Ashley served in the United States Army from 1989 to 1993, earning his VFW eligibility by serving during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In recognition of his service, he received the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with three bronze campaign stars, Multinational Force and Observers Medal, Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.  He joined the VFW in 1994 at Post 4548 in Jacksonville, Ark., where he maintains his Gold Legacy Life membership. He has served in elected and appointed positions at the Post, District and Department levels, culminating with his election as Department Commander in 2017, in which he achieved Triple Crown All-American status. On the national level, he has served on the Finance and Internal Organization Committee.  Ashley is employed by ABF Freight, and is a 1988 graduate of Southside High School in Fort Smith, Ark. He attended Maryland State University, Central Texas College, U.S. Army Infantry School, U.S. Army Air Assault School, U.S. Army Rapple Master School, and the Nuclear Biological Chemical School at Fort Campbell, Ky.   He is a life member of the VFW National Home for Children, member of the Military Order of the Cootie, and the American Legion.   Ashley and his wife, Melissa, reside in Cabot, Ark.