Brett spent his early years in Amarillo, Texas, and moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, as a teenager. He graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in 1982, where he played football and participated in JROTC. These experiences shaped his discipline, leadership, and commitment to service—qualities that would define his life and guide him toward a lifelong dream of becoming a Green Beret.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1987 as an infantryman. From 1987 to 1992, he served in Hawaii, followed by assignments at Fort Campbell with the 2nd Brigade, 327th Infantry Regiment, and at Fort Bragg with the 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. In the mid-1990s, he became an instructor at the Army’s Ranger Camp at Eglin Air Force Base. In October 2000, after completing the Special Forces Qualification Course, he was assigned to Fort Campbell as a weapons sergeant with ODA 535, C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was on his fourth deployment to Iraq when he was killed on August 5, 2005, after a civilian fuel truck collided with his convoy—just months before his planned retirement.

His legacy lives on through his wife, Autumn; his daughter, Alexandria; his extended family, friends, and those who served alongside him.