Lt. Col. Rick Mantei earned his degree in civil engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1976, where he learned the humbling and eternal lessons that freedom is not free, and a sacrificial give-and-take is required to sustain the liberties in our country. Lt. Col. Mantei continued his education at Central Michigan University, where he obtained his Master’s degree in Personnel Management. In the following years, he also worked towards his Ph.D. at the International University. After his worldwide deployment as an F-4 Phantom fighter pilot instructor, Mantei moved to Columbia and began his finance career as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch. In his 13 years with the firm, Lt. Col. Mantei established himself as one of the top 10 Brokers nationwide and managed over $200 million in client assets.

It was at this time that he joined the South Carolina Air National Guard as an F-16 fighter pilot. In 1990, he was reactivated and deployed to Saudi Arabia where he completed a tour in Desert Storm, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple Air Medals. Mantei retired from the South Carolina Air National Guard in 1997 as Lieutenant Colonel.

Lt. Col. Mantei is a member of the following Veteran organizations: American Legion, The VA, The Red Barn, Horsepower Healing, Silver Foxes, Warbirds of America (since 2004), American Legion (since 2023), AOPA (since 1994), Vintage Aircraft Member (Since 1994), Association of Airforce Grads, (AOG), Troop Appreciation, Gary Sinise Foundation, and the National WASP Museum.