Fired Iowa Park Ranger Gets Job Reinstated After Going Viral

A fired Iowa park ranger, whose post following his termination went viral, is returning to work following the chaos of mass federal layoffs.

Brian Gibbs, a 41-year-old who worked at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, IA, was fired, and responded with a Facebook post that quickly went viral. The post garnered over 94,000 reactions, 14,000 comments, and over 231,000 shares as of this writing. The comment section was brimming with reactions of heartbreak, devastation, sympathy, empathy, anger, and disgust, all justifiable emotions.

Gibbs post struck a chord with people by reminding many of the human capital behind the still-ongoing mass federal layoffs that have occurred since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year.

Gibbs was one of 1,000 National Park Service workers who were fired as part of President Trump's efforts to shrink the size and magnitude of the federal workforce. Per The Des Moines Register, at least 2,300 federal workers in the Department of Interior had their positions terminated. That included 800 Bureau of Land Management employees and roughly 1,000 National Park Service workers.

Gibbs' Facebook post thoughtfully articulated all that he did for Effigy Mounds and its countless visitors during his employment:

I am a father, a loving husband, and dedicated civil servant.
I am an oath of office to defend and protect the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.

I am a work evaluation that reads “exceeds expectations."
I am the "fat on the bone."
I am being trimmed as a consequence of the popular vote
I am a United States flag raiser and folder
I am my son's "Junior Ranger" idol
I am of the place where I first told my spouse I loved her
I am a college kid’s dream job
I am the smiling face that greets you at the front door
I am your family vacation planner
I am a voice for 19 American Indian cultures
I am the protector of 2500 year old American Indian burial and ceremonial mounds
I am the defender of your public lands and waters - an excerpt of Brian Gibbs' Facebook post

On March 13th, 2025, a federal judge ordered six federal agencies to reinstate probationary employees who were wrongfully terminated. That included National Park Service workers, per KCCI. Gibbs took to Facebook again to say his "unlawful termination" was rescinded:

On Monday, March 24th, Gibbs returned to work at Effigy Mounds. In a subsequent Facebook post, he noted that he saw a beautiful species of bird on his first day back to work, one that was once present on the Endangered Species List:

On the first day back to work a Peregrine Falcon greeted me at sunrise this morning. This bird was once on the endangered species list.

Successful restoration efforts of releasing young peregrins [sic] in the 1990's here at the park led to the reintroduction of wild peregrines nesting on the Mississippi River Bluffs.

Truly one of the greatest wildlife and human success stories of hope and resilience - Brian Gibbs, per his personal Facebook page

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When you hear stories about President Donald Trump shrinking the size of the federal workforce, whether you're for it or against it, consider the very real humans this impacts, especially at a time when groceries, gas, and basic necessities are skyrocketing in price.

Read more about Brian Gibbs' story on The Des Moines Register's website.