Brooks was born in Alexandria, Virginia on August 9, 1932. He graduated from Virginia State University in 1954 and received his commission in the Army Quartermaster Corps as a Distinguished Graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. In his early assignments, Brooks served as a platoon leader with the 2nd Infantry Division in Alaska and commanded two companies. His also served in the office of the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, G-4, as a budget liaison to the United States Congress.