I served 19 years in the Army before being medically retired. I did two combat deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan as a Counter Improvised Explosive Device Non-Commissioned Officer. Fast-forward to 2014, and my wife and I were in a horrible accident. I had a testicle ripped off, penile deglovement, and had a mesh implant put in my chest.
I almost lost my wife.
She was in a coma, broke all her ribs, her scapula, lost her spleen, fractured her skull, and had to have a titanium plate put in her skull. She lost all function on the left side of her face due to fracturing all of her ossicles in her left ear and pinching her cn7 facial nerve. Fast-forward to 2017, and I was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. A little bit later on in 2017, two days after Christmas, my wife and I lost our house and everything we owned, including all my military memories, uniforms, awards, and pictures of all my travels.
You would think that’s enough, right?
In 2018 I found out I have a thoracic ascending aortic aneurysm that’s a little over 4 cm and the VA can't figure out what's going on with my liver.
Life has been tough for me, no doubt.
But I won't give up.
My family needs me.
My kids need me.
My battle buddies need me.
But most of all, I need them.
I need you.
Don’t feel sorry for me because I don’t. I want to use my story to help others see that life is beautiful, and we need you here. My mission is to bring about change with a non-traditional means. That is why I am partnering with the outdoor community to bring forth change and bring veterans together. Thanks, Battle Out.
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve the lives of Veterans in need. “Help our Veterans—because their future is in our hands.”
