Joel Pruitt

Master Sgt. Joel C. Pruitt

24 years - United States Army

BIOGRAPHY

Pruitt served 24 years of active duty in the United States Army, including extensive service with the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell.

His military career included five combat tours in Iraq and deployments to Somalia, Panama, Qatar, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Djibouti, and Kenya.

His service has been recognized with five Bronze Star Medals, the Combat Infantry Badge with Star (2nd award), and numerous other decorations.

A 2017 APSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Pruitt has been instrumental in establishing four scholarship endowments at APSU specifically for Special Forces personnel and their families. As president of Chapter 38 of the Special Forces Association, he collaborated in 2023 with Retired CW4 Joe Shakeenab to create the CSM(R) Francis McFadden Military Scholarship.

Since 2021, Pruitt has served as the director for the Pivot Program at 5th Special Forces Group, directly assisting over 500 service members with their transition to civilian life. His dedication to veteran causes earned him the Charlie Daniels Patriot Award in 2022 and the titles of Kentucky Colonel and Tennessee Colonel Aide-de-camp in 2023.