Overcoming Adversity

SGT Dulashanti Gives a Leg in Afghanistan; Earns Black Hat

Face of Defense: Amputee Earns 'Sergeant, Airborne' Title

By Cheryl Rodewig, 1st Infantry Division

FORT BENNING, Ga., Sept. 13, 2011 - Like thousands before him, Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti donned an Airborne instructor black hat for the first time last month, signifying his completion of a detailed certification process with 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti reaches for a harness strap during training on Eubanks Field at Fort Benning, Ga., in August 2011. U.S. Army photo by Cheryl Rodewig

Unlike those before him, he met the standard with a prosthetic leg, a partial knee replacement and the aftermath of internal injuries suffered during an ambush in Afghanistan. With his wounds, he could have taken a medical discharge from the Army, but the paratrooper chose to stay in -- and to remain Airborne, all the way.

"It's still brand new," he said, "but it feels good to actually have my hat."

Dulashanti's determination in the face of adversity, evident at the unit, will be instrumental in training Airborne students, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Chip Mezzaline, battalion command sergeant major. More than 17,000 students come through the battalion each year.

"He's had a traumatic injury and had the resilience to stay on active duty and serve as an instructor in a position that's high-risk," Mezzaline said. "It's in his character -- something you can't teach. It's something inside him that's going to drive him to be successful in whatever it is that he's doing. I don't think 'can't' is in his vocabulary.

Sgt Ramirez Leaves Hand in Iraq, Gives Hand in Afghanistan

Back to work: hand amputee deploys to set example for wounded warriors
by Cpl. Benjamin Crilly RCT-8

PATROL BASE FIRES, Helmand province, Afghanistan - “The word came out that noncommissioned officers were needed as combat replacements,” said combat replacement for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Sgt. Ricardo Ramirez. “Guys with experience who wanted to help out our brothers in Sangin.”

Ramirez, a veteran of Iraq, fit the description, answered the call and volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan. His previous combat experience shows right off the bat, and is one of the first things people notice about the warrior.

He only has one hand.

Cpl Todd Nicely Drives Forward after Losing both of his arms and legs

Twenty-seven year old Marine Cpl Todd Nicely has again learned how to drive and passed his road test at the DMV with flying colors.  To most of us that is not particularly noteworthy.  However, Cpl Nicely is an amputee.

Last year, Cpl Nicely was in Afghanistan, leading a patrol, when he received severe wounds from an IED.  As a result he lost both arms and both legs.

"For most people driving is seen as their symbol of independence, " said Occupational Therapist Pat Niewoehner. 

With the help from some very specialized equipment, Todd was able to re-train and is now driving again.

Prosthesis helps Medal of Honor hero stay with Rangers

By C. Todd Lopez

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 12, 2011) -- "There was a little bit of a meat skirt, for lack of better words, hanging around the edges. It was oozing. I could see the radius and ulna bone sticking up maybe about half an inch."

Petry re-enlists:  Then-Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry re-enlists with the Rangers during a ceremony in May 2010 at Fort Lewis, Wash.

Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, who will have the Medal of Honor placed around his neck July 12, 2011, by the president of the United States, recounted the moment after his hand was taken from him by a grenade during a May 26, 2008, combat operation in Afghanistan.

"It was vivid -- where I could see the black marks from where the burns were. And a little bit of the dirt and the smell of explosives. I sat up and I grabbed it. And it's a little strange," Petry said. "But this is what was in my mind: 'Why isn't this thing spraying off into the wind like in Hollywood?'"

Someone Like Me by John W. Quinn

John Quinn takes us on his life journey.  A journey that is complicated by his cerebral palsy.  In a well-written, intense book we follow John as he overcomes obstacle after obstacle to succeed in life as an independent person.

When he decides to join the military, he was told "Uncle Sam can't use someone like you."   Did that stop John?  You see, the Navy didn't know that John had cerebral palsy.  They only knew he couldn't pass one portion of the physical. 

 A pivotal comment from his friend Phil was all it took to spur John on. 

Exit Wounds by Derek McGinnis

"A Survival Guide to pain management for returning veterans and their families"

"For wounded veterans, overcoming pain is the final battle: hand-to-hand combat with an adversary we were never trained to fight.  Pain can be an elusive, stubborn, and sadistic enemy.  If you or a loved one has battled chronic pain, you already know this firsthand.  I do, too."

