Robert (Bob) L. Finn

Senior  Advisor

Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs

Robert (Bob) Finn began his service to our state and nation in 1967 when he volunteered and joined the Army to be a paratrooper.  After one year of training to include the 90-day Non-Commissioned Officers School and Ranger School where he graduated as a Staff Sergeant before attending Airborne School, he was sent to Vietnam where he was assigned as a squad leader in the 173^rd Airborne Brigade.  After completing his one-year tour in Vietnam, he was assigned as a Ranger Mountaineering Instructor.  He left active duty in 1970.

In 1972, having a desire to continue serving his country that would last another 31 years; he joined a company of the 20^th Special Forces Group in the Maryland Army National Guard.  He earned his Special Forces qualification and was promoted to Sergeant First Class.  Upon graduation from the Maryland Officer Candidate School, he served in leadership positions as an infantry rifle platoon leader, company commander and as a Special Forces “A” Team executive officer and a commander before returning to Active Duty with the National Guard.

In 1984, he was asked to become an Active Duty Reserve Officer to command a cadre of instructors to train leaders of units from Maryland and Virginia for the newly reactivated 29^th Infantry Division (Light). He continued to serve on an active duty status in the Maryland Army National Guard for 19 years retiring in 2003 as a Colonel and Infantry Brigade Commander.  During his military service, Bob earned over 20 awards and decorations to include a Combat Infantry Badge, Airborne, Ranger and Special Forces qualification, Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars and several  Army commendation Medals.

Bob’s civilian career began in 1970 where he worked as a land surveyor and obtained his Property Line License.  In 1980, he joined the Maryland State Police and served four years as a Resident Trooper at the Westminster Barrack before being asked to return to Active Duty as a Maryland National Guardsman in 1984.

In 2003, upon retiring from military service after 35 years of service, Bob was selected by Secretary Hutchins to join the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs.  Working under Secretary Hutchins and Secretary Owings, he established the Department’s Outreach and Advocacy Program.  He was instrumental in creating the newsletter, updating our web site, and expanding the outreach program to increase Maryland veterans’ awareness of the Department’s programs.  In 2005, he joined the Maryland State Police and working in the Office of Strategic Plans to create their strategic plan and working on a number of process improvement teams.  He left state service in 2007 and worked as a program manager and vice president of a private security firm with responsibility of providing armed security officers for 10 Navy installations across five states in the southeast region.

In 2014, Bob again re-joined the Maryland State Police as their Property Officer until assuming his current position with the Department.  Bob served as Deputy Secretary to the MDVA until January 2024.  He now serves as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary and is assisting with the establishment of a second state veterans home in Carroll County.