Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Brian Armistead enlisted in the Army while attending Winthrop University and served as an Active-Duty Infantryman. His previous assignments including Ft. Wainwright, Alaska; Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; and Fort Carson, Colorado.
He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 5-9, Operation Enduring Freedom 10-11 and Operation Resolute Support 16.
Mr. Armistead joined the Army ROTC program at University of Dayton in 2018 and served as the Senior Military Science Instructor. During his time with the program, he was responsible for recruitment outreach, training resourcing, tactics training, marksmanship instruction and overseeing Cadet mentorship. During his tenure, he received multiple awards and commendations for his work, including Association of the United States Army Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the Midwest Region (2021), 7th Brigade, US Army Cadet Command Instructor of the Year (2022) and Cadet Summer Training Cadre of Cycle (2023).
After serving for 21 years, he and his family decided to leave the service and he officially retired in February 2025. He continues to serve the Fighting Flyer Battalion as the Senior Administrative Assistant to the program.