Staff Sergeant Brent Maney Family of Melbourne to Be Featured on Military Makeover with Montel

Maney played a huge part in supporting NASA space shuttle missions

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Military Makeover with Montel, a show that airs on the Lifetime channel and the Armed Forces Network, will present the Maney family of Melbourne with a new home during the upcoming season.

The show is hosted by Montel Williams, a television personality and military veteran who served our country for 22 years in both the Marine Corps and the Navy.

Military Makeover with Montel enlists local designers, contractors, landscapers, and other home improvement professionals, along with sponsors to help transform the homes and lives of veterans and their families.

“Military Makeover is honored to present the Maney Family as the recipient of this season’s makeover, and with the help of our generous partners, we look forward to seeing the beautiful home transformation that we create for this deserving family,” said Janis Buongermino, Community Relationship Manager for Military Makeover with Montel.

“Our upcoming season will be our 33rd and is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 1 through 11, and we will be traveling to Melbourne to renovate the home of our Veteran Brent Maney, a U.S. Air Force Pararescue Officer.

The home is located at 160 Woodside Drive in Melbourne.

Growing up in a close-knit military family, Staff Sergeant Brent Maney’s desire to serve came as no surprise. He enlisted in the United States Air Force as a pararescue in 1994 and was deployed numerous times in the early years of his military career.

In 1998, a serious parachuting accident left him with severe injuries, including a fractured lower spine. But after major surgery and a year of physical therapy, Brent’s miraculous recovery allowed him to continue to serve as a Pararescue Instructor.

Maney served for 12 years, with deployments to many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Africa, and South Korea for Operation Southern Watch.

Throughout his varied military career, Maney played a huge part in supporting NASA space shuttle missions from Trans-Atlantic Abort Landing sites in Morocco and Gambia, as well as teaching Special Operations Forces in combat casualty care at multiple schools from 1999-2013.

Maney proudly achieved various commendations throughout his career, including the USAF commendation medal, USAF Achievement medals, U.S. Navy Achievement medal, U.S. Army achievement medal, and USAF Civilian Service medals.

Today, Maney still suffers from the aftereffects of his service, dealing with constant back pain, PTSD and Survivor’s guilt.

Maney and his wife, Trudie, have been married for 15 years. They have two boys, and the family now lives in the city of Melbourne, Florida.

Trudie was unfortunately diagnosed with advanced young onset Parkinson’s disease in 2007, and her deteriorating health has been a huge challenge for the entire family.

In 2020, she was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, which requires Brent to be her daily caregiver. The home holds significance for the family as Trudie has chosen it to be the house she would like to spend her final years in.

“Though all members of the Maney family have gone through their own sets of trials and tribulations, they are still able to find the joy to succeed in their everyday lives,” said Buongermino.

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