Exit Wounds is a straight-forward easy to read book that will help you to become more knowledgeable about pain management, it talks about becoming an advocate for yourself or someone else who is in pain, and much more!

Derek McGinnis was wounded while riding in an ambulance on the way to pick up wounded Marines.  He was a Navy Corpsman with the Marines 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Iraq back in November of 2004.

Cpl Peck's Homecoming

“I didn’t think this many people cared!”

Wounded not once, but twice in two different wars, Marine Cpl John Peck came home last week to Antioch, IL and found that his country does indeed care!  

Cpl Peck was escorted home by the Antioch police and fire departments.  

Photo: LCpl John Peck

Estimates say that nearly 2,000 people lined the streets of the route to Peck’s home.  Flags were waving and the sound of people clapping could be heard as Peck was escorted home for his first visit since losing both legs and an arm in Afghanistan.   He battled severe infection from a wound in his stomach that refused to heal.  Doctors tried to save his remaining arm, but they eventually had to amputate a portion of that as well.

Sight & Legs Won't Hinder Marine Chuck Sketch's Motivation

Blind Marine competes in Warrior Games with the help of his family
by Aquita Brown MCMWWP

The Warrior Games is an annual athletic competition that allows the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s wounded, ill and injured Marines to strengthen their mind, body and spirit. Athletes from all branches of service have an opportunity to compete, fine tune their skills and build camaraderie. However, for Marine veteran Chuck Sketch it means much more than that. Chuck has the opportunity to share this experience with his fellow Marines and his father, Roger Sketch.

In February 1991, Chuck joined the United States Marine Corps because, “they are the best,” said Chuck. He was an 0311 infantryman during Operation Dessert Storm.

In 1997, Chuck received devastating news that would change his life forever. He was diagnosed with cancer and his sight was the first thing to go as a result of a brain tumor.

Photo by PAT CUBEL Marine veteran and Wildomar, Calif., native Chuck Sketch participates in the All-Marine Warrior Games swim camp. The Marines Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment held the two week training camp to prepare the athletes for the second annual Games that will be held in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the Olympic Training Center May 16-21.

Recon: Conquering the Climb

Ten wounded warriors; nineteen days in the Himalayas; one great adventure: a story of facing challenges and overcoming adversity.

This video is long (27:34), but well worth the time spent as you listen to these warriors talk about overcoming their own adversity and life choices they have made.

Cpl Aaron Mankin

This is an introduction video I (jucph) made for Marine Corporal Aaron Mankin.

Cpl Mankin was badly wounded when engaging in Operation Matador in eastern Iraq. Cpl Mankin spoke at The Summit Business Persons' Luncheon at The Church at Pinnacle Hills on November 8, 2007. Special thanks to Cpl Mankin for his selfless service to his fellow Americans.

Martial Arts Leads to Healing for Wounded Warrior

Wounded Warrior Inspired by New Sport

Arash Arabasadi VoA News Washington, D.C: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not your typical martial art.  It combines wrestling and joint manipulation, and those who practice it say technique trumps size. But Tyler Anderson is not your typical martial artist either. For the U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, learning this new skill is just one of his life’s many challenges.

When Anderson took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he found things were a little different from his previous wrestling experience.  

"When I first started doing Jiu Jitsu without a leg, the first thing that I noticed was I was a really good wrestler and body control is something that I was very good at," he says.

MP Gives an Arm and Keeps on Fighting

  MP fights adversity, fulfills Army commitment
 by Sgt. Jes Smith 16th MPAD

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – When faced with adversity, many people are asked if they are going to look at their glass as half-full or half-empty. The question is designed to determine if a person will look for the positives in a situation or the negatives. Spc. Ben C. Ballard is a glass-half-full kind of guy.

Ballard is a military police specialist in the 202nd Military Police Company, based out of Fort Bliss, Texas. The company is assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, and they train Afghan Police forces as well as patrol the streets of Kandahar City, Afghanistan.

While on patrol in Iraq on Aug. 13, 2008, Ballard’s Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device that resulted in an amputation of his left arm above the elbow. Rather than focusing on what he couldn’t do, he kept a positive attitude by continuing to look at what he can do in life.

SURFING U.S.A.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 By Sgt. Randall A. Clinton LONG BEACH, N.Y. — Tara Hutchinson smiled more than you’d expect for someone who could barely stand on a surfboard. She had wiped out more times than anyone else in the water, and yet she paddled back out for another go.

