Oath Keepers Board of Directors

Stewart is the founder and President of Oath Keepers. He was born in Fresno, CA and comes from a family of hard working migrant farm workers (of Mexican and Apache Indian decent) on his mother’s side, and hard working Midwest farmers, horsemen, and GM auto workers on his father’s side. Both sides of his family have a long tradition of military service. During WWII his Grandfather on his mother’s side was a B-17 ball turret belly gunner, and his Grandfather on his father’s side of the family served as an Army infantryman in the Battle of the Bulge. Nearly all of his uncles on both sides of the family served in the Army or Marine Corps during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and his father served as a Marine.

Following the family tradition, Stewart joined the Army straight out of high school at age eighteen, attending Basic, AIT and Jump School at Ft. Benning, GA and then serving as a paratrooper (11B1P Airborne Infantry) stationed first at Ft. Bragg, NC and then at Ft. Lewis, WA, where he served in a long range Airborne scout company for the 9th Infantry Division until disabled in a rough terrain parachuting accident during a night jump. (jump #36!)

After the Army, Stewart graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his honor thesis focused on the political theory of James Madison. While attending UNLV, Stewart taught rape prevention and street crime survival as a volunteer instructor for the UNLV Jean Nidetch Women’s Center. He also worked as a professional sculptor and as a Nevada State certified concealed carry firearms instructor. After college he worked on Rep. Ron Paul’s (R, TX) DC staff.

Stewart graduated from Yale Law School in 2004, where his paper “Solving the Puzzle of Enemy Combatant Status” won Yale’s Judge William E. Miller Prize for best paper on the Bill of Rights. He assisted teaching U.S. military history at Yale’s History Department, was a Yale Research Scholar, and is now writing a book on the dangers of applying the laws of war to the American people (with partial support from a modest but gracious grant from Yale Law School). After law school he clerked for the Arizona Supreme Court and then served as a small town Montana criminal defense (including contract public defender) and general practice lawyer. He has served in a pro bono capacity on several gun rights cases before federal Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court. While practicing law in Montana, he also served as a volunteer fire-fighter ( practicing what he preaches).

Stewart was invited to speak at Stanford University on unlawful enemy combatant status, and teaches classes on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Stewart currently writes articles on the Bill of Rights for S.W.A.T. Magazine, and has written for The Warrior, the journal of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College; for www.moreliberty.org; and for Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO), and for his own Dirt Rhodes Scholar blog where he was an outspoken critic of Bush Administration violations of the Constitution (www.stewart-rhodes.blogspot.com).

After founding Oath Keepers, Stewart has appeared on dozens of nationally syndicated radio shows, on scores of local radio shows across the country, and has appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, on Fox News’ The Factor with Bill O’Reilly, and on CNN Special Reports.

Sgt. Rand Cardwell (RET) U.S.M.C. veteran (Desert Storm).
Tennessee Chapter President
Member of the National Board of Directors for Oath Keepers

Rand Cardwell was one of the driving forces in the April 15th, 2009 Tax Day Tea Party that was held in Knoxville, TN. Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, was the featured speaker at the event, which was four days prior to the official launch of the Oath Keepers at Lexington-Green, MA. Rand and his wife, Cathie, traveled to Lexington-Green and have been heavily involved in the Oath Keepers since that date.

Rand as been a guest speaker at rallies in throughout Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. He currently serves on the Oath Keeper Board of Directors and as the Tennessee State President of the organization. Tennessee has opened chapters in Knoxville, Tri-Cities, Rutherford County, Nashville, Murfreesboro and Memphis under his guidance. He has assisted the development of chapters in North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia.

He has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and several local newspapers for his efforts to promote the Oath Keepers. Likewise, he has been interviewed by numerous radio talk shows in Tennessee and North Carolina. Rand has also been involved with high school children and has spoken to several classes on the importance of the Constitution.

