Brandi McCollister
Where do you live? I live in St. Marys, Ohio.
Do you have children and/or pets? I have a fiancé and children.
What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy hunting, fishing, walking haunted trails and spending time with my kids.
In what branch did you serve? I served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
What rank/job title did you hold? I held the rank of Corporal (E-4) Motor Vehicle Operator.
Where were you deployed? I was not deployed.
Why did you enlist? I enlisted because I wanted to protect and serve our country. I love doing things for people and I wanted to be a police officer but I had to wait until I was twenty-one, so I enlisted to do something valuable with my time while I waited.
How long were you enlisted? I was enlisted for four years.
What was the single most important thing that you learned from your time spent in the service? I learned that there are good and bad times in life and with the help of your extended family—your brothers and sisters in uniform—you can accomplish anything.
What is your proudest military and/or personal achievement? I received a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM) for all of the extra hard work that I put in. I coordinated three battalion movements—to Korea, Thailand and Japan.
If you had an infinite amount of money to use for a good cause, what would it be? I would donate money to local law enforcement agencies and I would work to see that the military was paid more for the work that they do. I would also help the Wounded Warrior Foundation and create a program for troubled children. And last, but not least, I would pay off my mother's house as a way of thanking her for all that she has done for me.