James "Jim" Gibson:
CLASS OF 1975
Canby Union High SchoolClass of 1975
Canby, OR
U.S. Army War CollegeClass of 2009
Carlisle, PA
University of PhoenixClass of 1999
Pleasanton, CA
University of Alaska Class of 1983
Fairbanks, AK
James "Jim"'s Story
After graduation, I spent a year at George Fox College in Newberg, then joined the Army in July 1976. I spent some time in Germany, and was chosen to attend the West Point Military Academy Prep School in New Jersey, but decided against a career at that time, and ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska where I finished my duty to the Army and in May 1979, married Fawn (Buck) from Albany, who I had met at George Fox (and still happily married!) . While in Alaska, I finished my schooling at the University of Alaska with a Bachelor of Business Administration. On my spare time, I raced motorcycles and received the season trophy for Open Class on my XR500R Honda. In 1983, moved back to Oregon, joined the Army Reserve, and after a short stint at Oregon State University, took a job with the Oregon State Highway Division in their Salem Truck Shop warehouse. Ian came along in 1986, and Addie in 1990. Moved to Kennewick, WA in 1990 to be a Manager for the Arby's restaurant there. After 2 years, the franchise was bought out, and I took a job with the Corrections Department at Coyote Ridge Correction center as a Supply Technician managing inmates in the warehouse operation there. Lots of stress there led me to try several jobs from 1994 to 1996 ...Expand for more
including UPS, carpet warehouse manager, medical janitorial service and forklift operator for Lamb Weston. In 1996, I got the opportunity to go full time in my Army Reserve career, so took the family to California and the Bay Area. After spending 4 years there and getting a Masters in Organization Management, went to Hawaii for 3 years, Iowa for 3 years, back to Hawaii for 2 years, Georgia for 3 years, Washington for 2 years, and finally retired at Fort Bragg, NC in May 2013 after 34 combined years of service, and over 22 years of active duty. I completed the Army War College in 2009 and got my second Masters in Strategic Studies. I did two tours in Iraq, and one in Kuwait where I helped organize the final troops coming out of Iraq. I retired as a Colonel and realized my career goal of managing logistics at the Division level (2 Star General). While in Hawaii the second time, we adopted a young man with disabilities named Sean, who has blessed our lives and now lives happily on his own. Retirement has been great, with Ian and Addie happily married. We are currently in Indiana and enjoying spoiling our granddaughter. My hobbies are bicycling, and working in my handyman business part time, called Papa Gib's Odd Jobs, LLC.
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