The American Legion – you know the name. Everyone does. But they are more than just a group of old veterans at a bar. What are their duties, and how do they impact the next generation of our armed forces and society as a whole? David Ramadan sits down with two distinguished leaders: Captain Len Wales, a Commander of McLean American Legion Post 270, and Colonel Glenn Yarborough, who served 2017 years in the US Army in Armor and Cavalry units.Together, they discuss the activities and programs organized by the American Legion for the youth, families, and communities. They also explore what the largest veteran’s organization today is doing to address loneliness and food insecurity faced by aging soldiers.
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We're talking about an institution, a lot of Americans have heard of but not many understand the American Legion who it is, what it does, and why it still matters for veterans, families, and local communities.
Joining me are two leaders who have spent their careers in uniform and in community service, Len Wales, a Commander of McLean American Legion Post 270, and an adjunct professor at the Shar School at George Mason. We also have retired Colonel Glenn Yarborough who served 2017 years in the US Army in Armor and Cavalry units, finishing his career as Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the army for Research Development and Acquisition.
Glenn has led at multiple levels in the American Legion, including commander of the 17th District of Northern Virginia and now serves on the American Legion National Security and Legislative Councils as well as President of Reagent 2 of the Association of the United States Army. We'll unpack what the American Legion is, how it's structured, what it does on the ground, and how students and community members can engage beyond saying, thank you for your service. Len, Glenn, Commander and Colonel, welcome to the show.
It's my pleasure to be here with you.
Journey From American Legion To Schar School
Thank you for being with us. Commander Len, give us a short version of your path. What did your military service look like? How did that lead you to the American Legion Post 270 and teaching at the Schar School?
I joined the Navy. I graduated University of Virginia and I went through officer candidate school in the Commission in the Navy. I served on guided missile destroyer out of San Diego and then was assigned in Washington area at the Bureau of Personnel. It had to change its name to naval military personnel command back then. I intended to stay in the reserve. I got off active duty and remained in the reserves. I took a job at Fairfax, County government in their budget office.
I worked my way up through the budget office, became deputy director and then eventually ran the borrowing program for them. My Navy Reserve career in parallel, I went down to Norfolk, found Minesweeper and served the board of the Minesweepers for about ten years in various roles. In fact, it recalled a desert storm in the early ‘90s for work with the mine countermeasures group out there in the Persian Gulf.
I basically remained in the reserves until I retired in the early 2000s as a Captain. At the same time, I was finishing up my Fairfax County career. I did a few more years there. Eventually, I was serving about 30 years with the county, then retired from the county. Somewhere in there, I got offered the job of adjunct teaching budgeting and finance with the Shar. It wasn't the Schar School then but eventually became the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason. Basically, that's what I'm doing now. I also picked up a couple of horses in state and local government. That's what I'm teaching.
That's great. Hopefully, a lot of your students are reading this.
We'll see. I joined the Legion shortly after the desert storm. Back then, the Legion requirements were a little bit tighter than they are now. I had to wait for a desert storm to become eligible for the Legion and I joined almost as soon as I got home from the Persian Gulf. I've been with the Legion since working various jobs within our post finance officer vice commander and now commander.
What is the proper rank to call you here? Is it the commander or is it the captain?
My Navy rank is retired Captain, but Commander of the postal work is just fine.
Commander or Captain. This immigrant who came here in 1989 with $2,000 in my pocket and a dream, started this American journey after witnessing the Marines bombing of Beirut in 1983. I witnessed that as I witnessed the American Embassy bombing a couple months before that. My first exposure to the United States, as we know it and love it, was the sacrifice of those Marines. I have the highest respect for all of our members of the military.
I never had the honor of wearing that uniform. Even during my service in the general assembly, I insisted on calling all my colleagues who are Delegates and Senators by their military rank and not by their political title. That’s why I always ask and make sure I am addressing you properly, sir. Colonel Glenn, how are you?
