Brian Puotinen Email and Phone Number

​When I was young, my father would tell me stories of his time in the National Guard. It was his stories that inspired me to join the military, so that one day I would have stories of my own to pass down to my kids and inspire them to do great things. So, in 2006, the summer before my senior year of high school, I joined the Army Reserves.​When I was 19, before my deployment, I joined with the Lake in the Hills Law Enforcement Explorer Post 1096 working with teenagers who wanted to have careers in the criminal justice field. In 2009 I was made an Advisor to the post which meant I would help coordinate and execute the training for the post. In the process, I became like a big brother to some of the Explorers and helped them with problems.​In August of 2009, I was deployed with the 940th Movement Control Team from Fort Sheridan, IL. On my deployment, as a Transportation Management Coordinator, our team was set with the task of moving personnel and equipment safely into Iraq and throughout Kuwait. In this time, I made many friends with the Kuwait military and police force which helped to maintain a strong bond between our two cooperating forces.​Being there taught me many great traits including organization and strong teamwork.​Even after coming home from deployment, those traits stayed with me. Soon after coming home I joined a recreational softball team.