About me...

My name is Brett. I hail from Arlington, Texas but have been living in Florida for the last three years. I have recently moved to Galveston, Texas where I am in the Texas A&M at Galveston Maritime Studies Program.

Shortly after graduating high school I took a leap and joined the United Marine Corps. My occupation was infantryman but I was trained in a variety of skills from explosives, to radios, to Arabic. I was stationed in about 6 different states and over my five years of service visited many foreign ports. In 2005 I deployed as part of the 22nd MEU (SOC) to the coast of Somalia and eventually Iraq. In Iraq my unit was the spearhead of such operations as Smokewagon and Koa Canyon. I was honorably discharged in August 2006 and then served a year of reserves in the Marines and eventually switched branches to the Army National Guard where I continue to serve today.

Now, I live the life of a poor college student living off "pickles and pop-tarts" but I am always thankful for my past experiences. I enjoy traveling and have been to Europe and more recently Colombia (traveling is an obsession that once you have experienced, never ceases to torment your imagination). Many insights about life can be gained just by visiting another country and walking in the shoes of another culture for a bit. So besides school and homework occupying almost all my hobby time I enjoy cooking, reading, working out, and learning all types of new skill sets whether practical or not. One thing that I have learned in college is that when you are unsure of how to start or finish a paper, end it with a quote. So here's mine...

"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats."-H.L. Mencken