Veteran Aviator Brian Moll: From Cockpit to Disaster Relief
For Marine Corps veteran and FedEx Boeing 777 pilot Brian Moll, service isn’t just a chapter in a resume—it is a lifelong compass.
Brian spent nearly 22 years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, taking to the skies as an AV-8B Harrier attack pilot. With two shipboard deployments and combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Brian’s mission was clear: provide close air support and protect the Marines on the ground. Later in his military career, that protective calling took on an equally vital role on the home front—leading efforts to support combat-wounded Marines and advocate for them as they transitioned back to civilian life.
Today, as Brian marks eight years flying internationally for FedEx, he continues to carry that same dedication to service forward. As a volunteer “Greyshirt” with Team Rubicon—a veteran-led disaster response organization supported by FedEx—Brian has found a powerful way to put military-honed leadership, logistics, and grit into action when communities need it most.
Finding Purpose Beyond the Uniform
Transitioning out of active duty often leaves veterans searching for the sense of camaraderie and shared mission that defined their service. For Brian, the connection to Team Rubicon happened before his uniform was even packed away.
“I met Team Rubicon during a hiring event my team organized while I was charged with taking care of our combat-wounded Marines,” Brian recalls. “Team Rubicon’s mission was to provide a purpose for veterans by taking the skills and strengths honed on active duty and using them to help others after a disaster. While I could no longer use aviation to support Marines, I could use the other skills I had learned to plan and lead volunteer events and community service projects.”
That opportunity arrived sooner than expected. Just two weeks after retiring from the Marine Corps, Hurricane Florence made landfall in eastern North Carolina, directly striking Brian’s hometown near Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
While Brian had anticipated deploying to storm-damaged regions across Texas or Florida, his first mission as a Greyshirt hit home literally. With hundreds of local houses damaged by flooding and wind, Brian stepped up immediately to help his own neighbors rebuild and recover.
Translating Cockpit Precision to Crisis Response
Whether navigating a military jet through adverse weather, piloting a wide-body FedEx 777 across oceans, or joining teams in disaster zones, Brian notes that the core principles remain remarkably consistent: calmness, communication, and confidence in the face of uncertainty.
“Difficult circumstances give you the confidence to know that you can overcome similar situations—situations dominated by uncertainty,” Brian explains. “The self-assurance that you gain in a cockpit or during a military operation carries over to life after a disaster. You might not know exactly what to do, but you’ll know how to start, communicate the plan to your team, and trust that you can tackle each step, one after the next.”
Disaster relief also demands teamwork that transcends differences. Just like a flight crew or military unit, Team Rubicon volunteers rally around a common objective.
“When you volunteer, you find yourself surrounded by amazing like-minded people,” says Brian. “When you join a group of people who have given up their time for a larger cause, the prevalent divisiveness fades away. Volunteering gives me that same sense of shared commitment, where our differences become negligible compared to the task that needs to be done.”
When Corporate Giving Meets Grassroots Impact
Through the company’s FedEx Cares Delivering for Good initiative, FedEx proudly teams up with humanitarian and disaster relief organizations like Team Rubicon to move essential supplies, equipment, and resources quickly into impacted areas. For Brian, seeing his employer invest directly in an organization he commits his personal time to reinforces his pride in the purple-and-orange brand.
“I was happy to see FedEx supporting Team Rubicon on my first operation, and it’s great to see them putting resources behind an organization I choose to spend my own free time supporting,” Brian shares. “When companies like FedEx work with non-profits like Team Rubicon, and they rely on the volunteer leaders in each community to target those resources exactly where they are needed, the impact is remarkable.”
Even when not responding to hurricanes, Brian stays active in proactive community resilience. In August, Brian braved triple-digit Arizona temperatures to participate in a fire mitigation project supporting Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (T.R.O.T.), clearing hazardous brush to safeguard the facility against wildfires.
A Call to Serve: Advice for Fellow Veterans
This Veterans Day, as we express our gratitude to the thousands of veterans across the FedEx global network, Brian offers a simple piece of encouragement for anyone considering community service:
“There are hundreds of veteran service organizations that you can join. As a volunteer, whatever time you have to give is important. I’ve met inspiring volunteers who give up weeks at a time, but if you can contribute just one day or even an afternoon to a cause that you support, it makes a difference—and you’re going to meet some of the best people, too.”
To Brian Moll and all of our veteran team members around the world: thank you for your service to our country, our company, and our communities.