ALERT Cadet Commanding Officer - Major Roger Farr

Roger and his wife Sue have been married for 28 years and have homeschooled their three children: Peter (22), Brian (20) and Katherine (18). Accepting Christ as Savior while in their early teens, both Roger and Sue did not make a Lordship decision for Christ until University. Since that time they have been trained by Christian Business Men’s Committee, the Navigators, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Precept Ministries, and the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Roger and Sue have led small groups and workshops on financial freedom, discipleship, building a strong marriage, and raising children, all according to biblical principles. They have been involved with the Character First! program, which teaches biblically-based character to public school children and businessmen. Major Farr accepted the responsibility to lead the ALERT Cadet program in August of 2002. He and his two sons have been involved with the program since 1998. His sons have completed training with the ALERT program. The Farr family lives at the International ALERT Academy in Big Sandy, Texas.

ALERT Cadet South Central Regional Coordinator - Captain Tom Butler

Tom and his wife, Dee, have been married for 22 years. They have five children, Michael (20), Alaina (19), Gabriel (16), Josiah (13), and Rebekah (6). Tom accepted Christ in grade school while in Japan with his parents who were missionaries. Dee accepted Christ at age 26. The Butlers have homeschooled their children for their entire formal education. Tom retired from the US Air Force in 1997 after serving 23 years in Aerospace Medicine. He is currently employed as a Health Educator and Flight Paramedic for a fixed-wing air ambulance company. Tom and his three sons have been involved in the ALERT Cadet Program since 1998. The Butler family resides in Broken Arrow, OK.

ALERT Cadet Southeast Regional Coordinator - Captain Gary Reckner

Gary and his wife Kathy, have been married for 28 years. They have eleven children. Bryce, their oldest son (22) has completed ALERT Cadet and ALERT training, while Gary’s sons Tyler (17), Timothy (15) and Emery (10) continue in the Cadet program. Gary and his sons have been active in the ALERT Cadet Program since 1998.

The Reckners have home schooled their children from the beginning of their formal education using the ATI program. Gary is employed with the Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service and has recently relocated with them from Florida to Western Kentucky. The Reckners enjoy being out-of-doors and living a rural life with many animals, to train the children, and teach life lessons.

ALERT Cadet Northwest Regional Coordinator - Captain John Smythe

John and his wife Lauretta have been married for 29 years and have five children: Erin (28), Yvonne (23), Ian (20), Elanee (15) and Evan (12). John and Lauretta made a public profession of faith more than 18 years ago, but the Lord’s true salvation did not come until 13 years later. John and Lauretta have homeschooled their children since 1990.

The Smythe family purposes to do everything in unity - so with agreement of his family, John took on the responsibility as the Area Coordinator for the IBLP Ministries in Portland, OR in 2001. Seeing the need for his heart to be knit to the hearts of his sons and daughters and with the help of other faithful fathers, John started the ALERT Cadet Oregon 1st Alpha Unit in 2001. In November, 2005, John was promoted to ALERT Cadet - Western Region Captain with responsibility to promote the ALERT Cadet Program and encourage those fathers and sons who are ALERT Cadet members in the region. John owns a telecommunications consulting business and lives in Hillsboro, Oregon.

ALERT Cadet Indiana and Ohio Coordinator - Captain James Snyder

Jim and his wife, Denise, have been married for 20 years. They have four children: Abigail (19), Nathan (17), Joshua (14), and Hannah (12). They reside in the countryside outside of Fort Wayne, in northeast Indiana. Both Jim and Denise accepted Christ as their individual Lord and Savior as teens, and, by God’s grace, have continued to grow in their relationship with Him throughout their married life.

As a homeschooling family, they have benefited from the teaching of the Institute of Basic Life principles, the Advanced Training Institute, and numerous speakers throughout the country. Jim and Denise (and their children) serve on the board of directors for their local home-school organization and are active in their local church fellowship. Jim is employed in the medical field as a perfusionist.

Jim and his sons have been active in the ALERT Cadet program since 2003 and in November 2005, Jim accepted the promotion to Captain.

ALERT Cadet Northeast Regional Coordinator - Captain William Waddell

Bill began his walk with the LORD on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1980 while serving in the US Navy as a Naval Flight Officer. He met his wife, Sharon in 1982 in San Diego, CA. They were married in 1983, and have 5 children; Gabe (22), Holly (19), David (16), Daniel (12) and Heidi (10). Retiring from the Navy in 1994, they moved to Carlisle, PA where they currently reside.

Bill is employed by the Army as a faculty instructor and director of the Command and Control Group at the US Army War College. They became involved in ALERT Cadets in 2002, beginning the Bravo Unit of the Pennsylvania 1st Brigade.

Bill and his sons David and Daniel began their activity with the ALERT Cadet program in 2002. Besides the active Cadet schedule, Bill also enjoys music, wood carving, and serving at church.

ALERT Cadet North Central Regional Coordinator - Captain Dean Winchell

Dean and his wife Susie have been married for 21 years and have three children, Bryan (21), Stephen (18), and Andrew (15). They live in the small town of Richland Center, Wisconsin.

Dean first became interested in using the ALERT Cadet program in the lives of his sons after attending several Father/Son Camps in the Northwoods of Michigan. In 2003, the Wisconsin First Bravo was formed and Dean accepted leadership as 2nd Lieutenant. He has been on disaster relief service projects in his area with ALERT Cadets following a tornado and several floods.

The Winchells have home-schooled their children. His sons have enjoyed the hands-on practical experience of working with Dean in the family business of selling fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. His two oldest sons have participated in the ALERT program, and Bryan now works as a full-time EMT-Paramedic.

ALERT Cadet Texas Coordinator - Captain Randy McDonald

Randy and his wife, Gayle, have been married for 21 years and have six children: James (16), Laura (14), John (12), Lisa (10), Joel (7) and Leah, born in December 2007.

The McDonalds have been involved in ALERT Cadet program since 2001 and helped found the Texas 6th Bravo unit in 2005. Randy served as the first unit leader of the Texas 6th Bravo and became State Coordinator for Texas in 2007. He desires to assist ALERT Cadet leaders in their quest to build active and thriving units. Randy is an attorney in private practice and also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves - Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

The McDonalds home-school their children and reside in the east Texas community of Ben Wheeler, near Tyler.

ALERT Cadet Southeast Asia Regional Coordinator - Captain Sreedhar Subramaniam

Sreedhar and his wife, Lee-Yen, have been married for 16 years. They have four children, Sharmaine (15), Sherman (13), Shawn (11) and Shane (2). Both Sreedhar and Lee-Yen accepted Christ in Malaysia in their respective high school Christian fellowships.

The Sreedhars have home schooled their children for the last 5 years using the ATI program. Sreedhar is a management consultant specializing in strategy process and information technology work. He is also a Character First! consultant and serves on the board of directors for a number of companies in Malaysia. Sreedhar and his two older sons have been involved in the ALERT Cadet program since 2004. The Sreedhar family resides in Petaling Jaya, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia