Chief Master Sergeant Anthony J. Twitty (retired U.S. Air Force), Lead Correspondence Management Analyst, Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), is pictured to the right of John (Jack) Houser in front of USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Houser gave Chief Master Sergeant Twitty a U.S. silver dollar in exchange for his first salute upon commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

The first salute is a tradition in which newly commissioned military officers give a silver dollar to the person from whom they receive the first salute of their career. It extends honor and reverence to a fellow service member who has inspired, supported, and unselfishly mentored others throughout their career and life.

In reflecting on his journey to military service, Jack shared that “Chief Twitty encouraged, mentored, and provided humble inspiration to me. He is my friend, my family, and his steady and kind way will always be a source of calm forcefulness—he taught me to listen, consider, and be positive—he gets me! I will always be thankful to him for his leadership, patience, and continued service to our country.” 

Second Lieutenant Houser graduated from the University of Tennessee Air Force Reserve Officer’s Training Corps Detachment 800 program (May 2023) and is currently serving as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.