Tom Brewer (born August 6, 1958) is an American politician serving as a member of the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...

from the 43rd district. Elected in 2016, he assumed office in 2017.

Early life and education

Brewer was born in

Casper, Wyoming Casper is a city in, and the county seat of, Natrona County, Wyoming, United States. Casper is the second-largest city in the state, with the population at 59,038 as of the 2020 census. Only Cheyenne, the state capital, is larger. Casper is nic ...

and was raised around

Gordon, Nebraska Gordon is a city in Sheridan County in the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. Its population was 1,612 at the 2010 census. History Gordon was incorporated as a village in 1885 when the railroad was extended to ...

and

Whiteclay, Nebraska Whiteclay (Lakota language, Lakota: ''Makȟásaŋ''; "whiteish or yellowish clay") is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Sheridan County, Nebraska, Sheridan County, Nebraska, United States. The populatio ...

. He earned a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree from

Doane University Doane University is a private university in Crete, Nebraska. It has additional campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as online programs. History Doane College was founded on July 11, 1872, by Thomas Doane, chief civil engineer for the Burlingt ...

and attended the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...

Career

For 36 years, Brewer served as a member of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, including six tours in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. Brewer was awarded two

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

s. During his service, Brewer was severely injured by a grenade, losing his eye and suffering shrapnel wounds. Brewer was elected to the

in 2016, succeeding

Al Davis Allen Davis (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American football coach and executive. He was the principal owner and general manager of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) for 39 years, from 1972 until his death in ...

. As a legislator, Brewer has focused on veterans issues, sponsoring a bill to provide tax breaks to veterans. Brewer has advocated against

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...

expansion, stating "These programs will each be trying to protect their piece of the budget pie. When the music stops, some of them won’t have a chair. It’s unavoidable." Brewer has been supportive of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

since the Russian invasion began in 2022, explaining that he serves as a "pipeline to share information" with members of Congress on the war. He began making visits to the country's frontlines in May 2022 to assist in training the

Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...

and deliver supplies. During a trip in July, he said that if the US did not help Ukraine, then American troops would eventually be fighting Russians.

Personal life

Brewer and his wife Kelli have two children. Kelli has served in the

Nebraska National Guard The Nebraska National Guard consists of the: *Nebraska Army National Guard *Nebraska Air National Guard See also *Nebraska State Guard References External linksBibliography of Nebraska Army National Guard Historycompiled by the United States ...

. Brewer is a member of the

Oglala The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live o ...

Lakota tribe and the first Native American elected to the state legislature of Nebraska.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewer, Tom 1958 births 21st-century American legislators Doane University alumni Oglala people Living people Military personnel from Nebraska Republican Party Nebraska state senators People from Gordon, Nebraska Politicians from Casper, Wyoming