Cristin Bartter

Cristin joined the Gary Sinise Foundation in May 2014. Service runs through her veins as she grew up in a military family, her father a retired Air Force veteran of 22 years. After the attacks on September 11, Cristin felt an even stronger calling to serve. Initially on a path to attend college on a four year, full-ride Air Force ROTC scholarship, God had another plan, and she found herself enlisting in the United States Marine Corps as a Combat Correspondent. Following boot camp at Parris Island, Marine Combat Training (MCT), and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) School, Cristin was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, where she served as part of the Public Affairs Office. Rising through the ranks, she became the station’s Community Relations Manager, working on building the relationship between the local Japanese and U.S. Military. Not soon after, she was selected as the Commanding Officer’s aide and later went on to become a Crew Chief, which included flying into a combat zone in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Her deployments include parts of Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Following the Marine Corps, Cristin attended and graduated from Belmont University with a bachelor's in corporate communications and a minor in biology. She has years of experience assisting high-level executives and feels that working at the Gary Sinise Foundation is her way of serving her brothers and sisters in arms, and their families who sacrifice alongside them.

Growing up, Cristin's best friend was Vietnam Veteran, Robert “Harry” Harrison. Through the years, he shared his combat experiences with her, which left a lasting impression on the cost of war. His last words to her while battling cancer were, “Do great things.” Through her service at the Gary Sinise Foundation, she believes she is doing just that. Semper Fidelis!