CSM (Retired) James “Mug” McGuffey is a native of Blackwell, Missouri. He is happily married to his best friend and is blessed with three, amazing children. He has served in the Army for 26 years. He entered the Army in 1996 and retired in 2022.

 

While active duty, he served in the 75 th Ranger Regiment, 25 th ID, 82 nd Airborne Division, 1 st Security Forces Assistance Brigade, and the 3 rd Infantry Division. He has served in numerous positions to include, Forward Observer, Company through Regiment Fire Support NCO, Targeting NCO, Joint Fires Observer, Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), JTAC Instructor, JTAC Examiner, JTAC Program Manager, Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, Battalion and Brigade Operations Sergeant Major, and Battalion and Brigade Command Sergeant Major. Mug has 11 combat deployments to Afghanistan and two Combat deployments to Iraq. He also has numerous deployments for training that has taken him around the world.

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Mug grew up in Blackwell, MO, in a low-income home. He joined the military and experienced trauma and moral injury. During his recovery and treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he

started sharing his story with active duty and veteran military personnel and now has a new purpose in life, which is to assist members of the military and veterans in getting the help and resources they need to have a better life. He believes that some of the best, non-clinical therapy is through veterans helping veterans. What better way to endure life’s highs and lows than with members of a community that have shared experiences and similar thought processes?

 

Even though Mug has spent half of his career in the Special Operations community, he believes all service members, veterans, and families should have a

voice that can be heard, access to resources and programs to combat PTSD, suicide, and the ever-present stressors that arise from service in our Nation’s military.