Veteran for Life:
Brian C. Sonntag

U.S. Army
1991-2001
Combat Medic

After leaving the Army, I joined the Exchange and have been serving Soldiers ever since.

I joined the Army shortly after graduating high school in 1991.  After completing basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., I was sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for combat medical specialist training.  My first assignment was with the 7^th Medical Command at Vilseck, Germany, where I served Soldiers and family members of the Vilseck and Grafenwoehr community.

In 1997, I deployed to Bosnia with the 2^nd Infantry Regiment, and spent seven months patrolling and keeping the peace in the Brčko area.

While in the Army, I served in the 1^st Infantry Division (Big Red One), 3^rd Infantry Division, 24^th Infantry Division, and the 1^st Cavalry Division. I was honorably discharged from the Army at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2001.

I joined the Exchange and have been serving the troops ever since. In 2004, I received the Defense of Freedom Medal—the equivalent of the military’s Purple Heart—for injuries received from direct enemy contact while operating a tactical field exchange in Basrah Iraq.