Thomas Harris

My name is Thomas Harris, and I am originally from Los Angeles (born and raised). I am the oldest of 6 children; however, between the 6 of us, there are three moms and two dads. I have been married for about 24 years now and have three children (ages 22, 16, & 10 years) of my own. I am a full-time husband and father. My day job is working for a sober living company as an Assistant Program Manager. I occasionally volunteer wherever I'm needed and available. I have been a high school football official for over four years and am in the process of moving into replay for Division 1 football.

I served in the US Navy on submarines from 1995-1999 onboard the USS Tunny- SSN 682 (Pearl Harbor, HI) and the USS Alabama- SSBN 731 (Bangor, WA). During my time on active duty, I was a Sonar Technician, with two deployments, stopping in Guam, Japan, and Hong Kong.

I was qualified in submarines, receiving my Silver Dolphins Submarine Warfare Insignia. I also was awarded Desert Storm/Desert Shield Service Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Letter of Commendation for deployment, Good Conduct Medal. I qualified in various positions ranging from: Weapons Qualified (small arms, pistol, shotgun), Topside Sentry, Helmsman/ Planesman, Sonar Operator, Petty Officer of the Deck, 3-inch Launcher Qualification, 3M Maint Person Qualification.

I look forward to hanging out with our members the most each week. That's what MVP is all about. The thing that brought us all together is that we miss the camaraderie we once had while serving this country and being involved in team sports. I love that we have that again. That's what being in a community is all about. It's so good to see everyone in person, especially with the last year of not seeing one another consistently during the COVID pandemic. I love to encourage and be encouraged.

Working out and looking past physical and emotional issues is a very healthy thing. I am encouraged by the growth of our members over the past five years. I have definitely grown in confidence and have progressed in a positive way since becoming a member. Our trainers are excellent, and working out in groups motivates me to work out more. Weekly, I am inspired by the openness/transparency of our members. I feel more at ease when hearing and sharing our stories in a safe environment; it's refreshing for the soul.

I have committed myself to be of service to others, especially the veteran community. I try to do my part with weekly check-ins with our members. It blesses me to see others blessed by my reaching out and checking in. I love our members! As a lifelong sports fan, it is a dream come true to be involved in sports. It's also a dream come true to get to know some of these professional athletes personally! It's a win-win for me. They have similar struggles that veterans have; that's why we have been "merged."