Charlie Vardman graduated from Rochelle Township High School in May 2007 and reported for duty to the United States Army five months later. He became an Army Ranger and for the next seven years was a ranger supervisor for the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
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Vardman born a leader
Posted
Charlie Vardman graduated from Rochelle Township High School in May 2007 and reported for duty to the United States Army five months later. He became an Army Ranger and for the next seven years was a ranger supervisor for the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
The 75th Ranger Regiment is a lethal, agile and flexible force, capable of conducting many complex, joint special operations missions. Today’s Ranger regiment is the Army’s premier direct-action raid force. Each of the four geographically dispersed Ranger battalions are always combat-ready, mentally and physically tough, and prepared to fight our country’s adversaries.
Their capabilities include conducting airborne and air assault operations, seizing key terrain such as airfields, destroying strategic facilities, and capturing or killing enemies of the nation. Rangers are capable of conducting squad through regimental-size operations and are resourced to maintain exceptional proficiency, experience and readiness. The regiment remains an all-volunteer force with an intensive screening and selection process followed by combat-focused training.
The 75th Ranger Regiment is a proud unit and a team of teams serving the nation.
Their locations are:
1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia
2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Washington
3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia
Regimental Special Troops Battalion, Fort Benning, Georgia
In his capacity as a Ranger Supervisor, Vardman lead and maintained training for 12 soldiers and their canines and maintained 100 percent accountability and serviceability for over $175,000 worth of equipment during multiple international trips and six combat deployments.
Vardman was an outstanding RTHS athlete in football and wrestling who loved mentoring kids coming into high school. He mentored five new Army Rangers, guiding them to successful completion of the 75th Ranger Regiment Dog Handler Course. He was also responsible for educating and providing job specific details essential to mission success.
He was deployed six times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He served with Sandy, his canine partner, on three of those missions. Sandy and Vardman were inseparable, uncovering bombs and buried IEDs, a 100 pound sack of black tar heroin, and once, while searching an abandoned compound, Vardman said Sandy recovered a live baby that had been left behind.
For his work, Vardman was recognized by the Battalion’s highest leader of soldiers for actions performed while executing combat operations.
Just 10 days after his discharge from service, Vardman joined he mSP team at Strategic Partners (Dec. 2014), tackling multiple projects from smaller commercial and hospital renovation projects to large-scale hospital bed tower projects.
In April 2016, he received a military phone call notifying him Sandy had been killed in action. It haunted him.
“I spent time wondering what I could have done, how I could have saved her had I been there; should I have stayed,” he said.
To help him through the loss was what he characterized as a really great support group. He also found great solace in nature.
“Getting out in the wilderness, going out on a hunt, being in the camaraderie of hunters mirrored the camaraderie I felt in the military. It really changes the way you feel inside,” he explained.
Not long after joining Strategic Partners, Vardman enrolled as a full-time student at Everglades University. He began classes January 2015. It created countless sleepless nights, balancing career workload during business hours, school workload during the evenings, weekends at home.
“My wife has truly been by my side every step of the way, and at times played the role of my greatest cheerleader and coach. I could not have accomplished this without her continual support,” he said.
In 2017, Vardman earned his Bachelor of Science degree in construction management.
“It has been a long road, but I’ve emerged a more experienced, and well-rounded project team member for it,” he said.
As he shifted focus from combat missions to career, he said, “The experience I gained during my first three years at mSP opened my eyes to the construction industry, and has molded me into the mSP team member I am today. I owe where I am to the mSP team surrounding and mentoring me. The supportive family I have at mSP has all had an influence on how I manage projects for our clients daily. It feels great knowing I am a vital member of the best project management firm in Houston.”
And with free time at his disposal, he is elevating his project focus and reveling in downtime at home with his wife and son.
“I thank my mSP team, my wife, and the intestinal fortitude instilled in me during my time in the Army at 3rd Ranger Battalion. I could not have completed these milestones without all three helping me along the way.”