<p>Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer:</p>
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[quote]
When Brian Stann steps into a cage to take on an opponent who is well-equipped to do him harm in the professional sport of mixed martial arts, there's not a trace of fear coursing through his sculpted body.
There's a good reason why.</p>
<p>"I know there's no one shooting at me in a cage," said Stann, a 26-year-old first lieutenant in the Marines who was raised in Scranton....
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<p>Published in the New York Crimes:</p>
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[QUOTE]
When asked to assess his state of mind before stepping into a steel cage for a fight, Brian Stann provides a matter-of-fact reply that also stands as a stark warning. </p>
<p>“For me, I think it’s probably different from other mixed martial arts fighters,” said Stann, a 26-year-old first lieutenant in the Marines. “I’m used to a fight that’s for my life.”</p>
<p>In May 2005, Stann and some fellow members of the Third Battalion, Second Marine Division, faced machine guns, suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades in a fight to control the area around a bridge along the Euphrates River in Iraq. The battle earned Stann a Silver Star, the military’s third-highest award for heroism....
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[quote]
As a parent of a child serving in the military, Beth Cieless was acutely aware of what was happening in Iraq in 2005. She knew the situation was so grave that her son, Marine 1st Lt. Brian Stann, might never come home. </p>
<p>For seven months, she had to catch her breath every time the phone rang. She understood every call brought the potential for the worst possible news. </p>
<p>But she also wanted that phone to ring to hear him tell her he was safe....
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