PUEBLO, Colo. – It was during his days as a tenaciously effective Army drill sergeant that Karl Brandenburg first entertained the idea of moving from the barracks into the classroom.
“There was something fulfilling about teaching, coaching and mentoring raw recruits into well-disciplined, highly motivated young soldiers,” said Brandenburg, who now uses those leadership and training skills to shape the minds and character of students at Risley International Academy of Innovation.
Coming from a long line of those who served, Brandenburg said choosing a military career wasn’t a difficult decision.
“It’s what we do as Brandenburgs,” he said. “Many in my family have served in the Army and a few in the Navy, so to me it was a logical choice.”
A month after receiving his high school diploma in 1989, Brandenburg was inducted into the Army in Tucson, Arizona.
With the exception of a three-year stint as a drill sergeant, Brandenburg’s 22-plus years were spent in the infantry, the fighting backbone of the Army since its inception, during which time he saw combat.
“My military career took me all over the southern United States, Western and Southeastern Europe as well as the Middle East,” Brandenburg explained.
