I graduated High School in May of 1999 by August 1st was in Ft. Benning, GA for basic training for Infantry.  I ended basic training mid December.  My first duty station was Ft. Hood, TX  B co. 1/5 CAV, where I was a light machine gunner, after a year of Ft. Hood I got orders to South Korea in 2001 where I was stationed at Camp Hovey A co. 1/9 INF (Manchu)  in area 1, 15 kilometers from the DMZ. I earned my Expert Infantry Badge in Korea and was there for 9/11.  After Korea I reenlisted for Germany at the end of 2001, there I was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and did a 18 month tour, I also was promoted to Sergeant and was a squad leader for the support platoon.  I reenlisted again for Ft. Drum, NY in 2005 and assigned to A co. 1-32 INF 2nd PLT (light infantry).  I went to many schools there including Mountain Leaders Advanced Marksmanship (MLARM) training, deployment to the National Training Center in California and Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana.

I was a Bravo Team Leader and then moved up to 2nd Squad Leader where I was in charge of 8 men and equipment. After a year of training we were deployed to Afghanistan and our Battalion was based in Jalabad, Afghanistan. We were sent to an outpost in the Kunar Province on the Pakistani-Afghanistan border in the Korengal Valley. I was involved in numerous engagement and firefights, on August 3, 2006 thirteen of us, my squad along with some Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers had a mission to search the village of Landigal and any villages along the route. about 8 hours into the mission the ANA got scared and left us in the middle of a mission, after that there was only 13 of us left so myself and my Lt. decided to  find the high ground because we knew an attack was imminent.  Almost shortly after I had set up my security we were ambushed in a U-Shape ambush.  Immediately I was shot in the lower back and paralyzed. I continued to fight and would not be here if one of my best friends didn’t run into fire and pull me to safety and he was shot behind the knee doing so. Two of my soldiers and my forward observer were shot but everybody that day came home.  I am now living in southwest Kansas and am 100% independent.   I own my house, race desert race truck and enjoy shooting on the M1 For Vets rifle team. For me being outside whether it’s hunting or just doing what ever is what keeps me going!