SFC Brian Lowen

Fairplay, CO

Mission Accomplished on August 3, 2024

Feeling that a traditional education would not lead him to a career he enjoyed, Brian Lowen earned his GED and enlisted in the National Guard.

On June 15, 2005, during his first deployment in Balad, Iraq, then Staff Sergeant Lowen was injured during a mortar attack. Despite injuries to his wrist, leg, ribs, and sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Brian continued to actively serve, retiring as a Sergeant First Class.

In between surgeries on his wrist and leg, Brian deployed an additional six times to Iraq and Afghanistan. Brian considers it a battle won that he left each deployment on his own two feet. After 20 years of service, Brian decided to have his right leg above the knee amputated.

Now medically retired, Brain enjoys skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and golfing. He volunteers at an outdoor education center that provides adaptive sports programs. His active lifestyle requires living arrangements that allow him to rest and recover, yet his former home was not suited to his needs. The non-adapted entrances had stairs, with homemade ramps providing the only wheelchair-accessible option into the house. Due to the pain of wearing a prosthetic for most of the day, when Brian chose to rest in his wheelchair, he was unable to navigate from room to room.

A specially adapted custom home with a barrier-free, open floor plan allows full access, and the automatic door openers provide Brian with wheelchair-accessible entryways. The mortgage-free home will enable Brian to continue to pay it forward by helping other Veterans.

Originally from California, Brian chose to build his HFOT home in Colorado to be close to his family.

Brian is thankful to HFOT donors and supporters for stepping up and supporting our nation’s Veterans. “For your generosity, kindness, and willingness to go the extra mile, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”