Department Adjutant & CEO
CDR Carl B. Forkner, Ph.D., USN(Ret)
Dr. Carl Forkner is Past Adjutant, Past Commander, and a Level II Service Officer at East Valley Chapter 8 for Disabled American Veterans (DAV), assisting his fellow veterans and their families in receiving the benefits & assistance they have earned through their service. He has also served as Northern District Liaison and Junior Vice Commander, and now serves as the Adjutant & CEO for DAV Department of Arizona, with cognizance over the state's 14 DAV Chapters and programs at three VA medical centers and associated VA clinics. He is Chair of the Mesa Veterans Program, a trained Military/Veteran Resource Navigator, and Veteran-Ready Healthcare Provider.
Dr. Forkner is on the Board for the East Valley Veterans Foundation, Secretary on the Arizona Veterans Resource Center Board of Directors, a Champion & Trainer for Dementia Friendly Mesa, Field Advocate for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and an Ambassador for Objective Zero to help prevent military, veteran, and family member suicides. He holds a BA in History and Secondary Education from Monmouth College (IL) (1980), MSEd in Special Education from Western Illinois University (1984), MSS in International Security Affairs from the Air War College (2006), PhD in Higher Education Administration from University of Phoenix (2013), and a PhD in Psychology from Liberty University (2026).
After three years teaching at high school and undergraduate collegiate levels, Dr. Forkner served as a commissioned officer in the United Stated Navy from 1983 to 2011. He was designated a Naval Flight Officer and later a Surface Warfare Officer, flying multiple tactical aircraft and operating at sea on 2 submarines, a cruiser, a destroyer, and 12 aircraft carriers. Following his Navy career, Dr. Forkner was Chief Operating Officer and Director of Training at Dynamic Worldwide Training in Tempe, AZ, from 2014-2018 and a Research Psychologist with Vitanya Brain Performance from 2018-2022. He currently acts as a Research Psychologist with Success Consulting in the Phoenix East Valley region. His recent book, Beyond the Diagnosis: Why 60% of Veterans stay broken after therapy—and the moral injury framework that finally heals them, was released in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions through Amazon on May 20, 2026.
Operational experience during his Navy career included eight overseas deployments. He served in three counter-terrorism operations, including the 1986 Operation El Dorado against Libya, 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Noble Eagle & Presidential Support while attached to NORAD from 2002-2005. In addition to DAV, he is also a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the American Legion, AMVETS, the Navy League, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
He was recipient of five Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal awards during his career, USO Volunteer Service to Education Award, Coach of the Season Award, Career Connectors Volunteer of the Year Award, DAV Chapter 8 Disabled Veteran of the Year for 2020, DAV Department of Arizona Disabled Veteran of the Year for 2022, the DAV Department of Arizona Distinguished Service Award for 2024 and runner-up for the DAV National Disabled Veteran of the Year Award in 2024. He was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in October 2025, selected as Grand Marshal representing Cold War Veterans in the 2025 Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, was appointed as Secretary for Unified Arizona Veterans in December 2025, and is featured in the 2026 Imprints of Honor, Volume 1.
