Thomas Ross Brewer (born August 6, 1958) is an Oglala American retired military officer and politician who served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 43rd legislative district. Elected in 2016, he assumed office in 2017 and left office in 2025.
Early life and education Brewer was born in Casper, Wyoming and attended high school in Gordon, Nebraska. His father, Ross Brewer, was a combat-wounded Army Ranger who was bayoneted in the Korean War.Connor, Jon. "Nebraska brothers-in-the-Guard serve together." Guard News. June 6, 2011.
He was active in Future Farmers of America as a teenager and earned his state degree and his American FFA Degree. He focused on agribusiness in FFA, working at a local grain elevator and also competing in parliamentary procedure, meats judging, welding, and public speaking. He credits this public speaking experience and other skills taught in FFA as having prepared him for his later military service and time as a state legislator. He was the first Native American to serve as a Nebraska FFA state officer.Leeper Girgis, Courtney. "FFA Prepares the Way for Nebraska Senator." FFA New Horizons.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Management from Doane University in 1988. As a student at Doane, he competed in cross country running and track, being named to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-Conference teams. In 1983, he attended classes at Moscow State University and the University of Leningrad in Russia. He is a graduate of the United States Army War College Defense Strategy Course and holds a Master's Degree from that institution."WPS Holds Assembly in Recognition of Veterans Day." Wahoo Public Schools. November 14, 2005.
Military career For 36 years, Brewer served as a member of the United States Army, including six tours in Afghanistan. Brewer was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
He enlisted in the Army after he graduated high school in 1977. After attending U.S. Army Field Artillery School and earning the Air Assault and Airborne qualifications, he was commissioned an infantry officer in 1983. After infantry officer training, he completed the Pathfinder Course, Jumpmaster Course, and Ranger School, where he was the Honor Graduate.
In 1985, he was assigned to the 167th Cavalry Regiment as an attack helicopter pilot and qualified on the AH-1 Cobra, UH-1 Huey, and OH-58 Kiowa aircraft. He served with the 4th Brigade 1st Cavalry Division in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq.
He became an armor officer after achieving the rank of Major, running M1 Abrams tanks in a cavalry squadron.Murg, Wilhelm. "Col. Thomas Brewer Makes a Career Out of Being a Warrior." Lakota Times. April 11, 2012.
Afghanistan Brewer was mobilized to Afghanistan in May 2003 to take command of the training battalion of the Afghan National Army. On October 12, 2003, Brewer was shot six times and received numerous shrapnel injuries in an engagement at a decommissioned Soviet tank depot, later dubbed the "Battle of the Bone Yard."Christ, James F. The Bone Yard. Battlefield Publishing. 2009. He was awarded the Bronze Star and his first Purple Heart as a result. The Guard News reported that this incident made Brewer the first field-grade officer wounded in the Afghanistan war.
Brewer credits Nepalese Royal Gurkha Sergeant Kajiman Limbu with a feat of heroism in helping recover Brewer from the battlefield and provide initial treatment of his wounds: "He was not a very big guy, he was all of about 130 pounds, and with gear I was around 275 pounds, but he flipped me over his shoulder, threw me over a stone fence, and then he jumped over himself. I was really impressed."Duggan, Joe. "Exhibit honors citizen soldiers." Lincoln Journal Star. November 15, 2007.
Domestic assignments After recovering from his 2003 injuries, Brewer worked with the National Guard in its domestic counternarcotics mission. Brewer was part of the National Guard's emergency response to Hurricane Katrina, deploying to New Orleans in command of a thirty-member team as part of the recovery mission in September 2005.Hackley, Cheryl. "Guard counterdrug units aid hurricane rescue effort." National Guard Bureau Public Affairs. September 10, 2005. Grace, Erin. "He was in the military for 36 years, but nothing compared to Katrina." Omaha World-Herald. August 31, 2015.
In late 2007, Brewer was assigned as Operations Officer for the National Airborne Operations Center at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska."Sen. Tom Brewer, 2023 Award Winner." Chief Standing Bear Project
Return to Afghanistan In January 2010, Brewer returned to Afghanistan, this time assigned as an advisor for the US CENTCOM counternarcotics mission in that country. While carrying out this assignment on December 16, 2011, the day before he was scheduled to return home, he was again severely injured after a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle. He received the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom for his conduct in this event. His injuries resulted in his involuntary medical retirement in 2013.
In total, Brewer served six tours of duty in Afghanistan and was deployed to neighboring Kurdistan for another two tours.Padmore, William. "Listen: State Senator and Veteran Tom Brewer On the Afghanistan War and Was it Worth it." Nebraska Public Media. August 30, 2021.
Ukraine
Brewer has been supportive of Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022, explaining that he serves as a "pipeline to share information" with members of Congress on the war. He began making visits to the country's frontlines in May 2022 to assist in training the Armed Forces of Ukraine and delivering supplies.Hammel, Paul. "Nebraska state senator returns to Ukraine to deliver Bibles, stove, food — and message of support." Nebraska Examiner. November 1, 2022. As the war progressed, he reported back his observations on how foreign aid was affecting the conduct of the war.Hammel, Paul. "Nebraska senator says Ukrainians can win the war, but it will take time." Nebraska Examiner. July 11, 2023.
