DenVer Braa -Air Force Lt Col (Ret)

Denver first joined Veterans Charity Ride in 2020 as a rider. He returned in 2021 as mentor and road captain and proved to be an invaluable member of the team. We are thrilled to have him back for our June 2022 ride and program as a road captain and mentor.

​Born into an Air Force family with a strong sense of service in Oklahoma, Denver and his folks moved often.  In 1987, Denver’s dad retired just south of Sturgis, South Dakota where Denver’s love of motorcycling began.  He graduated from Rapid City Central High School in 1990 and while attending college at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, where he met his future wife Tandi, he was influenced by a strong feeling of service, a “D” in calculus, and watching Desert Shield and Desert Storm unfold, to enlist in the US Marine Corps in 1991. He served as a motor vehicle operator and small arms repairman primarily in the orient from early 1992 until the end of 1995.  Following this service, Denver and Tandi returned home to finish college at South Dakota State University in 2000 and continued to serve by entering the Air Force.  Denver and Tandi moved often while serving in several positions and Denver deployed to Iraq in 2008, Afghanistan in 2009, and Iraq again in 2011.  Denver retired in 2019 with 24 years of active duty service, returning home to western South Dakota.  Denver enjoys the benefits of hiking, biking, and motorcycling and is a strong advocate for organ donation. ​