This week’s veteran is US Army retired Command Sergeant Major, John J.
Kessler. John served in the United States Army from 1984 to 2013 and with
nearly 30 years of military service, has a vast range of experience, expertise,
and leadership in Army Aviation, Military Intelligence, Special Operations,
and Human Resources.
Some of John’s fondest memories started in 1985 with his first assignment at
A Co., 224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploration) where he
deployed to Central America in support of operations often referred to and
known by many as the “Iran-Contra War”. John later served as an instructor
at Ft. Eustis, Virginia training aviators and aircraft mechanics. In the
mid-1990’s, he passed selection and humbly served with the 160th Special
Operations Aviation Regiment, famously known as the “Night Stalkers”. Their
mission is to insert, extract and resupply elite Tier-1, and Tier-2 units like the
1st SFOD-Delta, DEVGRU, Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, and Rangers.
The official motto of the 160th SOAR is “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit!” which is
imprinted in the leadership philosophy of John Kessler.
As a Command Sergeant Major, (E-9), John advised general officers,
congressmen, senators, and foreign dignitaries on human capital, personnel,
training, readiness, equipment requirements, organizational operations, and
deployments. He also guided organizational operations with formations of up
to 145,000 Soldiers and Civilian Staff, with budgets of nearly $5 billion.
In 2009 the effects of protracted wars in the Middle East on our service
members stationed in the greater Houston area drew the attention of the U.S.
Senator John Cornyn after four soldiers from the same unit ended their life by
suicide. This initiated the search for a firm but compassionate leader who
would advise, mentor, and supportively lead soldiers towards help and
healing while completing one of the Army’s toughest assignments, which was
to recruit the Army’s Future Soldiers.
Command Sergeant Major John J. Kessler was the leader specifically
selected by the Commanding General of USAREC for the task. As the Senior
Enlisted Advisor, he was charged with championing a change management
philosophy that examined the contributing factors associated with suicidal
ideations while implementing leader driven actions that would mitigate those
ideations. His leadership and that of the commander resulted in all soldiers
receiving the help needed, in an expedited manner, fostering resiliency, and
no soldier losing their life to suicide during this time.
John also encouraged a more holistic review of how medications were
prescribed and the effects they had on at-risk soldiers. This fueled some of
the earliest conversations with city and state officials. Ultimately, the hard
work of John and hundreds of others resulted in the implementation of a
state-wide initiative in Texas known as the Veteran’s Treatment Court (VTC).
This is often referred to as VET-Court and as of April 2026, over 45 counties
in Texas have established a VTC program. These courts use a
non-adversarial, team-based approach involving judges, veteran mentors,
and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address root causes of
legal trouble rather than focusing solely on punishment. Participants who
graduate often have their charges dismissed and may be eligible for
expungement.
After retiring from the Army, John continued to selflessly serve as the
Executive Director of Lone Star Veterans Association, where he led what was
at the time, the largest non-profit organization that assisted veterans
transitioning back into civilian life while advocating for them.
In 2016 and at the young age of 51, John graduated from Texas A&M
University where he earned a Master of Business Administration. He then
took that knowledge and put it to work with fellow veterans and created
Vanward Solutions LLC, where they leveraged talents and developed
customized solutions for their customers’ successes. Simultaneously, he
served as the Vice President of Montgomery County Municipal Utility District
(MUD) 94, and more recently the Conroe Industrial Development Corporation
where he seeks to attract new businesses and support the expansion of
existing ones in Conroe, Texas.
Like Isaac Conroe, John did not grow up in Conroe, both served our nation in
armed conflict, mustered out of the Army in Houston, Texas and became
businessmen before moving to Conroe. John says he’s humbled by the fact
that there are so many similarities between him and Conroe’s city founder.
John is one who runs towards the sound of thunder with the “Veracity of a
Soldier and the Professionalism of a Statesman”. John advocates to mitigate
excessive tax liabilities, create opportunities for small business, shape future
conditions for responsible growth, and protect our natural resources. In
January 2026, John committed to lead once again but this time as a “Soldier
to Statesman”. He stepped forward, volunteered and registered to be a
candidate for Conroe City Council, Place 4 and says it is an honor to carry on
the torch of selfless leadership. Good luck John and thank you for your
service! Congratulations on being MCN’s Veteran of The Week.