#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Brandon M. Brown

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Brandon M. Brown, who served as a mortuary affairs specialist and deployed twice to Iraq.

Brandon Brown grew up in Greenville, Ohio, and enlisted June 30, 2006, as a 92M, mortuary affairs specialist. Brown went to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Following what he described as a “transformative process,” Brown continued to Advanced Individual Training in Fort Lee, Virginia, until December 2006.

Stationed at Fort Lee in Virginia, Brown served with the 54th Quartermaster Company, 101st Airborne Division. His unit deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, on July 5, 2007. As a part of his duties, Brown recovered the remains of the fallen and assisted in their preparation, preservation, and shipment to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. During Brown’s first deployment, he processed hundreds of U.S. service members, local nationals, and third country nationals. Additionally, he aided in drafting the Army regulation on how to properly handle and process personal effects of wounded in action and killed in action personnel.

Following his first deployment, Brown returned to Fort Lee and promoted to specialist. He led the forward mortuary affairs training for nearly 200 soldiers. Then, in May 2009, Brown deployed again to Baghdad. Brown returned to Fort Lee in November 2009.

From November 2009 to April 2010 Brown continued to train his fellow soldiers in forward mortuary affairs operations and lead burial ceremonies for fellow U.S. service members. In July 2010, Brown honorably discharged from the Army.

Following his time in the Army, Brown enrolled in Harrisburg Community College where he served as a senator on the student government association. Through this experience, he gained greater exposure to politics and consequently enrolled in Penn State as a political science major. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s in political science and his master’s in political science and international relations, Brown is currently working toward his doctorate in political science and international relations at the University of Delaware. His research is focused on behavioral and institutional politics in the U.S.

Thank you for your service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Contributors

Writer: Kristen Reece

Editor: Kelly Dooley

Graphic artist: Brett Blandford