His lofty title of lieutenant colonel comes from his position in the Alaska State Defense Force, a group of volunteers that sometimes assists the Guard, but is not part of the U. Armed Forces. Reached by phone Monday morning, Gerace admitted that he was not in the Guard. At times he insisted his resume was factual, and at other times admitted that statements in it were inaccurate.
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The former employee emailed her concerns to the Assembly. And she testified in a closed-door Assembly meeting that the mayor attended. Bronson did not respond to a list of questions about Gerace's credentials earlier in the day Monday.
In a brief phone conversation, Bronson spokesperson Corey Allen Young disputed some of the information presented about Gerace's credentials. He declined to be recorded. Gerace presents himself as a military man β both on his resume and in his personal life. When he left the service in , records show, his rank was just one step above private.
The ASDF is a volunteer-based organization that is largely made up of former military servicemen and women like Gerace. It has fewer than members, compared to the roughly 3, soldiers and airmen in the Alaska National Guard. Records show Gerace not only uses his ASDF lieutenant colonel rank liberally, he has also stoked the misperception that he holds that position in the Alaska National Guard.
