United States Army Staff Sergeant Andrew Shimoli was born and raised in Kenya, where he attended boarding school and spent summers on the farm with his grandparents. He was raised by a village, but mainly by his grandmother, who gave him a solid foundation to work upon. Shimoli spent ample time outdoors, partaking in camping, hiking, and driving tractors with his grandfather. He was introduced to aviation by his uncle, and attended many airshows, and spent time watching aircrafts take off and land at the airport. At the age of 17, Shimoli moved to the United States, where he graduated from high school in Tucson, Arizona.
Armed with his passion for aviation, Shimoli joined the United States Army in 2006 with the desire to give back to the country that provided him with so many opportunities. Shimoli served with the Alpha and Delta Company 2-285 AVN REGT as a Staff Sergeant. Shimoli felt proud to serve the United States, and enjoyed traveling to different parts of the world. His goals were to complete a twenty year career with the Army and eventually become a private pilot. During his time of service, Shimoli served a combat deployment to Iraq in 2008, three peacekeeping missions and several emergency response missions nationwide.
Shimoli and his wife, Caren, met fifteen years ago on a camping trip to Sedona and have been married for thirteen years. They have welcomed their two beautiful children, Hannah and Patrick, into their lives.
After graduating from an advanced leadership course in February 2023, Shimoli began to experience weakness in his arms, making it difficult to hold a salute during a change of command ceremony. The weakness became progressively worse resulting in a diagnosis of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in April. Currently, Shimoli is pursuing alternate treatments with hopes of reversing his symptoms.
Currently, Shimoli and his family live in Goodyear, Arizona in their newly renovated smart home provided to them through the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Smart Home Program. Shimoli spends his time praying, meditating, and spending quality time with his family. He is excited to watch his children evolve into the superhumans he knows they will become, and to hopefully see a cure for ALS in the near future. The adaptations to his home have allowed Shimoli to live more independently, and navigate his day-to-day life with ease. Additionally, it has provided them with peace of mind that they will always have a place to call home. Most importantly, Shimoli relies on God and his faith to give him the strength to keep fighting, and keeps him in a positive mindset.