Brandon Charles Mikell

Captain Brandon Charles Mikell, U.S. Army, died at age 32 on August 29, 2012, in Columbia, Missouri after an acute episode of pneumonia. Born November 14, 1979 in San Diego, CA., he is survived by his two year old son, Charles Phillips Townsend Mikell; his fiancee', Heather Perkins of Bennettsville, SC; his mother, Katherine Marie Bynon, of San Diego, CA; his father and stepmother, Dr. and Mrs. Oswald Lightsey Mikell of Bluffton, SC; his former step-mother, Marianne Andrews Mikell of Beaufort, SC; his grandfather, Cdr. Robert W. Bynon, USN (ret) of Alpine California; his step-grandmother, Betty Jo Bynon of Oceanside, CA; his former step-grandfather, William Capers Andrews, Jr. of Beaufort, SC; his former step-sisters, Susan Miller Brake of Atlanta, GA.; and Mary Helen Miller of Orlando, FL; his aunts and uncles, Major and Mrs. Robert A. Bynon of Seoul Korea, Beth Bynon of Oceanside , CA, and The Honorable and Mrs. Charles B. (Julia) Mikell of Savannah, GA; his former step-aunts and uncles, Mr. and Mrs. R. Lee Nall of Newnan, GA and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hopkins of Columbus, GA; and a legion of over 77 cousins. Brandon attended Beaufort Academy in Beaufort, SC, and graduated from the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, TX. In 2005 he graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point, Phi Kappa Phi, in the upper 10% of his class, with dual majors in Electrical Engineering and Russian, and was awarded the General Bernard Loeffke Award of Excellence in Russian. Following graduation, he was commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer and was branch assigned into the Chemical Corps where he was an Honor Graduate from the Chemical Officer Basic Course and proceeded to duty at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. In Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, he served as Assistant Team Leader, Sample and Analytical Team Leader. Following redeployment, he served as Team Leader and was then reassigned to the United States Army Chemical, Biological, and Radiological School as Aide-de-Camp to the Commandant. In 2009, after serving successfully under two Commandants, he was assigned as the Homeland Security Specialist Supervisor with the Maneuver Support Center's Homeland Defense/Civil Support Officer before becoming the assistant Brigade Operations Officer in Charge of 3rd Chemical brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he served until assuming Command of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence. The family will accept visitors at Anderson Funeral Home, located at 611 Robert Smalls Parkway, Beaufort, South Carolina, from 10:30 am to 12:00pm on September 14, 2012. A funeral service and interment accompanied by full military honors will be held at the Beaufort National Cemetery, located at 1601 Boundary Street in Beaufort, South Carolina, at 2:00 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012. Following the funeral service, there will be a reception for Brandon's family and friends at the home of his former step-mother, Marianne Mikell. In lieu of flowers please send memorial contributions to one of the following: (1) Pillows for Patriots, 1 Hermitage Pointe, Beaufort, SC 29902. www.PillowsForPatriots.org, (2) The Wounded Warrior Project at www.WoundedWarriorProject.org, or (3) Fisher House Foundation, Inc. at http://www.fisherhouse.org/donate/or mail to: Fisher House Foundation 111 Rockville Pike, suite 420 Rockville, MD 20850-5168 Brandon left us much too soon. We will miss his sharp wit, infectious laughter, and creative cooking! And when our work is done Our course on earth is run, May it be said, Well done; Be Thou At Peace" Anderson Funeral Home is serving the family. www.andersonfuneralhomebeaufortsc.com.