Brian Birdwell
Encyclopedia
Brian D. Birdwell is a Republican
from Granbury
, Texas
, who represents District 22
in the Texas Senate
. A retired lieutenant colonel
in the United States Army
, Birdwell is a decorated survivor of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon
in Arlington, Virginia, on September 11, 2001.
in a special election held on June 22, 2010. He replaced Kip Averitt
of McGregor
, who had succeeded Sibley in 2002. Averitt cited health problems when he resigned from office a week after having been renominated in the March 2 party primary. In the first round of balloting on May 8, Sibley led Birdwell but fell short of the majority required to win outright. Sibley, who had supported some Democrats in the past and tried to force Birdwell off the ballot, carried endorsements from former U.S. President and District 22 resident George W. Bush
, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples
of Palestine
, and veteran U.S. Representative Joe Barton
. Birdwell secured the support of activists from Phyllis Schlafly
's Eagle Forum
and the Tea Party movement
, Texas Republican National Committeeman Bill Crocker, as well as several sheriff
s and county commissioners across the largely conservative district. He was also endorsed by Scott O'Grady
of Dallas County
, a pilot shot down in Bosnia in 1996. Birdwell prevailed, 14,218 votes (57.9 percent) to Sibley's 10,339 ballots (42.1 percent).
District 22 includes Bosque
, Coryell
, Ellis
, Falls
, Hill, Hood, Johnson
, McLennan
, Navarro, and Somervell
counties. Texas Lieutenant Governor
David Dewhurst
, the ex officio president of the Texas Senate, named Birdwell to these five committees: Higher Education (Vice-Chair), Veterans Affairs & Military Installations (Vice-Chair), Economic Development and Government Organization.
A lifelong Republican, Birdwell backs conservative causes across the board, including opposition to abortion
and euthanasia
, and the health care policies of U.S. President Barack Obama
. Birdwell was a featured speaker at the June 2006 Republican State Convention in San Antonio
, while residing in Springfield
, Virginia. He keynoted the 2007 Texas State Presidential Straw Poll in Fort Worth
. He was a delegate to the Republican State Convention in June 2008 in Houston
. He is an immediate past vice president of the Hood County Republican Club.
In his campaign, Birdwell said that "Texas faces great challenges in the next session on issues ranging from the budget, standing up to an overreaching and out-of-control federal government, and preserving the conservative values which have made Texas the envy of the nation. Citizens can count on me to be a conservative champion on these issues."
in Beaumont
, Texas, with a degree in criminal justice
. In 1996, he procured a Master of Public Administration
degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Commissioned as a field artillery
officer in 1984, his military duties began at Fort Sill, Oklahoma
. He was stationed across the United States, South Korea
, and Germany
. In 1990, he was deployed to the preliminary military build-up known as Operation Desert Shield and then Operation Desert Storm, or the first Gulf War
. He was part of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Battle Group cited at the Battle of 73 Easting
in Iraq
when the 7th Corps struck the Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein
. For his work in Iraq, he earned the Bronze Star. In 1998, he was sent to Central America to conduct humanitarian operations after Hurricane Mitch
.
At the time of the Pentagon attack
, Birdwell was a military aide to the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. When American Airlines Flight 77
crashed near his office, Birdwell was thrown from his second floor office to ground level. He sustained serious burns, many to the third degree, over 60 percent of his body. On his second day in the hospital, he received a surprise visit from his commander-in-chief
, George W. Bush
, who stood patiently in salute as Birdwell could barely raise and lower his wounded arm. Birdwell underwent thirty-nine operations, long hospitalizations, and numerous skin grafts. He credits his physical and spiritual healing to grace through Jesus Christ. For his wounds at the Pentagon, Birdwell was awarded the Purple Heart
. Upon retirement, Birdwell received the Legion of Merit
.
that supports critical burn survivors and wounded service personnel and their families. The couple has written Refined by Fire: A Family's Triumph of Love and Faith,, the story of their life-changing ordeal and have spoken on the topic as well . Birdwell is a national speaker for David Barton's WallBuilders organization. He has appeared on various network and cable news programs and has been profiled in the Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, and the Los Angeles Times
.
