These days, radio technician Brian Marshall drives a Denver Water truck when he goes on location to test and repair the utility’s crucial communications equipment. 

He uses skills developed during his four years in the U.S. Army, including two years serving in combat zones throughout Afghanistan — when his ride to the job site was often a Blackhawk helicopter.

Marshall served in the Army from 2008-2012. He's worked at Denver Water since 2021. 

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“In the Army, I repaired equipment used in remote locations. So, I’d go from outpost to outpost for weeks at a time,” Marshall said.

“I’ll never forget those nights sitting in the Afghan mountains, in the dark under the stars, in the middle of nowhere, hearing that distinctive sound of helicopter blades turning, getting louder as it got closer. It was pretty surreal to see that Blackhawk helicopter landing just for me.”

These days, Marshall works on another a tight-knit team, and is passionate about helping other combat veterans assimilate into civilian life.

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“My combat skills friends say, ‘I don’t have any skills,’ and I immediately say, ‘Yes, you do. You just need to learn how to apply them,’” Marshall said. “There are lots of benefits that come from serving, and military leadership absolutely makes you stand out of the crowd without even trying.” 

Marshall said the camaraderie he’s found on his Denver Water team, which includes other veterans, is similar to what he found in the Army. 

“We have that same team attitude that whatever needs to get done, we’ll do it,” Marshall said. “Outside of the military, this is the greatest job I’ve ever had.”

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Meet Brian Marshall’s teammates on Denver Water’s industrial controls team.

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Marshall was a senior in high school when he enlisted in the Army, wanting something other than college. 

“I was tired of classroom learning, and my thought was why not get paid to learn things and be part of something bigger than myself?” Marshall said.

Having aced the assessment test given to new recruits, Marshall’s main goal was to avoid a desk — and be on the front lines.

“The direct combat arms jobs were intense, like infantry and tank driving. I think that made my dad’s heart sink,” Marshall said. “Then I realized computer systems repair was an option on the front lines and it was a perfect fit.” 

Marshall was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, first Brigade Combat Team, 1/32 Cavalry Delta Forward Support Company and quickly found himself part of military history.

“When I got to headquarters, I had to ask someone what was up with all the picture of Elvis Presley on the walls,” Marshall said. “My unit was the same one he served in when he was in the Army.” 

After two years of training, Marshall arrived in the Kunar Province, an isolated and dangerous area in the northeastern part of Afghanistan close to the Pakistan border. 

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He worked on equipment essential to soldiers making combat logistical patrols, including the long-distance, night-vision goggles with laser range finders used in surveillance operations. 

“I loved learning the equipment by tearing it apart, fixing it and doing routine maintenance on it,” Marshall said. “Hands-on learning is the best way to learn.” 

Marshall also worked with local and international soldiers, as part of his unit’s job was to make the roads safe, and to train the Afghan National Army and security teams to run the military bases on their own. 

Marshall’s hands-on learning approach also helped him connect with local Afghans, as they worked to build strong communities.

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Join Denver Water’s team @ denverwater.org/Careers.

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“When you as an American soldier are in their backyard, you’re the outsider. It’s up to you to form relationships — and those connections are critical,” Marshall said. “I really enjoyed getting to know the local people and it was great working together with them.” 

Those relationships helped him do his job and kept him safe. 

“There were times they would ask, ‘Are you going off the base anytime soon?’” Marshall said. “That was their way of looking out for me.” 

As a first priority rifleman, Marshall would pick up a rifle after he finished repairing equipment. 

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“I wanted to help out at the combat outposts, and once they found out I was willing to go outside of the wire, I’d do patrol or take a shift to give them a bit of a break,” Marshall said.

Part of the territory Marshall worked in was in the Korengal Valley. Referred to as “the Valley of Death,” this remote, mountainous area has long been considered one of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan.

Marshall ran entry control points at all the bases where he was stationed, work that included inspecting vehicles for improvised explosive devices that could be smuggled onto the base or detonated remotely. 

“We had to deal with random attacks all the time,” Marshall said. “You’d be on watch and if you saw someone standing on top of a mountain with a cellphone, it could be someone talking on a phone, or that person could be helping someone else set off a timed device directed at your post.”

Those random attacks included rocket propelled grenades flying through the base.

“I definitely learned how to identify different munitions based on the sounds, though the mortars made a very specific and terrifying sound,” Marshall said.

While he was trained for combat and went through practice deployments, Marshall said nothing could truly prepare him for the real thing. 

“When you first arrive, it still feels a bit like training and unreal,” Marshall said. “Then the first time you get shot at, when a bullet hits behind you, or rockets fly at you, it’s real. There’s an adrenaline rush unlike anything else.” 

For Marshall, his training helped him deal with deployment stress. With a unit motto of “Victory or Death,” not going home alive was certainly something the soldiers thought about.

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“In a situation like this, there’s so much that’s out of your control,” Marshall said. “You just have to keep going with a live or die mentality, and either confront the realities of being in a combat situation or hide in the corner. It’s something that comes from within.”

When his deployment tour ended, Marshall found himself confronting a new role: Being a civilian. 

Despite an intense debriefing process, Marshall found it surreal to be back home. 

He spent three months working and snowboarding in Breckenridge, then got a phone call asking for a different kind of service. His grandfather in Chicago — also a veteran — had Alzheimer’s and needed constant care.

“It was a pretty tough situation, but I really wanted to be with my Grandpa Marshall. I went home, spent 12 hours a day with him, making his food and being his caretaker before he passed away,” Marshall said. “Both of my grandfathers were in the Army, and both, like me, worked in communications.” 

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With this military legacy, Marshall is proud of his Army service, and provides support to other soldiers reentering civilian life. 

“Service friends have called me, saying they aren’t ready to be a civilian. I usually tell them it’s the same, just with less structure — and less PT,” Marshall said with a smile.

“I know what it’s like to have to learn how to structure your day, or to feel like you’re stuck in a state of high alert,” Marshall said. “I used to be meticulous about PT, and though I’m more laid back about it, I still have that military mindset to train and keep fit. Now it’s for myself.” 

Marshall realizes most people will never understand his military experiences. He’s realized that helps him build connections, similar to when he was in rural Afghanistan.

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“After you’ve served in a combat zone, you have to stop and put yourself in other people’s shoes when they try to relate you, because they don’t get it,” Marshall said. “They don’t know crowds can be stressful. They may not know that you’re in your head, paying attention to people’s body language or quickly scanning an area to check how people are standing or where the exit is located.” 

He’s also made connections with people who instantly recognize a fellow veteran.

“A neighbor has a family member who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen, and when he met me, he said, ‘You were in the military, weren’t you?’” Marshall said. “I said yes, and said he could tell by the way I walked. There are just things about the military that always stick with you.”

“My life motto definitely comes from an Army saying, which is ‘Embrace the suck,’” Marshall said. “Things aren’t always great, but you have to just go do it, help out and get the job done. It’s amazing to see what just one person can do.”