November 11, 2024 – Walnut Ridge High School alum and Air Force Capt. Brian Gooch knew one thing for sure as he planned for his future upon graduation in 2003.
“I did not want student loans,” Capt. Gooch said.
He explored several colleges and even visited The Ohio State University. However, a chance meeting with a U.S. Air Force recruiter during his senior year changed his trajectory. He graduated and entered the Air Force that September.
“I thought I would do my four years and get out,” Capt. Gooch said with a chuckle. He has now served more than 21 years in the Air Force and earned three degrees — without any student loans.
However, he wouldn’t have that story to tell if not for his flight to San Antonio — his first airplane journey — for basic training and boot camp. There, he specialized in security forces, then transitioning to Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico before being deployed to Camp Bucca in Iraq and Kunsan, South Korea.
While in Kunsan, he became a certified dispatcher, a position typically reserved for people with a higher rank.
“I guess some people had some trust in me to do it,” Gooch said.
He was then selected to become a military briefer, responsible for detailing missions to everyone from the U.S. Air Force secretary to the South Korean Air Force leaders.
“That set me up for success by having so many responsibilities,” Gooch said.
In 2006, Gooch returned to Ohio, serving at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he continued his work in security forces. While at Wright-Patterson, he reconnected with Walnut Ridge classmate Jillian, who would later become his wife and mother of their three sons. With his new family in tow, Wright-Patterson would serve as his base until 2013. During that seven-year stint, he also deployed to Afghanistan three times.
His next move took him to Aviano, Italy, where he received a career-defining opportunity.
He led a team providing presidential support for then-U.S. President Barack Obama during a 2015 Kenya mission. He handpicked his team responsible for securing the airfield.
“It was eye-opening,” Gooch said. “You had some guys who had never deployed who got to experience that.”
Also, while in Italy, he decided to seek a commission as an officer. He entered Officer Training School in January 2016 in Maxwell, Alabama, and completed it later that year.
“As someone who had enlisted, I saw where I could bridge the communication gap between enlisted and officers,” Gooch said.
Once commissioned, he was sent to Edwards Air Force Base, where he worked in Force Support, covering base services. Later assignments took him to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and Joint Base San Antonio, where he became a full-time reservist.
This year, he transitioned to the U.S. Space Force S-1 team, which is responsible for programming, policy, and execution for the Space Force.
During his military career, Gooch has been recognized twice as a Distinguished Graduate and earned three major command awards. He holds an associate and bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the Community College of the Air Force and American Military University, respectively. He also earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Waldorf University.
That's not bad—and not unexpected for the Walnut Ridge alum who was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” While at the high school, he was captain of the swim, tennis, and golf teams. He graduated with a 3.75 GPA yet never considered himself a student leader.
“I think naturally I just knew what I needed to do when other people may be afraid,” Gooch said.
Conversely, Columbus City Schools (CCS) Student Activities Director Dr. Vincent Clarno remembered Gooch as a student leader. At Walnut Ridge, Dr. Clarno taught ninth-grade history, and Gooch was a student who always helped others, worked hard, and stood up for what was right.
“He was the type of student everyone would want to have as part of their student body,” Dr. Clarno said.
With such a storied journey, Gooch takes every opportunity he can to speak at schools. He hopes to write a book on leadership and currently hosts a podcast. Looking back, he said the student he was at Walnut Ridge could never have planned for all this.
“I think my high school self would be pleasantly surprised,” Gooch said.
Today, we honor all our CCS alums, faculty, and staff who have served in the Armed Forces. Thank you for your service.