I go way back. A lot older than you, Len and you. I went to the University of South Carolina in the Citadel in Charleston. I played football at South Carolina and the Citadel. I came in the Army in 1961 and almost immediately went to Europe is part of the Berlin. Following that, I spent three years in Vietnam in two tours.
Thank you for that service, sir.
I learned a lot there. We worked with a lot of heroes. I spent all my time in the army in Armor and Cavalry units. Not the old Cavalry that you think of with horses, but cavalry with the track vehicles. It wasn’t enjoyable but I learned a lot. Good people. My time was with draftees. I can tell you they will wonderful.
Activities And Programs Organized By The American Legion
Let's fast forward to your role as a Commander of the American Legion. Talk to me a little bit about how you get there. I'm then going to go back and ask you both to American Legion 101. Educate us what that is. Before we moved to 101, Colonel, how did you end up serving the American Legion as a commander and then as overseeing the entire area?
I joined the Legion in McLean, and within six months, I was the commander there. Other folks walked away at the time. After that, I served as the district command of the 17th District, the largest in the State. Following that, I was the Department of Vice Commander with the Northern region. Now, I still serve, both helping lead and also have the 14th District down in the Valley. I spend a lot of time on the road in Virginia, Lexington and Williamsburg.
Was this like, “I am not done serving and I'm just going to serve in a different way?” Is that what the American Legion is after retirement from active service?
It is to me. I left the military because my wife was ill. I missed it. I miss it terribly even now. That's why I've served in the Legion, the VFW and Association US Army.
Len, the same for you, Captain.
It's not just the Legion, though. I've always felt tied to the community. I've spent even longer working with the Boy Scouts. I was an Eagle Scout myself as a youth and as an adult. Once my kids became of age, I joined. I've been doing that now since the late ‘80s. I’m also working with our local church. I’m working with their missions’ program. I'm the Director of the English as a second language program for the MacLean Baptist Church. That community service is in my DNA. When I became eligible, Legion wasn't the second thought. In fact, I joined McLean because my mother-in-law was a member of the post.
She had served as a lieutenant in the army during World War II and was an active member of the post at the time. It was a natural progression. Looking back, I don't know if there's been a time I have not served in some capacity, in the community, or for the military or for veterans or what have you. I don't know about Glenn, but I still miss those days of active duty. Nothing like being on the deck of a ship and a gale. There's something about it that you keep remembering.
When I was in the general assembly, I got invited to visit with the USS Eisenhower when it was imported in Virginia. I spent a day, Captain, as a guest of the mini boss. I spent a day on the USS Eisenhower and it was probably one of the best days of my life. It was incredible. I got a little bit of what your life would have been like on Etsy or on a great ship.
Understanding The Mission And Duties Of The American Legion
Educate me and our readers about the American Legion. As I said in my intro, almost everybody had heard the name. Almost everybody knows the American Legion, but almost everybody cannot tell you what the American Legion is, what you do, what you serve. who you serve and how you are structured.
The American Legion is probably the largest veteran’s organization now. It has over three million members to include those that are in the suns and auxiliary It's an organization and yet it's run out of 12,000 posts in the US and a few overseas. Those 12,000 posts are the basis for the Legion. Some are 1,200 people like in Springfield and some are Len’s with 300. You get to know people there.
That's the structure of 12,000 posts. There's no minimum or maximum number. Len, talk to us about what you do.
We're a veteran service organization. We were charted by the Congress back in 1919. After World War I, founded by World War I veterans. The Legion itself is founded on what we call Four Foundational Pillars, such as Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth.
Every Legion post is active to some degree in promoting these four pillars of American society. Veterans are a key part of our society.
As veterans ourselves, we seek to help other veterans in any way we can and ensure that the next generation not only appreciates veterans, but appreciates living in America and what we stand for as a nation. As I said, every post has some active program in each of these areas. Each post is free to determine where they go and what they do within those areas. The larger posts are probably going to be more active or become full-service posts. Whereas smaller posts like ours, we concentrate on a few things.
