Joshua Brandon joined Spirit of America in January 2019 as the Middle East Project Manager. Prior to Spirit of America, he served as a US Army infantry officer to include two Iraq tours with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (2003, 2006) and one with 3-2 Stryker Brigade (2009) where he was awarded the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars with valor devices.

After 10 years of service, Joshua transitioned from the Army to the Sierra Club where he worked in veteran mental health and conservation issues. He later left the club to work as an independent consultant in a diverse range of fields to include conservation and wildlife trafficking, veteran mental health research at the University of Washington, tactical mission command training, and adventure history as a sponsored athlete ambassador for Outdoor Research.

Joshua attended The Citadel where he earned a bachelor’s in history. He earned a master’s degree in international affairs with an emphasis on conflict and development from the University of Washington.