Joseph Leurs

I enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 19 from Nashville, Tennessee. Over more than 13 years, both active and reserve, I served in various leadership and instructional roles. These roles included Urban Warfare Instructor, Marksmanship Instructor, Martial Arts Instructor, Squad Leader, and Platoon Sergeant. My service included three deployments, two of which were with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable.

In 2003, during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I deployed to Iraq as the senior company anti-armor gunner and Light Armored Vehicle Commander with the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. On April 5 of that year, I was wounded in action during a reconnaissance mission in central Iraq. I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2010.

In 2008, I joined the MNPD. Like all new officers, I began on patrol, working evening and midnight shifts. I was later assigned to the FLEX team, where I focused on proactive policing in high-crime areas within my precinct. After three years, I was promoted to Detective and worked on burglary cases. Shortly thereafter, I was assigned as an undercover Detective at both the Precinct and Specialized Investigations Division level, conducting criminal street gang and narcotics investigations. I conducted multiple long-term investigations as a Gang Unit Detective that led to major arrests, seizures, and convictions of dangerous gang members. I've testified in local, state, and federal courts based on my work. In 2018, I was medically retired from the MNPD.

Still feeling a strong call to service, I enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2011. I served in various roles, including administration, motor transport, and military police, and held leadership positions once again. At the 450th Military Police Company in Nashville, TN, I served as a squad leader and taught firearms, law enforcement tactics, and combat skills such as urban warfare and land navigation. I retired from the Army Reserve Honorably in March 2020.

While serving in both the military and law enforcement, I pursued my education. I earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Business Administration from Lipscomb University, graduating debt-free thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. With some education benefits left, I completed an Advanced Gunsmith Certificate from the Sonoran Desert Institute in 2020. In 2025, I became eligible for an additional year of GI Bill benefits following the Supreme Court's decision in Rudisill v. McDonough. I plan to begin a second graduate program in Leadership in Public Service at Lipscomb University in Fall 2025.

One of the accomplishments I'm especially proud of is becoming a published inventor. In April 2022, I was awarded a U.S. patent for a seatbelt technology designed to improve safety for first responders and civilians. This led to the launch of a veteran-owned startup with another combat veteran business partner. I am currently working on two additional inventions, which are in the early stages of design and development. In 2023, I also opened a laser engraving business near Clarksville, Tennessee.