We're very active in children and youth, for example. We’re sponsoring five scouting America units. We participate in the Legion oratorical contest, which is for high schoolers to provide a public speaking contest on some aspect of the constitution such as middle school essay contests, why they like living in America. We do our share of Veterans Affairs. Glenn is very knowledgeable in helping make those connections between our veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs, both in Virginia and at the national level.
We also do two annual programs for the community celebrating or recognizing Veterans Day every November and Memorial Day as well as 4th of July. We try to remain active and relevant within the community, even though we are a relatively small post. Glenn mentioned the 12,000 posts around the country, and I can tell you from personal knowledge because I've got relatives that are also in the Legion and various parts of the country.
You get some very small towns around America. I don't care where they are. It may be Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Alabama, or whatever. The Legion post is the center of social activity in those towns. The veterans came home, decided they wanted to maintain their associations that they developed with the comrades, and became the center of a very active life in small town America. It's woven into the fabric of our nation at this time. Along with our brother organization which is the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Many Legion members are also members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars doing the very same things in the same communities.
The old stereotype that the Legion is just older vets at a bar. Is that now your membership or is it not? Talk to us about how membership over the years had developed and who qualifies who doesn't.
Not really now. Lives post particularly has a no smoking policy and we sell them if ever have any alcohol beverages there. people seem to like that just fine.
You don't have a bar. No bar in McLean.
You have to go to Springfield or Fairfax for that.
I've been to the Springfield one. I was invited during my service. It's a nice bar.
That’s the largest post in the state.
How To Become Part Of The American Legion
Talk to me about membership. Who qualifies? How does it work? How has it developed over the years? You obviously mentioned, Captain, that your mother-in-law was a member. It is a co-Ed organization. Talk to us a little bit about that.
You have to serve one day on active duty to be a new American Legion. That qualifies you and you need an honorable discharge which would be normally signified by a form called DD214. Back in the World War II days, it was served in various different aspects. That qualifies you to be a member. Each post dedicated its own dues. They are very reasonable for the time.
Each post attracts members in their local area. For example, in Len’s post. He's very close to 100% of the target that was assigned to him by the national headquarters. He'll meet that within the month. It goes on until July. Why did people join? It’s because they want to serve. They want to continue to serve. You find many folks that do that. You also find a few that would like to be members that aren't eligible.
Are they not eligible simply because they were not honorably discharged?
It’s because they didn't serve on active duty or perhaps, they were in a related organization like the Central Intelligence Agency.
You don’t think they spoke?
When they served, but they didn't serve in the military so it didn't count.
You don't take spies in there.
We have quite a few spies that have served on both ends.
They were on active duty for example, and then moved to the CIA. They are completely eligible. We also have adjunct programs that are affiliated with the American Legion that provide opportunities for people who were not in the military to also be part of the American Legion like family if you will. We have an organization called the American Legion Auxiliary, which is for the spouses who have not served, but are still affiliated with the Legion.
We have an organization called the Sons of the American Legion, for children of veterans who have not served and therefore, are not eligible for full membership in the Legion. They have a very active and dedicated organization themselves. There are the Legion writers also. These are veterans who have formed basically motorcycle clubs that all promote the pillars of the Legion and Legion ideals.
I wish I had known about the writers during my motorcycle days. I would have joined them for a ride or two.
You would’ve loved it.
I did the 91/1 rides a few years and those were incredible. I did not do one with the American Legion rides. Talk to us a little bit about some of the specific activities that you had done either currently or previously. Either during your time, Len, or during your time, Colonel, at the McLean post. Give me a couple examples of impact or projects you've done that people would notice that people maybe reading can relate to or had seen.
One of the exciting things that we've done is we carefully retire old American flags. Maybe that doesn't stand out too much, but you don't throw an American flag in the trash. You probably retired and each post does that. We have a box in a Post in Sydney. It was an Eagle Scout project to fix where people can leave their flags and then we retire them properly. That's a fascinating project. I don't know of anything that goes on in McLean that American Legion hasn't been part of.
Talk to us about how you retire a flag.
