Owensboro’s Brad Youngman was honored Friday for his military service Friday with the Meritorious Service Medal, accepting the award in the armory named after his father.
“I am very proud to receive this award,” Youngman said. “I had a great military career, met many outstanding people and had so much fun. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m especially grateful that I had so many of my former soldiers and colleagues along with my family in attendance at the ceremony. I was not expecting that.”
Youngman, currently a detective with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, joined the U.S Army/Kentucky Army National Guard in 1998 and retired in 2019. He is a fourth-generation national guardsman, and he, his grandfather and father all served at one point in their careers at the old National Guard Armory on Parrish Avenue.
“When I was sworn into the Guard in 1998, my grandfather and father were there to administer the oath,” Youngman said. “I was able to retire with my father present in the Armory that is named after him.”
Upon entering the military, Youngman completed basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. Youngman’s initial military specialty was as a Counterintelligence Agent.
In 2004, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and branched military intelligence. Youngman later obtained areas of concentration as a Counterintelligence Officer and Signals Intelligence Officer. He spent most of his career in Special Operations assignments but also fulfilled staff officer roles in the 206th Engineer Battalion in Owensboro.
During his military career, Youngman deployed to Central America, Iraq and Afghanistan, and he served stateside active duty tours in counter narcotics, Homeland Security and on the U.S./Mexico border in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“I especially want to thank my wife, Brook, and our kids,” Youngman said after receiving the award. “I’ve missed a lot of important family events during my military time. Your family serves too when you join because you cannot do it without them.”
