ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WDNews) – The City of Enterprise and the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce Military and Veterans Affairs Committee recognized 1SG Donnie Taylor and Colonel (Retired) Christopher Carlile as the 2025 Service Member and Veteran of the Year during the annual Veterans Appreciation Community Luncheon. More than 300 community members, military personnel, business leaders, and elected officials attended the event.
Nominees for Service Member of the Year included Donnie Taylor and Julian Adams Jr., while the Veteran of the Year nominees were Brandi Whittman, Colonel (Retired) Christopher Carlile, Robert Schmidbauer, and Kenneth Donahue. After review by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, Taylor and Carlile were selected as the winners.
1SG Donnie A. Taylor serves as First Sergeant for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 110th Aviation Brigade at Fort Rucker. He is known for leading the Fort Rucker Holiday Toy Ruck and organizing volunteer efforts such as highway cleanups and ROTC scholarship fundraising. He also honors fallen heroes through Operation We Remember.
Colonel (Retired) Christopher B. Carlile holds multiple leadership roles supporting veterans, including serving as Chairman of the Executive Committee of DAV Chapter 9, Executive Director of the Army Aviation Museum Foundation, and President of Friends of Army Aviation. His work focuses on education, veteran services, and community programs across Alabama.
Mayor William E. Cooper Sr. praised the city’s connection to Fort Rucker, saying, “Being just outside the gates of Fort Rucker, we are blessed to share a close relationship with the post and its leadership. Many of our service members, veterans, and military families live, work, and raise their children right here in Enterprise. You make our city stronger every single day.”
He went on to thank veterans and active-duty service members. “To our veterans and those who are serving today, thank you. Your courage, your sacrifice, and your love of country are what make communities like ours strong and free. Enterprise is proud to call so many of you our neighbors and friends.”
Cooper also acknowledged the challenges some families face during the government shutdown. “I know these are uncertain times. Some military families may be worried about their paychecks. Enterprise is a community that takes care of each other. Local businesses, churches, and community groups have stepped up to help families in need, and the City of Enterprise even waived utility late fees during the shutdown.”
The mayor added, “We have done it before, when the boll weevil threatened the livelihoods of our farmers, and again after the tornado in 2007. Here in Enterprise, we carry the weight on each other’s shoulders. No one struggles alone. That is who we are, and that is why we are strong.”
The luncheon also featured guest speaker Brigadier General (Ret.) Paul Bontrager, a military security expert who led classified missions during the Global War on Terror. Attendees contributed to a Toys for Tots collection for the Wiregrass Area chapter and honored Lowe’s of Enterprise with the Boll Weevil Military Award.
The annual Veterans Appreciation Community Luncheon celebrates Enterprise’s continued dedication to honoring service members and strengthening bonds between the military, local government, and the community.