They are burnt. They're burned in an appropriate ceremony normally using Boy Scout Troops. It's done with the quite frequently with the Taps being played. We did try to do that once with an Allen Flags in the back of the post. It didn't work out too well. We transferred that to another post that had a little more fire power.
What else in Northern Virginia would be something that every day reader would relate to, Captain?
I mentioned them before, but we worked with McLean High School and helped establish a memorial garden there across from the school entrance. There are headstones honoring the service of veterans in the more modern conflicts like Vietnam, World War II and II, Korea, and so on. Twice a year on Veterans Day and Memorial Day, we gather for a ceremony of remembrance for our fallen veterans and those who have served. Veterans Day is for everyone who has served.
We bring in prominent people from the community to provide an inspirational talk. We invite the local elected officials. We invite the members of the community as well as the post to participate. We usually get a fairly decent crowd anywhere. Usually, 50 to 70 people show up. Memorial Day is to honor our war dead and also a very similar type of ceremony.
David, there's another program that is probably well known everywhere and that's called Boys State. This is run by the American Legion in each post. As many boys as they can afford to young adults. Its stand in the Hampton City College in the summer. All of the politicians that used to serve with come down to visit.
Interesting. For how long?
It's a weak program.
Is there a specific age group?
The 11th grade in high school. Those that go that have attended Boys State and also achieve the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts are fixed for life. They are well-trained.
We're working on an Experiential Civic Education pilot for undergraduates at George Mason. We have a request in the State budget for 2026to fund it. We're very hopeful that we're going to get the pilot funded at least in 2026. Not the long-term program. In my opinion, it is because we have a need and it is because of the lack of civic education that we have in the country.
In high school, we teach civic education to 8th graders and then we don't teach it. They go to college. If they're your students, Len or mine, they're in government at the Schar School, they learned. If they're biology or math or any other major, they don't have a requirement to take any government classes. I'm glad to hear about that program in high school because it's a civics education program for one week. Talk to us a little bit about what you have seen from such programs that made a difference for people or for the kids. You said they will be different, Colonel. Talk to us a little bit about that.
One of the things that individual young adults learn is how they could contribute to the political atmosphere. There's always a mayor of town elected or a senator or even judges. Those positions give these young adults, 11th graders some familiarity with Virginia politics. It’s something that they may take with them on their own. I don’t know if Len mentioned it, but he also has a program for oratorical contests. Those can go anywhere in the high school arena. In 2026, this selected team could move all the way to the district as the top oratorical. She's going to be our speaker in March. It’s a fascinating civics education for all of us.
Common Misconception About The American Legion
Congratulations. Captain, let's connect this to our readers. Mostly the students and the young professionals at George Mason. You're in the classroom. What misconceptions do they have about veterans and veteran organizations overall? What are you seeing? What do you wish our students understood more about our military, veterans, and the transition from veteran to civilian life?
Most of the students come from an environment where they have never been exposed to that thing. A handful have. In the classes I teach, it doesn't come up that much. The one thing that they probably don't understand well is the sacrifice that all veterans make when they put on that uniform. They're separating themselves from friends and family going off many times outside of our country serving in various capacities. Some in times or venues of great physical hardship.
I don't get a sense that the younger folks coming into universities have a sense of what it means to put it all out there and to make those sacrifices and say, “I'll serve. I will give up my comfortable life in Northern Virginia and take on those responsibilities and those hard duties.” You get a handful. I'm not saying they're all like that. For example, in my class. I've got at least one young man who is in the ROTC. I've had older students take my classes who have been veterans and know full well what it means. They're coming back to school to earn their degrees. I don't get that sense from your average junior or senior taking the classes that I teach anyway.
What can we do to engage them more? Is there a role or is there an activity? Is there a program that you may think of that perhaps the American Legion could do with our students, versus just with for high schoolers?
As you mentioned earlier, the civic education is so important. Not only at the college level, but all through high school. There's some lack of that in most schools. It's important that we have that. The Legion can certainly support it and we do.
