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What led you into the military? “I enlisted because I knew it was tough; I wanted to see if I could do it. I didn’t expect to be in battle. I used to tell my friends, ‘when was the last time there was a war?’... In March, 2003 I was living in a tent in Kuwait when the decision was made to strike Baghdad. I was there for six months. Nothing will make you learn more about yourself and about people than war.”
What brought you from Iraq to Pok-O? “I was out of the military and I moved back to Texas. It was lame. There were no mountains, no rock climbing nothing! And no jobs either. So I got on the internet and looked for work and the choice came down to a cooking job in Big Sur, California or this.”
How quickly did you adjust to life at camp? “I arrived on January 3rd, at night. I didn’t know where to go, so I slept in the back of my truck. The next morning, I walked over to the office and got everything straightened out. Hanging out with ‘Durly’ (Chris Durlacher) and (Drew) Seitz helped a lot. I was in awe of the snow. Hiking, and all of these new things was exciting.”
Talk about the mountain biking program. “It’s going well. The kids have fun riding and learning about building and fixing bikes. The Cadyville races are popular. We have good trails around camp. The kids seem to enjoy it.”
Speaking of kids, how do you enjoy working with them? “I love working with kids. They are full of questions, energy and life. As for the boys, I remember when I was like that and I find myself remembering where I was at that age. I draw a lot of strength from them.”
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In the hit motion picture Friday Night Lights, actor Billy Bob Thornton played the part of high school football coach Gary Gaines. Camp mountain bike specialist J.T. Brooks’s claim to fame is that, growing up in Texas, he played linebacker in high school for coach Gaines. Perhaps it is that hard-driving, goal-oriented influence that defines Brooks to this day.
following a six month stint in Iraq, serving the United States coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
