Aaron Wright was born into a military family in Seattle, Washington in 1968, while his dad was serving his first of two tours in Vietnam. The family moved around the country and the world throughout his dad’s career in the Army, finally settling in middle Tennessee. After graduating with a B.A. from Toccoa Falls College in Georgia in 1990, Aaron enlisted in the U.S. Army in early 1991 as an Infantryman [11B]. He served both at Ft. Davis, Panama with the 5/87th Infantry and at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 1/187th Infantry, the Rakkasans. A highlight of his tenure with the 101st Airborne was being selected to represent the division in the 1996 David E. Grange Best Ranger Competition. However, he considered his greatest accomplishment during his time at Ft. Campbell meeting and marrying Trish [Conrad], USMA Class of 1995.
After Trish and Aaron left the military, Aaron attended Southern Illinois University School of Law, graduating with his J.D. in 2003. He spent six years with the law firm of Brandon, Schmidt, Goffinet, and Solverson [now Brandon & Schmidt] located in Carbondale, Illinois and then moving over to the Government sector with the Illinois Attorney General where he has served for 13 years as a supervising Assistant Attorney General in the Workers’ Compensation Bureau.
He quite happily resides in the Carterville area with his wife of twenty-seven years, Trish, and a yellow Labrador named Bocephus. Aaron’s hobbies are duck hunting, fly fishing, and reading. He and Trish are members at Hope Church (Evangelical Presbyterian) in Carbondale. They have two adult daughters and a son-in-law, Rose Sprague and husband Jackson Sprague of Carterville, Illinois and Emma Wright of College Station, Texas.
Thru the Airborne, Ranger, and West Point communities Aaron and Trish have many connections with other veterans in all stages of life and careers. Aaron is particularly passionate about helping veterans adapt to civilian life and has been doing so in unofficial capacities for many years. He is therefore very excited about the opportunity to take this work in an “official” direction thru service on the board of TAV as TAV makes a difference, one dog and veteran at a time.
