Today's Featured Biography

Derrick Rainwater

        Captain (R) Derrick B Rainwater is originally born and raised in Enterprise, Alabama. He graduated from Enterprise High School in 1994. He Graduated from Auburn University Montgomery with his Bachelors of Business Information Systems in 2002. He decided to continue his education after serving in the United States Army for two decades as an Enlisted Soldier (Blue Collar) then continued as a Commissioned Officer (White Collar).

        He started his military career in the early 90’s working in the Alabama Army National Guard as a unit and equipment dispatcher during the Alabama State Emergency Guard Activation during the flood of Elba Alabama.  While in the National Guard, he attended Enterprise State Junior College (ESJC) as a Music Performing Arts Major.  This program provided him a full scholarship while he performed in the award-winning ESJC Entertainers Show Choir, ESJC Concert Choir, and the ESJC Band as an Alto and Tenor Saxophone Player. 

        Derrick decided after a year at ESJC, to venture in the Active Duty Army where he was stationed in Fort Lewis Washington.  Every day Mount Rainer was visible in its magnificent beauty, making this assignment very pleasant.  Derrick worked diligent in the field of supply (Automated Logistics Specialist, 92A) at the Installation Supply Support Activity (SSA) and the Installation Map Warehouse.  During the Clinton Administration government drawdowns, Derrick saved the tax payer over 1.2 Million Dollars, by confronting his commander to provide the Installation warehouse of supplies and maps to the civilian population schools and universities in lou of burning them as ordered.   Before Derrick left Washington, he was nominated to work at the White House Communication Agency (WHCA) and was mandated to endure the long process of a Top Secret (with Presidential support) Clearance.   After extensive prayer, Derrick decided instead to come back to Alabama and continue his education at Auburn University with the change in path from Music to Business Information Systems (BIS). While in College, He met his wife Cara (a Nursing Student) to be married in October of 2000.

        In 2002, Derrick received his commission in the Army as a Second Lieutenant in the field of Aviation during his graduation.  Derrick started his Officer career in the Initial Entry Rotary Wing (Helicopter) Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama.  There he learned to fly the TH-67 Creek Bell helicopter, OH-58 A/C Kiowa Warrior Helicopter, and continued in the Advance Qualification Course in the UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter in 2004.

        After flight school, he was assigned at Fort Hood, Texas, to build an Aviation Unit Maintenance (AVUM) Unit from scratch.  Because of his Quartermaster Supply history, he was assigned as the senior Aviation Logistics officer (S-4) in the Aviation Support Battalion supervising multiple million dollar exchanges and contracts.  In 2005, about 6 months before Derrick was to Deploy, his first Son (Austin) was born.  As a trained Unit Movement Officer, Derrick mobilized the Combat Aviation Brigade from Texas to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 05-07).  During a combat mission in the summer of 2006, Derrick’s Helicopter had to make a ‘hard landing’ due to a maintenance failure.  Although Derrick landed the aircraft as safe as he could, he sustained injuries from this incident.

        When Derrick redeployed back to the U.S., he was assigned back to Fort Rucker for the Aviation Captain’s Career Course (Graduate Program).  In August of 2007, Derrick's second son (Trenton) was born.  To continue with the requirements of the Career Course, Derrick had to attend the extreme “High Risk” SERE Level C Course (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape).  This course was reserved only for special operations and pilots in the Department of Defense.   Unfortunately after the course, Derrick was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC for spinal surgery to repair his back injury.

        After graduation from the Career Course, Derrick stayed at fort Rucker to fulfill the duties as an Executive and Operations officer to the Director of the Concepts Requirements Directorate.  There he learned the extensive Army Acquisitions process of research, development, and approval of purchasing multi million dollar contracts for the Government.  He continued his efforts as an Aviation research staff analyst to help restructure and maintain a safe Aviation force.

        In 2009, as a break from two years of research, Derrick was assigned a temporary 6-month position at Fort Bliss, Texas as a VIP/Congressional/General Officer escort.  There, he remembers escorting The Honorable Congressman Gabrielle Gifford’s from Arizona.  (to later realize in January of 2008, she was the one shot in the head outside a grocery store in Tucson, but survived.) During an escort mission, she noticed Derrick was wearing Aviation Wings, and discussed how her husband (Mark Edward Kelly) flew for the Navy and has since been working as a NASA Astronaut. 

In 2011, Derrick was selected to serve in military intelligence by attending the Anti-Terrorism Officer Basic Course at the Army Military Police School at Fort Bragg (NC) and the Operations Security (OPSEC) Analysis and Program Managers Course at the Interagency OPSEC Support Staff & National Cryptologic School.  After graduation, he served for two years as an Aviation Brigade Security Program Manager.  During his time off, Derrick volunteered to serve the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) as the Department of Alabama Training Coordinator and Webmaster.  He also volunteered countless hours as a leader in the local Cub Scouts while not only mentoring his own two boys as scouts, but used his positive leadership influence to double the scout unit recruitment.  Because of his off duty efforts, Derrick was awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.  Derrick continued to struggle to maintain the stringent Army Health Standards so he decided to retire on August 31, 2013.

        Derrick is enjoying his retirement while pursuing a second career as an Entrepreneur, by continuing his business education as a graduate student at Full Sail University.  

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