Wings on Ice

  • Published
  • By Chaz Hill
  • 452 AMW
In the land of sand and sunshine, the Inland Empire also offers a world of excitement on ice. Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, you can find Staff Sgt. Michael Brangaitis at Ice Town Skating Rink in Riverside. A crew chief for the 752nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Brangaitis plays the starting left wing position for the Whalers, a local in-house amateur hockey team. 

Growing up in the city of Queens, New York, Sergeant Brangaitis said he always dreamed of playing professional hockey. When his friends went off to play basketball, baseball and football, he would practice hockey in his parents driveway. For hours and hours, he practiced all day. 

At the age of 12 he tried out for a local hockey club in New Jersey. Showing both perseverance and commitment at such a young age, he proved to his parents how much he desired to play by making the West Hampton Cyclones hockey team. 

"I knew I had to step up my game if I wanted to be a starter," Sergeant Brangaitis said about making the team. 

Idolizing Mark Messier of the New York Rangers, he devoted hours to practice; increasing speed, strength and agility. To him, it was all well worth the sacrifice when he made the starting rotation for Medford Vocational and Technical High School's hockey team. 

In 1998, during his senior year of high school, Sergeant Brangaitis' plans for a career playing professional hockey came a step closer. He went to an open invitation to try out for the Philadelphia Flyers farm teams; the Phantoms and the Hershey Bears of Pennsylvania. Even though he did not make either minor league team, he did not let it deter him. 

Before graduating from Medford VoTech, Sergeant Brangaitis received letters from the American Collegiate Hockey Association and letters to commit from Penn State University of Delaware County and the University of Oklahoma. 

In 2001 he changed his career path. Eagerly wanting to get out of living in a small town in New Jersey, he enlisted in the active duty Air Force as an aircraft mechanic. His recruiter promised him he would "have ample opportunity to play hockey in the Air Force." 

Stationed at Spangdahlem AFB, Germany, he had the opportunity to play throughout Europe; in Germany, Canada, Oman, the Netherlands, England, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emerates (UAE). In 2002, his accomplishments led him to play in the Eifel Federation Cup Tournament, for the Köln Haie, German Ice Hockey League. 

One year later, Brangaitis moved duty stations to Luke AFB in Arizona where he played for Luke's base hockey team, the Thunderbolts. While representing Luke at the Armed Forces Tournament, he qualified for the skills competition competing for fastest skater, shot accuracy and hardest shot, which was clocked at 94 miles an hour. That same year he played in the Luxembourg Tournament in southwestern Germany, receiving Player of the Game honors. 

Upon arriving at March ARB in June, he immediately scouted for a local hockey league. He joined the Whalers, a team located in Riverside that plays other teams throughout the Inland Empire. 

A testament to Sergeant Brangaitis' playmaking came into fruition when he was contacted by his former team captain of the Luke AFB Thunderbolts to fill a vacancy they desperately needed to give them a complete team. They felt he would be the right answer to their needs for a strong left winger, adding speed, stick control, better scoring ability and power on the defensive side of the ice. 

All of this would be vital as they qualified to play in the 5th Annual Armed Service Hockey Classic that took place at the SoBe Ice Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov. 8 - 11, 2007. 

Sergeant Brangaitis helped the Thunderbolts defeat the Hill AFB Falcons and make it to the round robin semifinals to play against the Davis-Monthan AFB Defenders in the finals for the Enduring Freedom Championship. 

With only 1:04 left on the play clock in the final quarter, he scored the go-ahead goal. In the following final seconds, due to a questionable call from the referee, he was forced to sit in the penalty box. With one of Luke's stronger players now out of the game, the Davis-Monthan Defenders forced overtime and the go-ahead score for the win, taking the championship. 

"This defeat hurt (the) worst because I was helpless, sitting in the penalty box not able to help my team," said Sergeant Brangaitis. 

Now that the Armed Service Hockey Classic has come to a close, the Air Force reservist is concentrating on training and preparing for the Operational Readiness Inspection in February. After the ORI, it's back to his wish list with another goal. 

"I would love to form a team to represent March ARB and play for the Armed Service Hockey Classic Championship trophy next year in Las Vegas and bring it home to March." 

*Editors note: The author Chaz Hill is a member of the 452nd Maintenance Group.