Joe, a high school All-American quarterback from Paducah, KY, attended the University of Nebraska-Omaha on a football scholarship. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Joe entered the United States Air Force.After serving in Vietnam in 1970, Joe was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base as commander of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) detachment. Joe was later selected to attend law school on a highly competitive Air Force program and attended the California Western School of Law in San Diego, CA. Upon graduation from law school, Joe was assigned to the JAG office at Nellis Air Force Base where he served both as a criminal prosecutor and defense counsel. After serving 12 years in the Air Force, Joe resigned his regular commission in 1978 and began private practice as a civilian attorney in Las Vegas, NV. He remained in the United States Air Force Reserves and ultimately retired after serving eight additional years.