Robert Thiesing is a Vietnam Veteran whose military service began in 1967. He completed Artillery Officer Candidate School and Rotary Wing Flight School before serving on active duty in Vietnam and Germany. Over a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in the Vermont and Connecticut National Guard, he commanded platoons, companies, and battalions as an artillery, transportation, and aviation officer. He accumulated more than 19,000 flight hours as a helicopter and jet pilot and graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1999. Bob retired as a Colonel in 2005.

His civilian career includes more than twenty years as an aviation pilot and safety officer with Aetna, Cigna, and Mass Mutual. He also held extensive roles in municipal project oversight in Ellington, serving on school and library building committees and chairing major renovation and expansion projects. His legal training further strengthens his ability to review regulations, contracts, and procedures with precision and accountability.