CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Daniel Brinegar is set to graduate from Officer Candidate School on Friday, November 12th.
The Charlotte native just spent the past 13 weeks in boot camp in Newport, Rhode Island to become an officer in the US Navy. Officer Candidate School puts naval officer hopefuls through rigorous tests of both physical and mental strength.
For Brinegar, the experience has been life-changing.
“It's just a phenomenal way to actually find out who you can really become and what you're really capable of," he said.
He wasn't always certain joining the military was the right path. After graduating from Appalachian State University in 2017, he entered the corporate world but could tell something was missing.
That’s when he decided to give the military a shot.
“I wanted to try something a little bit different, a little bit outside of my comfort zone and just see how hard I could go and how far I could go and how high I can go," he said.
That drive runs in the family too; Brinegar told WCNC Charlotte the military is a family matter with roots in World War II.
"I drew inspiration from both of my grandfathers as well as my brother. My grandfather landed on Normandy. My other grandfather, he was in the Navy in the late 50s and my brother more recently he was in the National Guard for six years as a combat medic,” Brinegar said.
While he’s following in the footsteps of his family, he’s also forging his own path and finding out who he is in the process.
“I would like to be a helicopter pilot and hopefully for the next 20 years, that is what I'll be. Overall, I just want to see what I am really capable of and see the best way to serve my country and represent my country," he said.
He said he hopes other young people will do the same.
“If you don't have the opportunity for, say college, there are opportunities through the Navy that you can take. As long as you are bettering yourself every day, whether it be through the Navy, the Army, or other ways to serve, just plan out your course and stick to it and go for it,” Brinegar said.
Contact Carolyn Bruck at cbruck@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.