I just found out about Sven ( march 2023)
We both lived at Ft Lewis Washington in the mid 70's. Our dads were stationed there. We  attended Clover Park High School together. 1975 1978.  He was a good person and devout Christian. He woul often come by our quarters and wait for me to head over to the school bus in the morning . We were gas powered airplane enthusiasts and flew regularly in the summer. To this day I can only imagine how annoying the buzz of our airplanes  must have been  to the surrounding officers housing residents. Oh well... we were kids. My thoughts are with his family. It's been over 45 years since we first met but as you can see, he made a good impression on me that lasted. God Bless.  

Rest in our Heavenly Father’s arms my brother, also my brother in arms. A patriot of our blessed United States and veteran of the USAF. Most of all, a child of The Most High God!! Brian was one of the most talented person I knew. Like others have said, he strove for perfection. Not only in his job and woodworking, but also making his own flies for fishing, boy he loved to fish! An excellent swimmer too. He was also an artist, whether it be a drawing or an oil painting. Self taught guitarist, countless hours of practice in our bedroom. With everything he did, he never settled for just being ok. If it had strings on it, he could play it, I loved listening to him play his guitar. Living apart, I didn’t get to see him as much as I would have liked, but we did put our mother’s new windows in together. That was something!! Yes a little rough sometimes, but always gracious and willing to learn new things. I’m glad he learned to fly, he always wanted to do that even when he was young. I particularly enjoyed my trip to Colorado Springs for his lovely daughter Julianna’s wedding. We all took a trip to Pikes Peak, and had a great time!! So many memories, thankfully The Lord impressed upon me to call him the Friday before he went home to be with Him, so we could talk , unbeknownst to me, for the last time on this earth. I will surely miss my brother Brian here on earth, but I will surely see him later . So long for now Brian, 
                                    Your little brother,  Andreas 

I met Brian back in 2010. I was a budget analyst and set up documents for the Base operations. He was always so strict and mean, now I know because he was a Master Sergeant. He wanted things just right. I was learning a new system for the government and he wasn't afraid to say what he meant if mistakes was made. At first I thought he was just a mean old guy, but as I got to know him, I found out he was all about perfection, he wanted things done right and done the first time. As time went on he started realizing I wanted accuracy as he did. I wanted things to run smooth as he did. He started to lighten up on me and work with me on difficult issues. One year, we were doing prior year close out and about 300 lines errored out. I fixed all the errors in less than 3 days. After that day, he started calling me to get the work done. I gained his respect which all he really wanted was to feel that he was dealing with at his level. When I gained his respect, I felt that I accomplished a great task like climbing the highest mountain because he had that effect on others. He was an awesome person and I will miss him because he influenced me to be the best I can and always look for ways to improve. Thank you Mr. Gaines  for your service and dedication and making all you came in contact a better person. 

I spent the better part of the summer of 2015 in Colorado Springs working with Brian to develop a PWS for Missile Defense Agency and Fort Greely. There were some long days and short fuses at times, but the Team got through it, mainly due to Brian keeping everyone on point. He had a laser focus on putting together the best contract possible and we at Fort Greely and MDA respect him for that. Brian was one of the best Contracting Officers that I've ever worked with.

A side of Brian that I wish I would have gotten to know better was his woodworking side. From some of the pieces he had in his office, it was clear that he was accomplished at it and had a true passion for it. Fine woodworking requires attention to detail, and Brian had that in abundance.

He will be missed.

The Missile defense Agency sends the Gains family our sincerest condolences regarding your loss of Mr. Brian Gaines.

Mr. Gaines' contributions to the Missile Defense Agency  through the establishment and execution of the Base Services Support Contract at Fort Greely, Alaska were instrumental in MDA's ability to support the warfighter in their most important mission of defending our nation against incoming ballistic missiles.  His expertise ensured that MDA had the appropriate contract support to maintain the facility-based weapon system ensuring the weapon system always, without fail, maintained the highest level of readiness and availability.  Brian will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.  



Our office received an email from Danny Cowell who is currently stationed in Germany.  Here is Danny's memory. Brian was a hard worker and very passionate about his point of view at times. I know he could come across as harsh during the heat of the moment, but what I always admired about Brian was his compassionate side. If someone didn't know him well they may not have experienced this, but those who knew him saw that Brian truly cared about people. Prior to SMDC, I worked with Brian at 50 CONS (Schriever AFB) and I remember attending his retirement ceremony. I remember his daughter singing the national anthem. I also remember the fire alarm going off at some point during the ceremony, which caused a few laughs as we paused the ceremony to vacate the building. 
I remember going TDY with Brian to Boston and as we walked through the subway on our way to our meeting we happened to pass by someone panhandling. I noticed the guy, but quickly dismissed him because we had somewhere to go. Brian stopped, went back and gave this man some money.  A small event, but I remember the interaction clearly even today as it helped open my eyes to
Brian's compassionate side. I'll miss his hard charging drive coupled with his caring attitude. May he rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers for you all as you grieve his passing. Please send my love to everyone in the office.
Danny

Brian awarded a contract to us in late June 2019.  At that point, he became part of our team.  He called frequently to ensure we were performing properly in all aspects of the contract.  He mentored us in so many ways, listened to our point of view and made us better at contract performance.  Brian’s life had intersected or paralleled various members of our team, and we became close as we shared our journey.  Already we miss hearing his voice on the other end of the phone.  His service to the Government was unwavering and awe inspiring.                                      –Mark, Mike M, Mike S, Jill, Jessica, Anita

OBITUARY

Brian Gaines

October 30, 1959 – February 25, 2020

Swan-Law Funeral Directors

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