When we launched our pilot, we are looking for 45 experiential hours from our students and they're not going to be, by the way, just George Mason students. They are going to be college students from all over Virginia that will register even if they're at UVA or VCU or Virginia Tech. They can then take the class from wherever they are and they're going to need to do 45 hours of experiential learning. Is that something that the American Legion could join in on whereby our students can go do those 45 hours of service during a semester through the Legion?
I am sure that the Legion would. In fact, we have tried in 2025 with the administration of the Department of the American Legion to encourage the Department of Education to do more. Projects are so helpful. Projects that would enhance the community.
Biggest Challenges Faced By Veterans Today
We will reach out to you. Not only locally, Len, but also Glenn on a regional level because we may have a need to place a student at some civic activity. Whereby, they are learning and contributing to the community at the same time. Let me ask you a 30,000-foot question, Colonel. You are leading across the region, too. You have over 100,000 members in nineteen chapters in that region. From that vantage point, from the 30,000-foot, what are the biggest challenges facing veterans now?
The biggest challenge for veterans is having something to do and being treated by the veteran’s administration. We have this enormous organization called the Veterans Administration, but we have lots of veterans that don't know how to participate. They don't know how to get care of there. There are so many rumors about who's eligible and who isn’t.
We're talking about medical care.
Also, suicides, loneliness and even food insecurity. All of that can be contributed. To me, I'm just so concerned about food insecurity. Particularly with the active-duty force. Thirty percent of the force now has experience food insecurity. You don't want that and the same with veterans.
One of the things we do that's very important that flies under the radar is a concept called body checks. We want to make contact with all of our members and all of our veterans to see how they're doing. We've done it in our drive to make sure that our members are continuing to pay their dues and know that we exist and still provide programs. We make personal contact with folks. We call them up on the phone and say how are you doing. We've got a good close affiliation with Vinson Hall, the local veterans facility here in McLean. We sponsor a distinguished speaker's program every month .
We bring in somebody from the defense or intelligence community to talk about topics of interest, topics of relevance in today's world to make sure that we keep people engaged. That's the very big part. As I said, it's an unsung part of our service to veterans. Not just connecting them with the various programs that they could be eligible for with the VA or the Department of Veteran Services in Virginia. It’s also to continue to let our veterans know that they are appreciated.
How Students Can Support Veterans In Their Communities
Thank you. I have two more questions. The first one is Mason related. Suppose that Mason student comes to you and says, “I'm not a veteran but I care about service. I want to support veterans in my community.” What are the three concrete things they can do? Whether it's on campus, in Fairfax, or with the Legion.
That's a very good question. One of the things they can do is they can think of a veteran for his service each day. You don’t know how much that means, being thankful for your service. Another is to speak with veterans. It's a big adjustment for someone to be in the military where you've got a whole group of people that support you and, all of a sudden, you are out. Whether you're retired or deported. It's great to have someone say, “Hi. How are you?”
Simple but yet effective.
It’s so important. Loneliness is a big problem for veterans.
What would be the third concrete thing that they can do to help, Commander?
I would say simply volunteering. Finding your local post or finding your Legion or VFW post and just knocking on the door and talking to the people saying, “What can we do to help? What can I do to help?” Every post is going to have something they need to help out. Whether it's helping put on one of their programs or assisting with body checks or any number of things that are available for anybody that comes up and says, “We'd like to help. Let me help.”
We’ll make sure to put a couple links to you, Commander, and to the Legion Post so that our Mason students can reach out.
One other thing, David. This may be the obvious thing to say. If you're talking to a young audience, I would encourage them to look at opportunities in the US Military in terms of joining. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of occupational skills that you can gain. I know Glenn would echo this. One thing we all learn in the military is how to take responsibility early. I'm seeing kids walk into my class in 2021. In year ‘22, I was in charge of a division of 40 young men aboard my ship.
The same is true in the army or the air force. You're never going to get that leadership responsibility at such a young age out in any other activity. I can't even name you an equivalent civilian activity, where you gain that leadership experience, the management experience, the responsibility on your shoulders at such a young age that you gain in the US Military. I guarantee you, it will set you up for a successful career no matter how long you stay. Whether you stay for a six-year hitch or make it a career. Whatever happens after you leave, you're going to take all of that experience with you and be that much better in your civilian role moving forward.