Cpl. L. Franklin Shook III U.S.M.C. veteran (Vietnam).
Montana Chapter President
Member of the National Board of Directors for Oath Keepers

Franklin was Born Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1945 to rural Southern Christian family; moved to Memphis, Tennessee 1952; graduated Treadwell High School in Memphis 1963; officer in high school marching band; Memphis City Champion in Cross Country 1961. Franklin quit studies at University of Memphis to join U.S. Marine Corps in 1965 and volunteered for Viet Nam service and got it. He was released from active duty late 1967. Married 1968 and fathered two wonderful children; established drywall business in Shelby County, Tennessee 1973. He established Tennessee Sub Chapter “S” corporation employing Dental lab technicians and jewelers in 1979.

Franklin was an interstate irregular route truck driver in 48 states and two provinces Canada for five years in the 1980s; moved to Georgia 1991; co-established with one partner a retail jewelry store in Gainesville, Georgia throughout the 1990s. He co-founded the online discussion forum The Mental Militia 1999; closed jewelry store and moved to Montana between 2000 and 2001. Franklin worked as free-lance jeweler in Bozeman 2001 until 2008; became political and philosophical activist during period between 1999 and 2003. He took a partner and co-established Montana Crucibles, a private jewelry design studio in Willow Creek, Montana in 2008.

Franklin joined Oath Keepers in March, 2009 and became editor of the monthly newspaper The Gallatin Valley Patriot in August, 2009. He became editor of The Montana Messenger monthly newspaper October, 2009 and became publisher of The Oath Keeper monthly newspaper November 2009.

Elias is Chapter President, Montana Oath Keepers and is a member of the national Oath Keepers Board of Directors.

His interests include creative writing, reading, researching hidden history, political philosophy, activism, art and literature, conspiracy theory, the ontology of beauty, Constitutional study. Elias is a simple man, lover of Nature, and friend to all animals. He lives with two beloved cats in Willow Creek, Montana.

David T. Helms, U.S. Army (Vet),
Member of the National Board of Directors for Oath Keepers

David was First delegate for Arkansas to Continental Congress 2009 and has been a life-long Freedom Fighter. David has three educational degrees which include AOS Degree-Nuclear Technology, AOS Degree-Aviation Technology, BS Degree-Aviation Science.

David was in the U.S. Army for six years and spent eighteen years as a professional pilot. He is also a pProfessional researcher, specializing in governmental and Constitutional issues.

Maj. Rex H. McTyeire (RET), U.S. Army Special Forces,
South Carolina Chapter President, National Vice President for Eastern U.S.
Member of the National Board of Directors for Oath Keepers

Major McTyeire started his military career from southern Georgia (Albany) as a volunteer, on orders to Jump School at eighteen years old. At Ft Benning, he was recruited into Special Forces, and offered an age waiver to volunteer. He was one of the youngest soldiers to graduate SF Phase 1 at Ft. Bragg in the period, and was on the Honor Detachment. Assignments to 5^th 3^rd 7^th and 10^th SF Group “A Teams” followed, as well as a tour with 46^th Company SF Thailand. On the road to SFC E-7, as a master parachutist: Rex added Advanced Demolitions, Jump Master, Ranger and Scuba schools to his resume. He went from SFC to Lieutenant as an OCS Honor Graduate, after degrees from NY State University. Rex was a charter member of the Special Forces Officer Branch (“Crossed Arrows” brass) with 18 primary and three 35 series intelligence schools backing it up. After a series of nominative black Special Operations assignments, with a mission focus on Afghanistan, winning an MSM for service reporting on Soviet combat activity: Maj. McTyeire returned to the Special Forces school as initially the Deputy Director of Advanced Skills at SWCS, Ft Bragg, and then moved to take command of the Operations and Intelligence schools there.

Major McTyeire is a life member of the Special Forces Association, and has also been a member of American Mensa for 35 years. His degrees are all oriented to History, Military History, Archaeology and Anthropology, and he enjoys writing about anything in related fields: from paleoanthropology on to general Scottish history, and specific military engagements throughout history. He has produced research work on battles from Kadesh to Culloden, as well as the Us Revolution. After retirement from Special Forces, Rex did security consulting and contract work in Azerbaijan, Romania and Turkey, and became very active in the Scottish Independence Movement.

