MSG Lionel Balloon

A native of Valdosta, Georgia. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, 22 March 2002.  He attended Basic Training at Ft. Benning, Georgia and is a career Infantryman. MSG Balloon has served as an Infantryman in every position from rifleman to for to a First Sergeant and is currently serving as the 6th Brigade Master Sergeant, Senior Military Instructor, United States Army Cadet Command.  MSG Balloon’s military education includes the Primary, Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Courses, and the First Sergeant Course.  He has also attended Airborne School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster Course, the Survival, Escape and Resistant Course. His foreign military schools include the Panama Defense Forces “Pana-Jungle” Course. MSG Balloon’s awards and decorations include one Bronze Star medal with valor, one Air Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medals, eight Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, eight Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense ribbons, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three NCOES ribbons, the Army Service ribbon, three Overseas ribbons. He has served in multiple combat operations; Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He is married to his wife Germany and they have a son, Landon. Both reside with him in Atlanta, GA.