Commander Doug Brinker

 

Welcome Home and Thank you for you Service to our country. As your 20180-19 Commander first and foremost I am humbled and honored beyond words for my gratitude for this priceless opportunity. I value each of you in our post and the VFW membership. If your not a member and are exploring our site I extend a warm welcome and if you're eligible for membership we would be truly honored to have you as a fellow Comrade in our Post

A little background about myself so that you understand who I am and how I got here in the VFW. It started in Oct. 1981 when I entered Great Lakes Ill. for the US Navy boot camp. I graduated and was given my first duty station orders to Charleston SC. aboard the USS Mullinx DD944 the ole Forest Sherman Class Destroyer. I would later the fall of 1982 be deployed to Beirut Lebanon for the Multi-Peace keeping mission. After 6 weeks there we would visit liberty ports such as Naples Italy, Palma Spain, Maldive Islands giving me Shellback Status during my 6 month deployment.

We would return and decommission the MUX a few weeks later in 1983. I would then be sent to Norfolk VA for Pre-Commissioning training and after 3 months would be sent to Bath ME to help prepare the USS DeWert FFG 45 for Commissioning on Nov 19, 1983. I would spend 1 yr on the DeWert and leave active duty Nov 1984.

 

I enlisted into the Michigan Army National Guard twice once from April 89-92 with the 1461st Transportation Unit in Jackson Mi. then again re-enlisted from Oct 02-Nov 04. I would volunteer to deploy to Camp Anaconda Balad Iraq in March 2004. I received a near fatal staph infection which forced me into a medical retirement. Fast forward I attended Jackson Community College for my AABUA Business 2006-2009 transferred to Eastern Michigan University 2009-14 for Masters work in Communication. I joined Post 423 the fall of 2013 and have served as Post Surgeon 2014-2016. Today my passion is to spread awareness of our 20 Veterans a Day who die by Suicide as I am a 2x Victor over my attempts. If you are ever at a point where hopelessness is running you Please contact Me!