I can think of at least a couple dozen of my friends who are in civilian careers that started off with the military career and end up with two careers. They could spend twenty years in retire out of the service and then spend another twenty years of their professional career in a civilian post that they learned from their military post.
If people are interested more, they don't even have to do it full-time. In one of our earlier episodes, we had a commander of the Navy Reserve. They talk to us about the Navy Reserve. I learned that I've always thought my ignorance that you have to be full-time in active service then you go into the reserve only to learn that you don't. You can just join their Reserve from the beginning.
The Future Of The American Legion And Veteran Welfare
I second that for our readers to look into a military career, whether it is a full-time or part-time through the Reserve service. Thank you for that advice. This is our last question. Where do you see American Legion and other similar organizations in fifteen years from now? If you're looking 10 or 15 years, what's the healthy future for our veteran organizations?
It probably says that the veteran organizations will be bigger and stronger in fifteen years. It's always up for debate, but we've got a lot of folks that have served that’s raising kids or beginning their jobs. They'll all want to be in a veteran service organization, be it VFW or Legion or whatever.
Any final thoughts, Captain?
We've covered it quite well. To reiterate, Legion is part of the fabric of American society. We need to take advantage of the knowledge and experience of all veterans in whatever we're trying to do. Whether it's community service or careers. You name it. The experience and the benefits are up there.
Captain and Colonel, thank you both for your service in uniform and for your continued service in the community and for helping us understand with the American Legion is and does. For our readers, if you're a veteran, a military family member, or someone who cares about civic life and community, we will include links to the McLean American Legion Post 270 and resources about getting involved with the Legion and related organizations.
You can find this episode and all previous episodes of policy and governance perspectives at Schar.GMU.edu/Podcast or wherever platform. I'm Dr. David Ramadan. Until next time. Stay informed. Stay engaged. Remember, civic like life isn't abstract. It's who shows up.
Important Links
- Colonel William Glenn Yarborough on LinkedIn
- Association of the United States Army
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- American Legion Auxiliary
About Captain Len Wales
Leonard Wales is the current Commander of American Legion Post 270 McLean Virginia. He served with the U.S. Navy Reserve for over 30 years, both on active duty and the Naval Reserve Force, retiring as a Captain. His service includes significant command responsibility in Mine Countermeasures and Coastal Warfare and recall for service overseas during Operation Desert Storm.
He retired from a career with Fairfax County Government where he held various positions of significant leadership, including Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, County Debt Manager and Acting Administrator of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.
He currently holds a position as an adjunct instructor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, teaching Public Budgeting and Finance and State and Local Government. He has held an appointment as a Director of the Virginia National Defense Industrial Authority and formerly served as a Director of the Virginia Local Government Finance Corporation.
He has been active in the local community for many years holding various volunteer positions with Scouting America, the American Legion, and directing the English Language Learning program for recent immigrants at a local church. Mr. Wales is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds a Master of Urban Affairs degree from the Virginia Polytechnic and State University and a Master of Arts in History from George Mason University.
About Colonel Glenn Yarborough
William Glenn Yarborough, Jr, an entrepreneur, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of WGY & Associates, LLC. WGY & Associates is dedicated to the assistance of small and medium size firms as they offer their products to the Federal and State Governments, WGY & Associates tries to assist, and to make this experience both productive and profitable, by calling on long years of experience with the Department of Defense and providing newly found experience in Homeland Security with emphasis on the Transportation Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Glenn retired as President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of Allied Research Corporation to establish a defense, management, and government relations consulting practice.Located in McLean, Virginia, Allied Research Corporation (AMEX: ADG) was a diversified defense and commercial electronic security firm with worldwide operations in the United States, Europe and Asia and average annual revenues of about $150 million.
