Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, Matthew joined the United States Marine Corps after he graduated high school in 2003. During his enlistment he was able to attend and graduate multiple schools to include Marine Scout Sniper School, Special Operations Training Group Urban Sniper School, Advanced Reconnaissance Course and an Arabic Language course to name a few. He spent over 2 years deployed, which included being wounded in action and receiving a Purple Heart in 2004. In 2007 he was Honorably Discharged from the Marines and began attending college. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science from Western Michigan University in 2012. After graduating he missed the excitement of working overseas so he began doing Diplomatic Security and worked as a Designated Defensive Marksman protecting the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Since leaving Afghanistan he has focused on building Section 1776 from the ground up. His loves and passions are as simple as spending time with his amazing family and friends, enjoying the outdoors as much as possible and continuing to find ways to serve his country.