By Rachel Hall
It is never too late in life to make a dream come true. That ambitious mindset is what propelled Ronnie “Bubba” Tullos of Splendora to finally enlist in the military by joining the Texas State Guard at the age of 53.
“I have wanted to join the military since I was 18 or 19. I wanted to be part of Desert Storm,” explained Tullos about his reasoning for signing up at an age when most people start focusing more on a retirement plan for their future.
“I had kids early in life and at the time I couldn’t justify leaving them behind to not make very much money joining the military. Now that my kids are mostly grown and out of the house, it was a good time to do it,” he said.
Tullos officially took his oath of enlistment in June and completed the week-long training program to graduate as a member of the military. Required early mornings and long days of learning were no deterrent for Tullos to finally fulfill his dream.
“I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life at my age now. I heal up fast. I stay active,” he said.
Being active not only keeps Tullos feeling young and ready for any time the governor needs to call upon the state guard to assist with disaster relief or the border crisis or for any need around Texas – being active also keeps him busy each day he wakes up.
Tullos believes in using his time and energy to give back to the community. He works a traditional full-time job in addition to serving as a reserve deputy for San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, being president of the Cut-N-Shoot Chapter of Taylor’s Organization, teaching LTC and Constitutional Carry classes to members of the community, and participating as a Shriner, to name just a few duties he carries beyond the scope of now being in the Texas State Guard.
“I like to stay busy. I am always working on something or planning something,” explained Tullos who also has a personal ambition to not be known as lazy in life.
Dozens of family members and friends recently gathered to celebrate his accomplishments in law enforcement, and now the military, during a surprise party held at VFW Post 4816 in Porter.
“I came out to support him because he is doing great things. I am watching the things he is doing on social media and he’s really touching a lot of lives and hearts of people and it’s good to see it,” said friend Terry Bannan.
Several members of Taylor’s Organization attended the party to offer their support and appreciation to Tullos, and his wife, Seandee, for all they do in the community.
“We look for people with integrity to be part of our organization and that’s exactly what Bubba and Seandee have. Bubba is a unique kind of guy and so is his wife – they are unique people. They go above and beyond for the community and I watch them and see that personally. They have a heart of gold,” said Taylor’s Organization National President Allen Taylor.
The look of surprise on Tullos’ face was priceless when he entered a room full of people wanting to celebrate him, Seandee said.
“I am so excited that so many people were here to support him and to support us and they came from everywhere. It is exciting to see so many people backing the military and the police in a time when there is so much discord,” she said.
With one more item checked off his bucket list, Tullos now looks forward to continuing to serve his community including both locally and throughout the entire state of Texas.
“My husband has sacrificed so much for his kids and for others throughout his life. He is finally following his dreams completely and those dreams help him to be able to give back to others,” said Seandee.