Herr Charles Ricky Simmons, Colonel, EJD., MSS., BSBA.

Colonel Charles R. Simmons, U.S. Army (Retired) is a permanent resident of Germany and a native of Pickens, South Carolina, an Eagle Scout, and a 1989 graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Army War College with a Masters in Strategic Studies and he completed an Executive Education Program at Harvard University in 2012. He graduated from Purdue University Global in 2020 with the diploma of Executive Juris Doctor in Business Law. He also holds a micro-credential in Social Media Law.

In his civilian career, Charles served for 12 years as an advisory-elected, non-partisan, full-time county government official representing U.S. Military Veterans and their family members as an advocate attorney-in-fact and credentialed American Legion Service Officer under United States Code Title 38, while primarily assisting veterans and their dependents in obtaining benefits and entitlements from the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense. As a public official, he was routinely called upon for public speaking engagements and he was published as a contributing columnist and editorialist in local and regional papers. In this capacity, he worked with both state and federal legislators and U.S. Senators and Congressmen from South Carolina on Veterans and Reserve law issues. Colonel Simmons designed and funded a county-wide war memorial by raising over $82,000.00. He hosted numerous public ceremonies and events and served as the Pickens County Veterans Coordinator for a Presidential Primary Candidate’s Presidential Campaign events for Veterans in Pickens County. Appointed by S.C. Governor Jim Hodges as a Board Member to the Veterans Trust Fund of South Carolina in 2000, he increased the US Department of Veterans Affairs expenditures in Pickens County from 8 million dollars to 25 million dollars during his tenure.

As a Reserve Officer, Colonel Simmons retired from The United States Army, as a Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor for the Senior Foreign Service Officer of ambassadorial rank, who was the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commanding General of U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. In this reserve position, he provided policy, guidance and coordination with multiple US Embassies on the continent of Africa as well as Senior Department of State Officials, Ambassadors and 50+ African nations. Earlier, Rick served as the Defense Chief of Protocol at the US Embassy Islamabad in Pakistan, working directly for the US Ambassador and a Navy Vice Admiral. Previously, his tour of duty in Iraq was with the United States Marine Corps, as the Rail Road Project Officer for Al Anbar Province, where he was charged with getting the rail road running again after many years of non-operation. He was also a Brigade Commander in Atlanta, Georgia, responsible for conducting war-fighting training to reserve and active units of 1500 to 5000 persons, slated for contingency operations. His military career in total, carried him to Germany, Kuwait, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. He has served with the German, British, Dutch, Finnish, Albanian and Pakistan militaries and has a full 7 years overseas military service.

As a civilian, Colonel Simmons lives in northern Germany. A former Rotarian, he also served with the national advance team of a 2012 Presidential Primary Candidate which included support of a nationally televised debate and multiple public high-profile events. Charles is active in his German community and is a member of the German-American Lawyers Association (DAJV), as well as the European Legal English Teachers Association (EULTA). He is certified as an instructor to Teach English as a Second Language, and currently, serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Bielefeld Faculty of Law, teaching a self-designed course for American Legal English, Business Law and Cyber Law. Additionally, he was the volunteer American Legion Past Judge Advocate for Paris Post # 1, the oldest U.S. veterans organization in Europe.