Josh Brunais' Journey from Military Heroics to Trophy-Lifting Moments
U.S. Men's CP National Team captain speaks on military service, World Cup aspirations
Born to a military family, Josh Brunais knew he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps and serve in the United States Armed Forces. Raised in Germany before spending his adolescence in Virginia, Brunais began his service in 2005 and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army.
Brunais spent the next decade serving his country, primarily as an Army Ranger. He received the Soldier’s Medal for his courageous efforts in pulling 14 fellow servicemembers to safety following a fiery helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Despite his heroics, a number of improvised explosive device (IED) blasts and the subsequent traumatic brain injuries (TBI) ultimately cut Brunais’ military career short in 2015.
Brunais admittedly struggled as he transitioned back to civilian life in the United States. In addition to the debilitating symptoms associated with a TBI, Brunais was forced to grapple with the sudden loss of a defining part of his identity: military service. Forced to pivot, Brunais turned to his first love: soccer.
“Having to walk away from [the military] was the hardest thing I've ever done, because you invest so much, especially at such a young age. I invested everything into that job,” Brunais said on the U.S. Soccer Podcast. “I'm somebody who's very one-track minded, so all eggs in a basket. It's all or nothing, and once that ‘all’ gets taken away from you, there’s really nothing. So, I was really happy that this [cerebral palsy] team came around, and it's kind of my ‘all’ again."
Spotted by U.S. Men’s CP National Team head coach Stuart Sharp at a soccer camp hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Atlanta, Brunais was invited to national team camp after not playing competitively since high school. It was through these camps that Brunais was able to truly reestablish himself in his post-military life.
“I was in a really dark place for a while after I had to leave Ranger Regiment, and I did three years in the regular army, and I was just a shell of myself,” Brunais admitted. “I was given this opportunity by Coach Sharp, and I took it. I don't know what really snapped me out. I've always had a pretty decent support system; my friend group is really small, I keep it tight with my kids, my mom, really small family. I wouldn't always tell them everything, but this opportunity came up and something really impacted me, motivated me, and I wasn't going to stop until I made it, and here we are.”
Since joining the U.S. CP MNT in 2016, Brunais has thrived. Now 38 years old, the defender and captain has amassed 48 caps and scored seven goals, earning the distinction of being named U.S. Soccer's 2023 Male CP Player of the Year and securing a spot on seven major tournament rosters: IFCPF World Cup (2019, 2022), IFCPF Copa América (2018, 2025), Parapan American Games (2019, 2023) and the Paralympic Games (2016).
Now established as a bona fide leader on a national team with a roster ranging from current high schoolers to former military servicemembers nearing their 40s, Brunais has had the distinction of donning the captain’s armband. The proudest moment of his career was bearing the U.S. flag during the closing ceremonies of the Rio 2016 Paralympics, later presenting President Barack Obama with a signed surfboard during the U.S. Olympians’ and Paralympians’ visit to the White House following the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As a captain of a national team featuring players with cerebral palsy, stroke or TBI, Brunais values his role in guiding his fellow teammates—especially those who share a similar background to his own—and leaning on what he’s learned over his decade of military service.
“It’s setting the example. It's cliché, but it's cliché for a reason,” Brunais said. “I'm not going to ask anything of you that I'm not going to do myself. You can tell I'm soft-spoken here—I'm not usually in front of cameras, and I'm always worried I'm going to say the wrong thing. But on the field, it's very different. [I’m] very loud, very organized; I just love taking care of the team, love being a leader on the team. So, I think setting that example and just being one of the boys, relating to them off the field, having fun with them, not setting myself aside and thinking I'm better than you.
“I just love that I can help them. It's comforting that there's other guys who are in my situation, so it really backs up what I'm doing, what I'm saying.”
Throughout Brunais’ tenure on the squad, the national team has continued to ascend to new heights. In 2022, the group posted a program-best fourth-place finish at the World Cup, and in October, the national team claimed its first major trophy of the modern IFCPF era, downing Argentina to win the 2025 IFCPF Copa América title. The title became the second regional championship in the U.S. Men’s CP National Team’s 33-year history.
“We've hosted some tri-nation friendlies here, and I think that's great to build up to a season, but that's not the same as winning Copa América,” Brunais said. “You could feel in that last game that we were doing it. You could sense that we were turning a corner, not just in the tournament, but long term; the team is gelling now.
“You can feel it, and like I said, it wasn't just in the moment, but I think during that tournament and that [Argentina] game specifically, you could tell that we hit a permanent next level, and we're peaking at the right time, because the World Cup is next year, October, and I think we're only going to go up from here.”
Representing the United States on the pitch rather than the battlefield has been a revelation for Brunais. Unapologetically patriotic and constantly pursuing purpose, Brunais has found his new calling doing what he’s always loved.
“It's cool because I'm living both dreams, but I'm also doing something—I don't want to be corny and say it's bigger than myself—but I just love that it's not just for myself,” Brunais explained. “Selfishly, I want to be part of the team and playing because I love playing soccer. I love being competitive, but I'm also helping a team and I got to do that in my former job. I got to carry a flag on my body armor. I had it really rolled up tight under my body armor, and every mission I went on, it was with me. I just love representing, and I love doing something that's not average. I just always want to be above average.
“I'm very grateful. I mean, look at the opportunities [I’ve had]. I volunteered to serve, and truthfully, if I never got injured, I'd probably still be there. But then I took this injury and look where I'm at now. I'm still able to serve in another capacity, and we just have so many opportunities here, whether it's on the field or not. I couldn't be more grateful.”