The retired Army sergeant first class has spent the last four years undergoing countless surgeries after losing her leg in Iraq, and without that second limb to steady herself she was not having much luck staying on the board.

Hutchinson’s surf lesson was part of a week-long program for wounded service members by the Long Beach Waterfront Warriors. The Long Beach Waterfront Warriors hosted 34 recovering wounded service members and their families July 24 to July 30.

“I love it here. I was the first one on the surfboard last year,” said Angela Lupe. Her injuries in 2003 left her confined to a wheelchair and eventually she was medically separated from the Army in 2005.

Lupe watched from the beach as volunteers pushed special beach wheelchairs into the water and helped amputees out into the waves. “I hope they get as much out of this as I did. It can change their lives forever,” she said. “It’s not about one event or one day, it’s about the community and the people expressing their support.”

Breathless: Marine Still Earned Title

Breathless: Marine medically discharged after lung collapses in boot camp returns to earn the title

11/30/2010  By Lance Cpl. Jad Sleiman, Marine Forces Reserve 

NEW ORLEANS-Newly minted Pfc. Matt McGuiness holds the battalion guidon during his recruit training graduation ceremony Jan. 15. Tom McGuiness

NEW ORLEANS  — Lance Cpl. Matt McGuiness’ lowest point wasn’t the day his left lung sprung a leak and deflated inside his chest as he waited outside a chow hall during recruit training. It wasn’t the day he watched his platoon graduate without him as he waited on an evaluation board that would eventually medically discharge him. It wasn’t the day he woke up screaming in agony and alone in a Virginia intensive care unit after his pain killers failed post-surgery.

USSF: persistent and committed

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan Media Operations Center
Story by Tech. Sgt. Gloria Wilson

08.29.2010  CAMP MOREHEAD, Afghanistan – The average person would never guess the story behind the funny, easy-going guy with the missing teeth. Quick to smile and quick to joke, his laid-back attitude tends to put people at ease, so being asked what happened to his mouth is common.

“So are you missing teeth from a bar fight or hockey accident,” asked a U.S. Navy medic upon first meeting the 3rd Special Forces Group team member with the semi-toothless grin.

“Neither, I got blown up,” said the U.S. Special Forces sergeant first class.

The person who asked him did an immediate double take and apologized, but the 3rd Group team member currently serving his fourth tour in Afghanistan waved it off and said it’s no big deal, no need for an apology.

Although to some it’s a big deal, stories of enemy contact—whether it’s improvised explosive devices, small arms fire, or other—is almost common place amongst 3rd Group and other USSF units. But that doesn’t change the fact that each battle and each attack has an impact on someone’s life.

The stuff nightmares are made of!

The stuff nightmares are made of.......waking up and realizing that you have no leg(s).  Unfortunately, this is a reality for many of our wounded warriors.

One thing they are guaranteed (I believe) is a replacement limb, a prosthetic leg that will allow them to stand, to walk again.  First though, they have to heal from the wounds, survive multiple surgeries and then "learn" to walk again.

One Marine has taken that a step further.  He wants them to have the "option" to learn to run again.  Why?  There was a day, around 7 years ago, when it was thought by some doctors that "he would never walk again".  The physical therapist handed him a squeeze ball to get started in his recovery.  Yep, a squeeze ball was gonna help him walk.....no, they "knew" he would never walk again.   Why give him false hope.  Boy were they ever wrong.....

Air Force wounded warrior rides from coast to coast

by Maj. Belinda Petersen
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

7/12/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- A combat controller, who last year was laying in a hospital fighting for his life, is now riding his bicycle across America as part of his rehabilitation and to inspire other wounded warriors.

Along with 19 of his teammates, Staff Sgt. Marc Esposito from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C, is participating in the Sea to Shining Sea ride. The bike trek across America started at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and will end in Virginia Beach, Va., July 24.

Staff Sgt. Marc Esposito and actor/comedian Robin Williams May 22, 2010, in San Francisco.  Sergeant Esposito is from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. (Courtesy photo/Van Brinson)

"The goal of the ride is to honor the courage of (servicemembers), recognize the strength of the American spirit and challenge perceptions of how we view athletes," said Melissa McKinley, a public relations specialist for the event.

