Veteran Owned
Built by an Air Force EOD Technician
Staff Sergeant Aaron "Matt" Skelton | U.S. Air Force | Purple Heart | Iraq Veteran
Golf Lab24 is owned and operated by a retired Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician who deployed three times to Iraq as a team member and team leader. The discipline, precision, and care for people that the job demanded is the same standard we hold at the facility.
Service Record
From Basic Training to EOD
Matt enlisted in the Air Force as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician in 2003 and deployed three times to Iraq before being medically retired in 2012.
Lackland AFB, Texas
Basic Military Training.
Naval EOD School
Joint-service Explosive Ordnance Disposal training at Eglin AFB.
Nellis AFB, Nevada
First duty station as an EOD technician.
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
Final duty station; medically retired in 2012 from wounds received in combat.
The Purple Heart
Forward Operating Base McHenry, Iraq
Senior Airman Aaron Skelton, 506th Air Expeditionary Group EOD flight journeyman, secures an M240 machine gun in the turret of a Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston.
At 26, on his second deployment to Iraq, Matt spent two months forward deployed to FOB McHenry, embedded with the Army's 10th Mountain Division performing route clearing duties with two other EOD Airmen.
During a post-blast investigation with the quick-reaction force, his team was working the scene of a vehicle-borne IED explosion, trying to get a hood open to recover a VIN number.
"We're standing there trying to figure out how to get the hood open and I hear this loud crack. I felt my side and my arm get hit with something."
His wingman, Staff Sgt. Angela Olguin, reacted instantly — grabbing him and moving to cover. "We were standing probably two inches apart. I grabbed him and ran," she said. Matt did not yet know he had been shot.
When she pulled his armor plate, it crumbled in her hands. Her combat lifesaver training took over: she bandaged the arm to stop the bleeding and started an IV as he began to go into shock.
Training and up-to-date equipment saved his life that day. After a couple of weeks on a desk job to heal, he was back on the team. Airman Skelton was awarded the Purple Heart in a ceremony by Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander, on July 23.
"I think about how lucky I was. There are a lot of EOD operators who are awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. It could have been worse — it just makes me think about it."Read the full U.S. Air Force article
Military Awards
Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Combat Action Medal, and multiple Air Force and Army Commendation and Achievement Medals.
Family Legacy
Generations of Service
Service runs deep in the Skelton family, spanning both World Wars and every generation since.
Huston M. Skelton
Father
U.S. Navy, World War II veteran who served aboard the USS Oberon.
Huston L. Skelton
Paternal Grandfather
U.S. Army, World War I.
Leroy Andrews
Maternal Grandfather
U.S. Army, World War II.
Huston A. Skelton
Brother
United States Merchant Marine.
Giving Back
Charities We Support
We personally support and donate to organizations that care for wounded warriors and EOD families.
EOD Warrior Foundation
Serving the EOD community by providing financial assistance, family support, scholarships, and care for the families of fallen and wounded EOD warriors.
eod-wf.orgHALO for Freedom Warrior Foundation
A 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to wounded warriors, supporting them physically and emotionally through rehabilitation, reintegration, and healing.
haloforfreedom.orgSupport a Veteran-Owned Business
Every round you play at Golf Lab24 supports a family-owned, veteran-owned business rooted in Porter, Texas.
Family Owned. Veteran Owned. Community Focused.