BRIAN TERRY WAS A SON, BROTHER, FRIEND, U.S. MARINE, POLICE OFFICER, U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENT AND HERO.

Brian was known to love life. He lived life to the fullest each and every day. His friends and co-workers saw him as a strong, competitive, handsome, courageous, funny, and incredibly patriotic American. His family saw him as an inspiration. Brian possessed the great looks of a movie star and the physique of a professional athlete. He also had the charm and easygoing demeanor of the boy next door. Brian was constantly challenging himself both physically and professionally. His favorite advice to others was that there were no short cuts to success and that you must put in the work to succeed.

Brian was very proud to serve as a federal agent. He had joined the United States Marine Corps right after high school. He went on to college and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. He then became a local police officer in the communities of Ecorse and Lincoln Park, Michigan. When he sought to have more of an impact on keeping this country safe, he joined the Border Patrol. Brian, it seemed, had found his niche.

Brian was due to complete his shift of duty that night in the desert outside of Rio Rico at midnight on December 15th and then take some much deserved time off.

He had already made his travel plans to fly back to Michigan and spend the Christmas holiday with his family. Brian’s attention to detail had insured that all the Christmas gifts he had meticulously selected for his family had already been bought and sent in the mail prior to his arrival.

Brian did ultimately come home that Christmas; we buried him not far from the house that he was raised in just prior to Christmas day.

The gifts that Brian had picked out with such thought and care began to arrive in the mail the same week. With each delivery, we felt the indescribable pain of Brian’s death, but at the same time also remembered his amazing love

While the story of Brian’s death may have been the most publicized in what came to be known as “gun-walking” as part of an investigation named Operation Fast and Furious , it is Brian’s life, principles and service that are his true legacy. Brian’s family and friends started the Brian Terry Foundation to carry forward that legacy by giving support for the families of fallen U.S. Border Patrol agents and providing educational scholarships for students pursuing a career in law-enforcement. As well as, raising awareness on border related security issues that affect the overall safety and welfare of U.S. Border Patrol agents.

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“I’d rather die fighting than to have it said that I was without courage.”

- QUOTE FROM ONE WARRIOR’S CREED AUTHORED BY US ARMY COLONEL STEVEN (RANDY) WATT

BRIAN’S HONORS AND AWARDS

2010 RECIPIENT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BADGE OF BRAVERY

Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers engage in exceptional acts of bravery while in the line of duty. Often, such acts place the officers involved at personal risk of injury or result in their sustaining a physical injury. To honor these acts of bravery, Congress passed the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-298), creating the Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery. The act establishes an award to honor exceptional acts of bravery in the line of duty by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers. The medals are awarded annually by the U.S. Attorney General and are presented by the recipients’ Congressional representatives Read more

RECIPIENT OF THE NEWTON-AZRAK AWARD

This annual award is the United States Border Patrol’s highest honor that can be bestowed upon its recipients for acts of bravery or heroism. It serves as a reminder of the dangers and sacrifices demanded of the men and women who protect our Nation’s borders. Consideration for eligibility to receive this award is based on the following criteria: exercise of unusual courage or bravery in the line of duty and/or a heroic or humane act during times of extreme stress or in an emergency… Read more

BRIAN A. TERRY MEMORIAL ACT

A native of Flat Rock, Michigan, Agent Brian A. Terry served his country proudly with the United States Marine Corps and continued his service as a police officer with the cities of Ecorse and Lincoln Park, Michigan, prior to joining the United States Border Patrol.

The station of the United States Border Patrol located at 2136 South Naco Highway in Bisbee, Arizona, shall be known and designated as the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station to honor his

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The Unarmed Truth: My Fight to Blow the Whistle and Expose Fast and Furious

A hard-hitting inside account of the Fast and Furious scandal—the government-sponsored program intended to “win the drug war” by providing and tracking gun sales across the border to Mexico—from whistle-blower and ATF agent John Dodson Read more

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