Rick Prescott served six years on active duty (1974–1980). Assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, he supported Operation New Arrivals during the Vietnam evacuation. As an instructor of Marines, he earned three meritorious promotions to Sergeant. He trained in Operation Palm Tree at 29 Palms and extended his enlistment to serve as a Marine Security Guard at the U.S. Embassies in Prague and Athens, where he was Detachment NCOIC.

After his service, Rick earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Sociology, worked as a police officer in Canada, and later served in the U.S. as an operations manager, DOT compliance officer, and safety officer before retiring. A Marine Corps League member since 2014, he is currently serving his second term as Commandant of the McHenry County Detachment.