CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Robert Ballard and his family saw their brand new, mortgage-free smart home for the first time on Tuesday.
The home is a gift from the Gary Sinise Foundation, which was established in 2011 by actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise, best known from CSI: NY and “Forrest Gump.” Sinise started the foundation in order to support veterans and first responders.
Ballard has a long record of service, beginning when he entered the Naval Academy at just 18 years old in 1998. After graduating in 2002, he became a naval aviator, flying helicopters on missions ranging from deployments to the Middle East to relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina…