Brian Huberty is no stranger to history.

Not only does the 33-year-old father of three teach it at Plainwell High School, but he spent nearly a year of his life being a part of it when he was deployed in Iraq in 2004 and 2005.

A National Guardsman, Huberty began his service with the 1463rd Transportation Company out of Wyoming, Mich., soon after enlisting in late 2001.

Although he enlisted shortly after 9/11, Huberty said he had other, more personal reasons to join.

“I always had a desire to be involved in the military,” Huberty said. “When I graduated from college, I had an opportunity to join while getting all of my initial training done before schools would begin to interview for open positions. I viewed it as a challenge and decided to join.”

When he was activated for active service, he served with the 137th Transportation Company (PLS) out of Lawrence, Kan. Huberty eventually attained the rank of sergeant, E5.

When he was deployed in Iraq, Huberty took on a role that mirrored his jobs as a teacher and coach back home.

“I was a squad leader and had seven other soldiers I was responsible for,” Huberty said.

“(We) served in a transportation company,” he added. “Our specific job was to transport goods all over the region—water, vehicles, ammunition, parts, anything and everything. My driver and I provided security for our convoys while we were deployed.”

Prior to his deployment, Huberty said he envisioned his job would closely resemble that of his Hollywood counterparts.

“I anticipated Black Hawk Down—that I was going to be shot at from around every corner,” he said. “But I soon learned that I wasn’t going to be shot at from around every corner.”

Instead, he learned a much harsher reality.

“You kind of come to grips with mortality and move on,” he said, alluding to his fallen brothers- and sisters-in-arms. “You might not come back and then again you might; you just didn’t waste time worrying about it.”

In spite of the fact that Huberty was able to overcome that fear, he said he doesn’t think his family was able to do so quite as easily.

“Being away that long is very stressful on the family,” he said. “My wife was home alone for well over a year knowing that every phone call could be bad news. That was the hardest thing: knowing that they were having a hard time with (me) being deployed.”

Despite all of the hardships Huberty and his family had to endure, Huberty says it was all worth it.

“That was a long year and makes the freedoms and privileges I enjoy that (much) sweeter,” he said. “(I) remember what it means to sacrifice. I have a greater appreciation for those who served before me. I am very proud of my service and there is nothing I would do differently.”

In addition to reshaping his views of freedom, sacrifice and service, his time also helped him grow as a teacher and a coach.

“I teach social studies and I think it gives me a greater base of experience to pull from and explain conflict throughout history,” he said. “I think being able to draw on my experience has allowed me to connect the student with the material being taught.”

Huberty not only teaches his students about the past but also opens their eyes to options of the future.

“A few times a year I go and speak to our students and share my experience with them, and I explain what the military is, how it is beneficial and what the downfalls are,” he said. “I am no recruiter, but I believe that the military can be a great choice for some of our young men and women. I have seen former students of mine come back from being in the military, and it was a life-changing experience.

“The military isn’t for everyone, but there are great benefits,” he continued. “I always, always say that, if you are going to join, join for the right reasons. Never join because you want school paid for. You have to have that internal desire to better yourself and (your) country.”

*snip*

These three men have varying feelings about their time in Iraq, but all agreed: they’ve never experienced camaraderie like the kind they experienced there.

Each man formed bonds, most of which will likely last them a lifetime—bonds with their fellow soldiers, who became their friends, who became their brothers and sisters.

It’s this family who has left or will soon be leaving Iraq. It’s this family, nameless and faceless to many Americans, who were at the center of debate for nearly a decade.

They are our fathers, our mothers. They are our brothers, our sisters. They are our cousins, uncles, aunts, friends, schoolmates, teachers and coaches.

More than that, they’re our fellow man.

And whether or not we agree with them, they are still people. They believed in a cause so much that they were willing to risk everything for it, even death.

There are many ways we honor members of the armed services. We rise and applaud them at sporting events, wiping our eyes at the sight of muscular young men with prosthetic legs. We hang banners from overpasses, welcoming home local men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. We attach “Support Our Troops” stickers to our cars.

While symbolic measures are no doubt appreciated, veterans need much more than a standing ovation and a pat on the back. Many are suffering from traumatic physical and emotional wounds. Civilian jobs are scarce. More than 135,000 veterans are homeless.

There are dozens of charities that claim to help veterans. You’ve probably received a phone call from some of them, or been solicited for donations at the grocery store. Sadly, though, the track record for veterans’ charities is poor, charity watchdogs say, for two reasons:

• Veterans organizations, along with groups that solicit funds for firefighters and police officers, are magnets for hucksters and thieves.

For example, a man who identified himself as Lt. Cmdr. Bobby Thompson raised millions of dollars and cozied up to some well-placed politicians by creating a sham charity called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. An investigation by the St. Petersburg Times found that the charity reported income of more than $100 million since 2002. The group’s founder, who never served in the military and apparently stole someone’s identity, has been indicted, but his whereabouts are unknown.

Crooks gravitate to veterans charities because they’re lucrative, says Ken Berger, chief executive of Charity Navigator, a charity watchdog. Helping veterans “is a very powerful mission that pulls at many people’s heartstrings,” he says. “They see a big bucket of money to rip off.”

• A large percentage of donors’ funds go to telemarketers and professional fundraisers.

Many well-meaning founders of veterans groups don’t have the time or expertise to run a charity, so they hire telemarketers and professional fundraisers, Berger says. Too often, he says, they turn a blind eye to the amount of money the professionals keep for themselves.

Some large veterans charities spend up to 90 percent of donors’ contributions on fundraising, says Daniel Borochoff, president of CharityWatch (formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy).

Borochoff’s research into the high cost of fundraising by veterans charities led to congressional hearings in 2007. Borochoff told Congress that 75 percent of the veterans charities he analyzed received a “D” or “F” rating, vs. 22 percent of all charities.

Since then, the situation has gotten worse, Borochoff says. “It’s a national disgrace that hundreds of millions of donations intended for veterans are being wasted on massive direct-mail campaigns and gimmicks such as unordered greeting cards.”

TIPS FOR DONORS:
• Don’t respond to phone solicitations unless you already have a relationship with the charity, Borochoff says. Those calls are typically made by fundraisers, which means only a fraction of your contribution will go to veterans programs.

• Don’t give money to people who solicit for contributions outside retail stores or on the street, even if they’re wearing a military uniform. There’s no way of knowing whether the money is going to vets — or even if the individual asking for funds is really a veteran, Borochoff says.

• Don’t give because you received something in the mail. Some charities send prospective donors flags, desk sets, blankets and other premiums. These organizations hope recipients will feel compelled to send in a contribution to pay for the items, Borochoff says. “If you start getting a lot of unordered merchandise, (the charity) is probably really inefficient.”

• Don’t be misled by impressive-sounding names. Just because a charity is named after a well-known admiral or military hero doesn’t mean it’s a well-run organization.