Joe is a third-generation paratrooper who served as a Signal Support Systems Specialist (25U) with the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment from 1996 to 2000. After leaving active duty in 2000, he joined the North Carolina National Guard, where he supported and maintained DoD cybersecurity standards on IT computer systems and networks. During his time in the National Guard, Joe was deployed to Iraq twice, totaling about 2.5 years. Currently, Joe works as a cybersecurity consultant, helping DoD contractors in developing and maintaining their DoD-mandated cyber capabilities. He resides in Rolesville, North Carolina, with his wife, Crystal, and their son, Michael.