▁week ▁in ▁Par agu ay . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Army ▁Comm end ation ▁Medal ▁for ▁mer itor ious ▁service ▁in ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁troops ▁mobil ization ▁for ▁Operation ▁No ble ▁E agle ▁( the ▁mobil ization ▁of ▁National ▁Guard ▁and ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Reserve ▁personnel ▁to ▁provide ▁security ▁on ▁military ▁install ations , ▁air ports , ▁and ▁other ▁potential ▁hom eland ▁targets ) ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁attacks , ▁and ▁later ▁for ▁mobil ization ▁support ▁for ▁Operation ▁End uring ▁Fre edom ▁and ▁Operation ▁Ira qi ▁Fre edom ▁of ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War . ▁He ▁cred its ▁his ▁military ▁experience ▁with ▁causing ▁him ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁veter an ' s ▁issues ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁issues ▁of ▁war ▁and ▁peace . ▁He ▁has ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Senate ▁Committee ▁on ▁V eter ans ' ▁Affairs , ▁the ▁H idden ▁W ounds ▁of ▁War ▁Commission , ▁and ▁the ▁Governor ' s ▁Task ▁Force ▁on ▁Return ing ▁V eter ans ▁during ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁legisl ator . ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Brown ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁soon ▁go ▁to ▁Afghan istan ▁for ▁training ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁Army ▁National ▁Guard ▁service . ▁When ▁deployed ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁for ▁a ▁week ▁of ▁training , ▁he ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁Kab ul . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Brown ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Colonel ▁in ▁a