If someone had told Sean Labarrere, Cal Poly Pomona ’10, he’d one day serve in a war zone, he would’ve considered the prediction highly improbable. But that’s exactly what happened. In February 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Weeks later, Labarrere found himself crossing the border from Poland into the former Russian territory to assist the nation in its fight for freedom.

Labarrere was an unlikely enlistee. Although he comes from a long line of veterans, he has no military experience, nor is he of Ukrainian descent. But seeing how distressed close friends with family ties to the besieged country were as missiles struck and people fled for safety made him want to help.

“I have a daughter, and I couldn’t sit back and watch women and children be killed in a senseless war,” Labarrere said. “I felt the calling to go over and make a difference.”

Labarrere had experience dealing with crisis situations due to his time as part of the County of Riverside Emergency Management Department’s COVID-19 planning and logistics team.

A friend connected Labarrere with the Norman Brigade, a Canada-based unit composed of volunteers from several countries. He applied to serve as a volunteer soldier and spent the weeks before his departure researching and planning. After arriving in Ukraine, he was vetted before being embedded with the group.

“My experience organizing critical infrastructure and equipment during emergencies and the leadership skills I learned in SigEp allowed me to integrate very well into the unit,” Labarrere stated.

As an active member of the brigade, he managed supplies and oversaw the care, storage and inventory of weapons and other equipment. Logistics became difficult when massive fuel shortages in Ukraine occurred, and significant planning was needed to move units to and from the front lines.

After volunteering for a rotation at the front, Labarrere spent time watching for advancing Russian troops and spent three weeks in trenches, just yards away from Russian forces. During this time, Labarrere and his unit were under heavy artillery fire.

After serving for two months, Labarrere returned home safely. He continues to hope for an end to the conflict so that the Ukrainian people can rebuild their country and their lives.