Host Mark Schauer talks with New York native Ron Basolet. After a 26-year active-duty career in the United States Marine Corps, Basolet brought his decades of experience in logistics to U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground's Combat Automotive Systems Division in 2006, at the height of the surge in Iraq. He retired in 2020 after a combined 40 years of service.
--------
11:12
Desert Rat Testament, Episode 31
Host Mark Schauer talks with Sgt. Maj. (ret.) Ronald Rodriguez, the son of a career Army veteran who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. After a career as a Military Policeman, Rodriguez served for more than 20 years overseeing Yuma Proving Ground's Emergency Services and Emergency Management functions. He retired in March 2025 after a combined 46 years of service.
--------
12:22
Desert Rat Testament, Episode 30
Host Mark Schauer talks with Wayne Schilders, who grew up in Arkansas and enlisted in the National Guard during his junior year in high school. Joining the regular Army after graduation, Schilders trained in field artillery at Fort Sill and spent a year at Camp Stanley, South Korea before arriving at Yuma Proving Ground in 1982 at age 19. He was both Soldier of the Year and NCO of the Year while stationed here, then returned as a civilian employee at the conclusion of his second Army enlistment. An inductee into both the Honorable and Ancient Orders of St. Barabara that honor exceptional service in artillery, he retired as YPG's Armament Branch Chief in 2025.
--------
13:55
Desert Rat Testament, Episode 29
Host Mark Schauer talks with Maria Johnson, a Navy veteran who was lead combat vehicle data collector at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground from 1987 until medically retiring in 2013. She is today a resident of the Arizona State Veterans Home Yuma, where she was the first female resident.
--------
3:57
Desert Rat Testament, Episode 28
Host Mark Schauer talks with Col. (ret.) Randy Murray, who was commander of U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground from 2014 to 2017. An aviator, prior to his command he had served in the Army for 24 years in positions that included testing aviation systems for the U.S. Army Operational Test Command. He retired from active duty in 2019 and today serves as International Program Integrator for the Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space.
Desert Rat Testament is a monthly anthology that collects the stories and recollections of retired U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground employees of decades-long service.
France