Month: March 2026

Kelly Rees serves on the advisory council for Wyoming for Heroes, where she is committed to strengthening mental health awareness and suicide prevention efforts across the state. Born and raised on a ranch in central Wyoming, she developed a deep appreciation for the land and the people who call it home. Kelly was raised with strong values of hard work, service, and looking out for your neighbors — lessons that continue to guide her work today. Kelly was grounded in the values of resilience, service, and caring for one another — principles that continue to shape her commitment to her community.

I have spent 34 years as a City of Casper firefighter and during that time was A member and commander of the Casper Fire Department Honor Guard. While working for the department, I became a member of the Wyoming L.A.S.T., which assists Wyoming firefighters and there families in the cases of line of duty deaths, as well as other public safety and first responders with their needs after the loss of members in deaths other than line of duty. I am currently retired but still support and volunteer for Wyoming L.A.S.T. And am a member of Casper Pipe and Drums.

Dr. Harris is a retired spinal surgeon most recently at Premier Bone and Joint Centers. Prior to that he spent nearly 30 years in the Navy starting at age 18 as a hospital corpsman and then working his way through undergraduate and medical school to ultimately become an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine. While active duty, he was deployed to Afghanistan as well as to the South Pacific. He is a strong believer in advocating for veterans.

Dr. Sara Hartsaw has practiced General Surgery in Gillette since 1990. Raised in Cheyenne, she graduated from Chadron State College and Creighton University School of Medicine. During Surgical Residency in Phoenix, Arizona, she helped care for Veterans who served in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Somehow proving it’s never too late, Dr. Hartsaw joined the Navy Reserve in 2013 and currently holds the rank of Captain. She has served in Afghanistan and New York City (Covid).

Dr. Chris Hills serves as an advisor to Wyoming for Heroes, bringing both military and nonprofit leadership experience to support its mission. He served nine years on active duty in the United States Army, including deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 with the 31st and 115th Combat Support Hospitals in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His service reflects a deep commitment to caring for others in high-stress and demanding environments.

Beyond his military career, Dr. Hills is a co-founder and current board member of Wide Open: The Brody Hills Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening mental health resilience in teenagers. The foundation uniquely combines mentorship, outdoor activity, and the camaraderie of dirtbike riding to help young people build confidence, coping skills, and meaningful connections.

Dr. Hills’ background in service, leadership, and youth mental health advocacy provides valuable insight to the foundation’s work. He remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that promote resilience, community, and long-term well-being for both veterans and the next generation.

Dr. James (Will) Robbins is a board certified neurosurgeon based in Cheyenne, WY, currently practicing at Wyoming Spine and Neurosurgery Associates LLC and Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, with previous appointments at Kettering Health Dayton and at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He has served in the Air Force with overseas experience in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Turkey. He also serves as the Neurosurgery Consultant to the the Air Force Surgeon General, overseeing neurosurgery in the Air Force. Additionally, he serves in the Wyoming Air National Guard. He completed his residency in Neurological Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine after graduating from Georgetown University School of Medicine. His work has contributed to the neurosurgical field with multiple publications focused on perioperative risk factors, military neurosurgery, and surgical techniques, which have been cited by other researchers in the field.

Jacob Carlson is a dedicated Army veteran and former law enforcement officer with a strong record of service to his country and community. He served as an airborne infantryman in the U.S. Army, where he deployed once to Afghanistan, gaining critical experience in high-stakes environments. After his military service, Jacob settled in Wyoming in 2014 and joined the Casper Police Department in 2015. There, he worked as a patrolman and crash investigator, committing himself to public safety in his adopted hometown.

In May 2018, while responding to a call, Jacob was seriously wounded when he was shot multiple times in the line of duty during a confrontation with an armed suspect. He endured life-saving medical treatment, including multiple surgeries and extensive recovery, demonstrating remarkable resilience. The incident ultimately led to his early medical retirement from the police department. Recognized for his bravery, Jacob received honors including the Medal of Valor and Purple Heart equivalents for law enforcement.

Today, Jacob resides in Wyoming, where he focuses on family life with his four beautiful boys. His journey reflects a lifelong commitment to duty, courage in the face of adversity, and the importance of family after years of selfless service