Warrior of the Week: Sgt. Robert Settle

Gator 99.5 has teamed up with Loggerheads, Riverside Resort in Lake Charles to honor your warrior. We want to salute the true heroes among us, those who have answered the call to serve their country with unwavering dedication and bravery.

Each week, we will choose a different WARRIOR OF THE WEEK to honor and we will write a quick story about each of them. If you would like to nominate someone for our Warrior of the Week, CLICK HERE.

With over 2 million service members, including Reserve and National Guard soldiers, the United States military is one of the world's largest. Its branches—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, and Coast Guard—have distinct roles and cultures, but they all share a sense of patriotism and commitment to serving the United States.

Joining the military is a special commitment, whether it's for a few years or a lifetime. It is crucial for servicemen and their families to feel supported by their fellow Americans.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes that help us put into words our feelings about our troops and what their service means to our nation...

"There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer." -- Gen. James H. Doolittle

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation." -- Gen. Douglas MacArthur

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." -- John Quincy Adams

"This will remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave." -- Elmer Davis

This week, our Loggerheads and Riverside Resort Warrior of the Week is Sgt. Robert Settle!

Robert enlisted into the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) on his grandfather's birthday, October 9, 2001. He served from June 2002 to June 2011. He was with the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion as a Crew Chief from 2005 until his departure in 2011. As part of the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, he had the privilege of operating the Amphibious Assault Vehicles (picture of AAV provided). He would perform basic maintenance and malfunction reporting/inspections on these vehicles as well. Robert deployed to Haditha, Iraq as provisional infantry in 2007 and Wardak Province in Afghanistan as a military training advisor to a Company of Afghan National Army Soldiers in 2009.

Robert was stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA. In his free time, he loved working on vehicles at the Hobby Shop on base or hanging out with some of his Marine buddies. The brotherhood that was seen between these men was/is truly one of a kind and like no other.

Life after the military is definitely not for the faint of heart. There is no manual on how to live life once the transition is made from a structured military life to a civilian life. From a former military wife's perspective, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly after the military.

Today, Sgt. Robert Settle is a fully ASE-certified mechanic at Pro Car Care and Aamco Transmissions in Lake Charles. He is a proud Dad to two beautiful girls, Shelby (12) and Baylee (5). He also has two bonus kids that he adores, Ryland and Audrey with his significant other Ashley.