Service of Another Kind: 3 RDO Veterans Share Their Stories

Military veterans are a part of RDO Equipment Co. teams across our regions and working in roles of all varieties. Every veteran has a unique story, and in recognition of Veterans Day, we asked three team members to share their stories.

Read on to learn more about these team members’ military service and the way it shapes their contributions at RDO today.

Ally Stanley - Oregon Army National Guard Veteran – Customer Service Advisor, Eugene, OR
Ally comes from a family with a tradition of naval service, and she is the first member of her family to pursue the Army route. She enlisted out of high school as a 92A Automated Logistics Controller for the infantry. In this role, her job was to support the constant mission-readiness of her battalion. Specifically, her focus was planning, scheduling, and controlling heavy equipment maintenance within the shop.

Ally was introduced to RDO through fellow service members and started in the Eugene parts department. Today, she is a Customer Service Advisor specializing as a Product Support Specialist for Vermeer’s line of recycling and forestry equipment. In this role, no two days are quite alike, and she gets to do a bit of everything, from machine deliveries and demos to full aftermarket support.

During her seven years in the military, Ally learned everything she could about heavy equipment. Perhaps more importantly, she gained an everlasting motivation to take on anything an unpredictable day may throw at her, and these skills and experiences serve her well in her work today.

“I loved everything about my service in the military,” she said. “But most of all I am very grateful for the determination, drive, and the adaptability to overcome that the military taught me.”

Christian Ramirez – U.S. Marine Corps Veteran – Service Technician, Riverside, CA
Christian got his first taste of the Marine Corps in his teens through the Young Marines youth leadership and service program. There, he learned of the challenging nature of Marine Corps service and decided it was a challenge he wanted to pursue.

He attended basic training in San Diego and selected an engineer equipment mechanic specialty. After completing his specialty training in Missouri, he was deployed to Okinawa, Japan, where he was promoted to Corporal. At just 20 years old and got his first exposure to leadership duties as a Shop Chief, overseeing five other mechanics on top of improving the company’s mentorship program.

After two years overseas, Christian returned stateside where he took on increasing responsibilities, eventually attaining the rank of Sergeant. He then assumed the position of Platoon Sergeant, overseeing and mentoring 60 other Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Christian credits his military service for his mechanical expertise and his discipline, both of which continue to benefit him. Today, Christian has the chance to work on just about any piece of equipment that comes into the Riverside shop, but his favorite part of the job? Helping new Service Technicians build a strong foundation as they begin their career.

“There’s a lot to learn right away: everything from shop culture like safety procedures and properly using PPE to how different equipment operates and how we work as a team,” he said. “It’s important to get those basics down to help them succeed in whatever comes next.”

Adam Tebrugge – U.S. Army Veteran – Service Technician, Fergus Falls, MN
Seeking new experiences after high school, Adam enlisted in the Army, traveling from Chicago to South Carolina to complete training. Though he had little mechanical background, working on off-road vehicles had always appealed to him, and he pursued a heavy-wheel vehicle mechanic specialty.

Adam was first stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington, where he performed maintenance and transportation for semis, five-ton trucks, Humvees, and trailers. He also served as Tank Commander for a wrecker, where his role was to navigate and aid with safety during retrieval of broken-down vehicles from the field.

After two and a half years, Adam was deployed to South Korea, continuing many of his same duties until returning to Fort Lewis a year later. By that time, he had attained the rank of E-4 Specialist and was responsible for four wreckers and a crew of nine people.

Adam was in the field conducting a training exercise on Sept. 11, 2001. He recalls the complete transformation he witnessed upon his return to the base proper. Nearly overnight, entrance gates had been barricaded and closely guarded with heavy weapons. Gates and walls were reinforced or rebuilt taller and stronger, and visitor access and movement near the base became nearly nonexistent. The change in the emotional environment was even more extreme.

“We went from peace-time training to not just being ready to go to war, but ready for war to come to us,” Adam recalled.

Training efforts shifted toward preparing units for the military responses that came in the wake of 9/11. In those months, the final few of his Army career, Adam saw a flurry of activity, including desert training at Fort Irwin, near California’s Death Valley, along with a stint at Fort Polk in Louisiana.

Military service runs in Adam’s family. Both of his grandfathers served during World War II, one as a gunner’s mate in the Navy and the other as a bomber pilot in the Air Corps, and the tradition continues, as Adam’s oldest son recently graduated basic training for the Navy.

Today, in the Fergus Falls shop, Adam is a combine specialist who takes great pride in “making wrecked things work like brand new again,” and credits his military service for an attention to detail and a respect for doing work correctly the first time, two traits that prove most helpful in his job today.

At RDO, we are honored to work alongside veterans like Ally, Christian, and Adam. We respect and value the unique skills and perspectives veterans contribute to our teams as a result of their service experiences. To these team members, and to the many others on our teams and beyond, thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

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RDO Equipment Co. team members have the opportunity to make an impact, grow, collaborate, and develop. Visit our careers page to find your place at RDO, and learn how the John Deere Military SkillBridge Program helps veterans and active military find employment within RDO Equipment Co.