associates Degree from Southeast Community College and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Nebraska, Kearney.
He is now a Mechatronics Instructor at Central Community College, as well as Commercial Drone Pilot and the owner/operator of Lifted Vision Technologies in Kearney, Neb. Jared and Bobbi are also owners of FIVE RULE Rural Planning in Kearney, providing land use and planning services to rural communities in rural Nebraska and Kansas.
Their home is also in Kearney where they have two children, Emmi and Jaxen.
American Legion Post 344 is dedicated to the memory of Mathias Coiling.
Mathias Colling was born to Mathias and Elizabeth Colling in Indianola, Neb. In 1918, Mathias enlisted in the United States Army during World War I. He was assigned to Co. F 4th Infantry Division. On July 27, 1918, Mathias was wounded during the fighting in France and died of those wounds on July 28, 1918. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery in Belleau, Aisne, France in Grave 58, Plot B, Row 8.
Thank you to all military members, both past and present, for your service, dedication and sacrifices.
