Retired Air Force veteran Brandon Fertig has transformed to a passionate outdoor adventurer who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in support of a nonprofit that helps veterans transition to rewarding careers.
Retired Air Force veteran Brandon Fertig has ascended from growing up in the projects in Pittsburgh, raised by a single mom.
Fertig has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, gone scuba diving in Korea, trekked in Guam, rode horses in New Mexico, skied in Utah, fished in Alaska, snorkled in Micronesia, kayaked in the Indian Ocean, biked in Greece, hiked in Newfoundland, and skydived and whitewater rafted in Colorado.
But none of that would be possible without first facing his fears, overcoming his childhood and serving in the military.
“The socio-economic climate I was raised in is a typical American story,” he recalls in today’s episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast. “It’s a lot of peoples’ struggles. What do you do with those struggles? What do you do with that? One of my schoolmates murdered his neighbor.”
Like many who served during the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were a call to action for Fertig.
“When 9/11 hit, something clicked in me,” he said, noting that Flight 93 crashed close to his house in Pennsylvania. “I needed to do something. Many GWOT veterans came in needing to do something with their lives. It could be personal. It could be spiritual. It could be military. 9/11 was very personal for me.”
A member of American Legion Post 74 in Arkansas, Fertig served 20 years in mostly combat roles. His service brought him to over 55 countries and five continents, and he spent three years down range with a total of 299 combat missions. Furthermore, he flew dozens of repatriated remains missions bringing home the fallen over the span of five years.
So how did he go from Air Force missions to outdoor adventures?
“Something snapped in me while I was in the service,” he recalls. “For me, I wanted something more. It was a gradual growth. All those things (outdoor adventures) were waypoints on a map of my life that I had to overcome each time. I’m not — by nature — a Red Bull style adventurist. I’m a very thought-provoking, very cautious and cost-benefit guy.”
Fertig believes humans, by nature, become addicted to something. He learned from the actions of his parents and others the negative consequences of some typical addictions.
“I wanted to choose things to be inspired, things that would have a story, I wanted to choose things that would prove to my wife and our sons that I was someone who could rise to a challenge.”
That led him to an eight-day climb of Mount Kilimanjaro this past summer. His expedition was in support of MedTechVets, a nonprofit that helps veterans transition to rewarding careers in the industry. “We inspire each other to do incredible things.”
Also in this episode Stacy Pearsall, Adam Marr and Joe Worley chat about:
• A major step forward in getting veterans diagnosed with and receiving treatment for Gulf War Illness.
• The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is finally bringing home a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
• An out-of-this-world discovery of a rare Star Wars trading card.
You can also check out the more than 300 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima