501(c)(3) · EIN 92-1411042 · Verified Public Charity
Leadership

Board of Directors

Veterans, patriots, and families who volunteer their time to steward VPU's mission — guiding the organization with the same discipline and service they brought to the uniform.

Amos Savell with his family
Amos with his wife Tracy and sons Malakai & Elijah
Founder & Board President

Amos Savell

From Force Recon to Founder: A Life Reclaimed Through Purpose and Service

A Fighter From the Start

Amos Savell grew up in Huntsville, Texas, working in his father's logging business and boxing at the international and Olympic levels. At the University of West Florida, friendships with local Marines inspired him to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps at 19.

Force Recon to the CIA

Amos completed a grueling two-year pipeline to become a Force Reconnaissance Marine, deploying to Iraq in 2004–2005. He then joined the CIA's Global Response Staff, supporting covert operations in the Global War on Terror until 2018 and logging more than 30 combat tours across Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond.

A Battle Within

Years of relentless deployments and moral injury eventually caught up with him. Amos faced life-altering setbacks and sought treatment for post-traumatic stress — a journey that opened his eyes to the national crisis facing veterans and was sharpened by losing friends to suicide and PTSD.

Why He's Here

That pain became purpose. Amos credits his recovery to faith, the 12-step process, and renewed calling — and channels it into Veterans & Patriots United, the organization he founded to help veterans rebuild, learn new skills, and keep serving their communities.

Family First

Above all, Amos is devoted to his family — a loving husband to his wife, Tracy, and proud father to their two sons, Malakai and Elijah.

Still Serving F.O.B. Rasor · AIM-VETS · Marine Corps League, East Texas Detachment · VFW Post 5871 · American Legion Post 95 · Local Church Ministries
Troy Yard
Mentor / Adjutant

CPT (R) Troy A. Yard

From Paratrooper to Beekeeper: A Life Built on Service

30+ Years in Uniform

Troy's Army story starts as a Private in the 75th Field Artillery Unit in Peoria, IL, and spans both enlisted and officer service on Active Duty and in the Reserves. He deployed twice to Iraq as a Battalion Human Resources Officer with the storied 82nd Airborne Division, trained future officers at three universities, and finished his career as Executive Officer of the Syracuse, NY Military Entrance Processing Station — earning American, German, and Ukrainian jump wings along the way.

Books & Boots

A 1984 graduate of Pekin Community High School, Troy earned his B.A. in Religious Studies (Philosophy emphasis) from the University of Dubuque in 1999, then completed the Adjutant General Captains Career Course, the Brigade Human Resources Course, and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Why He's Here

Troy is convinced God placed him at Veterans & Patriots United for a reason — to serve as Adjutant and pour 30 years of Army discipline into every veteran who walks through the doors, offering guidance, encouragement, and a steady hand. God has also used an unlikely gift, beekeeping, to open doors: it's become a second calling Troy uses to teach residents a trade and help them earn income rescuing honeybees from tricky spots around Huntsville, TX. He previously served as IT/Web Developer and “Corporate Beekeeper” for Hives for Heroes (2022–2026) and is Treasurer & Secretary of the Walker County Beekeepers. Troy has been a proud, active member of Alcoholics Anonymous since June 13, 1989 — more than 37 years of sobriety he credits to God's grace, one day at a time. That lived experience is now a gift he passes on, helping veterans and others find the same freedom in getting and staying clean from drugs and alcohol.

Life Outside the Uniform

Off duty, Troy's probably tending a hive, roasting beans for his own company, TnT Coffee Roasters, or bottling honey through Old Waverly Honeybees — both businesses he owns and runs. He loves good coffee, deep talks about God, a swim, and time with the family's cats, dog, and chickens. Troy and his wife, Tamara, have four sons: Steven, Justin, Nathan, and Jonathan.

Still Serving CTO for Cherokee Outlaw Ranch, TnT Coffee Roasters, Yolk and On Bakery, JB Yard Photography & Walker County Beekeepers · Active Member, Fellowship of Huntsville Church
Dale Inman
Mentor / Board Member

Dale Inman

From the Pulpit to the Marketplace: A Life of Faith, Business, and Service

A Shepherd's Heart

Dale Inman has spent decades shepherding congregations through seasons of growth and change. He now serves as Senior Pastor of The Woodlands Bible Church. He previously led Autumn Creek Baptist Church in Houston for seven years, growing a diverse congregation and launching three multicultural church plants — Korean, Chinese, and Spanish.

Business & the Classroom

Dale's calling extends beyond the pulpit. He owned and ran a Nationwide Insurance Agency for over two decades, growing it into a $3.5-million operation serving 3,500+ clients, and oversaw three offices and 25 employees as a Strategic Area Manager. He's also taught as an Adjunct Professor of Business at Lee College since 2017, with prior stints at North Harris Montgomery College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Faith & Scholarship

Dale holds an MBA in Finance and Accounting and a BBA in Marketing from Sam Houston State University, plus a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, specializing in Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek.

Why He's Here

As a Board Member of Veterans & Patriots United, Dale brings his pastoral heart to veterans navigating PTSD. He's led humanitarian missions to Lebanon (post-2006 war) and Syria (COVID relief), and serves on the Texas SREC Committee on Military Partnership.

Life Outside the Pulpit

Off duty, Dale enjoys reading, time in nature, and building things by hand. He and his family are longtime foster parents and adoption advocates, and he's launched multiple entrepreneurial ventures along the way.

Service & Recognition Board Member, Veterans & Patriots United · Humanitarian Missions to Lebanon & Syria · Committee Member, Texas SREC on Military Partnership · Foster Parent & Adoption Advocate · Multi-Venture Entrepreneur
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