U.S. Army officer
Born: Sept. 30, 1984, in New York City
Grew Up In: Howell, New Jersey
New Jersey Hall of Fame, Class of 2009: Unsung Hero

All Brian Brennan ever wanted to do was serve his country. He has done that – and so much more.

Brennan was a senior in high school when, like all Americans, he witnessed on television the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. At that moment, he made the commitment to a life in the military. Looking ahead to college, he only applied to a single school, The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. Upon graduation from The Citadel in May 2006, he received a BA degree in criminal justice and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

After training in Airborne School and as an Army Ranger, Brennan was deployed to Afghanistan in March 2008 as a heavy weapons platoon leader with the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. On May 7, 2008—just two years after his college graduation—Brennan was on patrol in Zambar Province when his Humvee was struck by a 44-pound Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Brennan suffered a traumatic brain injury in the blast and would lose both his lower legs. Of the three soldiers and one civilian in the Humvee on that fateful day, only Brennan and his driver survived.

Brennan was shipped for treatment to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, where he remained in a coma for 23 days. His prognosis was bleak. Then, in the stuff of miracles, he received a visit from General David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command and a veteran of the 101st. After repeated attempts to communicate with Brennan, the general called out “Currahee,” a Cherokee word and the battle cry of Brennan’s regiment. To the amazement of all assembled, Brennan stirred and attempted to sit up. It was the beginning of his road back.

Following his recovery, Brennan chose to remain on active duty. Rising through the military ranks, he worked in several capacities, including operations officer for a training brigade and company commander for the Maneuver Center of Excellence, an elite training-support operation. He also served as a project officer on programs for advanced systems to arm and defend American soldiers. In 2022, Brennan, by then an Army major, was deployed to Kuwait as executive officer for the 408th Contracting Support Brigade. Colonel Justin DeArmond, commander of the 408th, has described Brennan as “the epitome of resilience.”

Brennan continues to amaze and achieve. He earned an MBA degree from The Citadel in 2022, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2023. He has won numerous service medals, including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Through his family’s Brennan Stands Alone Foundation, he helps support severely injured service members. He is also a husband and father.

At Brennan’s New Jersey Hall of Fame induction, General Petraeus said of Brennan, “He is a true hero who served our nation magnificently.”