Rob McGregor’s service in the military led him to his newest profession: helping fellow vets.
The front doors of the American Legion building on Baker Street are marked by two green light bulbs: a nationally recognized sign of thanks and appreciation for veterans. In Plant City, the service organization is known for helping vets through fundraisers and community projects.
Inside, finance officer Rob McGregor is hard at work making sure veterans are taken care of outside the American Legion’s walls.
McGregor is a family assistance coordinator and technology guru for the Florida National Guard Family Program, an organization dedicated to helping veterans and their families with financial assistance, legal issues and medical benefits. He began working with the program after his wife, Pam, became a volunteer.
Often, military veterans have trouble accessing their benefits or are unaware of the benefits they have. It is an issue that strikes a personal note with McGregor.
SENSE OF PURPOSE
The Southern California native retired in 2005 after serving in the United States Air Force for 22 years. Although McGregor’s uniform had an Air Force badge, he worked in the Active Guard Reserve as part of active duty in the Army National Guard.
“Sometimes people have trouble understanding active duty National Guard,” McGregor said. “They don’t understand their benefits, they don’t understand their entitlements … We all wear uniforms, but we’re being paid out of different pots of money.”
While many view National Guard members as patriotic volunteers who give up one weekend every month, McGregor’s service was full time. When he first enlisted in the military, he was a teletype operator. As technology advanced, so did his position. He eventually helped install some of the first computer networks used in the Air Force and reached the rank of master sergeant.
“The planes didn’t fly unless we provided them with computer support,” McGregor said.
McGregor comes from a military family. His father and his uncle both served in the U.S. Navy. Before enlisting, McGregor talked to recruiters from all military branches. Eventually, his Navy veteran uncle encouraged him to join the Air Force.
“I wanted to learn something, but I didn’t necessarily want to learn (through college,” McGregor said.
“When I joined it was, ‘I’ve got to do something with my life,’” he said. “The sense of duty made me re-enlist. I found a calling, I was part of something bigger.”
CONTINUED SERVICE
Before McGregor retired from active service, he made the decision to get laser eye surgery. The procedure was covered by his military benefits. Though his ID card said that he was active duty Air Force, he had trouble getting the surgery when he explained his service with the National Guard.
The confusion, which he has faced frequently before and since his retirement, has allowed him to offer his own advice and assistance to fellow veterans through the Family Assistance program.
“Nothing happens out of malice,” McGregor said. “Our job is to advocate.”
Besides helping veterans with their benefits, the program also offers financial assistance to veteran’s families and active duty families.
“They don’t need to be worried about their family back here,” McGregor said.
McGregor uses the American Legion as his full-time office. He’s been a member of the American Legion since his retirement, but became heavily involved in 2006.
His wife is a member of the American Legion’s Auxiliary Unit 26.
Following his retirement from active duty, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World became McGregor’s first non-base home in 20 years.
As McGregor continues to help American Legion members and Plant City vets, he hopes to see the American Legion grow. The unit has 120 members, with about 10 attending regularly. McGregor has been the unit’s finance officer since 2006.
“This post is very financially stable,” he said. “When I was retiring … I wanted to be with other veterans. I picked the Legion (because) of the strong emphasis on supporting military families. The Legion seems to be more apt to do that than some other veteran organizations.”
Because of McGregor’s prior service, the Plant City American Legion post focuses many of its fundraising efforts on raising money for National Guard families in Plant City.
“It’s shaped every aspect of (my life),” McGregor said. “It’s affected my whole family.”
McGregor said he would encourage anyone who is thinking about joining the military to enlist.
“I’d tell them to do it,” he said. “The best part is just the feeling that I made a difference.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
