Board Member/Staff Biography

Mike Jackman was raised in the small town of Covington Indiana on a small farm where he enjoyed hunting and fishing. He joined the United States Air Force under the delayed enlistment program in Dec 1976 when he was 17. He reported to basic training in July 1977 just after his 18th birthday. He spent 20 years on active duty as an Aircraft Hydraulic mechanic where he was responsible for Hydraulic maintenance on KC-135, B-52, B-1B and RC-135 aircraft. Mike is also a Desert Shield and Desert Storm Veteran. After his retirement from active service, he served 21 years as a Civil Servant and an aircraft mechanic. He also was on the Presidential support team traveling the Midwest in support of Air Force One and Air Force Two.

Mike is a life member of the VFW and Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Within the DAV organization he has held many positions at chapter level and at the state level including the position of State Commander, Inspector General and currently the Department Services Director overseeing 34 chapter and department service officers.

He has been a Service officer for 13 Years. He is also a Department Service officer. He currently volunteers as the service officer for the State Vietnam Veteran Council.

Mikes’ passion for helping veterans can be traced back to a childhood event. He and his family were traveling in Indiana when they stopped to give a ride to a young hitch-hiking Vietnam veteran. He was told that you never pass a veteran in need. Words that he now lives by. This also inspired me to become a novice history buff.