Gerald O “Jerry” Balcom, a retired Federal Civil Service Employee was born in the family farmhouse in Redfield, New York. Jerry was educated in upstate New York schools. He served in the US Air Force from 1948-1952 during the Korean Conflict. His assignments included Lackland AFB, Texas, Scot AFB, IL, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa and Sampson AFB, NY. His specialty while in the USAF was electronics.

Following his military service; he was employed at Griffiss AFB, Rome NY for 12 years in research and development at RADC. He was transferred to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma in 1964 where he changed his career field to logistics for the next 9 years. While living in Oklahoma, Jerry was active in an organization called the Brotherhood of St Andrew Chapter. For the last 2 years of his time in Oklahoma he visited a federal maximum security prison where he had established a Brotherhood chapter. El Reno, was 38 miles away and each Wednesday evening was spent at the prison without time for an evening meal.

In 1973 Jerry transferred to New England more specifically New Hampshire to assume his duties at Hanscom AFB, MA where he served as a logistics engineer for the duration of his career. Jerry was the national president of the Brotherhood of St Andrew for 5 years from 1984 through 1989). During that time, his duties as president took him to the Philippines, Uganda, Africa, England and Israel since the Brotherhood is international in scope.