But before Sergeant Esposito could even get back on his bike, he spent almost a year in hospitals where he underwent several surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

"In May 2009, I was operating in Afghanistan as a combat controller in support of an Army special operations team," Sergeant Esposito said. "We were going after the bad guys when we hit an (improvised explosive device). Everyone in the vehicle was

Prosthetic Feet aren't Slowing this Marine Down

On Oct. 4, 2009 LCpl. Josh Wege was in Afghanistan.  He was riding in a vehicle that was struck by an improvised explosive device.  LCpl Wege received severe injuries to his lower legs and feet.  In fact, his injuries were so severe that the doctor's were unable to save them.

Did that slow down this Marine?  Well after reading that just 44 days later Josh was up and walking a few steps on his new legs.  Pretty amazing for a 19 year old young man who had just experienced a life changing injury!

Navy Musician Teaches Rowing to Wounded Warriors

 

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse Awalt
Naval District Washington Public Affairs

06.07.2010  WASHINGTON - A military musician assigned to the U.S. Navy Band here teaches rowing to wounded warriors recovering at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Johnson spends almost every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon motivating wounded warriors at the center's Mercy Hall.

Four years ago, Chief Petty Officer Michel Curtis, also a member of the Navy Band, and Johnson, began rowing at the Capitol Rowing Club here as part of their physical training regimen. Capitol Rowing Club is a masters rowing club on the Anacostia River next to the Washington Navy Yard where the Navy Band is headquartered.

Curtis, who has rowed for much of his adult life, thought other musicians would fit right in at a rowing regatta.

Soldier Overcomes Lifelong Fear With Warrior Games

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

05.14.2010  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., - Army Spc. Marie Princler sought months ago to participate in the inaugural Warrior Games being held here this week to prove she's not limited by her disability.

Like many disabled veteran athletes competing in the games, Princler suffers from a service-related injury, and is looking to build on an already-successful recovery program. But as the games neared, she toyed with the idea of confronting another handicap that emerged early in her childhood.

Cyclists Refuse to Leave Teammate Behind

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

By Elizabeth M. Collins

05.14.2010  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., - The Warrior Games cycling competition, held at the U.S. Air Force Academy here in a May snow shower, May 13, would have daunted the toughest of professional cyclists, but not wounded, ill and injured service members.

They battled their way through freezing temperatures and slippery roads, persevering in the midst of extreme pain, and even stopped to help each other along the way.

Suffering from two torn rotator cuffs, Army Sgt. Monica Southall had never used a handcycle before arriving at the Warrior Games a few days ago, but she didn't let that keep her from the race. At one point, the pain became too much to bear and she wanted to stop, but as she said, "Soldiers don't quit, and I wasn't going to quit."

Help, in the form of Army Warrant Officer 1 Johnathan Holsey and Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Will Wilson, arrived just when Southall needed it most.

Air Force Veteran Aims for Paralympics

04.02.2010 SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., - In the blink of an eye your life can change forever.

That's what happened to Sean Halsted one day when he fell 40 feet to the ground while fast-roping from a helicopter during a training mission at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

"I don't remember what happened," said Halsted, a former combat controller who was stationed at then-McChord Air Force Base, Wash. "I just know one minute I was reaching for the rope, and the next I was on the ground with my back hurting and the guys are telling me to lay still."

Halsted damaged his spinal cord and became a paraplegic as a result of the accident.

"When I got hurt it was like, life is over. Good thing there's the Internet; good thing there's DVD players," Halsted said. "I'll just be sitting in my room passing the time and looking on the Internet. I found out that's not the case. Life goes on. Life is still there."

Running So Others Might Live Better

According to Boise State Research it takes an average 6’0 man running a 10 minute mile 1548 steps to run a mile. 287 more if he runs a 12 minute mile and 287 less if he runs an 8 minute mile. But with a 10 minute mile (and if I were running 26.2 miles, I’d be running a slow pace) that would be somewhere around 40,558 steps in a Marathon. I probably take 2100 steps on an APFT.

In his quest to achieve full recovery while doing for others, one Marine is training for a Marathon. His goal is to earn 12.3 cents per step for the Semper Fi Fund. My loftier goal is to help him earn 64.6 cents a mile. What would that take? It would take 1,000 people donating $1.00 a mile that he’ll run on that test of endurance. That’s $26.20 each; Less than a carton of cigarettes, less than a case and a half of beer, less than a tank of gas.

