F. James Kearns is an Iraq war veteran and a retired tank commander. Most of his adult life has been spent in uniform serving the Montana National Guard. In 2001 he was mobilized to fight the wildfires plaguing the state. In 2004 he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. His area of operations was Northern Iraq, near Kirkuk. After coming home he decided to go back to school in order to complete his education and in 2010 graduated with honors from Carroll College in Helena, Montana with a BA in history. Being an Ohio native, he decided to return home in 2014 and has resided there since. He lives in NE Ohio with his fiancé and their daughter. They have a son on the way. He is due in the summer of 2020.