8 Few individuals can say they gave 48 years of their life in service to their country and the Army. Rick Hearron who recently retired April 30 is in that category. He served in the Army for 30 years and retired at Fort Riley after his final tour as the command sergeant major for the 24th Infantry Division. However, that was not the end of his career with the Army. He returned in 2003 to serve the Army as a civilian employee in a different area — safety. His first position was a safety intern in 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. He deployed to Iraq and when he returned in 2005, he accepted a position in the garrison side of the safety office, which was then a combined office with the division. Two years later, he became the safety office director and from there he went on to strive for excellence in himself and his staff that would lead to multiple awards and achievements over the years.