Distinguished Flying Cross Recipient
Sgt. Maj. Brad Halling, U.S. Army (Ret.)
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Bradley Halling — Sergeant Major, U.S. Army (Ret.). Co-Founder & CEO of the Brad Halling American Whiskey Ko. (BHAWK) in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
Military Service
Born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota, Brad Halling joined the Army in 1980 as a Combat Engineer. After serving a tour with the 4th Infantry Division in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Brad completed the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg and became a Green Beret.
Brad's Special Operations career began in 1984 with his first assignment in 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he deployed to Honduras as part of a group of military advisors in support of a now-declassified, Presidentially approved, CIA-led covert finding authorizing military and paramilitary operations against Nicaragua and the Soviet- and Cuban-backed Nicaraguan Sandinistas.
From 1984–1987, Brad served in 10th Special Forces Group, Operational Detachment 62, where his team prepared for a behind-enemy-lines mission to disrupt supply chain and communications infrastructure — such as the destruction of bridges, railroads, and power grid infrastructure — in the event of a Soviet advance across Poland.
In 1987, Brad transferred to the Physical Security Support Element (PSSE) – Berlin, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the re-unification of Germany. In PSSE-Berlin, Brad was one of a small group of hand-selected Green Berets tasked with clandestine unconventional warfare and counter terrorism, including a stay-behind mission in the event of a Soviet invasion across Europe. Brad and his team lived in cover status to engage in sensitive intelligence collection, reconnaissance, and other sensitive operational activities. In 2014, both Detachment A and PSSE-Berlin were declassified by US Army Special Operations Command.
In 1990, Brad transitioned to a Special Mission Unit in US Army Special Operations Command, from where he deployed to Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger to find, fix, and finish terror leader General Mohammed Aidid and his Lieutenants. After several successful raids and the capture of Osman Atto, Aidid's financier, Task Force Ranger received word of a large meeting of Aidid's Lieutenants. It was the raid on this gathering that triggered the 18-hour Battle of Mogadishu, in which four US helicopters were shot down. This battle was later depicted by Hollywood in the movie Blackhawk Down. While fighting in what remains characterized as the longest sustained firefight since Vietnam, Brad was wounded when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his helicopter, call sign Super 62, and amputated his left leg above the knee.
After avoiding military medical boards, Brad fought to become the first above-knee amputee to remain on active duty through full Army retirement. He returned to work, remained operational and on airborne status, engaged in SCUBA training, and silently paved the way for amputees across the services to participate in what is known today as the Continuation on Active Duty program. Brad was also one of the first Americans to wear the revolutionary 'bionic knee.'
Post-Military Service & Current
After retirement in 2000, Brad completed a graduate program at the University of Connecticut and became a Certified Prosthetist. While working in a prosthetic clinic on Long Island on 9/11, he felt called to return to service at Fort Bragg. He returned to the Army's Special Mission Unit as a contracted instructor to train special operations Soldiers to conduct combat and other operations for the Global War on Terror and crisis response. Brad continued in this capacity until opening BHAWK in 2024.
From 2003–2012, Brad owned and operated Innovative Prosthetic Solutions (IPS). Through IPS, Brad designed and built prosthetic legs for combat-wounded Special Operations Soldiers, allowing them to return to operational status. Then and now, Brad serves as a mentor for amputees in service who were wounded in combat and training accidents.
In February 2024, Brad and his wife, retired Army Colonel Jessica Halling, founded the Brad Halling American Whiskey Ko. (BHAWK) after five years of planning. BHAWK is a post-service calling to Raise the American Spirit by expressing Gratitude for Extraordinary Service through premium spirits; its name is an acknowledgement to the men Brad fought with in 1993 and the basis for his foundation of Gratitude. Under the BHAWK umbrella there are two purpose-driven brands: Sergeant's Valor bourbons and ryes, and Madam Colonel clear and flavored spirits.
Since February 2024, the Hallings and their staff have welcomed thousands of visitors to BHAWK to Express Gratitude for Extraordinary Service through the Sergeant's Valor and Madam Colonel brands, and through a welcoming distillery experience.
Brad tells stories of Gratitude, military history, and whiskey @bradhalling (IG). The Hallings are chronicling their entrepreneurial journey @hallingwhiskey (IG), and are also accessible on LinkedIn.
Honors & Education
Brad was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in Somalia, the highest air medal a non-aviation Soldier is eligible to receive. Brad is a graduate of Airborne School, Jump Master School, U.S. Army Ranger School, SCUBA School, and the Special Mission Unit Operational Training Course. Brad and his wife Jessica are founders of the Eagle Down Memorial Fund, a 501(c)(19) Veterans Charity, and he dedicates personal time to military charities.
Brad graduated from Campbell University with a B.A. in Psychology and earned his Certified Prosthetics Graduate Certification from the University of Connecticut. He also holds a Distiller's Certification from Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
