Board Of Directors

Colonel (Retired) Robert Choppa was born in 1961 and grew up in Glens Falls, New York.  After college, he enlisted in the Army with his twin brother and commissioned through the US Army Officer Candidate School as an Infantry Officer.

Colonel Choppa served in several operational units (in peace and combat) and training units in Infantry/Maneuver, Command and Staff assignments at the Platoon, Detachment, Company, Battalion, Brigade, Division, Corps, and Army level. Rob served in 6 different types of Infantry units including Mechanized, Light, Airborne, Ranger, Stryker, and Long Range Reconnaissance Infantry Units in various worldwide assignments in Canada, Mexico South/Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and in the Arctic.

Rob served as an Infantry leader at Rifle Platoon, Ranger Platoon, Company Executive Office, Company Commander (Rifle Company and Long Range Surveillance Company), Battalion Commander (5-20 Infantry), Brigade Operations Officer, Brigade Commander, (171^st Infantry), and Chief of Infantry, Commandant of Infantry. 

Rob had staff assignments at Battalion, Brigade, Division, Joint Readiness Training Center, Maneuver Center of Excellence-Fort Benning, US Army Europe and Seventh Army, US Forces Bosnia-Herzegovina / Kosovo / Iraq / Afghanistan, Multi-National Forces Iraq and NATO Forces-Afghanistan level. 

Rob’s professional development schools include the Officer Candidate School, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course,

Canadian Land Forces Staff Course, US Marine Corps Command and Staff College, US Army Command and Staff College, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, National Defense University, and a National Military Strategy Fellowship at Syracuse University.

Rob’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with three oak leaf clusters - OLC), Bronze Star Medal (two OLC), Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal (six OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (six OLC), Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal (four OLC).  In addition, the National Defense Service Medal and many campaign medals (Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraqi, and several other service medals.  Unit awards include, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, and Army Superior Unit Award with

two oak leaf clusters.  Badges include Air Assault Badge, Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman Badge, Imjim Scout Award, Jungle Expert Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.

Rob married Mindy Allen Choppa in 1987 at Fort Benning.  In 2014 Rob and Mindy retired as the Chief of Infantry in Columbus, Georgia.  Starting as a Defense Contractor in 2014, Rob went overseas, back to the Middle East, with Knowledge Point Inc. through 2016, training Combined Arms Infantry Brigades for the United Arab Emirates.  These Brigades deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and followed on into combat in Yemen.  In 2017, Rob, was a Contractor for Iron Hand Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was a Defense Consultant to His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.  As a Defense Contractor in the US, Rob has worked for Vectrus Incorporated in Colorado Springs, General Dynamics Information Technologies Incorporated in Fairfax, Virginia.  In March 2018, Rob became the Executive

Director of Historic Westville, a 501C3 non-profit organization for 6 months and completed the move from Sumter County to Columbus.

In July of 2018 Rob became the President of the National Infantry Association at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.  The NIA supports the Chief of Infantry and all of the Infantrymen, past, present and future.  Rob and Mindy have two sons, one an Infantry Officer and one an Artillery Officer.    

Rob is on the Board of Directors for many organizations in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley.  His dedicated efforts include military

affiliated non-profits and the arts (Columbus Symphony, Boy Scouts, AUSA, MOPH, VFW, Muscogee County Sherriff’s Advisory Council, Rotary, Columbus Botanical Society, NRA, and House our Heroes, etc.).