Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade gave Andrew Person a unique perspective on events in the Middle East.

Now out of the service, the 27-year-old Helena man is sharing that perspective with Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., as the senator's new legislative aide on military issues.

Person (pronounced "Pearson") becomes one of a staff of about 40 working directly for Montana's senior senator in Washington and Montana. Baucus also has some 30 aides on the Senate Finance Committee, which he chairs. Person's responsibilities include military and veterans' issues, homeland security and foreign affairs.

"Anything that's going through the Senate that relates to those issues, I've got to be prepared to be completely knowledgeable and make recommendations based on that," he said.

Person said he's long been interested in politics -- his father was a "non-partisan bureaucrat" who worked for the Legislature, and the dinner-table talk often centered around the goings-on at the Capitol and beyond.

After graduating from Helena High, Person attended Gonzaga University on a Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship, graduating in 2001 with a degree in political science.

He was at artillery school in Oklahoma on Sept. 11, and said there was a notable change in attitude from that point forward.

"It makes you study a little bit harder," he said. "There was a sense of urgency. Everyone knew things had changed."

Person, who also graduated from Army Ranger School, was in Iraq soon after the start of the war in 2003. After nearly a year there and some time back in Europe, it was onto Afghanistan for a 13-month stint.

Discharged from the Army in March 2006, Person went to Nicaragua to take part in a microfinance program through the Foundation for Sustainable Development. But while he enjoyed the work, his mind kept returning to the war.

"Here I am in Nicaragua doing all this work, and the whole time I'm finding a lot of my attention is still on the events in the Middle East," he said. "It was just grabbing my attention constantly. I kept getting drawn back to that."

He contacted Baucus' office upon his return, interviewed for the job, and last month found himself living in Washington, D.C., with a new job in the Capitol.

Person said he can draw upon his experience in both Middle Eastern theaters as he keeps Baucus informed of policy and pending legislative decisions.

"In a lot of ways, my experience is a motivating factor," he said. "Any time a veterans' issue comes up, I'm a veteran, , I've dealt with those issues on a personal level, I can understand it. It's natural for me, it's kind of personal and it makes me want to work harder."

John Harrington can be reached at 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com.