Friday, March 29, 2024

Brawner security officer Fowler deploys to Africa as Navy Seabee

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Many men and women in the military felt a certain pull before enlisting — a sense that they were called to protect their country.

But for Granbury resident Steven Fowler, the pull was strong — so strong in fact, that the Navy Seabee went beyond the call of duty, vowing to protect not only his country, but local children as well.

For three years, Fowler has served as a security officer at John and Lyn Brawner Elementary School, where he has been tasked with making sure the doors to the campus stay locked at all times as a safety measure for the staff and students.

But last week, the 36-year-old was forced to hang up his security uniform where it will stay for the next 300 days while he deploys to Africa on a military assignment.

During his deployment, he will be tasked with loading cargo such as water, medical supplies and uniforms onto planes.

This will be Fowler’s third — and last — deployment before he retires from the Navy Reserve after 18 years.

“I’ll be gone the rest of the school year, so I'm a little sad about going, because I'm gonna miss the staff and the students; but I'm also looking forward to it, because it's my last deployment,” he said.

His first deployment took place in Iraq from 2009 to 2010, while his second deployment was to Bahrain in 2018.

"My first deployment, I did construction because I'm a Seabee, construction electrician, so I was just building up the base and maintaining it,” he said. “My last deployment, I filled up planes with fuel. I was second-in-charge of our fuel.”

His favorite memory of the military, he said, was during his first deployment to Iraq.

“Every Sunday, we would grill out, people would go to the commissary on base and buy steaks and we'd make beans, queso and just a bunch of side dishes,” he said. “We made a smoker/grill while we were out there and every Sunday we would hang outside our rooms, grill out and just chill all day long. It was the funnest deployment I've had.”

Fowler won’t be returning to Brawner for this school year, but he said he plans to come back to his old middle school when he returns from Africa in July.

“This was actually my middle school 20 years ago. I was the last eighth grade class who went through when it was Meadows Middle School,” he said. “When I retire, I'm going to come back. I don't plan on leaving the school. If I can hopefully be at Brawner until I'm 65, then I'll have 31 years, so I'll be retiring then.”

Since Fowler has worked at Brawner, he has served as a role model to students — someone whom they feel they can look up to as an authority figure.

“I've just tried to mentor the kids. I try to make sure to teach them right from wrong and respect,” he said.

While Fowler said he was excited about getting a chance to tour Africa, he was going to miss the students and staff at Brawner more than anything.

“No matter what kind of day I'm having, I enjoy getting up and coming to work,” he added. “I enjoy seeing the smiling faces on the staff and the students — and all the hugs. The kids make it the best, the kids and the staff.”

Fowler promised the students that he would take several animal photos during his deployment, that he would try to do a few Zoom calls and that he would write a letter to anyone who wrote him.

As a going away present for Fowler, students signed a purple Granbury ISD "G" flag for him that he plans to hang up on his wall when he gets to Africa.

"There’s probably almost 900 signatures on that thing, but it is upside down, because when we signed it, we weren't paying attention, so the G is upside down. I'm like, ‘Oh, well. It's all good. It's the thought that counts,’” he said, with a chuckle.