A Fayetteville resident has been appointed as a new civilian aide to the secretary of the Army.  Dan Dederick has been selected to represent North Carolina (East) by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy. 

Each state, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories have one or more civilian aides appointed by regions. The civilian aides serve a two-year term without compensation to promote good relations between the Army and the public and advise the secretary about regional issues, officials said.

Dederick replaces Fayetteville resident Tommy Bolton.

"CASAs are a valuable asset in the community and help make a difference by moving the recruiting needle," McCarthy said recently during a ceremony at the Pentagon where  he welcomed Dederick to the program.

"Our CASAs offer fresh eyes and bring new perspective to how we recruit future soldiers,” McCarthy said.

Officials said Dederick is involved in supporting and planning significant Fort Bragg [Liberty] projects, including the 9/11 Memorial, 82nd Airborne Division Memorial, U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Wall and Operation Celebrate Children — Disney on Ice, an event for the benefit of children of deployed soldiers.

He also contributes regularly to scholarship programs for Gold Star children whose parents were killed in action and Wounded Warriors.

Dederick thanked McCarthy “for the opportunity to serve as an Army CASA’’ during the ceremony.

"My father and uncle served in the Army and from them and others I learned the value of service,” Dederick said. “The experiences I gained over some 30 years of military service caused me to be acutely aware of the inner workings and specific needs of our service men and women and their families. I have a strong willingness to spread the Army message and work as an advocate for soldiers and their families."

Dederick is also a member of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the Chamber’s Breece Legacy Award in recognition of his work in the community on June 15.