• Black Belt Under Professor Rafael Ellwanger,
• Head Instructor with 10 years experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Professor Andre was raised in Mandeville, LA, and has lived on the Northshore most of his life. He graduated from St. Paul’s High School and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army, where he served 26 years until he retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

During his military career, Andre served as an Aviation Officer in the Louisiana National Guard, and he spent most of his career at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Hammond, LA. He commanded an Air Assault Helicopter Company and an Aeromedical Evacuation Company. He was a qualified UH60 (Blackhawk) Instructor Pilot with over 2400 hours of total flight time experience. Additionally, he served as an aviation advisor to the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP). He is a veteran of multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo). Throughout his career, he was awarded multiple Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Legion of Merit.

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