Veteran Spotlight on Terry Kondora
posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2022
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“I can’t say how thankful I am for the continued support I’ve received from Iowa Select Farms over the years,” said Terry Kondora, an employee veteran of Iowa Select Farms. “The My Veteran Hero recognition program is such a nice surprise.”
Terry, a Navy veteran, is a member of the genetic transfer center transportation team and will be celebrating his tenth year with Iowa Select Farms this November. Before working at Iowa Select Farms, Terry was a Chief in the United States Navy for 20 years.
“I spent 20 years working as a jet engine mechanic in the Navy,” said Terry. “It’s amazing looking back because I started by being the guy that wiped the oil off the ground, but through hard work, I was promoted to running the central control station by the end.”
Throughout Terry’s time in the Navy, he was able to experience 65 different countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia—his favorites being Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia, to name a few.
During one of his deployments, Terry was stationed on a battleship in the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. He recalls escorting tankers back and forth across the vast waterway. One specific story that Terry shared was when he and his best friend Dave were brought to an abandoned Iraqi warship in the middle of the Indian Ocean and were tasked with getting it started. Although unsuccessful, Terry fondly remembers this being one of his many memories of his time in the Navy.
Today, Terry reflects on his service to our nation and the lessons that it taught him along the way. Terry lives in Ackley with his wife, Vickie. They have three sons, Bill, Bob and Tony. Thank you, Terry, for your service to our country!
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