During four trips to Ukraine in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Brewer "zig-zagged... through the country, from a hotel overlooking Maidan Square to the controlled border zone in the far northeast," taking him closer to the conflict than any other elected official from the United States. According to Brewer, "We went past where the Ukrainian forces have said 'We're going no closer.' You know you're getting close to the front when the friendly army is going the other way on the road past you[.]"Knapp, Fred. "Brewer: Living Conditions Near Ukrainian Front 'Just Horrible.'" Nebraska Public Media. July 13, 2022.
During a trip in July 2022, he said that if the US did not help Ukraine, then American troops would eventually be fighting Russians. He has advocated for NATO to provide training on location in Ukraine rather than shuttling trainees to and from other member nations.Knapp, Fred. "'Tired, but still fighting:' Nebraska senator travels to war-torn Ukraine." Nebraska Public Media. May 24, 2024. He has also advocated for the United States to embed advisors who could learn from the Ukrainian experience with drones and avoid American losses in a future conflict."Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer: Ukraine's Army could become best trained and well equipped and Europe." Ukrinform.net May 14, 2024.
On his return to Ukraine in Spring of 2024, Brewer talked extensively about his work on the ground in the country and his coordination with Washington D.C. He told Ukrinform of work with federal lawmakers stating, “I am a State Senator, but most of what I do is more general, humanitarian type help. Some of it is gathering information to share with U.S Senators and Congressmen about Ukraine’s needs, to show whether what they are giving is useful and Ukraine needs more of or is of no value at all. We need to make sure that we are not wasteful in how we manage the resources we give Ukraine. So I have functioned as a pipeline to share information back because, obviously, anybody who is a Senator or Congressman, they may make the trip to Kyiv for a photo-op, but nobody comes here to go beyond the capital because it's just not something many feel comfortable with, I guess.”
During that time he also appeared in Kharkiv at a joint press conference with Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, hosted by Kharkiv Media Center, where he discussed federal funding issues related to Ukraine.
In July 2024, Brewer described the modern battlefield with the advent of drone warfare: “I mean, you got drones that are out looking... Nobody’s safe anywhere on the battlefield ... That’s why it’s become this defensive battle where people live in holes and come out rarely if there’s any drone activity.”
By June 2026, Brewer had traveled to Ukraine nine times since the 2022 full-scale invasion. In an interview before a 2026 visit, Brewer lamented that the ongoing conflict had become a "forgotten war" and had been subject to less coverage by American media. Congressman Don Bacon said of Brewer, "He’s a hero, a brave guy, full of courage. I love being around him. He’s smart and he has moral clarity on this war. That’s why he keeps going back out there to help."Wendling, Zach. "'Forgotten war': Nebraska veterans, former lawmaker readies ninth Ukrainian mission amid Russian war." Nebraska Examiner. May 25, 2026.
Political career 2014 Congressional Campaign Shortly after completing rehabilitation from injuries sustained from the 2011 rocket-propelled grenade attack in Afghanistan,Zelaya, Kevin. "Brewer vying for Smith's seat." Lexington Clipper-Herald. February 22, 2014. Brewer announced his campaign for Nebraska's Third Congressional District seat against Republican incumbent Adrian Smith in the 2014 primary election.Sievers, Caitlin. "Brewer discusses election chances, national challenges during Sidney stop." Sidney Sun-Telegraph. April 14, 2014. Brewer lost to Smith in the Republican primary, receiving 31.8 percent of the votes cast in the two-way race."Nebraska Primary Election Results." The New York Times. May 2014
Nebraska Legislature
Brewer was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2016, defeating incumbent Al Davis. Brewer received 9,169 votes of 17,545 cast (52.2 percent) in the general election."Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, General Election, November 8, 2016." Nebraska Secretary of State.
Brewer faced a challenge in his 2020 reelection campaign from ranch owner Tanya Storer. In the 2020 general election, he won reelection with 57.9 percent of the total votes cast."Official Report of the Nebraska Board of State Canvassers, General Election, November 3, 2020." Nebraska Secretary of State. The relatively large amount of money spent on the race drew commentary from local media.Garcia, Justin. "The $170,000 campaign of Tom Brewer." North Platte Telegraph. October 23, 2020.
As a legislator, Brewer focused on veterans issues, Native American issues, religious freedom, energy policy, and firearms laws. As chairman of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, he has also carried a number of bills relating to elections. According to a methodology established by Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman in their "Legislative Effectiveness in the American States" article, Brewer was the second most effective member of the 108th Nebraska Legislature.Bucchianeri, Peter, Craig Volden, and Alan E. Wiseman. 2025. “Legislative Effectiveness in the American States,” American Political Science Review 119(1): 21–39; updated at .
Military and veterans