United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal Robert Green, a first generation service member who enlisted in 1996, has a special connection with Houston Dynamo FC.
When the Club launched its inaugural season in 2006, Green’s mother, who was working at a local hotel at the time, received two match tickets from a team representative. Unable to attend, she offered the tickets to her husband and son.
“My dad is no longer living, and that’s the last sporting event that my dad and I went to. Today, it just dawned on me that evidently my father is looking over me, he’s proud of me and he’s happy with the things that I’m accomplishing and achieving in my life. For me to be honored during this halftime, in this manner and magnitude, the way that it came to me, it’s truly an inspiration, and it’s very impactful and significant to me because that was the last sporting event that me and my father shared together.”
A Houston native, Green served in the Marine Corps for four years, spending time in California at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms, a Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command.
“My Military Occupational Specialty was communications electronics, and I served as a field wireman,” Green said.
Immediately after his discharge, Green obtained his Microsoft system engineer certification and Cisco certified network associate certification, which led to a 15-year IT career.
“After that initial civilian career, I decided to jump out on faith and became involved in entrepreneurship, starting a commercial and residential pressure washing business known as Accelerate Pressure Washing Services,” Green said.
Green said he also realized his responsibility for giving back to the military veteran community.
“I have a very deep passion for helping veterans who are homeless or suffer from mental health issues,” Green said. “Once I saw that was something that needed to be addressed, I became a certified mental healthcare specialist so that I could better assist veterans.”
The Marine Corps veteran is currently involved in several volunteer organizations, including Combined Arms and Assurance Therapeutic Outreach, while serving as a board member with Veterans Advocates Services and Training (V.A.S.T).
“I am currently a mentor for the Justice-Involved Veteran Treatment Courts in Harris County, where I work with veterans to create a pathway towards success after they have had involvement with the justice system,” Green added.
“I also work with District B City Council Member Tarsha Jackson on her Be Successful Initiative where we go out into the community to host different job fairs and resume building courses,” he said. “We also connect people with the resources they need to improve their quality of living.”
Green said his initial reason for enlisting in the Marine Corps was to serve his country, be able to explore and travel the world, and obtain educational benefits. When reflecting on his time in the service, one takeaway stands out.
“One of the main things that I learned is that when you invest in yourself, you are able to position yourself to be able to help other people around you,” Green said, who enjoys the sport of soccer and its competitiveness.
The Houston Dynamo are proud to honor U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Robert Green as the Hero of the Match during Saturday’s matchup against LAFC as Houston Dynamo FC hosts Pride Night at Shell Energy Stadium.
