A special operations NCO who has deployed 15 times and a former Army Ranger have been appointed to the 2022–2023 class of White House Fellows, a highly competitive program for leaders who are committed to public service.

Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program offers “exceptional young leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal government,” the White House said in its announcement.

Fellows spend a year working with senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries and other top government officials. They are chosen based on evidence-backed criteria, including professional accomplishments, leadership skills and commitment to public service.  

In addition to the two soldiers, three other members of the 2022–2023 class of White House Fellows have served in the U.S. military, one in the Marine Corps and two in the Navy.

There are 15 people in the class.

From the Army, former Ranger Samuel Ayres will work with the White House Domestic Policy Council.

Ayres, who is from Denver, served as an NCO in the 75th Ranger Regiment, deploying multiple times to Afghanistan. Before enlisting in the Army, he was a foreign policy researcher and writer.

He earned his law degree from Yale Law School after completing his Army service.

After his White House fellowship, Ayres will clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to the White House.

Sgt. Maj. Joshua Woehr, of Clearwater, Florida, is placed at the Office of the First Lady Joining Forces Initiative. 

Woehr has served for more than 20 years as a Green Beret and Ranger, deploying more than 15 times, according to the White House. He recently returned from Iraq, where he led the integration of next-generation technology onto the battlefield, the White House said.

A father of six, Woehr is passionate about serving military families. In 2014, he and his wife founded the Rick Herrema Foundation, establishing “Rick’s Place” at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

Rick’s Place is a 50-acre campus that provides a place of community and activity to thousands of military family members every year, according to the White House. 

Applications for the 2023–2024 fellowship program will be accepted starting Nov. 1.

For more information, click here.