Randy Brown embedded with his former Iowa Army National Guard unit as a civilian journalist in Afghanistan, May-June 2011. A 20-year veteran with a previous overseas deployment, he subsequently authored the poetry collection Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poems from Inside the Wire (2015). The work was awarded a 2016 Gold Medal in Poetry from the Military Writers Society of America.

Brown's poetry and non-fiction often feature wry humor, and explore themes of parenting and family, cultural landscapes, and personal mythologies. He often uses his work to bridge gaps in understanding and empathy between  "civilian" and "military" communities.

Brown is a member of Military Reporters and Editors, Military Writers Guild, and Military Writers Society of America. He serves as the poetry editor for the non-profit Military Experience & the Arts.

As “Charlie Sherpa,” he blogs about citizen-soldier culture at www.redbullrising.com [2], and about military-themed writing at www.aimingcircle.com [3].

He lives and works in Central Iowa.