Nexen Tire, Purple Heart Foundation Names Recipient of Jeep Wrangler as Part of Nexen Hero III Campaign

Nexen Tire America, Inc. has announced retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Ken Cates as the recipient of the 2019 Nexen Hero Jeep Wrangler equipped with 37-in. Nexen Roadian MTX Xtreme off-road tires as part of the Nexen Hero III campaign.

Nexen-Tire-Ken-Cates-Hero — Iraq War Veteran and CEO of Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity Ken Cates was presented with his custom Jeep live on Fox and Friends.

Cates’s military career spans 26 years and started in the Army Reserves at age 18. He then took to the seas by enlisting in the Coast Guard. Cates was a shipboard and land-based electronics technician and served just over four years. He decided to enlist in the Army where he served another 22 years.

Cates was deployed during the Iraq War and received several medals throughout his career for exemplary military service. Cates was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medals and Army Achievement Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal. Nexen says Cates wanted to set the example for exceptional leadership, as his father (Jay Cates, U.S. Coast Guard, retired) did before him. He retired from the Army in August 2015.

Nexen-Hero-Commanders-Coin — Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Ken Cates receives a Commander’s Coin from Maj. Gen. Perkins for leadership during a deployment to Forward Operating Base Marez, located in Mosul, Iraq. Cates later received a second Commander’s Coin from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mullen, for leadership during the same deployment.

Cates is now the CEO of the Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity that serves three counties in the greater Killeen/Temple, Texas, area. Since taking on that role, Cates has helped the organization triple the number of homes it completes each year, in addition to nine other unique projects centering around repairs and community revitalization, Nexen says. These changes have impacted more than 30 families and he has helped complete 26 homes in the veteran community. These homes were built for homeless and disabled veterans, and in addition to more than 48 other projects last year, Cates’ leadership helped the organization impact 150 families.

Cates is the third veteran selected to receive a custom vehicle built by Nexen Tire as part of its Nexen Hero campaign. The second campaign took place earlier in 2019 and named retired Army Master Sgt. Brian Porter the recipient of the Nexen Hero 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The first campaign, American Muscle for American Heroes, named retired Marine Cpl. Steven Diaz the recipient of the Nexen Tire Purple Heart Dodge Challenger. Both Porter and Diaz are Purple Heart Medal recipients.

Nexen-Hero-Habitat-Humanity — After his military career, Ken Cates became the CEO of the Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity that serves three counties in the greater Killeen/Temple, Texas, area. Pictured here is Cates during a celebration ceremony for his first home with the organization shortly after he took over as its CEO. This house was the affiliate’s 69th home in its entire history and Cates’ leadership has helped the organization impact 150 families.

Nexen Tire has extended the deadline for matching donations made to the Purple Heart Foundation. From now until Dec. 31 at midnight, Nexen Tire will continue matching donations made through the www.NexenTireUSA.com/NexenHero webpage up to $30,000. Donations made to the Purple Heart Foundation during the campaign will be used to help veterans on many levels, such as with educational scholarships, medical claims and more.