CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » Building relationships with baseballs
Leadership

Building relationships with baseballs

Aaron Beldner deployed to Panama after the removal of Manuel Noriega.

November 29, 2021
Jennifer Plager
No Comments
Aaron Beldner

In the rainforests of Panama, baseballs were in as much demand as food.

“You’d be out in the middle of the rainforest and you can’t see more than 10 feet in front of you because of all of the vegetation,” recalls Aaron Beldner, executive vice president/chief information officer at $1.4 billion asset FirstLight Federal Credit Union in El Paso, Texas. “All of sudden it opens up and there’s nothing else but a baseball field there.”

Click to enlarge.

Beldner served in the Army National Guard from 1992 to 2000. He deployed to Panama with the Missouri National Guard after Operation Just Cause, the U.S. invasion of Panama that ousted dictator Manuel Noriega in January 1990. 

On these missions, his unit built schools, clinics, and roads.

“You could feel the tension down there because they were not happy with us, but they were also grateful we were trying to clean it up,” says Beldner, who achieved the rank of specialist. “We were building schools and clinics throughout the rainforest and in poor communities where people lived.” 

One thing that stood out to Beldner was the love Panamanians had for baseball. His unit would bring “boxes and boxes” of new baseballs, and crowds of kids would gather around the vehicles. Some asked for food while others wanted baseballs.

Coming from a military family—his father was a sergeant major in the Army—Beldner joined the Missouri Army National Guard on his 17th birthday. He completed basic training between his junior and senior years in high school, and went to military police school after graduation. 

He later moved into air defense artillery, shooting Patriot missiles with the Alabama National Guard.

In addition to deployments in Panama, Beldner also served stateside, assisting with natural disasters, including flooding in Missouri.

His National Guard service taught Beldner to understand how to take care of his team by giving them what they needed to succeed and removing obstacles. It also strengthened his decision-making skills.

“In the military, you have to be comfortable making decisions without having all the information at hand,” Beldner says. “That’s been with me throughout my whole career: the ability to understand as much as you’re able to, make a decision, and be comfortable moving forward.”

 


A Salute to Veterans
This article is part of A Salute to Veterans, CUNA News' special focus on military veterans in the credit union movement, sponsored by FIS. Search for the hashtag #SaluteToVeterans to follow the conversation on Twitter.

KEYWORDS DEI veterans

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • Reps introduce bipartisan Credit Union Board Modernization Act

  • Compliance: Experts analyze NCUA’s 2023 supervisory priorities

  • CFPB must convene SBREFA panel for credit card fee rulemaking

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

How do you feel about the economy in 2023?

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us