Brennan Mahoney (left) receives kudos from Karl Rohde (center) and Peter Penelle, chairman of the Joint Veterans Council, at last week’s ceremony in Carmel. Eric Gross U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Brennan Mahoney, married and the father of two, is leaving at the end of the month on his fourth tour of the Middle East,

The 47-year-old Mahopac resident will be working with members of the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mahoney will be assisting military personnel who have suffered catastrophic injuries while on the battle lines — men and women whom Karl Rohde, Putnam’s Director of Veterans Affairs, said would not have survived a decade ago. He said Mahoney’s work to help the injured is vital.

“The survival rate is up by 20 percent over Desert Storm, but the injuries are horrendous and our military needs additional care while being integrated into the V.A. system from the Department of Defense. Brennan is our man in Putnam who is assisting these wounded vets,” Rohde said.

Rohde also talked about Putnam’s aging veterans population: “The average age of a World War II veteran is in the 90s; a Korean War vet is now in his 80s and for us who served in Vietnam, our age is in the mid to late 60s. More care will also be needed for these men and women, necessitating additional work for Brennan.”

Putnam County government and the Joint Veterans Council, along with Congresswoman Nan Hayworth and Assemblyman Steve Katz, issued proclamations last week at the legislature’s monthly meeting commending Mahoney for his work.

Mahoney thanked Putnam County for recognizing his efforts: “To be honored by fellow veterans is especially endearing to me. I do what I do out of a sense of duty and pride for the veterans of the greatest country on earth.”

Mahoney told those in attendance at the historic Putnam Courthouse last Tuesday evening: “My goal in life is to change lives. Veterans coming before me suffering from a service related sickness or injury or income issues are the people I love to help. The gratitude on their faces makes the job well worth it.”

Mahoney received a standing ovation.