BUNNELL, Fla. – We are thrilled to announce this year’s Grand Marshal is Commissioner Randy Stapleford, Captain, US Navy (Ret.), a decorated veteran with over 31 years of active-duty service to our nation.

2024 Grand Marshal: Captain Randy Stapleford, US Navy (Ret.)
Captain Stapleford served with distinction during a remarkable military career, accumulating:
– 13 years of sea duty
– Over 7,000 flight hours
– More than 725 carrier arrested landings
Throughout his Navy tenure, he held several critical leadership positions, including:
– Commander of an aviation squadron
– Nuclear Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief
– Naval Attaché to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada
– Director of the Naval War College’s International Naval Staff College
– Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University
Following his honorable retirement, Captain Stapleford continued serving his country through the U.S. Department of State, where he was the Iraq Country Coordinator for Antiterrorism Assistance under Secretary Condoleezza Rice. He also expanded his role as Country Coordinator for the Republic of the Philippines, where he collaborated with the President of the Philippines to establish the nation’s first National-level Antiterrorism Assistance Task Force.
