What is a hero? Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a hero as a person that is, “admired for his achievements and noble qualities; a man that shows great courage.” 2002 HHS graduate Brandon Powell was paralyzed from the neck down on November 30, 2004 when he took a bullet in the defense of his country while touring in operation Enduring Freedom. Brandon Powell is an American Hero.

Barely a month out of high school, Powell decided to enlist in the army because he didn’t have enough money to pay for college and couldn’t become a garbage man until he was 21.

“I figured, ‘Hey, I’ll join the army for three years, then I’ll do something.’” He had no idea he would be captivating high school classrooms with his soft spoken, almost reluctant stories that tell how he joined the army, his experiences in it, and the event that nearly took his life.



The Veteran

In order to really know Brandon Powell the veteran, you must first to get to know Brandon Powell the person. In high school, he was like any other regular Joe walking the halls. He liked hanging out with a close group of friends, working with computers, playing video games, and, of course, girls.

He laughs and talks with everyone who comes up to him even though it is very tiring to do so. He can’t watch Black Hawk Down without crying because it reminds him so much of his time in combat, yet he won’t shy away from telling his tale if someone asks. It would be so easy for him to be bitter and denounce the military, but Brandon’s attitude towards the armed forces is completely opposite.

“[The Army] made me a lot better person,” Powell stated frankly. “It made me stronger, more confident. I’d do it again if I had the chance.”

Before his injury, he went to basic training for ten weeks at Fort Knox. Then was assigned to Fort Lewis for two years where he did various training exercises involving the Striker assault vehicle and an assault missile system. He also trained and prepared numerous infantrymen for deployment into Iraq or other military situations.

Being “Over There”

When in Iraq, Powell used his interest in computers and technology to do work with radios, a heads-up display system that he compared to a “video game, but for real life,” and the linking of satellite systems. Powell and the rest of his unit were sent “over there,” as Iraq is so affectionately referred to, to train the Iraqi people and to aid them in being their own army. They also helped rebuild the country and make things better for the civilians.

From the day Powell was stationed in Mosul, the northernmost city in Iraq, he was engulfed in urban combat- the memories that make Black Hawk Down so real for him.

The exact moment that he was shot is so real and vivid in his mind that he remembers it almost as if it had happened yesterday.

On Patrol

“It was November 30th, about 1:15 in the afternoon,” said Powell; his eyes look alert, as if he is seeing the dilapidated buildings and weary soldiers right in front of him. “We were out on patrol; we got a call to secure a mosque. I was hiding and harboring some eye-level terrorists. They were leaders who went in. I was on the outer perimeter, securing it so nobody would come in and foil the mission. There was a [Turkish] sniper on a rooftop. He got a shot off and shot me in the throat and it exited out my back. It paralyzed me from the neck down. I was still conscious and actually had to give directions to the hospital from where we were.”

A story like that is only seen in the movies. When you hear it first hand from someone sitting in a motorized wheelchair with a scar on his throat it seems so surreal. After the interview, I had to rewind the tape and listen to it again to make sure I actually heard what I thought I did.

Shortly after being shot, Powell was transported by a black hawk helicopter to Baghdad, then to a base in Germany where he stayed for five days before being transported to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D. C.

Life Changes

Life changed drastically for Brandon Powell on November 30, 2004. He can’t bathe, dress, or feed himself. He can’t use the restroom by himself, he has to do a pressure release every fifteen minutes so his skin doesn’t deteriorate, and he has to sleep in a bed that mechanically turns him over on his side so his back doesn’t break down. He can’t do most of the everyday things we hardly even think about.

“I don’t take anything for granted,” he says, then pauses, takes a breath and says, “I’m happy to be alive.”

Powell lives as if he doesn’t have any restrictions and he takes advantage of the opportunities that are available for disabled people. This summer he competed in the 2005 Wheelchair Games in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He medaled in three events, taking gold in bowling and drag racing, and silver in the air rifle event. His brother had to hold the rifle while Brandon sighted the target and told him when to pull the trigger. He laughs when he recalls how his brother was “all over the place” during that event.

Even with all the changes he has endured and overcome, Brandon is still adamant in his support of the source that caused his disability.

Support the Troops

“I think the campaign is good, but I’m kind of partial to it….But even if people don’t support the war, they must support the troops. Don’t, don’t hate us.”

It’s amazing how someone who is disabled for life because of his service is still vehemently in support of the armed forces. “If you’re thinking about [enlisting], do it. It’s the best thing you could do for yourself.” For the second time he says, with some added passion, “I’d do it again if I had the chance.”

A hero is someone who puts their personal welfare in the background in favor of the welfare of others. A hero is selfless. He doesn’t worry about himself; rather he worries about his brother in combat. A hero takes a bullet for their country and the principles their country was founded upon.

Even though Brandon Powell will never say it, he is the definition of a hero.