Brian was a teenage cowboy on two southern Arizona ranches before he became the young horse wrangler for a movie company filming television westerns at the Old Tucson movie set.

After two years at the U. of Arizona, Brian entered the Naval Aviation Cadet Program and became a carrier-qualified jet pilot at age twenty. As a naval aviator, Brian flew 3,669 hours in thirteen different types of aircraft, made 652 carrier landings (163 of them at night), and flew 183 combat missions during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and thirteen Air Medals. He went on to command Attack Squadron 35 aboard USS Nimitz.

While in the Navy, Brian earned degrees in Math and Operations Research. Besides his flying tours, Brian served as aide to the Senior Member of the U N Armistice Commission in Korea, aide to the Commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, and Chief of Special Studies for the JCS. He retired from the U.S. Navy as a Captain.