>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

WEDDING SALUTE: Monique Brandley, an Iraq War veteran who will soon be discharged from the Army, is set to marry John Bolton, a 1st Infantry soldier preparing for a second tour in Iraq. The two met while on duty in Europe. - The Observer/PHIL BULLOCK

Yes, she is taking her discharge after a four year stint as an aviation operations specialist, including a tour in Iraq.

But, no, she’s not leaving Army life behind. As she exits the service, she’s marrying a soldier she met in Europe.

“He proposed before I left Germany. I guess he decided he didn’t want to be too far away from me,” she said with a grin this week.

She and John Bolton are getting married in a ceremony Sunday at the Gilstrap Brothers winery in Cove. She is as excited about it as any bride has a right to be.

“The setting there is just so beautiful,” she said.

Bolton, meantime, is just plain happy he didn’t let Brandley get away, back in those days when they were soldiers together.

“She’s the best girl I ever met, and I love her to death,” he said. “She’s got me doing things I’ve never tried before. I’ve even been skiing and snowboarding. We’ve never had a bad time together.”

Brandley, the daughter of Robert Brandley of La Grande, was born in California. She spent some time in La Grande as a young girl, but grew up mostly in Kentucky.

She graduated from high school in 2004, then joined the Army. In September of 2006, she went to Iraq, serving with the Multi-National Corps in Baghdad.

Bolton, the son of Thomas and Debbie Bolton, was born and raised in Abbington, Pa. He graduated from high school in 2002, then attended La Salle University for a couple of years. In 2004, he joined the Army.

After training as a forward artillery observer, he was stationed respectively at Fort Sill, and at Wurzburg, Germany.  A member of the 2nd Brigade, First Infantry Division,  he deployed to Iraq in June of 2006.

Brandley and Bolton were stationed on the same base in Baghdad, but their paths never crossed. When their deployments were over, they were sent to Wurzburg. Even then, it took some time for them to connect.

They met, finally, during a celebration at an Irish pub in Wurzburg, a place where soldiers gathered to enjoy cold beer, good food, music and friendship.

“We actually both frequented that pub quite a lot, so it’s surprising we didn’t meet sooner,” Brandley said.

They formed a relationship that grew more serious as time went on. But the military clock was ticking, too; Brandley’s hitch in the Army was running out and she looked forward to a return to the States and civilian life.

“I decided to get out because Iraq was tough for me. I had a hard time there, and I didn’t want to go again,” she said.

Before she left, Bolton popped the question, and she accepted.

She had some leave coming, and decided to spend it at her father’s home in La Grande. She also planned to be married in the splendor of Union County. In recent weeks, she’s been making the wedding arrangements.

When she encountered difficulty finding a pastor to perform the ceremony, her father suggested the local military community might be able to help. He was right.

The family contacted Staff Sgt. Dan Daggett, a chaplain’s assistant with the Oregon National Guard’s Third Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade. Daggett doesn’t have authority to conduct weddings, but he did help solve the problem.

The 3/116th, headquartered in La Grande, underwent annual training this month at the Orchard Training Area near Boise.

It so happened that First Lt. Dennis Stahlnecker, a National Guard chaplain from Albany, was assigned to support the mission. Daggett brought the problem to Stahlnecker.

“The training period ended Friday, and the chaplain will stay over till Sunday on his own dime so he can perform the wedding,” said Daggett, who will assist Stahlnecker in the ceremony.

After the wedding, Sgt. and Mrs. Bolton will be returning to Germany. Bolton said he will rejoin his unit for more service in the war zone.

“This summer we’re going to train up again for Iraq. We’ll be going back before the year is out,” Bolton said.

Bolton said his enlistment is up in January, but he has to remain in the service because of the Army’s “stop loss” policy.

It’s something a man has to take in stride, he said.

“I’m not going to complain. I’ll train my soldiers the best I can,” he said. “Hopefully it will only be a year this time. Last time it was during the surge and we ended up staying 15 months.”

As for Brandley, she believes her experience as a soldier will give her an advantage as she assumes the role of soldier’s wife.

“I know what really goes on,” she said. “I know how guys tell their families they’re not in danger, when actually they are. But I also know not to listen to the rumors that go around. Rumors are why things get blown out of proportion.”