Rex was the first American elected to the Scottish Independence Convention, and continues to actively support the voice of the people and freedom in Scotland. He works for the resident choice on the issue of Independence of the Scottish Nation, and a final end to Monarchy. He has been writing military history and general Scottish History on line for about 15 years, while blogging and running message boards in support of Scotland’s voice and options to her own future for 10 years. Rex brings to Oath Keepers a solemn commitment to the US Constitution, and avidly supports the rights and voice of all people everywhere.

David J. Rivers
U.S.M.C. veteran (Vietnam) and Oath Keepers General Counsel,
National Liaison to U.S.M.C.
Member of the National Board of Directors for Oath Keepers

David J. Rivers, II was born in Richland, Washington, November 27, 1946. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1966 to 1970, served in the Republic of Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 where he was injured in a rocket blast which broke his neck and lower back and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant prior to discharge. He received Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from the University of Nevada and a Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University.

He is the litigation partner in the law firm of Leavitt, Sully & Rivers which maintains a civil practice with emphasis in corporate and other business organizations, real estate, construction and general business. AV rated by Martindale-Hubble (the highest possible rating for competency and ethics for an attorney), he provides regularly scheduled lectures for laymen on Constitutional Law and related issues, lectures in the area of construction law and has published articles related to the practice of construction law as well.

He is a member of the Clark County Bar, State Bar of Nevada, American and Nevada Indian Bar Associations. He served two terms on the Clark County Bar Associations Board of Directors and was Secretary of the Nevada Indian Bar Association. He is serving his fifth term as a Committee Member of the Clark County School District Bond Oversight Committee, and he is the Judge of the Commercial Tribal Court for the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.

Sheriff Richard Mack, Former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona

Author/speaker and former sheriff Richard Mack has served in a wide variety of roles over the course of his nearly twenty year career in law enforcement, which began in Provo, Utah.

Mack began his career with the Provo Police Department as a parking enforcement cadet while attending BYU. A couple of years later he became a full-time officer and was soon promoted to Corporal, Sergeant, and Detective. His most traumatic experience there was a one-year assignment as an undercover narcotics agent. After nearly 11 years at Provo PD, Mack decided to return to his childhood turf in Arizona and run for Graham County Sheriff. His campaign took off and he was elected in 1988.

He was sheriff for two terms until 1997. He was named Elected Official of the Year by the Arizona-New Mexico Coalition of Counties in 1994, received the NRA Law Officer of the Year, inducted into the NRA Hall of Fame, 1995 Cicero Award, Samuel Adams Leadership Award from the Local Sovereignty Coalition, and Gun Owners of America Defender of the Second Amendment Award.

During his tenure, federal officers informed the sheriffs of the state that they would be required to enforce the so-called “Brady Bill” and run background checks at their expense under the law. In 1994, Mack and six other sheriffs from across the country, challenged the constitutionality of the Brady Bill and ultimately, fought it all the way to the United States Supreme Court, where they won a monumental decision for freedom.

Three years later, in a landmark 5-4 split decision based on the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Mack won his case.
Mack as an undercover narcotics agent

A graduate of the FBI National Academy, some of Mack’s positions include: patrol officer, undercover narcotics officer, hostage negotiator, youth officer, school resource officer, communications supervisor, corporal, front desk sergeant, detective, sheriff, Search and Rescue supervisor, jail administrator, and DARE instructor.

Mack has been a consultant on numerous cases regarding police abuse, brutality, and other misconduct by public officials. He has joined with other members of the law enforcement community to speak out in favor of drug policy reform.

A graduate of Brigham Young University, Mack lives with his wife in Fredericksburg, Texas.

During the past two years Sheriff Mack has been a speaker at more than 70 different Tea Party rallies all across the country, ranging all the way from Honolulu to Bangor, Maine. Mack has supported this noble movement, because it is both effective and peaceful.

