WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth swore in Angela Showell, Richard “Rick” Morris and Joseph “Joe” Driskill as Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army during an investiture ceremony at the Pentagon on Jan. 23, 2024.
"It's an honor to welcome such accomplished individuals to the CASA team," said Wormuth. "As CASAs they will be great advocates for the Army. The capabilities that the Army brings to global security are in high demand, and we need CASAs to help us stay connected to our local communities, share the Army story and ensure that we can meet today’s challenges head-on and maintain our role as the world’s greatest land-fighting force."
Angela Showell, from Lewes, Delaware, is a retired colonel who served over 33 years in the military, including service in the Army Reserve, Delaware Army National Guard and the Active Guard Reserve program, where she held a series of command and staff positions, including director of intergovernmental affairs, director and deputy director of military support, Counterdrug Task Force commander, deputy commander of the 72nd Troop Command Brigade, battalion commander of the 722nd Troop Command, and recruiting and retention commander. After retirement, she continued to serve as chair of the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs and as academic advisor for student veterans at Delaware Technical Community College. She currently serves as the director on the boards of the Home of the Brave Foundation, a veterans’ homeless shelter in Delaware, and Friends of the Delaware Veterans Home.
“I am extremely honored and grateful to be selected by Secretary Wormuth to serve as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Delaware,” said Showell. “I look forward to contributing to the objectives of the Secretary of the Army and continuing to serve the Army by supporting the Soldiers and Army leadership in Delaware.”
Richard “Rick” Morris, from Fremont Hills, Missouri, is a retired command sergeant major who served 23 years. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge, among numerous other awards and decorations. He is a successful business leader who currently serves as director of operations for Fort Wood Hotels by Ehrhardt Properties and is the managing partner of Liberty Management Group, which owns and operates three multi-family gated communities in Saint Robert and Rolla, Missouri, and the Preston of Springfield, Missouri. He currently serves as the Association of the United States Army’s 5th Region President, is a member of the Rotary Club International, and is chairman of the Committee of Fifty. Morris and his wife Audrey reside in Fremont Hills, Missouri. Morris has been a champion for our Army at the national, state and local levels for the past 40 years.
“I am truly honored to be appointed to serve as a CASA for Missouri and will work hard to connect our communities to our Army,” said Morris. “The Army provided me incredible opportunities to hone my skills as a leader, and I know that my successes are a result of my training and experiences as a Soldier serving our great nation.”
Joseph “Joe” Driskill, from Jefferson City, Missouri, has over 40 years of state and federal civic service. He was elected six times to the Missouri House of Representatives from Doniphan in Southern Missouri, and served in various civic leadership positions at the state level, including cabinet head of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, a governor-appointed member of the Missouri State Board of Education, and as military advocate for the State of Missouri. He led Missouri’s efforts to coordinate state and local actions to preserve and expand Missouri’s military installations, missions and agencies, improve the quality of life and opportunities for service members and their families, and to support and enhance the state’s defense industries. Driskill was the founding executive director of the Leonard Wood Institute, a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that partners with the Army to develop new technologies. He also led efforts to create the Sustainable Ozarks Partnership at Fort Leonard Wood, where he continues as a part-time senior advisor, providing strategic advice and research.
“I am honored to be selected by Secretary Wormuth in this role that will allow me to help build new partnerships across Missouri that will help strengthen and grow the Army, and support improvements in the quality of life for our Soldiers and their families,” said Driskill. “At a time when the Army is the smallest it has been since before WWII, I look forward to telling the Army’s story across our state, especially to young people who are looking for an opportunity to serve their country and gain skills that will benefit them in later life.”
CASAs promote good relations between the Army and the public, advise the secretary about regional issues, support the total Army workforce and assist with recruiting and helping Soldiers as they transition out of the military.
Each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories have one or more CASAs to provide a vital link between the Army and the communities they serve. CASAs are usually business or civic leaders who possess a keen interest in the welfare of the Army and their communities.
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