Glenn joined Allied Research in 1993 as Vice President, Business Development. Previously he had been Director of Marketing of the Grumman Corporation. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Allied Research in June 1998, with responsibility for ARC’s Operating subsidiaries, MECAR, S.A. and the VSK Group, both headquartered in Belgium, ARC Limited in the United Kingdom, and Barnes & Reinecke, Inc. Arlington Heights, Illinois. He was named Chief Executive Officer in September 1999, and retired in January of 2001. During his tenure, Allied Research Corporation was named number 38 on Fortune Magazine’s fastest growing list.
MECAR, S.A. produced a full range of offensive and defensive ammunition to include hand and rifle grenades, mortar and artillery ammunition, and tank and anti-tank munitions form 25mm to 120mm. The VSK Group produced a full family of unique, highly technical security equipment to include items of biometric content and barrier control. BRI provided technical engineering support to worldwide US Army commands and the upgrade of sophisticated military equipment.
During his assignments at the Grumman Corporation, Allied Research Corporation and as principal and owner of WGY & Associates, Glenn works closely with many detailed segments of the Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, Army, Navy, DARPA, FBI, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, NSA, and the CIA in addition to the Authorization and Appropriation Committees of the House and the Senate.
Glenn had a distinguished U.S. Army career, in Armor and Cavalry units, retiring as a Colonel after 27 years of service. His last assignment before entering industry was as Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research, Development and Acquisition. He was awarded a number of military medals to include the Purple Heart for actions in the Republic of Vietnam.
He attended The Citadel and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he later earned an MBA, majoring in Banking and Finance. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Executive Program, University of Virginia, the Naval War College Senior Course, and the Army’s Command & General Staff College.
He has served on the Board of Directors of Carleton Technologies, Airbus Defense and Space, Hinz Consulting and Ricardo Defense. He also serves on the Board of Easter Seals, So Others Might Eat (SOME), Friends of the McLean Community Center, McLean Chamber of Commerce, National Armor and Cavalry Heritage Foundation, The United States Cavalry Association (Chairman) and the Board of Advisors of the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Yarborough also serves on the National Board of Advisors for the National Medal of Honor Leadership & Education Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
Yarborough was the Commander of the 17th District of the American Legion with 18 Posts and 8,000 Legion members in Northern Virginia in 2017 – 2018.He currently serves on the American Legion National Security Council, the Legislative Council and was the Vice Commander of the Department of Virginia responsible for five Districts in Northern Virginia in 2021 -2022, with 10,500 Legionnaires
The Colonel is the former President of Region II of the Association of the United States Army with 450,000 members in 19 Chapters in eight states and the District of Columbia. He is a former member of the National Finance and Audit committee.Glenn is the 2020 -2021 Major General Anthony J Drexel Biddle Award winner from AUSA and the 2020 -2021 Friends of the McLean Community Center Friends Indeed Award.
Glenn is a Director Emeritus of the National Defense Industrial Association and served on the NDIA audit committee. He sits on the Joint Leadership Council of the state of Virginia as appointed by the Governor.
He is an active Rotarian. Yarborough was named District Rotarian of the Year in 2016, and Lord Fairfax by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2016. He served as the District Governor of Rotary International District 7610 in 20182019 and is currently the Finance Chairman.
Glenn is the Virginia State Chairman of the State Funeral for War Veterans.Yarborough received a distinguished citation from the Virginia state legislature for his support of veteran causes within Virginia in 2020.Glenn Received the lifetime achievement award from the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in 2022 for his service to Veterans and Veteran owned Business.He is the legislative director of the Virginia Governor’s Joint Leadership Council. For his services to Veterans and to McLean he was selected as the Grand Marshall of the Winterfest parade in 2024.
Glenn and his late wife, Betsy Gibson Yarborough were married for over fifty years.
Yarborough resides in McLean, Virginia, Thomson, Georgia and Edisto Island, South Carolina. He manages and operates a large active timber farm in South Carolina and Georgia.
The Colonel is honored to have four fine children, Bill, Clinton, Frank, Elizabeth, and six grandchildren –Will, Ellie, Casey, CJ, Patrick, and Jack.