ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Brandon Patty didn’t expect the call.
As a Naval Reserve officer, Patty’s usual commitment involves one weekend a month and two weeks a year. But this time, his orders were involuntary.
“The Navy Reserve Center called, and I thought it was about an overdue travel voucher,” Patty recalled. “They said, ‘No sir, this is the Navy Reserve with notification for involuntary mobilization.’”
The timing was a surprise for his family. Patty was in the midst of running for reelection as Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for St. Johns County. His wife stepped in to handle campaign duties while he prepared to deploy. He ultimately was stationed in Kuwait, leaving behind his family, including his three young boys.
“It was a busy time for us,” he said. “We were gearing up for a reelection campaign. My wife opened a second store. And then there’s our three boys, two of them just 4 and 2.”
While in Kuwait, Patty’s work was part of Operation Inherent Resolve, focusing on defeating ISIS. He described the mission as complex yet crucial.
“It’s a worthwhile fight,” he said. “Not front-page news, but the men and women there continue to contain ISIS on a day-to-day basis.”
Patty also witnessed the heightened tensions between Israel and Hamas, experiencing the effects of ongoing conflict firsthand.
“Our mission is very focused on ISIS,” he said. “It is the ISIS fight. It is defeating ISIS, and it is still an ongoing fight. That said, you’re in a front-row seat,” Patty said.
He said returning home came with some adjustments.
“Even like this morning, I was getting dressed, and the four-year-old asked, ‘I thought we were done with missions?’” Patty shared. “And I told him, ‘No, no more missions. I’ll be back to pick you up from school.’”
Now back in his role at the Clerk’s Office, Patty is applying the leadership lessons he learned during his deployment to his work.
Patty swears in Tuesday after being reelected as the Clerk of Courts and County Comptroller.
“There were so many lessons in leadership,” he said. “I’m always looking to get better, and I think it will help this office continue to serve the public.”