Master Chief Ted Hillebrand, a 1980 graduate of DeKalb County High School, recently retired after 30 years serving his country in the U.S. Navy. Since joining the service in 1985, he has served on the U.S.S. Ingersoll as the navigational systems technician, the U.S.S. Philippine Sea as Division Leading Petty Officer, and the U.S.S. Emory S. Land as Planning Divisions, Leading Chief Petty Officer, and was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008, he checked on board the U.S.S. Harry Truman, and was deployed in support of Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf operations, and advanced to Master Chief Petty Officer. Hillebrand will retire to Cookeville with his wife, the former Kathleen Higgs. The couple have two children, Chris Hillebrand and Rebecca Matson, along with son-in-law Sam Matson.