Fellowship Alumni
Mitchell Forbes
United States Army Veteran
Mitchell Forbes was born in McAllen, Texas and was raised in Arlington. After a few years in college, he joined the Army at the age of 21. Stationed at Fort Drum, NY 10th MTN 3BCT 2-87IN Blackhawk Company, Mitchell deployed once to Logar Province, Afghanistan in October 2013. On April 28, 2014 while on patrol, his platoon was ambushed from multiple machine gun positions. Mitchell was shot through both legs, severing the sciatic nerve in his left leg and breaking his right femur. He spent the rest of his military career at Walter Reed rehabbing. Since being medically retired, he finished his undergraduate degree in Policy Studies at Syracuse University. In two weeks, he completed his EMPA in December 2017 at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School with a certificate of advanced study in Security Studies. Mitchell and his wife Maggie have a son named Griffin and a golden retriever named Hoot.
Joseph (Joe) Betteley
United States Marine Corps Veteran
Joseph (Joe) Betteley recently graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law. He will start working at a law firm in Washington D.C. in the Fall of 2018 focusing on Antitrust and government investigations. As a Hillvets Fellow, Joe worked in the office of Congressman Paul Cook where he had the opportunity to attend multiple hearings, respond to constituents, contribute to publications, and provide insight to other staffers on veterans related issues and proposed legislation. Joe previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2001-2010 and the Utah Army National Guard from 2010-2013. He was a tactical systems operator on KC-130s, an embassy security guard, and a Russian Linguist.
Abigail P. Gage
United States Army National Guard
Abigail P. Gage was a member of the first class of HillVets House Fellows. During her time as a research assistant for the House Armed Services Committee staff, Abigail contributed to an investigative report featured on Serial. She recently graduated from the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, earning a Masters with concentrations in International Economics and Strategic Studies. She is a Major in the Maryland Army National Guard and previously served on active duty in Iraq and Germany. Abigail earned her Bachelors in Geology, Anthropology and Archaeology from Washington and Lee University in Virginia.
Keronica Richardson
United States Army Veteran
Keronica Richardson deployed to Iraq and Kuwait as a Mortuary Affairs Platoon Leader. She supervised and processed more than 500-combined U.S. and Coalition Force deceased personnel, which is recognized as one of the most important jobs in the entire Army. She was appointed as the convoy commander and traveled to Iraq and Kuwait providing efficient and safe movement of personnel and equipment for over 1,167 miles. Keronica graduated from Charlotte School of Law in 2015. She completed her fellowship in the office of Senator Joe Donnelly and now has a permanent placement as the Assistant Director for Women and Minorities at The American Legion.
Aaron Kleiman
Air National Guard Veteran
Aaron Kleiman served as a special operations aviator and currently is an Air Liaison Officer in the Air National Guard. He has over 1000 combat flight hours with deployments to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Aaron left active duty in 2014 to attend the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where he earned a Master in Public Administration. Kleiman was a fellow in the office of Rep. Tim Walz and now has a permanent placement as Department of Defense Contractor. He also owns his own Real Estate Business
Daniel Snedden
United States Army Veteran
Daniel Snedden served in United States Army Special Operations and has combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. His experience leading troops in Afghanistan during the 2013 government shutdown inspired him to pursue a career in public service in hopes of working towards more responsible governance. Dan graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina State University, with a degree in leadership in the public sector, minors in Middle East studies and poultry science, and a certificate in global perspectives. Snedden was a fellow with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Eric Goepel
United States Army Veteran
Eric Goepel served in the Army as an Information Systems Supervisor in 1st Special Forces Group. He provided server repair, installation, and worked as network and information system analyst and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2016 Eric graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a degree in Political Science. He was a fellow with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and now has a permanent placemment as Assistant Director of National Security Division at The American Legion.
David Ogle
United States Marine Corps Veteran
David Ogle served in the Marine Corps as a Low Altitude Defense Gunner. In 2010, he deployed to the Helmand Provence in Afghanistan. David graduated from the University of Miami in 2015 with a B.A. in Philosophy. He also served 2 years in the reserves while in college. He completed his fellowship at the office of Rep. Alcee Hastings and now has a permanent placement with Rep. Stephanie Murphy.
Tyrone Bratton
United States Air Force Veteran
Tyrone Bratton served honorably for ten years in the United States Air Force (USAF) as a Law Enforcement Officer and Special Investigator. Additionally, he is a church planter and is also a graduate of the second Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP) Comedy Bootcamp for veterans, where he performed at top entertainment venues such as the Warner Theatre, the FunnyBone (Syracuse & Virginia Beach), the D.C. Improv, and the Gotham Comedy Club in New York city. Tyrone has also performed for veterans at Walter Reed Hospital, Google, and the White House. He completed his fellowship in the office of Representative Robert Brady and secured a permanent placement with Representative Robert Brady.
Mike Songer
United States Air Force Veteran
Mike Songer served in the Air Force as Security Forces or Military Police. During his service, Mike conducted both law enforcement and security operations while deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Flight Chief, Mike directed over 40 Air Force and Japanese personal in law enforcement and security functions while stationed in Japan. In 2016, Mike graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s Degree in History. He completed his Fellowship at the office of Sen. Cory Booker and secured a permanent placement with Rep. Don Young.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald
United States Air Force Veteran
Elizabeth Fitzgerald served in the United States Air Force’s Judge Advocate Corps for over six years. Elizabeth attended South Texas College of Law for her J.D. and the University of Texas School of Law for her LL.M. in International Law. She joined the HillVets Fellowship in October 2015 and worked on national security, intelligence, technology, and defense for Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA). She was hired by Senator Cassidy as a Legislative Aide in May 2018. She completed her fellowship in the office of Senator Bill Cassidy and secured a permanent placement with Senator Bill Cassidy.
James Tarkington
United States Navy Veteran
James Tarkington was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy following high school as a cryptologic technician and served aboard the USS Farragut out of Mayport, Florida. Following his enlistment, he enrolled in college in Tallahassee, Florida where he studied International Affairs at Florida State University. Upon graduation he decided to continue his education and moved to Washington, D.C. to earn a degree in Political Management from George Washington University which he recently finished.