The Birdwells have a son, Matthew Birdwell, a student at Texas Tech University
in Lubbock
. They attend Lakeside Baptist
Church in Granbury.
, as the Democratic
nominee had withdrawn from consideration in September. Texas Democratic leaders had, like David Sibley earlier, challenged Birdwell's eligibility to run for the Senate. State law requires that one live in Texas five years before running for either governor
or for either house of the state legislature. Birdwell voted in Virginia in 2006, but he had purchased property in Texas in 2005, intended to relocate to his native state, and was declared by the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to have hence met the residency rule.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Granbury
Granbury, Texas
Granbury is a city in Hood County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,718. It is the county seat of Hood County and the principal city of the Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, who represents District 22
Texas Senate, District 22
District 22 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves Bosque, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan, Navarro and Somervell counties in the U.S. state of Texas...
in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
. A retired lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Birdwell is a decorated survivor of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
in Arlington, Virginia, on September 11, 2001.
Election to Texas Senate
To win his Senate position, one of thirty-one in the state, Birdwell defeated former Republican state Senator David SibleyDavid Sibley (politician)
David McAdams Sibley, Sr. , is a lobbyist and attorney in Austin and Waco, Texas, who served from 1991 to 2002 as a Republican member of the Texas State Senate...
in a special election held on June 22, 2010. He replaced Kip Averitt
Kip Averitt
Barry Kip Averitt is a former Republican member of the Texas Senate representing the 22nd District, which includes Ellis and McLennan counites...
of McGregor
McGregor, Texas
McGregor is a city in Coryell and McLennan Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,727 at the 2000 census.McGregor lies in two counties as well as two metropolitan areas...
, who had succeeded Sibley in 2002. Averitt cited health problems when he resigned from office a week after having been renominated in the March 2 party primary. In the first round of balloting on May 8, Sibley led Birdwell but fell short of the majority required to win outright. Sibley, who had supported some Democrats in the past and tried to force Birdwell off the ballot, carried endorsements from former U.S. President and District 22 resident George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples
Todd Staples
Douglas Todd Staples is the current Republican Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Prior to his election in 2006 as Agriculture Commissioner, he had been a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature and formerly served on the city council in Palestine, Texas.Staples was...
of Palestine
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
, and veteran U.S. Representative Joe Barton
Joe Barton
Joseph Linus "Joe" Barton is a Republican politician, representing in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1985, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
. Birdwell secured the support of activists from Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis Schlafly
Phyllis McAlpin Stewart Schlafly is a Constitutional lawyer and an American politically conservative activist and author who founded the Eagle Forum. She is known for her opposition to modern feminism ideas and for her campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment...
's Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum
Eagle Forum is a conservative interest group in the United States founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 and is the parent organization that also includes the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund and the Eagle Forum PAC. The Eagle Forum has been primarily focused on social issues; it describes...
and the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
, Texas Republican National Committeeman Bill Crocker, as well as several sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
s and county commissioners across the largely conservative district. He was also endorsed by Scott O'Grady
Scott O'Grady
Scott Francis O'Grady is a former USAF Captain and former United States Air Force fighter pilot who gained prominence after the June 2, 1995 Mrkonjić Grad incident, in which he ejected over Bosnia when his F-16C was shot down by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 while he was patrolling the no-fly zone...
of Dallas County
Dallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
, a pilot shot down in Bosnia in 1996. Birdwell prevailed, 14,218 votes (57.9 percent) to Sibley's 10,339 ballots (42.1 percent).
District 22 includes Bosque
Bosque County, Texas
Bosque County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 17,204. Its county seat is Meridian. Clifton, however, is the largest city and the cultural/financial center of the county. Bosque is named for the Bosque River, which runs through...
, Coryell
Coryell County, Texas
Coryell County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 74,978. The county seat is Gatesville. Coryell County forms part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Ellis
Ellis County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 111,360 people, 37,020 households, and 29,653 families residing in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile . There were 39,071 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
, Falls
Falls County, Texas
Falls County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 18,576. In 2003, the population of the county was estimated to be 17,926. It is named for the waterfalls on the Brazos River, which can be found at the Falls On The Brazos Park, a campsite located only a few...
