Military Homebuyer Colorado Springs January 2014 | Page 23

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Brian Stann earned one of the
nation’s highest honors for his
bravery in Iraq. The hulking Marine
and commander of the 2nd Mobile
Assault Platoon coordinated air and
tank support during a six-day siege at a
key bridge near insurgent strongholds.
At one point, Brian led a charge into
the heart of an ambush to recover six
severely wounded soldiers.
The platoon ultimately took the
bridge. All 42 Marines survived.
The Pennsylvania native and former
Navy linebacker was awarded the Silver
Star in 2006. His mission was recreated
for the History Channel, and President
Bush even referenced Brian’s valor in a
few speeches.
Today, with his military career
behind him, Brian is dedicated to
helping his comrades in a different way
— by working to reduce the veteran
unemployment rate.
Brian is president of Hire Heroes
USA, a nonprofit organization that
offers transition and job search
assistance and job placement to
those who have honorably served our
country. Hire Heroes helps thousands
of veterans and their spouses secure
the opportunities necessary to support
themselves and their families.
The agency targets veterans who are
most likely to be unemployed: those
who served as part of Operations Iraqi
Freedom and Enduring Freedom and

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“The veteran unemployment rate is
twice the general unemployment rate,
and service members are being denied
the American dream that they fought
to preserve,” Brian said. “Employers
owe it to these warriors to get educated
and to better understand the skill sets
and unique needs of our returning
servicemen and women.”
Brian has traveled the country
meeting with congressional
representatives. He’s even taken to the
airwaves, talking about the difficulties
facing returning veterans on programs
like C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.”
But he also garners support for the
cause in a less traditional way: The
former Marine has emerged as one of
the leading faces of mixed martial arts.
Brian began his fighting career in
2006 while still on active duty. He was
a natural. Within two years, he became
the World Extreme Cagefighting Light
Heavyweight Champion. He moved to
the sport’s top tier, Ultimate Fighting
Championship, or UFC, in 2009.
In 2011, he proudly signed on as an
official spokesman for Veterans United
Home Loans.
“The team at Veterans United
is dedicate