MILWAUKEE — A former state commander Douglas R. Uhrig for the Wyoming American Legion was elected national vice commander of the nation’s largest veterans organization during its national convention in Milwaukee today.

Uhrig, a member of The American Legion Archie Hay Post 24 in Rock Springs, WY, joined the organization in 1986. While still in high school, Uhrig enlisted in the Army under the delayed entry program. He was on active duty from August 1971 to August 1974 and served in the National Guard from 1976 to 1980. Uhrig’s active-duty time was with the 1/509^th Airborne Infantry.

Uhrig has served as post, district, and department commander. He remains an active member of Post 24. At the department (state)-level, he served eleven years on the executive and seven on the finance committees and chaired the Americanism and boy scout committees. He also served as the director of boys’ state, a member of the high school rodeo host committee and was Wyoming’s 2017 “Legionnaire of the Year.”

Nationally, Uhrig served on the Americanism Commission 2012-2018, Eagle Scout of the Year selection committee, national convention committees for Constitutional Amendments, Americanism, Credentials & Rules, National Defense, and Wyoming’s delegation chairman twice. He has been Wyoming’s Alternate National Executive Committeeman and the National Executive Committeeman 2020-21 and a liaison to the Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission. Uhrig received a governor’s appointment to the Wyoming Veterans Commission in 2013 and served until 2019.

Uhrig has worked in an underground gold mine, a surface coal mine and in a power plant. He married the former Sharon (Shano) Westbrook in 1975. They have four children, Nathan, a chemical engineer; Nikala a registered nurse; Lucas, a poly-phase meterman; and Blake employed by University of Utah. They have eight grandchildren.

Uhrig has competed in hard rock mining competitions. In 2019, he did a “Tough Mudder” and packed into the Cirque of Towers in Wyoming’s Wind River Range.

He is one of five national vice commanders.