Michael Brown
Michael Brown understands why reminiscing about time spent in the military is difficult for many. During three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, Brown has certainly witnessed his share of traumatic injuries in the midst of life-and-death situations.
There was the time a grenade was thrown at him.
“I was in a building in Baghdad and I was just there, trapped, waiting for the grenade to go off. Fortunately, the pin that activates the grenade had broken off the pull ring and stayed put. I was extremely lucky there,” said the Helena resident.
Other battle buddies of his during that mission were not. Some lost limbs, some were shot and others died.
“Yes, I saw a lot of combat and, yes, I’ve been shot at,” Brown said. “It was very intense and violent on some of those missions, for lack of better words.”
During his 10 years in the military, Brown served as a gunner in charge of the automatic grenade launcher on the back of a Humvee and, after graduating from Ranger school in 2003, which he described as “62 days of hell,” he became a gun team leader in charge of troops, training them and planning missions. He did a short stint of recruiting in the state of Washington before moving to long-range surveillance, where he and his team gathered intelligence along the Iranian border. After that, he attended school in Georgia to become a Ranger School Instructor, where he worked for a little over two years, teaching junior leaders how to lead their own troops into combat.
During his time serving, Brown was awarded several Army Achievement and Commendation Medals and a Meritorious Service Medal.
“The camaraderie I experienced during my time in the service was beyond anything I could ever have imagined,” he said. “I felt really blessed to be surrounded by ‘A’ players who wanted to exceed the standard, and that’s an incredible feeling to be surrounded by people who are elevating you and themselves constantly. To be a part of that team was an honor. The discipline, the organization and the structured life still plays an integral part of my life today.”
Michael Brown
Brown, who currently works as the chief operations officer for the Silverman Law team in Helena, also owns and manages a hospice and palliative care center. He serves on the board of the Helena area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that he was a police officer and SWAT Team officer in Washington. In 2020, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in business management, magna cum laude. He and his wife, Ashley, 3-year-old son Logan, and his two dogs, enjoy life to the fullest with activities like camping and hiking. And, yes, Brown still occasionally enjoys skydiving, though, as he describes the experience, “it’s a little more of a casual experience than what I’m used to.”
Anytime he needs a break or some serenity, Montana’s mountains, lakes and trails are the salve he needs. And, of course, he still stays in touch with his friends who served alongside of him.
For those considering a career in the military, Brown has a few words of advice.
“Be as physically fit as possible so that your mind isn’t altered under stress. And I would also say, ‘Don’t be half in.’ You’ve really got to commit, really believe in the mission and give 110%,” Brown said. “When you do that, it’s no longer a job. And I feel that way about work. I’m a committed and loyal person and I give as much as I possibly can. My service now is to my work team and my community, and I believe that as long as I’m putting myself out there, good things will come to others.”
