Photo courtesy of Carmen Brunsvold Members of the Brunsvold family have each served in some capacity for the U.S. military. From left, Ryan Brunsvold, Doug Brunsvold, Carmen Brunsvold, Rebecca Ortmann, Eric, and Quentin Brunsvold.

 MARSHALL — If there’s one common thread that weaves its way through the Brunsvold family’s story, it’s service — military and civic.

“We never expected our children to go into the military. It just happened, and we couldn’t be prouder,” said Doug Brunsvold about his four children: Quentin, Eric, Rebecca Ortmann and Ryan.

Doug and his wife Carmen have been prominent citizens in Marshall since arriving 36 years ago.

Doug is a Marine veteran, four years active, and two inactive reserve. He then spent 31 years in the Army National Guard, attached to units in Mitchell, S.D., Wahpeton, N.D., Dawson, and, finally, Marshall, when the Dawson and Marshall units combined.

During his military duty, he was deployed twice (Iraq and Kuwait) with two of his sons.

He will also celebrate 32 years on the Marshall Fire Department in July. He is a firefighter, and previously reached the rank of Captain. His son, Quentin, is Marshall Fire Chief, and his son-in-law, Jarad Ortmann, is a lieutenant on the department.

Carmen is the Soldiers and Family Readiness Specialist for the 1-151st FA BN and the 682nd EN BN. “I take care of soldiers and their families by providing programs and services to enhance readiness and improve their quality of life,” she explained.

Doug has been a state driver’s license examiner for 15 years and believes his military service has “helped give me more patience.” His father was a veteran, so following his example is not unusual.

Carmen spends her time helping where she can. “Military families are proud, it’s hard for them to ask for help,” she said. “They learn to deal with things, and are very resilient, because that’s what they are used to. There comes a time, though, you have to ask for help. I have personal experience, as I’ve been through this with two deployments, with my husband and sons — it’s OK to ask for help.”

Both feel that Marshall supports the military, as evidenced by the city’s Yellow Ribbon status, the SMSU designation as a Military Friendly School and even the names of the parks in town — Liberty, Memorial, Independence, Freedom, etc. “The community offers exceptional support,” said Doug.

“When A Btry, 1-151 FA deployed twice, Marshall was behind them 100 percent,” said Carmen.

They did not steer their children into the military. But with both having fathers who served in the military, and with their involvement with the military and within the community, their children had only to watch their example over the years.

A look at each:

Quentin Brunsvold

Quentin Brunsvold took his military oath in July 1999, when he was a senior at Marshall High School. He did his basic training at Fort Sill, Okla.,and served eight years in the Army National Guard. “I was supposed to get out in 2005, it was a six-plus-two — six years of active National Guard and two inactive, but they cut orders, so the ‘plus-two’ for me was straight active duty, so a full eight years,” he explained.

He was attached to the 1-151st Field Artillery Battalion in Marshall.

“The Lord gave me some talents he may not have given to others, and I like to think that leadership is one of those,” he said about his service and community involvement. “I’m not scared of walking into bad situations, everything I am called to do is not good, but somebody has to do it. I have seen and done things most humans aren’t physically programmed to do.”

He’s been the Marshall Fire Chief since May, 2018 and has been with the department for 20 years. His brother-in-law, Jarad Ortmann, is a Lieutenant, and his father celebrates 32 years with the MFD in July.

“I love being a public servant,” said Quentin.

The example set by his parents was instrumental in his life. “We had folks who showed us by their example how to be good people,” said Quentin, who works with Western Equipment Finance in Marshall.

“Both my grandfathers served, and my dad. My parents worked hard to provide opportunities for us. Once we got to a certain age we could decide for ourselves,” he said.

He was deployed to Iraq from December of 2004 through the end of 2005. He was not just one Brunsvold in Baghdad — his father, Doug, and brother, Eric, were also deployed there.

If you want to see him light up, just mention the “Singing Q’s,” a musical duo that, after years of talking about singing together, finally joined voices a year ago, making their stage debut at the Sounds of Summer celebration.

Quentin Brunsvold and Quinn Horvath are the Singing Q’s.

