Pro-Israel Double Amputee Army Vet Grateful to Serve Now in Congress

CBN News first met Brian Mast just outside of Tel Aviv in 2015. This 12-year U.S. Army veteran and double amputee became a local hero when he volunteered to help the IDF through an organization called Sar-El. One Israeli soldier called him an inspiration for the other soldiers on the base.  

Now in the 2016 election, Mast made headlines in his home state of Florida.  He defeated Democrat Randy Perkins 54 to 43 percent in the Sunshine State's 18th Congressional District.  

"I have had no greater honor than serving my country, and I would like to now thank the voters of Florida's Congressional District 18 for granting me the opportunity to serve again," Mast said.

"I am humbled by each volunteer who has given so generously of their time, resources, and the work of their hands, which has made this entire campaign possible. Most importantly, I am thankful to my wife, Brianna, and our three children, Magnum, Maverick, and Madalyn, for their love and support throughout," he said.

Mast served as a U.S. Army bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan when a hidden explosive device took his legs. But that didn't stop him from volunteering for the IDF. He told CBN News, "I saw a need in my own country to show support for Israel and so I did it."  

Mast said he was raised in a Christian home that supported Israel and learned Israel was America's brother and greatest ally in the region.  When he met with CBN News he said it's a message he'll take home.

"One of the terms I've learned since being here is 'achim' -- the term 'brothers.' I think that we in the U.S. and those here in Israel, I think we are brothers.  We're brothers because we have the same hope and the same desire for the future. We want to see freedom," he said.

In a statement, Mast made a similar commitment as he heads to Washington early next year:  "It is my duty in life to protect the Constitution, and to make our country a better place for my children, and for your children.  My commitment is the same now as it was in combat. I will serve with everything I have. I will do it selflessly and with courage. I will do it, above all, with a sense of duty to each citizen of our great community and to the United States of America."