The doctors said it wouldn’t happen, the Master Sergeant proved them wrong!

On October 26, 2008 MSgt. Jonathan R. White will be running the Marine Corps Marathon. His wife, Sgt. Peggy C. White, who is no longer in the Marines, will be running also.

On July 23, 2003 Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan R. White was training for parachute operations with his fellow Marines. Little did he know that later on that day, his life would take a 180 degree turn!

All was fine as he made ready to jump out of the helicopter. He was with a group of Marines making their first jump since their initial training. As a result, he was the designated “stick leader” meaning he would be the first off the ramp. GySgt. White had, in fact, already made well over 20 jumps prior to today’s training operation. Everything was a go, the green light came on, and off the ramp he went.

GySgt. White immediately began checking to see that all was fine as soon as his chute opened, and that’s when he realized all was not fine. Although his equipment was functioning properly and he was able to turn as needed, he was falling much faster than the rest of the group. Not only was he falling faster than the others, he was moving across the landing zone too fast. He checked his equipment again, and then his training kicked in.

He focused on his landing, which is what they had taught him to do. That is the most important part of the jump, the landing. He later would find out that he had gotten caught in a gust of wind, actually a major gust of cross wind, which caused him to hit the ground at about 60 mph. In spite of coming in so fast, he managed to land on his feet, but that is where things went terribly wrong for the rest of his body.

The hard landing caused him to bend over, not at the waist as most people would do, but at the mid-chest so that his forehead smacked his belt buckle. At that point, several things happened that were nothing short of a miracle.

A reservist corpsman, witnessed the landing, and realized that GySgt White was in trouble. This corpsman worked with the NYC Fire Department as a paramedic. Not only that, he specialized in spinal injuries. He immediately told the helicopter pilots to take White to the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa.

When Jonathan first arrived at the hospital doctors didn’t think any serious damaged had occurred, but it wasn’t long before they realized he not only couldn’t feel his wife holding his hand, he couldn’t feel his feet.

Perhaps it is good that he doesn’t remember much from his accident, but his wife Peggy can recall it all, with absolute clarity. When she arrived, Jonathan was out of it, and the doctors were getting very little information from him.

“He was talking to them, sort of doing the [Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape] thing … he was giving them nothing vital,” Peggy White said. “He was saying stuff like, ‘I want to get back to the drop zone.’

“I had a hold of his hand and a hand on his shoulder and I told him, ‘You’re not wherever you think you are. You need to snap out of this and talk to us.’”

A staff member from neurosurgery was called, who happened to be the head of the department, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Rosenbaum. Remember I mentioned that several things happened that were nothing short of miracles? First the corpsman with spinal injury training being present when the accident occurred, and secondly, the fact that Lt. Cmdr. Rosenbaum was there at the hospital when Jonathan arrived.

After making an assessment of Jonathan’s condition, Lt. Cmdr. Rosenbaum realized that the prognosis was not good. Jonathan would be a paraplegic as a result of that parachute jump. There was no feeling in his body until they got up to mid-chest level. In order to get a good MRI, the doctor went in with Jonathan, holding his head still. They spent some time literally nose-to-nose inside the machine while the scan was being done.

Jonathan, who is not the type to let life go by unchallenged, asked Lt. Cmdr. Rosenbaum, a question. Remember, they were nose-to-nose inside of the MRI at the time. “He said, ‘Promise me I will walk again,’” Rosenbaum said. “It’s a good rule for physicians not to make promises and Jon really caught me off-guard. He got me emotional to the point where I promised him he would.”

Was that a promise that would soon be broken? After reviewing the results of the scan, Rosenbaum decided to do surgery and move the large bone fragment that was pressing on Jonathan’s spinal cord. He also saw that Jonathan had fractured several of his vertebrae. It was not to be a simple operation.

2 hours later, Jonathan was in surgery, which lasted for 9 hours. The doctor wanted to move quickly and did so to push away the bone chunk pressing on his spinal cord. In addition to that, he inserted 2 twelve inch titanium rods and 6 screws to stabilize his spinal cord. Time would tell if the operation was to be a success and Jonathan would walk again!

As Jonathan awoke from surgery, the Lt. Cmdr. was standing on his right side. Rather unexpectedly, Jonathan’s knee came up and hit the doctor in the face. He took that to be a good sign. After spending 3 days in recovery, Jonathan was flown back stateside to Naval Medical Center San Diego for another surgery.