Brunsvold was formerly parish administrator at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church “and I worked with awesome people, one being Quinn,” he recalls. Horvath is owner of Horvath Funeral Services.

“He told me he liked to do backyard barbecue events, small gatherings, things like that. He sent over his set list and I looked at it. After a couple of years we ran into each other and he said, ‘We gotta do this.’ “

It’s been a blast. They have their own Facebook page “and we’re trying to get our name out there. It’s something to do to get out of reality, go into this alter ego and be pretend rock stars. Quinn is a fantastic musician.”

Brunsvold and his wife Kelly (Ritter) have four children: Kollins, 6; twins Corbin and Jude, 5; and Nora Mae, 3.

Eric Brunsvold

Military service has changed the life perspective of Eric  Brunsvold.

He enlisted in the Army National Guard in January 2001, a senior at Marshall High School, and was assigned to A Battery (BTRY) 1-151 FA in Marshall. He was supposed to start basic training at Fort Sill, Okla., on Sept. 12, 2001, but due to 9-11, that was pushed back until Sept. 16. He graduated basic training in January, 2002.

His first deployment in Kosovo ran from Sept. 2003 through August 2004. He was attached to the 34th Infantry division HHC, and assigned as Task Force Commanding General’s driver.

His second deployment was to Baghdad, Iraq, where he also served with his father and brother, Quentin.

“It was unusual to have us all there, together,” he said. “Mom said she wanted us together.”

His third deployment was in 2009 to Kuwait, stationed at Camp Buehring. He was tasked for long-haul convoy security throughout Iraq. And for the second time, he joined two family members, his father, and brother Ryan.

He was promoted to Sergeant First Class in 2012, and was attached to B Battery 1-151 FA in Madison, Minn. He was with them until. 2017, when he was promoted to Battery First Sergeant (1SG) in B Battery, 1-125 FA in Jackson, Minn.

He retired on Feb. 1, 2022.

And of course, as many Brunsvolds do, he joined a fire department, this one in Cottonwood.

“They had been actively trying to get me (to join),” he explained. “I was the 40-year-old rookie.”

His military service taught him not to sweat the small stuff, or try to control too much. “God has a plan,” he said. “When I was in Iraq the first time, I learned that you never know when it’s your last day. It changed my outlook and perspective. The work will get done, and if it doesn’t happen, for whatever reason, you just go on to the next day. You can’t get overly worked up.”

Serving with his father and a brother on two deployments was a blessing, as he had someone there he knew and could talk to.

“I was a regular soldier, but when we were together at the end of the day, he (Doug) was back to being dad again,” he said.

Eric is an electrician for Meier Electric in Marshall. He received his education from Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Canby.

“It was after my second deployment that I figured out what I wanted to do,” Eric said.

He’s been with Meier since June, 2006. “I like the sense of accomplishment, using my mind and working with my hands.”

Eric and his wife, Janice, are the parents of four children: Caden, 14; Evan, 11; and twins Aliyah and Austin, 8.

Rebecca Ortmann

The third Brunsvold child, Rebecca Ortmann, remembers “growing up at the Armory,” she said.

“It seemed like we were always at the Armory. Mom was really involved with military families and dad had drill once a month and two weeks annually. We would hang out there,” she said.

And having come from a military family, it only made sense that she would marry a man in the military, Jarad, a Marshall native who she knew in high school.

“We were good friends with each other before he went to the Navy and I was going to college. He got out in 2007 and the rest is history,” she said.

They are the parents of two daughters: Madelyn, 12, and Madison, 10.

Rebecca is an internal sales rep for the manufacturing division for US Bank. Jarad works at Bend-Rite Fabrication in Marshall.

And just as her brothers followed in her father Doug’s  footsteps as it relates to military service, Rebecca has followed the example of her mother, Carmen. She is the advisor with the Soldier and Family Readiness Group (SFRG) for A Btry, 1-151 FA in Marshall.

“I work with soldiers and families for the Marshall unit — I am an advocate and direct them to services that are available. I also have meetings with the unit to decide what our year looks like, the military ball, family picnic and any other events that may come up,” Rebecca said.

She communicates via email with Guard members/families, and there’s a Facebook page. When the Guard unit is deployed, she is there to help the families any way she can.