John D. Shirley, Active Duty Peace Officer – Houston, TX.Texas Chapter President, National Liaison to Peace Officers

John D. Shirley is a third generation peace officer and son of retired Houston Homicide Detective. He grew up in Houston and after High School attended Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

After college he joined the Houston Police Department, graduating 6th in his academy class. He swore his Oath to the Constitution on December 20, 1994. In his seventeen years of service to the citizens of Houston, John has served as a patrol officer, bicycle patrol officer, crime analyst, policy development officer, patrol supervisor, internal affairs investigator, homicide investigator, and now he’s the Administrative Sergeant in one of the largest patrol divisions in the city.

John takes his oath with the greatest seriousness, and firmly believes all who’ve sworn the oath should educate themselves on what the Constitution actually says and then boldly apply it in their lives. John believes that peace officers should weigh every decision against the restrictions placed on them in the Bill of Rights before taking any action to deprive someone of their freedoms.

John is a founding member of Oath Keepers and spoke before 5000 people at the July 4th, 2009 Tea Party Rally in San Antonio, Texas. He now serves as the State Chapter President of Texas, the National Peace Officer Liaison, and is a member of the National Board of Directors. He lives in Tomball, Texas, a suburb North of Houston, along with his son.

Steven H. Armbruster, Pennsylvania Active Duty Peace Officer. PA Chapter President, Army Veteran

Steve is a career law enforcement official who resides in Lehighton Pennsylvania with his wife Tara and their three children. He is a United States Army veteran of the 1st Infantry Division Forward (Big Red One) and is currently employed (for over 20 years) by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, as a police officer/corporal.

Steve was deployed to Morocco in 1987 and participated in Exercise AFERDOU, a multi-national peacekeeping mission by training the Moroccan military and also performing dignitary protection details. He has also worked on a drug suppression team and also served as a military police patrol officer, as well as a Lehigh County deputy sheriff and a Police officer in Emmaus Borough.

Steve is also a National Rifle Association, Police firearms instructor and he has graduated from the North American SWAT Training Association’s basic SWAT school and Critical Incident Response/Quick Action Deployment/Safe Avenue of Escape School and is active shooter instructor certified.

In 2009 Steve received the Oath Keeper police officer of the year award for his defense of the US Constitution; this was presented to him in Las Vegas Nevada.

Steve also has a background in Christian activism. This is where he has preached the Christian Gospel to literally thousands of people over an approximate five year period. He has worked and continues to work with several different Christian groups.

In November of 2011 Steve organized “Freedom At Any Cost” with the mission of protecting the rights of the citizens through investigative reporting. FAAC conducts interviews with persons who have reported potential “civil-right” violations, seeks to expose governmental corruption and also reports on contemporary issues.

SSG James Hanna (Ret), US Army, Texas 2nd VP

James joined the Army Reserves in 1982 and took Infantry Basic/AIT during the Summer between his Junior and Senior years of High School. After three years in the USAR 95th TNG CMD, he enlisted in the US Army. In addition to serving in Airborne, Light and Mechanized line Infantry units, he found himself tasked with several interesting and challenging assignments. The two and a half years he spent as an Instructor at The Air Assault School in Ft Campbell, KY was his absolute favorite assignment. He spent 6 months helping build Camp As-Sayliyah in Qatar, serving as the Operations NCOIC of the ARCENT-Qatar HQ. He spent a year serving as the NCOIC of the DMZ Orientation Section at Camp Bonifas in Korea. While serving in the I Corps HQ EOC at Ft. Lewis, WA, he held many jobs simultaneously, from G3 AIR/AVN NCO to G3 OPS IT specialist and, finally, working as a Global Command and Control Systems (GCCS) operator before retiring in 2005. James is qualified as both Jumpmaster and Rappel Master, and he spent five years on active Jump Status during his 23 years in the Infantry.

After retirement, James understood that his Oath to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic” never expires. Looking for new ways to honor his Oath, he engaged with his local TEA Party group, to speak on the seriousness of understanding the Constitutional Oath, and the duty of the Oath-sworn to refuse unlawful, unconstitutional orders at a Bi-state Freedom Rally in Texarkana. He continues to support the Constitution through outreach to local Police, Firefighters, Military personnel and elected officials.