Larry Gause Biography

gauseI am a son, a brother, a husband, and a father who loves his God and his country and believes in the values our forefathers laid out for us. I was born and raised in Bradenton, Florida. Bradenton is on the gorgeous Gulf Coast about 45 minutes south of Tampa. I am a graduate of Florida State University where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Management. Upon graduation from Florida State, I worked for several years in residential lending for a local bank. This was during the Carter administration and interest rates were over 13.5% fixed so the number of people who met the debt to income ratios were few. It was during this time that Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) came into existence as Congress began pushing for everyone to own a home. I supplemented my income by bartending and waiting tables. This led to a position managing a 545 seat restaurant. I enjoyed interacting with patrons and employees alike. I soon felt the call to serve my country.

I joined the United States Navy and entered into Officer Candidate School. I spent almost ten years as an Officer in the Navy during which I served in both Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In Desert Shield, I participated in landings operations in order to learn the layout of the land and prepare for conflict. In Desert Storm, I was Helicopter Control Officer and I coordinated crews to launch helicopter maneuvers for assaults. Later I served in Operation Restore Hope off the coast of Somalia. You may be familiar with this operation as it was the backdrop for the events that occurred in the movie “Black Hawk Down.” I was the Officer of the Deck on the lead ship for the pre-dawn assault which was followed by special boat officer to secure the harbor in Somalia.

I was Chief Aide to an Admiral and an Operations Officer. Both of these assignments required accuracy and attention to detail.  As the Operations Officer, it was my duty to plan, prepare, and execute drills and operations to train soldiers for combat. The logistics of coordinating the duties and activities of 300 sailors and 500 marines into organized operations left little to no room for error. I coordinated all the ship’s communications with other ships and ports.

My final assignments were Navigator and Executive Officer (XO) of both the USS Dexterous and of the USS Warrior.   As second in command, you are responsible for coordinating all communication, reports, and activities of all departments on the ship. With each tour of military duty, you take on more responsibility and accountability – neither of which you can ever relieve yourself just because the going gets tough. You persevere, hunker down, and do your job - whether it is standing watch at midnight off the coast of Kuwait, conducting special boat operations to secure a harbor, or consoling a sailor who is having a difficult time being away from loved ones. Serving in the United States military builds one’s character and moral fortitude. When you have put yourself in harm’s way serving in many contingency operations around the world, you are left with a strong love and devotion to your country.

Following Naval service, I moved to Tucker, Georgia. I worked for several years as a General Foreman installing tradeshows at the Georgia World Congress Center and many other convention venues. Work crews under my direction ranged in size from a few men and women up to 200 plus. As a General Foreman, I was responsible for the show from its conception on paper, to its creation on the floor, to its demolition and cleanup. These shows were conducted within the parameters of strict budgets – and I never went over budget. In this job, as well as in the US Navy, I was exposed to many diverse cultures, ethnicities, social, and economic backgrounds. The relationships developed on the job give me a particular empathy for the diverse make up of Georgia’s 4th Congressional District.

From the General Foreman job, I was recruited to become the Quality Control Coordinator at a large architectural/engineering firm in Atlanta; where I remained for over five years. When the economy began to go south in the fall of 2007, the firm I was with experienced downsizing – as did many companies. My present job is managing an airline hangar at Peachtree-DeKalb airport and a rental property on Lake Oconee. I have experienced “first hand” the effects of what a “grow government at all costs” Congress has on our economy.

I am a member of Grace Fellowship Church in Snellville, Georgia. I am a member of the National Rifle Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars Association, and the Tea Party Patriots. During my Naval career, I received the Navy Commendation, two Navy Achievement medals, Combat Action ribbons, a Navy Expeditionary medal, Battle “E” from three different ships’ commands, and various other service awards.

In June, 2010, I will have been married to my wife, Annette, for ten years. We have been blessed with two amazing daughters, Hannah and Katelyn.