Meet Our Community Contest Winner: Bradley Houston
Well done, Brad! You received the most votes from our enthusiastic SIDI
community.
Brad rides off with a complete carbon LOOK 556 bike with SRAM Rival components and Look Keo pedals, plus a Sidi Team Apparel Kit. Congratulations, Brad.
Thanks again to our new Sidi community for your support and the interesting stories you submitted.
We enjoyed reading them and are honored to be in the SIDI family with these exceptional athletes.
THE WINNING STORY :
Bradley Houston
Member of the US Army
My Sidis have accompanied me around the world in my journey as a U.S. Army Soldier. I originally bought them while stationed in Germany and they traveled all over the country taking me to many beautiful places.
They also visited Luxembourg, for the 2002 Grand Depart of the Tour de France and watched as Lance Armstrong stamped his authority on the race by winning the prologue. From here we went back to America and these shoes took me to many new and exciting places as I roamed my new surroundings.
It was in 2003 that my Sidis accompanied me to Iraq for a 13 month tour in the Sunni Triangle. It was here that the shoes brought new meaning to me and what they stood for - the answer was my sanity. This time on the bike, wearing these shoes made me normal again - it made all the chaos of war melt away. On the bike I could imagine that I was free to travel anywhere that I wanted and that I was not locked in behind a wall of concrete and razor wire.
These shoes brought me the very freedom that we were trying to bring this war ravaged country. These shoes made this tour, this chaos, this time away from my family bearable - it provided me an escape from this life and allowed me to believe that I was just a normal person, enjoying a very basic freedom and just riding my bike. I have long since retired this well worn pair of Sidis but will never forget the outlet that they allowed me in many places around the world.
BRADLEY J. HOUSTON
Command Sergeant Major
United States Army
Command Sergeant Major Brad Houston was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He
enlisted in the United States Army in July 1989 shortly after graduating
from high school. He attended OSUT at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and was
awarded MOS 21B (Combat Engineer) upon completion.
CSM Houston has completed tours with the 42nd Engineer Company, Berlin, Germany, which included a combat tour in South West Asia in support of Operation Desert Shield and Storm; 307h Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 1st BN, 48th Infantry Regiment, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Training, Fort Monroe, Virginia; 82nd Engineer Battalion, Bamberg, Germany, which included a deployment to Kosovo; 1st Engineer Battalion, Fort Riley, Kansas, which included a combat tour in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; 35th Engineer Battalion, MANSCEN Noncommissioned Officer Academy and Drill Sergeant School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He is currently serving as the Battalion Command Sergeant Major for the 15th Engineer Battalion.
CSM Houston has held a variety of leadership and staff positions to include: Battalion Command Sergeant Major, First Sergeant, Battalion Operations Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant, United States Army TRADOC Drill Sergeant of the Year, Drill Sergeant, Squad Leader, Team Leader, Demolitions Specialist, and Combat Engineer.
CSM Houston is a graduate of the Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course, Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course, First Sergeant Course, Drill Sergeant School, and Airborne School. He is a graduate of Class #56 of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. CSM Houston has an Associates Degree from Central Texas College.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters), Good Conduct Medal (sixth award), National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star), NATO Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal (with Bronze Service Star), Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars), Liberation Of Kuwait Medal (Saudi Arabia), Liberation of Kuwait Medal (Kuwait), Army Occupation Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Overseas Service Ribbon (with numeral 3), NCO Professional Development Ribbon (with numeral 4), Army Service Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Parachutist Badge, Drill Sergeant Badge, French Commando Badge and the Combat Action Badge. He is a member of the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy and Sergeant Morales Clubs and is also a recipient of the Army Engineer Association’s Bronze de Fleury Medal.
CSM Houston is married to the former Kim Howell of Zanesville, Ohio. They have one son, Vincent age 12.