Two Individuals With Ties to Fort Wood Appointed New Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army

Two individuals well known in the Fort Leonard Wood community were appointed Tuesday by Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth to be new Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army in Missouri.
The new CASA’s are Rick Morris and Joe Driskell.
Richard “Rick” Morris, from Fremont Hills, Missouri, is a retired command sergeant major who served 23 years. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge, among numerous other awards and decorations. He is a successful business leader who currently serves as director of operations for Fort Wood Hotels by Ehrhardt Properties and is the managing partner of Liberty Management Group, which owns and operates three multi-family gated communities in Saint Robert and Rolla, Missouri, and the Preston of Springfield, Missouri. He currently serves as the Association of the United States Army’s 5th Region President, is a member of the Rotary Club International, and is chairman of the Committee of Fifty. Morris and his wife Audrey reside in Fremont Hills, Missouri. Morris has been a champion for our Army at the national, state and local levels for the past 40 years.
Joseph “Joe” Driskill, from Jefferson City, Missouri, has over 40 years of state and federal civic service. He was elected six times to the Missouri House of Representatives from Doniphan in Southern Missouri, and served in various civic leadership positions at the state level, including cabinet head of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, a governor-appointed member of the Missouri State Board of Education, and as military advocate for the State of Missouri. He led Missouri’s efforts to coordinate state and local actions to preserve and expand Missouri’s military installations, missions and agencies, improve the quality of life and opportunities for service members and their families, and to support and enhance the state’s defense industries. Driskill was the founding executive director of the Leonard Wood Institute, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that partners with the Army to develop new technologies. He also led efforts to create the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership at Fort Leonard Wood, where he continues as a part-time senior advisor, providing strategic advice and research.
CASAs promote good relations between the Army and the public, advise the secretary about regional issues, support the total Army workforce and assist with recruiting and helping Soldiers as they transition out of the military.
Each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories have one or more CASAs to provide a vital link between the Army and the communities they serve. CASAs are usually business or civic leaders who possess a keen interest in the welfare of the Army and their communities.