“Essentially I do he job mom used to do when my dad was in the Guard,” she said. “Mom works with the battalion, and I work with the Marshall unit.”

And if there’s one thing about military families she’s noticed, she echoes her mother’s thoughts, exactly.

“Soldiers and their families have struggles but they still won’t ask for help. I’m there to help. The soldiers are focusing on their mission, and doing a selfless act, and don’t think about themselves. (Not asking for help) comes with the territory, that’s how they are.”

Her view of the National Guard changed after 9-11. “When I was younger I did not ever think it was ever an option that (the soldiers) would deploy to a war. That was an eye opener. To me, whenever people spoke about the Minnesota National Guard, it was to protect our communities from floods and disasters. Once 9-11 hit, that was a game-changer. It shook our world and changed everything. That was the biggest adjustment.”

Her free time involves “chasing around after my children” and the couple enjoy hanging out with friends, when time allows, which is not often.

She is proud to come from a military family and appreciates the lessons learned growing up. “It was a strict military home, and operated the same. I don’t know any different.”

Ryan Brunsvold

The Brunsvold family is competitive. That’s why youngest sibling Ryan Brunsvold has his eyes set on the rank of Sergeant Major.

“In terms of enlisted promotions, I can only get promoted one more time,” he said. “No one else in the family has made that rank.”

That would give him bragging rights around the family table.

Brunsvold is currently the first Sergeant of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery in Alexandria.

He enlisted in August of 2003, right before his senior year in high school. August will mark his 20th year in the military.

“I never had a goal for my (military) career, I didn’t know if I’d be in for 20 (years) or six. I was following in everyone else’s footsteps. I have gotten to do a litany of things, and I stayed and made a career in the Army National Guard, he said.”

Brunsvold said he “started part-time, and have done a couple of full-time stints. Deployment preparation is full-time, which I did in 2009.” He also worked full-time with recruiting command, “but that didn’t last long.”

He was deployed to Kuwait in 2009 as part of the Marshall-based Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion 151st Field Artillery, where he led convoys into Iraq and back. That deployment included his father, Doug, who was with Bravo Battery in Madison. Ryan and brother Eric were in Marshall with the 1-151st — Ryan in First Platoon and Eric in Third Platoon.

He’s been assigned to six different Units, four different Battalions, three different Brigades, “and each operates differently. The higher rank you get, the more responsibility there is.”

One thing he did learn in the Guard is that “I was pretty good at teaching.” Within the first two years of service, he was asked to instruct at one of Minnesota’s first Recruit Sustainment Programs, based out of Montevideo, preparing new enlistees for Basic Combat Training. Prior to becoming a First Sergeant he served as the Senior Non-Commissioned Platoon Trainer at Minnesota’s Officer Candidate School, instructing Officer Candidates in the areas of leadership and discipline.

When he first started with the Guard, his commitment was one weekend a month and two weeks a year. That’s not how it is now.

“Now it’s three days a month, sometimes even four, with about three weeks of annual training, he said.”

Today Ryan is a Patrol Officer with the Marshall Police Department. He served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office from 2014-17, then joined the Marshall PD.

Why law enforcement?

“l was good at the military, and law enforcement is paramilitary,” He explained.

He attended one year at Alexandria Tech, then transferred to Southwest Minnesota State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Justice Administration.

“When I graduated (high school) I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Half of my close friends applied to Alexandria for law enforcement, and the others went to the University of North Dakota for aviation. I applied to both,” he said.

When he got onto the plane to go to basic training, “I was not a fan of the flight.” That experience allowed him to check ‘aviation’ off his list of possible career choices.

“It just flowed together,” he said of the transition to law enforcement. “Law enforcement and the military have the same leadership style and structure.”

Ryan and his wife, Whitney, are the parents of four children: McKenna, 10; Ava, 7; Emerson, 3; and Lincoln, 1.

He “spends a lot of time in the gym, I have a small one in my basement.” He also enjoys running, and all water sports.  Most importantly, he enjoys spending his free time with his family.

It’s hard to find a family that epitomizes service the way the Brunsvolds do. Service to country, and service to community. It’s a common thread in their combined stories.