GEN4 Services LLC is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business named in honor of four generations of  Emmett C. Shaffer's by the "fourth generation" Emmett C. Shaffer IV.

 

Emmett SR worked as a hostler for the New York Central Rail Road.  In 1928, at the young age of 22 he was seriously injured when a train severed his leg and seriously damaged one of his hands.  Despite his injuries, he raised a family of four in the heart of Youngstown Ohio amidst the trials of our Great Depression. 

His first son Emmett C. Shaffer Jr. served in World War II as an infantryman and upon the completion of his initial enlistment attended Youngstown State University, in Youngstown Ohio and received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Branch of Air Defense Artillery.  He served in Korea and completed 3 tours in the Republic of Vietnam.  Nearing the completion of his final tour he fell seriously ill later diagnosed of having contracted agent orange.  He spent the last year of his career in Walter Reed Medical center and retired with honors as a Lieutenant Colonel with a service connected disability of 100%.  Despite his disabilities, he attended Akron Law School and graduated within 4 years.  He spent the remaining 20 years of his life practicing law “Pro Bono”, only taking cases for those whom could not afford an attorney.  He also played a key role in supporting disabled veterans, and gathering information in support of the class action law suit representing veterans exposed to agent orange.  

 

Both of his sons entered the service.  His eldest, Emmett C. Shaffer III, the founder and President of GEN4, followed in his fathers footsteps attending Youngstown State University and subsequently received a regular army commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.  They were the first father and son graduates of the Reserve Officers Training Program at Youngstown State University.  His second son Donald L. Shaffer attended the United States Air Force Academy and assumed the position of VP of Operations upon his retirement.

Emmett C. Shaffer III, retired on May 1, 2003, the one year anniversary of his fathers death.  He served 10 years of his 22 years of service with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, KY. He is a veteran of Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada, Desert Storm, Provide Comfort (Iraq 1), Task Force Ranger (Mogadishu Somalia), Haiti and Afghanistan.  He retired with a service connected disability as a result of doing what soldiers do….several thousand hours of helicopter flight and jumping out of Airplanes. 

Emmett C. Shaffer IV is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin and is the Regional Operations Manager for a top 100 U.S. Government Contractor.