Army Infantry Specialist: Brent Riley

Army Infantry Specialist Brent Riley takes a break
near the Iran border.

Local resident Brent Riley was an Army Infantry Specialist for the U.S. He first joined when he was 18-years-old.

Riley was first deployed at nineteen.

“I wanted to go fight terrorists and see the world,” said Riley.

He also has family members who are veterans. His grandfather fought in WWI and his cousin was in the army as well.

He was on active duty for five and a half years. During that time he was deployed every other year. He spent 15 months in Baghdad in 2006 and 12 months in the Diyala province in 2008.

Riley was in combat infantry, which means that he kicked down doors, cleared houses, captured high value targets, missions, patrols, raids, firefights, and security.

After his five years of off-and-on deployment Riley was honorably discharged. He was ready to be a civilian and own his life once again.

“It was a good and bad experience,” said Riley.

He loved the friends he made and the bonds they forged in war. When he lost people he loved in the war it was a difficult experience for him.

“Being in the service has made me a better person,” said Riley.

Life wasn’t easy for Riley after being discharged. He had to readjust his way of thinking about the people around him. He had to form new relationships with people. He had better bonds with his combat pals than his wife and family because of what they went through together.

“Life is great now. No one has shot at me since I left Iraq, so every day is a good day,” said Riley.

After his stint in the army he has no regrets. Even the loss of his combat pals and the lack of sleep he still has no regrets. Everything that he went through only made him a stronger individual.

Currently Riley is finishing up his bachelor’s degree and wants to continue on with his education to complete his master’s. When he is finished with school he would like to move to Central Oregon. He would like to be a business systems analyst when he completes his college career.

Once moved to Central Oregon “I would like to hunt, fish, snowboard, and drink beer until he’s old and dead,” said Riley.

Fighting for your country and rights isn’t for everyone. It takes a certain kind of individual. Army Infantry Specialist Brent Riley is the that kind of individual.

Senior Airman: Colby McCarthy

Senior Airman Colby McCarthy enjoys a day
in the woods with his pal Ruger.

Corvallis native, Colby McCarthy made the decision to join the U.S. Air Force thirteen years ago. He is a third generation service member. His grandfather was in the Navy and his father was in the Coast Guard.

“I chose the military because I knew it would give me valuable training and a way to pay for college in the future,” said McCarthy.

When entering the Air Force, McCarthy started out as E1, Airman Basic. He left as an E3, Senior Airman.

The U.S. Air Force took McCarthy all over the world. He was stationed in Oman, Afghanistan, Turkey, Germany, and Iraq. While in Iraq he was at Balad Air Base and Tallil Air Base. In the U.S. he was stationed in Texas, New Mexico, and Mississippi.

For four years McCarthy worked on welding, rough framing and concrete work. During his deployment he wasn’t on the front line with a weapon. His job was to make repairs to aircraft hangers.

“It did feel good to be able to do my part and what I was trained to do,” said McCarthy.

McCarthy has many memories from his deployment.

The memories that remain are the friends he made while deployed, and the friends he continues to keep in close contact with. The time he spent in the service was enjoyed and he has no regrets.  

When it came time for him to re-enlist, the Air Force had an abundance of troops and they weren’t allowing many of the men and woman previously enlisted to re-enlist. He was forced out. There were too many people in his career field.

After being forced out of the service, McCarthy began working as a drill rig operator for the next eight years. Last year, he quit his job to begin a college career at LBCC. He is currently working towards getting his Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree, so that he can get an electrician apprenticeship. He goal is to work for the Electrician Union.

For those considering the military, McCarthy has some helpful advice.

“Look at all the military branches and choose the one that will give you that most experience that will be useful for a career, if and when you get out of the military.”

The military isn’t for everyone, If you have questions or concerns contact your local recruiting agency. An army of one starts with the first step in the right direction.