Current Residence: Springfield Township
Family: Wife, Karen, and two children ages 13 and 15
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Career After the Military: Chief of Weapons Safety, Department of Air Force (Civilian) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Hobbies: Family, coaching primarily football and working on old muscle cars
Branches of Service: Enlisted in U.S. Army and Naval Reserves; Officer in the U.S. Air Force/Ohio Air National Guard
Did you join the military or were you drafted? Joined
Deployments/Bases: U.S. Army Reserves from 1982-1984, at Fort Knox, Ky., and Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; U.S. Naval Reserves from 1986-1988, Alameda Naval Air Station/San Diego Naval Air Station, Calif., and Naval and Marine Corps Center Salt Lake City, Utah. Then U.S. Air Force from 1992-2015, outside the continental United States — Alaska, Turkey, Kuwait, Hawaii and Saudi Arabia; within the continental U.S. Alpena, Mich., Gulfport, Miss., and Savannah, Ga. Combat Readiness Training Centers; Beal Air Force Base, Calif.; Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.; Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; McGee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.; and all Air National Guard Bases in Ohio.
Total time that you served? 25 years, nine months and 16 days
What did you do in the service? US Army Reserve, psychological warfare; U.S. Naval Reserve, antisubmarine warfare; U.S. Air Force, weapons safety, munitions, aircraft/munitions maintenance, maintenance flight commander, communication and information systems, security forces squadron commander and inspector general.
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What did you gain from serving in the military? Wow, many important lifelong things like leadership by example, to try to emulate and inspire others; self-discipline, gives you confidence and to accomplish things you do not necessarily want to do; hard work, it builds character; teamwork, everything is easier and you feel better when you help someone else; and honoring tradition, teach others to be part of something larger than themselves.
What do you remember most about your service? Leadership is a privilege, honor, humbling and earned. Also, take advantage of any opportunities presented because you may never have them offered again.
What stands out as something memorable? In July 2012 I had to open/read a casualty report on one of my troops that was injured in the Area of Operations.
What would you like readers to know about your military experience? A deep respect for veterans and the camaraderie for others who served in the Armed Forces. You will practically do anything for the person next to you, for no other reason than they are your fellow airman, marine, solider or seaman. There have been millions who served that gave their lives defending our great country and nation.
Is there anything else you want readers to know about you that we didn’t ask?
Yes, what motivated you to join the Armed Forces? My father Joe Brucker, my good friend Greg Harlow and all those who served before me. My father and Greg were both war heroes and combat veterans. With all their mental/physical pain, they would have done it again.
Hometown Heroes is a weekly feature profiling Clark and Champaign County veterans compiled with the assistance of local Vietnam veteran Randy Ark. To nominate a veteran, e-mail samantha.sommer@coxinc.com or randyark48@gmail.com or call 937-328-0363. Any veteran of any military branch, years of service and age is eligible to be profiled.
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