‘One Team. One Mission. Veterans First.’

In 2005, VFW's new Commander-in-Chief Cory Geisler was six years into a successful career as a regional sales manager for a company in Wisconsin. And while the money and prestige were comforting, something else was on his mind.

"I was deeply aff ected by 9/11," he said. "It was a big turning point in my life, but I was so involved in my career. I just got promoted and was caught up in my job. After a few years, my friends and I started to talk about what we could do if we were in the military. I decided that if I didn't do it right then, it probably wasn't going to happen."

Geisler's experience serving his country in uniform has led him to the top position of America's oldest major combat veterans organization. The 52-year-old college graduate says his military experience formed his leadership philosophy.

"As veterans, the best way we operate is if we are in the military," Geisler said. "Having a team concept where all of us are working together toward the same goal is my focus."

GET ACTIVE, GET HEALTHY
In addition to the core obligations VFW members perform, such as helping veterans and their families, which Geisler calls the organization's top priority, the new VFW Chief wants members to be active and healthy.

"We need to get our members moving again," he said. "If you are doing something active to stay physically healthy, you are helping your brain stay healthy, too."

Geisler says that if a veteran is focusing on a task, such as improving his or her golf swing, it helps keep the veteran from "falling into the hole" of mental trauma.

"It's about rewiring the brain," he said. "If we are physically active, we aren't focused on what is holding us back."

To promote this ethic, Geisler is implementing the Warrior Fitness Challenge this year. It will be administered through VFW's Programs Department, and members will earn points for simple activities such as "going for a walk, picking up sticks in the yard or playing a round of golf."

Geisler says the inspiration for the program came from the Army's Physical Fitness Badge.

"I'm excited about this," he said. "It falls right in line with my focus on getting our members more active and healthier."

Another top priority for Geisler will be the recovery of troops listed as missing in action, which he will be working on as a joint special project with the VFW Auxiliary.

"We are running out of time," he said. "We must have a full accounting of those missing in action and full funding for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency."

VFW's new Chief also has a legislative goal. Geisler demands that combat- wounded troops who didn't serve 20 years receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offset.

"We need to make sure the Major Richard Star Act gets passed," he said.

'A RECRUITER'S DREAM'
Geisler was born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, on Aug. 2, 1974, and he and his family lived on his grandparents' farm in Eastman, Wisconsin. Geisler graduated from Prairie Senior High School in 1 993 and then attended the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater, from which he graduated in 1998 with a bachelor's of science degree in history.

In January 1999, he began working for Generac Power Systems in Waukesha, Wisconsin. By March 2005, he was the regional sales manager there, but with two wars going on, he decided he wanted to serve his country.

Geisler says he was "like a recruiter's dream" when he chose to enlist.

"I wanted to be in a unit that was going to deploy overseas, and I figured my best option was to join the Marines," he said.

Originally targeting an officer's position in the Marine Corps, Geisler realized that was not possible because he would have been older than 30 before commissioning, which the Corps does not allow. So, Geisler enlisted in the Army in April 2005 and later that year completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Geisler said his passion for mentoring and training, which he had acquired in his civilian career, was something he wanted to pursue in the Army. After six weeks attending the Army's Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgiq, he investigated other military occupation specialties (MOS) that would let him mentor front-line troops.

"That's why I dropped out of OCS and decided to take the enlisted route," he said.

From the beginning, he says he wanted "to be part of the action" and serve in either Afghanistan or Iraq. Geisler determined that a military police MOS would get him overseas the quickest, and that led him to MP training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

KOREA AND IRAQ DEPLOYMENTS
Geisler's first overseas deployment began in January 2006 when he served as a specialist with the 188th MP Co., based at Camp Walker, Korea.

During his year-long tour in Korea, Geisler was part of the 8th Army 10-Miler team that won the Army's 10-Miler competition in 2006 in Washington, D.C. He said it was "one of the best experiences" of his life. The VFW Chief also earned recognition as the 2006 USO Soldier of the Year and the 2006 Republic of Korea Military Police Regimental Association Soldier of the Year.

In May 2007, Geisler deployed to Iraq with the 108th MP Co. For the first three months, the unit conducted convoy escort duty and route reconnaissance from Logistical Support Area Anaconda north to the Turkish border.

F or the remaining 12 months, the 108th was based at Combat Outpost Old MOD north of Baghdad near Adhamiya and the Tigris River. In June 2010 while serving in the Army Reserve's 330th MP Detachment in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Geisler was promoted to staff sergeant. He says his experience in the war zone will be crucial to his role guiding VFW.

"Leadership is about the ability to motivate others to do more than they think they can," he said. "It's knowing that each person you are dealing with has a different personality and how you as the leader can adapt your approach to get the person to do great things. You have to know what motivates people to get things done."

CREDIT THE TEAM
Geisler joined VFW Post 721 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in September 2008, and began his rise through the organization's ranks (see box on page 16).

He says that assembling a good team is "the key to success" for any leader. "When it comes to wins, a good leader celebrates the team and its success," he said. "When it comes to failures, the leader takes the responsibility."

Leading VFW at each level helped Geisler understand the needs of the lower units he commanded.

"I was able to filter out legitimate concerns from those that weren't and offer the help those units needed to be successful," he said.

As VFW Chief, he says he will appoint those best suited for the job, regardless of VFW Conference affiliation or previous connections. The team concept that is outlined in his slogan for the year is how he plans to lead.

"I am looking for the people who can get the job done," he explained. "I want to surround myself with good people who are committed to their duties and the mission of the VFW."

This article is featured in the 2026 September/October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Tim Dyhouse, editor-in-chief of VFW magazine.