Brent Hammett passed away unexpectedly the morning of Sunday Feb. 2, 2014, in Montgomery. That day his Facebook wall was overcome with posts of “rest in peace” and “we miss you.”
Hammett lived in Troy for two years working as an air traffic controller for the Army at KTOI, Troy Municipal Airport.
Brent posted on Facebook on January 23 of a fellow soldier, “This uniform is not prestigious because it signifies a freedom fighter, I could just as easily do my job in civilian attire. We wear this uniform to honor those that wore it before us. Spouses, siblings, friends and mentors have drenched this uniform in glory. It has been soaked in honor and smeared in sacrifice. We do not wear this uniform to represent ourselves, we wear this uniform to carry on the legacy that those before us created. I respect this uniform because you wore it before me. You have not fallen, you were simply assigned a better post.” Now this holds true for himself.
While growing up in Frederick, Md., Brent developed a passion for theater at a young age. He played Jafar in his high school play, “Aladdin,” among many other starring roles.
His girlfriend, Danielle Coleman from New York spoke fondly of him.
“He was the most genuine person you could ever imagine; he was someone that valued human interaction more than any person I’ve ever met,” Coleman said.
“If you were with him he was the type of person that you couldn’t have your cellphone out because he just wanted to focus on the person in front of him. He was really special in that sense.”
During their long distance relationship, she said she was really blessed to have spent time with him the weekend before he passed.
Patrick Johnson, his roommate in Troy, said that Brent was “joyful and just the most outgoing fun loving video game addict.”
“He was also a really great salsa dancer, he taught me which is funny because I’m a dancer,” Coleman said. “Whenever we would go out, we would use fake accents and he would always go Australian just to have fun and interact with people. It would take meeting a normal person into a really fun adventure.”
He enjoyed playing Ultimate Frisbee, cooking, watching movies and playing games with his friends. “He would always make witty remarks to other players,” Heidi Collier, a senior psychology major from Nashville, Tenn., said. “He was the type of guy who was always up for an enjoyable time, and added a free spirit when he was present. The Troy Ultimate team is different without him, he will be missed.”
Coleman mentions that he was competitive and led an active life, which included volunteering at McClelland’s Zoo in Banks and serving in the US Army.
Brent’s brother, Ridge, reminisced about the sound of his laughter. He said, “Eternity could never outlast the love we had for one another for the last 21 years.”
The wake is scheduled for today, Thursday Feb. 13, from 3-5 p.m. in Frederick, Md. The funeral will be at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. at 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14.
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