Salute to Veterans

Brandon Etheredge, Paramedic

Brandon Etheredge is a Paramedic with LifeNet in Hot Springs.  He currently serves in the United States Army National Guard.  His favorite thing about serving is meeting new friends.

Ryan Field, Paramedic

Ryan Field is a Paramedic with LifeNet.  He served in the United States Army from 2004-2008 as a 13F Forward Observer. He served with 2nd Infantry division South Korea for one year and the 1st Cavalry Division for 3 years. He fought in northern Baghdad from 2006-2008 with the 1st Squadron 7th US Cavalry.

Billy Forbis, Paramedic

Billy Forbis is a Paramedic with LifeNet.  He served in the United States Army from 1979-1980.  The thing he enjoyed most about his time in the military was having the opportunity to serve.

Joe Fritz
Paramedic

Joe Fritz is a Paramedic at LifeNet.  He served in the United States Army from 1983-1991.  His M.O.S. was 11B3V (E-6/SSG;Infantry/Airborne/Ranger). Joe was was stationed in Ft. Lewis, WA and Ft. Richardson, AK. He also deployed to Central America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Michael Hand, EMT

Michael Hand is an EMT with LifeNet in Hot Springs.  He served in the U.S. Army for 20 years and was stationed in Germany, Hawaii, and North Carolina. His deployments and combat tours were Macedonia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Republic of Georgia, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, and Peru. He also parachuted out of airplanes and helicopters on a regular basis.

The things he enjoyed most about his time in the Army included the travel, seeing different cultures, and the comradeship and brotherhood.

Michael Harper
Flight Medic

Michael Harper is a Flight Medic on LifeNet Air.  He served in the United States Army 101st Airborne Division and 160th Special Operations Air Regiment as a Medium Lift Helicopter Repair and as a Chinook Mechanic/Crew Chief. He was deployed to Desert Shield / Storm.

Ashley Hopfinger, SSC

Ashley Hopfinger is a Systems Status Controller (SSC) for LifeNet.  She served in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Bliss in 6-1 Cav, 1BCT, 1AD. She worked as an intelligence analyst in the S2 section and created numerous modified combined obstacle overlays (MCOOs) based on conventional and counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare that were used for tactic training and education.

The thing she enjoyed most was the comradery and connections she made both professionally and personally. She still keeps in touch with many of her past military friends. She also met her husband in the Army.

Donald House
SSC

Donald House is a Systems Status Controller (SSC) for LifeNet.  He served in the United States Army from 1990-2001.   He enjoyed the closeness and bonds developed with his fellow soldiers. “There is no tighter bond that those forged in combat when your life depends on those to your left and to your right. There is a structure and camaraderie that cannot be described to those outside of the military that have never experienced this,” he said. Donald spent the majority of his time as a combat medic but ventured into counter-terrorism in his later years.

Jonny Long
Operations Manager

Jonny Long is a Paramedic with LifeNet.  He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1979-1982.

Tyler McGoogan
Information Systems Technician

Tyler McGoogan is an Information Systems Technician at LifeNet.  He served in the United States Army from 2011-2015.

Haylee McKnight
EMT

Haylee McKnight is an EMT at LifeNet in Texarkana.  She served in the United States Army from 2014-2020.

Jay Morgan
EMT

Jay Morgan is an EMT with LifeNet.  He served in the United States Army from 1988-1994.  The thing he enjoyed most about being in the military was serving in other countries and learning about their customs and cultures.

Kelly Murchison
SSC

Kelly Murchison is a Systems Status Controller for LifeNet.  She served in the Air Force Reserve and the Army National Guard from 2000-2010.

James Pappas
Paramedic

James Pappas is a paramedic in Texarkana.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1985-1999.  The things he enjoyed most about the military were serving his country, seeing the world, and being able to experience so many things. He also enjoyed flying and taking care of injured soldiers.

James was a Sergeant who served in Germany, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Andy Perkins
EMT

Andy Perkins is an EMT in Hot Springs.  He has served in the U.S. Army National Guard since 2005.

The thing he enjoys most about his service to our country is the camaraderie.

Andy is a sergeant who did one tour to Iraq and one tour to Kuwait.

Cheyenne Phillips
Paramedic

Cheyenne Phillips is a paramedic in Hot Springs.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1996-2001.  The thing he enjoyed most about the military was being part of the greatest fighting force the world has ever known.

Brad Ragsdale
EMT

Brad Ragsdale is an EMT with LifeNet.  He served in the Marine Corps from 2002-2006.  During his time in service, he did three combat tours in Iraq.

The things Brad enjoyed most about serving in the military were the lifelong friendships that were made.

Tyler Rutledge
Paramedic

Tyler Rutledge is a paramedic with LifeNet in Texarkana.  He served in the US Air Force for six years.

The things he enjoyed most about his years of service were being fortunate enough to travel the world and meeting many people who served their own country as our allies.

Tyler spent the majority of his enlistment stationed at McConnell AFB in Wichita, Kansas. He was an Inflight Refueling Specialist on the KC-135 Stratotanker and ended his enlistment as a Staff Sergeant.

Brian Smith
Operations Manager

Brian Smith is an Operations Manager for LifeNet’s Texarkana Division.  He has served in the United States Navy since 2001.  The thing he has enjoyed most about being in the Navy is the travel.  Brian is a Chief Petty Officer who served in Iraq (2005 – 2007) and in Afghanistan (2013 – 2014).

Daniel Stramp
QI / Education Manager

Daniel Stramp is the QI / Education Manager for LifeNet’s Hot Springs Division.  He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1995-1999.  Daniel served two years in Security Forces and then 2 years in the infantry as an anti-tank assaultman and demolitions (0351). He was stationed in Virginia, Hawaii, and Okinawa.

David Stanley
Paramedic

David Stanley is a paramedic with LifeNet.  He served in the US Navy from 1981-1987.  During that time he was responsible for the every day up keep and maintained readiness for the mission at hand.

The thing he enjoyed most about the Navy was seeing the world.

“At that time, I had only read in books. My father had taught me a lot in getting ready for my adult life, but it was the Navy that molded me and toughened me up for the every day challenges,” he said.

Devan Steen
EMT

Devan Steen is an EMT with LifeNet.  He served in the United States Air Force from 2009-2011 in cyber transport systems.  The thing he enjoyed the most about the Air Force was the brotherhood and family that never goes away.

James Stine
Paramedic

James Stine is a Paramedic with LifeNet.  He served in the United States Air Force from 1985-1989.

Randy Takacs
Operations Supervisor

Randy Takacs is an Operations Supervisor for LifeNet in Stillwater.  He served in the United States Air Force from 1981-1992.  The thing he enjoyed most about serving our country was the people.  Many of the friends he made in the Air Force he is still in touch with today.

Ronnie Weaver, Operations Manager

Ronnie Weaver is an Operations Manager for LifeNet in Hot Springs Village.  He served in the United States Army from 1991-1999.  He enjoyed serving his country and meeting his obligations and duty.

Suzette Westerman
Paramedic

Suzette Westerman is a Paramedic at LifeNet.  She served in the United States Navy from 1986-1987.  The things she enjoyed most about her time in the Navy were structure and serving.