Bradley Tippetts:  

After graduation I continued to work at Stick 'em Up at the Valley Fair Mall and was soon promoted to manager, but I new that I needed to aspire for greater things. I started to attend Salt Lake Community College in the fall that year to pursue a career in drafting and engineering. After about one year of attending and paying for college, I decided to enlist in the Air Force Reserve to help pay for college and to fulfill a childhood dream. I completed basic training and a drafting/surveying program. A month after I returned, I met my future wife Holly of nearly 17 years. I worked several odd jobs while going to school, but decided drafting wasn't in my future. The following year, Holly and I were married and living on a shoe-string budget. Things were tight, but life was good. She really brought out the best in me, including getting back to church. I finally landed a half-decent job at Franklin Covey around the time our first daughter Sidney was born. We also purchased our first home from my Dad, the one in Taylorsville that I had grown up in. A couple of years later, I left my family for 4 months to cross-train in my military career as a firefighter. About a year later my second daughter Madison was born. I was hired for a promising career with Union Pacific Railroad as a switchman/brakeman and was later promoted to foreman/conductor. Unfortunately, being laid-off four times in two years took its toll and we nearly lost everything. Things started to improve after our family was finally able to be sealed in the LDS temple. I was blessed with a great and steady job at Tooele Army Depot as a firefighter. I've been working there for nearly eight years now and was recently promoted to captain. After the tragedies of 9-11, I was militarily activated for a one year, which included a deployment to Saudi Arabia. After I returned, we moved to a larger home in Grantsville, Utah in the Tooele Valley. This got me closer to work and out of the congested city. I love the quiet, spacious, country life. Last fall, I was activated again and spent about 4 months in Kirkuk, Iraq. I now have over 19 years in the reserves and hold the position of Deputy Fire Chief and the rank of Senior Master Sergeant...Expand for more