SGT Zachariah Brady

Rockledge, FL

Home Award Program Recipient

On November 24, 2009, during his second deployment, Army Sergeant Zach Brady and his squad were in Kandahar, Afghanistan on a patrol conducting an escort mission when his squad fell under direct enemy fire. While engaging the enemy and returning fire, a bullet struck Zach, passing through his right shoulder and striking his spine. A second bullet ricocheted through his Platoon Leader’s rifle, riddling Sergeant Brady with bullet fragments, striking him in the face, arm, side, and back. Sergeant Brady was flown from the site of his injury to the Kandahar Airfield Hospital in Afghanistan; he then returned stateside on January 16, 2010, where he was treated as an outpatient for his injuries for several months. Two years later in January 2012, he was medically retired from the Army.

Zach is excited to have moved into his new spacious home in Clermont. Zach says he is forever grateful to have been awarded this home, and the support he has received post-injury, particularly from Homes For Our Troops has been surreal.

Above all, Zach is excited that he no longer has to worry about a monthly rent or mortgage payment, a freedom that enables Zach to pursue his dream of entrepreneurship. A self-taught carpenter with a penchant for recycling and restoring wood pieces to create rustic home furnishings, Zach recently launched a new small business called Barefoot Barn Creations to market his woodcrafts. In his spare time, Zach enjoys sharing his love of surf-fishing with others and teaching them as well. He also enjoys hunting, surfing and playing golf; he is also an avid fisherman, and frequently participates in tournaments.