A Whirlwind Year for Huntington Alum
Brian Fischenich has had quite a year. The 1992 Huntington High School alum got married, moved from Boston to Alabama, extensively traveled and is now preparing for a six month deployment to Camp Victory in Iraq.
Last March, Mr. Fischenich asked his girlfriend, Nicole Stenke, to marry him. The couple tied the knot in July in the Sacred Heart Basilica on the campus of Notre Dame University. "It was amazing," said Mr. Fischenich. "The reception followed at the inn on campus a few minutes away from the basilica. In the end, I walked away with an amazing wife!"
One of the greatest Blue Devil wrestlers ever, Mr. Fischenich won two Suffolk crowns and captured the New York State championship as a senior after finishing third in his junior year. He also starred on the Huntington volleyball team. He completed his mat career with a varsity mark of 83-13.
Following his high school graduation in 1992, Mr. Fischenich earned his undergraduate degree at Lehigh University and then obtained a law degree as the Georgetown University School of Law. Along the way, Mr. Fischenich has run marathons, developed into very good golfer and become adept at mountain biking, to name just a few of his many interests.
Although successful in a corporate law practice, Mr. Fischenich had been increasingly drawn to the possibility of military service, with an initial interest in the U.S. Navy, before deciding upon the Air Force JAG Corps.
A few days prior to their wedding this past July, the couple moved from Boston to Montgomery, Alabama. "Boston was a great place to live and tough to leave for both of us," Mr. Fischenich said. "My new Air Force assignment is with a small unit at Maxwell Air Force Base that oversees the operation of the Civil Air Patrol. The CAP is a rather unique entity with a one-of-a-kind relationship with the government. So, it makes for some interesting legal issues and keeps me on my toes."
Since moving to Alabama, the newlyweds have done plenty of traveling. There have been several trips to Atlanta, a couple of Notre Dame football game-watches, journeys to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky for camping and hiking, to Birmingham to take in civil right history sites and more hiking, to Destin, Florida to soak up the sun on a beach, to Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for another round of camping and hiking and to Nashville for Christmas shows.
Between all of those excursions, the pair managed to find their way back to South Bend to watch the Notre Dame football team battle Michigan and traveled to Boston to watch the Fighting Irish take on Boston College. "It really has been an amazing year," Mr. Fischenich said.
In mid-March, Mr. Fischenich will deploy to Camp Victory in Iraq for a sixth month stint. "I will work on government contracts there," he said. "The work should be challenging and with the drawdown of our forces, it should be an interesting time to be there – but very hot!"
Nicole Fischenich has been continuing her work with an international adoption agency. When her husband goes overseas, she intends to return to Boston for six months. "After the deployment ends, we will have another nine months in Montgomery before I have the option to accept an Air Force assignment somewhere else or rejoin the civilian world," Mr. Fischenich said.