Lieutenant Commander John Roger Rickard moved to Alma, Arkansas, in 1995. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, three Navy Commendation Medals, and the Navy Achievement Medal. A native of South Saint Louis, whose family relocated from New York State, Lieutenant Commander Rickard graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in June 1968.

Enlisting in the Navy in 1969, he served on three cruises as a Torpedo Mate on fast frigates during the Vietnam War. He received his commission as an Ensign in 1979 and retired from the Navy in 1995 after more than 26 years of service. In 1995, Richard founded the Alma High School Junior ROTC program, where he served for 18 years.

Under Lieutenant Commander Rickard's leadership, the Alma High School ROTC program was ranked as the 10th highest-rated ROTC program in the nation and recognized as the Most Outstanding Unit in the nation for the 2004-2005 school year. For seven of its first nine years, the school's Navy ROTC cadets led the 63-school Area 8 region, encompassing Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Alabama and Florida. Additionally, Alma's Navy ROTC qualified three times for the Navy National Marksmanship Championship. Over the past 21 years, the Alma High School program has enrolled more than 2,000 young men and women, many of whom have gone on to attend the Navy, Army, and Air Force military academies.