, Hill, Hood, Johnson
Johnson County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,811 people, 43,636 households, and 34,428 families residing in the county. The population density was 174 people per square mile . There were 46,269 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile...
, McLennan
McLennan County, Texas
McLennan County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 213,517; in 2008 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to be 230,213. Its seat is Waco. The county is named for Neil McLennan, an early settler....
, Navarro, and Somervell
Somervell County, Texas
There were 2,438 households out of which 37.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.50% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had...
counties. Texas Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
David Dewhurst
David Dewhurst
David Dewhurst is the 41st and current Lieutenant Governor of Texas, serving under Governor Rick Perry since January 21, 2003. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Texas Land Commissioner from 1999 to 2003. Dewhurst announced on July 18, 2011, that he was running for the...
, the ex officio president of the Texas Senate, named Birdwell to these five committees: Higher Education (Vice-Chair), Veterans Affairs & Military Installations (Vice-Chair), Economic Development and Government Organization.
A lifelong Republican, Birdwell backs conservative causes across the board, including opposition to abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, and the health care policies of U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Birdwell was a featured speaker at the June 2006 Republican State Convention in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, while residing in Springfield
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...
, Virginia. He keynoted the 2007 Texas State Presidential Straw Poll in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. He was a delegate to the Republican State Convention in June 2008 in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He is an immediate past vice president of the Hood County Republican Club.
In his campaign, Birdwell said that "Texas faces great challenges in the next session on issues ranging from the budget, standing up to an overreaching and out-of-control federal government, and preserving the conservative values which have made Texas the envy of the nation. Citizens can count on me to be a conservative champion on these issues."
Education and military service
A Texas native, Birdwell is a 1984 graduate of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Lamar UniversityLamar University
Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...
in Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
, Texas, with a degree in criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
. In 1996, he procured a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Commissioned as a field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
officer in 1984, his military duties began at Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He was stationed across the United States, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1990, he was deployed to the preliminary military build-up known as Operation Desert Shield and then Operation Desert Storm, or the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. He was part of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Battle Group cited at the Battle of 73 Easting
Battle of 73 Easting
The Battle of 73 Easting was a decisive tank battle fought on 26 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between American-British armored forces and those of the Iraqi Republican Guard. The battle took place several hours after the Battle of Al Busayyah...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
when the 7th Corps struck the Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. For his work in Iraq, he earned the Bronze Star. In 1998, he was sent to Central America to conduct humanitarian operations after Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane and the most destructive of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch...
.
At the time of the Pentagon attack
American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
, Birdwell was a military aide to the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. When American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77
American Airlines Flight 77 was American Airlines' daily scheduled morning transcontinental flight, from Washington Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California...
crashed near his office, Birdwell was thrown from his second floor office to ground level. He sustained serious burns, many to the third degree, over 60 percent of his body. On his second day in the hospital, he received a surprise visit from his commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who stood patiently in salute as Birdwell could barely raise and lower his wounded arm. Birdwell underwent thirty-nine operations, long hospitalizations, and numerous skin grafts. He credits his physical and spiritual healing to grace through Jesus Christ. For his wounds at the Pentagon, Birdwell was awarded the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. Upon retirement, Birdwell received the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
.
Family and ministry
Birdwell and his wife, Mel Birdwell (born ca. 1967), were married in 1988. They have formed Face the Fire Ministries, a non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that supports critical burn survivors and wounded service personnel and their families. The couple has written Refined by Fire: A Family's Triumph of Love and Faith,, the story of their life-changing ordeal and have spoken on the topic as well . Birdwell is a national speaker for David Barton's WallBuilders organization. He has appeared on various network and cable news programs and has been profiled in the Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
The Birdwells have a son, Matthew Birdwell, a student at Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. They attend Lakeside Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church in Granbury.
Unopposed November 2
Birdwell ran unopposed in the November 2 general electionGeneral election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, as the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee had withdrawn from consideration in September. Texas Democratic leaders had, like David Sibley earlier, challenged Birdwell's eligibility to run for the Senate. State law requires that one live in Texas five years before running for either governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
or for either house of the state legislature. Birdwell voted in Virginia in 2006, but he had purchased property in Texas in 2005, intended to relocate to his native state, and was declared by the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to have hence met the residency rule.