Ron Breland enlisted in the U.S. Army as a firefighter on the eve of Desert Storm in late 1990, and was anxious to serve his country. As a third generation firefighter, Breland followed in the footsteps of his father, and grandfather who retired as the Fire Chief of his home town of Monroe, Louisiana. Determined to follow those who had gone before him, he found out quickly that life in the firehouse was not easily balanced with family, the military, or life in a combat zone. After his third tour of combat in the deserts of Iraq, Breland’s military career dissipated with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where he received an Honorable discharge with medical disability. Ron Berland is the author of Castles in the Sand and A Pocket Full of Memories: And Other Loose Change.

According to the book description of Castles In The Sand, it “is a ‘boots on the ground’ perspective of a young soldier, new father, and career long veteran’s tale lasting fifteen years; including three combat tours. Through a series of short stories and an in depth journal spanning a year long tour of duty in Iraq, Breland leads us on a journey across the globe and through life. These poignant and sometimes heartwarming stories share the multi-faceted and sometimes complicated life of devotion to God, family, and country through the eyes of a patriot.”

According to the book description of A Pocket Full of Memories: And Other Loose Change, it “is a collection of short stories from a man who has had a truly blessed life. As a three-time combat veteran of tours in Somalia, Kosovo, and Iraq, Ron Breland was recognized for professional excellence many times throughout his career. Through these inspiring stories based off of his collection of military challenge coins, Breland shares each memory spanning a life of military service and beyond. The subtitled section And Other Loose Change… is a delightful and light-hearted look at the humorous memories from childhood, early adolescence, and into his parenting years as well. Each story throughout this collection of personal moments will make you a believer of what true blessings life has bestowed upon the author and his family. For each veteran and his family, there are a thousand memories just like these. These are but a few.”