A lesson in hurry up and wait.
Brian’s group home counselor, Alex, had a rich military background, having served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. From the moment Brian stepped into the group home, Alex was keen on steering him toward a similar path. However, the thought of being deployed to some far-off place like “Bumfuck, Egypt” didn’t excite Brian at all. So instead of jumping straight into active duty, he found a compromise and enlisted in the New York State National Guard in 1981. This way, he could serve his country without the full commitment of active duty, allowing him the freedom to move around.
Brian completed his one-station unit training (OSUT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri—often playfully dubbed “Fort Lost-In-The-Woods, Misery”—where he was trained in combat engineering, with the focus on explosives and bridge building. After that, he moved on to air assault training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, then headed to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for airborne training. Then it was back to Fort Leonard Wood to participate in the Cadre program training the next cycle. Finally, he returned to Buffalo, where he served with the 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion and then transferred to the Manhattan Armory when Brian began school at Juilliard and his apprenticeship at A&R Recording.
In December 1982, Brian received a call to go to the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom, South Korea, as part of the United Nations Command (UNC). He was there for advanced training focused on maintaining the armistice and patrolling the demilitarized zone. Essentially, he spent a lot of time on guard duty and occasionally blew up a mine or two.
In 1983, Brian packed his bags and headed to Nashville to fulfill his duties as a reservist with the 1st Battalion, 100th Regiment. Just as he was getting comfortable in his new surroundings, he received the call to report to the 82nd Airborne Division headquarters in North Carolina. This was all part of the preparations for the mission in Grenada, known as Operation Urgent Fury. Before he knew it, Brian found himself as part of the low-altitude assault team, making a dramatic landing at Point Salines Airport on the southern coast of the island.
In early 1985, Brian moved to Austin, Texas, to join the 980th Engineer Battalion. Not long after settling in, he got the call to active duty and headed off to Germany, where he reported to the 547th Engineer Battalion, Company C, stationed at Kelly Barracks in Darmstadt.
During his time in Germany, Brian was deployed on a mission to Mogadishu, Somalia, to support military operations. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse during a helicopter rappelling exercise when his line snapped, sending him plummeting about 20 feet. The fall left him with serious injuries to his knees and hips. After returning to Germany for treatment, Brian faced multiple reconstructive surgeries, but despite the medical efforts, doctors informed him that he likely wouldn’t regain full use of his legs.
Coming to terms with the reality that he might not be able to rappel or jump again, Brian decided it was time for a change. With an opportunity to cross-train in his unit, he chose to become a Heavy Vehicle Operator (64C20 – Heavy Junk), planning to spend the rest of his tour hanging out in the motor pool. At least, that’s what he thought…
In preparation for Reforger 85 (Central Guardian), Brian’s company was assigned to the 3rd Armored Division as part of the Orange task force to conduct assault training operations. Brian thought he’d just spend his time doing guard duty, but his first sergeant had other ideas…
Exercise Reforger (Return of Forces to Germany) was a crucial NATO military exercise conducted from 1969 to 1993 during the Cold War. The primary goal of this annual exercise was to ensure that NATO forces could quickly mobilize and deploy to West Germany in case of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact. It wasn’t just about U.S. troops; many soldiers from other NATO countries, including Belgium, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and the UK, also participated. This joint effort helped enhance military readiness and cooperation among the allies during a tense period in history. – Wikipedia
While in the field, Brian had limited duties that mainly revolved around operating the AN/PRC-77 radio, affectionately dubbed the “Prick 77,” which he carried in an Alice Pack. Recently promoted to squad leader, it was now his team’s turn for night patrols, and tonight, of all nights, he had his special forces first sergeant tagging along.
At around 02:00 hours, during their patrol, the first sergeant received a call from CentComm with some unexpected orders: intercept and harass an enemy encampment just inside hostile territory. Without hesitation, he volunteered Brian’s squad to execute the mission.
When they arrived at the target area, they were greeted by a surprising sight—a full company of enemy soldiers, far more than Brian’s six-man squad could take on. Reaching out to CentComm for backup wasn’t an option—the mission was covert, and they had to maintain radio silence. So, the first sergeant decided to conduct a recon of the area to figure out their next moves.
Upon returning from recon, the squad reported back that the enemy’s company headquarters tent was positioned suspiciously close to the camp’s edge. This left it vulnerable to a direct assault, making it a prime target for Brian’s squad. With their packs stashed away, they geared up for a light assault.
The Superior Unit Award was established in 1985 and is a decoration of the United States Army that is awarded in peacetime to any unit of the Army that displays outstanding meritorious performance of a difficult and challenging mission carried out under extraordinary circumstances. – Wikipedia
As dawn approached, the seven-man team stealthily navigated past guard posts and slipped into the company headquarters tent. They caught the enemy completely off guard, including the company commander, who was still sound asleep. With assault rifles aimed at their faces, the commander and his staff were subdued in a matter of seconds.
Then, in a bold move, the first sergeant tied a white pillowcase around his arm and stepped out of the tent to negotiate with the next-in-command—a butter bar lieutenant who, blissfully unaware of the unfolding assault, was still catching some Z’s along with most of the company.
When news of the unsanctioned, albeit successful, operation reached CentComm, it immediately caught the attention of NATO leadership. Impressed by the team’s skill and improvisation, NATO Commander General Bernard W. Rogers personally visited the team in the field to award them the Army Superior Unit Award.
It was the final days of Reforger. Brian and his squad had been relieved of their patrol duties and were walking to the mess tent for breakfast when suddenly Brian’s legs gave out from underneath him, and he couldn’t get back up. Medics immediately attended to him, and he was flown back to Frankfurt for further evaluation. It turns out Brian had reinjured the nerves in his legs during the Reforger night patrol operation, and he needed additional surgery to fix the problem.
A few weeks later, on crutches, assigned to light duty, and freshly chastised by his doctors, Brian returned to the motorpool to waste time doing mindless paperwork when he found out that his biological father had just died of cancer. Brian had been offered a medical discharge with full honors when he first got hurt. Now, burdened with managing his father’s estate and facing the possibility of spending the rest of his military career stuck behind a desk, he decided to accept the offer and left active duty in late 1985.
Since then, Brian has been an active member of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He now works at the Department of Veterans Affairs, advocating for veterans’ rights and helping disabled veterans access the care they need.