Staff Sgt. Lawrence Jefferson
Jefferson, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, enlisted in the U.S. Army in May,1989. In April, 1990, he earned his parachutists badge joining the elite ranks of the Airborne. He served in Kuwait and Iraq during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991 with the 36th Engineer Group, assigned to the 2/18th Infantry of the 197th Infantry Brigade. He returned to combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 and 2005, and yet again during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008-2009, serving with both the 1st Infantry Division, the “Big Red One,” and the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles.” Jefferson received the Purple Heart while he was engaged in action in November, 2008, when he was part of a convoy providing security for Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Dell. Currently, Jefferson is a correctional officer at North Idaho Correctional Institution. Within a year, he was promoted to a corporal in 2014 and to sergeant in 2017. He is married to Tonya and they have six adult children.