The original item was published from October 13, 2015 11:31 AM to October 19, 2015 11:05 AM

On Monday, October 12, 2015, the Port of Palm Beach welcomed Brian Mast, a 12-year U.S. Army veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal for Valor, Purple Heart Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Mr. Mast's Army career included service under the elite Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as a bomb disposal expert, fighting in the ongoing war against radical Islamic terrorism.
As stated in Mast's bio: While on his last deployment in Afhanistan, Mast was tasked with protecting his brothers from IED's on a nightly basis. While he was able to detect and destroy most, the very last IED Mast found resulted in him sustaining catastropic injuries that resulted in the loss of both his legs.
Mast discussed his service and injuries with Port staff, explaining that during his time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC, he realized he was not finished serving his country. As he recovered, regained strength and re-evaluated his future, he decided to answer the call to serve the U.S. again, as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 18th Congressional District.

Port executive staff members were not only honored to meet him, but to also show him the operations and future plans for the Port of Palm Beach.