Rick Kreiberg
U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (RET)
Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Grand Marshal
HAV Veterans Day Parade 2025
U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Rick Kreiberg (Ret.)
Gilbert, AZ
Rick Kreiberg was born on Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) in Spokane, WA, and served in the United States Army for 35 years from 1983 until 2018. He served in multiple locations stateside and overseas, including a deployment to Iraq in 2004.
His career encompassed logistics, aviation, recruiting and retention, transportation, maintenance, training, operations, procurement, civil affairs, and installation management. He also led at every level from squad leader to brigade Command Sergeant Major. He earned numerous awards and decorations, most notably the Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Gold Recruiter Badge with three sapphires.
Kreiberg’s military education encompasses every level of Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development, including the Sergeant’s Major Academy (Class 59). He also completed the Joint Senior Leaders Course, the Pre-Command Course, the Garrison Leaders Course, Logistics Management Course, Battle Staff Course, US Army Airborne School, Air Assault Course, and US Army Recruiting School.
After retiring from the Army, Kreiberg discovered that pre 9/11 Veterans, especially Vietnam Veterans, were not getting the same level of resources, care, and respect that post 9/11 Veterans receive. To address the needs of those who served before him, Rick founded the non-profit Veterans Affinity, which helps Veteran seniors (at no cost) with housing, healthcare, honors, and benefits.
Kreiberg says he and his team of volunteers are truly minimizing barriers to Veterans’ care. “To date, Veterans Affinity has enrolled nearly 2,000 veterans into the VA healthcare system, coordinated long-term and hospice care for almost 1,000 veterans, escorted over 500 housebound Veterans to their medical appointments, and assisted over 600 Veterans with their VA pension and survivors’ benefit claims.”
Kreiberg also made it his personal mission to ensure every Veteran, regardless of status or service dates, is seen, heard, supported, and remembered. He and his volunteers make that happen every day by visiting isolated Veterans, comforting terminally ill Veterans bedside, building camaraderie through Veteran coffee hour socials across Arizona, and hosting Welcome Home Ceremonies for those who never received one.
Kreiberg’s pride and joy are his two adult children, Chad (24) and Chloe (20).