While enroute, the pain Jonathan was encountering was not dealt with, the hospital didn’t know they were coming, and the nurses had Jonathan sitting semi-upright in bed and even moving around walking a bit. After a second surgery, the doctor’s at Naval Medical Center San Diego were less than optimistic about Jonathan ever being able to walk again. In fact, they asked what VA (Veteran’s Administration) Hospital he wanted to go to. They said he would be in a wheelchair and never walk again. Thank goodness Peggy was at his side as an advocate! The horrors of that trip to San Diego and what he endured there were unbelievable.

“I fought with all the people that tried to medically retire him when he could not say it himself. I was amazed at the people that would want him to sign papers, make decisions, and explain things to him when he was on morphine, etc. His memory from July 23, 2003 to October 2003 is fragmented to say the least. He remembers some things but has no time line reference for them. For the most part, that time is a big blur for him. For me, I remember every detail. The more horrible…the more they stick in my mind.”

When GySgt. White started physical therapy; he asked them what would it take to get him out of there. The reply? Walk around the room.

He spent three weeks in San Diego then went home. The GySgt. was still having trouble with his legs being numb and needed help walking. I think his Marine training must have kicked back in, because he taught himself to walk again with the aid of two canes, and out the door he went! He never looked back either!

Three months later, he was back at work. Four months after that, he was running again. The following May, 2004 he deployed to Thailand, and while there, he secretly planned on taking a PFT when he returned. Why? He had a window of opportunity to advance his rank, and it wouldn’t happen without a current PFT test.

He didn’t just pass that PFT; he ran 3 miles in 22:39, did 13 pull-ups and in two minutes he did 100 crunches, to score 237. He smoked that PFT with a “young man’s first class 237 score. All less than a year after two surgeries and being told he would never walk again.

He not only got that promotion, he is still active duty today, with the Marine Corps. He is stationed overseas with his family. His wife, and possibly his son, also intends to run in the Marine Corps Marathon. The marathon is stateside, so they will be flying back, at their own expense. Why run in a marathon? It has been a wish of Jonathan’s ever since the accident.

He chose the Marine Corps Marathon, because he knew the money he is raising will go straight to the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund. He is running for his brothers, to help other Marines! He is running because he can do this for THEM!

Peggy White is looking “for a good few men” to donate and help the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

To donate online

Related articles may be found at http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/overcoming-adversity-msgt.html

Copyright 2008 MsMarti. All rights reserved.

Army Dive Instructor Makes His Time Count

United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School
Story by Maj. Dave Butler

03.17.2010  KEY WEST, Fla. - Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Talmadge had two jobs when he reported to the U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School at Naval Air Station, Key West, Fla., in May 2008. He was charged with teaching special-operations Soldiers combat-dive skills and to recover from wounds received by a rocket-propelled grenade just seven months earlier. He did both.

In Sept. 2007, Talmadge's five-vehicle patrol was ambushed by more than 60 well-prepared insurgents in southern Afghanistan. Talmadge was in the turret, operating the automatic grenade launcher in the second truck. The insurgents fired five rocket-propelled grenades at each truck and littered the patrol with gun fire. An RPG blew through the door of Talmadge's Humvee hitting the radios, and then his legs.

"We were hit and tried to drive out of the kill zone, when the driver turned around to survey the fire inside the vehicle, he saw it [the unexploded RPG] stuck in my leg

United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School
Story by Maj. Dave Butler

03.17.2010  KEY WEST, Fla. - Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Talmadge had two jobs when he reported to the U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School at Naval Air Station, Key West, Fla., in May 2008. He was charged with teaching special-operations Soldiers combat-dive skills and to recover from wounds received by a rocket-propelled grenade just seven months earlier. He did both.

In Sept. 2007, Talmadge's five-vehicle patrol was ambushed by more than 60 well-prepared insurgents in southern Afghanistan. Talmadge was in the turret, operating the automatic grenade launcher in the second truck. The insurgents fired five rocket-propelled grenades at each truck and littered the patrol with gun fire. An RPG blew through the door of Talmadge's Humvee hitting the radios, and then his legs.

"We were hit and tried to drive out of the kill zone, when the driver turned around to survey the fire inside the vehicle, he saw it [the unexploded RPG] stuck in my leg

Injured Instructor Resumes Career with Robotic Hand

By Charmain Z. Brackett

Staff Sgt. Luis Elias considers the last six months as just a bump along life’s road.

“Adapt and overcome is the name of the game. It’s just something that happened,” said Elias, a Fort Benning, Ga., drill sergeant, who lost his right hand in a training accident on June 30, 2009.

Using the i-LIMB, Elias picks up marbles from occupational therapist Lisa Dowling's hand.  Staff Sgt. Luis Elias can do many of the same activities with his robotic prosthetic hand called the i-LIMB as he could with his natural hand.  Elias spent five months at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center after a training accident cost him his right hand on June 30, 2009. (Photo Credit:  Chamain Z. Brackett)

A training device exploded in his right hand, leaving only his thumb. After a July 7 surgery at the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center here to amputate his arm two inches above his wrist, Elias spent five months at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center’s active-duty rehabilitation unit in Augustus, Ga. He was released on Dec. 18 and returned to Fort Benning, Ga., to report to work on Monday, Jan. 4.

Some of the new recruits may not even realize their drill sergeant is an amputee.

Overcoming personal tragedy, inspiring others

by Senior Airman Joshua Stevens  28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

3/5/2008 (Updated 7/16/2009 ) - ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Upon seeing him, one would never suspect a difference between him and any other uniformed servicemember.

He stands tall, exhibiting a more-than-personable attitude and fervor for military professionalism.

However, there is more to this Airman than anyone would immediately suspect. 
 
In May 2007, Master Sgt. Ronald Heller, 28th Operations Support Squadron intelligence flight superintendent, lost the lower half of one leg due to cardiovascular blood complications, but gained a renewed vigor for his outlook on life.

Master Sgt. Ronald Heller, 28th Operations Support Squadron intelligence flight superintendent, stretches with his coworkers during a group physical training session at the Pride Hanger March 20.

The Problem Arises

During a deployment to Guam in the first half of 2006, Sergeant Heller began to notice he was having odd sensations in his foot.

Amputee gets commission through Army ROTC

BY By Paul Kotakis, Cadet Command Public Affairs Officer

FORT MONROE, Va. (Dec. 22, 2008) -- The blast of a roadside bomb in Iraq's Sunni Triangle resulted in the amputation of a portion of Richard Ingram's left arm. But it did not rob him of his dream of becoming an officer in America's Army.

Ingram's dream became a reality Dec. 13 when he graduated from North Georgia College & State University and took the oath of office as a lieutenant.

He is the first individual with such severe combat injuries sustained during the Global War on Terrorism to earn a commission through the Army ROTC program.

Richard T. Ingram (right) takes the oath of office as a second lieutenant during ceremonies conducted at North Georgia College & State University on Dec. 13. Administering the oath is 1st Lt. Robert Morris, a 2005 graduate of North Georgia. Photo by Kate Maine, North Georgia College & State University

The LaGrange, Ga. native was serving with the 48th Brigade Combat Team of the Georgia Army National Guard as a cavalry scout when his tactical vehicle was struck by an explosive device and rolled several times.

In speaking of that June 2005 experience Ingram said, "I didn't think there was any way I was going to live through it when the truck started rolling.

Lt. Col. Maxwell’s Own Story

Confined at first to bed and then a wheelchair, he had difficulty speaking and walking. Photos of him receiving a Purple Heart show scarlet bruises under both eyes and a raised red surgical scar snaking across his temple.

Maxwell’s combat injuries and subsequent surgeries have resulted in his having a difficult time remembering certain words, a condition called “anomia,” but he cannot ––and will not forget about his Marines. Maxwell was Ops Officer for the 24th MEU, II MEF.

Today, Maxwell is able to swim, lift weights and run three miles.

He has taught himself to read again, beginning with children's books. His speech pathologist,

Lt. Col. Maxwell’s New Mission: Taking Care of the Wounded

No One Can Understand the Singular Suffering of the Wounded Like Their Injured Comrades.  So One is Leading the Way in Ministering to Them.

Wounded Up Close and Personal

07-31-2005 A hospital therapist presses down hard against a ridge of crimson scar tissue on the shattered left leg of LCpl. Donald Ferguson. Ferguson grits his teeth.

His face red and contorted, Ferguson tries to snap to attention as a lieutenant colonel approaches. The Officer's hair is cropped close on top and shaved on the sides, revealing a jagged pink scar across his left temple from a combat wound.